Tuesday, June 18, 2013

A Lick of Paint.

Those who know me or read my blog know that I have a thing for white in interiors. In fact, I still say I'd paint my whole house white if I could do it all over again.

Long story short, my friend Mark has been given the exciting and well deserved opportunity to pursue a dream in Toronto. Therefore, he is leaving the island and his sweet little home. In order to prep his home for sale, he wanted to give it a fresh coat of paint. I suggested one of my favorites - BM Chantilly Lace. He took my advice and painted the entire house. Yup. The whole thing.

On Sunday, I headed over to help him style it and take some photos for the listing. It felt so fresh and bright with the warm sun streaming in the windows. Let's be clear.. this guy has great taste and dislikes clutter so it was easy to style by simply adding a few simple flower arrangements and moving a few things around! I really can't take much credit!

It looks so great that it may be hard for him to leave it behind! However, I know great things are in store for him and that someone or some family will be lucky to call his place home.

Here is a look at his stylish abode. 









 Just look at how sweet the house is on the outside!

And the cozy outdoor space?



Isn't it great? Someone needs to snatch it up! So now, let's go back to the whole point of this post. Never underestimate the power of white paint. Or any paint for that matter! It has the ability to dramatically change the feel of a space. The whole energy of the home feels airy, fresh and uncluttered. What's not to love about that?

I can't hold out any longer. Keep the above photos fresh in your mind and check out how much it's changed since when he first moved in! It's different to say the least...





Crazy! Get out your paint brushes! A lick of paint can make all the difference!

Thanks for letting me share Mark. Best of luck selling your home and with your new adventure. We are losing a good one!

Sunday, June 16, 2013

The Finished Fence.

A busy, busy weekend in the sun! A refreshing change of pace from the damp cool spring we've been having. A birthday party for a friend, a girl's night for me, a yard sale, lots of work outside on the fence, a brunch to celebrate my sweet dad and an afternoon staging a friend's home for sale. That's what I call a full weekend!

Speaking of the fence. It's finished! Well the building part at least. We are still deciding whether or not we will go ahead and stain it this summer or wait until next. Regardless, we now have a fenced in yard for Beaufort and privacy for us.

If you've been following me on Instagram you've seen some progress shots along the way. Here is a peek at the finished product.

From the back yard, a view of the fence with the back deck. We still need to stain the new walkway and steps to match the rest of the deck. Add that to the summer list!

Here is a before shot with the old fence and the old walkway.

A view from the front. You can also see our tree in the background that once again is losing all its leaves!  Apparently some little tiny green worms find the leaves quite tasty. Same thing happened last year and they all came back mid July. That better be the case this year or I'll be a cranky girl. 

We decided to run the board horizontally rather than the traditional vertical. The boards are also wider on the bottom 2/3 than on the top. We felt it was a more modern look and connected with what we had going on the backyard already. In particular, the walls we added to the upper deck. Once stained it should all blend nicely. 

We also have 2 gates. The one on the left is standard width and will be the one we use on a regular basis. It opens to the walkway which leads to the backdoor. The second gate on the right is wider and will be used for getting the garbage bins out and for Steph to get out his motorcycle.

I planted 4 large ferns between the walkway and the fence and added black mulch. The ferns won't spread much this year but should fill in that area a bit more next summer. We will also add some pea stone and large slate pieces to walk on where the gate opens.


Here's Beaufort outside without a leash. He had no idea we did all this for him. I can't tell yet if he appreciates it. In fact, he didn't even wish Steph a Happy Father's day. What a brat.

A grainy Instagram shot from one evening outside. It feels so private and intimate now that it's all closed it, especially with the lights on in the trees. Our own little oasis!


Thursday, June 13, 2013

Around Here.

How is it Thursday? Wow.. slow on the posting this week! I guess it's the end of school year crunch that's got me behind but at least we're on the home stretch! Two weeks from tomorrow will be my last day before summer vacation! Report cards, field trips and closing ceremony for my class to get through first though. I swear I blinked and this year is over. Crazy.


Around here we are busy with Spring projects. The fence is a job and a half to say the least. I can't really take much credit. I help out where I can, by holding posts, tamping the soil and planning the landscaping part but it's really been Steph's project and he's worked hard on it. I'm sure when the job of staining it comes along he will be quick to remind me. In all seriousness, he doesn't seem to mind.. it's for Beaufort after all! We can't wait see him running around in the yard without being tied. He's going to be thrilled!

I ordered a new print from Elizabeth Mayville and it arrived yesterday. It's so so pretty. I really can't decide where to put it. Maybe in my living room gallery wall? I'll keep you posted on that one.



I got the inspiration to order the print from Kristen at the Hunted Interior and the space she designed for Room Service Atlanta. You absolutely must check it out the before and after. She knocked it out of the park. Big time.


My rhododendrons are blooming. I have a few that I clipped, around the house. One of the best parts of summer is having fresh blooms around to bring indoors.


Speaking of blooms, I did of few of my outdoor planters and plan to finish up on the weekend. I had success last year for the first time and I'm hopeful again for this year. I'll finish them up and share what annuals I used next week!

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Beaufie's Fence.

Yes, you heard right! After 3 years of being tied up in the backyard, Beaufort is going to be able to roam free! We are putting a new fence along the front if the backyard and adding a gated section across the driveway so that the whole yard will be closed in.

Our neighbors on one side put in a new fence which goes along one side of our property so we figured we might as well go for it now that there was only one section left open. Thanks neighbors!

You can see the old fence to the left of this photo.


Steph took the old fence down on the weekend and dug the holes for the posts, while I was working away on the front door.



Those are some deep holes. Don't fall in Beaufort!


Monday night in the rain, we put up the posts. That's a job and a half, especially when you're working with the guy who makes sure everything is perfectly level:) Made me especially thankful that we weren't doing the whole yard.


It's funny having the old fence down. Countless people have commented on our backyard as they walk by or those who have driven past. It's always been our little hidden oasis behind the fence and now it's open for all to see. We are glad people seem to like it!


Here's hoping it gets finished up soon. Beaufort is very excited! Actually, it's me. He constantly has his leash wrapped up around a tree or a bush and I have to go rescue him. This will be so much more convenient!

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Evolution of a Door.

If you follow me on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, you may have seen this photo on the weekend.


It was my little pet project for the day on Sunday. While I was working away on it, I thought about how my old front door has evolved since I bought this house. I remember some of my family insisting that it should really be replaced since we have such harsh winters here in PEI and it could be drafty. I, however, found it charming and wanted to keep it so I settled for a little weather stripping and called it a day.

It originally had a black stain that had faded badly so I decided to spruce it up with a bit of green paint. Some were unsure about the color (my mom) at first but it grew on most people (again my mom:) and became a popular pin on Pinterest. I actually came to love it. Green is not a color I use often on the inside of my home but I love the surprising pop it provided on the outside.


Then, I got bored of it. With some paint leftover from my peacock blue cabinet I decided to give the door a makeover. Big mistake. It was too dark and there wasn't enough contrast between the door and trim. Fail.


A few weeks later, after seeing a photo as inspiration, I got the notion that it had to be a blue grey just like Caitlin Creer's front door. Off I went again for the second time that month with my trusty paint brush. Yet, this time I still didn't get it right! It came off a bit garage floor-ish.


However, at this point it was Fall. I was back to work and busy. Repainting it would have to wait for next summer. Well folks that time is here and I had this to contend with. Bubbles? Why? I used the same paint I'd been using all along..?



Nevertheless, it needed to come off. I stared peeling and scraping and a few hours later my door now looks like this. We are considering sanding it down and adding a stain and varnish. Or perhaps a new color? I don't know if there is a front door in the blogosphere that has gotten so many of its own posts!