Our New Living Room Wall Color

A few weeks ago, I debated whether or not to repaint our living room. I loved the hearty shade of chocolate brown-- it was so unexpected in a small space and gave the room a cozy library feel. But at the same time, I was ready for a change. The style of our house had really progressed, especially when we refinished our kitchen and master bedroom. The chocolate brown living room felt left behind, a relic of a design style I no longer really appreciated as much. I still liked it, but I no longer loved it. Does that make sense? 

So last week, I rolled up my sleeves and got to work repainting. To save money, I decided to paint the room the same color that I had used in our kitchen. I loved the color and knew it would work well in our living room. Plus, we still had an entire can of paint left over! 
The color I used is a soft dove grey called "Chinchilla" by Behr. We purchased the paint several months ago; so I'm not sure if Home Depot still carries it. However, I'm sure they have a similar shade. We always use Behr paints in our house, and I'm always very impressed with their product. Our entire house-- interior and exterior-- is painted with Behr. For this project and our kitchen, we used a paint-and-primer combo in a semi-gloss finish. It went on so smoothly. Other than the trim, I really only needed one coat. If you're looking to paint a room, I highly recommend popping over to your local Home Depot and considering Behr. 

The finished product really amazed me. I couldn't believe how much brighter and bigger the room felt. Even though it's the beginning of February and we just experienced Snomageddon 2016, our living room feels fresh and springy. Now, our entire house has a seamless color theme: grey and neutral wall colors with blue accents. Re-painting the living room was an excellent choice. I'm so glad I did it. 

That's what I've loved about renovating this old house. As things come together, the house really comes back into it's own, becoming something pretty and unique once again. A loved, happy space for family, good food, and good times. 
Stay tuned for more renovation updates!   

Dill House Diary // Workspace Tour

Today, I wanted to share our home office space. It's where I write everyday and also our "home base" as we set up Mark's personal training business. (Wait, what? Mark has a personal training business? More on that later. Stay tuned!) 

Our home office is located at the top of the stairs in a large, open "loft-like" space. The room stays flooded with natural light, which I love. I would love to show you a "before" picture, but sadly... this space did not even exist before we bought the house. Originally, this large open space was bisected by a wall, carving the area into a skinny-minny hallway and the tiniest bedroom you've ever seen. It simply made no sense. Unless your name was Ichabod Crane, you weren't going to be comfortable sleeping in that teensy bedroom. So, we decided to ditch the pint-sized bedroom and create one big open area. 

Originally, we contemplating making the area an upstairs lounge spot. But did we really need two living areas in a 1000 sqft house? A home office just made more sense. 

Can you guess who did the decorating? No, the pink orchid was not Mark's first choice. 

After knocking down the bisecting wall, we laid new flooring, repainted, and added new closet doors. I love the large plank-style flooring. Talk about fast and easy-- we laid the floor in a few hours. The sleek, sliding closet doors are ideal for our small space because they take up such little room. And their dark walnut stain perfectly coordinates with the dark flooring. 

I love this little spot. I spend hours a day, sitting here writing and working on Etsy orders.  So, trust me, the desk is not always quite this neat! Usually its covered in sticky notes, scrawled outlines, receipts, and a jumble of color-coded pens.

Most older homes don't have a designated office space; you end up having to sacrifice a bedroom. So it has been so nice to have our own separate "work" area. If you work from home, I think it's important to have a designated spot that is your working space, something distinct from your relaxing/living space. At least for me, having a distinct office helps me get in the correct mindset. I know that when I'm here, I'm at work. 

For people who do work from home, another option would be to utilize coworking office spaces through a company such as WeWork. With flexible memberships suited to your specific work needs, companies like WeWork allow you to cut down on your commute and have the flexibility you need while simultaneously still having an actual office. Because let's face it, sometimes you need a fax machine or a meeting room-- and not all houses come equipped with those amenities.
Plus, coworking spaces provide interaction with other professionals. The main drag about working from home? No more office banter, no bouncing ideas off your coworkers-- just you and the work. While sometimes this focused environment is beneficial, not everyone prospers in that type of environment. So if you crave interaction and hate the solitude of working at home, something like WeWork could be the solution. 
WeWork has several locations in the Washington, D.C. area. Currently, there doesn't seem to be a location in Frederick, but CoWork Frederick on E. Patrick Street offers a similar opportunity. 
Do you work from home? Do you love the solitude or crave interaction? If you do work in a shared office space, let me know how you like it!

Birch Tree Statement Wall

Today, I wanted to share the birch tree mural in our dining room. I've been blown away by the amount of praise and sweet compliments we've received on social media regarding this project! Thanks so much to everyone for your kind words. Here's a look at the story behind this endeavor and some tips for painting one yourself. 
For a few weeks, my husband and I had a blank wall in the dining room. I had recently redecorated our house, resulting in a big empty beige wall.  I couldn't decide what I wanted-- an architectural feature? A large painting? A gallery wall? Nothing? I mulled and mulled the issue... and then one day, it hit me:
A birch tree statement wall. It was perfect! It would serve as art without actually taking up any space-- a win, win for a small space like ours. (I may or may not have been watching ABC's Once Upon a Time on Netflix at the time. If you're a fan of the show, you'll understand. There's a profusion of birch tree wallpaper, and I want it all.)  
Oh man, I thought. Mark will never go for this. Shame on me for assuming, because he was all for it, much to my surprise! Of course, he's always said he could live in the woods. So I guess now he does-- minus the cold, the bugs, and the brambles. 
Here's a look at how we created this one-of-a-kind statement wall without using stencils or decals. Yep, we handpainted this beast!

What You'll Need: pencil assorted paint brushes white Satin finish paint black paint grey paint paper towels
What You'll Do: 1. Determine your design. I started by drawing the design on the wall using a charcoal pencil. I like using charcoal because it blends with paint. I drew the entire design onto the wall. But you can tape it off with blue painters tape if you would prefer.
2. Paint the white trunks. This was the most time-consuming part of the project. 
3. Create a three-dimensional look by shading with your grey paint. Mix the grey and white paint together and apply to the trunks. This will keep them from looking too stark and give a bit of shape to them.

4. Use the black paint to create the peeling birch bark and branches. Get creative. Look up images of birch trees to guide your design.
5. Allow to dry, and you're all done!
I am absolutely in love with the end result. Mark and I have renovated every bit of this house on our own. Some projects have been frustrating and others rewarding... but this DIY by far was the most fun. I love how it turns the wall into a piece of art. The vertical white tree trunks elevated the ceiling, so our dining room even seems taller, while the black branches make our black iron chandelier really pop. I'm so glad I took the risk and did it!

Love this? Want it in your home? Contact me for information about how I may be able to create a unique piece of art for your home too! 

Chalk Paint Makeover: The Stair Rail

So, let's take a vote: Stain or paint? I repeat, stain or paint? Hmmm...? Well, if the post title didn't give it away, you guessed it! It's paint! Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, to be exact. 
For about a year, our stair rail and our banister rail did not match. One still possessed its original golden oak stain while the other had a new dark walnut stain. I knew we needed to make the two match, but I absolutely dreaded stripping and re-staining the massive rail that led upstairs. The mismatched railing bugged me everyday, but the project loomed before me. 
Then, Mark suggested painting it. At first, I balked at the idea. I knew I didn't want to paint it solid white or black-- the craftsmanship of the piece was too good and the wood grain too pretty. But then the idea struck us... 
Maybe there was a way to chalkpaint the piece in such a way that it would mimic stain. 

Here's a glimpse of the original railing before we began our Chalk Paint makeover. Not bad-- it just didn't match. Also, please pardon our carpeted stairs. Ugh. I sincerely wish we could rip out the carpet and replace it with lovely stained risers. But since we haven't won the lottery... that's not happening anytime soon. 
Anyway, back to the rail.
As Annie Sloan Chalk Paint has continued to prove time and again... anything is possible! This project took about an hour to complete and was mind-bogglingly easy. Today, I want to share how we achieved this "stain look" without stripping, sanding, or staining.

What You'll Need:
Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Graphite Water Stirring sticks Paint brushes Annie Sloan Soft Dark Wax paper towels clean buffing rag
What You'll Do:
1. Make sure the rail is clean and free of dust
2. Mix the Graphite Chalk Paint with a few tablespoons of water. Some people recommend doing a 50/50 mix, but I felt that this was a bit too runny for the amount of coverage I wanted. Mine was probably more like 60/40 or 70/30. You do want it to be a bit drippy, however. 
3. Dip your brush into the water-paint mixture. With a spare paper towel, dab some of the paint off so that only a little remains on your brush. Then, paint onto the railing with quick, even strokes. Work a small section. I probably did about a foot or two of railing at a time. 
4. Go back with a clean paper towel and wipe away the excess paint. This will behind leave a "whitewash" affect. You can even work the paint into the wood grain somewhat.
5. Continue down the length of the rail, repeating steps 3 and 4. If your opened can of paint begins to thicken, just add a little more water. 
6. Allow the first coat to dry, then repeat with a second coat. 
7. Once the paint has dried, apply a coat of Annie Sloan Soft Dark Wax using a clean rag or paper towel. Remember that a little bit goes along way with the wax. Tip: you may want to wear gloves when using dark wax so your finger nails don't look gunky. 
8. Allow the wax to dry, then buff the rail to a high sheen using a clean rag. It make take the wax about a week to fully "cure." 

You would not believe how easy this was and how closely it matches the walnut stain on the rest of the railing. As you can see in the above picture, the rail's brackets were outdated brass, complete with paint chips. After these photos were taken, we ended up removing the brackets and spray painting them black to match the wrought iron balusters upstairs. Much cheaper than paying $6 a bracket to replace them all. 
What do you think? Feel brave enough to try out a Chalk Paint wash over staining? The best part: zero prep work. I just wiped off the dust and got to work. It cut down on time, money, and yucky stain smells. Finally no more mismatched railing! 
What's your favorite Chalk Paint project? 

Dill House Diary // Bathroom Makeover

When we bought our house a little over two years ago, the very first room we tackled was the bathroom. After receiving the house keys, I strode upstairs and told the hideous linoleum that it's grungy days were numbered. Honestly, I'm not sure I could even lived in the same house as that dreadful flooring! As you can see above... yikes. That's all I have to say. 

On the plus side, the gigantic marble shower and bathroom vanity were relatively new-- requiring very little work. All we really needed to do was paint and redo the flooring. Luckily, our family stepped in to help us lay the tile--something neither Mark nor I had ever done before. We chose gorgeous charcoal grey tile with swirls of white and tan running through it. The entire project was a whole family-effort DIY--start to finish. 

We decided to lay the tile diagonally as this gives a small space the illusion of being bigger. For the walls, I chose a warm light brown rather unimaginatively named Brown Alpaca. It's more like the color of coffee with cream. (In my humble opinion, "Latte" would have been a much better name than "Alpaca," but you know Behr didn't ask me personally, so. You work with what you've got.) I also decided to repaint the white vanity in a high-gloss black paint to give it a more classic look. 

Mark and his cousin Trevor laid the subfloor and designed the layout, while Mark's dad cut the tiles for us. Somehow, those three men all managed to fit into that little bathroom at the same time! I don't know how-- but they got the job done. And it turned out great! I was so amazed at what difference those simple renovations made. See for yourself... 

 Since then, I've replaced the blinds with homemade curtains. You can find the No-Sew Tutorial at this older post. I love curtains in the bathroom. Its kind of eclectic but somehow made the space seem more "luxurious" somehow. Maybe it's just in my head-- but I love it. And that's what really matters. If you love your decor and your home, that's what counts. Because after all, you're the one living there. 

There are still one or two little things I'd like to do in there. Namely, replace the sink faucet and hang a new mirror above the vanity. Renovations are somehow never really done, are they? But every week brings us closer!

Thanks for reading!

Follow

Dill House Diary // Kitchen Progress

As most of you know, Mark and I have been working tirelessly for the past month on our kitchen renovation. In this post, I shared some images of kitchens that inspired our project. Today, I thought I would share a bit of the progress we have made thus far on the renovation. We're not quite finished-- there are a few details left to be concluded-- but we are getting so close. And I just couldn't wait to share a little of our progress on the blog!

When we bought the house, the kitchen was Dreadful-with-a-capital-D. Everything was white-- and not in a sleek, modern kind of way. More in an institutional, someone-had-no-eye-for-design kind of way. The cabinets were the stock white type... the sort of thing you'd find in any basic apartment anywhere. The walls were off-white, a dreadful pale color that the previous owners bought in giant five-gallon barrels and painted on everything. The original hardwood floor? Ripped up and replaced with a oak-leaf print linoleum that had stained and weathered poorly over the years. Ugh, my heart. Aside from functionality, this kitchen had nothing going for it.  Here's a blurry iPhone 4 photo to prove it. Its so white it almost glows. Or maybe that's just the grainy photo quality.

The profusion of white in the house must have triggered some kind of color-alarm in my brain, because I went out and bought a gallon of apple green paint, thinking it would liven up the space. My mother's kitchen was painted a lovely spring green color, a shade which totally worked in her space. Thinking longingly of home, I decided to copy the color as closely as I could.

And got this result...

Wop, wop, wop-- sad music sound, am I right? Thank goodness that this bloop was rectified!

Here's a lesson: green is a very finicky paint color. Without the right light, the color will not work in your home. My lovely apple green turned highlighter bright during the day and tinged yellow in the evening. Again, dreadful. I put up with it for several months--gritting my teeth and insisting I loved it--before I finally caved and bought a gallon of pale grey paint, with just the slightest lavender hint. The transformation was truly a testament to the necessity of buying paint that works in your space's lighting. Even if you love that Pinterest photo, the colors may not work for you.

Even once painted grey, I knew the kitchen was still not what I wanted. I fantasized about ripping out cabinetry and totally redoing the room. But the reality of a newly-wed budget settled in. Plus, since we don't plan for this to be our forever-home, there was really no point in busting the bank for the renovation. I knew that between the two of us, Mark and I could achieve style and functionality on a budget.

The Kitchen Goals:

- install new flooring

- paint the cabinets

- rip out upper cabinets and add open shelves

- replace ceiling fan with a stylish light

-replace cabinet hardware

- add a tile backsplash

- swap out outlet sockets (almond --> white)

- extend cabinets to the ceiling

So far, we've made some serious progress, checking off most of the goals on our list. Here are a few shots of what we've managed to achieve so far.

The first step was to remove the cabinet hardware (gold and outdated) with sleek oil rubbed bronze hardware that coordinated with our faucet. Next, we painted the lower cabinets using Annie Sloan Chalkpaint in the color Old Violet. If you're local to Frederick, you can pick up a can at Repurposed & Refined on West Patrick Street.

Then, we removed the bulky white upper cabinets, an act which instantly opened up the space. Our galley-style kitchen is very small so anything that opens up the space is a plus for me!

Next, my amazingly talented husband installed a white subway tile backsplash from the counter to the ceiling! Needless to say, that project took a while-- almost an entire week. You can only lay so many rows of tile at a time. Each row has to set; otherwise, the the whole backsplash could come sliding off your wall. Now that would be a disaster! 

Finally the backsplash was completed! At this point, we removed the wobbly old ceiling fan and replaced it with this simple light from Home Dept. Together, the tile and new light visually raised the ceiling about a foot! I still can't believe how much airier and open it feels in this room. 

Also: notice my pretty hardwood floors! Bye bye, ugly leaf-print linoleum! My heart still aches for the original hardwood the previous owners ripped out and threw away... but we work with what we've got, right? 

Next step? The open shelving! My sweet parents had some basic white shelves left over from their restaurant in Georgia. With just enough for us to complete the project, Dad kindly gifted them to us. It definitely helped us keep costs down! 

So now we're at some of the final stages: extending the cabinets, swapping out the outlet sockets, touching up paint. To extend the cabinets, we had to remove the top shelf to give Mark some wiggle-room to work. What's next on the agenda? Painting the new tops and moulding. Don't worry, they're not going to stay cardboard-box brown! 

I'm thankful to have a functional kitchen once again! I don't think I could have stood any more nights of take-out food. We're not quite finished... but the end is in sight! Stay tuned for the full renovation reveal-- this one with real camera photos, not iPhone photos. Haha!

Have you ever tackled a big renovation project? 

If so, how long did it take you? Was it worth it in the end?

Let me know in the comments below! 

Kitchen Inspiration

For the past two weeks, Mark and I have been working on renovating our kitchen. Before the project began, we optimistically and naively thought "Oh this will take about a week." Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Here we are, two weeks later, still putting the last pieces together.

Here's an annoying truth: tiling a backsplash can take forever. Especially when you have this "vision" of subway tile reaching to the ceiling. Each row has to dry and set before you can proceed to the next. Otherwise, the whole thing could come sliding down. Once you've finally tiled and grouted the entire thing, you have to allow the grout to set about 48 hours before sealing it. Ugh. My hands are constantly white-flecked with grout and adhesive, speckled as if I have some kind of skin condition.
Once the subway tile backsplash is sealed, we will begin hanging the three shelves. The final steps of the renovation will be hanging a new light fixture and then extending the cabinets to the ceiling.

I. Am. So. Ready. To. Be. Done.

I can't wait to share photos of the finished project. But even more so... I can't wait to have counter top surfaces again and to be able to cook a decent meal in the kitchen without having to dodge stacked bowls or random tools. So, to hold myself over until the Big Reveal, I thought that today I would share some of the Pinterest photos that inspired our kitchen makeover.

From the moment we bought our house, I knew I wanted two things in the kitchen: open shelving and subway tiles. I just love the crisp, classic look of subway tile. You can find it in stately old homes built at the turn of the century and in new, modern buildings. It's simply a timeless look that just doesn't lose it's charm or style.

Another favorite: shabby chic painted chandeliers. I've been scouring our local thrift shops and ReStores but haven't found one that works and is the right size. While I'd love to do a fun DIY and put an old chandelier in the kitchen, I will most likely go with this cutey from Home Depot. It has an old schoolhouse charm that I think will work well in our little galley kitchen. Since this isn't our forever home, I don't feel the need to make every single detail perfect. I'll have my Ultimate Kitchen later in life, maybe in house two or three.

The final kitchen detail that inspired our renovation: two cabinet colors. Those of you who follow along on my Instagram know that we decided to go with Annie Sloan's grey-blue shade Old Violet. I love the way its turning out with our old-rubbed bronze drawer pulls and faucet.

I also love these hanging rods and buckets from IKEA. I probably won't grow herbs in my kitchen (no direct sunlight), but have found them to be a great place to store random kitchen doodads like napkin rings or small utensils.

Stay tuned for our kitchen reveal!

All images via Pinterest.
Image of kitchen in first collage via Primitive & Proper.

Dill House Diary // Patio Makeover

Since the day we purchased our house, I have dreamed of turning our patio into our own little urban oasis. Yet time, money, and seemingly unending home renovation projects shuffled the patio makeover to the bottom of our to- do list. After we adopted our pup, the patio became Solo's own little space, subject to his penchant for digging, chewing, and destroying. This week, however, I decided that it was time the patio received a little attention.

Before we dive into the "after" photos, allow me to share the pitiful state of our patio upon purchasing the house. Bear in mind that this image was taken after we had spent several hours weed-whacking.

Yes. Cue the generic, screechy horror music. That lonely, blah-bland space was our patio. Not exactly an inviting hang-out spot. Unless of course you're into tumbled piles of brick and half-rotten railroad ties.

But as we always do, Mark and I jumped into this project with our sleeves rolled up. (At this point, I feel like we're becoming pros at the whole home-renovation and DIY gambit. I feel like we deserve some kind of medal or at least a pat on the back... I mean something!)With a vague idea of what we wanted the space to become, we got to work ripping out the rotten, revitalizing the salvageable, and replacing the new. Thankfully, we were able to score most of the materials for a very economical price or even for free, which certainly helped keep the cost low.

Now... drumroll please...

Taaaa da! Behold the transformation of all transformations! No more weeds, no more scruffy, sad, dead plants. No more crooked shepherd's hook, held up by one rotten string. No more lonely, desolate eyesore of a patio. The whole process took a few weeks, but we finally turned our sad little back yard into an inviting patio perfect for dining alfresco on pretty, sunny days! Now, I'll be proud to invite guests to step outside and sit a spell. 

My absolute favorite part of our new and much improved patio? The blue antique windows.** I found a huge stack of these beauties sitting behind the warehouse at work. Noticing me eyeballing them, my sweet bosses suggested I take as many as I wanted. A good scrubbing and sanding smoothed out their weather-roughened edges and removed  the majority of the old paint. I applied two quick coats of Annie Sloan chalkpaint in Provence blue. My handy husband quickly added a few screws and viola we had our outdoor decor! I just love the bright and quirky element they bring to the little space. I think they really make the patio complete, don't you?

Last year's failed attempt at a garden taught me that a raised plant stand is the way to go with pups. I bought this little Threshold plant stand from Target (less than $30). Gold spray paint and a few potted herbs (out of Solo's reach... hopefully) completed my mini-garden. It stands against the back wall of the house, in one of the few patio spots that receives a decent share of sunlight everyday. When selecting plants for the stand, I decided to grow just the plants and herbs I use the most, rather than going all out. I opted for basil, mint, cilantro, and a few pepper plants. With some precious little succulents thrown in for good measure. Because really who gets tired of succulents? They're so stinking cute.

A large tree overshadows most of our backyard so the space spends a goodly portion of the day in the shade. Unfortunately, most shade-loving plants are rather blah--at least to my poor gardening knowledge. Wandering around the garden aisles at Home Depot led me to this beautiful fuchsia plant. It's eye-catching hot pink color really livens up that section of the patio. Plus, these plants supposedly attract humming birds. So if there are any buzzing about downtown, hopefully they'll swing by our little garden spot.

There are still a few things I want to do to fully complete the space. I hope to add a few more outdoor decor elements and hang some string lights to add to the party vibe. The final ambitious outdoor DIY I plan to undertake would be a painted outdoor rug somewhat like this beauty from A Beautiful Mess. When you own a pitbull, you have to think of design elements that will survive their rambunctious need to destroy, destroy, destroy--and a painted rug maybe just maybe will be safe from Solo's antics.  Plus, I think the rug would complete the funky, salvaged vibe we seem to have going. 

Thank you for stopping by our little outdoor space! I'm so proud of it and absolutely cannot wait to enjoy many cookout dinners back there. I hope you enjoyed visiting our space as much as we enjoy hanging out in it! 

** In the interest of your general wellbeing, always handle antique windows carefully. They can break easily, and no one wants glass shards embedded in their arms, hands, feet, or any other appendage. Also, when dealing with old paint, you can always purchase a lead paint test kit. If it isn't lead, I still recommend wearing a mask for sanding purposes and cleaning up the paint chips that fall