What Ana Does

As mentioned, we found some extra budget and made all my back hallway dreams come true this month.  This is where we started. Note the awful pink "terracotta" floor tile that was cracking in the laundry room. The door to the left is the garage, the powder room is to the right. And that door at the end is the coat closet. And the laundry room door is at the end to the right.  Make sense?  My beef with this poky hallway is this closet and this wall. It cuts the floor space into nothing, and if it was gone, it could be an awesome little back ROOM.  Don't worry, this is one of three closets back here. Remember the coat closet at the end? And the laundry room has a closet, too, and cabinets.  We need to remove this wall. And as much as I teased Dave about doing it ourselves, he wasn't buying it. So I made this little drop zone to make the best of it ( here's the post here, for more details ).  So the simple PLAN: Remove the closet, retile the floor -- all the w...

 Just a few more updates from the back hallway. And here's where we currently stand.  (Will I be buying a third dark gray basket for the top shelf? Yes, yes I will.)  So last weekend I painted the pinky/terracotta floor tile a matte black. Other than not being able to step on it for a few days, it was one of the easiest DIYs and cheap -- about $70. Looks just like the black tile in the kitchen. Unless you stare at it, it's a total dup.  I always forget what a huge difference flooring can make.  Then I decided to paint the interior of the closet/drop zone to match the rest of the walls in this hallway. And I love how it turned out. That oversaturated blue on the beadboard ... it's so good.  I also finished that lower shelf and found bulbs for the ceiling fixture that is SUPER BRIGHT.  Here's a quick walk through the progress of this much-used space ...  I wish I could have taken down that wall, but Dave was not interested in a demo project. Maybe s...

WAY back in 2013 we got a piano for free from a neighbor. Here's the full story of how we found it is here and there's a bunch more posts here . It has been in a place of honor in our home since ... right by the front door near our living room. The girls took lessons, but, unfortunately, they never really found a passion for it. But I always enjoyed the noise of them practicing. Or just banging on the keys.  This year I decided it was time to find our piano a new home. We never picked up lessons again after we got home from Paris and no one has touched it in all that time. A piano must be played to exist and the soul of this piano was just crying out to me.  I put it up on Facebook Marketplace for free and offered it to a few friends; all they'd need to do, is pay for moving it. And it didn't find any takers for a few months. Then a friend from Dave's gym was over for a Friendsgiving dinner and we mentioned the piano was up for grabs. They just moved into a new (th...

Yup, so I broke down and nailed a piece of wood to this wall. So there. The Bisecting Piece of Wood I didn't secure it too tightly, so basically I'm still looking at it as temporary. I keep walking past it thinking ... do I like it there? Is it annoying? Will I want hooks on it? Will it look better once the whole wall is white? Etc. Etc. Sometime decorating your house just takes extra time and thought. Related Posts:  Here's where I coined the term The Wall of Restraint So, here's the post where I congratulated myself on  not installing hooks on this wall. And here's the post where  I installed hooks on the wall near it . And, lastly, here's the post from 2012 when  I was so in wuv with this pea green color.  

Behold! The Wall of Restraint I call this wall, the "Wall of Restraint" because it's just about the only wall in my entire house that is blank. And I love to have pictures, art, books, drawings and hooks everywhere, so this blank space is indeed unique. It's near the garage door and we walk past it several times a day. And each time I do, I give myself a little mental pat on the back to "say yay" me for holding back in once place. But that's started to wear thin. I'm starting to lineup some around-the-house painting projects for next week, since the sun will be out and the temperature will warm. It's been raining all week. And I keep looking at this wall .... Ok, first off, I'm going to paint this wall  white . That's for sure. I can't deal with the green anymore. It was once a soothing green, now it's just looking vaguely avocado and when I take pictures of it, it looks even less attractive. The kids look sickly and p...

I had various scenarios for my birthday weekend that got changes several times when Dave's trip to Paris was cancelled and my out-of-town brother and girlfriend arrived at my surprise party (a very happy surprise). And in one scenario, I had thought spending time at Ikea on my birthday might be loads of fun. Besides, I told Dave, that second bench in the entryway has been on my mind for at least a year. I'd love to get the second one, get them painted together and check that off my house to-do list. And Dave looked at me funny and asked why I haven't just ordered it and have it shipped like everything else in the house  -- from toothpaste to paper towels. And I frowned and said I didn't want to pay the shipping charges. But I went on to the Ikea website anyway and decided $24 to ship a bench that I haven't been able to rearrange my precious weekend schedule enough to commit to the hour-drive to the nearest Ikea and deal with the loading lot (nightmare, right?!) ...

As part of the painter's project this week, they're painting out the two-story entryway from the awful beige (I think that was the actual color name: awful) to our Polar Bear White. They even cleaned up my board and batten! (See the start of that project here. ) Before - White Below, Beige All the Way Up After - All White and Looking GOOD I mean ... worth. every. penny. Looks so much better! Related posts: The entryway board and batten project start Getting the boards up The board and batten is done! All the Entryway posts

Saturday morning I finished off painting and adding hooks to the right side of the entry hall. And I feel all balanced out again. And the more I paint white, the more excited I am to see this whole room gleaming white! Oh! That Door Looks Awful! More Trim Color STAT! What's left in this entryway, you ask? Well ...  1. The remaining (very tall) walls needs to be painted Polar Bear white. This is a professional task, as it requires scaffolding and I don't DO heights. Estimates are pending.  2. The remaining trim needs to be whitened, including that horrible door. That's an ongoing project. 3. The picture ledge above the right side will need to be installed at some point to match the other side. Might run it over the office door, as well. If I'm feeling crazy.  4. I need to figure out something creative to do above the door. The funny circles that are there now are temporary. And goofy.  5. A long bench needs to replace that tiny yellow guy...

More hooks? That's right! I will never have enough hooks in my house. Never. So, remember that board-and-batten entryway project? It was maybe my greatest idea ever! This long hallway is 800-times more useful now, especially in the winter with neighbor kids stopping by and dropping their wet coats on the floor -- oh, no more, you hooligans! Hang them! The Entryway I've been looking at the little wall to the right of the door, before the office entry and thinking it's all looking a little one-sided, you know? Off balance. In December, I used some left-over primed wood and nailed it up to the wall, mostly to see what it would look like. Me LIKEY! But, on man, that beige wall is KILLING me. So, this weekend, despite the freezing weather, I'll be painting the wall, board and adding two more hooks to that side of the hall. We still need the ledge/shelf to finish off the top. And the "White Trim/Door" project continues. But, the room will feel more sym...

We started decorating the house for Halloween this weekend. The big party is only a few weeks away. Spooky lanterns are hanging from balcony and a big spider's web has been installed by the stairs. Next up, the large spider that lives there! Oooooo! Lanterns -- and Another Look at the Navy Wall Through the Spider's Web -- and To My Messy Entryway Related posts: All the Halloween stories

I can't help it. Every time I paint another wall navy blue I fall so in love with it, I start considering what the next wall is that should go blue. This weekend, I tackled the piano wall. It was quick and simple to do. The only difficulty was moving the piano out of the way to do it.  The best part is the carpet in the entryway is navy, so there's a lovely complimentary thing going on. And the piano looks a little fancier done up with a dramatic wall behind it. The Piano Wall - Before. Beige, Of Course! After the First Coat Waiting For the Paint to Dry What will go NAVY next?!

Three coats of white semigloss paint and four hooks later, the mythic Board and Batten Project is now complete. The crowd goes wild! AFTER: With Hooks!  Now begins the positioning of random pieces of furniture until I hit on the right ones. This might lead to a trip to the flea market for a super cool, long, rustic bench.  AFTER: With Stuff! Related posts: All the Entryway posts

Bobbi helped put a coat of white trim paint on before she left for home. (Thank you!) Then I applied the second coat later this afternoon. I also couldn't help to start the trim around the door. What do you think? It's a White Wash! Related posts: The entryway board and batten project start Getting the boards up The board and batten is done! All the Entryway posts

So, carpentry is complete on the entryway project, thanks to Bobbi,  Nic and head carpenter Dave. The math was tricky -- as we sorted out how much space to put between each board -- but we came out with the best measurements possible. And it turned out pretty well. In my opinion, the cap along the top really "finishes" the look. We're waiting for caulk to dry so we can see what the white paint will look like.  Boards and Battens!  Related posts: All the entryway posts

This weekend we got started on the entryway. Finally. We were having some people over and wanted to clean it up and start construction before the party. So Dave hit the Home Depot Saturday morning with my schematic and in 45 minutes, we had wood and nails. Before : Picking Up the Entry Rug and Cleaning Out the Furniture While he was away, I marked all the studs and picked up the current carpet tiles, which were supposed to be temporary when we put them down three years ago. The rails went up very easily and quickly, but with very loud hammering; we had to stop at bedtime. The vertical rails will be next (likely over Memorial Day weekend) and then painting them all a glossy white. After : Navy Carpet Tiles and the Start of the Boards on the Left The rug in the entryway is dark navy flor tiles, which will match the outside of the entry door (when it gets warm enough to paint outside). And this rug is longer than the last one, going past the piano. The rich color really...

Phase 1 in my multi-phase plan to board-and-battan the foyer is complete! The walls are a lovely shade of white. The color I have dreamed of. Non-beige, people! Once I get the tarp put away, David gets all excited. Let's just do it all now! I layout some grids and start taking some measurements -- because someone's gotta go out the next day and buy all the wood and supplies. Then, I realize .... It's only 30 degrees out. And do I really want to jog outside to cut pieces of wood in such inhospitable weather? No. No and No. So, we'll wait. Sure, there's snow in the forecast for the week but spring is gotta come to Illinois at some point, right? Right!? Grids to Test Some Spacing Options We Bought a Circular Saw; Be Afraid! 

Today I decree that painting season is officially open! First day of spring was this week. And, hey, it's the first Saturday all year that it's above freezing (a balmy 43*) and not snowing. So I packed my crew into the car and headed off to Home Depot for supplies. Painting the foyer white is Step 1 in my framing/molding project . I taped to the top of the current framing schematics and laid down the base coat of glorious white. (And got rid of that awful blue-green sample I didn't like one bit.) BEFORE: The Foyer Prepped for Paint ... And, while I had the white paint out, I said "why not paint the arch and wall that leads to the back hallway..."   The Back Hallway: The Arch was Soooo Dirty From Hauling Stuff in From the Garage But, once we got started, it was impossible to stop -- and we went around the corner and across to the basement stairs. I kept thinking, the more we do ourselves, the less the professional painters (who we'll need ...

I've been having a hard time taking photos of the entryway -- being tall and narrow. So, here's what I've come up with so far. In this angle, yes, you'll see the gold pendants I made for Christmas falling down. Classy! But you'll also see that piece of molding under the second floor railing. See it? OK now imagine if I continued it into the entryway -- all the way around ... thus dividing the tall space into two. That's good, right? The top half would be painted the glorious white that I'd like to paint all the awful beige walls. The bottom half, well, that's the fun part. It can be just about anything! I thought about adding some built ins or bold wallpaper. I have a Pinterest board that is slowly getting filled with inspiration. BUT, maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start at the beginning... What are my goals for my entryway? 1. Hooks! This space isn't a daily dropzone, but I have lots of neighbors and playdates who ...

The Sad Entry Way ... Months Ago What are your thoughts on wallpaper? I'm thinking about my entryway again because I recently imposed a deadline of end of April to come up with my master plan -- and the ideas are starting to flow in. And when I think about the big "POW! Huge Impact!" statement I want to make the minute you walk into our house, you can't get bigger impact than a massively COOL wallpaper. And, as I'm shopping around, it's about the same cost as a bucket of paint. (Unless, I get some amazingly fab hand-drawn design (not likely) -- that stuff is crazy PRICEY!) I'll try to stick to the navy, green and/or yellow color scheme I've been working with. And I'm a fan of the geometric patterns or organic patterns. I'm also considering using the wallpaper in a section of the wall -- because, remember, this entryway has walls that are 2-stories high. So with some clever use of moldings to break up the massive area, I can pick and c...

Here's the awful before picture of my entryway from the office. The main door to the house is on the right, the rest of the house is on the left. And it is just .... not good. Entryway -- What Happened Here?!  I've been pricing entryway furniture -- something with hooks, a shelf, a bench. Maybe some storage. A mirror would be nice. But, DO YOU KNOW HOW EXPENSIVE THAT STUFF IS?! I just can't justify spending hundreds of dollars on the foyer! Plus, I want to keep the profile thin -- so it doesn't jut too far out into this hallway and cut off running space. So, I have this CRAZY idea. Whatif Whatif Whatif I BUILT IN a piece of entryway furniture? Trim, beadboard, some hooks, pre-made shelves and bench? I'd get the style and sleek profile I want. And get to decide on color and overall look. Than reality check (!), I don't have carpentry tools or skills to undertake something that big! So, I did some shopping around IN MY OWN house for other options. ...