my bathroom extraas
Photo by Anastasia AlkemaKitchenWhat I learned: I’d never loved my tiled island countertop (see the “Project Management” photo above — ew!) and had thought about replacing the whole island with this really cute marble and iron French kitchen island I’ve had my eye on for years. But my island has great useful drawers I use all the time and Frenchie doesn’t have any drawers. So while at the stone yard I picked out a hardworking durable quartz and had them replace it during renovations. Even though it’s looked like this for 15 years, that one change made it feel like a whole new-to-me kitchen.So it was really educational going through this project. While it was a startling transition to go from being alone writing every day to having all kinds of people traipsing in and out constantly, I kind of miss it. It was almost freaky to have the plastic walls come down, and quiet still feels strange to me. Getting to stay in my PJs through coffee time is a ritual I am glad to have back though. And I’m happy to report that my hygiene has improved exponentially as I thoroughly enjoy a nice mold-free shower stall with a view that’s bathed in dimmed chandelier light. If anything, I’m too clean no...
Laundry RoomWhat I learned: Once you get started, renovation fever will sweep through your house. While you have a crew there, have them fix that rotten bannister outside, paint other rooms, heck give your laundry room an inexpensive mini-makeover. Of all people, I forgot to take a “before” photo of the laundry room, which I cannot stop kicking myself over — apologies. Trust me, it was just blah meh beige bleck. This was a budget renovation that made such a difference I actually enjoy doing laundry now. I found this graphic textured black and white tile for just $2.49 per square foot, had them give the room a new coat of paint and install a cute little black barn sconce that I found for $60. I couldn’t resist the laundry basket that matched the floor so perfectly. Speaking of, the photo is from my collection; I bought it on trip to Charleston a few years ago and had never found “just the spot” for it. Now I have (though Diana Ross would look fierce shopping in here too. She’d look fierce anywhere). The other framed piece is this guide to stain removal I tore out of Martha Stewart Living many years ago. (I have bonded with two other friends when I’ve discovered that they each had t...
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