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Living Room Progress: Inspection vs. Today

March 7, 2018 by jessica 2 Comments

We still have work to do in our living room in terms of accessorizing and styling, but I thought I’d give you a peek into where things are at right now compared to when we did our inspection in May. Obviously the before photos are on the dim side and that’s not an intentional editing choice to make you think it’s worse than it was. It was really that bad. Most of the light bulbs were partially unscrewed so they wouldn’t turn on and just about every window in the house was covered by fabric (men’s shirts and old sheets rather than window treatments). The paint was this awful creamy color that wasn’t quite as yellow in the images below, but it was as dingy and soul sucking as it appears here.

The first thing we tackled (after removing kitchen cabinetry from the guest room and a random square of teal carpet in the coat closet) was repairing cracks in the plaster walls and painting as much as we possibly could before we had our floors refinished. We got through the living room, dining room, the wood-paneled master bedroom and office, the guest bedroom, and the tiny room that eventually became my closet. The far wall in the staircase was left unpainted at the time because I’d like to wallpaper it. I didn’t want to spend the time painting something I was just going to cover up eventually. At this point, though, we’re leaning toward painting it white and doing wallpaper next year. It’s such an expensive project and we have other priorities to take care of. However, painting everything else white and removing the window coverings opened up the space and made it feel brighter and more welcoming, so the cream wall doesn’t bother me too much at the moment. My plan is to paint the upstairs hallway, ceiling, and trim this month and get to the top of the stairs. We’ll hire someone to finish up the stairwell since I’m not graceful enough to stand on a ladder while I paint. We have pretty high ceilings there and I have no doubt that I’d fall or get paint all over the stairs.

After about a month of painting every night after work and on weekends, we finally got a week-long break when our floors were refinished. The red oak floors were in awful shape (check out this pic of the floor in my closet) with patches in the floor that were different colors, and scuffs and scratches throughout. Upstairs, the stain was on the yellow side. I’m not sure if it was the polyurethane was showing age or if it was just a bad stain choice to begin with. Our floor refinisher said that the downstairs floors had likely never been refinished, which is great for future owners because you can only refinish floors approximately 10 times since you’re sanding off approximately .75 to 1mm with each round. We went with Minwax’s “Early American” stain. It’s lighter than the original color, but still felt traditional in the 1920s home. The biggest selling point was that it didn’t have red or yellow undertones. We paid $2.75 per square foot and ultimately came in just shy of $2,600. Worth every penny. (Pro tip: hardwood floors will eventually get scratched no matter what you do. Use a stain pen to camouflage the imperfections.)

Replacing the sconces is next on the to-do list for the living room. We’d also like to find a better throw pillow, a larger rug, and redesigning the corner that we have that wood chair in the photo above. The side chair is great for putting on shoes and using for additional seating. However, a mid-century modern bench might fill the space better. I’d also like to find artwork to hang in that area. All that stuff is easy, though, and will fall into place as we find the right pieces. I don’t want to push anything and accidentally have our house look like the 2017/2018 West Elm catalog because I was too impatient to wait for the right item. Now that the living room is in a good spot, we’re talking about what room to embark on next. It’s a toss up between the dining room or kitchen. The dining room is definitely easier and really just requires furniture, a woodworker to fill in spots were the trim and crown molding is missing, and window treatments. The kitchen is a more adventurous project. It’ll all be cosmetic updates and not a true renovation, but there’s a lot to do in that room from skim coating the textured walls to replacing the linoleum flooring that has a gross river rock design.

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Target Launches New Home Line: Opalhouse

February 21, 2018 by jessica 2 Comments

On April 8, Target will launch a new home line with “bold colors, optimistic prints and tons of texture.” The new line, Opalhouse, will have over 1,300 pieces with most priced at $30 or under that recall far-flung destinations for the person looking to outfit her home with an eclectic mix of globally influenced design and elevated details. For example, the wallpaper featured above was inspired by a bird that Target’s design team spotted in Lisbon coupled with flowers found near a market in Paris. While riding on a train to their next destination, a few sketches and watercolor eventually became the design for the wallpaper that will be part of the Opalhouse collection.

As if I needed another reason to turn to Target while working on our house! The chair below is my favorite piece from the collection and I can’t wait to snag two to eventually use in our sun room. And if you’re into that round pillow below, but don’t want to wait, you can snag a similar one at Urban Outfitters. What do you think about the new collection?

For more information, check out Target’s press release.

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Holiday Gift Guide for the Cook

December 7, 2017 by jessica Leave a Comment

I’m not sure if it’s because we finally have a house, but my wish list this year is heavily focused on kitchen- and bar-related gifts to upgrade our college-era things with nice versions that we’ll love for years to come. In fact, I’ve already been self-gifting with some of these ideas as you’ll read below!

I tried to keep this gift guide gender-neutral, since many home-related gifts need to be loved by everyone in the household — and let’s face it, we’re all shopping for more than just women when we look at interest-specific lists. (Does anyone else feel like many gift guides this year have heavy doses of pink and twee details?) Below, you’ll find nine of my favorite gift picks for the budding chef on your shopping list this year.

Serving Platter – Anyone who loves food is going to love a serving board, and there are so many gorgeous ones that any design you pick will be a welcome addition their collection. They’re perfect for curating artisanal cheese plates to occupy guests while the cook wraps up dinner in the kitchen.

Covered Dish – For around $80, you can snag a high-quality covered covered baking dish. This one goes from the freezer to the oven, and is elegant enough to serve from at the dining table. I prefer the white one, but it also comes in blue and red.

Cast Iron Pan – For whatever reason, I assumed cast iron pans were expensive and difficult to care for. I was wrong on both counts. We purchased this one by Lodge on Black Friday, which is the preferred brand for cast iron, and it’s as amazing as everyone claims. It even comes pre-seasoned so the recipient can start cooking right away. Just make sure the giftee knows how to take care of it to avoid rust. (Basically, wipe it out right after cooking, avoid using soap, dry it off with a towel, and then pop it into the oven at 250 degrees for around 15 minutes to dry it off completely. After the pan cools a bit, put a small amount of vegetable oil on a paper towel and rub it all over the pan until the oil absorbs.)

Serrated Knife – Why knife blocks don’t include a bread knife is beyond me. Treat your home chef to this often overlooked kitchen staple to keep loaves from crushing under the pressure of a regular knife. And don’t spend a lot on it. A serrated knife can’t really be sharpened when it dulls. (Granted, how often do serrated knives become dull when you’re only using them for bread?)

Canisters – I personally love the Instagram appeal of pretty canisters, but I always manage to talk myself out of actually buying a set. It seems indulgent, which is pretty much the best reason to treat someone to a set.

Kitchen Towels – If you need an ultra affordable gift or an add-on to something larger, these towels are it. They’re generously sized, wash well, and absorb a lot of water. I bought two for myself and loved them so much that I purchased three more to completely overhaul my towel drawer. Plus, the neutral colors go well with just about anyone’s kitchen decor.

Tea Pot – I don’t drink tea, but how cute is this tea pot?! It’s the tea lover’s take on Bodum’s French press that graced everyone’s gift guides a few years ago. (I do own the French press and can vouch for how amazing it is.)

Pinch Bowls – This is another gift that no one realizes they’d love until they actually start using them. They’re perfect for measuring spices and prepping ingredients before the flurry of cooking begins. The recipient can also use them as individual dip bowls.

Cookbook – Don’t you hate when you buy a cookbook and everything looks too advanced? The recipes in this cookbook look like they’re a good balance of ambitious and achievable. Plus, the cover is gorgeous enough to leave out on display.

Recipes: Rhubarb Conserves & Du Bon Pain Blanc

November 13, 2017 by jessica Leave a Comment

Once it starts getting cold outside, we’re just as content spending time at home cooking as we are heading out to one of our favorite restaurants — and on those coldest days, few things are better than cozying up inside with music playing as we mix up cocktails and try out a new recipe together. I tend to add a new cookbook to our collection each year to keep things fresh, so I was especially excited to receive a review copy of Pantry and Palate last month. Pantry and Palate focuses on the culinary traditions of the Acadians, the descendents of French colonists who settled in Canada’s maritime regions, through journalist Simon Thibault’s exploration of old family recipes, vintage cookbooks, and folk wisdom. “Comfort cooking at its finest” is probably the best way to describe the hearty meals within, but the cookbook is more than that. Thibault’s notations throughout the book share the history and tradition of the region — and the recipes themselves — adding a welcome dose of soul to Pantry and Palate.

I was able to share two recipes from the collection with you: rhubarb conserves and du bon pain blanc (or, “good white bread”). I haven’t made either yet, but I thought you’d love having these on hand for the upcoming holiday season.

RECIPE | RHUBARB CONSERVES
Makes 4–6 ( 500ml ) Bottles

From the Author
The initials “BL”were written next to this recipe. I’m not sure who “BL”is, but I would like to thank her very much for this recipe. “Soak overnight 2 quarts rhubarb and sugar,”it asks. There were no instructions for how and when to use the citrus, which is used to add pectin to the preserves. I decided to zest and juice the lemon and orange, and then let them macerate along with the rest of the fruit. I’m glad I did, as the smell in the morning was enough of a pick-me-up that I forgot to make coffee. I put the rhubarb straight into a pot to slowly simmer over a couple hours, reducing and thickening it into a tart/sweet jumble that smelled like a cross between poached rhubarb and marmalade. Midway through the cooking, I had a taste, and I may or may not have done a little dance. A note (or two): The original recipe asks for 1 to 2 quarts of sugar. I only used one, as I found it sweet enough. Once the rhubarb starts cooking down, give it a taste. If you think it can handle a bit more sugar, add a 1/4 cup or so, until it gets to the taste you’re looking for. And even though it’s not traditional, a vanilla bean that has been split in half and scraped of its seeds never hurt anyone. When it comes to the citrus fruits, you may want to place them in cheesecloth before you add them into the pot for cooking. It makes it easier if you wish to remove them from the preserves. I keep mine in as I like the slightly bitter taste I get from them.

Ingredients

2 pounds rhubarb, washed and rinsed
1 lemon
2 oranges
1 pound sugar

Instructions

Cut the rhubarb into 1-inch pieces. Place in a large bowl.
Wash the oranges under warm water, and pat dry. Zest the citrus directly into the bowl with the rhubarb.
Cut the oranges and lemon in half, and juice them, adding the juice to the rhubarb.
Add the sugar and the spent citrus halves, and stir well. Place in fridge.and allow to macerate overnight.
The next day place the ingredients from the bowl into a large pot, and turn the heat to medium-low. You will want to bring the rhubarb up to a gentle simmer, making sure to stir often so as not to scorch the sugar or the fruit. Make sure to skim off any scum that rises to the surface.
Once it’s been brought up to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low,and stir every 8–10 minutes or so. This helps reduce the amount of liquid, as well as any possible chances of scorching.
Keep cooking until the rhubarb thickens and reduces slightly, about 90 minutes or so. If you find yourself worrying about it scorching, simply reduce the heat further. It won’t hurt, and if anything will allow the liquid to reduce and the flavour to improve.
Remove the orange and lemon segments if desired and pour the contents into a container.
Serve on toast, over ice cream, with yogurt, or whatever your heart desires.

RECIPE | DU BON PAIN BLANC/GOOD WHITE BREAD
Makes 1 Loaf

From the Author
“Du bon pain blanc” is the headnote I find in Rosalie’s notebook. This bread recipe is one of the few that asks for packages of yeast, something that would have been relatively new for a baker of her era. All of her other recipes called for cakes of yeast, which were much more common at the time. The recipe also calls for milk, buttermilk, and sugar, which would enrich the bread’s flavour and extend its shelf life. This enriched white bread reminds me slightly of an eggless challah, or even French pain au lait. It’s a great white bread to eat on its own, as toast, and, perhaps best of all, cut into slices and left out to dry overnight for pain perdu, also known as French toast.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons shortening
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1/2 cup water, room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
6 cups flour, sifted

Instructions

In a saucepan, warm the milk and buttermilk to a gentle simmer.
Remove the milk from the heat and add the sugar and shortening. Stir to dissolve the sugar.
Dissolve the yeast in the room-temperature water.
Add 1 cup of flour into the milk mixture and blend to make a smooth batter.
Add the salt and yeast water to the batter, and mix thoroughly.
Add rest of flour, 1 cup at a time, until the dough forms a ball and unsticks from the sides of the bowl.
With flour-dusted hands, gather the dough into a large ball, and begin to knead the dough on a well-floured surface, adding flour as you go.
Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover it, and allow it to rest until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Remove the dough from the bowl. Place on a well-floured surface and knead briefly.
Roll the dough into a log, and place in a greased and floured loaf pan.
Cover, and allow to rise for 1 hour.
Preheat your oven to 400̊ F. Place the bread into the oven and bake for 1 hour.
Remove the bread from the oven and remove from pans. The bread should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. If not, return to oven for 10 minutes.
Allow the bread to cool for at least 1 hour before cutting into it.

Pantry and Palate by Simon Thibault | Target runner (the print is also available in placemats) | Target bowls | Target serving board (similar here and here) | Saint Linen towels

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The Art of Compromise With Minted

November 8, 2017 by jessica 1 Comment

As you may have gathered, we’re not exactly rushing things when it comes to our house. We’ve done a lot of work when it comes to the basics like painting (yet there’s still a ton to do) and refinishing the floors, but decided to ease into it when it came to furnishing and decorating our space. It’s tempting to add every piece we love from, say, West Elm and CB2, and do a quick turnaround that we’d be content with. However, we don’t want our home to look like the brands’ catalogs circa 2017 in a few years.

Sure, we did add a few West Elm pieces to our house (namely the coffee table we already owned, the bar cabinet, nightstands, and the duck lamp), but we’ve been seeking out other retailers as much as possible. We went to a local furniture store to pick out our couch, which is this beauty from Younger. We found our TV console/credenza from an L.A.-based designer on Etsy. We’ve picked up a vintage map of Denmark to frame. We’re also incorporating items we’ve picked up on our travels into our decor — and hope to buy more housewares when we’re traveling now that we actually have a house instead of an over-stuffed apartment! Basically, we hope that by taking our time to collect items we’re both crazy about will create a space that truly reflects our style.

That isn’t to say there aren’t challenges when it comes to creating a space as a couple. Dave and I agree on a lot of items that are Danish-inspired or mid-century modern, but that’s not always the case when it comes to decorations and artwork. After we had our offer accepted on the house this spring, I had the opportunity to work with Minted to choose an art print for our new home. Talk about the best housewarming gift ever! It hit on our design preference of adding a high-quality print by an independent artist to our home, so we were obviously on board. I spent hours scouring their incredible collection of prints from independent artists and came up with a few options for our living room:

Dave hated the direction I was going in and didn’t think a bright, beachy vibe belonged in a house in Wisconsin. While I insisted that it would be nice to come home and feel like you’re on vacation, it wasn’t a strong enough argument to sway him! So, I tasked him with coming up with some that he liked:

I liked some of the prints he picked, like the one of Stockholm, and the color scheme was similar to mine, but they just didn’t resonate with me. I was obviously disappointed, so he told me that I could just pick whatever I wanted and he’d be fine with it. It was awfully tempting to just go with a beach print and call it a day, but I didn’t want to do that. We were picking out a large print and I wanted him to love everything about our living room each time he came home. So, I was prepared to compromise and identified the things that were most important to us: I wanted something that had cool tones and either a beach print or an abstract; he wanted something that was sophisticated and reminded us of a place we’ve traveled to. During these discussions, we decided that we’d love to go with a 44″ square print so that helped narrow our search by size. We found this:

When we came across “Sombras” by artist Lulaloo with our compromise-criteria in mind, we knew it was the one. It had a sophisticated, cool color palette with an abstract design; and it reminded me, at least, of being en route to a destination. I’m actually surprised I liked it as much as I did because the print could come off as a cold, wet winter day. But I actually get a sense of coziness and warmth from the piece, especially of when it comes to the couple toward the middle. We placed the order immediately — before either one of us could second guess it!

When you’re ready to place your order with Minted, you have options to customize your print to your liking and budget:

Paper: You can go with the standard option of acid- and lignin-free paper with a deluxe pigment print, or the archival option on 100% cotton rag paper for a museum-quality archival pigment print. We went with the less expensive, standard option.
Size: Most, if not all, prints come in a wide range of sizes, giving you the flexibility to choose a statement piece to feature or find the perfect petite print to fill in a spot on your gallery wall. There’s also a size chart with a person holding the various-sized prints. It’s an easier reference point than gauging the size based on a room rendering.
Frame: Minted offers 15 frame options. We went with with the white frame because of its versatility.
Signature: If you opt for a white border around your print rather than a mat, you can have the artist sign the work. I love going with this option because it makes it feel more personalized.

The print arrived roughly a week later, which was a bit earlier than we expected! Our floors were beginning to be refinished, but I was able sneak the print into the house before the stain and polyurethane was applied to the floors. When we finally unwrapped it, it was even better than we anticipated. It’s well packaged so that the frame doesn’t get damaged in transport. The frame is well made and sturdy. It also comes with a hanging wire on back so that it’s ready to be displayed. I wish you could see the quality in person. I know it’s a gamble to order art online, but Minted surpasses all expectations.

Next week, I’ll talk about how the print works with the other pieces in the living room, along with a few progress photos of where things are at!

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Thank you to Minted for partnering on this post!