Mamma Mia!

Today is one of those days when being a mom and wife really and truly is one of my favorite things. Difficult? YOU BET. Draining at times? Ummm...yeah. But rewarding as ALL get out? Indeed it is.
I'm sorry to all of you readers who tune in just for the design ideas and pictures, but I can't ignore the huge part of my life I call motherhood.  I've been really inspired to create some fun design elements in our home for the kids, so I may throw in a few of those posts in between blog house progress. I'm so thankful

But don't worry, this isn't turning into a "blah blah blah...my kids this my kids that" blog.  Though I can't promise there will be none of that.  I did in fact spend my morning at the blog house where, if I may say so, we made some really vibrant and FUN progress.  The front entry (which is rarely used as an actual entrance) had old linoleum tiles that were in decent shape, but were nothing all that exciting for the space that says "welcome into our house!" We're trying to be frugal with things, so a new floor install (while probably very inexpensive for the small space) would be an extra cost.  Instead, we are painting a FANTASTIC chevron pattern on the old tile to create a "Why Hello There" statement.  We're using the same color as the living room walls.  This will create visual flow from room to room. So even though the wall colors change, using a consistent carry through color makes it all work.  Now, I'm not saying you can throw the same green somewhere in every room and make any set of colors work together. I'm just suggesting that when you want cohesion, using a consistent pop of accent color works wonders.  When all is said and done, and we are ready to move on to another project yet again, we will be using this same technique on the old linoleum kitchen floor as well. Once again.....this will make the whole first floor flow and work together.

Ready? Ok. Good.  Here are the pictures of the progress thus far.

BEFORE:

Ready to paint as soon as we pull up some stickers and give it a good wipe down.

 STEP 1:  Choose your base color and apply to the floor over and over and over.  Once you can no longer see the original floor color showing through, and the color is solid, you are good to go.

 STEP 2: Gather a pencil, ruler, and triangle (or straight edge if you have one) Measure out a square grid.  The size of your squares will determine the scale of the chevron. For this floor, I made 5"x5"squares for my grid.

STEP 3: With a straight edge as your guide, draw a line from top left corner to bottom right then from bottom left to top right of each consecutive square.....looking closely at the picture might be more beneficial than the description I just gave.

 Step 4: When your grid lines are drawn, simply fill in every other strip with your selected accent color. Taping off  the lines, while very hand in theory, is more of a risk of pulling up paint at this phase. For that reason, with an art paintbrush, outline the pattern before filling it in with color. Straight lines are key to a sharp looking result.

 Not quite done yet. But this gives you a pretty good idea as to where we are going with things. Once it is painted and dry, I'll do a second coat.  Once that dries, we will top it off with a few coats of polyurethane. 

Guess I.T is on vacation.......But anyway, Hudson seems to really like these floors. And I do not blame him.

What a quick, but powerful change! And low cost!  Hopefully, I will soon be reporting back with even more super fun progress.  Until then, keep on keepin' on.

Diversifying Interests

I have titled this post Diversifying Interests. My husband is an accountant and seems to be a guru when it comes to all things business and finance.  This sounds like a term I've probably heard him use at one point....not sure entirely what it involves, but today, I am borrowing the phrase from all of those stats and numbers people and using it for the sake of design. 

We've gotten pretty much accomplished in the Dining Room so far.  The base coats have been fully applied, and now the second (and perhaps third) coats need to make their appearance....Ha, that's funny. I say make their appearance as if they will do it on their own.  Wouldn't THAT be nice!?! But as I previously mentioned, there are a few fixes that need done before we can proceed. The wall with the water spot needs to be fixed and investigated, bead board needs to go up, and floors need to be installed.  These items all fall under the "things I would probably mess up if I attempted to solve on my own" category.  For that reason, we're calling in the big guns for those projects.  Who are the big guns? Probably the homeowner and some of his handy friends and family.  I can make things pretty, no problem....but I'd rather not destroy anything behind the scenes in the process. Ya feel me?

So back to diversifying interests....I figured if we have to wait on a few things there....we may as well just carry on with other spaces in the meantime... Thus diversifying the spaces in the house that are interesting. (Get it? Diversifying interests). I'm sure when my husband gets home tonight I'll be given a formal lesson. Anyway for this chaotic order of progress, I apologize to you wonderful reading friends.  But stick with me.....we're going places people.

 SO....last night, we decided to paint all of the egress doors (i.e. doors that take you to the great outdoors when you exit them), and we tackled the hallway walls and trim. I should note, this included one of the homeowners bravely risking his life while balancing a ladder in the stairwell. (I should also note I tend to have a flair for the dramatic.) Nonetheless, he painted in a fashion that I would not be so brave to attempt on my own. Brave man. Brave, brave man.

So what comes next? Once we are sure the hallway walls are dry, we'll add some fun accessories AND do a really great floor refinishing project which I am SURE you'll want to stick around for. Our goal is to get paint on the walls and furniture in place...once those things have been accomplished, we'll unleash a storm of fun project ideas you can try when accessorizing your place.

Until then....here are the updated pictures of blog house numero uno.

Oh man...I'll have to talk with my I.T guy.... Not sure how that got in there.

Another painted door and the beginnings of hallway walls and trim!

No drop cloths needed! We have big plans for this floor...but until then, we let the paint fall freely.

Wall color is up...except for the damaged wall of course.

A few more coats and tricks and we're onto something here.

ANOTHER fun and cheery door! Now all of the egress doors are painted and ready for their rooms to rise to meet them.

View from side hallway into living room. Painting progress feels oh-so-good.

Don't think I ever showed you the powder room....but we will be visiting it one day soon (For design sake that is.)

I suppose I'll give a little sneak peak of a corner of the living room....but I really don't want to show FINISHED photos until the room is totally set up........soon lads and lasses, soon.

 

 

 

 

 

So there you have it friends.  Progress. We may bounce around....but a few more weeks and you won't believe your eyes! Until then.......don't keep all your eggs in one basket.....get LOTS of baskets...because baskets are cute and fun to decorate with! Oh...and because it has something to do with diversifying interests....I think....

Stay well.

They Call Me Mellow Yellow

Now that you've seen the plan for the dining room, I am happy to announce that painting has begun.  Once again, we've hit a few obstacles, but nothing we can't overcome! Down came the wallpaper from 1975. For those of you who have ever taken down wallpaper, please don't hate me when I declare that it literally took me about 5 minutes to remove all of it. That's right ALL of it.  The homeowner was working on organizing and sorting (and maybe tore down a sheet or two in the process) But for all intents and purposes...it took one person about 5 minutes.  I feel the glares of homeowners everywhere who have spent hours perhaps even days painstakingly pulling and scraping down the decor of days gone by....but please, just share in our happiness.  That portion is DONE!  Once again, we found cute messages from 1975. We then began cutting in the basic paint colors in their designated locations.  AWESOME, I repeat AWE-SOME to see how quickly the new paint color and a bit of organizing does to open up the space.

Roadblocks so far;
We ran into a section of the plaster wall that is going to need patching before we can do a complete paint job.  We'll also need to but bead-board on the bottom half of the chair rail.  Once these steps are done, we'll be refinishing some of the existing pieces, making our own rug, and searching around for some fun and inexpensive decor projects.

Nothing too crazy or new on this post, just thought I'd share the progress pictures.  There will be more to come as the project progresses.  Before long, I'll reveal the final living room pictures!
Oh, and spread the word about the blog! Once I get enough followers, I'd love to start some fun give-a ways and contests!  Thanks for reading! Until next post, stay well....and enjoy the pictures.

What? How did that get there.....Ok....Sorry, I couldn't help it. I just love my kids.

Wallpaper is down! Beginning to clear out the room and cut in initial paint.

This wall will need a bit of repair. No biggie.....we're on to bigger and better things!

First coat applied to built-in unit and the room is already feeling brighter!

Some kid in 1975 wishes he had a big swimming pool. Me too kid (who is now an adult), me too.

Just one more unrelated munchkin photo. My little Hudson (the boss) Musser. 

Moving Right Along

We are moving right along! The living room is pulled together (but I'm holding back pictures for a later post), and we've stepped right into the dining room project. What will this next project entail? Wallpaper needs to come down, paint needs to go up, a few walls need some patching, and bead-board will be added below the chair rail. We will then re-purpose most of the existing pieces, steal a few pieces from other rooms in the house, and add a couple finishing touches. We also plan to add some organization stations to help this room function to the best of its ability.  Before we know it, we will have two rooms under our belt in a mater of just a week or two. NOT too shabby my friend, NOT- TO- SHABBY.  Did I mention these projects are being completed with 4 kids 4 and under running around...often with the help of some wonderful young ladies, but a distraction none-the-less.

I have to be honest,  I actually really liked the existing wallpaper a lot, but it wasn't going to work well with the new design direction.  We've already torn it down, but I'm saving all of that for an upcoming post.  In the meantime, I'm just going to remind you of the "before" pictures and show you the concept board for this space. Like any good parent, I can't spoil your dinner with dessert.....so eat your veggies first (i.e. look at the main idea) and I'll give you a treat later (i.e. I'll post awesome progress pictures as we go.)

Here's what we started with if you recall:

Here's where we plan to go (or at least the main concept for the space):

 

So many things happening! I can't wait to continue to share with you as the progress continues. This house will not only look much more appropriate for the residents, but if I do my job well, the house will soon function in a fashion that they will find to be much more suitable for their hectic life! That's all any of us need, right? A little rest at the end of our days filled with hustle and bustle. And how great is it when your home can become a big part of that rest! Until the next post, don't just dream big. Do big things. Life is way more fun when you give it a shot.

Time for Lemonade

Happy first day of summer!  I presume you are all enjoying the arrival of this wonderful season by kicking back your feet and sipping on some lemonade. WHAT? You aren't? Well...make sure to address that at some point.  Before summers end, I expect each of you to kick back with a nice cold beverage (perhaps, and with high suggestion, while sitting on a rocking chair or porch swing).  It is the only right thing to do, and will be a special moment to recall when the freezing days of winter are here.

But enough about lemonade...(for now).  I am bringing you a few of the latest photos.  You will notice upon reviewing the design concept board that a few things have changed. In the words of my ALMOST 2 year old..."A-HA!" And this is where I once again bring up the theme of the day: lemonade.  Ever heard the old mantra "when life hands you lemons....yada yada yada"? Well, during the shopping process, we were hit with a few unexpected bumps.  For one, the original rug selection unexpectedly doubled in price last minute.....so it was time for plan B.  Luckily,  the homeowner brilliantly followed the direction of the design board and found a SUPER cheap rug with the same general feel to it.  Doubled price of original rug= lemon.........finding an awesome and cheap substitute= lemonade. Next lemon? The original sofa fabric selected was almost 200 dollars more than an alternative option.....thus, we went with the lower priced alternative.  Needles to say, a few things were tweaked and adjusted as needed, but this lemonade is starting to get mighty sweet.

Most of the largest furniture pieces are in the room now, so things are really starting to take shape.  The old abandoned piano (which needs a bench by the way) was brought into the room as well as the new sofa and ottoman.  An old existing piece was brought in to be used as a television stand.  The steal of a deal rug is in place.  Now we just have to pull a few more items from around the house.  A yardsale rescued wingback chair, and a few side and end tables and we are in business! Anyway, enough blabbing. Here are a few pictures to transfer some of my excitement your way.

Brand spanking new sofa, pillow,and rug! More accents to come!

Pardon the box...it was serving as entertainment for our children while we worked on some diy projects.  Above the piano, you will soon behold an AWESOME display wall.  Also, how cool is the vivid yellow door?

The start of one of our DIY projects (a family silhouette wall). Can't WAIT to show you the end result of this one.

Left: Homeowners' son Right: My son.  This is a rare picture of the boys being super helpful and "fixin it". Now the other 98% of the time? Probably pretty much the opposite, but at least they are super cute.

My sweet Elliott James.....fixing the vent.  Such a smart young lad. Perhaps he has a contracting career ahead of him.

Updated view. Still need to put the covers back on the sconces and do a few DIY projects...but before long, I'll post pictures of the final room reveal.

So what's next? I thought you would NEVER ask. Once the furniture is in place, the accessories and storage/organization come! We are doing several DIY projects for accessories, and I can't wait to show you those.  We'll also be adding pillows, curtains, and perhaps some DIY shelving units.  SO MUCH yet to come, but the excitement is certainly building as the room starts to take on a totally new look. 

With that, I bring this entry to a close.  Until the next post, find a lemon and make some lemonade; literal or figurative, either is fine. Just make it happen.

Risky Business

I had quite a bit of hustle and bustle in my own life over the weekend.  My husband and I were SUPER blessed with a weekend away (just the two of us!)  Of course, this trip was SUPPOSED to happen in February, but our 2nd bundle of joy ended up arriving on the week we were going to go.  Thus, a few months later, we got our getaway. Such extended weekends to ourselves are fairly infrequent though, so we did all of the things we haven't been able to do the past few years.  It-was-MARVELOUS.  It's just great how as I mom, I find myself getting to a place where I  N-E-E-D a break.....then a day into the break all I can do is gush over how wonderful my boys are, and how lucky I feel to be their mama. But yes, when I am free of parenting responsibilities, I do plenty of hustling and bustling....but all very good and relaxing and wonderful hustling and bustling.  And to get to spend it with my enchanting husband? All the better my friends.

Anyway...meanwhile, while we were enjoying our peace and rest from the hustle and bustle.......the blog house homeowners were painting trim (in between birthday parties and their own hustle and bustle.)  Because of their hard work, I figured I'd post some pictures of the wall color.  What's even more exciting is that by the end of the weekend, they still had the stamina to keep rolling with things, so we went out, and they purchased a nice chunk of the furniture pieces and decor....(THAT though, we will save for another day.)  TODAY......I tell you TO-DAY (not sure if you can tell, but I'm saying this in a baptist pastor type of voice)....TO-day is the day that your life is changed....by color. 

Here is a peak at the living room and the quick transformation some paint can make. Just a quick initial peak at a paint swatch in the beginning of the process can be really scary for a lot of people.  So I am so proud of these homeowners for taking a leap of faith.  It is turning out AWESOME.

In the words of my 2 year old son..."TA-DA"  Can you even remember the before?  Still needs to be crisped up a bit, but we are well on our way to calling one room fully painted and ready for furniture and accessories!

Remember our room concept was inspired by this painting?  Here it is close up....and I must say, the new wall color rocks when paired with the painting. Now the room AND the painting work together instead of fighting  for the attention.

Wow... I know I selected the color....and I full well expected it to look good....but I am LOVING the crisp refreshing result that a simple change of color has on the space. 

So there you have it!  The color is on the walls and this project is moving along at full force!

You are probably wondering "Hmmm I wonder if there is a design lesson for this blog."
 And since I'm sure you are on the edge of your seat waiting for the expertly crafted lesson for this entry...here it is, plain and simple:

Don't be afraid.  Not in life, and not in design.  Take a risk now and then.  Weather by throwing a new pop of color into your room or by trying something you've always wanted to do but never did because of fear. Some of the best results in design AND in life come about as the result of taking a risk.

I moved from a life in Lancaster County (Amish country) into  inner city Baltimore. I should note, this was hugely frightening at first, and I was not completely sell myself on this change, but as time goes on, and as all of the "accessories" of life fall together and develope (ie...friendships, memories, etc.)  I'm finding out that the risk of making a big life change ended up being one of the most valuable and memorable experiences of my life.  Same principal applies with this lovely blog house. Some of the changes don't make sense at all, but once things start coming together, things that once seemed odd start to be elements that unite the whole look.  HUGE changes: nerve wracking at first....but once you take the first most difficult step, things quickly fall into place. Before you know it, those leaps of faith turn into things you are grateful you've done.  Am I making any sense?

Hope you've all had a marvelous weekend.  Now get in your last bit of relaxation before you head back into the hustle and bustle.  Until the next post....take a risk. I dare you.  And see how it changes your life for the better. (Oh...and make sure you tell the Dads in your life how thankful you are.)

Big Reveal....of sorts...

Today is a boring post day in content, but not in activity.  Blog house living room has the first coat of paint up!  I just couldn't bring myself to post pictures until the paint was completed and looking the best it can look! (What? You wouldn't plan you kids' picture day around a bad haircut would you?) Don't worry though, the final coats should be wrapped up and ready for their close up by the end of the weekend if all goes as planned.

But I know you are all probably like "THE WEEKEND? I can't wait all weekend to find out the color scheme!"  Well just hold your horses for a minute dear blog reader, you.  Today, I reveal the proposal and the concept board for the living room...but only so you can have a good weekend without blog house worries on your mind.

Isn't that so exciting?  Bright, I know. Not for everyone, also know. Awesome, indeed it is. But let me get on my design soap box for just a minute.  This house could be designed an infinite number of ways from traditional to bachelor pad chic.  The residents of this home are energetic, fun, and with as busy as they are, they could use some color to keep themselves awake! When designing a home for existing residents, it is so important to explore their taste and lifestyle. I also always like to push people just a little bit beyond their comfort zones (within the confines of their taste). It is the unique elements that take a room from looking run-of-the-mill to pulled together, well thought out, and custom designed.

When a home is designed correctly around the people who live in it, it should essentially become an extension of them. Because of this, I wish you all knew the family who lives in this home. Boy am I excited for them.  Before long, their house will match them instead of clashing with their vibrant personalities.....whoops, sorry....forgot to get down from the soap box.....I'm down, I'm down.

So that's the plan dear readers of mine.  I will post more pictures of progress oh so soon. Until then, bake some cookies and go crazy.

Bloody Knuckles

Don't worry friends, I haven't joined one of Baltimore's tough street gangs. My knuckles are bloody from an honest days' work!  The first project of the very first Hustle, Bustle, and Home blog house is underway!  We've started with the living room.  Project one was to prepare the room for all of the awesomeness it is about to experience.  The old carpet needed to come up, and there was a wall of textured wallpaper. The wallpaper had to go. Not because it was bad or uncool, it was just peeling so much that it seemed to be saying "please, let me retire and enjoy a good trash bag somewhere."  It was fun to see the original family's notes and experiments under the wallpaper. Also wonderful was the supposed  ease of the paper coming down.  I left the blog house for a few hours to tend to some things in my own household, and when I cam back the homeowner told me that with a few good rips, her and her two sweet little boys got it all down.  No scrubbing or laboring! I suppose that is one great advantage to wallpaper that has been there for decades!

That evening, we got to work at making this space spectacular.

Step #1: Empty out the room of all of the contents. Not an easy job, but we got it done.

Step #2 : Rip up carpet, carpet pad, carpet tacks, and staples as FAST as possible.  I think I should note that decades of dust and wear are less than fun to be coated in, but SO worth the results.  I also felt like a surgeon (a living room saving surgeon), as I had to crawl on my hands and knees with a needle nose pliers and pull up any pesky staples.

Step # 3,4, & 5.........Go over the floors again and again and again to make sure no nails or staples were missed or hiding. Every time we thought we were done another one seemed to pop up out of nowhere. ( I should also note as I type "we", I am referring to the lady of the house who participated in the demo).

Step # 6-20: Get on your hands and knees and scrub with a bucket of soapy water and a brush, then with plain water, mop, and mop again, and while you are at it, plan on making mopping the plan for your week. These floors are looking great, but will take A LOT of rounds with a mop to get them spick and span.

Painting and the other fun transformations are next on the list, but first I'll show you some pictures of the floor process.

Here is a before view of the carpet

Another view to give you insight into this....lovely....old carpet

Wallpaper is down!

Mid-process......yum huh

Soon these babies will be BEAUTIFUL

Told ya! Oh and you just wait dear, sweet, blog followers.  This room is going to be awesome very very soon.

The room already looks bigger and fresher!

So exciting what one day of work can do.

Picture happy? Perhaps. But this one had the dog in it, so I had to include it.

Now aren't you just dying to see what paint color we are going to use to transform this space? I'm sure you are. Stay tuned, and those pictures will follow close behind.Until then, stay well,live well and savor the joys that we are so kindly given.

Blog House!

I have acquired a "blog house", and I am SO excited about it.  Let me rephrase that. I have some good friends who are living in a house (their house, not mine) that hasn't been touched up in a few decades. They've asked me to help them liven it up a bit, and I in turn asked to blog the progress.  It is now MY extremely exciting task to bring this house into our current era.

 This house has some awesome features, and the homeowners have a fun, young, bold style that will be really exciting to bring to life. For your entertainment purposes, I will post some before pictures.  I'll do my very best to track the progress as things come along. The basement of the house is loaded with old pieces and accents that have a lot of refinishing potential (though I haven't had a chance to get my hands on it yet.) Hopefully you will get as excited as I am as we see the progress. Now, as promised, some pictures of what we are starting with.

Believe it or not, this kitchen will soon be a BEAUTIFUL sight to behold!

Old cabinets and floors are just in need of a bit of lovin'. Isn't that all any of us need?Soon and very soon this place will be a beaut.

 

This awesome stone fireplace will soon be noticed (and even admired!) Also, the current artwork is somewhat hidden, but will soon become a focal point when other vivid colors decide to attend the party we call this house.

Welcome home?...Just wait my friends, soon this front door will be bursting with welcoming energy.

I am literally (ok...not literally) BURSTING with excitement at how awesome this living room is about to become. 

 

 

I don't want to give away ALL of the fun at once, so for now you can imagine just what will happen to these two rooms.  Hopefully a few posts in the near future will revisit this home (one never can tell quite how long a project may take). Because of this, as we go along, I may bounce around to a few other projects in between to keep you inspired.  In the meantime, stay well!