tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61882244720796259742012-02-10T15:03:54.617-08:00DIY, thrifting, vintage, interior design, kitchen design, renovating, remodeling, interior decorating, crafting re⋅viv⋅al   /ri-vahy-vuhl/ –noun 1. restoration to life, consciousness, vigor, strength, etc. 2. restoration to use, acceptance, or currency: the revival of old customs. dictionary.reference.comHouse Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.comBlogger1951100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-20455162448025638692012-02-08T13:08:00.000-08:002012-02-08T16:29:35.462-08:00

Do you use mirrors in your kitchen?  While we are in the midst of a bathroom remodel in our marina condo, we have been without a vanity. photo credit: Francesco LagneseMirrors are placed on the recessed panels of these cupboard doors!  Gorgeous. All teeth brushing and face washing and make-up applying, and so on, has moved to the kitchen sink.  We simply leaned our vanity mirror behind the

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-59719866889807204162012-01-31T12:42:00.000-08:002012-02-01T15:17:26.255-08:00

As we begin ramping up for a new year of new (and old) projects, I have been reflecting on the design and progress of our beach house renovation.  We have come a looooooong way!   Looking back at the original state of things, I wonder if we were out of our minds to take this on, especially when I see all the work still left to accomplish. This was the street view of our beach house the first

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-13199011226429885372012-01-31T00:34:00.000-08:002012-01-31T00:34:34.474-08:00

You can never go wrong when you stick to the classics!  Classics never go out of style (though they do certainly trend).  Here are a few of my favorite chair styles: These bentwood chairs have been freshened with sweet pastel paint...  via ... or you might opt for the classic finish of an original Thonet, Chair No: 14. source  The Louis XV Bergere is shown here in a very formal fabric....  

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-46244766405953891812012-01-28T15:51:00.000-08:002012-01-28T18:08:40.777-08:00

Another recipe I'm moving over from the old blog.  This really is the BEST Bloody Mary I've ever had!  Here is the original post: This weekend I was fortunate enough to be given a going away "girlfriend brunch" hosted by a very special lady.  The hostess is a really great sport, so when I sent her the recipe for the Best Bloody Mary in the entire world, she agreed to prepare a batch of the mix.

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-1855424984070219982012-01-28T15:19:00.000-08:002012-01-28T15:19:23.171-08:00

This is a re-post from an old blog I am shutting down.  I've decided to start including recipes on House Revivals, so some of the old posts can be repeated here, like this yummy skillet cobbler! Here it is: As many of you know, we are in the throes of moving out of our Colorado house.  This transition has taken us several months, and has involved going through things, throwing out things,

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-24866622181535687002012-01-20T16:15:00.000-08:002012-01-20T20:41:41.714-08:00

We've been trying to decide where we want to put our televisions in the  beach house reno and in our marina condo reno.   For now, the television sits on top of a cardboard box in the beach house, and the one in the condo sits on a folding table....  We're definitely living the beautiful life! via Atlanta Homes Mag I love the idea of  blending the TV into a gallery wall.  In the image above, the

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-75658717561545118842012-01-19T13:13:00.000-08:002012-01-19T13:13:28.691-08:00

Do you ever yearn to hit the open road?  To carry your house on your back, and live a little like a gypsy?  I'm not sure if I'm yearning for a gypsy lifestyle, or just yearning for warm sunny weather, but I've been drooling over these vintage campers lately.  I guess I'm not the only one -- there is actually a magazine devoted to these beauties! http://vintagecaravanmagazine.com.au/ There are

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-20302612141010483892012-01-13T17:28:00.000-08:002012-01-24T09:50:51.119-08:00

Many of you saw this view of the kitchen re-design I recently worked on for the Bad MLS Kitchen makeover series.   This is a series where I take MLS listing photos and show how the kitchen can be made more functional and more beautiful on a very tight budget with a few DIY skills In the last post, I showed this view of the kitchen makeover.  Basically, I recommended boxing in the fridge, adding

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-56657012352805893292012-01-10T21:44:00.000-08:002012-01-14T10:14:20.414-08:00

It's been a while since I've "made over" a bad MLS kitchen, so I thought I'd share some concepts for a Seattle neighborhood bungalow in the MLS listings. A classic Queen Anne shingled bungalow, the house sits in a historic neighborhood that is seeing some gentrification. The house has lovely bones, with really exceptional details, like leaded glass windows, bay windows, and architectural

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-10863160561526213062012-01-09T14:38:00.000-08:002012-01-16T09:49:37.027-08:00

It's that time again.  Time to sit down and think about past years, and moving forward into a new year.  For the last two years, I have had a "word to live by" -- a word of the year.  Last year, my word was beauty.  I shared a little about it in this post.  This rustic sign was created as a reminder. The last two years have been REALLY hectic.  We finished up a home renovation and sold our home

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-17859299827108890942012-01-07T15:35:00.000-08:002012-01-07T22:01:51.652-08:00

Never again. No not ever.  Do you know how I spent the last few days of 2011?  Working on interior design CEU courses. I spent precious hours reading power points, watching videos, and taking quizzes -- hours that could have been spent enjoying time with family over the holidays. One of many skills of an interior designer is the ability to draw.  This artist study was created as an experiment

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-52775599726255446962012-01-03T17:21:00.000-08:002012-01-11T10:49:22.253-08:00

Last year, I participated in a "goals for my home" linky. I'm not sure if anyone is hosting a similar link party this year, but I thought it would be fun to look back over last year's goals, compare to actual progress made, and decide on some new goals for moving forward in 2012.  The year brought a lot of changes. We started the year in tiny temporary digs in the city, while we renovated our

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-41070769677705209382011-12-28T19:05:00.000-08:002011-12-28T19:05:15.491-08:00

Can it possibly be that time again?  Has it really been an entire year since we wrapped up 2010?  We started out our year behind schedule on our beach house remodel.  I spent the holidays dealing with a nightmare contractor who was supposed to have lifted our house nine feet off the ground to better capture the view. Fortunately, after consulting a construction attorney, and interviewing and

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-38281715189458043802011-12-24T11:38:00.000-08:002011-12-24T21:02:12.791-08:00

Wishing you all a lovely Christmas Eve, and sharing a few images of our Beach House Christmas!  We are surrounded by packing boxes and unfinished projects, and have only managed to find a couple of boxes of Christmas decorations. In spite of the chaos, we managed to put together a simple Christmas mantel to celebrate the Gift of Christmas. We used the paper star I made last year, the honeycomb

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-10973127920042873112011-12-22T12:24:00.000-08:002011-12-22T12:24:19.266-08:00

I had planned to spend today tweaking and photographing the Christmas mantel at the beach house.... But, I have a date with my sweetheart, a sunset, and a clam bucket, instead.... I hope this is the start of a wonderful new Christmas tradition!  To see what our beach house and our Christmas mantel looked like last year, click here, and you will understand why we need to take a little break and

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-20080175638838853172011-12-19T12:37:00.000-08:002011-12-24T11:52:13.316-08:00

It's taken a bit longer to pull together the tutorial for the honeycomb ornaments made from vintage book pages than I expected. I was hoping to retake some photos, but my camera is on the fritz.   I'm freaking out just a little tiny bit, as I always have projects in the works, and it's Christmas time, and I need my camera! Start by choosing the paper you want to use to create your ornaments.

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-42708137837467637922011-12-17T18:56:00.000-08:002011-12-21T01:50:06.547-08:00

What do you get your mother-in-law for Christmas, when she really doesn't need one single thing?  That's what I was wondering when she came out to the beach house for a visit this fall. She happened to bring up some embroidered ornaments I had given her years ago, mentioning that they were her favorites.   An idea formed. Why not make little "grandchild ornaments" for my mother-in-law for

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-21712207999769232852011-12-16T10:52:00.000-08:002011-12-16T15:37:51.149-08:00

Do you have plans to implement Tangerine Tango, Pantone's 2012 Color of the year, into your projects?  As we saw with 2011's Honeysuckle Pink, we don't always interpret color trends literally, choosing instead to use a more subdued version of a hue. Pieter Estersohnsource  And, then again, sometimes we punch it up a notch or two! Thibault Jeanson source So, what are your plans?  Maybe you have

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-6075091879636763752011-12-09T14:48:00.000-08:002011-12-14T01:12:06.176-08:00

Yippee!  I'm finally back on my own computer, so I can share with you the new ornaments I've been working on. I shared in an earlier post that this new design is inspired by a pumpkin, vintage paper ornaments, and some plastic Martha Stewart ornaments sold at Home Depot. I loved all the darling pumpkins made from fanned out books that were showing up in bloggy world last month.  They were just

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-69407243247244926102011-12-03T11:33:00.000-08:002011-12-03T11:59:01.707-08:00

You would think that after more than a decade of working with vintage papers, a person would "get over it", right? Well, not me.  I think I am more into vintage papers -- especially vintage book and hymnal pages -- than ever before. I just finished a brand new ornament design, using vintage pages, and was planning to post pics and a tutorial, but alas, I am using The Engineer's computer

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-74371927918173212242011-11-28T12:05:00.000-08:002011-12-11T21:08:25.580-08:00

I was looking for a nice way to package gift cards this Christmas.  Gift cards can feel a little impersonal, so I created these felted wool mitten ornaments to slip the cards into.  Long after the cards are spent, the recipients will have these sweet handmade ornaments. You can string several together to create a homespun Christmas garland to hang across your mantel for Santa to fill.  Or hang

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-85959582519960548342011-11-27T19:38:00.000-08:002011-12-13T19:33:33.728-08:00

Okay, this isn't a "new design".  I actually made this last Christmas, but never had time to write a post about it during the holidays.  The original idea was to create a kind of "shadow box" and add a nativity silhouette in the center, but on a whim I suspended a pretty ornament in the center, instead. Basically, this is a star made from rolled vintage book pages.  I used an old pen to roll the

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-78863902088373931442011-11-23T02:01:00.000-08:002011-11-23T02:01:07.004-08:00

Most of my projects, lately, have been "house" related, but I recently squeezed in a new singed flower design. Many of you are familiar with the burned edge poppies... ...and the burned edge peonies that I designed last year.  Well, I've had it in the back of my mind to do a chrysanthemum for quite a while.  I wanted to see if it had already been done, and did some Google searches for burnt,

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-14479762037337038012011-11-15T20:10:00.000-08:002011-11-15T20:10:08.768-08:00

Do you just love the surprise and contrast of black trim work?  I think sometimes we get so used to just painting all our trim white that we forget there are lots of other options, including black.  The black window frames in the kitchen below provide a nice contrast, without overwhelming.  They work because they reference some other dark elements in the room. source The beautiful historic

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-69170244496427686452011-11-11T15:15:00.000-08:002011-11-22T22:17:57.167-08:00

Are you just loving Pinterest?    House Revivals has several boards, organized by categories, such as "staircases" and "mudrooms". I love having an online bulletin board for storing inspiring images, but Pinterest is also great for searching for inspiration.  Today, I had a few moments while waiting for joint compound to dry at the condo renovation.  I could either pay some bills or surf

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-10450356317547608752011-11-02T13:26:00.000-07:002011-11-02T13:26:01.886-07:00

It happened to me.  I have discovered that content from House Revivals has been hijacked by one of those "fake" blogs.  As I look around this fake blogger's site, I am finding lots of what appears to be stolen content from other blogs, as well.  This is the blog that contains the hijacked content: http://howtomakecraft.blogspot.com/ Has any of your own content been hijacked?  If so, be sure

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-80603174462109710892011-10-26T23:06:00.000-07:002011-10-28T00:13:27.924-07:00

I've been holding out on you guys.  I'll bet you didn't know I had a collection of priceless artwork?  I do!  It's been in storage for over a year and a half. Little by little, we have been bringing things out of storage, as we begin to settle into the beach house. (And, no, the beach house reno is not completely finished, but the major construction part is done, and we have officially begun

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-2099779580754311762011-10-10T18:39:00.000-07:002011-10-10T18:39:06.727-07:00

Remember the Wild Pants Lamp I shared about here? Well, the Wild Pants Lamp got another make-over.  Remember Dexter, my one year old side-kick? Well,  the lamp and the pup had a little collision.... His Mommy tried to fix it with duct tape... Maybe Gorilla Glue would work better....

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-1006136540143139692011-09-30T11:29:00.000-07:002011-09-30T11:31:46.843-07:00

I'm still here!  My posts have been a bit farther apart than I like, lately, as we continue our moves into the new city condo, and the beach house.  This transition involves a condo, an apartment, a beach house, two renovations, and four storage lockers in two different states.  It made me tired just to type that.... Our big urgent project this weekend is to finish tiling the condo shower.  I

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-90907708880144379272011-09-19T12:17:00.000-07:002011-09-19T17:10:05.141-07:00

Are you just loving painted kitchen cabinets?  I've always loved them, and because our beach house has sooooo much wood, I was happy to include a painted finish in our renovation.  Sometimes adding yet another layer of natural wood just makes a space feel too heavy.  (I'm not opposed to wood finishes, it's just that the beach house house has a crazy amount of wood already) We did a gray finish

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-45228666636151512702011-09-17T00:09:00.000-07:002011-09-17T00:09:35.030-07:00

Well, we did it.  We really bought the condo.  The fixer-upper in the city.  The one with NO WORKING bathroom.  Are you detecting a pattern here?   We were at least able to put in a toilet last weekend.... Of course, nothing is ever easy, is it?  This is our condo bathroom.   The previous owner bought the condo to renovate and flip.  Unfortunately, his only experience consisted of watching

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-23956656460365687462011-09-13T11:47:00.000-07:002011-09-13T14:33:38.208-07:00

When we look back over the last year of our beach house remodel, sometimes I wonder what on earth possessed us to take this on!  And, although the construction portion of our phase-one remodel is completed, there are still many details and finishes left to do.  We will get there. Here is our beach house kitchen, as we first found it.  The house had suffered much deferred maintenance, then a

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-65752408280003213962011-09-04T10:24:00.000-07:002011-09-04T10:32:23.826-07:00

Do you ever just feel totally overwhelmed by all the millions of little details you need to take care of?  That's how I've been feeling, lately.  Here is an idea of what we've been doing in just the last couple of days. Staining uprights and railings.  In the picture below, you can see some of the old orange color of the handrail, contrasted with the part I had already stained. Staining about

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-24259294972872106562011-09-03T10:24:00.000-07:002011-09-04T08:51:40.759-07:00

It's been a crazy week here at the beach house!  The week started out with out of town guests, then my contractor began his "race to the finish," to prepare for our final inspection. I've been helping out wherever I can -- staining railing uprights, doors, etc.  In between all the contractor projects, I've also been painting. And painting. And painting.  Remember the mirrors I shared with you a

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-80409697486628927232011-08-29T14:12:00.000-07:002011-08-29T21:50:55.187-07:00

We finally had a moment to look for mirrors for the master bath.   I was really hoping to find something vintage, and had found a few mirrors that I liked, but the scale would be wrong, or there would only be one, or they would be attached to a dresser....  We found a substitute that would work, on clearance, at Lowes, but I wasn't crazy about the quality of the piece. The frame was plastic, and

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-4114622291450686242011-08-23T20:28:00.000-07:002011-08-23T20:38:42.020-07:00

You were there for me when I needed you.  I used you to get through a rough time, but I never really loved you.  I was just using you.  Now I have a new love, and I won't be bringing you my dirty dishes anymore.  So, bathtub, this is goodbye.  I probably won't even look back with fond remembrance on our time together.  I won't look back, at all. I'm fickle that way.

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-70928935059782231282011-08-17T18:33:00.000-07:002011-08-18T14:05:08.061-07:00

Our master bathroom is still not completely finished, but it is completely functional.  We're just waiting on one little part for the bathtub sprayer, and a couple of electrical covers.  And a back splash. And a vent cover. Oh, and I guess we need to re-hang the door :)  But other than that, it's practically finished.... My husband is coming out from the city this weekend, and I thought it would

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-17798064873784984142011-08-13T14:15:00.000-07:002011-08-14T11:48:19.530-07:00

Well, my new BFF, Dexter, and I are still hard at work.  Once we'd finished painting the master bedroom, we moved on to the master bedroom closet.  Why is it that the smaller the room, the longer it takes to paint?  We've spent the better part of the week on this closet, and honestly, if you looked too closely, you'd say we needed another go at it.... Here's a peak into the closet the first time

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-85986472572371756122011-08-10T23:50:00.000-07:002011-08-11T11:02:38.934-07:00

Dexter and I have been  painting.   Apparently, my little fluffy roller things look just like his little fleece bone things. Which must mean painting time is play time, right?  It's hard to believe this giant dog is still less than a year old.  He's just a puppy, with tons of energy.  A puppy that also happens to have generous amounts of Kilz in his coat.... His mommy isn't too crazy about the

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-76212844122292814222011-08-05T18:14:00.000-07:002011-08-05T18:14:48.925-07:00

Things have been happening in the beach house kitchen.  Our cabinets arrived and have been installed. Finally.  A month late.  We've been just a wee bit distracted by a wee babe's arrival, so I completely forgot to blog about the kitchen progress. Here are a few pics from the installation. It took three guys to get those uppers into place. This is "phase one" of the kitchen cabinets.  Phase two

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-21801470727790736992011-08-02T18:43:00.000-07:002011-08-02T18:43:32.766-07:00

We've made some  progress on the master bath!  As I discussed in an earlier post, we've had some tile trauma, so it's pretty exciting to see things coming to a close.  After firing the original tile setter, we still needed to tile the counter top, so my GC and I decided to let one of his carpenters do the tile setting. Yes, you read that right.  A carpenter.  As it turns out, we just don't have

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-80992156724759609902011-07-31T06:19:00.000-07:002011-07-31T06:19:13.534-07:00

Sometimes, the little things sure do mean a lot.  Getting a new floor in the closet under the stairwell is one of those things. Do you see that patch in the subfloor?  That was a crawl space access when the house was only three feet off the ground.  Now that the house is twelve feet off the ground, we can access the "crawl space" through a door in the garage -- and accessing the crawl space via

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-32530564143180582752011-07-30T01:09:00.000-07:002011-07-30T01:09:20.736-07:00

We have a really ugly wall in our house.  I mean *really* ugly.  It's a former owner's DIY faux brick wall. Did I mention that it's ugly?  I actually coined a new word to describe ugly faux brick: fauxgly.  Lest I offend someone, let me just say that not all faux brick is ugly.  When done right it can be very attractive.  Mine was not done right. We're not going to demo the wall right now,

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-89337773797655643462011-07-19T23:14:00.000-07:002011-07-20T11:02:22.157-07:00

We finally have tile in the master bathroom!  It has been quite the ordeal, but it is finally installed.  We are planning to tile the countertop, after the cabinets are installed, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it. When we returned from a trip to Colorado a few weeks ago, the tile was supposed to be finished.  It wasn't.  Only the shower stall was finished, but it was wrong.  I

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-57416430857263953272011-07-18T04:00:00.000-07:002011-07-18T04:00:12.140-07:00

It looks like we are buying the bank-owned condo I mentioned in an earlier post.  We have a contract, and as long as we are happy with things after doing "due diligence," it's a go. The beach house is great, but we really need a small place in the city that is a convenient commute to work.  After two years in a tiny apartment, we knew we needed something slightly larger, so we could entertain

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-69637112240631809612011-07-14T23:58:00.000-07:002011-07-14T23:58:00.735-07:00

Here is an update on exterior progress on the beach house.  The decks on the the street side of the house are finished.  We had to make a few design changes, due to the building codes, but I still think they turned out great. We need to wait a couple of months before staining or painting.   For readers who are new to this blog, this was an early concept for the home's exterior. This is how

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-72953143444593365522011-07-11T23:56:00.000-07:002011-07-11T23:58:29.096-07:00

Posting has been a bit sporadic around here, lately, but not because I'm not doing anything.  I've been so busy with the beach house, I haven't had much time to take photos or write about the projects.  And, honestly, how much "wow factor" is there in posting about buying a twelve foot extension pole with a pivoting brush attachment for cleaning cobwebs from the rafters?   Or stripping more of

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-84589987729637947012011-07-06T14:03:00.000-07:002011-07-06T14:06:25.533-07:00

I'm taking a quick break from the beach house reno to drool over these stunning seashell mirrors.  Sometimes shell decor can feel a bit too kitschy or themey, but I think these examples are simply stunning. via West End Luxury I love these simple round mirrors, from Velocity Art and Design, in shades of lavender. I first fell in love with this oyster shell mirror when I saw it at the Coastal

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-57574005331535433902011-07-01T12:10:00.000-07:002011-07-01T12:10:46.465-07:00

Our kitchen is behind schedule.  The cabinets are delayed.  I would be really, really angry about it, but it won't do any good.  Someday I'll share the story, but not today -- it would only make me angry again.  Instead, I will just share some lovely images of other beach house kitchens. Coastal Living  Coastal Living  via via Southern Living http://www.northofmontanahomes.com/

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-925184562604037322011-06-24T22:40:00.000-07:002011-06-24T22:40:54.289-07:00

Several weeks ago I spent some time ironing out the final kitchen design for the beach house.  Remember this color concept board posted a few months ago? Well, the kitchen colors will definitely be taking their cue from this concept, with the addition of spring grass green. Here are some of our selections so far. I am in love with the soft gray painted cabinets.... The existing slate floors

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-19236205322920217912011-06-21T04:00:00.000-07:002011-06-21T04:00:06.055-07:00

We moved out of one of our four storage lockers last weekend.   The beach house garage is now stacked with boxes and miscellaneous stuff, and is awaiting even more boxes and miscellaneous stuff this weekend.   Finally, after nearly two years, I have been reunited with my love.  Here is a sneak peek: And another peek: And here is one last look: You can see a vintage ad for my love in this

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-65951141464077951402011-06-18T04:00:00.000-07:002011-06-18T04:00:10.630-07:00

Life is getting a little crazy at House Revivals.  You've probably noticed I'm not posting as much lately.  That will soon change, but in the mean time, thanks for bearing with me as we go through lots of changes.  The beach house renovation is going very well, but as we near the finish line, it is consuming our days.  The beach house, before the renovation. We have also been searching for a

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-67910397774589714912011-06-15T22:56:00.000-07:002011-06-16T22:59:42.301-07:00

We're adding a drop in tub to the master bathroom at the beach house.  Here are a few images of tubs that we found inspirational. via Decor Pad via Decor Pad traditional bathroom design traditional bathroom design traditional other design by bhg.com contemporary bathroom design by burlington architect Smith & Vansant Architects PC traditional bathroom design by chicago architect COOK

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-19251970132210936632011-06-11T04:00:00.000-07:002011-06-13T11:49:30.482-07:00

We're doing it!  We're adding the sleeping loft we talked about in this post. One of our guest bedrooms has a cathedral ceiling, and shared part of one wall with a little attic space, like I shared in this diagram. This guest bedroom started out life as a workshop attached to a garage; then, a former owner of the house converting the garage and workshop in bedrooms.   When we bought the house

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-91361634690903949802011-06-09T23:14:00.000-07:002011-06-10T11:03:26.325-07:00

On our last trip out to the coast, the house was really starting to feel like a, well... a house!  The dry wall was in, and has since been taped and mudded and textured.  We went over tile details, plumbing fixture details, and trim details, and I dropped off dozens and dozens of light fixtures, and laminate flooring for the remodeled wing of the house.  Would you like a tour of the rooms?

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-22144497278394442002011-06-04T23:26:00.000-07:002011-06-17T15:04:03.752-07:00

I think we've definitely decided to add a window seat to the upstairs loft.   It will solve the problem of how to transition into the newly "bumped out" space I shared about here and  here.  To show my husband how it could look, I did a little rendering of the space using this image as a starting point. via He likes the idea.  I'm glad.  I think the "it's cheap furniture" argument, combined with

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-16941448907851180312011-06-03T17:08:00.000-07:002011-06-06T09:04:46.824-07:00

Remember in this post, where I mentioned some design changes for the beach house remodel? Changes happen on every project.  Sometimes, things come up that you weren't expecting.  Sometimes, one minor change snowballs into a much larger project. Sometimes you have to take a hard look at your budget and do some value engineering. Occasionally, your contractor or his crew just doesn't look at

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-61524440694442520262011-06-02T04:00:00.000-07:002011-06-02T09:14:49.136-07:00

Don't you love a beautiful vintage (or reproduction) claw footed tub?  This cheery yellow tub, from Sarah's Farmhouse, has got to be my favorite of all time. Love the yellow against the grays.  Sarah's Farmhouse We recently spent our first weekend in our beach house.  The remodel is not finished, but we camped in the house with our air mattress and folding chairs.  It was pretty wonderful to

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-30062830080965779242011-06-01T10:11:00.000-07:002011-06-01T15:04:43.908-07:00

I have a serious case of pantry love (okay, maybe that's a nice way of saying pantry envy).   For years, I have collected tear sheets of kitchen pantries.  Here are a few of my favorites. Country Living If you keep a tidy pantry, a screen door would be a fun addition.  Love the red paint! Country LivingWill we ever get tired of chalk board paint? Country LivingHow about painting the shelves

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-81263704609959686802011-05-27T14:31:00.000-07:002011-05-27T14:48:02.721-07:00

In honor of our brave lost, I am reposting this sentiment and a link to a remembrance poppy tutorial. A Poppy for Remembrance In Flanders Fields By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) Canadian Army In Flanders Fields the poppies blow Between the crosses row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-69276637329400345782011-05-26T11:08:00.000-07:002011-05-26T11:08:23.135-07:00

Hey folks, my friend Denise, at Pink Postcards, is featuring House Revivals today!  Denise has a darling blog full of crafting and decor and loveliness. She also hosts a weekly blog party called Transformations and Treasures.   Hop over and check Denise's blog -- and be sure to check out the links to her popular posts in her sidebar.  She has some really great projects!

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-43581470269977656892011-05-22T16:42:00.000-07:002011-06-02T18:26:20.981-07:00

The third floor loft was not supposed to be part of the first phase of the beach house remodel, so I haven't really shared much about it here, but that is about to change.  Because last week a wonderful thing happened.... Hello, Beautiful!  We got a brand new flush toilet in the beach house!  To give you an idea of how momentous this occasion was, here's a refresher of how beach house

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-74981809115800291482011-05-19T17:07:00.000-07:002011-05-19T17:07:35.338-07:00

We need to make a decision about flooring for the remodeled wing of the beach house.  The public areas of the house have flagstone flooring, like I talked about here. Wisteria Originally, we were going to put carpeting in the remodeled/ guest wing -- it's warm and quiet, and that part of the house won't get a lot of shoe traffic.  But plans change.  My daughter will be moving into the guest

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-14941016827932862912011-05-17T00:02:00.000-07:002011-05-17T00:02:09.036-07:00

Before I share a beach house update, I must give a shout out to Tamara, from Etcetorize.  Tamara is amazingly creative, and so it was such an honor to find House Revivals had been featured on her blog!  She gave the nicest review.  Thank you, Tamara! In a post a week or so ago I mentioned some design changes to our beach house renovation.  It happens on most projects, and sometimes it's easier

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-87299157180058475652011-05-15T19:19:00.000-07:002011-05-15T19:19:21.788-07:00

Have you checked out Beckie's new blog, Knock Off Decor?  She features projects inspired by popular decor catalogs.  I'm so excited because Beckie is featuring my Philippians 4:8 sign!  Pop over to Knock Off Decor and be sure to check out all the other cool projects people have done!

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-9782712685638897232011-05-14T01:13:00.000-07:002011-05-14T01:13:54.657-07:00

Do you just love a beautiful vintage stove?  A gorgeous stove can be the centerpiece of a kitchen.  from Coastal Living via Houzz, photo Deboral Whitlaw Llewellyn Who doesn't love this beauty from Kitty Bartholemew's kitchen?Photography by Ray Kachatorian This bright yellow Chambers stove makes me happy. photo credit: Keller+Keller, Country Living This stove goes perfectly in this Hollywood

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-71256654301955812012011-05-07T00:34:00.000-07:002011-05-07T00:34:17.640-07:00

This is just a quick post to update you on the beach house progress.  I was too busy to take interior shots this week, but let me tell you, it's a big mess!  There are piles of grass cloth wallpaper all the way down the hall, and in the kitchen and entryway.  I'm still not finished with what needs to be done before the drywall guys show up, but hope to finish this weekend. This is the ONE

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-46415052863655877942011-05-01T18:31:00.000-07:002011-06-01T23:07:32.708-07:00

Remember those New Year's resolutions from a few months back?  They always make me feel like a failure about two weeks into the year.  So, a couple of years ago, when I heard about taking one word and applying it to all aspects of your life, I was intrigued. Last year, I chose the word "health" as my "word of the year".  My goal was not to lose forty pounds, give up fried foods, and run a

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-31128223002581211942011-04-30T17:43:00.000-07:002011-05-01T11:48:23.368-07:00

... you should try stripping wallpaper!   I just spent two days at the beach house in a sea of rotted grass cloth with these guys: The lady at the hardware store said Dif was the best product, but she had obviously never met grasscloth. Grasscloth is pure misery to remove.  I actually really like grasscloth, and might have left it alone, except for this: cat scratching damage And this: cat

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-25212772242139056042011-04-28T12:28:00.000-07:002011-04-28T12:28:30.258-07:00

Uhhhmmmm, that would be wallpaper stripping.   Can you see all the grasscloth wallpaper in this place?  It is in all of the public spaces of the beach house.  And it needs to come down.  It is badly damaged and fraying from cats' and dogs' claws.  It is also thirty years old, so all of the thread fibers woven through the grass have rotted, which makes it just a mess to strip!  I have the

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-76764715619766897062011-04-25T21:17:00.000-07:002011-04-30T21:01:25.085-07:00

In the last post about our beach house remodel, I shared a picture of our second guest bedroom, as well as an adjacent attic space.  A few of you successfully guessed our plans for the space.  We want to add a loft to that bedroom, so that it will sleep more people.  Of course, if you count raising the house as "phase one" of our remodel, and remodeling the garage wing and kitchen as "phase two",

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-26483780664365935342011-04-24T22:13:00.000-07:002011-04-26T09:50:32.792-07:00

When we were decorating for my daughter's baby shower, she asked us to "please hide that fugly chandelier!"  So, we decided to cover it in masses of flowers.  Huge tissue paper flowers.    We didn't completely cover the chandelier, but maybe we were able to distract the eye a little bit? At any rate, it was fun and festive. Here's how we made them. We used doubled layers of tissue paper

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-3239672587370956642011-04-18T19:46:00.000-07:002011-04-23T01:29:02.206-07:00

We shared this concept for our guest room remodel several weeks ago, and thought it might be time for a quick update. This room (and the whole house, for that matter) has undergone some altitude changes lately! This is what the room looked like when we first saw it.  It was dirty and moldy, and full of construction (or should I say "destruction") debris. This is how it looked after some

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-81067006132168361472011-04-17T21:43:00.000-07:002011-04-21T17:54:32.527-07:00

Most of you saw the re-purposed bulletin board tray, we made for my daughter's baby shower last week.  We also made a few decorations for the party.  We made about a million giant tissue paper flowers, including a rose for this sweet gentle dog; and we had fun re-using some decorations from last summer's beach wedding.  I can share about making the tissue paper flowers in a later post, if

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-19397606742437464422011-04-16T20:41:00.000-07:002011-04-18T15:41:15.501-07:00

The beach house we're renovating has flagstone floors.  They're actually not my favorite flooring, but replacing them is just not in our budget.  And, actually, they are very beautiful -- and perfect for a place where sand is constantly being tracked into the house.  So, I've been collecting images of beautiful interiors with flagstone flooring. image courtesy countryliving.com I love the

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-5718326511347235632011-04-12T11:48:00.000-07:002011-05-02T23:28:11.161-07:00

Last week, I traveled to Colorado to see my daughter and help prepare for her baby shower (for logistical reasons the hostesses had the shower in my daughter's home). The night before the shower we were rearranging furniture and realized there were not enough surfaces for all the guests to put their drinks down. My daughter's sofa is a sectional, similar in configuration to this one, with a

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-67091066603717013892011-04-08T04:00:00.000-07:002011-05-02T23:18:42.886-07:00

Hi friends!  Many of you probably saw this post over at Beckie's last week.  She was so sweet to allow me to guest post at her wonderful blog Infarrantly Creative.  If you missed it at Beckie's, here it is. While we remodel our house, we're living in a tiny city apartment with a rooftop garden.  The garden has some beautiful blooming shrubs.  They are really lovely right now and inspired me to

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-91792122582614211442011-04-05T14:04:00.000-07:002011-04-21T17:43:19.165-07:00

A few weeks ago I shared these elegant hydrangea centerpieces we did for our daughter's wedding reception last summer.  The reception venue was a restored net shed overlooking the Columbia River -- it was a gorgeous space.  But it was just a bit too large for our party.  We needed to fill in some corners, and it needed to happen on a tight budget!  The solution we found was to decorate branches

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-31461345917072109622011-04-02T18:11:00.000-07:002011-04-13T18:45:27.900-07:00

The last trip out to the beach house left my head spinning!   We met with our HVAC guy, our electrician, our plumber, and our General Contractor -- multiple times! We still have to climb a ladder to get up into the house, but once you're up there -- oh the view!  Even on a blustery day like this one, the sea is just spectacular to watch! I apologize for the poor picture quality-- it was a

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-86677881780980982262011-03-31T22:45:00.000-07:002011-04-01T16:44:19.675-07:00

Hey folks!  I'm over at Infarrantly Creative today guest posting about a nature inspired project.  It is such an honor to be a guest at Beckie's place! I just can't seem to get garlands of flowers off my mind right now. Come see me at Infarrantly Creative   for a brand new flower garland tutorial!

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-48442545601648283142011-03-27T18:11:00.000-07:002011-04-18T21:32:08.474-07:00

Do the last few weeks of wintry weather always have you yearning for cheery color?  Last night I was keeping vigil by a sick pet, and needed something to occupy my hands in the wee hours, so I decided to create a bright colorful garland to bring some of that cheery color into our home. I pulled out my stash of vintage crepe paper and a needle and thread and some glue and started to play. Before

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-21096990155579252782011-03-21T15:03:00.000-07:002011-03-29T20:58:36.529-07:00

A couple of months ago I posted about this lamp and a pair of wild pants from the local Goodwill Outlet.  The lamp had definitely seen better days, and the pants still had the tags on them.   Here is what the lamp looks like today! I love how the black glossy finish brings out the cool texture of the lamp. The lamp was painted with a good quality black craft paint, but it wasn't very

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com50tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-41077480315135840822011-03-18T13:32:00.000-07:002011-03-21T11:40:45.622-07:00

Okay, here is one last "beach house raising" post!  I feel like I need to apologize to my crafting peeps for not posting small projects for the last couple of weeks -- I promise I have several things "in the works", but this remodel has consumed the days recently, as things started picking up speed.  This week the beach house was lowered onto the new pony walls!  If you are new to the House

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-52554583090200121842011-03-11T17:29:00.000-08:002011-03-29T12:13:05.407-07:00

Okay, I know I promised these pictures days ago, where did the week go?   This is what the beach house looked like last week.  It's quite a bit farther along today, and the house raising company is scheduled to come back on Monday to lower the structure three inches to rest on the new pony walls. Remember what it looked like the previous weekend? And where it was before the lifting began...

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-32350221342388209552011-03-08T12:34:00.000-08:002011-03-29T10:51:10.980-07:00

Are you ready for the bad MLS kitchen's third act?   We went from hopelessly wonky and off balance to serene and functional on a crazy tight budget in the last post.  Now we've stepped it up a notch to create a sweet cottage kitchen.   Here's a peak! Last week we addressed the layout of the space, trying to make it more functional and more balanced.  Remember what we started with?  The space

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-63173177159482790952011-03-03T22:04:00.000-08:002011-03-07T10:49:53.486-08:00

If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.    Henry David Thoreau  (1817 - 1862) This quote has always been so inspirational to me, so much so that for many years I kept a copy of this Mary Engelbreit lithograph on display in my kitchen.  This is the quote that spurred me to join committees, do volunteer

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-55321582422234256312011-03-01T02:47:00.000-08:002011-03-09T11:10:12.557-08:00

The other day, I was looking at MLS listings, and realized there are a lot of kitchens out there that could be a lot better for very little money, if the homeowner was willing to roll up their sleeves and do  a little DIY.   So, I've made one over to show you.  Not actually.  Virtually!   I gave myself some rules:  two makeovers from one kitchen, one showing an extremely crazy tight budget

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-32863322410758438052011-02-25T15:42:00.000-08:002011-02-28T10:51:23.234-08:00

**be sure and check out our new Facebook page!  We've even created a new Facebook album with links to many of House Revivals' craft projects!  Come check us out -- we love to be "liked"  :)  **  Sometimes you just fall in love with your clients.  This is what happened to me when I was approached by a lovely southern couple who needed some help with their fixer-upper house.  The husband was an

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-50019477147043914912011-02-22T18:40:00.000-08:002011-02-28T11:09:24.014-08:00

Recently, I was looking for a little notebook to organize some materials samples and dimensions for the beach house project.  Honestly, when I'm carrying client materials around they are often stapled inside a file folder along with project notes, but for my own little project, I wanted something a bit more special, and to be able to slip it inside a handbag. This little file folder notebook

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-11168393697084757572011-02-21T15:49:00.000-08:002011-02-25T21:54:35.706-08:00

We went out to the coast to see the beach house progress this weekend.  It was incredible walking around under the house and seeing the amount of work that has gone into getting it raised!   It has now gone up about three feet, with another six feet to go. The contractors had to punch holes in the existing stem wall to get their steel I-beams under the structure.  While we were there this

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-44131781852215324482011-02-16T14:23:00.000-08:002011-02-21T16:26:27.389-08:00

Yesterday I spent part of the morning working on some courtyard concepts for the beach house remodel.  Partly because I am SOOOO ready for spring, and partly because the concept we decide to go with will impact the entry stairs which will impact the "man door" placement for the new garage.  So, after about an hour of CAD, I opened up SketchUp to play with some courtyard furniture placement ideas

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-82433248297125415092011-02-14T10:43:00.000-08:002011-02-14T10:43:58.968-08:00

Amy, over at Mod Podge Rocks, hearts my British Invasion Love sign!  She hearts it so much that she's featuring it as the project of the week.   If you heart Mod Podge, and you haven't seen Amy's blog, you'll definitely want to pop over for a look around. I hope you are all having a sweet Valentine's Day!

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-55448865226332458652011-02-12T12:49:00.000-08:002011-02-22T12:39:33.136-08:00

Our beautiful daughter was married last summer.  I only rarely blogged about the wedding and reception last year, as the bride really wanted her wedding guests to be surprised and wowed.   Since the wedding took place back in August, I think it's safe to share a few of the floral arrangements we created.  I cannot take credit for any of these designs -- my daughter found images of things she

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-16904025570054213352011-02-05T14:05:00.000-08:002011-02-22T12:27:53.122-08:00

It was time for a new "city purse".  I've tried lots of different bags, and have found the handbags that worked in my old suburban life, don't always work well in the city.  For instance, I need a bag with a long strap, that can be worn across my shoulder (and on the rare occasions that I drive somewhere, it's nice to be able to use the long strap to swing the purse out the window to swipe the

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com60tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-86317705563726363532011-02-03T09:30:00.000-08:002011-02-03T09:31:05.276-08:00

I wanted to take a moment to thank Cassity and Justin, of Remodelaholic, for featuring my post on bathroom chandeliers.  It was such an honor to be featured by this amazing pair of DIYers! Photo courtesy Country Living. Anyone thinking about putting a chandelier in their bathroom definitely needs to  hop over and read this post! Thanks, again, to Justin and Cassity!

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-21785425526920760292011-02-03T04:00:00.000-08:002011-02-07T13:01:52.779-08:00

For those of you who are following the beach house renovation, we have exciting news!  The house raising company has begun prep work for lifting.  For those of you who are new to House Revivals blog, here is a quick catch up: We bought a beach house, and it was a big mess.  It had been a foreclosure that was bought by a contractor/ flipper.  It was in rough shape when the contractor/ flipper

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-69515352392167649392011-02-02T19:08:00.000-08:002011-02-02T19:08:41.005-08:00

Don't you just love all the heart wreaths and Valentine's wreaths we're seeing right now?  So many of you are so talented -- I'm continually blown away by the creativity that abounds in blog land!  Here is a lovely sampling of favorite wreaths that I heart right now.   Be sure and stop by these ladies' lovely blogs and check them out! The combination of texture and form on this wreath from Aaron

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-37352733522859353062011-01-31T23:43:00.000-08:002011-02-07T18:52:25.939-08:00

My camera is broken!  So, for the next few days, I'll be finishing up some posts I started writing and never finished -- which would be easy, if I hadn't just accidentally deleted a whole bunch of pictures of tutorials and "before and afters" from my hard drive.   Do you ever have days like that?  Back in December I was invited to join a local art show!  It was tons of fun, and I got to meet

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-63907212688367216462011-01-29T13:59:00.000-08:002011-02-07T18:55:28.929-08:00

Well, folks, this isn't glamorous, but so many of you are interested in interior design that I thought I would share a few more design secrets.   These are some of  the REAL SECRETS of interior design, that you can use as you design and tackle your own DIY projects. Here is a list of books that is an essential part of an interior designer's arsenal. It is not an exhaustive list, but these are

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6188224472079625974.post-40239474158946399342011-01-27T11:59:00.000-08:002011-01-27T12:39:04.178-08:00

This is the second of a series of sea inspired decor posts.  The first post also focused on chandeliers and pendants and can be found here.  There are just so many great and unique shell inspired fixtures out there, they didn't all fit into one post! Below is a typical capiz shell chandelier, but with a twist.  If you love capiz shells, but don't want the same thing everyone else has, this

House Revivalshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11734403350649651877noreply@blogger.com12