The beauty of paint....

is that you can change it! And change it we did! We were getting really overwhelmed by the yellow paint update we did in the kitchen. It was knocking us out every time we went in there. I guess we thought we were jumping into a much more muted color than what we got...

So we changed it! Here's how we got started. We were planning to paint the dining room and wanted a nice muted grey. We don't get a whole lot of light into the dining room because there are no exterior windows. Also, with the new dining set being dark we wanted to bring some light in with the paint. Our decision was to use leftover blue from the master bedroom project below the chair rail and grey above. We liked the grey so much that we decided to continue it into the adjacent kitchen. We think it ties the two rooms together a bit better.

The last photo is of a rug (Dooley is very happy) that we purchased at the antique auction a few weeks ago. Here's another one we nabbed last week!

In addition to mad painting we have also been pulling up carpet! The sun room is the only carpeted room and when it rained last week I didn't like the smell that was emerging from the carpet. Smelled like dogs had been kept in the room. We pulled it up and are currently trying to figure out whether to re-carpet or tile (the marble in there now is in pretty rough shape, uneven and chipped in many spots).

In non house news, I have some movement related to job leads and feel very positive about what is to come in the next few weeks. As Thanksgiving approaches I am so thankful for this news and for the prospect of a new opportunity here in Richmond. Those that know me know that looking for the next move in my career has been one filled with frustration. My patience has certainly been tested but I am a firm believer that the right thing will come along and I will land where I am supposed to! 

Love to all!



Fun with tables and chairs!

We've been busy the last couple of days! I (Lauren) spent the weekend in Nashville for the bachelorette party for one of my dearest friends, Jessie. It was a ton of fun and a great weekend with friends... and on Sunday on the way out of the hotel... Pat Sajak sighting. That's right, I'd like to solve the puzzle Pat!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Elliott was knocking a lot of things off of his honey do... I mean house project list. :) He repaired and installed all of our storm windows which means extra insulation from the elements and slightly lower utility bills this winter. He also did some tidying inside, repaired the leg to a table that we inherited with this house, raked, mowed and much to my surprise- even did a little laundry!

Monday when I was in my morning routine (i.e. coffee and checking my favorite blogs and websites) I ran across a great dining set on Craigslist. A man recently lost his grandmother and inherited her set which has been very well maintained. The price was right and we snapped it up! Just in time for the dinner we had planned Friday night... which will be nice considering we were planning to dine on a card table!

We need to reupholster the seats but for now it is great! I mentioned Elliott repaired the leg on a table we got with the house. He had to core it out and insert dowel rods... atta babe Al Borland. It was also in desperate need of refinishing and we thought we would give it a shot on our own. We have no money in it so if all fails, no big deal. This is what it looked like at first.

Pretty rough shape. I actually took these pictures to send off to a furniture repairman who quoted me almost $700 to bring it back- which was out of the question, ridiculous. I bought some Restor A Finish with reservations and gave it a shot...

YEHAW! It looks good, I am so excited it worked and that we only spent like $10 as opposed to $700... We still have to buy drawer hardware, but not too shabby! Cheers to progress!

More to come soon. We are lucky enough to have an interior designer friend bringing a student to our house tomorrow to help with "master planning." The student is shadowing her through a professional organization and the designer called and offered to bring her to help us and give the student experience... so excited!

Love to all!