Navy, Gold, and White Master Bedroom

Posted on January 6, 2015 by kenz

If you recall, we don’t have a headboard. At our old house, we painted one on the wall. Also, a little known fact, we were borrowing our bedroom furniture (night stands and dresser) from my seester. So when we moved into our new house, this was the extent of our bedroom. A bed. We borrowed the lamp from Evelyn’s old room, and I was using a barstool as a night stand. It was sterile. It was empty. It was a place to sleep. It was boring.

I don’t know if this is normal or not (please weigh in on if you are/ aren’t), but I am a bedroom person. I always have been. From the time I was little, I enjoyed spending time in my bedroom. I didn’t like playing or hanging out in the family room. I’ve always retreated to my room. Mom & Dad never had much luck punishing me by sending me to my room. I wanted to be there. And now, I spend a lot of time in my room. When Evelyn wakes up, we snuggle and play in our master bedroom for awhile. And after she goes to bed at night, I like to read, blog, catch up on real estate work, and watch TV in our room. I know there is an opinion that rooms should be just for sleeping, and DEFINITELY no TV allowed. But that’s not me. It’s my comfortable place. I love relaxing by sitting in my bed.

Now you know more about me (#themoreyouknow). And now you understand why the above pictured wasn’t jiving me with. If you follow me on Instagram, you already know this… As part of my Christmas present, Aaron gave me painting supplies and promised me the uninterrupted time I so desperately wanted to work on a project. And I chose our bedroom.

I found this headboard on the classifieds. Isn’t it funny how 5 years ago everyone found gold and brass things and painted them oil rubbed bronze, and now we find oil rubbed bronze things to paint gold?

Spray painting this was a process. First of all, we were in the single digits of temperatures. Do you know how long spray paint takes to dry when it is 9 degrees outside? Squints says it best, FORRRRREVVVVVERRRRR. And as you know, when spray painting, the most important thing is several light coats. So, this took 5 days. Yes. 5 days.

Prime. Gold. Lacquer. But I’m so glad I took my time. (Yes, I wore a mask. Yes, the area was well ventilated.) There were no drips, and the finish is stunning. It has a very professional factory finish because of the lacquer.

I wanted to paint the whole room Starless Night by Behr. But, I got nervous. Guys, it is a DARK color. And I was worried it would suffocate the light. Normally I don’t particularly care for just one solid color as an accent wall. I feel like an accent wall should make a real statement, not break up the flow of a room. But I wanted to test this color, and I figured the best way was on just one wall for now, and if we loved it, then go ahead and paint the rest of the room.

For months I have been looking on the classifieds for the right night stands to makeover. And there was just nothing. So I finally found these nightstands from Overstock.com. And this is what we ended up with, in just a few short days over Christmas break:

The bedding is the same we had from our last bedroom makeover (West Elm). I get a lot of questions about how the white duvet cover holds up. I bought it on black Friday 2 years ago, and it is still clean and bright. We have 2 dogs and a baby. That should tell you. I wash and bleach it about once a month, or as needed.

This room isn’t done. In fact, we are just getting started. I have some plans for improving the lamps. I have some art projects in mind to dress up the walls. But it feels good to have a start. It feels like “us.” It’s a place I want to be. (And yes, I’ve decided to go for it and finish painting the whole room Starless Night. I just need to get up the energy to do it. Growing a baby is hard…)

Living Room

Posted on November 20, 2014 by kenz

Aaron and I have both fallen down the mid-century modern hole, and it doesn’t look like we’re getting out any time soon. Something about the simplicity, clean lines, skinny legs, warm wood that makes a heart flutter. If we stay on this road, I’ll be cutting my hair into a bob, burning all my jeans, and changing my name to June before you know it.

Keep in mind, like the kitchen and breakfast nook, everything is still REALLY minimal. We are still trying to figure out what we’d like to hang on the walls, coffee table vs ottoman, what curtains we want, and different lamp options.

We put our old couch from the basement at our old house in the living room and it was all wrong. The shape of the sectional was wrong for the shape of the room, and it was too bulky looking. And thus began the new couch hunt.

I set out for the post office one morning, and took a detour to IKEA. And the heavens smiled down on me. The floor model of Karlstad U-shaped sectional had just been moved off the show floor and down to AS-IS, and was marked down 40% from its original price. I’ll take it! I lived in a couch-maze for a week while I tried to quickly sell old beige.

I knew I wanted a Kilim rug for the living room. I was able to find this one on Etsy for a screaming deal.

This couch fits the space SO much better than our old one.

For the living room, we plan on wall-mounting the TV. I need to start looking for some good art as well. I want to get curtains, but I’m not really sure if I want to go for something strong and bold, or something soft and subtle. I also want to change out the lamp.

I bought this TV stand from Overstock.com and painted the shell bright high gloss white. It wasn’t worth writing its own blog post.

I really like the view over the Karlstad into the kitchen, and visa versa. It’s really nice to be able to work in the kitchen and watch Evelyn play.

Speaking of Evelyn playing… while I was shooting this space she decided it would be a good time to have a parade and walk around while clapping. So of course, I needed to take a video of it. It’s a pretty great way to spend 34 seconds. She disappears for a second but then she comes back.

She and the dogs are both enjoying the new couch.

We are all extremely happy to have a place to relax at the end of the day. It’s a place we enjoy being. It’s good to be home.

Kitchen and Breakfast Nook (and Tom Dixon Copper Chandelier)

Posted on November 18, 2014 by kenz

Moving is so hard. (Can I get an amen?!) When you are finally in your new place, you wonder if the boxes of your stuff literally multiplied and replenished your house. Boxes. For. Days. And then, your stuff comes out of the boxes, and what once fit in your old house, doesn’t quite fit right in your new house. Aw, the moving game.

It took some time for the boxes to clear out, but I’m FINALLY starting to feel like our house is more of a home, and a livable home at that!

This post is more of a “state of affairs” of the house. Obviously nothing is on the walls or really decorated. But it’s semi-put-together, so I felt confident enough to share.

I love this view of the breakfast nook when you first walk into the house. The copper chandelier is the first thing everyone notices and comments on when they walk in.

We kept our Restoration Hardware table, but the chairs were all wrong all of a sudden. I knew the breakfast nook was screaming for a set of Eames chairs.

We had a builder-grade chandelier over the table, and I hated it.

I knew a long time ago that I wanted a Tom Dixon copper chandelier. Fun fact, I couldn’t find one for less than around $700. And that was discouraging, because that was NOT in the budget. It would be a very empty dinner table (with a very pretty light) if I would have paid full price.

HOWEVER. I found a very (seemingly) sketchy Chinese wholesale website, that sold this light fixture for a fraction of the cost! (Here’s the link.) Right after I ordered it, I got a call from my bank verifying I indeed made the purchase. To be transparent, I was terrified I had made a huge mistake. But then, 2 weeks later, to my delight, the chandelier showed up! It was as brilliant as I expected.

Forgive me, because I TOTALLY forgot to take the baby-lock off the cabinet before shooting this… and by the time I realized it, the kitchen was already messy, and the sun was down. So, you get a lovely baby-lock in this photo.

Aaron picked this granite because he liked the way it tied with the copper light. (We had the light picked before we even started building!) We still have many things we want to do to the kitchen. We have plans for a backsplash, and for making the cabinets less builder-grade and more custom.

The bar stools are the same from our old kitchen. I’m not really sold on them being cohesive with the design plan we have going on. But for now, they are staying (until I find new stools that I absolutely cannot live without haha).

I’m really pleased with the way the kitchen and breakfast nook are coming together. I was REALLY skeptical of the dark espresso stain on the cabinets. That was Aaron’s decision. It’s very far out of my white kitchen comfort zone. But it’s really growing on me. I guess it’s a good thing to trust your husband every now and then!

Your DIY Wingback Rocking Chairs

Posted on July 21, 2014 by kenz

One of my all time favorite projects is my DIY Wingback Rocker.

One year later it’s holding up like a champion of all chairs! In fact, I’m writing this post sitting in this chair right now. I’ve spent hundreds of hours rocking precious Evelyn Faye in this chair.

What I didn’t expect was how many people would follow my tutorial and make their own. Some have blogs, and some don’t. But the emails have poured in of your beautiful rockers, and I’m going to show them off!

This nursery is from a reader named Daniel.

This is Chelsie’s nursery.

Cute mama-to-be!

This rocker comes from nursery at The Shaker House. They used a different chair than the Strandmon, and I think it looks awesome in the Marine Corps inspired room.

This rocker is from the outdoorsy nursery for Fletcher at 100layercakelet

This rocker is in the Modern Marine nursery at Newlyweds North.

And this last rocker is in the feminine travelesque nursery at Explore Dream Discover.

I love that even though these nurseries all have different themes and styles (I hope you clicked the links to check out the full rooms!!!) the rockers all fit in their element perfectly.

(If you pin these images, please click through and pin from the actual source. Thanks!)

Empty House Tour

Posted on June 26, 2014 by kenz

Last post I shared with you some details on why we decided to sell our house. Something I didn’t touch on was how fast everything happened. I know this is unusual, and we weren’t expecting it ourselves, but we got an offer after only 1 day on the market.

We had to pack and move so fast.

We had a little goodbye party for our beloved Green Meadow Manor at the end of moving day. The opposite of a house warming party? A house cooling party? That just sounds so heartless. Sparklers and bonfires were involved. There is no other way to say a proper goodbye is there?

I decided that a real live moving house tour was finally in order. I collaborated with The Von Trapp Family Singers for this one. Enjoy the next 2 mins and 44 seconds of your life, and sing along if you must. (I’ll even wave to you at 0:46 if you do. And you’ll probably see a sleeping baby at 0:55 if you don’t blink!)

If you haven’t caught on by now, I am overly sentimental, especially to the close of a chapter. I let myself feel every emotion. Aaron and I decided on the day we were locking the door for the final time, we would sit in each room and say our favorite memories and projects we did in that space. It was actually really fun to remember all the changes and events that took place. We started in the basement, and worked our way upstairs.

We laughed about Karl’s “chastity bed” in this room…

We recalled how this was our very first DIY project and also our very last DIY project in our house.

I sat in the widow seat and took this picture and thought about every single party and shower that took place here. Also about how I laid most of this flooring while 5 months pregnant.

Together we decided that we’re never go a month without a kitchen sink again.

The place where I sat on the floor holding several positive pregnancy tests in shock, horrified and scared out of my mind to walk into the kitchen and tell Aaron that we were actually going to have a baby.

Our humble sanctuary.

But I lost it when we got to the nursery. I knew I would. I cried when I was packing up everything from Evelyn’s room. I cried taking things off the wall. This is a room I thought I would never get to make, but against all odds, I DID! Out of everything in our house, I put the most love and thought into this room. Everything, down to the color selection was symbolic. (Purple & gold for royalty, fit for the daughter of a King.)

As much as looking at these pictures hurts my heart, I know that it’s just a room. I still have my real treasure with me 🙂 And she really is such a treasure, that Evelyn Faye.

This house was more than just a house. We didn’t know that when we moved in.

We bought our house at a time when I didn’t feel like I had a place in the world. This house gave me something to blog about. And this blog has given me real life friendships that I cherish more than I have words to describe. It gave me confidence and allowed me to grow creatively.

All the tears I cried were happy ones. I feel so much gratitude because I know this house was a blessing in so many ways.

I’m excited thinking about all the new memories and projects and life that will be lived in our new house!

Nook Under The Stairs REVEAL

Posted on June 3, 2014 by kenz

This post has been over 2 years in the making.

Sometimes you watch Extreme Makeover Home Edition and wonder how the crap they build a house in a week, when it takes over two years to finish taking out a wall.

When we moved into our house, this is what the basement family room looked like. It was so kind of the Salvation Army to leave their furniture. (We literally bought our house from The Salvation Army.)

This was our first DIY project in our whole house, ripping down this wall. I had lofty dreams of exposed stairs and a cozy reading nook under them.

The wall was load-bearing, so we put a beam into place to allow for the nook. During framing we planned out storage for Christmas decorations, storage for blankets and movies, a built-in for the media, wiring for sconces, surround sound, and a projector.

This was the first time I learned to drywall, mud and tape. And now I know what is the WORST DIY.

We finished the 2×4’s into wood pillars, where I then had a major staining incident with wood putty.

I built barn doors out of our old fence, and learned how to hang them the hard way.

I made a no-sew cushion.

But I’m excited to tell you, over 2 years later, it’s finally finished. We finally finished the bead board, trim, paint.

Pictures don’t do the nook justice. It’s HUGE. Bigger than a twin sized mattress.

I sanded the pillars down and re-stained them. It wasn’t worth its own post, but just know I did 🙂

I love this room as a whole. This one wall has gone through a complete transformation. It’s the most lounge-y family room you have been in. With the couch and the nook, SO many people can fit in there. It’s perfect for all sorts of movie parties.

Even though this project was full of more frustration and re-do’s than I care to admit, I’m really grateful for the lessons learned along the way. It just goes to show that a person with no real DIY experience CAN have a vision and end up with a beautiful result as long as giving up is not an option.

Great Room Reveal: Open Concept Living/Dining Room & Kitchen

Posted on March 10, 2014 by kenz

This post is brought to you by the blood, sweat, tears, and sanity of Aaron and Mekenzie Crowder.

We planned this renovation long before I was pregnant. And we started demo before I was pregnant too. And then I got pregnant, and going through a major renovation just about killed all three of us. I laid most of the flooring by myself while 5 months pregnant. We finished the week before Thanksgiving, with a little time to spare before the arrival of Evelyn Faye.

God bless all the pregnant women who go without a kitchen sink in the middle of summer. I truly empathize.

I happily present to you, the reveal of our other baby, The Great Room.

Here’s the brief overview if you forgot where we started.

Let’s dive into the details.

The living room is sporting:
a painted fire place, with bead board and a red brick hearth
tall board and batten
painted curtains
entryway table made from scrap wood and a trunk
a new banister & newel post
gordon tufted chesterfield sofa
1970’s Scandinavian luna chairs
diamond shag rug
“Christ Walking on the Water” painting (1901) by Russian landscape artist, Julius Sergius von Klever

Open concept for a small house. Living room and dining room. Rustic industrial. Restoration Hardware table, board and batten, redbrick hearth, white cabinets.

The dining room is made up of:
a bargain Restoration Hardware table
the perfect orb chandelier
IKEA Lindingo cabinets

Industrial rustic living room accents

Kitchen is made up of:
pebble stone granite counter tops
white subway tile back splash
tabouret metal bar stools
chalkboard back door
IKEA stainless steel appliances: range, dishwasher, refrigerator
barn style pendant sink light

We absolutely love how the 3 rooms flow seamlessly together for one big cohesive feeling. It’s my favorite place in the house to be. In the next post I write, I’ll be publishing the cost breakdown, since I’ve received so many emails regarding how/where our money was spent.

Now can someone please point me in the direction of club membership for those who survive a kitchen renovation?

Interiors by Kenz

Extreme Humiliation should not keep us from creating beautiful things!

Room Reveal