There are many things about my life I migh want different, or that I want to tweak. But when it comes to the location of my home – I am blessed. We live withing walking distance of the majestic Atlantic ocean, and after strong winds like we’ve had this past week, driftwood treasures show up on the shore. I love going for walks along the shoreline. It always soothes my soul and calms me down. Recently I was lucky enough to find this amazing wooden board up on the rocks. I immediately picked it up and brought it home with me – already in love with the shelf I was creating in my head.
Imagine just finding this on the shore? How lucky is that?
I picked up some shelf brackets at my local hardware store. Ideally I would have liked wrought iron ones, but since they were 5 times as expensive, I went with simple wooden ones.
A quick stain later, and the shelf was ready to go! I found some screws down in my husband’s study, and voila!
Right as you enter my house, the first thing you see is our entry. Obviously The stairwell connects to a small hall upstairs, and the walls are covered in this dark brown panelling. And although I agree that this kind of panelling can look cool in some settings, it is really not what I am envisioning for this space. Nor is it a very good color in my opinion. Not to mention the linoleum flooring!
See what I have to work with? No, it’s not really that bad. It’s all in decent condition, and it just needs a facelift. I have to do something about the doors, and several of them need replacing. One of them actually has a hole in it! But for now I think a coat of paint will have to do.
I have started painting the walls and the stairs, but with a full time job, 2 kids and way too many hobbies, it is taking its sweet time. My vision is a gallery wall along the stairs, as well as that same dark grey color on the floor on the upstairs landing. Carpet on the stairs, and maybe some kind of light fixture above?
Built in cabinets from the 60’s. We use this for sheets and extra blankets.
Thinking about adding some kind of chandelier here…
The top of the half-wall has some water damage, and I don’t know what to do here. Paint over it?
Since I work at a school I have a fall break coming up, and I am hoping that I can get some work done that week – if not before. It’s a pain to paint all these little nooks and corners, as well as above the stairs! But I am getting closer to being done with the first coat, and then the second coat should be a lot faster. Hopefully. Stay tuned!
I suppose I have always had a desire to share my passions, just lacking the confidence to take the leap. Now that I am starting to implement some of the changes that I have been visualizing in the house, I feel compelled to share the journey.
The thought of actually stepping up and doing these projects both excite me and terrify me. I love the planning, envisioning and putting things together, but the actual manual labor and the power tools scare me. I love spending hours on Pinterest and Instagram, making perfect digital moodboards, and then hounding my husband when he can’t finish the projects fast enough. So I have decided to take matters into my own hands. Literally.
Initially I want this to be anonymous. At least until I feel comfortable sharing. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t get to know each other!
So, 5 quick facts about me:
I have too many hobbies; I play the flute, the piano, I knit and sow and bake. And I try to garden.
I love living in the country. The quiet, the birdsong and the smell of flowers and the ocean speaks to my soul.
I enjoy making my own food. I bake my own bread and make my own jam.
Hiking is seriously underrated. It brings me peace of mind.
