Tims Projects

This was one of Tim's first endevors...He'll have to explain how he got that heavy thing to stay up there.
Before

After

Notice, we are watching Planet Green, of course!



We thought about restoring this old faucet, but new parts would cost about as much as a new one. We found one that is still a wall mount and it has a better water flow and higher neck. We don't miss the hand-held sprayer we used to have. Tim also installed a water filter system because we don't have filtered water in the fridge anymore.
Before

After

Kitchen Remodel

No, not really. We just got a new fridge and dishwasher. Both are Whirlpool and the highest rated Energy Star. Our main reason for getting the new fridge was to save more energy. We will get $50 rebate and we just got $50 for recycling our old one. The dishwasher was given to us by Tim's folks. They never use it. Ours was an old one that did not work and was taken by the fridge delivery guys for recycling. We love them both.



I also splurged on some Le Crueset cookware. I got it at the outlet in Cabazon. We decided we needed to get rid of all of our non-stick cookware (with Teflon) because who knows what damage that is causing to our bodies. So we moved to cast iron. At least that has been around for hundreds of years. It looks pretty nice with all the colors in our kitchen.

Globe Lights

One on Tim's recent projects was hanging these globe lights. He will have to tell you how he managed to get them exactly even on two very different surfaces (I think it was pretty hard). They are not wired yet. We'll need an electricians help with that. But they do look pretty awesome.
Tim really likes the look of globe lights. There was one hanging opposite this wall next to the fireplace that was antique looking and way to decorative for our style. We took it down and we bought one at the Long Beach Flea Market with a chain and Tim tried to redo in a more MCM style. He had to rewire the whole thing with a power strip cord and did not really love the way it turned out.
So he found a matching set on eBay and ordered them. He loved the fact that they had the steel plate and stem with a bendable hinge to hang them on slanted surfaces. They came double boxed and packed with thousands of packing peanuts. They made it safely to say the least. Tim took the first one out of the box and put the stem on it to see what they looked like. Well, the stem slipped out of his had and fell into the inside of the ball....
I thought he was going to lose it! To make a long story short the guy he bought them from just happen to have another globe laying around and said he would send it to Tim for only the cost of shipping for good karma. Tim took him up on it and has that one stowed away in our bedroom to put up once we have them wired and working.

Window Coverings

We went back and forth for the first couple months on how to cover the windows in this house. We really wanted something simple and MCM looking, but we don't like the look of the heavy wool curtains that you often see in 50's style houses. The kids bedrooms were most important because they needed some darkness during they day (mostly for Mason) and some way to keep the monsters out (for Syd). So we found these pull down shades at Lowes (by Levelor) in white. They are light filtering and seem pretty durable. Syd has two in her room and Mason has one in his.



My next project was the kitchen/breakfast knook windows. They are in the front of the house and I felt like they needed something. So I decided to try and make curtains. I got this cool fabric at Crate and Barrel Outlet in Cabazon. I used Stitch Witchery to make these "no-sew" curtains. I still have to hem the sides but I just recently got orange thread. I have only made this set for the knook window. I feel like they have to much of a country look to them. I love the fabric, but I just feel like maybe shades would be a better match for our style. Tim, however, thinks they look really great open, especially from the outside. He likes how they match the orangish brown shade of our front door. I am still not sold. I found a shade at Lowes that is the same brand and style as our white ones, but it is a woven brown and black. I think it would look really nice in those windows. We will see who wins this battle...


A pic of the curtain from the outside to come soon...

The Quest for the Perfect Bedding

The minute I saw this light in the master bedroom, I knew that the bedding I chose needed to match it or somehow tie in the beautiful sea blue/green color. Not only is it a cool color, but the spotted light effect is so cool at night. I took this picture during the day so you cannot get the full effect, but it is still pretty impressive.


So, this is what I came up with. I found this amazing coverlet at pillowsandthrows.com and I knew right away that I would not be able to find anything that came this close to matching. In the picture on their website, they had this coverlet with orange sheets and so I stole their idea and got some orange sheets from Pottery Barn. The two decorative pillows and the curtains are from Ikea (that is the only thing Tim says I can buy from Ikea). The curtain rods are really interesting too. We got those at Crate and Barrel and they are called invisible rods because they are just a single bar and they wrap around the edges. They work well for our windows because they make the curtains open all the way past the window. The whole ensemble cost an arm and a leg, but I am so happy with it so it was well worth it.


The green chest at the foot of our bed was left here by the previous owner. We loved it at first when it was in our living room (it look great with the couches), but they had to move it when we got matching end tables. Now it is in our room and I love the storage for blankets and birthday gifts (don't tell Syd), but we don't love the color or style of it with the bedding. It may be replaced by a more simple chest or credenza, but for now Syd loves to use it as a stepping stool to jump on us in the morning or just a spot to pose for pictures.