Our Daughter's Nursery

Where did the last month go? Hopefully you were spared the late winter cold that ravaged our house and prevented me from doing almost anything except laundry and the occasional spring project planning--that is when my hands weren't cuddling a sick little baby!

Speaking of baby, the time has come to finally reveal Astrid's nursery. It's a room that makes me happy and I hope that, when she's able to articulate it, it does the same for our daughter.

When we discovered we were expecting, I got to work brainstorming a nursery that combined new purchases and existing furniture for our little one. I've long been a fan of purchasing pieces that could serve several purposes, moving from room to room and proving to be worthy investments. This room was no exception to that principle: the antique pine dresser, a bamboo etagere, a delicate footstool and a mid-century modern Saarinen tulip side table all found their way into Astrid's room from other spaces elsewhere in our home.

(don't worry: all stuffed animals are taken out of the crib when our girl is sleeping!)

Astrid's room itself has a naturally cozy feel thanks to its dormer window and slanted walls. I wanted the walls to envelop her during sleep and play, so I opted for Benjamin Moore's "Levingston Green" (Adam loved this choice as well). It played off my choice fabric for the window shades, Parlor Textiles' "Confetti Floral Stripe" in red. After splurging a bit on the fabric, I saved money by sewing the roman shades with my mom during an early-fall visit. The red and spring green color combo felt fresh and clean.

A simple crib skirt, made from Robert Allen's "Plaid Ikat," paired nicely with the Parlor Textiles print as well as a beautiful handmade gingham-print knit blanket that my mom made for the baby (pattern from this book, if you want to make one yourself!).

Books have always been an important part of my life as well as my husband's life, so we were sure to carve out a corner of the room for reading as well as nursing.

Children's books are so vibrant and interesting like little pieces of artwork and, because of this, I didn't want to hide them in a bookcase. Instead, I transformed a vintage carved wooden pelmet (originally used for a window) into a book ledge that prominently displays each.

Opposite the book ledge is a matte green metal leaf mobile from a talented artist on Etsy, Comometalworks. Astrid's just started noticing the mobile and I love how it captures her ever-fleeting attention.

Finally, in the dormer window niche, Adam precisely and carefully hung 26 vintage-inspired animal alphabet cards from Martha Stewart's craft line with easy-to-find bulldog clips. Funny story about these cards: I bought these way back in 2008 while Mom and I were awaiting the news that my niece had been born. I squirreled them away ever since!

(all photos via Meet Me in Philadelphia)

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Astrid's room is a blend of new and old, pattern and solids, present and future.

If you're curious, some sources for items in Astrid's nursery are:
Wall color: "Levington Green" by Benjamin Moore
Trim color: "White Dove" by Benjamin Moore
Rug: Jute Natural Area Rug from Wayfair
Shade fabric: "Confetti Floral Stripe" in red from Parlor Textiles
Crib skirt fabric:
Crib: Union 3-to-1 convertible crib in white
Antique pine dresser: Craigslist
Linen slipcovered glider: Crescent glider in linen from Overstock
Metal floral mobile: Jungalow mobile in green from Comometalworks on Etsy
White Saarinen tulip side table: Design within Reach
Tote bags (used to hold blankets and as a diaper bag): Boat and Tote bag from LL Bean
Coat rack: vintage French hat rack from Etsy
Wall plaque (above crib): Bestmade Co.
Bunny lamp (on pine dresser): Heico rabbit lamp from Fawn Shoppe

Our Master Bedroom in Progress

Hello again, friends. In the last week, our little family of three trekked to Maine with my mom to celebrate the impending arrival of my cousin's baby girl while spending time with my extended family there. That said, I lost track of the time and simultaneously lost momentum on my house tour update here!

Today, though, I'm back to offer a glimpse into our "in-progress" master bedroom. As incomplete as it is, I'm happy with the direction it has taken since this post from 2013.

Our Dining Room Revealed

Today is one I've looked forward to: showing off our dining room! In the midst of nesting, this room received a tremendous amount of attention, energy and effort, and I couldn't be happier with it.

Our Living Room, Revisited

The last post before my blogging hiatus focused exclusively on our living room and, in the ten months since that write-up, the primary pieces remained while I've continued to refine the room with a few final additions. Let me show you around.

Evolution

Wow, it's been a long time, hasn't it?

Since I last posted, life has changed substantially around here and, amazingly, all for the best. I've learned a lot about myself through the crucible of significant life experiences that happened last year, namely career upheaval and--most importantly--pregnancy and the arrival of our new baby girl.

I felt like I lived an entire lifetime last year. Just as our circumstances changed, so did our home.

Our Living Room...Mostly Complete

Hello! It has been so long since I last opened blogger to start a post. I contemplated packing it up and riding quietly into the blogging sunset; but just like a magnet, something about blogging has pulled me back in and won't let me go, at least not yet.

Frankly, I missed our interactions! I really, truly did. If I could invite each and everyone of you over to my house, we'd probably sit in the living room and spend the day gabbing away about our favorite fabrics, what auctions we've been to lately and our best thrifting discovery of all time. The best rooms are the ones that spark these kinds of engrossing conversations, and that's just what I set out to do in our living room

In the past year (yes, year...we've been working on it for the past 12 months), I've tried to cultivate a warm, cozy, curated room that welcomes to any visitor and demonstrates a little bit about Adam and I. I'm happy to report that we're 99% of the way towards that goal, save for finalized curtains in the room's large bay window.

This space has undergone lots of changes--both big and small. Carpentry, painting, upholstery, new furniture...you get the idea. I love this room. I always feel a little uneasy sharing such personal rooms but I hope it's the kind of room that seems inviting to you, even across the computer screen.

Without further ado...here's our "mostly complete" living room!

(all images via Meet Me in Philadelphia)

In case you wanted to walk down memory lane, here are some of the projects that brought this living room to life:

Living Room Carpentry

The Tufted Sofa Before

Reupholstered Chairs and Sofa

Coffee Table Before and After

Thank you all for sticking with me during my frequent blogging breaks (and following me on Instagram in the interim)--I hope we can pick up where we've left off. I've saved up so many projects to share here on the blog, and I'm looking forward to catching up with each of you!

Pre-holiday Spruce-Up: The Vintage Blue Tile Bathroom

This week marks the official start of the holiday season (though, according to malls and big box stores, it's perfectly appropriate to start celebrating and shopping in September!). As such, I had the itch to get a jumpstart prepping for holiday guests; the first place I wanted to start: our vintage blue bathroom. 

I shared the photo above on Instagram one morning last week, as I could hardly wait to show off this work-with-what-you've-got spruce-up, which required little more than incorporating items I already had into an otherwise-ignored space. In the spirit of Thanksgiving gratitude and contentment, I challenged myself to work within the limits of what I had rather than undertaking a full (and completely unnecessary) renovation and, in doing so, I proved to myself that the smallest changes could turn one of my least favorite spaces into one of my favorites.

Hello, It's Me (and a Bit More of Our Living Room)

Hello, it's me. It's been an awfully long time, hasn't it? A whole summer, in fact, which was never my intention.

In the three months since my last blog post, I've vacillated a lot between recommitting myself to regular posting and quietly receding into the blogging sunset. Life's been hectic at best and, in particular, the job that I started in the spring turned into an intellectually-challenging role that often zapped me of my energy and creativity. I wondered often if I should just pack it up and close this chapter of my life as a blogger. 

In recent weeks, though, something changed. On my way to and from work, I started making lists of the next project I wanted to undertake around the house. My mind started configuring new plans and considering the details of things outside of my job, which hadn't happened for months. I would come home and, instead of nodding off halfway through dinner, I would walk around the house and scan each space for inspiration with what felt like a new set of eyes. That new perspective--and perhaps also a new appreciation--makes me feel fresh and new and ready to return to writing here.

When I was unemployed, I felt a constant joy and resentment for our home. I loved it and was tremendously grateful for it, but I also felt physically and mentally trapped by its walls and what it represented financially. Overwhelmed by the burden to "do this and do that" around the house while Adam worked, I needed to legitimize every hour, every minute.

Well, now that I don't have nearly as many hours or minutes, I think I love my house even more. It's true--absence does make the heart grow fonder, which is why I wanted to invite you all to see the changes that have been made to our living room in the last few months.  

You may remember that I wrote about my quest to find the perfect slate for our fireplace surround back in May. When that search stalled, I opted to paint the brick.

I didn't expect to like it nearly as much as I do, but I do.

I found the antique bench, now placed in front of the hearth, sometime last winter for $30 and had it reupholstered recently in Tilton Fenwick's charming "Gideon" stripe in mint/red.

 It took me awhile to decide how to approach our living room built-ins. I slowly relocated books from elsewhere in the house to the shelves here, now giving the space purpose, color and literary clout.

The seat of my favorite antique side chair, an auction find from Connecticut, has been reupholstered in sumptuous coral velvet too, accenting the color elsewhere in the room. 

Now, you're probably wondering where the sofa shot is...

The sofa is in process, as a matter of fact. It took me months and months (far too long, really) to decide which directly I wanted to go in, but I opted for a stain- and fade-resistant Sunbrella solid that I'm excited to see soon. 

I'm still working out the rug situation. We perused the natural rug options at a local carpet store but were mortified at the prices for the custom-sized and bound pattern we liked. Back to the drawing board, I suppose!

(all via Meet Me in Philadelphia)

Bit by bit, inch by inch, the living room (and life in general) is coming together.

P.S. An extra-special thank you to those who emailed and checked in after me in the last few months. 

I sure have missed you all. 

Our Newly-Reupholstered Living Room Chairs

Despite the unintended radio silence, life has continued to move along even if I fail to chronicle much of it here on the blog. The past weekend, though, I finally had a development worthy of writing about: the vintage open-arm chairs that I found for a song at an auction last year came back from the upholsterer's!

Decisions, Decisions

Before I was a homeowner, I never realized how many decisions person could possibly make during a lifetime of homeownership. From paint colors to hardware styles to fabrics, there are so many potential choices, so many directions, so many design crossroads a homeowner must cross in an attempt to make a house feel like home.

Lately, our living room fireplace has been the subject of intense deliberation around these parts.

Our Guest Bedroom {A Long-Overdue Reveal}

Hello, friends! How have you been? The past few weeks have felt like a blur as I settle into my new job during the weekdays and work on our living room during the weekends. That said, I finally have an exciting reveal worth sharing here on the blog: our guest bedroom!

I made it my mission--just as the year started--to rework the space so it more accurately reflects my evolving style.

In Progress: The Living Room Carpentry Projects

Hi, friends. This post--appearing promptly on Tuesday morning--was intended to be a Monday morning post...can you tell I'm a little out-of-sorts? After a week at my new job, I'm slowly settling into a work routine and trying my best to balance all of the things I have to do with all of the things I want to do; perhaps you know how that goes, too?Acknowledging my late start, I'm happy to share the progress that was made on our living room carpentry projects last weekend.

Let's get to it!

Peeks into Our Finished Basement Changes

Remember all the way back in January, when spring sunshine seemed like a million years away, when I shared my DIY tasseled curtain project? At the time, I planned to share a sneak peek of the changes we'd started to make to our finished basement...but the sub-zero temperatures kept me from the space entirely.

Now that the weather's more cooperative, I snapped a few pics of the basement that I wanted to finally share!

Replacing Ugly Outlets {For Highly Particular Homeowners}

I'm a really particular person. If I was a parent, I'd be one of the "choosy moms" that those peanut butter commercials love to talk about. One of the things I'm super particular about are the electrical outlets in our house.

I especially hate the old round, bisque-colored ones that are throughout each room. But just this week, I made it my mission to improve the appearance of the outlets on one floor of our house (the finished basement).

Plans for Living Room Carpentry Work

One of our 2014 home goals (perhaps the primary one) involves our formal living room. In its current state, it's pretty okay. Tolerable even. But, we've made plans to start improving the existing charm of the space starting next weekend, and it all starts with 3 much-needed carpentry improvements.

Let's chat about them, shall we? 

Tufted Sofas with Fitted Seats

Before I get into today's post, let me thank everyone who commented on Tuesday's post on the "New Domesticity" phenomenon. Your comments and perspectives were so smart, and gave me a lot more food for thought that I had to respond to each commenter by email. You never disappoint, dear readers. Anyway...on to the topic of sofas!

Almost one year ago (on Valentine's Day, to be exact), my husband and I brought a vintage velvet tufted sofa home from the thrift store. The piece was solid and the price was right, even if the color wasn't. In the last year, I've given a lot of thought to reupholstering the sofa, which will be the cornerstone of our living room design.

Well, almost 365 days with it, I think I've come up with a plan for our tufted sofa and it involves abandoning its detached cushion. Let me show you what I'm talking about...

Changes to the Guest Bedroom {A Preview}

Hello, friends. Have you missed me? I can't believe it's been nearly two whole weeks since we've chatted. I've certainly missed each and every one of you!

I've been a busy little bee lately and have made the most of frigid temperatures and 14+ inches of snow by working on various spaces around the house. If you follow me on Instagram (which you should, btw), you'll know that I spent a snowy morning last week repainting our guest bedroom and reworking the room with pieces I [mostly] had on hand.

Though the space is about 95% there, I wanted to share a couple of sneak peeks of the room, now swathed in a relaxing minty-blue ("Palladian Blue" by Benjamin Moore). The wall color echoes the tones in the accent pillow resting on the bed (Parlor Textiles' "Winter Floral" pattern).

(all via Meet Me in Philadelphia)

Adding a healthy contrast to the soft wall color are the rich oxbood lamp and walnut furniture, most of which I had before I started this little redo. There are just a few more details left to put into place--namely, pictures to be hung and a little styling--before I show you the rest. I can't wait!

Happy Monday, friends! I've missed you.
How have you been keeping yourself busy this crazy-cold month?

P.S. Be sure to come back tomorrow--I want to chat all about a book I received for Christmas and devoured in a few days--it's all about blogs, homemaking, and the DIY lifestyle. 

How To: Revive a Cedar Closet

In November, just when the weather turned to regular sweater weather, Adam and I made a terrible discovery: one of his cashmere sweaters had a nasty little moth hole right in the center of the chest. Never again, we vowed! And this past weekend, we got to work reviving our 50+ year old cedar closet to prevent the loss of any more clothing.

Today, I'm going to show you how it's done.

Home Goals for 2014 { + Thoughts on My Own Expectations}

So, I know I started the week dedicating the posts to progress made in our finished basement, but there's been a change in plans. The über-cold temps have kept me away from that cold, underground space. Can you blame me?

Instead, I wanted to share my home goals for 2014...and to talk a little about handling my [often overblown] expectations with projects around the house. Let's chat.