Please Vote

Forgive this momentary deviation from the bathroom update (more coming on that after this next weekend)...

Last weekend, whilst buying supplies for the second bathroom at Home Depot, I spotted two light fixtures I'm now considering for our entryway. I had originally planned on trying to spruce up and refab the chandelier that was left for us by CrazyDecoratorFormerOwner, but I've since given up that plan, because I just don't like that chandelier enough to invest in it. That said, I'd love some input on these two choices we're considering:

Option 1 - a rectangular cube pendant in white glass:

Option 2 - a bowl pendant in clear glass:

Both are simple and clean, and the price is right... so, what do you think? Any preferences or strong opinions? Do you hate them both, or love them equally? Throw in your two cents -- didn't you know this is now an interactive home update adventure?!

Thanks in advance!

The Bootstrap Project - Global Design/Doing Good

As we're constantly in the midst of some project or enhancement or renovation at our place, I'm constantly in the midst of searching for design ideas, inspiration, unique pieces, resources for unique home decor, etc. Have you ever heard of/shopped at Ten Thousand Villages? One of the world's largest fair trade organizations, the company works to improve the livelihood of disadvantaged artisans in 38 countries around the world through their established sustainable market for handmade products in North America, and by building long-term buying relationships in places where skilled artisan partners lack opportunities for stable income. My parents introduced me to this store several years ago, and I immediately fell in love with what is truly an exceptional source for unique handmade gifts, jewelry, home decor, art, sculpture, textiles, serving ware, and accessories, representing the diverse cultures of artisans in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. I was thrilled to discover they have stores around the country - and especially excited to discover one in Evanston, just north of Chicago.


Today I discovered The Bootstrap Project, another great organization with a similar and extraordinarily lovely goal (discovered by way of The City Sage). Per their Mission Statement:


The Bootstrap Project's mission is to create a sustainable platform to promote and retain centuries-old crafts and customs. We create the outlet for the local artisans. The profits of the sales go back to the artists and their communities, through our development partners, to empower them by providing the education and opportunity to retain, preserve and advance their fast-dying crafts, customs and way of life. By purchasing through Bootstrap you allow artisans—who act as the catalyst for their whole communities—to end their own poverty. It’s trade not aid.

In the Project's online shop, each item is displayed above a picture of the artisan. Click on an item and you'll read more about it and its creator, including that 100% of the profits go back to that individual and his or her community. For example:

(Poofs by Rose in Zambia)

(Baskets by Raphael in Zambia, who hopes that sales of his baskets will enable him build a home with a permanent roof that can keep his children warm and dry in the rainy season. )

(Artisan Robiya Qayumova, from Tajikistan, makes several items sold through The Bootstrap Project, including the kurpacha in the two photos above, which is the Tajik answer to the the chair, but can clearly be used in several cool design/function ways)

If you're changing up your own home decor, or just want a new, unique item, this is a pretty cool way to accessorize your home and help the true artists enjoy the benefits of the sales of their work. I'm definitely going to keep checking back in to this site for new items, and I'm sure we'll find something(s) that would really work in our home.

What do you think?

Accessorizing... More Fun than Work

Do these tea towels go with our kitchen? I think I really like them:

(by Brian Everett of EVRT Studio, via Design*Sponge)

Furniture Obsessing...

I remember at one of my bridal showers, I began weeping over a coffee maker or cheese board because I realized, very suddenly, that though we'd been very fortunate to have inherited furniture and other household items (for free!) from family and friends when we moved, we were finally going to have things that were ours, that we'd selected together, imagining them in our home. It was this moment of epiphany... like, WE exist... like, this unit of couple-dome we had thought ourselves to be in our relationship was, in a quick unwrapping of gifts, actualized.

Now that we've bought our first home, I'm finding that I'm allowing myself to take that realization to the next level, and have recently been quite literally, obsessing over furniture items that instead of simply satisfying our needs and filling up the space in our rooms, also represent us, and will give our home character - our character.

My parents have a rocking chair in the living room. I love it. I want one. Something like this:

(this one's courtesy of Pottery Barn, but is no longer available)

I can just picture myself drinking my coffee on a Sunday morning, and watching the water. Yum.

I also want to add another seating option in the living room... something like this, I think, from Ikea:

(but in dark brown... even though the white is so great... LANIE!)

I mentioned in another post earlier this week that I've been thinking about adding a console table on the small wall opposite our dining room. I guess I'm envisioning something along these lines:

(but maybe not so boring... (this one's from Target))

And speaking of dining tables... I'm really over ours. We need something more substantial... This week, I'm liking the idea of something like this one I found on Craigslist (if it's still available when we get back from Israel, I might pounce):

I like how substantive it is... wide, and more square, and chunky looking. Then again, two weeks ago, all I wanted was a long oval. So who knows, by the time we get back, I could have a totally different idea in my head...

More Things I Want to Make Myself

Browsing around various and sundry home/design/style/accessory/fashion sites, I'm finding myself really inspired today to do some crafty stuff for our Home Sweet Schwab. I have some crafty friends, and I'm hoping they're also feeling a need to craft so we can do it together. ED has already gotten on board (excited). Here are some of the ideas that have enlivened my creative imagination today:

(from EmersonMade)

(found on Etsy)

(Lot61, via Design Crush... While I can't make this, it is beautiful, and reminds me of the talented Zak Rose -- check him out)

That's enough for now...

Requesting Design Input for the Revamped Kitchen

Now that the kitchen is slowly but surely coming into shape, I'm finding that I have a revved up need to figure out what it will all look like after the construction is all said and done. The contractor is doing the wall/window, and removing and residing some cabinets; we'll have the appliances delivered and installed; and Stone City is installing the new counter tops and sink. That leaves us with the tasks of painting and accenting. So, I'm soliciting input on colors, etc.

With regard to paint, I'm thinking we should pull from the flecks of color in the back splash tiles. Maybe a mushroom-y brown? Maybe a toned down terra cotta reddish? Maybe a slate blue? Less enthused about the slate blue idea.

I'm planning to paint the cabinets white-white, and then replace the old hardware with something fresh... a "pop" of some sort. Here are a couple I like:

(World Market: also in dark blue, ivory, dark green)

(World Market: also in ivory, dark green)

(Ikea)

(Anthropologie)

(Anthropologie)

(Anthropologie)

So many choices! Any thoughts? Any other ideas? Any and all suggestions and comments are welcomed! Please chime in!

And then we have to replace that tiny ceiling fan/light...

Reference Repurposed - Decor

In my parents' basement is an old globe on a stand. My brother (Adi) and I loved it when we were younger. We would spin it around with a finger skimming the surface and when it stopped, whatever city or country (or ocean) it was on was our next fantasy destination, or research project. Globes are just plain cool anyway. HOWEVER... the world and borders are constantly changing, and, thus, our childhood travel guide is now sadly outdated. This summer, when Dave and I were in Amherst for our last visit, Adi came home and one night we put a serious dent in sorting and sifting through the collected toys, puzzles, costumes, etc. that piled up in the basement over the years. Some exciting rediscoveries were made, some memories were found to be tainted with broken or missing pieces, and lots of piles of garbage and donation were made. Much progress was made on clearing space and creating better organization. The globe was there, too, and it stayed. Though Adi and I insisted that the fact that it still has the USSR and other no-longer-existing nations in place makes it not such a useful reference tool, but my dad wouldn't budge. This only made us laugh at the idea of future generations of Hellers or Schwabs failing geography tests and map projects because they used the globe for context. Until today.

(from Design*Sponge)

This is so cool! If Adi and Dad agree, I'd love to call dibs on the globe and chalkboard paint it for display, tracking where those we love are in the world at any given time...

Click here for the complete post (including instructions) on Design*Sponge.

Ideas and Inspiration: Things I Can Do Myself (maybe?)

I have always been borderline manic about my finances. I remember the day my father took me to the local Baybank branch with my oversized TWA change purse filled with coins to open my first bank account. I hoarded babysitting spoils, and started legally working as soon as I could. While I've always loved shopping, I've also always been very careful about my spending, feeling a sense of ownership over my money, and a strong conviction that if I was going to part with what I had earned, it had better mean it. So, purging our collective bank accounts to buy this place, you can bet, gave me heart palpitations and minor panic attacks. Much to my relief and surprise, it hasn't been as bad as I thought. We're not eating ramen noodles and ice burg lettuce every night. And we are, in fact, able to not just live in this place, but customize it. Still, I'm thoughtfully considering how we'll decorate, and collecting ideas for crafty, interesting ways I can infuse our spirit into this home with my own/our own handy work.

Here are a few recent discoveries that have switched on a light bulb for me:

This single piece, made up from individual mirrors, could inspire interesting wall art... mirror or frame or otherwise:

(found on Anthropologie)

These vases reminded me of a very simple, plain, inexpensive vase I bought a few years ago at IKEA. Even though I am specifically restricted on my purchase of vases, eventually I could maybe play around with this idea to create a little vignette on a side table or something. Granted, I'm not this artistic, but I like the idea of differently "sketched" images on similar and grouped items:

(Also from Anthropolgie)

I've also been really wanting to get back into embroidery... which I haven't done since I was MUCH younger. My first real attempt will be some tea towels (not as fancy as these from Anthropologie, but I like the idea of this owl-y tribute to my grandma:

At Anthro, I also discovered this embroidered notebook... I like the idea of embroidering a home calendar cover, or something similar:

(forgive the terrible photography... these were captured with my phone camera)

I'm also really liking the idea of gray wall color. Especially for the living room:

(above gray paint photos courtesy of extensive Google image searching)

Tips and Tricks: DIY Cleaning Products

A great post from Design*Sponge has inspired me. Have to file this one away for future reference!

Spic & Span Floor Cleaner
The Goods

• 1 c. white vinegar
• 1/4 c. baking soda
• 6–7 drops essential oil of choice (I like to customize my floor cleaner scents to compliment the seasons, using lavender in spring, something citrusy in summer, cinnamon in autumn and pine scents in winter).

The Deal
1. Fill a bucket or your kitchen sink with hot water.
2. Add vinegar, baking soda and essential oils while filling.
3. Stir with a mop to disperse the baking soda in the water fully.
4. Mop floors per usual.

Make It Shine Furniture Polish
The Goods

• 1/2 c. olive oil
• 10 drops lemon essential oil

The Deal
1. Combine olive oil and essential oil in a dark glass bottle.
2. Dab a cloth with the mixture and polish wood furniture per usual.
3. Use within one month, making more as needed.

Odor Out Fabric Freshener
The Goods

• Baking soda

The Deal
1. Simply sprinkle liberally all over area rugs or carpets and onto upholstered furniture.
2. Leave to sit for at least one hour and then vacuum away.

Green Room Mist
The Goods

• 1/4 c. water
• 1/4 c. vodka
• 20 drops essential oil of choice (may be a single oil or a combination of several; for autumn celebrations, I like a blend of cinnamon, clove, ginger and orange, while a blend of balsam pine, juniper and rosemary go well with winter festivities)

The Deal
1. Combine all ingredients together in a refillable spray bottle.
2. Shake for each use and spray as needed.


Read the whole post on Design*Sponge by clicking here. 

One Month Home-Ownership Anniversary Deserves a Gift!

One month ago today we closed on our condo! It simultaneously feels like yesterday and last year. One of the most frightening, intimidating, and stressful days ever, we had no idea what to expect or what we'd gotten ourselves into. One month later, the stress of building our home is a constant, but the anxiety and fear are easing, and slowly, but surely, it is coming together.

As you already know, the kitchen is our biggest project in terms of the changes that need to be made beyond the cosmetic. We have definitely one, and possibly two contractors coming this weekend to provide us with estimates on the kitchen we envision. Hopefully that work will be able to start soon. Funky, vintage appliances are cool in concept, but I don't know how to work these things at all! Nor are they remotely anywhere near anything one could call energy-efficient. The other night I put a baguette into the top oven to soften it up for dinner. It burnt in two minutes. The oven was set to 200 degrees. Sigh.

So because the kitchen project involves big purchases as well as demo and labor, we've been tracking prices for all of the various pieces we will need. Per my old friend Kate's brilliant suggestion, I have signed up for every e-newsletter possible: Lowe's, Home Depot, Sears, and Best Buy, as well as some local places, in order to hear right away about any promotions, sales or deals. To that end, this weekend is Sears Bonus Days (money back on qualifying purchases), and today only there's a great promotion for purchasing qualifying energy-efficient kitchen appliances at most major retailers. The promotion involves an allotted amount of government dollars in kick-backs on these purchases (this is in addition to the stimulus package in place for similar purchases). So... happy one month anniversary of home-ownership to us... we might just buy a fridge!

(are you our new fridge?)

LG Electronics Stainless 26.5 cu. ft. Side-by-Side Refrigerator ENERGY STAR

(are you?)

Maytag Stainless Steel 25.2 cu. ft. Side-By-Side Refrigerator w/ PUR® Water Filtration (MSD2572) ENERGY STAR®

(you?)

Samsung Stainless Steel 20.0 cu. ft. French-Door Bottom-Freezer Refrigerator ENERGY STAR®

(or maybe you?)

Kenmore Stainless Steel 25.1 cu. ft. Side-By-Side Refrigerator w/ PUR® Water Filtration (5894)

(** update: this is apparently going to be somewhat of a challenge because the existing fridge has older fridge dimensions. Contemporary refrigerators are much bigger in every way. We need a fridge no more than 65" high, 30" wide, and 29" deep... the search continues!) 

(** 2nd update: we've changed our game plan! We will get a "normal" fridge, and try to move the cabinet over the existing one across the room when we uninstall the double-ovens. Phew!)

Home-styling

It's funny how now that we have this *thing* -- this home that's ours -- all of my habits are changing. Shopping has changed... weekend-planning has changed. I can see it in both of us - a new appreciation for our time and what is ours, and a pride in what we can do with and to it. As a renter, your place kind of is what it is... so you move in, and you can get right to making it yours under the given circumstances. As an owner, I feel a much bigger responsibility to the infusion of our taste and style. Decisions seem bigger, weightier, and requiring of more time and thought. We want to get it right, and we want it to truly reflect Us. Picking out two faucets has already shown us how this will all go down!

This weekend I started thinking about how I feel like so far we've been delaying the home-styling process because we don't know how the place itself will end up looking once we've done the "big" projects (kitchen, painting, lighting, etc.). But the truth is, we don't have to (nor can we afford to) do everything at once. And temporary style can help us feel more at home in our home while we figure out the rest. It can also give us an opportunity, at a lower cost, to "test" out styles and see where our new home will land.

To that end... some ideas and inspirations:

(wood curtain rods from World Market)

 

(some curtains (above) and a chunky shag rug (below) from Target)

(hardware for kitchen cabinets? also World Market)

(pillow, seat cushion, and mirror from Pier One)

(artwork... found on 20X200 and Urban Outfitters)

more to come...