Winter Landing Places

I am excessively fond of a cottage; there is always so much comfort, so much elegance about them. And I protest, if I had any money to spare, I should buy a little land and build one myself, within a short distance of London, where I might drive myself down at any time, and collect a few friends about me and be happy. I advise everybody who is going to build, to build a cottage. - Jane Austen

When you're always shuffling things around because of a cottage transformation in progress, sometimes, by chance, things seem to land "prettily" on any convenient available surface...





...and some things are quite purposely put in their own special spot for a little extra cottage charm {or for a winter break cupcake party}...




But when you have children that are home on Snow Day #3, there are other things that also land on any convenient available surface...but not quite so prettily.


You too?

"How Do You Like Me Now?"

I have succumbed to my "what if" tendencies and painted {just one coat so far} our kitchen door that leads into my studio yet again. By now you know that this is my modus operandi. When I'm struggling with a decision - and especially when faced with two choices that are both my favorites,I choose one, but after a while I get curious about the other. How would it look? Would it have been better?

Remember, I had gone with a beautiful shade of blue called "Tranquility" {Valspar shade from Lowes}. I LOVE the color and plan on using it in accents and furniture pieces. But I decided that since I want to use it in accents and furniture pieces throughout the house, maybe having it on all the doors in our house is a bit overkill. Plus, as I've mentioned, this shade of blue seems to be too "pastel" for hubs.


So I painted the door a deep expresso brown - almost a black. {Edited to add that the paint color is called "Fired Earth" from Valspar at Lowes}. Like I said, this is just the first coat and it needs another, but I'm posting a couple of photos because I like the "old, worn" look of it already and plan to scruff it up after the second coat to make it look similar to this.



Another change: I repainted my kitchen a few weeks ago but decided not to use the color we painted the studio. What did I go with? Anthem White. The same color as our trim work. Can you tell the difference in the wall colors between the above and bottom photos? I just love the contrast now between the walls and the dark doors and red cabinets...so crisp and light feeling! It's hard to tell in the photo below because of the sun streaming in, but that little chair is painted "Tranquility" like the door use to be. Who knew dark brown, red, and blue could actually work together in peace, love, and harmony?!

Two major remodeling decisions have been made - and I'm sticking to them this time...I promise! 1)Twice Remembered's walls will be white and 2)The doors will be dark expresso brown.

For what it's worth, hubs did not want white walls. He LOVES the dark doors now, though. And he hasn't even noticed I repainted the kitchen. ;)

{Edit: I've opened up my Twitter account again...I'm thinking having just the one account will be easier to keep up with than Facebook and Twitter. You can follow me there for updates between blog posts. Thanks!}

{Participating in Metamorphosis Monday!}

The Blue Door

I think perhaps I should have have titled this entry "Ebb and Flo". As most of you know, things constantly change in our lives and we never really know where we are headed next. What I do know right now is that at Twice Remembered, we are feeling a major budget squeeze and have had to take a break from our remodeling efforts. This makes me sad, but I also know that we'll pick it up again as things ease up a bit and when my health hopefully takes an upswing. Hubs has been doing so much domestic work around here when he comes home from work - things that I may not be able to do right now - it's little wonder that he has limited time for even what we can afford to do - like painting! An arm brace is helping me with carpal tunnel issues, and I'm still looking for ways to improve the other health issues...I don't want to be an old lady at 36! Thank you all for your continued visits despite my irregular posts. It's so nice to know that when I'm here, so are you!

I wanted to at least get the one wall shown in the photo below painted the new kitchen color before sharing the new door color with you,
but I couldn't wait! The new door color is called "Tranquility" and I got it from Lowes. I'm loving it! What do you think?



Now I need to find a few more blue dishes like the little creamer in this photo. It matches the door exactly and I'm not sure how that happened!


{Edited to add: My backsplash is a different shade of white than the beadboard...I'll be changing that in the future!}

When I can, I'm trying to keep myself busy at something creative, so work continues on my dollhouse. You will definitely be able to tell that my favorite colors are being used in the dollhouse as well.


You may recognize the little miniature island in the photo above. I'm not quite finished with it yet, but it's modeled after my own kitchen island. It even has a tin ceiling front!




I hope everyone is doing well and staying cool in this heat...it has been a hot summer so far! Until next time...!

Red Cabinets - Taking the Leap

I just want to send out a huge round of 'thank you's' to all of you who emailed me regarding my white vs beige paint decision in my last entry, "Tell It to Me Straight". There was an outpouring of honest thoughts and opinions, and they've proven to be invaluable in helping me make the right choice. I've been able to respond to all of Sunday's and a few of yesterday's comments and am eagerly looking forward to replying to the others today. I'll fill you in on what I'm going to try because as of last night, I think I've finally figured it out.;)

By the way, this is one of the reasons why I am loving the private commenting feature: You get to tell or ask me what is really on your mind without worrying about what others may think. I've enjoyed hearing from long time readers who have never commented before as well. And I love being able to give personal responses - something

There was an outpouring of honest thoughts and opinions, and they've proven to be invaluable in helping me make the right choice.

that was lacking with the older format. I know private commenting may be weird and out of the norm for blogs, and I can appreciate that some do love to read the comments of others. Thank you all so much for your support with this, well, kind of major change to Twice Remembered's blog format. Feel free to tell me what you think about the changes - and it's ok if you don't like some of them. Also, I would love to hear what you do and don't like in blogs in general. From time to time I do like to take a step back and reevaluate by site and figure out what is working - and what is not.


Speaking of private commenting, I received an email the other day that I would like to share with you {I know...the irony!}. I thought it was interesting because I think it really states what many of you may be feeling regarding painting your cabinets red. Some may worry if taking the leap by going red would make it harder to sell their home in the future. I've added this question to my FAQ page as well because I'm sure it is a common concern.

I have been inspired by your red kitchen cupboards but am still frightened to take such a leap. Currently mine are plain old white. A friend...has said that it will take at least 3-4 coats of paint and if we decide to sell our home in the next 2 or 3 years no one will want to buy a house with a red kitchen. Do you have any words of encouragement?? -C.

C., I can certainly understand your hesitation with the red. It is a very bold color choice and one of your friends was right in that it does take many, many coats to cover properly. Mine took four, maybe even five on the doors, and that isn't counting the primer coat. So it is quite a time commitment to say the least! Resale could certainly be a consideration as well, but I don't think red cabinets would be quite the deal breaker as some might think. It really depends on the way you look at.


For me personally, I feel that by the time we are finished with our remodel, our home may just be completely out of the norm/unusual compared to other homes on the market in my area. It won't really be the "neutral blank slate" contemporary home that many are searching for.

Our house and red cabinets will fit just the right person, and I'm willing to wait for them to come along.

It will have {one of these days!} a very distinct style that folks will either love or hate depending on their personal taste. The person that I want to own the house after us is the person that falls head over heals over it and the red cabinets. The way I see it - and maybe it's an odd romantic approach - is that the red cabinets are like Cinderella's missing glass slipper. When and if we ever sell, our house and red cabinets will fit *just the right person*, and I'm willing to wait for them to come along.

I know I'm just biased, but I feel that if the cabinets are painted red and painted well {and the right shade is picked...a red that isn't too garish}, it will not detract from the beauty of the home. In fact, a red kitchen will be one that buyers will remember while they are out searching for homes. It will stand out in their mind. Incidentally, the other day I was watching one of those 'designed to sell' kinds of shows on HGTV...the ones where professionals come in and spruce up a house to get it ready to sell, you know? Well, in the episode I saw, a huge shelving unit in a wide hallway {or maybe it was the passage way from the mudroom?} was painted. Do you know what color they painted it? Red!


I think red is just one of those colors where the "concept" of it is scary - the idea of actually going through with it in our own homes can be terrifying. And especially so if it is like nothing we have ever done before or like nothing our friends and family have ever done. It may just sound like a foreign concept! But I don't think folks in general get that horrified feeling when they see other kitchens or things painted red. Instead they may feel "I would have never thought to do that but it works! It looks nice! I love it! Pretty! I like it better than I thought I would!" It's only when they consider doing it in their own spaces that they may hesitate or worry if it's the right decision.

I guess in some ways, going red is just a leap of faith. Like I said, there are things to consider like finding the right shade {I love the shade I used - Waverly's

Going red is just a leap of faith.

Cherry but I still toned it down by wiping on and then wiping off some brown glaze}, wall color, countertop, backsplash, the colors of decorative items and fabrics you plan to use...all these things will either accentuate the red cabinets nicely or make them look like it's all too much. For me, I've decided to stay neutral with very little color elsewhere - white, off-white, and dark brown accents.

One last note about going red with your cabinets: Remember, it is only paint and can be repainted. Try painting one single cabinet if you have one detached from the others. I have a single cabinet on the other side of the sink above the dishwasher

Remember, it is only paint and can be repainted.

and that is where I started. I completely finished that one before moving on to the rest. So if you decide to take the leap, first paint that one cabinet completely and live with it for a while. It won't take you too long to know if you want to go with another color or not. If you love it, you won't hardly be able to wait to paint the rest. If you don't like it, you may feel like "Ugh!" every time you see it and will hardly be able to wait to paint over it!


I hope this gives you a few more things to think about before making your decision. I believe that when it comes to painting our homes, do what is going to make you happy - not what is going to make the future homeowners happy. If you do anything that you feel might be too "out there" when it comes time to resell, remember that it can be reversed if you are up to a little extra work. Don't not paint your cabinets red because you're worried about future buyers. It is your home now, so enjoy it - and if that means having white, red, green, or purple cabinets, then so be it!

-Kim


P.S. Just thinking about resale again...With our own house, we will never, ever get out of it what we've put into it so far, considering our neighborhood and the values of the homes around us. But it's just an example of doing what we love and what makes us happy.:)

Window Dressing

When we were on our trip a few weeks back, we enjoyed browsing a few antique shops on our way home. One of my treasured finds was this lacy white window valance.


When I first saw it, I was immediately reminded of those beautiful and romantic Victorian dresses of long ago.


I'm not normally a frills and lace kind of girl, but I admit, I have a soft spot for dainty white linens. For our home, in moderation, I think it adds a little softness and charm.


There is a rod pocket, but I didn't like the way the curtain looked hung that way - perhaps a little too "froo froo" for my taste. But the black clips, I think, add just the right contrast with a touch of masculinity that keeps it all balanced out.


These sweet little Victorian-esque curtains, too, help soften the hard lines of the lighting fixture.


I don't know if the valance was actually part of an old dress that was repurposed by a thrifty and creative homemaker many years before my time...


But I do like to imagine it that way!

{photo via shorpy.com}

Photos of Beadboard Progress and Important News Coming Tomorrow

Good morning, everyone! I hope this beautiful spring day finds you doing well. Somehow between our vacation and the family dinner we hosted this past weekend, hubs was able to install more beadboard in our main living areas. For this phase of the remodel, we are concentrating on beadboarding the kitchen, dining area, hallway, foyer, and living room. Though we still have the foyer and living room to go, I'd like to share with you the areas that we've covered so far. Please keep in mind that all of our beadboard and trim will be sanded, primed, and painted white.

I should note that I have lost *both* my memory card reader and my

Our hallway is starting to remind me of an old hotel...

memory card for my good camera. I think I put them somewhere when we were getting the house ready for company, but I don't know where. So I used my daughter's little point and shoot for these photos. I wish they were better!

We've gone through and added some smaller accent trim pieces at the top of the beadboard under the wide pine boards. For the top of the pine board, we will be adding more accent trim. Here is a mock up of the top piece I am considering, but I want to look at some more to see if I can find something with a more interesting contour. This one is ok and is cost effective, but more curve would be nice. However, this flatter piece will make hanging framed art over the beadboard easier - a curvier piece would jut out further. {Please ignore all the white splotches on the walls...we are prepping them for fresh paint!}




Here are a couple of progress shots of our hallway. I cannot convey just how thrilled I am to finally have beadboard in this area! The beadboard, along with the wide door trim and solid wood doors just really make the space. I'm looking forward to adding the pine ceiling and crown moulding now...and a light! Our hallway is starting to remind me of an old hotel, and I'm thinking about painting pretty numbers on the trim above each door, from 1 to 6.




Here you"ll notice our little piece of mock up accent trim. What a difference a little trim can make!


See my drop cloth curtains? The curtains in this spot are a necessity - we close them when we let our cockatiels, Sunny and Ginger, out of their cage for smooches and cuddles and playtime - which happens more than once daily. They like the kitchen, but I don't allow them in there. :)



I am loving having a faux fireplace in the dining room...even in it's incomplete state! It completely changes the feel of the space. The beadboard wraps around the fireplace wall and window wall...


around the divider wall between the kitchen and dining area and back to the cabinets...{that's Ruby and her stuffed animal duck sunning on the rug there:)}


and finally past the other end of the cabinets to the back door. From the back door, we will continue to wrap the beadboard around the corner and into the rest of the living room. We have another farmhouse style fireplace mantel to build in there first! {See the chalkboard? Apparently my teen thinks the hyacinths stink. Hmmpphh!}



Here are a few more shots of the dining fireplace. We have just a little bit accent trim to add around the opening. Hubs didn't have time to get to it before he left on a business trip this week.




Can you believe I found my first bell shaped cloche the other day at Goodwill for $1.25? Love it!


{Gratuitous dining room shots}




I'm still mulling over what I'm going to do with the inside of the fireplace, but on our trip, I found this antique Victorian cast iron fireplace surround that I will definitely be incorporating. I'm thinking of doing the rest in brick and for inside of the antique surround, inserting a piece of decorative tin painted black. OR, brick the cast iron opening and using decorative tin for the rest. What do you think?


Finally, here is a shot of the foyer area that I cannot wait to beadboard. We knocked out a tiny coat closet in that area to open it up and I'm looking forward to putting a table on that back wall {the cabinet that is currently serving as our TV stand, actually...you can kind of see it in one of the hallway shots above}. It will be perfect to hold beautiful flower arrangements - and it's a nice sunny spot to boot!


Please come back and see me tomorrow as I have a few very important announcements regarding blog changes here at Twice Remembered. I'll see you then!