Dining Room Makeover

We've kind of been on a Restoration Hardware bender since our spectacular sofa purchase last Tuesday (but I guess it really all started here, or maybe even here), so I figured I should probably show you a little before and after of the dining room and sitting area (or "lounge" as Alex insists we refer to it) to justify our crazy furniture spending spree.

Here's the dining room before:

We inherited almost all the furniture we started with when we moved in (like this Basset dining table and china hutch and custom turquoise couch and armchair) from Alex's dad. We were so incredibly grateful to have furniture to fill up the house since we moved from an apartment and had very little to our names, but we knew it would just be temporary until we developed our own style (and had the funding to back it up).

We made the room's first improvement just before Ava was born. We re-tiled the fireplace and the areas in front of the French doors and window with this pretty Dark Emperador marble (photos below).

It really used to bother me that every room in the house had a different texture applied to the walls. We figured the easiest way to get flat matte walls in the dining room would be to apply enormous sheets of sheetrock, so that is what these nice gentlemen below were doing when Ava was just a few weeks old.

We painted the finished walls Valspar's Redstone Dakota Sandstone. (It has such a great tone and gets lots of compliments!) Then we painted the mantle white, sanded and re-stained the hardwood floors dark walnut, and added nice thick crown molding and baseboards.

Here's what the room looks like now:

   

We decided a round dining table (we bought this one on Thursday) is the only thing that makes sense in this room. I've always loved the thought of being able to look at everyone equally during dinner conversations. 

And I know what you're thinking -- white upholstery with a toddler is just trouble waiting to happen. But we liked the look of these Martine Upholstered Armchairs (in White Belgian Linen with Weathered Oak legs) so much and they match our sofa so perfectly that we're willing to be extra diligent. (And we have the Scotchgard and the Dirt Devil steamer ready to take action in a flash.)

The coffee table above is another new addition we ordered over the phone and had delivered while we were in Napa over the weekend. It's so enormous we had to move the white sofa back against the wall, but it really ties everything together and fills out that space.

The decor still needs a few finishing touches to make this room complete but that's something we can have fun searching for over time.

Italian Leather Sofa

Alex and I decided to make an impromptu trip to the Restoration Hardware outlet last night. They just received a big shipment, so we were looking forward to checking out some chairs and a coffee table to finally finish furnishing the sitting room.

Now, before I go on, there is something you must know. We spent a good portion of the evening before leaving for RH taping out the dimensions of the pieces we were hoping to buy. We decided that only the smaller sized chairs would fit in the space available.

But upon our arrival, just as an identical one was being carted away, Alex spotted a Lancaster sofa with two right back cushions and a missing leg. He inspected it thoughtfully and it otherwise appeared to be in perfect condition (well, relatively speaking since the distressed look is intentional; and fortunately ours isn't as distressed as some). Then he carefully examined the price. He had to -- it seemed too good to be true. So we bought the couch anxiously before someone might realize an error had been made. (This makes it almost as good a deal as we found here and a much better deal than during our Black Friday shopping spree here.)

96" Lancaster Leather Sofa in Brompton Cocoa, Luxe Depth

So, if we were planning on purchasing a pair of small chairs, how, might you ask, will this poor crazy over-sized sofa fit in that space? That was a question we were willing to ignore... until we got home. We taped out several alternate arrangements and no matter how we sliced it, the entry into that space would be less than two feet. Not acceptable, no matter what kind of deal we got on the couch.

Then I had a marvelous revelation. Why don't we just pull the existing sofa out from the wall and use it to divide the two rooms? That would leave us with two parallel sofas. Of course we'd need to remove a leaf to condense the dining table and rotate it under the chandelier as well as move the china hutch to another wall. But this also creates the separation between the two areas I'd been struggling with for ages.

I'm excited to share the new arrangement, just as soon as I tidy things up a bit...

Keep Calm You're 30

My bestie since high school and MOH Jennifer had some of the girls over the other night to break in her new condo and celebrate a couple significant birthdays...

Don't you just love these gift tags?

Jen really is a hostess with the mostest. She prepared the most perfect spread of green olives, brie and crackers, spiced lime cashews, veggies and hummus, spinach and kale dip that I seriously could not get enough of, turkey meatballs, juicy cherries, and some addicting sugar free(!) dark chocolate covered almonds. All from Trader Joe's -- the king of yummy fare for entertaining.

A true domestic goddess, Jen even decorated for the occasion! (Unfortunately, I was too busy eating and catching up with my favorite ladies to take pictures of everything, but I at least have to show off her gorgeous mantle and some of her tranquil and elegant home decor.)

Time Out for This Week's Craigslist Finds

It's been a rough week around here with Ava waking up Monday morning with a high fever. We were in the emergency room with her until 3am on Wednesday night (Thursday morning), after several panicked calls to the doctor in the meantime, and by the time a heat rash showed up this morning, roseola was an obvious diagnosis.

Thankfully the hubs found a couple treasures on Craigslist this week to help us all cope...

We caved on the glider (because it wasn't the one I had my heart set on, which you can see here) just because it was a total steal and in mint condition. And it was so crucial this week as Ava needed constant rocking, holding, soothing, and comforting. We slept for hours together in this chair. (I can't believe we went so long without one!) 

The table and chairs, also a steal of course, have provided our little darling with some much-needed distraction from her maladies. As horrible as she feels, we can already see how much she loves swaddling her baby doll in a blanket and propping on a chair for a little tea time (slurping sounds included, which I'm sure I'll regret teaching her). Every little girl needs a tea set!

The glider really doesn't fit in or go with the room (we were already pushing it with the dark stained walnut and white furniture combo), and I don't know how worth it it would be to try to stain or paint, but I am still so relieved to finally have one, and for the price we paid and the condition it's in, I don't even care.

Artichokes in Home Decor

My current obsession...

I saw this dried artichoke vase filler at Pottery Barn last summer and I'm still kicking myself for not pulling the trigger when I saw it because now it's discontinued.

I'm dying to put a bunch of these in apothecary jars on the mantle above the fireplace.

This one here just might do the trick:

Throw in a couple of these, and I think my artichoke fix may just be satisfied.

Indian Springs

I just returned from my first ever overnight away from Ava. An amazing friend of mine is getting married, so a fantastic group of ladies spent the weekend celebrating the bride-to-be in Napa. 

(Before I left, Alex told me he was actually excited about spending this quality time alone with Ava, and to be the one to take care of her all weekend. Alex is so amazing with Ava and seeing how he interacts with her has made me fall even more in love with him.)

The girls all went wine tasting all day Saturday, made a traditional Irish dinner of corned beef and cabbage last night, then dance-partied it up for hours in the living room of the charming cottage-style house we rented for the weekend.

Then today we detoxed at the most amazing spa, Indian Springs, in Calistoga. I had a facial that was just-right, and we floated around in the natural hot springs mineral pool all day -- it was so relaxing! Just what I needed. 

I missed my little cupcake like crazy though, and couldn't wait to get home to my little fam. But it was the perfect weekend. Sometimes you have to spend time away and miss the people you love to fully appreciate how good you have it.

I wanted to share some of my favorite things about Indian Springs that I plan to use as design inspiration as I tackle the landscaping in my backyard this spring.

Zooming in on the columns... I love these!

  

I may need this fountain. 

I love the burnt orange curtains and umbrellas throughout the resort.
And these metallic tile mosaics might be a fun weekend project.

I've always wanted an outdoor fireplace. I would live on this deck if I could.

I love how you can see the vignette of black and white photos through the mirror in this picture.

The fireplace on this deck area creates such a serene and cozy ambiance.
And I am in love with this buffet table. I have to find something similar for my dining room.

Just look at this mirror... Are you speechless?

The color and pattern of these day bed spreads would make such perfect throw pillows.

Post-Party Depression

Do you ever dread taking down your party decorations? I'm not talking about dreading it as an actual labor-intensive task, but you spend a lot of time and sometimes even money on these projects and it feels like such a waste to display them for only one day. 

Ava's birthday party was almost three weeks ago, but I still can't bring myself to throw away all the fun and festive tissue paper pom-poms we slaved over for the party. So I started thinking about what else I could do with them...

I hate the outdated ceiling fan in Ava's bedroom. It was in the house when we bought it, and while we remodeled almost everything else, the ceiling fans stayed.

Enter tissue paper pom-poms. I tied a few to the pull-chains and gave the room an immediate boost of party-time fun.

Ava adores them!

I also strung the fabric pennant banner across the valance over the sliding glass door. Many baby rooms are designed to include both of these elements, so why not re-purpose the party decor?

Love this nursery.

Another idea: Fill all those apothecary jars used for candy with hair bands and bows (I was looking for a storage solution for those things!), decoupaged clothespins my mom made for my baby shower (they really should be out on display), unspooled ribbon scraps, and various other knick-knacks I didn't have a place for. These items can be easily transferred to large plastic zip-lock bags when you need the jars for your next fête.

Spring Fever

All the sunshine this week has me excited to be getting ready for spring. Brunch anyone?

My spring tablescape with Lenox Chirp Collection table linens, basketweave placemats in Caramel, our Polish Southington by Baum Golden Pirouette china from a yard sale years ago, and my mother's old crystal champagne glasses that she passed down to me.

Ava's had a cold and a temperature this past week so I've been taking her out on long walks all weekend to get some much needed fresh air and exercise.

Black Friday, Black Friday

[...to the tune of the YouTube sensation, "It's Friday."]

I have never been to the Black Friday sales, but we're in desperate need want of a few key pieces for the house we had been eyeing at Restoration Hardware and they were available at the outlet store for an extra 30% off starting at midnight on Black Friday.

And so here is the story of how we lost our Black Friday virginity.

It was crazy, but RH was practically empty. I don't know if it was the time the sale started (midnight) or maybe there just aren't many people in the market for high-end furniture willing to brave the Black Friday madness. (My sister waited in line for over an hour just to enter the True Religion store next door!)

This is what we set out to find:

• Chairs for the new sitting room we're trying to create to one side of the long dining room (with this as the main piece sectioning off the two spaces).
• A stool or bench to put at the foot of the bed in our master.
• Any other amazing furniture that we could never afford at full price at a super deep discount.

This is what we ended up with by the time our zombied, red-eyed bodies rounded ourselves up and loaded up the car:

• This amazing chair in white linen.
  
  

  

  Ours is more of a gray wood, but otherwise the same.

  We were thinking of putting it in the bedroom, but we decided to loan it out to the sitting room since we didn't find the perfect pair of chairs for that space. We also just realized it matches a mirror we picked up at Home Goods that currently sits in the foyer perfectly.
  
• Duvet cover for the master in matching white linen.
  



Stonewashed Framed Belgian Linen Duvet Cover and Shams in White with Fog

• Open Weave Sheer Linen Drapery in Linen for the foyer, Sheer Belgian Linen Drapery in Optic White for the master, and a sheer white floral pattern for the guest bath.
• A couple Vintage French Grain-Sack Linen pillow covers (similar to these) for the sitting room and a couple brown knit ones for the family room and two more gray linen ones for the sitting room.
• Chenille throw blanket in Chocolate for the sitting room.

Stay tuned for pics of each item as I incorporate them into the decor of my humble home.

Craigslist Find: Kitchen Table Makeover

When Alex insisted on buying this table and bench set on Craigslist to put in our kitchen, I was not enthused. It looked like something from Hansel and Gretel or a little girls' doll house, not the Provencial look I was trying to create in my ranch-style country kitchen. (I always love to hear the story behind a Craigslist find: This set came from a couple who received it as a wedding gift from the bride's grandmother ten years ago; they are finally switching it out as part of a kitchen renovation.)

While I was reluctant at first, today's project changed my mind about it.

Alex started out with a coat of primerless, high-gloss paint in Swiss Coffee.

Then I added the detail work.

***Update: It probably would have been helpful if we had read this first.***

When life hands you lemons...

Set them in a pretty pitcher to make a summery centerpiece.

These mini lemons are called calamondin and they originated from the Philippines. They're more round than lemons and have an orange tint when they're ripe so they almost look like clementines. Any cooking/serving suggestions?

Oh the Places You'll Go... for a Sofa

Last night, Alex and I dropped Ava off with her grandparents and went on a wild adventure to the city to get this sofa.

The most adorable Psy. D. and her six and a half month baby girl were selling it on craigslist for a steal. (This sweetie pie was only a couple weeks older than Ava and the most agile little thing I've ever seen... she was practically crawling up the walls! I can't believe Ava's going to be moving like that soon. Alex and I were joking that Ava's movements are more brute force right now.)

The sofa is a Mitchell Gold Harrison in natural denim from Restoration Hardware circa 2006.

We had been looking for something to section off a formal sitting area within our dining room space for a while. I wanted something more formal and structured than your average living room couch, something light to brighten the cave that is our dining room. I fell in love with this one from Serena & Lily, but we don't have major cash to blow so our options are basically limited to what people are nearly giving away on craigslist.

We had the hardest time carrying it down the narrow, windy city apartment stairway, just Alex and me in our shorts and flip flops amidst the cold city fog, but it was so worth it. Our new formal sitting area in front of the fireplace is starting to take shape. Stay tuned for the grand tour -- I'm just a couple chairs and a coffee table away from the big reveal.

The Nursery

While we're still anxiously awaiting the little one's arrival, here's a quick viewing of the nursery.

I saw this nursery while browsing design blogs and wanted to give something similar a shot.

Call it nesting if you will, but it was important to me to have the nursery fully finished before Ava's arrival... and the hubs and I pulled it off with plenty of time to spare.

After we refinished the floors, installed new double-pane windows and French doors, put up crown molding, base boards, window trims, and closet doors, and gave it a feminine lavender hue, our drab old office had already shown a total transformation. Then add the crib and dresser handed down from my brother, his wife, and her family (for which we are so grateful!), lavender damask and polka dot crib bedding, ruffled duvet cover for the big girl bed she will eventually grow into, number and alphabet posters in silver frames floating below a flock of bird mirror decals.

Still a few details to be added later, but I do believe our girl will be quite happy here.