Mid-Century Midwest

Wash, Rinse, Repeat: The Bathroom Mini-makeover!

2010-01-07T19:21:00.000-08:00

Hey, kids! Long time no see, yes? Yes. We decided to take off the entire month of December from home remodeling and blogging, but that doesn't mean we didn't squeeze in a teeeeeny tiny project that made a GREAT BIG difference!

Last time we discussed the- how shall we say- bathroom "situation" it was basically falling apart at the bolts. Busting at the seams. Leaking dirty toilet water everywhere to be specific. Luckily we rememdied that all ninja-quick-like and were able to move on to a more pressing issue which was undeniably staring us in the face every time we had to do our bathroomly duties. Here's the situation (no, not Mike): the hall bathroom was disgusting. Like... seriously ground-in, caked-on, never-ever-coming-off-even-with-tons-of-CLR dirty.

Let's take a look (if there are small children in the room, you may want to shield their eyes)

YIKES!
Believe it or not, this is the only shot we took of the bathroom during our house inspection. We seriously wanted to avoid it at all costs. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Well, unfortunately, the master bathroom was out of commission for a while, forcing us to work with what we got.

In the upper right hand corner, you can tell there was a sliding "glass" shower door. Let us just get really honest with you here.... we could probably tell you the hair color of every previous owner of this house... because it was all caked onto the tracks of that sliding door. Sick. Disgusting. It had to go. Like now. So while Ryan was at work one day, I ripped it out, and lo' and behold, the Lord bestowed unto us a disgusting amount of half-century-old, deteriorating adhesive- complete with previous owners' hair. Okay, sorry. I'm going to stop bringing that up. It makes me gag a little.

See that bottle of bleach there? That came in handy. Let's go in for a closer look, shall we?

BAM. There it is. Pretty gross, right? I chipped away at that stuff with a spackle knife and bleach for a long time... Here's the good news: it came off. No more sticky disgusting hair-covered clay adhesive. Gone. Bleach and CLR, kids. That's the ticket.

The next easy steps simply required paint, and some cheap-o cabinet hardware from good ol' WalMart ( I can feel you judging me). Just add some clean, crisp accessories, and voila! Total bathroom facelift!

We wanted a cool latin vibe:

The shower looks MUCH better with the waffle curtain (also from WalMart) and brushed nickel accessories

The trim, vanity, door, and cabinets were painted in a high-gloss white that we've become addicted to and used throughout the house. It's Valspar's Du Jour (7002-6) and it seems to compliment the not-too-white-but-still-white-feel we like in our house.

And looky there. A toilet seat that ISN'T green!

The walls were previously a dark faux-wood panelling that we detested. To lighten the space and create a sense of harmony, we chose to paint the bathroom the same color we painted the living room. It's Valspar's Clivedon Sandstone (3007-10B) and it's the perfect neutral. It picks up green if we put green next to it; It picks up yellow in the sunlight; or it picks up a beautiful grey hue during cold winter days like we're having right now.

Would LOVE new mirror in here... hm...The sconces were a Kirkland's clearance find. Gotta love the employee discount!

The window treatment was one that we repurposed from our old apartment. It used to hide sewing supplies under a small desk, and now it hides our heinies when we bathe! The small piece of art was also a Kirkland's find that says "El Bano" with some cool bohemian jewelry draped over the corner. It sort of has the same cool latin vibe that our hallway vignette gives off without being too theme-y.

Over all, the space feels brighter, but most of all CLEAN! It only put us back about $50 bucks since we repurposed lots of our old stuff! We love the way it turned out, but it won't be this way for long! This spring/summer we plan to completely gut and rebuild both of our bathrooms (at different times for obvious reasons!). You'll have to stay tuned to see the results!

Questions? Comments? Concerns about our health after removing all of that 50-year-old adhesive? Leave it in the comment section!

Let it snow….

2009-12-24T07:06:00.001-08:00

I was right about our little house in the snow… I had predicted early on that our long back lot with the little shed would look just beautiful with a little snow on it. Mother nature has just proven me correct. Our desk is situated against a large window that allows me to look out over our beautiful back yard. Right now, I’m watching the snow and sleet fall in torrents, covering everything with a sheer, pearly gloss. But the birds don’t seem phased. So far, I’ve seen two turtle doves (which seems especially appropriate today of all days) and a bright red cardinal- my favorite. Looks like we’ll be having a white Christmas after all. The first I can remember in my lifetime. I do hope you’ll stay cuddled up nice and warm inside with your family and loved ones. Merry Christmas, friends.

50s Flickr Group

Christmas Decor

2009-12-14T10:30:00.000-08:00

Want to see our house all fancied up for the holidays?! Visit The Vintage Chair to see all the holiday hullaballoo!

Painted Fireplace

2009-12-04T07:21:00.000-08:00

We've revealed our kitchen re-design, and now it's time for another Thank-god-we-are-industrious-DIYers reveal! I'm sure you remember our wavering back and forth about painting the fireplace. Finally, we decided to just take the plunge with some good stone primer and white paint.
We'll be honest, it took A LOT more effort than we had anticipated. The stone wasn't your average fireplace stone. It was a rock frontage, which basically means it is comprised of real rocks that were cut to be flat on the back and adhered to the wall- sort of like tile. The rocks had the texture of large lava rocks, and it appeared to have been coated in a fake moss-like substance to add what I'm sure they considered "character" back in the 70s. This made it really difficult to get primer and paint in all the little nooks and crannies. It took some hard work to press the paint all the way down into the cracks, but by golly we did it!
Let's refresh our memories with the "before":

And now let's take a look at our fantastic AFTER:

Two coats of primer and one coat of paint later, we've got a clean, bright, white fireplace! We LOVE how it opens up the room and makes the whole space feel so much lighter! We haven't had a chance to actually use the fireplace, but it sure is pretty to look at, no?
If you've been wavering about whether or not to paint your brick or stone fireplace, we definitely recommend it!
Here, the living room is decorated for fall, but pretty soon, we'll have all our Christmas cheer spread about the house. Stay tuned!
So what do you think? Is painting stone or brick a project you would ever take on?

Kitchen Re-Design Diaries: The "Final" Chapter

2009-11-30T16:27:00.001-08:00

It's finally here... we're ready to show you the outcome of all of our hard work! We put a lot of time, energy, and love into this kitchen re-design, and we've learned A LOT along the way!
Let's take a walk down memory lane. Let us remind you what our kitchen looked like before we took it by the hand, and led it to a brighter place.... children under 12 may want to leave the room.

Mmmm.... oh dark, greasy wood panelling... grungy carpet... century-old appliances and counter tops that were nothing if not um... sticky. We don't miss you at all. and p.s. old washer, you just don't belong... you never did....
But you know what? It's all okay now. We have officially conquered mold, re-routed our washer line to the garage to hook-up our brand new front-loaders, purchased tools most people won't ever need (anyone need to borrow our wet saw?), and learned that cabinets aren't always as sturdy as they look, but anything can be saved with a little elbow grease, can-do and know-how (thank you, Google and DIY Network). Ladies and gentlemen.... without further ado.....we give to you..... the new and improved Ahlgrim Kitchen:

Isn't it sparkling? Radiant? Fantastic? Illuminating?!?! SPLENDID?!
We certainly think so.
So let's start at the beginning. Remember when we purchased new counter tops? Well, you couldn't really tell from the picture, but we extended the counter surface on the left side of the kitchen to create an open "desk" area by using fence posts (purchased at Lowes and cut down to the correct height) as legs on the end.

Looks at those biceps.....

You may notice that we have left the space beneath the counter unpainted. This was due to a project that went awry. Now we simply can't decide if we should paint it green like the rest of the kitchen walls, or keep it white like the surfaces surrounding it... your thoughts? Leave them in the comment section!

Next, we installed a new sink, faucet, and garbage disposal... and when I say "we" I mean we hired a plumber to install it. The plumbing in our kitchen is rather (VERY) old, and we weren't willing to risk a great flood on our still-bare plywood floors (the tile had yet to be installed). Part of being a good DIY-er is knowing when to say 'when'.

Then we got to work ripping off the old laminate backsplash (complete with flecks of gold) and red fuzzy wallpaper. We installed backer board and tiled our little hearts out. We absolutely love the way the subway tile backsplash turned out! What do you think?

After that came paint. Remember how we convinced you that painting wood panelling was the way to go? Well, we certainly don't regret that decision at all!

Our walls are now a beautiful shade of blue-green. And yes, we left the hole in the panelling open just to show off the red fuzzy wallpaper

Sort of festive, don't you think?

Our next big step was an endless cycle of sanding, priming, sanding, priming, painting, sanding, and painting again. We purchased our own sander (one tool that Chelsea has always longed to own, as she cannot leave things looking brand new).

The cabinets weren't in as good of shape as we had anticipated. There was a ton of built-up grease, lots of knicks and dings, and some pretty gnarly etch-work, but it just took a little more effort... and a few kicking and crying fits before we finally showed those cabinets who was boss.

After the first sanding, we used an oil-based primer to coat the cabinets and cover any existing imperfections. We also chose a kitchen and bath enamel paint to ensure that our "new" cabinets would be able to withstand any steam and splatters they might encounter. We used thin foam rollers to apply the paint and sanded between each coat to ensure a smooth, shiny, professional-looking finish.

We saved money (and a few headaches, I'm sure) by re-using the existing hinges. This way we knew that the hinges would fit right back in the same holes from whence they came. Chelsea removed each set and placed it in a small zipper bag labelled with a number that coordinated with the cabinet from which it was removed. She later took them outside and gave them a good twice-over with some Rustoleum spray paint in a nickel finish.

Since the cabinets did not have any existing hardware, we were free to choose what we liked without having to worry about filling or matching any existing holes. After all was said and done, we had some fantastic-looking cabinets. Good as new!

Our final step was deciding whether to lay hardwood floors to match our beautiful, original oak floors, lay down a laminate that matched fairly closely, or stick with the more durable tile.... after hearing a few horror stories from you fine folks (broken ice makers are shockingly common by the way), we decided on tile! We chose a dark grey-brown with brown grout to accent the cool blue-green walls.

We added some blinds, touched-up the paint, and VOILA! Our kitchen was transformed from from grungy to great! It's an on-going project- these things always are. It seems that when you're dealing with the place where you live, it grows along with you. We still want to add some little touches- accent rugs, things on the wall, a bit more to the windows, etc, but for now, we're content with the beautiful outcome of all our hard work (All to the tune of only about $4,000!) and we can't wait to hear what you think! Thank you for following along with us on this adventure!

Have questions about projects from our kitchen? Ask them in the comments section! We'd be happier to give you a more detailed description of our projects!

Keep on truckin'

2009-11-23T08:54:00.001-08:00

So we left you hanging last time. I'm sure you've been losing sleep just wondering if the Ahlgrims have a working toilet... well, fear not. Your sleepless nights are over, concerned reader. The Ahlgrims have a working toilet! But not just that. The Ahlgrims have a re-painted bathroom as well! I'm sure you're all dying to see pictures, and we're dying to show them to you, but alas, the camera is sitting on the kitchen counter and we can't get to it... why, you ask? Because the grout is drying on the kitchen floor! (!!!!!)

Wait, WHAT?! The Ahlgrims finished not one, but TWO projects?
No. The fireplace is done too. That's three! We simply cannot wait to show you the result! Stay tuned this week for our big reveal(s)!

For now, we'll leave you with a little peak at the kitchen in mid-construction:

DIY Realities

2009-11-17T05:33:00.001-08:00

We've shown you the pretty side of DIY-ing your way threw our Mid-Century Rancher, but let's talk for a minute about our dirty little secret... the project we haven't had tackled that looms over our head. We call this this Hall Bathroom. It's that room that you clean- nay, SCRUB and douse with bleach, yet it never feels completely clean because of how old it is. Here, I'll just show you a picture that speaks for itself:

Yep. Complete with faux rock tile, dingy sink vanity, and mirrored sliding doors that probably hadn't been cleaned in at least ten years. Sick.

The good news is, we decided to do a little mini-makeover sesh while we're saving to gut the poor guy.

We removed the grimy sliding doors and replaced it with a nice white shower curtain. We've taken down the vinyl mini blinds and put up a simply tea-towel cafe curtain. We painted the vanity, shelving, and all trim white and added brushed nickel hardware, and we scrubbed (and scrubbed... and scrubbed) that nasty tile... it still looks pretty funky. Our little bathroom was starting to look a little less scary. Except for one thing: the toilet.

Now, in the toilet's defense, it's a good, clean, working toilet... okay, well, it was clean at least. It just had a REALLY nasty toilet seat. Seen here:

Did I just completely gross you out? I did, didn't I. You're never coming back... Okay, well, if you're still reading and not clawing your eyes out from this horrendous sight, I'll finish my story. I decided to replace the toilet seat. I Popped of this old green one by unscrewing the plastic bolts and nuts located underneath the toilet seat on either side. Then I just screwed in the shiny new seat and gave myself a pat on the back!

But the story doesn't end there... Oh no. I wish it did. I got the urge to scrub that crazy tile again, so I started with the hard-to-reach tile behind the toilet. While scrubbing, my shoulder knocked against the toilet tank and all of a sudden my little hall bathroom became the kiddy pool at the water park- complete with woman slipping and sliding all over the place trying to take care of the problem. It seriously looked like a scene from "I Love Lucy". Ridiculous, you guys.

But I didn't have too much time to panic. The water was a constant trickle, so I grabbed a pitcher to catch the water. I quickly located the leak: the tank bolt underneath the right side of the tank. This is the bolt that attaches your tank to your seat. Not good. I called Ryan in a panic, and luckily, he was on his lunch break and close enough to come home to help. While waiting for him, I decided to attempt to remedy the situation by myself. All I needed were some pliers, right?

Pliers? Check. Remove toilet tank lid. Check. Hold down seal inside FREEZING water of toilet tank, while tightening bolt underneath toilet tank at the same time... eeehhhhh.... not so much. I'm pretty coordinated, but I'm not THAT great. Plus, any tightening I attempted seemed to only cause MORE water to flow from the back of the toilet! The pitcher was full. I emptied it, admitted defeat, and sat and waited for Ryan to get home.

When he got there, we drained the tank, but couldn't get the water to shut off so it wouldn't fill up again! (it just keeps getting better, right?) So what did we do? We went all Macgruber on our toilet and tied the float bulb to the towel rack above the toilet using the string handles cut from my old fabric books (you're impressed, aren't you? I knew it. Or maybe just embarassed for us...) After the tank was drained and dry, we put a clear layer of silicone sealant over the tank seal. Did it work? Heck if I know. We have to wait for 24 hours to even get it wet! I guess we'll find out later tonight...

Luckily we had already planned to have a plumber out tonight to fix another unrelated problem in the same bathroom...and THAT, my friends... is the reality of DIY.

What's your DIY disaster story?

Kitchen Re-Design Salvaged

2009-11-11T09:15:00.000-08:00

Over the past few months, there have been many things very, very wrong with our tiny little mid-century kitchen (heinous wood panelling, interesting choices in wallpaper, carpet in the kitchen, Oh, and mold) all of which are problems that can be quickly remedied. But there was one little element in this charming kitchen that gnawed at my nerves... it haunted my dreams and I feared that it would ruin all of our hard work if we allowed it to remain within the confines of our new clean, white, updated kitchen... what was this lurking monster, you ask? What was this black cloud of design death that loomed over my head as I did dishes every day? (literally) It was the dreaded wood cornice!

Okay, so maybe it's not THAT bad... but it is a very dated look that we just weren't jiving with. Well, I think Ryan could have lived with it, but I absolutely could not justify spending time and money to update a kitchen and then leaving the one little element that would STILL make it look dated! So ask me what I did.... go ahead ask me!

I made puppy dog eyes at Ryan and convinced him to lop off the vile wooden beast! It was a bit tricky because the piece actually went all the way up to attach to the crown molding on top of the cabinets, which we wanted to remain intact. But, my Bear is a skilled craftsman with an iron will and he made perfectly smooth cuts to please his (nagging) adoring wife.

He has a cute butt. Just saying. Aaaaaaand back to the finished product:

After a bit of sawing and sanding, our lines were all clean! New issue: we can now see more of the cheap over-sink light fixture than we'd like... Looks like I'll be doing some lighting shopping!

Sneak Peak: The paint!

2009-11-11T09:10:00.001-08:00

Remember how we convinced you to fall in love with painted wood panelling? Here's just a little peak at how ours turned out:

It might not look like much now with it's icky primer trim and naked light switch, but trust us, when we post the final reveal, you're gonna flip! Or at least we hope you will. We sure are impressed the the transformation already and we're not even finished! Stay tuned for more projects and reveals!

Questions about painting wood panelling? Leave a comment below and ask us!

Guess what happens this weekend..........

2009-10-24T18:07:00.000-07:00

Yeah, that's Chelsea with a power tool. Be afraid...

We made the brilliant money-saving decision to recycle our the current cabinets instead of purchasing new ones! They're in pretty good shape aside from a disgusting layer of film from years of cooking.

We've decided to paint the cabinets rather than try to re-stain them. We are aiming for a really clean, fresh look- something that's definitely a departure from the dark, wood-panelled walls we had before- so we decided on a crisp, clean white for the cabinets. Yes, folks. We'll be doing this ourselves. Experience? None. This could get interesting.

The cabinet doors have been removed and sanded, but now it's time to sand what's still attached to the walls. The basic steps are as follows:

1. Deep clean icky-fried-food-film with some major soap and elbow grease.
2. Sand (with a fine grit sand paper- we're not trying to strip it, we just want to knock down the stain that's on there already)
3. Wipe clean of saw dust
4.. Prime (with an oil-based primer)
5.Sand (again to knock down any "bumps" or imperfections that may have arisen from the quick-drying primer)
6. Wipe clean of dust
7. Paint (with a kitchen/bath enamel paint)
and MAYBE 8. paint again (if we think it needs it)

Sounds like a lot? Well, maybe. But we want to be sure to do it right! Sound complicated? Nah. We're thinking it won't be (knock on wood). Just tedious.

And don't worry, we'll be sure to bring you a more detailed step-by-step after we've actually experienced and completed the process. Wish us luck!

Guest Room Gallery Wall

2009-10-19T05:33:00.001-07:00

We're lucky enough to have the extra space for a guest room. It's a cute little room. Vintage furniture. Neutral walls... a little TOO neutral, really. This was the view our guests would have had from their comfy bed:

Dresser. Not too exciting. Luckily we haven't had any overnight guests yet! We decided it was time to commit to some art on those walls! A lot of people get hung up on worrying about holes in the wall, or having to re-paint, but we're big advocates of doing what you want- what you really LOVE in your house- just because you love it.

We're big fans of the asymmetrical gallery wall, and Chelsea has a special affinity for birds, so naturally, we decided to use this room to display some great feathered finds we've acquired. We grabbed pieces of all different sizes and set out to piece them together!

There are a lot of opinions on how you should design your gallery wall (here's Martha's take) but most of them are way too involved for me (Chelsea here). I tend to just "eyeball" things until they're juuuuuust right. I take all the pieces and spread them out on a clear flat surface (in this case, it was the guest room floor)

I start with the largest pieces (in this case, the white quad frame and the John Derian plate- gushed about here ). If I only have one large piece, I usually position it towards to "center" of the collection. More than one? Just make sure they're in opposite corners in order to balance out your arrangement.

From there, I really just shuffle around the rest of the pieces until I have a display with no "grid-like lines" (remember, we're thinking asymmetrically. Try to make sure pieces that are next to each other are NOT level ) that catches my eye. It doesn't have to look perfect- in fact, that's exactly the allure of the asymmetrical gallery wall!

When everything feels balanced, I take a picture with my digital camera. From there, I start hammering away,l referring back to the digital picture whenever I forget spacing. After a few holes in the wall (be bold, fellow DIY-er), we've gone from a blank, beige canvas, to an adorable avian display!

Your guests will thank you.

Fall Decorations

2009-10-05T05:50:00.000-07:00

We finally got a chance to sprinkle a little fall around the house! My favorite piece pièce de résistance for any holiday decoration is the fireplace, so I thought I'd show you how our Fall Fireplace vignette looks this week (you know it will change four hundred times before Fall is over!). It doesn't feel complete just yet... like I need more height on either sides of the mirror... or something. I definitely want to add some fresh vegetation in there- real pumpkins and gourds. One thing I KNOW I want to do SOON is finally get this fireplace painted!

Guess this just gives me more of an excuse to go shopping for fall decor! What do you think? Suggestions? Know of a place to snag great fall decor? Spill it!

A Tile Teaser

2009-09-30T06:19:00.001-07:00

We haven't forgotten you! We're right smack in the middle of our kitchen re-design and not really in a place to update just yet, BUT we wanted to give you a little teaser of our tile backsplash! This was my (Chelsea here) first attempt at tiling, and I must say, I'm brilliant. No seriously. Look at those straight lines! We challenge you to find straighter lines!

Looks pretty awesome against our new counter tops, eh? Stay tuned! There's a lot more kitchen goodness headed your way!

Kitchen Redesign Diaries: Chapter 3, The Counter Tops

2009-09-15T18:20:00.000-07:00

They're in!! Everything went smoothly with the installation and the counters look AWESOME! I just couldn't get a good picture of how great they actually look. They look blue/green in these pictures, but I swear, they're just a gorgeous dark charcoal grey.

Here's a peak:

But now the kitchen seems incredibly DARK with all that wood in there, so we're that much more motivated to get to work on tile and paint! We're also sans sink for a few days, but that just means we'll have to go have some authentic Oklahoma Cuisine from our favorite Asian take-out joint.

Oh, so much fuzzy red wallpaper...

Things are clicking right along! This weekend, Ryan will get to work on the tile backsplash! Stay tuned for more!

Kitchen Redesign Diaries: A peak

2009-09-15T09:30:00.001-07:00

Since it's my day off, I spent some time removing cabinet doors this morning:

Now my kitchen feels incredibly untidy... Next step will be scrubbing them down and sanding them to knock off some of the finish. Then primer, and some paint! Can't wait to see the end result!

And just as I was finishing up, the countertop guys dropped off these babies:

That's just a peak. They're being installed later today. First road block of today: we were told that the installers would cut the hole for the sink on site, so we purchased a new sink in a different size from our old one. Unfortunately there's already a big gaping hole there for a sink that is the size of our current one. No worries, we'll return the old one and buy the correct size!

Oh, holy crap, I forgot I never showed you my new area rug! Well, you can sort of see it resting peacefully underneath the counters here, but this picture doesn't do it justice. It's gorgeous.

I'm sure there will be more updates later after the counters are installed- that is as long as nothing goes wrong!

Kitchen Redesign Diaries: Chapter Two

2009-09-14T19:22:00.000-07:00

Hi, kids! we're back to reveal a little more about our Kitchen Redesign! So far, you've seen our mold roadblock which we quickly remedied, ninja-style. Well, now we're movin' on to the walls!

Upon moving into the house, we ambitiously decided to remove all the wood panelling in the kitchen. Unfortunately, we quickly realized that removing wood panelling also meant removing fifty year-old red fuzzy wallpaper and risking damage to even older drywall beneath. Our solution? PAINT! Don't even look at me like that. I'm serious. It can be done and it can look good!

Luckily, our wood panelling is real wood. This means that once it's painted, it will have that cool rustic feel we like. You still look skeptical... here, let us show you some examples of wood panelling done right!

Elizabeth Anne Designs

via apartment therapy

Have we changed your minds yet? No worries. We're confident you'll LOVE the results just as much as we will! Keep in mind that the kitchen currently looks like this:

Which was a tiny improvement over what it looked like when we moved in:

So really, ANYTHING is an improvement. It's not like we could make it look worse, right? (knock on wood panelling) But first, there are counter tops to be installed! They're coming in this TOMORROW (Tuesday), so be ready!

Like what you see? Have a question? Leave a comment below and let us know!

The Vintage Chair Today

2009-09-07T05:51:00.000-07:00

I spent part of this Labor Day weekend doing some serious Antique-ing! Go check out our finds over at The Vintage Chair!

Kitchen Redesign Diaries: Chapter 1

2009-09-07T05:49:00.000-07:00

Great news, guys! We've tackled a lot of little things that needed to be done around our new house, but now we're about to tackle something we're REALLY excited about: The kitchen!

Step 1: buy new countertops. check!

We headed on over to Lowe's and signed on for some honed laminate goodness. Yes, you heard right. We're sticking with a laminate. We like the durability, and since we only plan to be here for five or six years, we couldn't justify shelling out the cash for something fancy like granite.

Everything was running smoothly until the nice young man from Lowe's came to measure our current counter tops. he informed us that in order for the counters to fit flush with the wall, a portion of wood panelling would have to be removed. Cool. Fine. We needed to take it out anyway because we planned on continuing the subway tile backsplash all the way up in this new "desk area" we're creating in the kitchen.

If you'll remember, the previous owners had their washer in the kitchen:

I know. Weird, right? Well, once we bought our new washer and dryer, re-converted the garage from a family room back into a garage, and had the water lines re-routed to the new garage, the hook ups were still chilling in a big square hole in the kitchen.

Boo. Annoying. (also, can you spy the fuzzy red wallpaper peeking through the cracks of the frame?) There was also a curious piece of MDF board hanging out in the bottom left-hand corner:

We knew we had to remove the panelling, remove the (no -longer functioning) water lines, and patch up the square holes. Cool. We were ready for that. But we were NOT prepared for what we found next. Let me give you the play by play

Strange piece of MDF board removed to reveal red wallpaper (surprise, surprise) and large round hole that looks like it belonged to a dryer at some point (actual surprise). Whatever. We'll seal that up too. No biggy. Continue.

But wait... that looks like some water damage. Begin to inspect base boards for more possible water damage... find this:

Uh oh... this looks ominous... but no time to worry. Must plow full-speed ahead, RIP wood panelling from the wall to reveal.....................................................................................................

THIS:

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD THAT'S A LOT OF DISGUSTING FUZZY RED WALLPAPER!!!!

oh yeah... and MOLD!!!

So let's review: The previous owners decided it would be a great idea to put a machine that uses water in front of real wood panelling and fabric wallpaper... they were just begging for some mold up all up in their grill.

There was a mad dash for masks, goggles, and gloves (unfortunately we were fresh out of hazmat suits). The area was then doused with bleach and quarantined with some visqueen. With mold like this, we knew our only course of action was to tear out the dry wall and replace it. So that's exactly what we did!

We tore out the existing drywall, bleached the area again, and again, and again. Then vaccumed out as much debris (and possibly dried mold) as we could. Then Ryan cut the new drywall to size, and popped it up on the studs!

And VOILA! Prepped and ready for counter tops AND a new tile backsplash!

Stay tuned for more Kitchen Renovation antics!

Like what you see? Have a question about this project? Leave a comment and let us know!

The Vintage Chair Today

2009-09-02T06:10:00.001-07:00

Head on over to The Vintage Chair this morning and say hello! Farmer's Market Finds always brighten my day!

Dining Room Vignette

2009-09-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

So we tore out the shelves overhead in our dining room, but we decided to leave one set of small corner shelves. Gotta have some built-in storage, right? These little guys got a fresh coat of white paint, and some aqua accessories. Keep it simple, we say.

Creating little vignettes within your home can really personalize the space. I always like to find a common thread amongst the objects I place together- in this case, the color was the deciding factor on who made the cut.

Each of the objects has special meaning to me, so I enjoy seeing them all in one place, and though not really related in anyway, all linked together somehow.

Plus, it's just a great color, don't you think?!

I later replaced the large frame with a small aqua clock I found.

I'm sure this vignette will be changing constantly. It's in a place that just begs to be redesigned by season or mood!

Things are finally starting to come together around here. It's funny how long it can take you to really feel "moved in". I mean, we've owned the house since June 25th, and we've officially been moved in since July 25th, but we still have a long way to go renovation-wise and design-wise! It's a work in progress- always in progress. It's funny how relevent this secret from this past Sunday's Post Secret is to our lives right now:

Lukcily, we love this house- for all it's faults and flaws (and trust me, there are several) we absolutely love this house. We love living in it, we love sleeping in it, we love fixing it up, ripping things out, and making a home in it. We also love being able to share the experience with all of you. So if you've been reading and/or commenting at all, we appreciate all your support. You're the best, really! And I have a feeling the fun has just begun...

Tea set- gift from best friend, Jill. She brought it home from China complete with little ginger tea balls!

Pitcher- thrift store find- $2

globe- thrift store find $3
frame- gift from my mother

clock- Garden Ridge- $10

number 2- was meant to go on our house, but I like it where it is! $7 at Home Depot

Like what you see? Leave us a comment below and let us know!

How to Open Up Your Space

2009-08-31T06:52:00.000-07:00

We just love our little fixer-upper Ranch-style Bungalow, but let's be honest, it needs some tlc.

Let me start by saying that we're big fans of shutters- when used correctly. I (Chelsea here) have lots of clients that will request shutters and ONLY shutters will do. Cool. Fine. Whatever. But we had a problem with two HUGE windows full of little, tiny, dark, dusty, bi-fold shutters over our great big windows. So what did we do? I think you know the answer to that....

That's right. Ripped them off.

Here's the before:

And here's the after:

But we didn't stop there, kids. Oh no no no... there was still work to be done! All of those shelves looming over our heads were really cramping our style. See, the dark wood really makes the ceiling feel heavy and low, so we took a hammer and a pry bar to them and popped those puppies off! Unfortunately, it left some pretty large holes in the wall that we had to patch, but a little spackle did the trick. No harm, no foul.

There was paint, furniture, and *temporary* window treatments added, and here is what we have now!

We opened up our space by using a light, neutral color called Cliveden Sandstone (Go here for a list of all our paint colors) and brightened up the trim with a clean, bright white. Our dark floors were softened with a large-weave jute rug. We then added floor to celing draperies on simple oval rodding to draw the eye upware and make the room appear taller. A few other furniture pieces were added to fill in the space, and VOILA! A clean, bright dining room with a simple palette. We're extremely happy with what we've accomplished with it so far, but let's talk about what we'd like to do to it in the future:
-art must be framed and hung
-larger rug
-new drapery hardware
-new, more modern-looking light fixture
-two mis-matched chairs to put at either end of the dining table

So that's the update on the Ahlgrim Casa for now! How's your house looking?

Like what you see? Leave a comment below and let us know!

Hallway Vignette

2009-08-18T17:46:00.000-07:00

This is the beginnings of the gallery wall in our hallway. It features a lot of items with a spanish feel- which I'm really digging. You can really see how rich the paint color is in these photos, but I'll apologize in advance for the poor lighting and quality. It's hard to get good lighting in an interior hallway!

The mirror is one of a pair that I found for four bucks at a junk shop and I stole the hat from my dad when he was here helping us move. (Sorry, Daddy.) I've had the dresser since I was a kid. It now houses different odds and ends like batteries, hammer and nails, and a small sewing kit. It's also good for bed linens.

The bottles came from different places, including the ground- I literally found one of them half buried on campus at my University. Luckily, I dug it up without needing a tetnis shot, and cleaned it out for display!
The shells were a souveneir from my recent business trip to California
The painted wooden piece was originally a heinous green color and I painted it to match our old bathroom, which also had this same rustic spanish feel.

The crosses were purchased in various craft stores, flea markets, and thrift stores

The monkey candle holder was a wedding gift (Ryan enjoys monkeys for some reason and secretly registered for this when I wasn't looking! I love it though) and the brass lion candelabra in the background was also found at a junk shop and purchased for a quarter (!).

The plan is to keep building around this to cover the entire hallway. Funny how things that I've had for years, and things that are new to me all seem to fit together so seamlessly to make the perfect little vignette.

Do you have any special places like this in your home? I'd love to see pictures of them! Send them my way!

Living Room Updates

2009-08-17T06:09:00.000-07:00

I suppose it's time to show you how things are coming together little by little. I've recently painted the two open rooms that house our living and dining a beautiful tan color called Cliveden Sandstone (go herefor a list of all of our paint colors!). I also went over the base boards and trim with a crisp white. Here's a little glimpse of what we're working with so far:

That's our new couch! It's totally lounge-able, but we hate the pillows it came with (see those swirly brown ones on the edge? Yeah. Those.) Another change we're excited about is the curtains. We (surprisingly) loved the curtains that were left by the owners. They were a little dusty from refinishing the floors, but that was easily remedied since they're machine washable! They already had pins in them, so we just picked up a Chris Madden rod, some finials and rings and popped that puppy up on the wall! (actually, it was quite a challenge! Next time we'll remember to charge the drill before we do a project!)

Our little seating vignette complete with new chair (background), old chair (foreground), new rug, and some pieces we stole from other rooms like our old white nightstand that I distressed. You'll notice that our fireplace didn't get it's fresh coat of white paint like we had planned, but never fear, it's in the works!

Changes we're going to make in the very near future:

As I said, we'll be painting the fireplace, but we're also hunting for two big decor items: an area rug, and art! These are very special pieces because they have to be JUST right for the space. It has to be something you LOVE and can live with for a long time. We'll keep you updated on our rug/art hunt! Let us know if you have any suggestions on where to get some great stuff! Where did you get YOUR rug or art?! Tip us off!

We're also on the look-out for some updated lighting. The current lamps we have are not condusive to larger spaces (remember, we came from a teeny tiny apartment!), AND another chair to replace my old wicker one!

So stay tuned for more decor updates from our humble abode!

How To: Reclaim Your Garage!

2009-08-17T06:07:00.001-07:00

We're here to show you how we turned an old, outdated, unused room into the garage that it was intended to be! The previous owners had turned the once 2-car garage into a game room after adding a fireplace in the living room (with which the "garage" shared a wall). When we saw that disgustingly oh-so-70s carpet, we knew we had to have it! you can see a small peak of it here (along with my favorite stained-glass door):

We were no dummies. We knew that the electrical work involved in converting this garage was way over our heads, so we called in the professionals to do some demo, rewiring, re-plumbing, and renovation. They closed up the entrance from the living room into the "game room" and patched it ever so carefully for a seamless look on our living room wall. They moved the washing machine hook-ups from the kitchen (yes, the kitchen) back to the garage where the dryer was already waiting. It was an emotional and much-needed reunion for the two. They rewired some lighting and outlets, as well as installed new electric garage mechanisms on our trusty old doors. Eventually we'd like to replace the doors, but for now, the old ones do nicely. Here's what it looked like when they were nearly finished with it:

That concrete hadn't seen the light of day since the 70s! And here's proof:

a mailer ad from the 70s! It's plaistered to our floor. To be honest, the concrete floor is in pretty poor shape. There is paint all over it, so we plan to pressure wash it before the summer is over.

Unfortunately, just as soon as it was empty, we filled it back up! Remember this patio facelift? Well, we had a few things we couldn't fit in our Bulk Trash Day pile, so sadly, they had to take up residence in our newly emptied garage!

Along with some boxes still left to unpack....

mixed in with all our "garage stuff" like tools and paint.

But we loaded up Ryan's truck with all this junk and hauled it off!

And what do we have here?! Oh nothing, just my car parked on my side of the garage!

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Well, sort of. Next step will be adding shelving and hooks to devise a storage plan in the garage. We're open to any advice concerning garage storage solutions!

Weekend Projects

2009-08-07T06:16:00.000-07:00

This week feels like it's been DRAGGING on... But I'm keeping busy, so that's a good thing, right? I am planning to get a lot done this weekend. Ryan will be at drill, so this leaves me all to myself to do the planning, prepping, and execution of a couple of little projects I'm wanting to tackle. I painted our dining room so it's all but finished (check for pictures soon!) I'll remind you of the "before":

Dark shutters, heavy wooden shelves and a dark soffet overhead... anything is an improvement, right? There are a couple of things I'd like to purchase for that room this weekend to make it feel "finished" and then I'm moving on to the living room!

So you know what that means...... I FINALLY get to have my painted stone fireplace I've been debating about! Here's the picture that started it all:

And {hopefully} our fireplace will look very similar by the end of the weekend. So put your paintin' panties on, kids! We've got a lot of walls to cover by Sunday! Here's the official To Do for the weekend:

-purchase window coverings and hardware for dining room

-purchase a few missing paint supplies

-prep living room to be painted ( the MOST important part. It'll save you a headache later!)

-PAINT!

What are your plans?

Nana Says

2009-08-06T11:17:00.000-07:00

Remember these beauties that popped up over night?

I had no clue what they were, but as reader and fellow blogger stefunkc suspected, these are in fact "Naked Ladies". Scandalous.
My Nana says:
Hi, Sweetie,
The flower that came up in your yard is called a " Surprise Lily", or some people call it "Naked Lady" because it only has the stem and bloom. The leaves come up first and then they will wilt and die. It will seem that the plant dies, but then, overnight, the flower shoots up with only the stem and the bloom. They will come back next year. I have 2 that are blooming.
Love,Nana
And I don't know about YOUR Nana, but MY Nana is always right.

Thanks Nana!

Also, I'm thinking we need to make "Nana Says" a regular segment here at The Chair. Because my Nana knows everything.

Yes. we must. Thoughts?

Mexican Falsa Blanket

2009-08-05T14:48:00.000-07:00

We knew that once we decided to go with hardwood floors and tile throughout the entire house we would be buying a lot of area rugs. We're off to a pretty good start with a thick jute rug from target that we placed under the coffee table and couch legs, and a brown and cream patterned rug that we've placed in the office. I'm drawn to rugs with a flat weave. I like to be able to roll 'em up and throw 'em elsewhere if I so choose. So last week I found this Mexican Falsa Blanket while browsing on Amazon.com and had to have it. Here it is draped across our brand new sofa that I haven't shown you yet!

I was immediately drawn to the bright turquoise and the graphic black and white stripe. I plan to use it under the dining room table as a rug! Here's a better view of the pattern:

And the best part is that it's machine washable, so we don't have to be afraid of putting a putting a rug with lots of white onto the floor! So what do you think? Love it? Hate it? Got a recommendation for a place to find really great area rugs?! Let us know! We definitely need about 89430-21- more!

Left Behind Part Deux

2009-08-05T14:44:00.000-07:00

Finally, we've discovered something that the previous owners left behind that WASN'T disaster. These little flowers greeted me as I walked out to my car this morning! They popped up over night! Aren't they so sweet?

Still doesn't make up for the "bucket of blood".......

Left Behind

2009-08-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

You're probably asking yourself, "why is Chelsea posting pictures of a junk yard?"- a valid question. Unfortunately, this junk yard happens to be located on my back patio- or should I say WAS located on my back patio.

The previous owners seem to have gotten a bit testy towards the end of the closing process leaving behind a sloppy paint job that was required by VA, taking appliances that were originally supposed to have been left, and replacng them with this pile of CRAP on our back patio. Yes. That's a marlboro sign and a satellite dish (there is a second satellite dish just out of frame). Also, to my horror............THIS

What's that, you ask? It's a BUCKET OF BLOOD! Okay, it's not really a bucket of blood, but that's what we thought it was when we first stumbled upon it. It's actually a bucket of car oil. But still just as annoying, though a lot less creepy and suspicious.

This past weekend, Ryan and I took to the lawn and patio with a vengeance. We mowed, weeded, edged, and even sprayed the poison ivy that's growing like crazy by our barn. The weeds against the fence were so thick that it ran down the battery on my weed-eater. Clearly the yard- much like the rest of the house- was not kept up the way it should have been. We didn't even get to touch the overgrown bushes in the front planters (we plan on ripping them out completely and starting over next spring, so that project will probably wait til later this fall) but we DID get to tackle that patio. We cleared everything off and put it out for what we call "Big Trash Day". The city picks it up, no questions asked- all except that bucket of "blood". We had to dispose of that properly.

So here's our "after":

Not exactly the outdoor oasis we want it to be, but hey, it's a start, right? See how the pavement has been stained by the oil on the left-hand side? So irritating. But nothing a little pressure washing wont' fix! Summer is already winding down here, but mark my words, by next summer, this will be a totally Chic and comfortable outdoor space! Guess you'll have to check back next year!

Seal it up!

2009-08-03T06:02:00.000-07:00

We've inherited some-ahem- problems with this old house of ours. Not the least of which were our wooden-paned windows. Oh yeah, they're cute, but they've seen some abuse over the years. We'd like to replace them with more energy efficient windows, but for right now, a little elbow grease and sealer will have to do.

As you can see, the beveled edge of the wood has completely rotted away on this spot, leaving the edge of the glass nearly exposed. You can also see that the previous owners did little to nothing to help this situation. There was paint slopped everywhere, even on the glass! So what are two young DIY-ers to do?

We grabbed a spackle knife/paint scraper, a box knife, some sand paper, and some window sealant and went to work!

You can see how much we've sanded down the edge (see all that saw dust? yes. we cleaned it all up!) We simply scraped the paint and old, peeling caulk from around the glass (using the box knife to perforate if needed), sanded down the rough wood or old paint, applied a window sealant ( we used DAP Premium Elastomeric Latex Sealant in Brilliant White. You can find it at Lowes) and smoothed the edges with a little rubber tool (what is the name of that little tool, anyway? Someone's making a fortune off of it!). We made sure to use a latex sealant because even though our windows are white now, we wanted to be able to paint over the sealant to cover any remaining exposed wood. Silicone sealant will work just as well, but it's very difficult to paint over.

The corners are a little tricky, but you get the hang of it. We made sure to keep some work rags on hand just to wipe off the sealant tube and the smoothing tool. It was a lot of work in the hot sun, but our windows look oh so smooth and clean! We also decreased the amount of air that was escaping to the outside, which will certainly help our checkbooks when the electric bill comes! There is a 50 year guarantee on the DAP product, so with any luck, we'll still be cool and comfy when we retire! (Okay, we'll probably replace the windows by then!)

The FIRST Supper

2009-08-02T19:00:00.000-07:00

We finally cleaned up and cleared out the kitchen enough to feel like it was safe to cook in. The construction dust from the garage renovation had cleared so it was definitely time for some stir fry! We used to do a stir fry night regularly but haven't been able to since this whole moving process.

So last night we whipped out the pots and pans and decided to cook our first meal on the new range. It's all shiny and clean.

And then we chilled on the couch and watched a movie. It was an extremely relaxing night. Something we've both been needing. Who knew owning a home could be so stressful? (to be fair, we were certainly warned)

Don't get me wrong, we're really enjoying the experience, but part of me wishes these walls would paint themselves, and all of those cute accessories would just fly up on the walls. Oh, and if the shower could miraculously be covered in tile, I'd appreciate it.

Nevertheless, we're trying to soak up all of the experience that we can. We're learning a lot. For example, sometimes people don't take care of their homes like they should. This is a BAD idea because no matter how long you think you're going to be living in this house, you will NOT live forever, and eventually, someone else will be left with the responsibility of giving it a facelift- sometimes a MAJOR one. Luckily, we've met all of our neighbors and they're really a dream to have next door and across the street. I'm sure we'll be in need of their help more than once throughout this whole ordeal.

I think that sometimes we enter into situations thinking that things are going to go down a certain way, but God has different plans. This could very well be one of those situations. We love our little house, and we can't wait to see what God has in store for us in it.

I hope everyone had a great weekend! Just a few more days 'til the next one!

Moving Cupcakes

2009-07-29T05:43:00.000-07:00

Aren't these so cool?! They're by Clever Cupcakes, based out of Montreal. What an excellent housewarming gift! We're digging the sharpie and box knife. Every moving day calls for a break-time snack, right?

Moving Day

2009-07-29T04:58:00.000-07:00

We're back to share a little more about our moving experience! We started out our morning the same way any Ninja-fied DIY power couple would: donuts, yeah?

Let's recap what shape the apartment was in before (the same shape it had been in for over two months!)

Sad, eh? We were up to our necks in boxes and STUFF! (can you spot all my fabric sample books that I had to "stash" on the couch?) Needless to say, we were ready to get outta there.
We quickly realized that we're just two mere mortals who can only do so much so we enlisted the help of my father! He came down from Tulsa to do some heavy lifting and male bonding with Ryan. It was great having an extra set of hands.

We're pretty experienced movers by now (college dorms, apartments, military barracks, etc) but this was our first move into an actual house. We didn't really know what to expect, but let me tell you this: it was SO much easier than working around hallways, elevators, stair wells, crowded parking lots, and other people's stuff. We just backed our truck up to the front porch, let down the ramp, and loaded it out! Here are a few tips to keep yourself sane while moving:

-Pack things
This one sounds obvious, right? Well, you'd be surprised how much time we've wasted in the past just thinking, "Oh we'll throw that in at the last minute" or, "Maybe I'll need that before the move." You know that final step of moving out where you have all of the little things scattered in different rooms? Yeah. Those things.... they need to be packed! The best strategy is to assign one or two boxes to things you think you may need before your move (alarm clock? files, toaster, paper plates, paper towels, bath towels, etc). That way you don't end up with all those annoying little pieces that are leftover!

-LABEL LABEL LABEL
We're suckers for a good label, but in this case, it is imperative that you (correctly and clearly) label all of your boxes. And I know it's hard, but you should really try to keep like things together. We like to do ours mainly by room (i.e. kitchen stuff with kitchen stuff, bathroom with bathroom, etc) When you are lugging box after identical box off of a hot moving truck, you'll be so glad you know where to take them.

-Bag it!
Clothes are a tricky thing to pack because again, it's one of those things you might need before you move so you can't really have it boxed up for weeks. Here's how we do it: a few days before we move (in addition to our box of "Stuff We Might Need") we pack suitcases of clothes and toiletries. Everything else goes into.......garbage bags. Yep. We do it the classy way. It's so much easier! And for our hanging clothes, we just toss a bag over the top with the top of the hangers sticking out like a garment bag. No need to take them off the hanger when they're just going right back up, right? Right!

-Rent a truck
Unless you've got very little to move, We would highly suggest renting a moving truck if you're doing the moving yourself. The little money you'll spend will be totally worth it to avoid a million trips back and forth- wasting gas in the process! We just went ahead and rented the 26 foot truck from U-Haul. We had a little room to spare, but not enough to have been able to use the smaller truck. It made it so much easier to be able to fit everything into one truck, and move it once!

-Enlist some help
Again, we asked my dad to come down and help. Six hands are better than four, right? We can't even imagine what we would've done without help. It makes things to a lot quicker, trust us. I know you're worried that your friends aren't going to want to give up their Saturday to help you do heavy lifting, but just bribe them with pizza and beer like we did! It works like a charm!

-Put things in there place!
If you've already got the box in your hands, don't just set it on the porch and leave it. That just means you're doubling your work! Take it all the way inside and put it in the room where it will live. You'll be glad you did.

-Lift from the legs
Self explanatory.

-Clean, clean, clean
This was a big one for us. The same family had lived here since the late 60s and had done little to no updating (remember this wood panelling over fuzzy red wallpaper fiasco? Yeah... you should see the rest of the house...) and apparently very little deep cleaning. It didn't help that there was still sawdust everywhere from having the floors refinished! So the first thing we did was get down and dirty with some major cleaning. We're talking rubber gloves and a mask. It was pretty disgusting in some places (ahem... we're talking about you hall shower...) but no worries, most of those things are going to be ripped out and replaced anyway! The point is that you want to start fresh in a house that doesnt' feel like other people still live there, so take some time to REALLY clean!

So let's take a look at a little more progression in clearing out the apartment:

Notice how few things were leftbefore our final load! I'd say we did a pretty good job this time! We're looking forward to NOT having to move for several years. Yeah, we like our little house. I think we'll stay a while!

Got any moving tips? Leave a comment below and let us know!

Movin' In!

2009-07-27T05:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! We've had a long weekend of moving, but we're so excited to finally be living in our little Rancher. In fact, as you read this, you're sharing my first cup of coffee in the new house! Yes, I'm surrounded by boxes as I type, but it's relaxing nonetheless to be in our own space. And now the real work begins.

Here's what you can expect to pop up within the next few weeks:
-Ryan's shower project
-How to salvage your aging windows
-Furniture arrangment in problem spaces
-How to paint wood panelling (yes. you heard me. and it's going to look FANTASTIC!)
-How to paint your kitchen cabinets
-How to convert your converted garage.....back into a garage!
-How to open up your space
-How to paint a rock fireplace
and maybe even...
-How to NOT kill each other when you're renovating your first house and you both have full-time jobs and go to school as well.
We'll see about that last one.

We'd like to leave you with some pictures of our move, but unfortunately, the camera cord is still packed! Just have a good Monday, and we'll be back with pictures later!

New Paint:

2009-07-23T05:55:00.000-07:00

I usually don't like to post pictures of an unifinished room, but in this case I'm going to make an exception because- let's be honest- there's not a room in this house that's not unfinished! (Take a look at ALL of the before's here)

This past weekend my mom came down to help me start painting the house. We wanted to get right to work but unfortunately, there was still a *little* sawdust leftover from when the floors were done.

So instead, we spent half of the first day cleaning (and taking deliveries, something I'll have to tell you about later!). We had to take down all of the window treatments (which would've come down anyway because they were HEINOUS) so we devised a little trick: if you cover the curtains with a trash bag, then tie or hold it at the top while you remove the rod, the whole thing comes down with little to no dust floating around!

We ended up doing the office, the guest room, and the hallway. Let me remind you what the guest room looked like before:

And now look at it!

We took the walls from the all-over, washed-out, bluish white that made the whole house feel like a mental institution to a warm neutral (get the names of all of our colors here). It really makes the space feel completely different.

And then there's the hallway before:

And after in Cottage Shutter:

Won't this look awesome with a little red console and mirror down at the end of the hall?! I can't wait!

The office is the same color as the guest room, but it will have a terra cotta-colored accent wall. We are moving in this weekend! I can't believe we're finally going to be living in this house for which we worked so hard! I'm going to be able to cook in a kitchen, and see my things out of boxes. It'll be like Christmas! So if you're in the OKC area this weekend, and want some good ol' fashioned fun, call us up! We need people to do some heavy lifting!

How to make your floors look brand spankin' new!

2009-07-20T15:54:00.000-07:00

We bought our 1954 Ranch-style Bungalow knowing that it would need a lot of love, and a little know-how. We looked past the wood panelling and fuzzy wallpaper combo and saw a whole lotta potential! So imagine our delight when we began an impromptu carpet-ripping sesh and dsicovered {relatively} gorgeous wood floors beneath! We quickly called someone out to sand and refinish them professionally, and just look how beautifully they turned out!

BEFORE:

Sanded:

and FINISHED!

They stain is called Antique Brown, and we requested that they not be "too shiny" (We didn't want our floors to look like a museum) and I think they turned out pretty darn good, what do you think?

Next up: painted walls!!

Paint Party

2009-07-17T14:26:00.001-07:00

Our new house is a little shy of being the stylish and comfortable sanctuary that we'd like it to be (currently covered in sawdust and construction debris....) but we're workin' on it, okay?! Ryan has been doing some work in the master shower that I can't WAIT to use! He included a tiled seating area IN the shower.... I tell ya, the man is a genius. Now I can shave my legs without doing that awkward bending-over-and-trying-not-to-pass-out/slit-my-ankles-with-the-razor-dance! Next up: paint!

This weekend my Mom is coming to visit and help me paint the two bedrooms, office, and hallway! I'm so excited! My mom is one of those "go-getters" I always dream of becoming. I'm sure we'll get lots done. Now, we're going to show you the colors we've picked out for the house..... but we don't want you to freak out, okay? Because we swear they look different scanned onto a computer than they do in natural light. Here goes.....

A little scary-looking, right? Well... let me start by saying that I (Chelsea) have been known to be a bit of a color whore, but what I've never been accused of is being ostentacious or tacky (okay, maybe borderline tacky). These colors all have the same warm, muddy feel to them. They're the kind of colors you feel like you can just wrap up in.

Let us just fill you in, clockwise from top left:

Top Left: Valspar's Cliveden Sandstone )(3007-10B)- An Historic Preservation color, this color is the perfect warm neutral for our living and dining area, as well as the "for now" color in the guest bedroom and office. It will pick up and reflect whatever colors are around (it almost looks green in some light), so we can't go wrong with our decor!

Top Center-Left: Valspar's Filoli Ginkgo Tree (5006-4B)- A relaxing grey-green that isn't too bright, and it's not too dull. It'll be beautiful in our kitchen paired with stark white cabinets, dark countertops, stainless steel appliances, and beige floors.

Top Center-Right: Valspar's Mark Twain House Ombra Gray (4004-2A)- The perfect moody grey (it looks a little purple in the picture, but trust me, it's grey!). You could mute-out a room with some relaxing earth tones, or really pop it with bright yellows or fuschias. However, we're choosing to go high-gloss black and white with this baby in the hall bathroom!

Top Right: Valspar's Warm Buff (3002-10)- Another lovely neutral. Reminds me of summer biscuits and butter. Ryan especially loved this one and picked it for our master bathroom since we're undecided about which direction we're going to go with it (oh, and we have a rainbow harlequin stained glass window in there, so you can't compete with that!) It'll be a relaxing color to compliment our little spa (and I do mean "little")

Bottom Right: Waverly Home Classics Faded Clay (WV37013)- We know what you're thinking... it looks red. But, it's actually a very warm terra cotta color. Ryan had wanted a berry-red accent wall, but we just couldn't stand the "Americana Look" it gave everything, so he chose this orange instead, and we really love it! We're going to use it on one wall in the office to anchor the desk to the room.

Bottom Center: Eddie Bauer Home Craftsman Bungalow Mercer Colors- Mercer Blue (EB32-2)- It's like a rainstorm in a can. Warm, deep blue mixed with a muddy stone-grey are going to make our master bedroom feel incredibly serene. Who doesn't like falling asleep to the sound of rain?

Bottom Left: Martha Stewart Colors Cottage Shutter (MS332)- I wanted to go with something exciting and unexpected in our hallway. It's a small space, so it can handle a whole lotta color, which is exactly what this little blue-green hue is! I'd like to get a distressed red console to place at the end of the hall too. Wouldn't that look chic? OH not to mention the super awesome, high-drama light fixture I'm currently shopping for. This hall is going to rock.

Images here, here, and here

We have a new nephew!!

2009-07-06T09:47:00.000-07:00

Go here to welcome him to the world!

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Hasta Luego!

2009-07-06T06:49:00.000-07:00

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I'm being sent to California for a training seminar for my job. I'll be gone until the fifteenth, but hopefully it won't be ALL work and no play! Ryan will still be here slaving away at the house. I hope you all enjoy your week and weekend! I'll be back soon!

TO DO:

2009-07-06T06:09:00.000-07:00

How about a peak at what we're actually planning on doing to this house in the very near future? I made this abbreviated list and still almost fell out of my chair. Items highlighted in red are accomplished

buy new couch (to be delivered July 18th)
buy new chair (to be delivered July 18th)
replace appliances (dishwasher, fridge, stove, washer and dryer) (to be delivered July 18th)
dressers for master bedroom (these from Target. We'll also be getting the matching desk for our office)
have floors stained and sanded (Pictures today hopefully)
mow lawn (with our fancy, rigged-up, hand-me-down lawn mower. It worked like a dream!)
clean out flower bed (gnarly lookin' spiders in there by the way)
remove rickety old indoor shutters to open up living/dining room (have a huge pile of them in garage now. Probably going to repurpose some and maybe sell the others on craigslist. Interested?)
check out what's in creepy shed in back yard (It was just a few boxes of useless stuff, some old clothes, a doll, and lots and lots of cobwebs. Shed does have a cool loft though. Doesn't look sturdy enough to keep around for long. We'll see.)
remove unnecessary bars on doors (The only house on the street with bars now fits in with the rest of the crowd. Those suckers are heavy though!)
sleep
fix shower pan and re-tile master shower
pick up dining room table
assemble dressers
remove wood panelling and two layers of 50's wallpaper
sand and paint cabinets and add hardware
purchase new countertops
re-tile kitchen floor
WAIT- learn to use tile saw we bought first.
don't lose a finger
homework
replace faucet fixtures
subway tile backsplash
convert den back into garage
remove more wood panelling
replace sink, bath faucets, and toilet in hall bath
remove sliding shower doors
buy stock in Lowe's
re-tile hall bath
remove over-head shelves in dining room to open up the room
paint every single wall and baseboard in the entire house
paint fireplace
replace light fixtures. All.
Curse the wood panelling gods.
replace front door
ask Home Depot for a set of keys to the store. It'll be easier that way anyway.
window treatments
tear out over-grown, unkept bushes in front planter. start over next spring.
retain full-time jobs
clean out gutters
replace mailbox and outdoor lights
OH YEAH: move into house
replace old, drafty, sweaty windows
get fence to hide massive drainage ditch in back yard
dispose of CRAP left behind by previous owners.
clear out brush and potential poison ivy hell lining fence at back of property
watch more DIY/HGTV network.
finish reno of master bath (remove wood panelling and tile)
add wainscoting
re-tile floor
replace toilet
replace sink with pedastal so one can actually sit on toilet
maintain healthy, functioning marriage
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So that's my "To Do" list for the next- oh- year and-a-half. I'm sure we'll add to that. What's on your house's "To Do" list?

1,2,3,4, Get your Booty On The Floor!

2009-07-01T05:42:00.001-07:00

Wasn't that a song when I was in middle school?

On our way to the airport this weekend, we made a little stop by the house. Ya know, just to make sure all the windows and doors were locked. You can never be too careful with your brand new baby house. We then ended up ripping out all the carpet to reveal the original 1954 oak floors.

We suspected they were there, but we never could've dreamed that they'd be in such great shape!

Well, mostly....

It looks like the sellers sanded them, then decided, "Nah." and carpeted over them- but not before painting the walls without using a drop cloth.

Being in our usual DIY spirit, we thought, "HECK YES we can sand these! Then we'll pay a pro to stain them for us!" But yesterday our floor guy Andy came out to give us an estimate and basically put the kibosh on our DIY dreams. Okay, actually all he said was that it would be better if he and his guys sanded the floors and WE stained them (!!!!?????)... He said sanding is the most important part since you can really damage your floors by doing it yourself (as evidenced by the awesome gashes left in the dining room by the previous owners and THEIR diy spirit) so we say sure... we can do that..... right?

The more we thought about it, we decided that maybe it'd just be better to have them do the whole package. I mean, that's 1500 square feet of staining and sanding for days on end. I mean, there's a line, right? You have to know when to say "when". We didn't want to ruin one of the most beautiful features of the house.

So the flooring guys will be out their today sanding. I'm sure they'll do a much better job (and quicker too!) so that we can be worry free for the rest of our renovations!

Do you have any experience staining floors? We'd love to hear if it was a no-brainer or a mega disaster!

Just so you know...

2009-07-01T05:31:00.000-07:00

I wasn't kidding about the red fuzzy wallpaper under the wood panelling....

Are there any design disasters that you've seen in your own home? Done by either yourself or the previous owners? (it's okay... you can say, "My friend did such-and-such"...). I've had a pretty short design life (I'm only 23!) and I have a pretty creative mom, so most of my rooms have been stinkin awesome. Although I do seem to recall yellow gingham and sunbonnet sue pictures... hm... wishing I had a picture of that right now.

What are your "Design Don'ts"! I love this dirt!

Welcome Home!

2009-06-29T17:06:00.000-07:00

Welcome!! This is the official unveiling of the new Ahlgrim Haus! We've had a rough house-hunting experience, but we are so excited to finally call this baby home! How about a tour, eh? Keep in mind that these are all BEFORE shots. We plan on getting down and dirty with some goold ol' fashioned DIY renovation!

This little stained glass window is original to the house and greets our visitors on the front porch:

View from the front door, through the living room and into the dining room. Beautiful lighting and original hardwood floors:

This is the kitchen. Underneath all that FABULOUS wood paneling, there is red fuzzy damask wallpaper... yes, TWO design tragedies in ONE kitchen... wait THREE... how could I forget the washer? The door leads to the back yard:

This is our HUGE backyard, and THAT is the concrete drainage ditch that runs through it... not the most aesthetically appealing, but we plan to put a privacy fence in front of it (thus cutting the yard in half) we still don't know what's in that shed... any guesses?

view from the dining room into the living room (looking towards the entrance). Still debating whether I want to paint the rock fireplace... okay, I probably will.

"Stylish" "rock" "tile"... three words that will never be used to describe this bathroom because it is simply yucky laminate that wishes it was made of rock.

Guest room/ Office:

Spare room:

Master bedroom:

Sweet toilet, huh?

And more fabulous wood panelling. Couldn't get enough of it, eh?

OH I almost forgot! This is my beloved stained glass door. I plan on relocating it and using it as the front door- if it will fit!

Stay tuned for pictures, stories, how-to's, and adventures in home renovation galore!

Like what you see? Let us know!

Getting To Know You

2009-06-29T17:05:00.001-07:00

Hello and welcome to the launch of Mid-century Midwest! This blog is mostly to keep our friends and family up-to-date on our adventures in owning and renovating our 1954 Ranch-style Bungalow house located in Oklahoma City, but we're glad to be able to share it with the rest of you as well! This is our first home and we plan on enjoying every second of the ride, and we hope YOU will too!
It'll be a joint effort (the blog AND the renovation) so we'll no doubt be learning some new things along the way- and we're sure you will too! Here's a little more about us:

Chelsea

I'm Chelsea. I'm an aspiring interior designer currently working as a decorator for a large retail company. You might have seen me hanging out here. If not, stop by. Say hi. I like new faces. I like summer rain storms, deli food, hiking, and laughing. I've been singing since I could talk, dancing since I could walk, and creating since I developed motor skills. I put pepper on everything. If you like to spend hours at junk shops, thrift stores, and antique markets, we should probably be best friends.

Ryan

This is my husband Ryan. He likes to think of himself as a "One-man wolf pack" (name that movie). We call him Bear. He'll be a contributor to this blog as well. Mostly I keep him around to do the heavy lifting and grilled cheese-making (he makes the BEST!). He's an incredibly funny, strong, hard-working and intelligent man- probably my favorite ever. It just happens to be a plus that I'm married to him. Lucky me :) He likes regular guy things like tools, guns, action movies, and blowing stuff up (he's a soldier in the Army). We make a pretty great team.

So that's us. Not much to it. We're just regular twenty-somethings staring down the beginning of a long life together- and we can't wait to see what's in store! Next time we'll introduce you to our house!

What we'd REALLY like is to know more about YOU! Who are you? What do you do? Are you in the throes of a home renovation? Got any advice for us "just-starting-out" types?

Leave us a comment below. We'll take all the love we can get!