Today has been spent doing pretty much exactly as the name implies. Lots of packing. Lots & lots & lots of packing.
What you see here is just the tip of the cardboard iceberg (packed mostly by my mother Saturday) but we’re making progress.
Enjoy some BBQ for us!!
Rob has downsized his record collection but in our apartment, they never had a proper home. For the most part, the records & the record player lived in the right half of our large entertainment/storage unit. The space wasn’t ideal for the records. They fit but it was kind of a pain to get them & the player out.
{pic taken as we were packing, so it’s a bit of a hot mess} {& honestly a piece I’m kinda over as one giant unit}
Plus we didn’t really have anywhere in the apartment to play them. As a result, I don’t think we listened to records once in the entire time we lived there. Ok. Maybe we pulled them out once.
Enter craigslist. I love craigslist. You can happen upon the coolest stuff for {usually} cheap.
Our latest finds include this cool record cabinet.
Finally a proper place for the records!
The same guy was also selling this awesome sideboard. It used to be a radio & record player cabinet but all the guts have been removed.
The center doors slide open and the tops on the sides flip open. Were you thinking this would make the perfect bar?! Cause I was. I have visions of listening to records & having Mad Men inspired cocktail hours.
I love the lines of both pieces. They need a little cleaning up & I plan on reworking the sideboard/radio a bit. But I think they were a steal at $125 for both!
After getting one coat of trim paint up last Saturday, we took a little trip over to Continental Hardware {the same place we found the kitschy bathroom replacement fixtures} to look at paint.
The original paint plan was to do the walls in the same cream color as our draperies. The draperies themselves are going to make quite a statement, so I thought they might look best as more of a texture. Blending in with the walls but adding a great textural element.
We picked up about 37 different paint chips & 4 tester samples.
I didn’t like any of them.
The creams were too yellow. It wasn’t enough contrast with our trim to make much of a visual impact. With neutral linens and dark woods, did we really want such a neutral paint color too?!
Neutral, yes. But not that light. The {slightly} darker tans weren’t doing it either. Back to the drawing board.
Last Sunday, on our way back from Warminster PA {where we were retrieving a fun little craigslist find}, we stopped by a Benjamin Moore store right near New Hope {a super cute town, if you’re ever in that neck of the woods}. We popped in 15 minutes before closing time and – again – I pulled a fistful of colors. This time, I’m looking at the muted blues & blue-greens & green-blues.
I pulled another 4 color samples to try and Rob pulled one. I wasn’t a humongous fan of the color he selected but the man was indulging my obsessive “perfect color” behavior so I quickly added his pick to the pile. If a $3.49 color sample was all it took to keep him from going crazy, who am I to fight?
On the way home, I remember saying, “I’m not confident about any of these working” {or something to that effect}. I could hear the eye-roll.
We went to the house – not only to drop off our new furniture – but to try out some paint samples. While he dusted off the new furniture, I slathered the samples on the wall.
{the colors are pretty off in this picture but I only had my phone}
For me, it was between #40 & #1563. I called Rob up to have him weigh in. Not 3 seconds after looking at the swatches I hear, “That one. 1563.”
Seriously?! I’m sitting on the step ladder literally watching the paint dry agonizing over it and you make the decision in 2.7 seconds?! I don’t know how that’s fair.
Of course the decision couldn’t be made that easily. I washed out the brushes. Looked at the swatches after they were dry. I looked at them after the sun went down and it was dark in the house and once more before leaving. Never wavering from his initial decision, Rob confidently stuck with 1563 through all my waffling. “It’ll take longer for us to get sick of that one rather than the more blue ones” was his reasoning. And he’s right. I’m not usually a blue person and would totally be sick of #40 after about 4 months. The man truly has a black belt in me. Partners rock.
And that was that. We are going with Benjamin Moore #1563, Quiet Moments. I like that for a bedroom; Quiet Moments. It’s a very muted color. It looks very gray on our walls but there’s a good amount of blue-green undertones in it.
The painting was a gift from our dear friend Melissa {she painted it!!}. It’s one of my favorite pieces of art. It used to hang in the living room at our apartment but I’m thinking about moving it into the bedroom here. Although there are several places in our house it’d look great.
After picking the color, I did a little googling. It turns out Quiet Moments {Benjamin Moore #1563} is a very popular color in chic homes across the interwebs:
I’m interested in seeing how it looks once it’s all up on the walls. Stay tuned to see it on the walls!
While we painted trim upstairs, a little elf {Dad A} got busy with the garden apartment mantle.
For the past few weeks, we’ve put the garden apartment reno on hold to focus on our living space. The brick fireplace/mantle/TV nook has pretty much stayed looking like this –
Since we had the trim painting well in hand, Dad A did this.
It’s not totally done but we think he made some kick butt progress. Look how neatly he cut around the boxes!
Thank you!!
Since priming happened early last week, we spent Saturday focused on the ceiling & trim.
The ceiling got another coat of Behr ceiling white. I know. So exciting. Eventually I think I might like to paint it a couple shades lighter than the wall color to make our crown molding pop but for now, it’s white. It’s easier that way.
We got some help with painting the trim. My Aunt Sarah & cousin Kate stopped by. {Kate & Bobby came to help a few weeks ago but I forgot to take their picture. D’oh!! Bobby, come back so I can get you on our Wall of Awesome!}
So did our dear friend {& former roomie} Chris.
Thanks guys!! You totally rocked it!
The trim is painted with Behr’s white semi-gloss; straight from the 5 gallon bucket.
Nothing fancy. While there are about 6,834 shades of white, we wanted crisp white trim that would match a bed full of crisp white linens.
It needs a 2nd coat. The closet has already gotten a 2nd coat but the bedroom still needs it.
And just in case you thought I was joking about being a messy painter –
{while the bucket says Kilz, it’s really semi-gloss}
Yeah. I’m not.
That is what happens when you try to move the step ladder with one hand and slop the paint bucket all over your leg with the other hand. Grace is my middle name.
Don’t worry. This blog is about our home, not our political opinions.
That said, the first-time home buyers $8,000 tax credit was a big incentive to buy our house. We plan on being in our home for way more than 3 years, so we won’t have to pay it back. The “buyers market” & fixer-upper nature also helped make it affordable for us but back to the $8 grand.
Yesterday we mailed back our amended 2008 tax return. Doing everything at home via DIY tax software made amending last year return for this tax credit super easy. I think it took the hubs all of 10 minutes to amend, print, & stick it in an envelope. The money will be directly deposited into our bank account {hopefully sooner rather than later}. YAY $8,000!! Thank you, Mr. President!
While waiting for the bonus money, we’re trying to decide what we want to do with it. We won’t actually do any of these big projects until the money is in our hot little hands but we like to be prepared.
In no particular order, here are the big projects on the ‘ole TO DO list:
The 3rd floor bathroom is going to be razed & redone from scratch.
So those are the major projects currently jostling for position.
If you had $8,000 how would you spend it? All on one major project? Or divvied up amongst smaller projects?? Do tell!
Here in Brick City, residents on our block need a parking permit – which I wholly appreciate. The streets that bookend ours are metered parking {which is free on weekends and after 4pm & where the Family Team parks when they come visit}. But our glorious street is by permit only.
And they mean it! My parents came to our home inspection with us and parked out there. They got 2 {yes TWO} tickets between 4pm – 5pm. Two ~ as in ~ one stacked on top of the other. Is that even legal?!
All summer long we’ve been parking around the corner at the meters. Friday I finally got our parking permit.
{sorry interwebs, you can’t have our real street name or permit number. hope we can still be friends}
It’s a glorious feeling parking in front of your own house and knowing you won’t get a ticket.
{Unless of course you forget that there’s alternate side parking EVERY day from 12am-6am. I can already foresee forgetting to move the car everyday.}
Some tips for fellow Newark residents:
Since we now have a permit, I cancelled our monthly parking at the garage near our current apartment. We’ll have to walk farther to get to our car but it saves us $200 per month. While I’m excited to have our shiny new hang tag, I can’t help but feel a little sad. We’ve loved living in our apartment for the past 3 years. Having to say goodbye is becoming much more real than it was May 29th.
This weekend we:
Now I just need to post all the pictures that go with this.
T-minus 19 days until the big M-O-V-E!!
Picking paint colors is one of the hardest things I’ve had to do so far. Ripping up carpet? Not a problem. Drywalling? Easy peasy.
While I originally thought the spackle dust may be the death of me, I changed my mind. Picking paint colors may be the death of me.
My husband doesn’t see the big deal. “Just pick one.” or “It’s just paint.” I disagree.
I once did this online color quiz. {Of course I can’t find the link now.} There were rows with different squares of colors all in varying shades. Each row was a different color. You had to put the jumbled shades in each row in order. {If I find the link I’ll update.} I got 5 out of order.
I’m sensative to differing shades & tones. I want to find the perfect one.
Color palette so far?
~ darker hardwood floors
~ 2 walnut dressers
~ crisp white trim {Behr semi-gloss untinted base}
~ cream drapes
The original plan was to paint the walls the same color as the drapes with the white trim providing the contrast. Now I think that might be to light. I’m having trouble combining the cream & the white. Both are staying, so now I’ve got to find the perfect shade that makes them look cohesive & intentional.
4 color swatches went up on the wall last night. I don’t love any of them. BM’s Manchester Tan {81} might work; it the best of the 4 but perhaps a little light.
I need inspiration. {And a decision by Friday.}
What’s your favorite greige??
Or maybe I should do a color?
Here’s a peek at the drapes:
Due to some awesome schedule shifting at work, I had this past Monday off. {I know; you’re green with envy. It’s ok. I still love you.}
Instead of lounging in bed with bonbons all day, I spent it being productive.
Ok. That’s not entirely true. I did sleep in a little. And by “a little” I mean until 11:30am. It was amazing.
After I pried myself out of my comfy bed, Bruce & I headed over to the house and prepped for painting. We put plastic down on the entire bedroom floor, walk-in closet & the 3rd floor hallway.
After our massive cleaning attack, you know there was no way I’m chancing getting paint on our newly refinished floors.
First, I put blue painters tape all the way around the perimeter of the room. Then I went back and taped the plastic to the painters tape. {That way I didn’t have to be so perfect with the plastic.} It seems to have worked well.
I like that it’s completely flat & taped down. Nothing bunching up. No loose ends to trip over or risk exposing the wood. It took me about 2.5 hours cover everything nicely but it was worth it.
Monday evening, Dad came to help me prime while Bruce supervised.
Dad cut in with his trusty brush while I rolled.
Toward the end we both did trim.
There’s A LOT of trim. I didn’t realize how even the ratio of edges, corners & trim to wall space was until we did this.
We were there until 11:30pm before it was finally done & cleaned up {then Dad has an 1.5hr drive home}.
But it’s done!! {happy dance} The entire bedroom, walk-in closet & 3rd floor hallway have been primed.
{except the grate on the fireplace, which I have grand delusions of stripping} {it makes me chuckle too}
BTW ~ I don’t know if you’re like me, but I cannot for the life of me do anything neatly.
My friend Melissa could paint a mural in a pristine white crew neck cardigan {how’s that for a mental image} & never get a speck on herself. Me?!
I come home covered in primer. I was at work WEDNESDAY still finding spots that I missed.
 | shifrasymes1985 on Kitchen: One Coat at at T… |
 | Wajiha on Theatre Town |
 | Stacy on Bulldog Clip Display Pins |
| 34 DIY Nightstand Id… on Bedside Tables | |
| 30 Diy Nightstand Id… on Bedside Tables |
brickcitylove.com 