So This is What Square One Looks Like

My brief absence, following the post about our crazy-expensive furnace upgrade, probably seems a little funny.  Do you picture me keeled over on the floor, maybe in the fetal position and clutching my empty wallet, too shell-shocked to blog?  Well, you're not wrong.  It wasn't the furnace, though, that did me in - my computer died.  I was actually trying to view Kristin's (The Hunted Interior) house tour when my computer kicked me off and decided that I should get back to work instead.  When I resisted, it did a hard shut down and a screen I'd never seen popped up.  When it rebooted, things seemed fine until I realized I couldn't save any word documents or view any pictures because the files were corrupted or gone.  Luckily, I have an in with the best computer repair shop in town, but the prognosis is not good.  When I was working on my dissertation I did a back up to an external drive every couple of weeks but I think the last time everything was backed up might have been...January??  I have tutorials and photos for so many blog posts that might be gone, never mind hundreds of adorable photos of Szuka (and other important stuff, is there other important stuff?).  I'm hoping for good news ("we retrieved half the files and, coincidentally, they're the ones you didn't back up - yay!), although my luck's not that good ("we retrieved half the files but they're from a hundred years ago and ones you backed up anyway - yay!).

Worse than the possibility of losing so much work is coughing up cash for a new laptop, only days after the cheque was cashed on our spendy new heating system.  Well, this is what I get for refusing to upgrade my laptop for seven years (it got me through a Master's and a PhD - it seemed cruel to jettison it).  I think I was officially the last person to run Windows Vista...  Now the choice has been made for me: impromptu upgrade!  I hope to be back to blogging regularly next week, as I've confiscated Hubby's laptop, but some of my tutorials might be an exercise in visualizing the steps yourself.  While I ponder another big purchase, I wanted to chat about a purchase that didn't happen.

Do you remember me mooning over the Whitney dresser from Room & Board?  I had spent ages looking at local furniture stores and then hunting online before finding what I thought would be the perfect fit.  I loved the metal legs of the Whitney because I thought they complemented our welded headboard nicely.

At first I pined for the grey stain, but recently I had been really into the walnut.  All of the Room & Board dressers seemed like excellent quality (solid wood, crafted in the States), and something we could invest in and enjoy for a good long time.  I had wanted a low dresser and a highboy, which is the combination my Mom has, to maximize the space but still afford some room for my vintage posters and my little vignette:

I know it seems funny to buy furniture selected for its display prowess, but in the lakehouse we have few places to display treasured items and a serious shortage of wall space for art.  Happily, the measurements of the two Whitney dresser were perfect and the low dresser and taller cabinet fit like they were made for our bedroom.  Hubby and I made a trip to Minneapolis in August to hit up Costco, Ikea, Lowe's (for the lovely furniture grommets) and order the Room & Board dressers - although a part of me hoped there would be floor models we could scoop up for a good deal, so I was prepared with packing blankets and ratchet straps, just in case.  Save for the literal truckload of soy and canned tomatoes from Costco, we came home empty handed.  We didn't love the look of the Whitney in real life - the rounded edges are much more pronounced and seemed a little off to us.  Unfortunately, none of the Room & Board dressers we had short-listed had the feel of a $2000 dresser.  The drawer slides were a bit flimsy (the drawers actually rocked side to side), the finishes didn't seem super durable, and, ultimately, we just didn't love them.  I mean absolutely no offense to Room & Board, or anyone who has Room & Board furniture - it's just that $4000 is A LOT of money for us to spend on a pair of dressers and they just weren't what we were expecting.  I had spotted a dresser in a local shop, made in Canada, that was solid wood and retailing for a little less than the Whitney.  It was excellent quality, with really sturdy but buttery smooth drawer slides and just really solid construction.  It felt durable in a way that the Whitney didn't.  While I didn't love the lines of the Canadian dresser (it had a bit of a hotel feel), it became my benchmark for quality.  As we left the Room & Board store, Hubby muttered "so this is what square one feels like".

Furnishing a home in a small city is more challenging that I anticipated, having previously lived in Kingston and Ottawa, cities which not only boasted more stores but were close to other cities for even more shopping options.  We were never anything but overwhelmed by our options but here, back in Thunder Bay, I feel like our choices are severely limited.  Two furniture stores that have a more mid-century/modern selection are closing in November, so pickins will get even slimmer.

Still looking to find a replacement for our maple dresser, which is actually on loan from my Mom, I started looking at Ikea.  I'm contemplating a wall of storage - like maybe a Pax wardrobe? - which would actually be super awesome.  The lakehouse is so much smaller than the townhouse and without a proper basement, storage has been a bit of a drag.  With a giant Ikea unit I could move the linens from the linen closet into the bedroom, and turn the linen closet into a pantry which thrills me more than I'd like to admit (teenage-me would be very disappointed with how uncool my priorities have become). 

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I love this idea but have two reservations: most importantly, I'd have no home for my beloved vintage posters, which I love seeing first thing in the morning.  I've just really grown to love them over a dresser.  I could do something with varying heights, like this combination, but I haven't looked much into what will fit.  Perhaps more troublesome, I wonder if adding an Ikea wardrobe would just be too much Ikea furniture.  The older I get, shouldn't I buy fewer Ikea pieces and maybe buy better quality?  Some kind of heirloom-quality piece to pass on to my niece and nephew, or something like that?  Since we already have an Expedit, plus the Ikea floating credenza and an Ikea wall unit (the latter will be phased out at some point, but the other two are here to stay, for the immediate future at least), would adding a wardrobe just be too much Ikea for a couple in their (early!!) 30s?  Granted, there are some pretty awesome Ikea wardrobe hacks out there, so a wardrobe has the potential to look really awesome.  Plus, I don't give a hoot about what "adults" should do because I'm not one to be concerned with the peanut gallery and their socially constructed norms.  But still...I have this weird thing about Ikea.

Am I being totally ridiculous?  Thoughts on my dresser dilemma?

Bathroom Reno Plans for a Lakeside Home

I vaguely remember brazenly declaring that Hubs and I would be gutting the main bathroom this summer.  As in, the summer happening right now.  Life got in the way of my grand plans: the townhouse took longer to sell than we planned, the unpacking took longer than we planned, the kitchen makeover took longer than we planned, the snow melting took longer than we planned.  Flaked out on the sofa watching Game of Thrones one night in the spring, we decided to put off the bathroom reno until next spring.  I'm so happy I took the time to spruce up the room because it made it so much easier to make that very wise choice.

Frankly, I'm relieved.  I rushed planning the townhouse bathroom renovation and there are so many things we ended up not liking about the space.  With some more planning and more reflection, I hope that this time around I can design the perfect bathroom for us.  I'm not going to dawdle though, so I started a new Pinterest Board to collect my thoughts and I think I have a pretty good rough sketch of how I'd like the space to look.

This room inspired the tentative plan forming in my head:

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And, just for reference, this is our space right now (after the spruce):

We don't want to change the footprint of the room (whew - major savings and so much less hair pulling) and I even like the size and layout of our vanity with the tall cupboard to the left.  But I absolutely want a floating vanity because I'm really into the look, which feels very mid-century inspired, plus it would make cleaning under it a breeze.  It needs to be taller - ours is painfully low.  I'm thinking that a warm, walnut stained wood will look great with the existing hardwood flooring throughout the house but if we move forward with concrete flooring in the house (and grey flooring in the bathroom, specifically), I think I'll appreciate the visual warmth of the wood. 

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Amanda's vanity has such gorgeous grain, it would make anyone pine for wood (haha).  I want something with lots of grain too (hear that? That's Hubby cheering).  I have started to really appreciate wood and anytime we're at the lumber yard picking out something for a project (like the floating credenza top), I jokingly growl "graiiiiiins," like a zombie. 

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Like my first inspiration picture, I love the idea of white walls and turquoise tile.  Once we remove the shower portal and install a modern white bathtub, turquoise tile will look great.  I think a classic shape will lend the bold colour choice some longevity.

Sources, Clockwise: 1, 2, 3, 4

I am tempted to do something quirky and vintage, though, like tile the entire bathroom in subway tile - but do the bottom half aqua and the top half white (like the photo bottom right in the collage above, and the very retro-looking space below)...

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I'm tile shopping now and leaving myself open to possibilities because I might stumble across something that I didn't even know to look for!  The floor will be grey, I think.  I'm fighting the urge to make it turquoise too.  Slate or ceramic tile would be okay, but this room would also be a good space to try out concrete before making a bit commitment.  I'm drawn to grey for its dirt-disguising properties, plus I'm just really liking grey as a cool neutral to pair with aqua.  I'm using it all over the house and it's helping me pull together a cohesive look, while also doing the important work of tempering the bright aqua and providing contrast to the white-white-white walls. 

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I'm very far away from choosing accessories, but I do know I'd prefer chrome or brushed nickel finishes (probably chrome).  I'm really drawn to a pair of round mirrors over two sinks.  And there's this recycled glass solid surface counter I found - it's white with flecks of what looks like beach glass.  It's a good contender, but it's pricey.  Now that I have formulated a rough plan (which is subject to change), I feel more prepared to start pricing out and sourcing what we need.  Here's to a bathroom I won't grow tired of the second it's finished...

While I'm on the subject of bathrooms, I'm going to share my thoughts on the townhouse bathroom soon - what worked, what didn't, what regrets I have, and what I miss dearly about the space.

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Kitchen Questing

As you saw, the kitchen is coming along.  Yay!!  From the day we began planning, I've had an idea for a (hopefully) quick and inexpensive backsplash, and yesterday I sourced the materials.  Moving back to the Thunder Bay region, we've had to become re-accustomed to waiting for things.  Want a grey, water-based stain?  Gotta wait five days for a shipment to come in from Winnipeg.  Need a dishwasher?  You can have one middle of April, if you order today.  Want a sleek, mid-century inspired curtain rod?  Hahahaha, nope.  You'll have to wait until 2016 for that trend to circle back.  Patience is a virtue.  So what was I so worried I'd have to special order?

I'm not sure I want to say . . .

. . .

Paneling.  I know, it doesn't seem my style.

I feel so sheepish.  As I caught the eye of other lumber yard patrons, I wanted to reassure them, "seriously, I swear, this will look awesome".  Never in a million years did I think I would ever opt for paneling, but after seeing modern kitchens like the one below, I have a new appreciation for it.

Style at Home

Here's my reasoning for wanting paneling for our kitchen spit and polish: it's relatively inexpensive ($17.99/ 4x8 sheet) and it will hide the drywall repair we're doing, plus a multitude of other sins I'd like to off-load on Future-Me to deal with and fix.  As a bonus, it should be easy to remove when we do phase II.  With the cabinets and pantry axed, we have so much bare, torn-up wall on display and tiling all of that would be expensive and time consuming.  We're going to panel the entire window wall, and the entire wall behind the fridge and stove.  The paneling will be a nice, neutral, flaw-covering backdrop to the awesome opening shelving, with just enough texture to keep things interesting.  I've toyed with the idea of horizontal paneling (and herringbone paneling!), but I think keeping it vertical will look better with the shelves, and also complement the vertical paneling on either side of the fireplace.   

Here's the extensive selection I found locally.  I'm not sure if I should find some of it frightening or not.

The winner!!

I picked something very simple - no detail, no wood grain.  I'm really excited about it, and the next step is to research how to finish it off professionally around the edges.  Because I have paneling on the brain, I've rounded up some different styles and applications of paneled walls, including the real-deal and faux sheets like I'm using.  I also found this handy article on types of paneling.   

Better Homes & Gardens

Apartment Therapy

Lonny

Lonny

Farmhouse 38 - Beadboard installed in a clever herringbone pattern!

Atlanta Homes Magazine

via Euro Style Lighting

via Remodelista

Awww, see?  So pretty!  Now that I've stared at a few dozen samples (and ogled dozens of rooms with paneling), I think the key to keeping the look out of the 1970s is to pick paneling with evenly sized panels.  The skinnier/wider combo seems to date it, as does that certain shade of fake wood.  But that's nothing a little paint can't fix.

Monica Wants it - Retro paneling!

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Lake House Renovation Plans: Phases ONE, TWO and THREE

The Lake House Look:

It's so exciting to take on another whole-home makeover, especially one where I can get a little crazy!  With the townhouse, I had to make design decisions that worked with the existing elements, the overall feel of the house, its conservative facade, and some imaginary buyer's taste.  I tried to pick modern/traditional upgrades that would appeal to a broad range of buyers and not look out of place.  The lake house, however, is a more permanent spot for us and I see it as a blank canvas - I don't have to live with anything I don't like.  Well, at least not forever.  Although it is going to take some time (likely years), eventually I am going to transform the dated space into a stream-lined, casual, mid-century inspired retreat where I plan on becoming the craftiest recluse ever.  I'm going to be living a beach life, so I want to simplify.  Less stuff to dust, less stuff to store, fewer tchotchkes.  I want simple, open, airy spaces with my trademark shots of colour but even more statement-making details.  I'm going bolder, but cleaner.  Even my palette is getting a makeover: oranges and yellows will be limited, in favor of soothing greys, creamy whites, but a stronger injection of bright colour, limited to blues and aquas.

Emily Henderson; Houzz; Apartment Therapy; Desire to Inspire

The Lake House Plan:

I'm going to do a Money Talks post soon about mortgages and talk a bit more about how we're balancing everything, but suffice to say expensive renovations just aren't on the books right now.  Even if we did have the funds, I want to live in the house for awhile and really figure out what I want from the bathrooms (two sinks? one sink? bigger window? makeup vanity?), kitchen (open shelving? glass front cupboards? white, grey, wood?) and living area.  But I can't live with oak trim and cupboards!  So Hubs and I are devising a three-part plan.

PHASE ONE: Inexpensive Cosmetic Fixes

Phase One will be fun!  I have a crazy kitchen update planned, fun ideas for sprucing up the bathrooms (and drawing your eyes away from the portal), and a bevy of affordable fixes for modernizing the space.  We'll be doing a bolder version of our patented "spit and polish" to spruce up the space on a dime.  We just want it livable and lovely, so we can save for bigger updates.  I'll share room-by-room plans in July, but here's a taste of what I'm currently thinking for our oak-overload kitchen: turquoise lower cupboards (!) and light countertops paired with open shelving.  Imagine my Pyrex collection out in the open!  I'm going to pare back our plates and bowls so we just have what we need - no excess.

Via Dustjacket

The Decorating Files

Design*Sponge

I'm also excited to do things I wanted to, but couldn't do, in the townhouse, like paint a ceiling turquoise!

Guehne-Made

PHASE TWO: Investing in Classics

Phase Two will complement phase one but will also involve furniture and moveables.  I always love a mix of high & low, so Phase Two will see Hubby and I continuing this mix and match.  But now that we're putting down roots and decorating a "forever" home, I want to make careful decisions and invest in some pieces I know we'll love (and that will stand the test of time).  So . . . although we're going to immediately replace a boatload of boob fixtures with something like this inexpensive Ikea fixture:

Ikea Vanadin Light - lovely glass flush mount fixture, for only $24.99!

I plan on also investing in a gorgeous, timeless, George Nelson bubble lamp for the dining room.  Actually, I'm loving the look of a trio, and might even choose two smaller bubble lamps as pendants over the kitchen peninsula/bar (where dated pot lights are barely hanging on).

Photos from Modern Conscience, also available from Modernica

But to balance the high/low scale again, for the guest house DIYing something like this dipped drum shade might be a blast!  I'm still pleased with how my DIY dyed dress turned out and I'm itching to dip something (now that the trend is almost totally overdone, I'm ready!).

Fiona Bleu Gallery

To help our pocketbooks, expect many more DIY furniture makeovers and things we'll build from scratch (like this desk!).  I'm currently going crazy pinning furniture I love to get inspiration for some handmade pieces.  This sideboard had me at welded legs.

Vintage Sideboard - love the metal legs!

Saving cash in some areas will help us splash out on a few beautiful pieces.  Right now, I'm eyeing these bar stools.  Can't stop thinking about them.  The grey will look amazing with my kitchen plans (now and future), although the creamy white is such a classic too.  Their easy-to-clean surface makes them perfect for my new low-key living.  An investment to be sure, but if we save up and spend wisely on a few things that will last us forever, we'll be far better off than finding cheap substitute after cheap substitute. 

Fiberglass Shell Barstools from Modernica, originally designed by Charles Eames

PHASE THREE: Major Renovations

In this phase, we'll totally re-do the kitchen, main bathroom, guest powder room, guesthouse, and guesthouse bathroom with a total gut job.  Shiny new everything, installed by us to save cash.  We'll need to save major bucks and Phase Three will take years, but hopefully we'll tackle the main bath in a year or so, the guest house bathroom and half bath next and the kitchen after.  If we save, space them out and pounce on good deals, it can be doable.  I think.  We'll see.  I'm going to make Phase One awfully pretty, just in case Phase Three is further in the future than I think!!

One day, we'll have a stream-lined kitchen with cupboards that make use of the vertical space (our kitchen has a tinier footprint than what we have now!) and have a simple profile.  The one below combines a pale aqua, mix of closed and open storage plus a turquoise kettle that makes me weak in the knees and panting with envy, with the stainless steel appliances and WOOD that Hubby prefers.  Add a white herringbone tile backsplash and I'd say this kitchen was meant for us.

Apartment Therapy

 But this grey kitchen is pretty dreamy too.  A neutral space that can evolve as our tastes do.

Incorporated NY

PHASE FOUR: Buy a Papa Bear Chair, Upholster it Turquoise

Mid-Centuria

Haha.  Just kidding.  Phase Four requires a lottery win (or some excellent thrifting mojo), but if it happens I'll buy you one too, Dana.

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