BEDKNOBS & BAUBLES

Main Bathroom: Product Selections

February 11, 2022 by jessica Leave a Comment

Drumroll, please… Here is the source list for our upcoming main bath remodel! (Scroll through the “before” tour here!) It feels amazing to see things come together after planning this renovation since August. Trust me when I say it’s been a lot of work to get this far. I didn’t think that I’d ever grow tired of shopping, but I think I’d ready to tuck my credit card away for a long while after this! I still need to buy an exhaust fan and a shower curtain rod, but those will be a cinch!

SOURCE LIST

Paint: Sherwin-Williams – Riverway
Wall Tile: 4″ x 12″ Subway Tile in White (tiling to the ceiling in the shower; midway up the wall throughout)
Mirror: Rejuvenation Yaquina Pivot Mirror
Sconce: Schoolhouse Electric Irvine
Sconce Shade: Schoolhouse Electric Straight Bell Shade
Vanity: Tile & Top 30″ Uptown Vanity
Shower Curtain: Target
Ceiling Light: Norwell Lighting (currently in the bathroom; might replace eventually)
Faucet: Delta Cassidy
Towel Bars: Moen Kingsley 18″ & Moen Kingsley Double Towel Bar
Toilet: Kohler Corbelle
Toilet Paper Holder: Moen Kingsley
Cabinet Knobs: House of Antique Hardware
Cabinet Hinges: House of Antique Hardware
Shower & Tub Kit: Delta Cassidy
Bathtub: Kohler Bellwether
Floor Tile: Marble Hexagon

The vanity was such a headache to figure out. I didn’t love much of what I saw online and I really didn’t want a composite material. So, we went to Marling Lumber, a local company that specializes in custom and semi-custom cabinetry. It was like pulling teeth to get information on our options from their sales person and after many trips to the showroom and many emails, we finally got a quote for a base with a solid surface top and one with a quartz remnant top. Those prices were $1,800 and $1,400 respectively, plus another $100 for an undermount sink. I’m fine spending more for the right piece, but those prices fest astronomical for what we were getting. It was back to the drawing board and the search functions at dozens of sites. We eventually found this one at Home Depot that ticked our boxes: solid wood for the majority of the piece (unfortunately we noticed that part of it is made from composite after reading reviews, but most of it is solid wood), storage, a real stone counter, and rectangular undermount sink.

It arrived a couple of weeks later on a pallet. We thought we’d be able to get it in the house with the help of Forearm Forklifts and were sorely mistaken. As luck would have it, one of our neighbors was outside and asked if we needed help. An emphatic yes from me! So, he and Dave hoisted the 125-pound package inside where it’s going to sit until the main bathroom work begins in March.

And here’s where I started last summer. I knew I wanted to keep the paint we already have in the room. I ordered those sconces when the project was just a glimmer in our eye, and I knew early on that I wanted marble hexagon tile on the floor and a longer-than-traditional subway tile. It’s so fun to see it come together and I’m beyond eager for the install!

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Main Bathroom: The Before Tour

February 9, 2022 by jessica Leave a Comment

Our bathroom renovations begin next week! While we’re starting with the powder room, I wanted to give you a look at the main bathroom this week. Today’s post is the “before” tour of what it looks like now, along with some “before-before” images of what it looked like during our inspection and after we closed on the house. On Friday, I’m sharing the full product list of what’s going in the space!

Now, I want you to know that while it would have been great to do a remodel for aesthetics alone, that wasn’t exactly the case here. About 18 months ago, we had water leaking from the bathroom into the kitchen below. Fortunately it wasn’t an issue with the plumbing, but years of water seeping around poor caulking that led to the damage. Additionally (as you’ll see below), there’s a window in the shower with original wood trim. We’re covering it with plastic for the time being, but it’s not the correct way to do this by any stretch of the imagination. And to make this room even more obnoxious, we have an old drum trap which barely drains to the point where we’re standing in ankle-deep water after a shower. So, we will be gutting the entire room in order to find and address all of the water damage, and correct someone else’s poor DIY attempt at a renovation.

Here’s a photo from the doorway and a pretty good overview of what we’re working with. The room is large at about 8′ x 8.5′. I love that built-in, but the wood isn’t in great shape. So, we’ll be flanking the centered tub with two built-ins that will echo the style of this original one. There will be white subway tile going to the ceiling in the shower, we’ll be putting the plumbing into the wall, and we’ll continue with tile around the room midway up the wall (approximately 48″ high). I’ll be using this paint color again for the top half. (The paint is reading brighter here with these iPhone photos than it does in real life. IRL it’s more subdued.) The linoleum flooring will be replaced with marble hexagon tile. I really want the renovation to be classic and appropriate for a 1929 home and most of what’s in here now isn’t original to the house.

Going in the room a bit further, there’s a window to the left that will be staying and we’ll keep the original trim. We’re also keeping the original trim of the door frame, and we’ll copy the trim style for the two new built-ins to make it look like it was originally part of the house.

We’re not going to move any of the plumbing since that’s entirely too far out of our budget. Fortunately, though, I like the location of the fixtures in the room. So, the sink will be staying where it is as will the toilet. (Fun fact, our toilet isn’t level. I kept thinking it was a little tilted for the past few years and finally got the level from the basement to prove myself right.) We’ll be doing a pivot-style mirror above a vanity so it can “float” in front of the tiled wall. We’ll also replace those sconces with new ones. I absolutely love the flattering light of side sconces by a mirror. We’re not going to go with any recessed lighting in the room as I think that looks too modern for an old house. We’ll have a ceiling fixture, the sconces, and light from two windows.

Here’s the window that’s inside of the shower. I love the light that it brings in, but there’s no doubt that this isn’t water tight. We’ll replace it with a new window that’s the same width, but half the height for privacy. I can’t wait to finally get rid of that second clingy shower curtain!

On the other side of the tub, you’ll see this long counter that extends into the shower area.

Plus, there’s another mirror. Chances are that this was someone’s makeup table. The tub likely didn’t have a shower attachment originally, thus the window and its wood frame. This is very clearly all being ripped out. The tub is smaller than a standard-size bathtub, so we will be replacing it with a slightly larger one. The second built-in will go on the right of it. We’ll put a towel bar where the mirror is now.

I probably should have staged some of this photos, huh? Oh well, there’s all my junk and the reason why I’m eager for a second built-in cabinet.

This collection of snapshots are from shortly after we closed on the house. It’s been fine and serviceable up until the water damage, and some minor cosmetic changes like adding paint and replacing the fluorescent light fixture made a big difference. The photo in the lower left here cracks me up, though. It’s so illustrative of the mess we purchased with the horrible wood stain on the floor in the hall, the crappy paint job, and a broken glass doorknob that was taped together.

But this, my friends, is the crème de la crème:

This is what it looked like when we first toured the house and put in an offer. What can I say, the house has good bones and we fortunately were able to look beyond this horror show. 😉 (I cropped out the questionable stains on the floor towel for you.)

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On the Right Foot: Rewiring a Vintage Lamp, Potato Milk, Kimchi Cream Cheese Dip & More!

February 7, 2022 by jessica Leave a Comment

Our product selections (above) for the powder room are coming together! Here are the links for the tile (bought locally), faucet, light fixture, and hand towel. (We’re using these shades for the sconce.) Work begins on Feb. 15 and once the powder room is done, we’ll start work on the main bathroom. I can’t wait!

I’m drawn to homes with neutral colors, but with a variety of textures and accessories that keep it from being boring. This tour is worth a scroll.

Kimchi meets cream cheese in a dip that I have to make soon!

I pre-ordered Emily Henderson’s upcoming book.

The latest list of covetable finds. I’m crushing on that coat!

It looks like potatoes are the next source of non-dairy milk.

Sarah Jessica Parker designed the heels in And Just Like That.

It gives me immense joy that there’s a cat in the White House again. I wrote to the Clinton’s cat Socks as a kid and received an “autographed” photo as a reply. I’m tempted to send a letter to Willow on Oliver’s behalf.

Dusting off your passport in the next year or two? Consider adding Lisbon to your travel plans with my list of recommendations.

Bookmark this link for rewiring an old lamp for your next vintage find.

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The Coveted

February 4, 2022 by jessica Leave a Comment

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Visit Portugal: Lisbon Recommendations

February 2, 2022 by jessica Leave a Comment

This post is long overdue! We traveled to Portugal in 2019 and I had wanted to share my favorites with you, but doing so seemed tone deaf during the lockdowns of the past two years. I realize that things aren’t perfectly safe just yet, but the world is starting to open up and Portugal is one of the most highly vaccinated countries. It’s also one of the most beautiful. Even if you can’t make it this year, I urge you to add the country to a future itinerary. In this post, I’ll share a list of the things we loved in the city of Lisbon.

Visiting new cities and countries often leaves me yearning for the opportunity to make my way back, and Lisbon was no different. The weathered beauty of the Alfama district, the intricacy of the tile work that adorned both the streets and buildings, the friendly people who know how to celebrate a soccer match, and — truth be told — the vihno verde that was both incredibly cheap and incredibly delicious made Lisbon such a special place to visit. Scroll down for some of my favorite snapshots from the trip, along with my recommendations for places to see, eat, drink, and shop in the city!

SEE & DO

Explore the Neighborhoods – It’s hard to put together a list of my favorite sightseeing stops from Lisbon because the city itself was just so beautiful. Everywhere you looked, tiles adorned buildings and were set into patterns on the streets and sidewalks. Honestly, just wandering around the city — especially in the Alfma district — was the biggest cultural highlight of the trip.
Museu Nacional do Azulejo – A beautiful collection of Portuguese tile.
Terreiro do Paço – This is the harbor-facing plaza with the yellow façade that you see in many photos of Lisbon. It’s absolutely worth the photo opp, and do take a walk along the water while you’re in the area.
Castelo de S. Jorge – The first fortifications of this Moorish castle date back to the 1st century BC. You can explore the grounds, but do be careful because there aren’t many guardrails.
Jerónimos Monastery – This is in the Belem area of Lisbon. After taking photos of the Padrão dos Descobrimentos monument and of the exterior of the Tower of Belem (we heard lukewarm reviews of the interior and just snapped photos), head over to the monastery. The architecture — especially the cloisters — is stunning.
Mosterio de Sao Vicente de Fora – We happened to be having a drink at a miradouros (more info below in the Eat & Drink section) and saw this building in the distance. It looked like people were on the roof, so we made the trek over. It ended up being one of the trip highlights and we didn’t even have it on our must-see map!
Carmo Convent – The 1755 earthquake left ruins of this gothic church. There’s a museum attached with artifacts.
Santa Justa Lift – I don’t want to disappoint you, but this is just an elevator. Sure, it’s pretty. But there are better views in the city at miradouros and they’ll be less crowded.

EAT & DRINK

Miradouros – There are miradouros all over Lisbon, which are little parks with spectacular views, often with a kiosk that sells snacks, wine, and beer.
Ginja – Try a shot of ginja, a cherry-infused liqueur served with a cherry in the glass, and small shops around the city. You can get it in a chocolate cup if you feel so inclined.
Pastel de Nata – Of course you can’t go to Lisbon and not have these iconic egg custard tarts with a shot of espresso (“bica”). We had them at both Fabrica da Nata and the iconic Pasteis de Belem. They’re both delicious.
Fábrica Coffee Roasters – We went here a couple of times for breakfast and loved it. They also had iced coffee, which is always a treat abroad (though I think iced coffee is finally becoming more ubiquitous).
Simpli – We also enjoyed this café and bakery. They put an orange slice in our iced coffee for aromatics, which was a fun surprise.
Boa-Bao – We were in the mood for Thai one night and stumbled across this restaurant. It had an upbeat atmosphere and they had a fun cocktail program.
Time Out Market – Sample some of the city’s most popular restaurants in one location. It ended up being an easy go-to when we were tired and didn’t want to put thought into another restaurant to try. We could split up and find our own meals. I went to Miguel Castro e Silva twice for the Bacalhau à Brás (codfish with julienne potatoes and scrambled eggs).
Pub Lisboeta – Cozy little bar with pizza and friendly service.
The Beer Station – I’m glad to see this small beer bar is still around! It’s in an open-air plaza near the Rossio train station.
Delirium Café Lisboa – Belgian beer fan? Here you go! They also serve frites.
Other Beer Bars – Crafty Corner, Cerveteca Lisboa, and Duque Brewpub.

SHOP

Sango Handmade Creations – I bought a camera strap from this artisan. (Truth be told, it was at a small art fair in Porto, but I wanted to include an acknowledgment here!)
Conserveira de Lisboa – You have to stop here to buy tinned fish! This shop is quaint and Instagram-worthy. Ask the people working for guidance on your selections if you’re dumbfounded like I was. They might come off a little reserved at first, but they’re incredibly friendly and willing to help.
A Vida Portuguesa – You’ll find this store all over the city. It has the best selection of Portuguese souvenirs covering a wide range of products.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

We stayed at the Iberostar. It was beautiful and well appointed. They even gave us a complimentary glass of champagne during check in, which I couldn’t turn down despite being exhausted from traveling. (We had a layover in Brussels and then our flight to Lisbon was delayed due to an airline worker strike. It was a whole thing.)
We found Lisbon to be incredibly affordable, and this extended to both public transportation and Ubers. There was one night we took an Uber from the Alfama district back up to our hotel and the total amount due was the equivalent of $3. I gave a 100% tip because that felt entirely too cheap!
You may be tempted to add a day trip to Sintra. I would only go if you were staying in Lisbon for an extended period of time (we were there for five days and six nights) as it really does take the better part of a day and it’s crowded. Most guides will recommend that you take the city’s buses to go to the destinations and while you certainly could, we took Ubers to the two places we wanted to go: Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira. A quiet, air-conditioned car was a nice respite from the touristy train with people packed in like sardines. If you do go, I’d recommend stopping for tapas at Tascantiga.
The best parts of the trip were — as always — the parts we didn’t plan for. We stumbled across a festival in one of the city squares. We joined in the dancing and split a bottle of wine, and it ended up being one of my most cherished moments of the trip.

For more travel guides, click here!

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