Sticks and Stones....

....were installed in our shower.  Ok, maybe just stones, but that was the first saying that came to mind.  So I went with it. 

I have been procrastinating this project for who knows how long, and last weekend I finally decided to check it off my list.  We went with a product called river rocks that are available at Home Depot.  They come in 12 x 12 in. mesh-backed pieces and you just place them side-by-side to get a cohesive look. 

Here is what they look like all laid out:

I placed them from the drain in the tub outward to get an idea of where I needed to cut.  The best part about the mesh backing is that there is no need for a tile saw.  I just used the scissors to make each piece fit perfectly.  Once I had it all laid out, I transferred the whole layout from the tub to the bathroom floor so that I would remember which pieces fit where. 

Then I just spread out the tile adhesive, OmniGrip (available at Home Depot), as evenly as possible across the whole floor.  The contractor who installed the shower drain for us put a layer of concrete in the shower stall to level it out and make sure there was a bit of a gradient towards the drain.  So my job was really to just keep the tile adhesive as even as possible to allow for that gradient to remain.  And in doing so, the tiles came up evenly with the drain.  If they were too far under, water would pool around rather than travel into the drain.  And if they were too high (because of too much adhesive), then the water would have to travel up to get into the drain.....not likely.  Surprisingly, it worked out and everything was even. 

Here are some process shots:

My trusty sidekick (Dad) helped me lay them all out and figure out which pieces could fit where.  It was almost like doing a puzzle.  I had to individually place a few stones here and there around the perimeter, but for the most part, it was a quick process.   Oh, and please excuse my outdated outfit.  I still like to feel like a bride-to-be every once in a while.  Haha.  This poor sweatshirt has seen almost every home improvement project we've done.  It's been through a lot!

So, after waiting 24 hours for the adhesive to dry, I grouted over the tiles.  I went with DeLaurean Grey (like Back to the Future..awesome, I know).  I used the same color on the backsplash, the half bath redo and the basement bathroom floor and loved it, so I figured I'd stick with what works.  Plus, I had some leftover....and I hate to waste! 

Here is the grout going in:

 Yes, it is the next day and I'm wearing pretty much the same outfit.  Different pants (and underwear, of course), but the same sweatshirt.  It's almost like I'm superstitious about it....if I don't wear it, then it won't come out as good.  Who knows.  I'm just a little crazy after all of this renovation.  My process for grouting was just to spread it evenly across all the tiles, making sure it filled in all the gaps between rocks.  Then once it dried a bit, maybe 20-30 minutes, I would take a clean sponge and wipe off the excess from the stones.  It took a few passes, but they came clean eventually and left me with this:

Sorry for the small pictures.  My cameras are both charging, so I took this with my iphone and it didn't come out great.  EEK!  Better pictures to come when there is more progress.  I had to buy a new blade for the tile saw since it had become dull after so much use.  I plan to get started on putting up the subway tile this weekend.  Yes, I know its mother's day, but I just want to finish it.  This basement project has gone on long enough!! 

But until then, I have a little sneak peek at an addition to the basement that arrived this week......

Can't wait to tell you more about it! 

 Before I go, I'll just do a quick before and after. 

All Work and No Play

So I've been having this internal (and occasionally external) debate lately on whether it is better/easier/more rewarding to do all the work on our house by ourselves or to hire someone and have the time we would have spent on the project to just play.  For the last 2 years, it has been all work and no play.  Literally.  We love doing DIY projects, working side-by-side and learning things along the way, but I can't remember a weekend where we weren't doing that.  We have spent so much time fixing it up that we haven't taken the time to enjoy it.  

Before our son came along, it was easy to spend an entire weekend painting every room in the house or installing a new walkway, because we were doing it together.  But now we want to spend the time together as a family.  If we want to complete a project (like the basement, for instance), one of us has to watch him while the other does work....and vice versa.  Not only do we miss out on that time with each other or as a family, but it also takes 10 times longer.  I know it should probably just be twice as long (I tend to exaggerate for effect), but I feel like we motivated one another to get stuff done when we were side-by-side.  Things just seemed to get done so much faster. 

It's just not as much fun as it used to be either.  Pace is #1 (of course) and I have found myself doing the unimaginable (well...at least unimaginable as of 2 years ago).....calling to get quotes for our upcoming projects (lawn care, trim painting, etc.).  Now I'm not saying that we are going to give up on DIY completely, I think we are just going to tone it down a little.  Whereas we used to jump at a new project possibility, we might stop and think about our options before doing that in the future.  Just the big projects....I think. 

Does anyone else feel this way about DIY??  I have to say I am a bit disappointed in myself for even thinking any of this, let alone writing it, but its the truth.  I am just as surprised as you are.  And maybe its just a temporary thing.  B has been traveling a lot lately (and I mean a lot.....like the last 5 weeks!!!) and being home alone has really got me thinking about all of our outstanding projects.  I really thought I could make a dent in them while he was away (ha!), but its so much harder than I thought to be productive with a crawling/teething/active/wonderful/curious/nosy 8-month old.  Maybe I'll get the hang of it soon though.....right as he starts to learn how to walk.

Surprisingly I have actually managed to do some spring-cleaning/organizing throughout the house in the last few weeks, so I'm slowing whittling (sp?) away at our long to-do list for 2012 (which I'm not sure I even talked about yet).  

Well, in case I didn't, here is a quick run-down:

1. Tile the basement bathroom shower
2. Install the vanity and light fixture in the bathroom
3. Caulk and fill nail holes in molding
4. Paint trim and doors in basement
5. Touch-up some molding and trim in the kitchen (it contracted in the winter and there are a few cracks here and there.....which probably are unnoticeable to anyone other than me)
6. Paint/touch-up railings on the deck (note to self: never let B paint anything)
7. Plant some shrubs and perennials around the base of the deck and the basement door
8. Add some life to the deck (rug, lanterns, potted plants, etc....hopefully very inexpensively!)
9. Replace trim on the house that is rotting/slit/broken.  
10. Paint the trim on the house white (this might be a hire-able job since I'm nervous to have me or B or ANYONE I know up on a ladder 3 stories high painting the trim in the back of the house...EEEK!!!!)
11. Paint the garage doors black - I have wanted to do this since we moved in!
12. Decorate the basement with some DIY artwork projects (I saw this whale blueprint at an adorable store in St. John a few weeks ago and I can't get it out of my head.  It was $600 and shipping would have been $500 on top of that, so there was no way we could ever buy it.  Hopefully I can re-create it though!!)
13. DIY a curtain for the kitchen sink window.....it looks so bare.  Maybe just a little tailored box-pleat one.  Seems easy enough.
14. DIY a new bench seat cushion for the entryway - found someone on etsy that will do it for $175 but I think I can make it for a LOT cheaper!
15. Find a used project-height table and make it into a desk for the basement office.  Could be regular desk height, but I like the higher ones for doing any hand-made things (calligraphy, drawing, sketching, etc.).  
16. Refinish some side tables that I found on the side of the road (pictures to come soon).
17. Re-paint an adirondack chair for the deck......it needs a little love!!

Hmm...I could go on and on, but seeing/writing it all makes my heart rate soar, so I'll leave it at that for now.  So as you can see from my list, I definitely don't want to give up the DIY in our lives, I just want to tone it down a little.   Call in some reinforcements when necessary.   Have any of you guys done that?  Did you regret it?  Wish you had soldiered on and finished it yourself?  Was it worth the money to have the free time???  I doubt I'm the only that has felt this way, but for some reason, I feel like that right now.  Any thoughts are more than welcome.

Until next time...

Rug Search

We are getting close to the decorating phase of the basement remodel and I can almost taste it.  I enjoy most other parts of the process just as well, but I think this is my favorite.  It is definitely the most fun.  No work, all play makes a happy wife and mom.  I keep telling B that I'm really not that hard to please, but for some reason he doesn't believe me.

To give you a quick update on the progress, the floors are all down and the molding and doors are up but I still haven't started tiling the shower in the bathroom.  That is pretty much the final piece of the contruction phase that is left.  Until I get the time/courage to do that, though, I am investing any free moments into finding fun, affordable, kid-friendly decor.  We already have a couch.  It's a white/blue stripe sectional that we have barely used.  I know what you are thinking, "didn't she just say "kid-friendly decor" and "white" all in the same breath.  Yep, I did.  But thankfully we were smart in our pre-baby days and bought the couch slipcovered and with scotchguard protection as well.  And I say "we" in the loosest sense of the word.  I'm honestly less worried about my son destroying than my husband.  I'm sure there are a lot of you out there that can relate.

At the moment, my current obsession is with rugs.  I want to warm up the space a little (not heat-wise, just fabric-wise) and make it a little cozier down there.  I have looked at a few online, but its so hard to tell how it feels if you aren't there to touch the fabric.  I am leaning towards an indoor/outdoor rug so that we can just hose it off if it gets dirty, but I'm worried it won't be very soft.  My next option is to do a berber material and keep it plain.  I did that for the stairs, but I am just worried it will be too boring.  The walls are a blue/gray, the couch is blue and white and then I would get some sort of blue solid patterned berber rug......hmm.  It just seems too blah.  Definitely practical, which is what I need....but I want it to be a little fun down there.

Any other suggestions for a durable, comfy, soft-ish, cool rug style for a basement? 

Here are some that I've been looking at so far on Dash & Albert:

The first one is wool and the second two are indoor/outdoor.  I used to like hooked wool rugs until I spent most of my days sitting or playing on them.  They shed a lot and I hate having the fibers all over me and my son.  We currently have one in our living room (from Home Goods) and although it has held up pretty well to constant wear and tear and its relatively comfy, I am just not sure I want to go down that road again with the basement.  The last rug from the photos above is a rope pattern which I like.  It's sort of boring since it's just one color, but the darker color is good for kids (or husbands) and the pattern gives is a little something.  I know I said I didn't want berber because it was boring and this is pretty much the same, but I am a woman and I change my mind.  All the time.  Even in the same 5 minutes it has been since I typed about the berber.....ah well.

Long story short (sort of), I bought a groupon for a local Rug Store - The Rug Merchant in Rockland, MA, so I need to buy the rug from them.  Groupons are great, but that means that I'm limited to the brands they carry.  So far, I know that they definitely carry Dash and Albert, but I'm not sure who else.  I will keep looking for inspiration photos and keep you posted.

Worst case scenario, I can always buy a rug for the guest bedroom/office in the basement or the second bedroom upstairs if I really can't find anything for the living area in the basement, but I would really just like to focus on one project at a time.  My brain (and my pinterest searches) can only handle so much at once!! 

And then there were floors...

I know I used that line already (here) for Pace's arrival, but it seems to fit pretty well here too so I apologize for my unoriginality.  :) I know that people talk about "pregnancy brain" but I'm pretty sure that I still have it (or rather DON'T have it) seven months later.  Kind of like my body...haha.

Back to the floors though.  Pergo floors to be exact.  I have to tell you about the deal I got because I almost don't believe it myself.  As usual, I went back and forth (literally from store to store and website to website) deciding on the laminate.  One day I made a random trip to Lowe's to pick up an exterior light and I did a little drive by the flooring section when I came across a yellow tag on the bottom shelf.  I'm not sure if you are all aware of the yellow tag, but it usually means an AMAZING deal.  I initially assumed it was not what I was looking for (color-wise or style-wise) but to my surprise, it was pretty normal.  It was called Classic Red Oak by Pergo and it was on sale for $1.19/sq. ft. from $2.99/sq. ft.  CRAZY, right??  I would direct you up to the Lowe's website to show you what I mean, but the reason it was such a good deal is because they were on buy-back from Pergo.  I guess they were changing out the color or the name of the color or something (which they do on occasion when something isn't selling as much) so Lowe's was getting rid of them for cheap.  Real cheap.  I couldn't pass up the deal, so I bought every single one on the shelf....in 4 different stores.  I ended up having more than I needed, but I'm going to save a box or two in case we damage a piece later and they are no longer manufactured.  So all in all, we spent $556 on 520 sq. ft. of laminate (or $618 - $62.88 with a 10% coupon I had).  I thought that I just loved it for the price, but once we started installing it, I think that I like it regardless.....

 

And I liked it even more once the whole thing was complete!! (Please forgive the terrible, cluttered, messy photos....we haven't exactly cleaned up and put everything back in order yet, so these are just a sneak peek at the finished product)!

And for the bathroom floor, we chose the same tile as we used in our half bath renovation (more here).  It was $4.00/sq. ft. which came out to $182 ($168 for 42 sq. ft. plus $14 for grout).  I already had the tools and the thinset mortar from the kitchen backsplash project (here and here).  I apologize for the terrible process picture.  I meant to take more as we were working, but once we got started I got in a groove and didn't want to stop.....mostly for fear that I wouldn't start back up again.  Oh, and yes, I am wearing a sweatshirt that says "The Future Mrs. Carroll".  Haha.  Hell yea I still rock my pre-wedding digs.....to paint and tile and do messy things.  Sorry honey.  It's kind of weird to wear them anywhere else at this point (3.5 years later) so instead of wasting a perfectly good hoodie, I decided to put it to good use.......

Oh, and I also threw in a look at the shower floor tile.  It is only laid out at this point so I can see how many more 12x12 sheets I need.  What do you think?? 

And just because I have to throw in a picture of the little bug.....
 

We are so close to finishing this project, I can taste it!!  We even had time to install the doors and some trim so I will have more updates very soon!

Basement Renovation: Paint

The paint is up (though not without a little drama) and the floors are ready to go down!!  YAY!  I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders now.  B and I share most DIY tasks 50/50 but painting is really my thing.  He will sometimes help roll while I cut, but I am such a crazy perfectionist that I tend to do most of it on my own.   So when I say drama, I just mean that I took the perfectionist thing to a whole new level this time!!  Let's start back at the beginning.......

I spent an obsessively long time picking out the colors, as usual, and I felt so confident in my decision that I picked up 2 gallons of Sherwin Williams Duration Interior Satin Latex in North Star and started slapping it on the wall.  Side note: The room in question is the big family room and hallway which is probably 400-500 sq ft total.  After the first few strokes went up I felt a little unsure.  I was going for a gray-blue (sort of like my kitchen) that was light and bright and would go with the berber carpet I had picked out for the stairs (Equinox brand in Platinum from the Rug Merchant in Rockland, MA.....LOVE THEM!).  What went on my wall was a more green-y light baby blue.  Not a bad color, just not what I was going for.  I mistakenly chalked it up to the fact that it was the first coat and it hadn't dried yet, so I kept going.......ALL THE WAY AROUND THE ROOM!  I love this specific Sherwin Williams paint (we used it on the kitchen walls), but its not cheap.  I think each gallon is about $40.  So more than anything, I kept painting because I didn't want to waste money....and also, obviously, I didn't want to admit that I was wrong.  NEVER!!  I have picked the wrong color before, but not for such a big space.  I left the basement for the night and decided to sleep on it.

Here's some shots of the first color.  You can almost see the apprehension on my face in the photo below.....either that or I'm giving B the "ahem" look for taking a picture of me looking like that!  Haha

The next morning I woke up and still hated it.  As much as I tried to convince myself that it would grow on me, I just couldn't stand it.  I know it sounds crazy (and believe me, if you could have seen the look on B's face), but I knew that I wouldn't be happy unless I changed it.  So I spent another few hours taping previously discarded swatches onto the wall to find the perfect color that I must have missed.  Discouraged and cranky, I walked up the stairs to take a break from the madness and was standing in the kitchen doorway when I realized that I should just use the same color as the kitchen.  Why hadn't I thought of that before?  In fact, B mentioned it at some point during my crazed swatch-taping mania....I just didn't hear him...or want to listen.  I guess my initial reaction was that it would be weird if my whole house was one color.  But at the end of the day, I really love it, so why not?  Right?  I ran back out to Sherwin Williams with my Behr Burnished Metal swatch and had them color match it for me.  It cost me another $80, and took me another 8ish hours to paint a second coat (which it probably needed anyway), but I am so happy with it now.  Maybe I am a little crazy, but I plan to spend a lot of time down there, so it better make me happy.

 

And it does!  You probably can't tell the difference between the first two pictures and these, but in the room it makes a big difference....at least it does to me.  The final product has a little more gray in it that gives it the subtlety I was going for.  Plus, it matches very well with our white/blue stripe sectional couch.  Important now, but I wanted to make sure I would love the color even if we get different furniture down the road.  (Oh, and you can take a little sneak peak at the vanity in the photo above....more about that later, but I am in love!!!)

Ok, long story short (ha...they never are), with the big room done and a new sense of confidence behind me, I went to town painting the bathroom and the office next.  Those colors were a lot easier.  I knew that I was going to use the rest of the ceramic tiles from the half bath renovation (more here), so I color-matched the grey from that for the walls of the bathroom.  It is a color called Gray Area by Behr but I had them lighten it by half.  Then I went with a pretty basic beige color for the office.....which is actually my new favorite beige....it's called Perfect Gray from Sherwin Williams, and it is just the perfect shade of grey-beige or greige.  It doesn't have any green or yellow in it.  It is beautiful!  And it transitions really nice from the hallway because it is so subtle.  Hopefully it will look nice when we put up the french (12-light) door on the room.

Another few hours of painting on those rooms and VOILA!!!  I am a very happy camper!

Bathroom

Office

Now we can get started on the floors.  I can't wait to tell you more about that.  I just got an AMAZING deal on laminate at Lowe's.  I actually picked it all up two weeks ago but we haven't been able to install it yet since we wanted to finish the painting (plus you need to leave it in the space to "breathe" for 48-72 hours before you install it).  We are going to install it this weekend, along with the bathroom floor tile.  Can't wait to share those projects with you!

PrimeTime!

The walls are finally (and I can't tell you how much I mean that word) up and plastered so we were able to prime everything this past weekend.  What normally feels like the most rewarding part of a renovation job felt very anti-climactic this time around.  I am used to transforming an already worn-out/ugly/out-dated space, so I've never really worked with a fresh canvas before.  Painting white over white just isn't that exciting.  There was no reward at the end.....it looked the exact same (well, maybe a little cleaner), but it still took forever.  And although I know how important this step is, I couldn't help but wish I could have skipped it!

So here is a look at the progress after the plastering was completed:

In that last photo you can see whats left of the yellow walls from our home's previous life.  Thought I would be a little sad for it to go, but I can't tell you how empowering it felt to paint over it!!  I have said it before, I love the color yellow, but the fact that it was on every wall, trim, tile and molding piece, I'm so very relieved to have it gone for good. 

Check the basement out after a coat of prime (we used Gripper for the walls and BIN for any wood/trim):

Ahhhhh!  So much better, right?

 

As frustrating as priming was, I guess there is a noticeable difference between the before and after photos.  It definitely looks a little cleaner.  So it was worth it in the end, but I have to say that at the time, I felt like giving up and calling it a day more than once.  I had to keep reminding myself that it is totally crucial to have that layer of prime under the paint.  I'm not sure of the exact chemical reaction, but it helps to provide a strong base for the paint to adhere to.  I'm sure that one of those paint/primer in one mixtures would have been ok too, but since we were working with VERY new plaster, I thought it was best to take the extra step (as painstaking as it was...haha).  Ok, enough complaining.  I'm sure you also noticed in these photos that the floors look a little different than before.  Over the last two weeks, we have also had the heating company (Viega) come in and install the radiant heating panels!  YAY! They are not totally functioning just yet, but the guys should be coming back this week to hook them up to our boiler.  Can't wait for warm and toasty toes!!

Next step for the basement is to paint.  We want to get it all done before installing the floors to avoid any messy situations after the fact.  I actually started on the back room yesterday and plan to finish up the second coat tomorrow.  Can't wait to show you!  I love the color.  I have been looking for the perfect beige for a LOOOOOONG time and I think I finally found it.  

Do you guys have a favorite paint color that you have used multiple times in your home?  Or do you have a certain color scheme that flows from room to room?  I am still not sure about the colors for the bathroom and family room so I am open to suggestions (we are leaning towards cool tones though...since that goes with some existing tile that we have for the bathroom and the couch that we already own for the living space).  I would love to hear your thoughts!!