Home Kitchen Progress

I try to get some small home project done whenever I visit Albuquerque.  Last October I painted my living room.  This last trip I started painting my kitchen cabinets.  The color is Benjamin Moore Van Deusen blue.  It turned a little greyer as it dried.

Before and during.  No after pictures yet, but its getting there, little by little.  I plan to have very limited upper cabinets, one in the corner there above the microwave and one above the refrigerator, which is just out of frame on the left.  They won't be painted blue, but I haven't quite decided what they'll look like.  If I reuse one of the old cabinets I'll probably paint them to match the wall color, but I also might just buy a couple of new cabinets.  Like I said, little by little.  I also keep changing my mind on the backsplash.  Right now I'm favoring this:

Blue and white talavera tiles in "Harlequin" pattern, which allows for a zig zag pattern.  I don't want to over-kill on the blue, so I'm also considering a brown color way... or green, or yellow...

Apartment Files: Kitchen Improvments

Major kitchen improvements.  I built an island and bought some stools and a rug.  This happened in March, but I just haven't been in a blogging mood.  [All about Instagram right now.  Its so fast and easy.]  It's made cooking and eating so much nicer. 

Then I replaced that West Elm advertising poster with shelves!  I've lost track, but this probably happened at the beginning of May.  Having my tea and spices above the stove freed up a lot of space in the limited cabinets.  Plus, it's much more convenient for cooking. 

As I feel the need to proclaim every time I post a picture of this apartment, that wall color is atrocious.  It seems to be very common for rentals down here near San Diego.  I see apartments on Craigslist all the time with the same weird yellow/green/beige.  Do landlords think it's "sunny and bright"?  Ugh, it's awful.  I really want to paint, but I also want to move.  I suspect I won't get around to either, but I day dream about it.

For scale, this is the view from the couch.  The bedroom door is just to the left of those Etsy prints.  Overall, I like how the apartment has come together.  The only thing still missing is art for over the bed... but that's another post.  This one is called kitchen improvements, and I'll stick to that.  Any kitchen improvements of your own lately?

Apartment Files: Storage Improvements

As anyone who lives in a small place knows staying on top of clutter is the key to a happy life.  And probably being a minimalist by nature is the real secret.  However, I am not a minimalist.  I like to collect things and I want to be comfortable.  If I go for a hike, I come back with cool rocks.  If I go to the beach it's impossible not to pick up a shell or two.  If I go to a thrift store, I buy dessert plates.   I LIKE THINGS!!  So small space storage is going to be the key to my happiness as long as I'm living in a 450 SF apartment.  To this end I've made the following improvements recently.

In the living room, I upgraded my TV cabinet from a borrowed cast-off nightstand to this pair of IKEA PS Cabinets, with locking doors.  Perfect for when the little wandering toddler comes to visit. 

And in the bedroom I finally got a dresser.  I had the following three choices:

This lovely set of Danish dressers for $1200 (identical, only one pictured).  Beautiful, and not a bad deal for a pair of dressers.  However, more than I wanted to spend right now, and I don't really have room for a pair.

This Art Deco highboy for $375.  Actually really liked this, but I have some other pieces of 30s furniture in Albuquerque that I like, but don't love in the overall context of my home.  In the end I went with something cheaper.  Kind of regret it though when looking at this photo.  You are so pretty Art Deco dresser.

 

This is what I ended up with, a blondish no-name mid-century dresser which needs some refinishing.  I like the shape, but not the yellow-y finish.   The decision was made because this dresser was big, located 10 minutes from my house, and under $100.  I don't love it, but it'll do for now. 

Apartment Files: Decorating the Kitchen

I just ordered these two prints from the Sevenstars Treasurebox store on Etsy. 

Seriously, excellent illustration style and a recipe?  Perfect.

So excited for them to arrive.  Now if I could just find a spicerack that I like.  (Not normally a  spice rack person, but I need to free up cabinet space since my kitchen is tiny).

Holidays: Thanksgiving

The last thing I did before getting in the car to join friends for Thanksgiving yesterday was gather this holiday bouquet from the garden around my apartment.  A little flowering rosemary, New Zealand flax, maidenhair grass, bronzy-orange bougainvillea and that red berried shrub that I can't identify.   It was the perfect palette for Thanksgiving. 

Sunday Morning

Bought these lovely small plates yesterday during a day of otherwise unproductive thrifting in the rain.

 My only hesitation before buying them?  Where will they fit in my tiny, cupboard challenged kitchen.  (Oh, that's my new staghorn fern!  So pretty).

My new fern is leaning on the counter because he needs to be dampened quite frequently, and I haven't figured out where I can hang him and easily be able to bring him down to the sink for little showers.  Also, what can I back him with that will protect the wall from moisture and still look good.  I'm thinking some kind of small round mirror?

 

Meanwhile, I've made a little more progress on pulling the apartment together by re-potting the fig and framing the Mexican painting.   Need to decide how I'm going to hang things without making a mess of the plaster.  

I think I'll wait for the next rainy day for that.  Today is sunny, and I want to enjoy it outside.

Apartment Files: Tiny update

New bentwood chair.  Serving as an extra bedside table for now, but eventually will be part of this set.

Apartment Progress: Moveable Chair

This was waiting for me when I got home.

Yay!  Eames fiberglass shell chair with low rod base. 

 Inside the house it will reside across the living room from the couch, partially in front of the sliding glass door.  That way it can easily be picked up to serve as extra outdoor seating when I need it.  And this is the view through the window when seated.

Can't wait for the weekend so I can have a leisurely morning coffee while enjoying the view!

Apartment Progress: Layering in the Bedroom

Okay, this morning with my back feeling better and my house-sitting duties complete, I finally got around to laying down the new rug in the bedroom.   Wrestling that mattress on and off the frame was rough, but necessary.  I really like the large-scale ikat pattern. 

 I have some new bedding on the way, but for now I just added a piece of ikat fabric that I've been meaning to sew into pillow covers atop my charcoal sheets.  Next to the bed, I layered two goat-skin rugs that I bought a few years ago at an estate sale.

I have an idea for artwork above the bed, and a plan to alter the bedside table because its wood is not actually in the best shape.  I also have a plan for a second bedside table and a little more storage.  But for today, it's enough and I'm happy with the changes.  Now, because its really hot here, I plan to hide inside with the A/C for the afternoon and catch up some reading.  Inspiration here I come!

So what do you think?  Can I work a little red into the bedroom?

Details

My living room is starting to come together, but it's missing all of those little things like cord management, and a decent pot for my fig tree.  I also need to mount a picture ledge or something above the couch.  I kind of like the mirror leaning on the side table, but the ebay painting is lost back there in the corner. It definitely needs to hang above the couch, and needs a new frame.  The pendant needs to actually hang from the ceiling too, not the curtain rod.  I still haven't actually turned the purple ikat fabric into pillows, etc. etc. etc.  Like I said before, summer is distracting.

While the living room is coming together, the bedroom is another story.  It needs attention. 

 

I need completely different bedding and have been looking for inspiration with some red in it, and coming up short.  Then I went and bought this rug from One Kings Lane completely on a whim.  

 

Blue!  But I love it, so I'm going with it.  Now the red will just be more subtle, to balance out the blue.  And those curtains definitely may have to go into storage.  I've actually already received the rug, but I hurt my back last weekend when my mom was visiting, and have been waiting for it to heal before dragging it around and moving furniture.  My mom also brought me these goat skin rugs that I bought at an estate sale a few years ago, and their layering properties have already drastically improved the bedroom.  I promise photos as soon as I get the new items in place.

Apartment File: Moving Beyond the Basics

I went on a little bit of an apartment buying binge last week.  I've budgeted out a set amount from each paycheck to decorate the apartment, and I was a few weeks behind on actually purchasing, so a lot got ordered at once.  This morning my living room looked like this...

Some of the items purchased were furniture basics-- a new bed frame, so my mattress could get off the floor.

Some of the things were more decorative, like this painting I bought off ebay.  I bid on it, won it, and then sort of had bidding remorse because I started worrying that I wouldn't like it.  Now that it's arrived, I really do like it. Whew.  

And some of it was purely for entertainment, like a tv, a radio and some books.  I also purchased a rug, which I haven't gotten around to unpacking since I want to thoroughly clean the floor before laying it down.  I'm trying to get it more or less pulled together in the next couple weeks.  Well, the living room at least.  I'm a little less focused on the bedroom, but as the photo above shows, it needs some attention.  I may have a bit of ebay addiction right now, and I have my eye on a couple of decorative items for the bedroom.  I'll keep you posted.

Object Love: Teak and Resin Cubes

I saw these side tables/cubes on the Andrianna Shamaris Tastemaker Tag Sale on One Kings Lane this morning, and I had to re-post them.  So cool!  And so expensive!  ($6899 each on sale).  For anyone who loves agates and geodes these are dream pieces.  They are teak and cracked resin and measure 28 inch square and 16.5 inches high. They would look so good grouped as a  coffee table.  

Here and here.

Friday Fun: Little Things that Get You Through

I think fresh flowers are one of the easiest things you can do to make your house look a little better and elevate your mood.  These days you can buy pretty nice bouquets at the grocery store, but more often than not, I just pick a little of some landscape plant-- wild or domestic-- that's blooming outside in profusion.  A little careful pruning gets you enough to fill a vase, while hardly making a noticeable difference on the plant outside.  This week I had flowers from the grocery store, and from a friend's yard making my house look good, and me feel happy.

Gorgeous peonies from Trader Joe's which faded from bright pink to pale peach as they aged.  Made the whole bedroom look better and smelled great each night as I got into bed.

These kangaroo paws were snipped from Tawny's yard two weeks ago.  They are holding up beautifully.

And finally, this little spray of roses growing right outside my living room window look great in my bathroom.  

Do you bring blooms in from the garden?  Or do you leave them outside?   

Weekend Edition: Recent Acquisitions and Conquering the Tiny Oven

This weekend I bought new side tables.  I was unsure of the purchase at the store because the borrowed end tables that I have been using each have a small drawer, which is very useful for hiding those necessary, but ugly, things like matches, scissors, masking tape, and all that standard junk drawer type of stuff.  These tables are leggy, with a shelf, but no drawer.   Since they were a good price, and in excellent shape, I just didn't believe that they'd still be there by next weekend, and so I brought them home.

And I really love them.  I'll solve the "junk drawer" problem by getting a lidded basket or something to sit on the lower shelf.  Meanwhile, I think my library books look pretty good there.

And since fresh berry season is now in full swing, and peaches are starting to arrive in the stores, I really wanted some granola to go with all that yummy fruit.  I make a version of this recipe, leaving out the coconut and dried fruit and using maple syrup instead of honey, and pecans instead of almonds.

Did you make or buy anything great this weekend?

A Little Life Update

Okay blog friends, thanks for sticking it out with me.  I know I've been the worst blogger ever for the last two months.  Well, not even true, since essentially I haven't been a blogger.  Picking up and moving with a week's notice was basically crazy.  Staying with friends for six weeks was crazy too.  Well, actually it was really easy since those friends are super generous and chill.  Starting a new, kind of weird job, was pretty nuts too.   But things should settle down a little now because I've rented an apartment!  It should also give me fodder to blog about because this is what it looks like.

Yes, small and totally empty.  Though the odds are good that my job will last through the end of September, and possible longer, I'm still considering this a temporary move.  So small is good.  Empty... eh.  I've been scanning craigslist on a regular basis, but I'm trying to stick to the plan that I had for my living room in Albuquerque, because ultimately that's where I want everything to end up.  Plus, the natural/modern is totally Californian in my opinion so its appropriate here.  The wall color, the tile and the cabinets?  All pretty standard new construction suburbia.  Not great, but not offensive either.  Hopefully I can work with it.  I am not a yellow or beige person, but the apartment was just painted before I moved in, so asking to change it is something I'm going to wait and see on.  

The big draw of the place?  This location and this view:

(That's a gorgeous river and open space just to the north, and a trail head to the east.)  Awesome.  Plus, its a five minute drive to those friends I was staying with, and an easy commute to work.  (Kind of a miracle in California).

   

This little private patio is pretty nice too.  The chairs aren't mine, they are gone now, but I do like the pop of blue out there.  

So I have essentially three spaces to work with here; living room, bedroom and patio.  I'll let you know what develops.

Recent Acquisitions: Little Things

Since I've been back at work, I've been trying to gift myself some of the little things that I haven't allowed myself to indulge in over the last couple of years.

First up, 18" Trove wallpaper samples.  I'm really intrigued by this wallpaper, which I've posted about before, and I finally ordered a couple samples.  My walls aren't really paper friendly, being adobe plaster that resembles stucco in a couple of rooms, but there are a few frame walls on the interior of my house.   I ordered these two, Sargasso and Auva (actually in a slightly different colorway):

Screen shots from the Trove website.

And this is what the samples look like when they arrive.  I'm slightly disappointed in the Sargasso sample because I would have liked to be able to see the area a little higher where more color comes together on the large image.  It seems a little too grey otherwise.  It is a beautiful pinkish grey.  The more I look at it the more I like it, actually.  I really love the Aura, and it's interesting to see what a large scale those swirls are in person.  

I also just ordered a box of potential glasses frames from Warby Parker.  My old glasses are in terrible shape, so much so that I never ever wear them off the property.  Can't wait to have new glasses, so cross your fingers that the Warby Parker frames look cute on me.

The second and third from the top are the contenders, now that I've tried them all on.  They are pretty similar, but the brown ones (Miles) have a slightly wider frame.