where did you get that - home office source list

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz1PPgF8dfHrSlEUWF3hPeRbu4M7fT_0GUORZWwKN5zxUTf0vVYWmrgJN4zyxHnTuq2RFiAf9X968hbaxK_XYTXwvKKs5Fl7EaRjt89pGNyjnEGoXoP2WPCquOFflHOJhiCGsnXuohb1L-/s1600/HomeOfficeBasement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz1PPgF8dfHrSlEUWF3hPeRbu4M7fT_0GUORZWwKN5zxUTf0vVYWmrgJN4zyxHnTuq2RFiAf9X968hbaxK_XYTXwvKKs5Fl7EaRjt89pGNyjnEGoXoP2WPCquOFflHOJhiCGsnXuohb1L-/s1600/HomeOfficeBasement.jpg" width="388" /></a></div><br />Monday's are not my best 'clever post title' days. But that's normal, right? I've gotten a lot of questions about <a href="http://thelittleblackdoor.blogspot.com/2014/09/home-office-makeover-before-and-after.html" target="_blank">my home office</a>, so I thought I'd share some sources, tips and tricks.<br /><br />Lots of you wanted to know how I had my computer and lady lamps on my desk without seeing any cords. It's easy. I just don't plug any of it in. A Monday joke for you there.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfk-m6ITvvJEXrfhHXdS6HHBBVnBexgsiGMAgDjSbsqWfaxkSK4dIRwhDkBpFZIYEZcpDdXsPmD8wFEcr10mynF3H7qHuhx178iO-bkd6EJRgdmVdKYySHui-P72qErYaKuWckvmVljXq/s1600/hidingcords.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfk-m6ITvvJEXrfhHXdS6HHBBVnBexgsiGMAgDjSbsqWfaxkSK4dIRwhDkBpFZIYEZcpDdXsPmD8wFEcr10mynF3H7qHuhx178iO-bkd6EJRgdmVdKYySHui-P72qErYaKuWckvmVljXq/s1600/hidingcords.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Actually, when I had the electrician put in outlets, I had him plant one directly behind my desk. Then I put the lamps and computer in place and got a bunch of <a href="http://www.command.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/NACommand/Command/Products/Catalog/~/Command-Clear-Round-Cord-Clips?N=5924736+3294529207+3294737338&rt=rud" target="_blank">Command Clear Cord Strips</a> and got sticking. I fished the cords around the perimeter (for the lamps) and under (for the computer) the desk and plugged them all into a power strip underneath the desk. The power strip is to protect the computer but also to consolidate all of those cords into one that then runs down the side of the desk. I cut a small hole into my rug, no worries it was only $2, and then the cord is fished under the rug and to the outlet behind the desk.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgCadrbe8k0KNyDXFjY-bb6X6YNOud8rqT_SMjRqySwBoaWcPPF1_vFk9a-RdyE2qbkG8qM9K5Syrhqo0PIUWYFA-X3s9d-7A21dnRVcYExty_u_ujTvOLwSzlVpEuJpFfo_MpYCffAel/s1600/homeofficewide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgCadrbe8k0KNyDXFjY-bb6X6YNOud8rqT_SMjRqySwBoaWcPPF1_vFk9a-RdyE2qbkG8qM9K5Syrhqo0PIUWYFA-X3s9d-7A21dnRVcYExty_u_ujTvOLwSzlVpEuJpFfo_MpYCffAel/s1600/homeofficewide.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />I looped them out a bit here so you can see the cords a bit better. The process takes a few extra steps but gives a much cleaner look, and eliminates my frequent cord trippage issues. I'm not always light on my feet. And the cord runs right between the legs of my chair, so it is never in the way.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjki3c2ny6DCiHTbcwBWJ_bEoNRUv0KFLJVD6LYDfMDJJofybgNo-8BtgT1JXbaIUfOdFVSyxslegvbGVY486Agf-xlRC2Y7hqrNF-qA3qxjJ1gwyEiRmnPolnNNJrNZshQKZt3AEDo7XHk/s1600/HomeOfficeShadows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjki3c2ny6DCiHTbcwBWJ_bEoNRUv0KFLJVD6LYDfMDJJofybgNo-8BtgT1JXbaIUfOdFVSyxslegvbGVY486Agf-xlRC2Y7hqrNF-qA3qxjJ1gwyEiRmnPolnNNJrNZshQKZt3AEDo7XHk/s1600/HomeOfficeShadows.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The old bamboo frame hanging underneath the new window is also held in place with <a href="http://www.command.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/NACommand/Command/Products/Catalog/~/Command-Clear-Medium-Hook?N=5924736+3294529207+3294737331&rt=rud" target="_blank">Command Clear Strips</a>. And no, this post isn't sponsored by Command Strips. They just happen to be an awesome tool that everyone should have in their arsenal. And I just whipped out the word arsenal, which should more than make up for my lame post title.<br /><br />As we've discussed over and over again, I tried my best to reuse things I already acquired over the years, but I've tried my best to include sources as best I can.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitlpO-MLZy2_mEcdMc7cywiB3dwfh_lmOOEgy4Wt6vYRPCdtvqqBLKgYMxT5eEwQtaXQFmt5xaIk1cXVRxWuzcs4efth54KBas-roRkECmmUpB_hYpp-gsSU74dGPwVLfRHR85PwC2mrt/s1600/HomeOfficeIndieMats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitlpO-MLZy2_mEcdMc7cywiB3dwfh_lmOOEgy4Wt6vYRPCdtvqqBLKgYMxT5eEwQtaXQFmt5xaIk1cXVRxWuzcs4efth54KBas-roRkECmmUpB_hYpp-gsSU74dGPwVLfRHR85PwC2mrt/s1600/HomeOfficeIndieMats.jpg" width="524" /></a></div><br />Red Brunschwig & Fils Gillian's Zebra pillow - <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Aurelia6311?ref=l2-shopheader-name" target="_blank">Aurelia</a><br />Green Block Print lumbar pillow - <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/meetmeinphiladelphia" target="_blank">Meet Me In Philadelphia</a><br />Blue and White gallery wall frames - <a href="http://indiemats.com/" target="_blank">Indie Mats</a><br />Walls - White <a href="http://www.behr.com/consumer/products/specialty-paint/behr-premium-basement-and-masonry-waterproofer" target="_blank">Behr Premium Basement & Masonry Waterproofer</a><br />Wicker table - <a href="http://rootsantiques.com/" target="_blank">Roots</a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxHD35xVsLMpEAplGjYiKj6XH6QJVcbcWiRwjT2FJZq0wgP8TQK15aEsGtixfM-C5XMmNzWBBK5eESVT-rE0vljCV0QOj0_gONFW0m0xdpxh-g9xxZ5IA_gAL7diPUyomHJF2MxgCKzAy/s1600/HomeOfficeInspirationBoard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxHD35xVsLMpEAplGjYiKj6XH6QJVcbcWiRwjT2FJZq0wgP8TQK15aEsGtixfM-C5XMmNzWBBK5eESVT-rE0vljCV0QOj0_gONFW0m0xdpxh-g9xxZ5IA_gAL7diPUyomHJF2MxgCKzAy/s1600/HomeOfficeInspirationBoard.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br />Library light over inspiration board - <a href="http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?productId=50088246" target="_blank">Lowes</a> (no longer available)<br />Gold tape 'framing' inspiration board - <a href="http://www.papersource.com/item/Luxe-Gold-Glitter-Tape/463264.html" target="_blank">Paper Source</a><br />Chair - thrifted<br />Seat cover fabric - <a href="http://www.housefabric.com/Simba-Navy-P91348.aspx" target="_blank">House Fabric</a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg30rfQbt7Ocw_qv9n6c9UHhog-Z5uGO_rrZdp7NjW5pW3-OpuDttsxrvK2PyNk-481HUyBdR_dQUrgAgM5rRnfsBiZp8aXUsa1KX2gdc6jtEZ0IJTTHz08dbIvNj4Ox-nlolbEF7sT0Vyu/s1600/HomeOfficeMirror2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg30rfQbt7Ocw_qv9n6c9UHhog-Z5uGO_rrZdp7NjW5pW3-OpuDttsxrvK2PyNk-481HUyBdR_dQUrgAgM5rRnfsBiZp8aXUsa1KX2gdc6jtEZ0IJTTHz08dbIvNj4Ox-nlolbEF7sT0Vyu/s1600/HomeOfficeMirror2.jpg" width="366" /></a></div><br />Desk - Begonia <a href="http://www.amyhowardathome.com/furniture-lacquer/" target="_blank">Amy Howard Furniture Lacquer</a><br />Navy double gourd lamp - <a href="http://www.target.com/p/threshold-double-gourd-glass-lamp-base-includes-cfl-bulb/-/A-14793792#prodSlot=medium_1_4&term=gord+lamp" target="_blank">Target</a><br />Lampshade I made using this fabric - <a href="http://www.housefabric.com/Melaya-Indigo-P92321C2298.aspx" target="_blank">HouseFabric.com</a><br />Mirror - Craigslist<br />Floor - Bermuda Turquoise <a href="http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/bermudaturquoise" target="_blank">Benjamin Moore</a><br /><br />Hopefully I've answered all the questions. If not, let me know. Now on to tackle the week!

where did you get that - home office source list

Monday's are not my best 'clever post title' days. But that's normal, right? I've gotten a lot of questions about my hom...

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why finish one project when you can start another

The week has begun and I'm sure I'm not the only one who could use another day. I think its time to start mandatory three day weekends in the summer. Who's with me?<br /><br />I hope all that celebrated had a wonderful Father's Day. We had a great afternoon with the hubs and my dad doing what they love - watching the US Open. And there was a Father's Day miracle when I was finally able to snag some peonies from Trader Joes. I had thought they were an urban myth but I ran in yesterday and there they were in all their white and pink glory. I'm sure everyone in the produce section thought I was crazy as I squealed when I saw them.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOxId4v1CLEwN6GpQOFF787fVBFyp9xFNcLuo_JHHMv43SzQ-Nk6lzu8eIyInXVA-sS1O2pXlebYUZ3GO4Ckc63rG660CtQ4UW0z4TCtML9wehaKYSoR7Nq3xvfjIaYd4VSHKQtIdXnX5J/s1600/IMG_1856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOxId4v1CLEwN6GpQOFF787fVBFyp9xFNcLuo_JHHMv43SzQ-Nk6lzu8eIyInXVA-sS1O2pXlebYUZ3GO4Ckc63rG660CtQ4UW0z4TCtML9wehaKYSoR7Nq3xvfjIaYd4VSHKQtIdXnX5J/s1600/IMG_1856.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />Another miracle is that progress has been made on the office. I'll share more with you later this week, but needless to say when the pool is calling your name, it is hard to spend time in the basement.<br /><br />While I was hard at work, I ran to grab something from the hall closet. And I don't know if it's all the pool water in my ears or what but I could not take that black hole any longer. It is one of my <a href="http://thelittleblackdoor.blogspot.com/2014/01/2014-goals.html" target="_blank">goals for the year</a> to get this closet in order so no better time to start than while you are in the middle of another project, right?!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwrOCOchbkWEn4LuaiJe1UlsohwGHS7xbBY5-q2XdjIjQT5g6KndUztw4QZBq3-uaIyHMxFRgUtisOCYvCJ_z-Q3W0ZKnrsRSVOvEapW1HGeS0EDgRremI44-bCv26uQmTzUKcoE6vTwZ/s1600/gliddenpaintchoices.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwrOCOchbkWEn4LuaiJe1UlsohwGHS7xbBY5-q2XdjIjQT5g6KndUztw4QZBq3-uaIyHMxFRgUtisOCYvCJ_z-Q3W0ZKnrsRSVOvEapW1HGeS0EDgRremI44-bCv26uQmTzUKcoE6vTwZ/s1600/gliddenpaintchoices.tiff" width="345" /></a></div><br />Luckily the paint was drying in the office so I had time to kill. Off to Home Depot for color ideas and I was off to the races. More to come once everything dries.<br /><br />So how was your weekend? Finish any projects? Start any new ones? Did you see Zach Johnson's hole in one?!<br /><br />

why finish one project when you can start another

The week has begun and I'm sure I'm not the only one who could use another day. I think its time to start mandatory three day weeken...

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home office makeover - getting to zero

It's been a few weeks, so I thought it was time for an update on my home office. Between being out of town, the end of the school year, work, and general life, work has been patchy, but we have made progress.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0W82zd5T1Vy53tywPWzhwHCj42eVplKRjTle3XuBXRd_PsD4M93IKdV8a8rRT-6bccvrhG5L3jCztwv-5XUnNFgnSS28iyRDp9pU14Pj8_oZooZrgJCTeOV9cMbQelHNn-qEkl9GmsWa/s1600/P2086285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0W82zd5T1Vy53tywPWzhwHCj42eVplKRjTle3XuBXRd_PsD4M93IKdV8a8rRT-6bccvrhG5L3jCztwv-5XUnNFgnSS28iyRDp9pU14Pj8_oZooZrgJCTeOV9cMbQelHNn-qEkl9GmsWa/s1600/P2086285.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />Why have I found three extra doors when I can think of only one place upstairs that has a door removed? Good question. The answer is, I have no idea but I'm keeping them for sure. "You never know when you need a door," someone said at some point.<br /><br />Cleaning out all of this, let's be honest, crap felt so good. I feel like the house has lost 20 pounds. And we cleaned at the right time as our neighbor was prepping for a garage sale, so everything went upstairs and out on their yard. Then the tarp went up.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtylTKEqfNSTEhXHkEhTcONYbCHNKAOK2X5vwJ2-3AiHnKRq5dCDGfBqwrZca4dceQY-0Mbefbzm4H8ZhvIiglzBlLyGISqwlh2GaUp6EDImVL4Dl6ZokvFtL5Ku-luc7MpCeAFET7qzE2/s1600/P2096287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtylTKEqfNSTEhXHkEhTcONYbCHNKAOK2X5vwJ2-3AiHnKRq5dCDGfBqwrZca4dceQY-0Mbefbzm4H8ZhvIiglzBlLyGISqwlh2GaUp6EDImVL4Dl6ZokvFtL5Ku-luc7MpCeAFET7qzE2/s1600/P2096287.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />I got a spray gun for Christmas and what better chance to use it for the first time than in a space where every single surface needs painted. We washed everything down and then went to town. The plan was to start with the ceiling and work our way down. I had grand visions of just spraying the whole space in a matter of hours and then spending the afternoon relaxing with a well earned G&T.  But, it turns out that whole 'you get what you pay for' thing is true.<br /><br />Our gun was crap. It didn't have much power, in spite of the air compressor, and it was really...sploty (which I've just declared a word). It could very well be the fact that we were spraying a ceiling and maybe the thing wasn't meant to go at weird angles. At any rate, we were just able to get the ceiling done before I was ready to choke myself with the damn thing out of frustration.<br /><br />So the paint gun went into the trash and I brought in reinforcements.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLoeGT01b2x77jBkdVTJ4IiltiJQbG9mMGTjV1KWalOtqp9SV3bxQsi480XJ3yvcHZ_BupUgN8TqUGEikEhE1OKSgBYEmAJWGxHAzWGY38yKyNKwgUnAxVTRwqFFouhN4xsPBzLyP5Ig9/s1600/IMG_0317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLoeGT01b2x77jBkdVTJ4IiltiJQbG9mMGTjV1KWalOtqp9SV3bxQsi480XJ3yvcHZ_BupUgN8TqUGEikEhE1OKSgBYEmAJWGxHAzWGY38yKyNKwgUnAxVTRwqFFouhN4xsPBzLyP5Ig9/s1600/IMG_0317.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />I love painting white over white. I'm amazed at how un-white the old white is/was each and every time.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOmfCAWQEHQrD_bPgDmUuV3EPmiuCNt6TYLXu8zxlT2yooJnYAYsq8AsQCX3ZvchVXQzUPys6TDJoIzZWovqotS2DRjxCT44hekBfqThqQ5eFZEtuXEWstwc1WDahPuhIx8r5qhFZdIvv/s1600/IMG_0314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOmfCAWQEHQrD_bPgDmUuV3EPmiuCNt6TYLXu8zxlT2yooJnYAYsq8AsQCX3ZvchVXQzUPys6TDJoIzZWovqotS2DRjxCT44hekBfqThqQ5eFZEtuXEWstwc1WDahPuhIx8r5qhFZdIvv/s1600/IMG_0314.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />I used Kilz and ceiling paint on the ceiling but since this is after all, a basement, I choose to go with <a href="http://www.behr.com/consumer/products/specialty-paint/behr-premium-basement-and-masonry-waterproofer" target="_blank">Behr Basement Waterproofer</a> paint on the walls. We haven't had any water in here (knock on wood) but an ounce of prevention... The paint went on well, it is nice and thick, and covered like a champ. We did two coats just as a matter of course but we could have easily gotten away with one coat.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijtDP8ksLbZTeXU1diJdgeV7KQd7DnOxH0mCdJrt9khFT1yd8bLRH777vpsX7fpNp4X7mPRrWYSV3Vkf2gl-rZeG5DybnRxcp7hP2n6o6JQ3Ab5UC4LPYdvoPCP-7pErw_UrdEMa-zlC3G/s1600/IMG_0321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijtDP8ksLbZTeXU1diJdgeV7KQd7DnOxH0mCdJrt9khFT1yd8bLRH777vpsX7fpNp4X7mPRrWYSV3Vkf2gl-rZeG5DybnRxcp7hP2n6o6JQ3Ab5UC4LPYdvoPCP-7pErw_UrdEMa-zlC3G/s1600/IMG_0321.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />While the girls and I painted, the hubs made fast work of drywalling this little spot since I'm not really a fan of the 'here are the back of our stairs' look. God I love a man that can knock out some drywall!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfyBrLzHIdCwLiv-6aEPznBeTnWvLVImBixpxQC_NsO79xkOMUA0_F0PZUV9Go7jD3bMs2LBAfJy0J3sKQ-2QoAM4INKdipMXMbWMCBBgycuGs26wICRvpwaqIVhw6HD5uHPfDsWOmGdc/s1600/homeofficeinprogress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfyBrLzHIdCwLiv-6aEPznBeTnWvLVImBixpxQC_NsO79xkOMUA0_F0PZUV9Go7jD3bMs2LBAfJy0J3sKQ-2QoAM4INKdipMXMbWMCBBgycuGs26wICRvpwaqIVhw6HD5uHPfDsWOmGdc/s1600/homeofficeinprogress.jpg" width="568" /></a></div><br />Everyone in the house pitched in and after several afternoons, we have arrived at this. A bright, white, empty space. I told you I got a lot of light down here. Now we can actually <i>start</i> on the room.<br /><br />Let's take a minute to look at the before and 'in process'...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmoV1Jcz3XUrlg5Z2Xir0_k6t_Sp77IkG8tXRtJNDji0DNM8jUvZI49Xv_HWXRPj-APl7w1Ps6DSoeGQ5WNRbRqPKrN6hD8vdU_It5Q33mzkmzan1fd3xWBU0fpqYimv_jB1o3HSgLuW_n/s1600/P2056269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmoV1Jcz3XUrlg5Z2Xir0_k6t_Sp77IkG8tXRtJNDji0DNM8jUvZI49Xv_HWXRPj-APl7w1Ps6DSoeGQ5WNRbRqPKrN6hD8vdU_It5Q33mzkmzan1fd3xWBU0fpqYimv_jB1o3HSgLuW_n/s1600/P2056269.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9hL6xz71PoNxxNr1aWZ3gDUDPZ8x06BNj4Z74_Z0ZC4k_b7QvMGNtNZQY9IanW6AMapcZpQUppTnBODWM9GoDDGBdZnPzq_tgRfM8apymxShb6b9G8UdAeO9d9CjZPJ-0kOPm7-fpidx/s1600/homeofficeinprogress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9hL6xz71PoNxxNr1aWZ3gDUDPZ8x06BNj4Z74_Z0ZC4k_b7QvMGNtNZQY9IanW6AMapcZpQUppTnBODWM9GoDDGBdZnPzq_tgRfM8apymxShb6b9G8UdAeO9d9CjZPJ-0kOPm7-fpidx/s1600/homeofficeinprogress.jpg" width="568" /></a></div><br />I love it already. Let's celebrate by crossing some things off the list.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">Goals for the space:</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;"><strike>- brighten it up</strike></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">- fix and paint the floors</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;"><strike>- do something with the exposed ceiling</strike></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">- replace the window to let in even more light</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">- girly this place up to create a happy, adult work space</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">- add more light</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">- use what you HAVE</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">- get organized girl!</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">I've got great things planned for that floor and several ideas on the lighting situation so let's see what ends up sticking.</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">Do you like to have helpers when you work on a project at home? Would you rather spread a project out or get it done as quickly as possible? Is it weird that I have about three different light fixtures sitting in my basement and I want to use them all?</div>

home office makeover - getting to zero

It's been a few weeks, so I thought it was time for an update on my home office. Between being out of town, the end of the school year, ...

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a look at the loo - bathroom reveal

The loo? Yes, I obviously have Downton on the brain (does anyone else think that season went rather quickly?) So as promised I am supplying a good old before and after for your Monday viewing pleasure.<br /><br />Updates to the bathroom were planned, executed and photographed. Let's take a look.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghPWRIc2uloiSK6N1cP3ur6s-T_Mh4SPB1RHWM1S9MvM7g2v6-61x0qLH2rqq8OLHBvWdjThmaWnpEXNoN_yeaevaAr8MxDJ3LPqDiYH97aKEJvRuBhpy-Hi93UVWrWFiAYuCLagB9ag-J/s1600/LBDBathroomRefresh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghPWRIc2uloiSK6N1cP3ur6s-T_Mh4SPB1RHWM1S9MvM7g2v6-61x0qLH2rqq8OLHBvWdjThmaWnpEXNoN_yeaevaAr8MxDJ3LPqDiYH97aKEJvRuBhpy-Hi93UVWrWFiAYuCLagB9ag-J/s1600/LBDBathroomRefresh.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />As <a href="http://thelittleblackdoor.blogspot.com/2014/02/bathroom-refresh-plan.html" target="_blank">I mentioned last week</a>, a recharge for the bathroom that remained untouched for (gasp) almost seven years was long overdue. (Take a look at her major renovation <a href="http://thelittleblackdoor.blogspot.com/p/bathroom.html" target="_blank">here</a>) Nothing drastic, just new paint, fixtures, shower curtain, towels and accessories. That's how I sell these changes to the hubs by the way - always use the phrase 'nothing drastic'.<br /><br />To go back to the very beginning, here is what she looked like when we moved in.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy3pOXYZ8LtTQIrsHelQcKCyepnmHzsoW_OC3j1swFBcbDuZ8mWO1ygE6gz23bhIOV9dHR5bHQU316Sn24BpbAASYm4tInS7Et1vlThPr740lTs34cR6UqlFxishOvxP3ZCbgCUOGuNA0p/s1600/-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy3pOXYZ8LtTQIrsHelQcKCyepnmHzsoW_OC3j1swFBcbDuZ8mWO1ygE6gz23bhIOV9dHR5bHQU316Sn24BpbAASYm4tInS7Et1vlThPr740lTs34cR6UqlFxishOvxP3ZCbgCUOGuNA0p/s1600/-17.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />And this is what she looked like until very recently.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLbtm0uV21Pb672TKU99AoeDxJTGrWiZCjw38eq2j4gJg0wR0GKsNjUIHLH_HQ3zoriENT00NpDygkaEZ7ejqt29PwD_KBBHGPMgKwP7O2EOUKNwIdN7FfSUpN3Lho_9zFlSJ0WmY9mn7s/s1600/PA300410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLbtm0uV21Pb672TKU99AoeDxJTGrWiZCjw38eq2j4gJg0wR0GKsNjUIHLH_HQ3zoriENT00NpDygkaEZ7ejqt29PwD_KBBHGPMgKwP7O2EOUKNwIdN7FfSUpN3Lho_9zFlSJ0WmY9mn7s/s1600/PA300410.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />And here she is in her pretty new outfit.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1bZsJVAMe4PyagQ3_8ZRqAjToqAV77f_4cZ5-3mPdpsOGpNL449FEnbWRLx1kNxYezpycGxVdxAGC1kKYk7bKNtrVCINwYbx6mRBIOUXrS01PoerZKHAUFkXGUryYyHO-1r2vNC5thchO/s1600/BathroomRefresh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1bZsJVAMe4PyagQ3_8ZRqAjToqAV77f_4cZ5-3mPdpsOGpNL449FEnbWRLx1kNxYezpycGxVdxAGC1kKYk7bKNtrVCINwYbx6mRBIOUXrS01PoerZKHAUFkXGUryYyHO-1r2vNC5thchO/s1600/BathroomRefresh.jpg" width="354" /></a></div><br /><div>The space may be small but I'll milk it for all the pictures I can. So here we go.<br /><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4jFfdHWN3qJZd6ZKYsXHN44ZT84BjdHnCtAgsv9GF30FGMKKNSfV29Kj5OnQhRXloxSVbA90jyJ7x3SgM_T6FBCaRTbDBXTeBU7oZ_q9oxQceOr6nVccM_6h8KzbzuSWw4jrdzKXMda7/s1600/bathroomclose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4jFfdHWN3qJZd6ZKYsXHN44ZT84BjdHnCtAgsv9GF30FGMKKNSfV29Kj5OnQhRXloxSVbA90jyJ7x3SgM_T6FBCaRTbDBXTeBU7oZ_q9oxQceOr6nVccM_6h8KzbzuSWw4jrdzKXMda7/s1600/bathroomclose.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br /></div><div>The most visually appealing, best smelling soap a bathroom could have, courtesy of local favorite <a href="http://www.khalldesigns.com/" target="_blank">K. Hall Designs.</a><br /><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQAvHcvvKTvYeSTvz-QIZ3WC_LMWgxct8nk2QT7895QUx4FYi-FntGL-LQjPj0L8aWox2lFMAZmC58H1enLmrq1Nby5HjhkDdOaTA3U3uyinXD7zp5l2UTMgQV6U1qtawm6QxrBKi-kCEf/s1600/soapandmonograms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQAvHcvvKTvYeSTvz-QIZ3WC_LMWgxct8nk2QT7895QUx4FYi-FntGL-LQjPj0L8aWox2lFMAZmC58H1enLmrq1Nby5HjhkDdOaTA3U3uyinXD7zp5l2UTMgQV6U1qtawm6QxrBKi-kCEf/s1600/soapandmonograms.jpg" width="370" /></a></div><br />I couldn't find a towel bar that I liked for the right price and the right size, so I trolled the plumbing department at Home Depot and gathered up some lovely copper to make my own towel bar. Tutorial to follow.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOt0J7h6tzGQbIvtNFYaClTmU5PGuLRUBws0MiAxAbQ-6RjCcs0u4iidpjdKfcKyZoy8OW_N-e1teSyvIakgZoOa_DdOz8LaiC31630nw_kDcIC10hRMYL3C2JmOM2vkyHHqoK9JkK9X2Y/s1600/towelandart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOt0J7h6tzGQbIvtNFYaClTmU5PGuLRUBws0MiAxAbQ-6RjCcs0u4iidpjdKfcKyZoy8OW_N-e1teSyvIakgZoOa_DdOz8LaiC31630nw_kDcIC10hRMYL3C2JmOM2vkyHHqoK9JkK9X2Y/s1600/towelandart.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br /></div><div>The first of many prints I hope to own from <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/janethillstudio" target="_blank">Janet Hill Studio</a>.<br /><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_P6feG8MbkF2JZSPtptkuB7bQ90Z9fYBPJZjOlPDFIMCof67Ddp8tQ9DvfjH9at27SpyKV6e_rBF6OJRtDcFxU8Vo0dNgkXXnNuQxesCqMy3MIPluyy8s1ymloMTMx1Nq15ybiZwANDfn/s1600/janethillstudioart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_P6feG8MbkF2JZSPtptkuB7bQ90Z9fYBPJZjOlPDFIMCof67Ddp8tQ9DvfjH9at27SpyKV6e_rBF6OJRtDcFxU8Vo0dNgkXXnNuQxesCqMy3MIPluyy8s1ymloMTMx1Nq15ybiZwANDfn/s1600/janethillstudioart.jpg" width="392" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5vkUQavW2dMoULJdP478rOUXJ2HjN4XFGf4oNVpYf_aqxHadlnx45YWzhpEH-DeBh50QDkw4szFLRL_nOBHrlsvum4wFDCcQkmtYmt-fQlftczrT9ONqV56Unh4aYA1Or66b5Me6Z0sZ/s1600/littleblackdoorbathroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5vkUQavW2dMoULJdP478rOUXJ2HjN4XFGf4oNVpYf_aqxHadlnx45YWzhpEH-DeBh50QDkw4szFLRL_nOBHrlsvum4wFDCcQkmtYmt-fQlftczrT9ONqV56Unh4aYA1Or66b5Me6Z0sZ/s1600/littleblackdoorbathroom.jpg" width="364" /></a></div><br />I got these wonderful white and gold fish hooks a long while back but never found any place to properly 'hook' them. So instead I took out the standard issue knob on the freshly painted medicine cabinet and replaced it with Elton the glamour fish.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbqeiLE3WTg5UH1Be8msSJpkGxEdN9mfFzGot4p1J8Uim8YdpDJTRsAlri7Eyv6hmoZN4tWtnQF125KXuW-6bJEQH_CecKRMSHq5SjJUrd4BjECVLwfa3MnLYBWvrbjNyHG0EuLMtHh3s/s1600/fishdetail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbqeiLE3WTg5UH1Be8msSJpkGxEdN9mfFzGot4p1J8Uim8YdpDJTRsAlri7Eyv6hmoZN4tWtnQF125KXuW-6bJEQH_CecKRMSHq5SjJUrd4BjECVLwfa3MnLYBWvrbjNyHG0EuLMtHh3s/s1600/fishdetail.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Last summer I t<a href="http://thelittleblackdoor.blogspot.com/2013/08/colorful-shower-curtains.html" target="_blank">alked about</a> my obsession with finding a unique shower curtain. Well I never did find one that suited, so I followed the lead of the great <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/6896205648982513/" target="_blank">Tobi Fairley</a> and had one made.<br /><br />Thank heavens I have a wonderful aunt who can sew like the wind. She did a beautiful job and because of the custom work I was able to have her make it just the right length so I could take the curtain rod all the way to the ceiling. It is amazing what it has done for the room. The space feels bigger, brighter and well...taller. Imagine that.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQUlSQlQ4T2v6bf3EolL7Rr6FOgO3KRnQHrH0OtoSW1dd1z5I5ikaSV91_mj12jb3kYuhqIrr0odIH0Ro1tnCnh66l6uKw5CiAMQ4naY1aBSF9NhC6dVdRIFU1ZBG8-OIqwc_hz_NluXG/s1600/stripeshowercurtain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQUlSQlQ4T2v6bf3EolL7Rr6FOgO3KRnQHrH0OtoSW1dd1z5I5ikaSV91_mj12jb3kYuhqIrr0odIH0Ro1tnCnh66l6uKw5CiAMQ4naY1aBSF9NhC6dVdRIFU1ZBG8-OIqwc_hz_NluXG/s1600/stripeshowercurtain.jpg" width="324" /></a></div><br />On the opposite wall I made the wise decision to ditch the towel bar in favor of hooks. Let's be real, more than one person uses this bathroom so one towel bar wasn't cutting it. Yes we have a hook on the back of the door as well, but this is just so functional, and far more fun.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_zybErkeEHBjWwD0vzJQQwEEEaKbZ-1jEOBpUZeYynoO1bFrOcuWguqfA3fDuX0YLl6vfkqX0399VL4zbjrVxamWhvHJTLQ2K8s6TFKymt42-BKuu3D7NiRYUzYRubCYMU1WgJJtWcHol/s1600/towelhooks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_zybErkeEHBjWwD0vzJQQwEEEaKbZ-1jEOBpUZeYynoO1bFrOcuWguqfA3fDuX0YLl6vfkqX0399VL4zbjrVxamWhvHJTLQ2K8s6TFKymt42-BKuu3D7NiRYUzYRubCYMU1WgJJtWcHol/s1600/towelhooks.jpg" width="404" /></a></div><br /><a href="http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/grayowl" target="_blank">Benjamin Moore Gray Owl</a> on the walls has done a brilliant job of brightening up the space, bringing out the gray in the marble floor and most importantly - makes the space feel clean and crisp even if the maid doesn't get around to cleaning it for a few days. Of course, not having a maid might have something to do with that.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_RCUDAJzr3zintIzFy3TpOE9TL4P3tj_anTBBlyybaIgdnvYBK8ZYoc88Vfk4wCMCMeL4NKkIAmliP0ajuL3q7pX7qk-Cn-XFAKnYZ9jB7FLcrOfft2Vwaoe03uh-bYSdyQbl1lt_0eGR/s1600/whitegraygreenbathroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_RCUDAJzr3zintIzFy3TpOE9TL4P3tj_anTBBlyybaIgdnvYBK8ZYoc88Vfk4wCMCMeL4NKkIAmliP0ajuL3q7pX7qk-Cn-XFAKnYZ9jB7FLcrOfft2Vwaoe03uh-bYSdyQbl1lt_0eGR/s1600/whitegraygreenbathroom.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQ02wefmj95vc99xUr1AOE7Lflko_0lDfTdjpupZ1O2f0UoHi33DaYei-kEtXNytoC7JvXbYqOOx6zyT1vOvLBzt9p4-MGBM7u5yiMa01ezThMBBQhze_v2EluU-34k77eu_f-oJNVCbH/s1600/tulipsandpolkadots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQ02wefmj95vc99xUr1AOE7Lflko_0lDfTdjpupZ1O2f0UoHi33DaYei-kEtXNytoC7JvXbYqOOx6zyT1vOvLBzt9p4-MGBM7u5yiMa01ezThMBBQhze_v2EluU-34k77eu_f-oJNVCbH/s1600/tulipsandpolkadots.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJRufFAv11Vxo6ODtJuxmfDmhgUjGo7XsW7NF2f3xyR8hQF6bTvsABTB6ghm9CvsVPizbvtY8-oPZLAFbek4HqD1Vs_pQcXsr_S7Fq9AAPKQ0xV7sn0XCDfwYk-jjPlB6OEtdWExoYPf2j/s1600/soapandmonograms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJRufFAv11Vxo6ODtJuxmfDmhgUjGo7XsW7NF2f3xyR8hQF6bTvsABTB6ghm9CvsVPizbvtY8-oPZLAFbek4HqD1Vs_pQcXsr_S7Fq9AAPKQ0xV7sn0XCDfwYk-jjPlB6OEtdWExoYPf2j/s1600/soapandmonograms.jpg" width="370" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXreox69YizVt0Ew4ZdOxl5ezzpMoLWFnPoBkGTsfZ3bosNUWn7t4HI-_nxxzAa7fjGOixrkdBAlKfqMpb8KdQemLpPz4UjvtNIZJO5MOdOHvk-QIuVgqvGCdgpIMoD8AmBj6W_2i0bTU/s1600/monogramtowels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXreox69YizVt0Ew4ZdOxl5ezzpMoLWFnPoBkGTsfZ3bosNUWn7t4HI-_nxxzAa7fjGOixrkdBAlKfqMpb8KdQemLpPz4UjvtNIZJO5MOdOHvk-QIuVgqvGCdgpIMoD8AmBj6W_2i0bTU/s1600/monogramtowels.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidK9Dv-wpXH2GLMJD_pvbQcflDape7_FKbBN_gGTwMI0W5wKkOrjkiyv56RJrR5uQjSmoptK6hG1HhWexepJo4SFPO0N5jHrO-wKgPEeMt7CAIypvyM6miqpwICv-vc_1M3Pdgb4WlqJ5y/s1600/BathroomCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidK9Dv-wpXH2GLMJD_pvbQcflDape7_FKbBN_gGTwMI0W5wKkOrjkiyv56RJrR5uQjSmoptK6hG1HhWexepJo4SFPO0N5jHrO-wKgPEeMt7CAIypvyM6miqpwICv-vc_1M3Pdgb4WlqJ5y/s1600/BathroomCollage.jpg" width="610" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqs2xo4JVLwWpaPc8KjkPXzMs5T_CseWl50PCuEF5hi-iBExyqiIvPnecKSBh9Y4_RZyI_tZJce0ZxDENNRMFdjnGmw7mjdFTT-4F9U9Q1vLFZX-1dHLHkilhhOxml5biplDfInC3tmFE1/s1600/BathroomRefresh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqs2xo4JVLwWpaPc8KjkPXzMs5T_CseWl50PCuEF5hi-iBExyqiIvPnecKSBh9Y4_RZyI_tZJce0ZxDENNRMFdjnGmw7mjdFTT-4F9U9Q1vLFZX-1dHLHkilhhOxml5biplDfInC3tmFE1/s1600/BathroomRefresh.jpg" width="354" /></a></div><br />And there she is in all her clean splendor. The changes weren't major but it has done a tremendous job of making it feel like we have a new room in the house. And she'll hold my spirits up until spring arrives. The moral of the story is small changes = big impact. Every time.<br /><br />Have you made any small changes lately? Know anyone who will come to clean my bathroom? Is it wrong that I want to hug my shower curtain?<br /><br />And be sure to come back <a href="http://thelittleblackdoor.blogspot.com/2014/02/wash-away-winter-giveaway.html" target="_blank">tomorrow for a grand giveaway</a>!<br /><br />Linking to <a href="http://dimplesandtangles.blogspot.com/2014/02/best-of-nest-link-party-1.html" target="_blank">The Best of The Nest</a></div>

a look at the loo - bathroom reveal

The loo? Yes, I obviously have Downton on the brain (does anyone else think that season went rather quickly?) So as promised I am supplying ...

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dining room updates

I've been meaning to tell you, my mom is a genius. Of course I knew this already, but let me just share with you her latest example of genius-ness.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJVV8ZNS2XpDpx20a-iKEwlUQdTYraxctlOm2OJ8BgcLUwuRDBQIWxgqmmY9X1FQsaIZWmJLx5bnsaDcIDR5RkLY8cplXNOGaCDFRI6jPRHXi_zS9taJEnzMtVze2PRifjjePysQ8GqdTD/s1600/DiningRoomLBDBefore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJVV8ZNS2XpDpx20a-iKEwlUQdTYraxctlOm2OJ8BgcLUwuRDBQIWxgqmmY9X1FQsaIZWmJLx5bnsaDcIDR5RkLY8cplXNOGaCDFRI6jPRHXi_zS9taJEnzMtVze2PRifjjePysQ8GqdTD/s1600/DiningRoomLBDBefore.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />I am generally happy with my dining room and <a href="http://thelittleblackdoor.blogspot.com/2013/08/refinishing-bench-part-2.html" target="_blank">the church pew</a> works like a charm to corral the girls during dinner but there was one small problem with the layout. When anyone over the age of 16 sat at the pew, they had a good chance of knocking their head against the mirror before dessert was served.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyORAsF1JKlyvk4IPKu31rM-JI3MrLM5kYICbXfvjK8NKbKo3I3tI8G6sybuVu4_-_GOPffOHQsGITS5NtyHuHYfEWdYYvxNtQ3s_kGjGK2qLtCijYu8_BUnWjhS_A7S0P7LL6ZJCGXJkT/s1600/LBDDiningRoomWayBefore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyORAsF1JKlyvk4IPKu31rM-JI3MrLM5kYICbXfvjK8NKbKo3I3tI8G6sybuVu4_-_GOPffOHQsGITS5NtyHuHYfEWdYYvxNtQ3s_kGjGK2qLtCijYu8_BUnWjhS_A7S0P7LL6ZJCGXJkT/s1600/LBDDiningRoomWayBefore.jpg" width="353" /></a></div><br />So often I would blather to my mom on the phone about wanting to put something behind the bench to create a bit of breathing room between guests and the big O (that would be the mirror, not Oprah). A console would be perfect, but I can't find a console that is as long as the bench and isn't thousands of dollars. Blah blah blah. It was probably around this point in the conversation that my mom would tell me she had to go so she didn't have to listen to this conversation...yet again.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjin8JG89c9BlCIDKijmKVE1vDUGpB85xR58HTJcYaTzVSRc6NvLHa3q_oQGzTLFI2WXgsGKQqK4ZTCRp_6jdXAUozs6elcGZ6KvKC3nQSPSkkNOuIIIaf_rueAN9OiKO0kOMXMRAA1rBri/s1600/PA239782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjin8JG89c9BlCIDKijmKVE1vDUGpB85xR58HTJcYaTzVSRc6NvLHa3q_oQGzTLFI2WXgsGKQqK4ZTCRp_6jdXAUozs6elcGZ6KvKC3nQSPSkkNOuIIIaf_rueAN9OiKO0kOMXMRAA1rBri/s1600/PA239782.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />Then we were downstairs (pre-family room makeover) and she said, "What about this console for behind the pew?" Uh, that's not long enough mom, duh. And it's too deep. To which the smarty pants said, "not if you cut it in half."<br /><br />Mind blown.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOmPlnTwSYmIdF8TH8lk-BSUppyDf22B5dRlilbOviH8fARsju6dilbAhWPrXCTwI451L9kfrPcEKkNps2jAA_1Q-sOpIyfoyrA9LjBcvzG_ZYR6aEzUcLZbPRiUt9ma2gaVTwZthZTyy/s1600/consoletablebefore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOmPlnTwSYmIdF8TH8lk-BSUppyDf22B5dRlilbOviH8fARsju6dilbAhWPrXCTwI451L9kfrPcEKkNps2jAA_1Q-sOpIyfoyrA9LjBcvzG_ZYR6aEzUcLZbPRiUt9ma2gaVTwZthZTyy/s320/consoletablebefore.jpg" width="472" /></a></div><br />I should clarify that this woman is a furniture lover of the first degree and doesn't normally condone furniture mutilation. But this particular piece was a random HomeGoods buy (we all have a few of those around the house) and is by no means precious.<br /><br />So of course I took that sucker outside as quickly as I could, measured to find the exact middle of the table and asked the hubs to buzz that sucker in half. We kept the tape down as he cut to prevent any splitting and in no time flat I had myself one. long. console.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEBwMi3nviAVimb8rmAEntpcLjudli2opYJzHiHPFWQR4N9DiRSSUlNQhkn4KkNNyx1YC9uSbo6AgZ0Y4YHku4vEf4g07eqL9wsaNcGAL0Ja2rNhiEqmk3zbc7lzJr5oNBm5T4hxtls_Vw/s1600/IMG_1513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEBwMi3nviAVimb8rmAEntpcLjudli2opYJzHiHPFWQR4N9DiRSSUlNQhkn4KkNNyx1YC9uSbo6AgZ0Y4YHku4vEf4g07eqL9wsaNcGAL0Ja2rNhiEqmk3zbc7lzJr5oNBm5T4hxtls_Vw/s1600/IMG_1513.JPG" width="474" /></a></div><br />Although each side of the now super long console still had two legs to hold it up, it was a bit wobbly. To remedy this we just screwed each side of the console into the wall to hold it in place and we were done.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLrPIrtH85TxAlvPz3k_ZNjzhh7gBYan_uw6nrBlHDninFKv4YePMAzWPDpNwO21LJuD78sK6BAXl5-jx3GacTaRQyEo70lYNEeRfzm7DTb-QDBdB_hzKweCRQtbFD0js3OTbkVpSxvNYs/s1600/bluediningroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLrPIrtH85TxAlvPz3k_ZNjzhh7gBYan_uw6nrBlHDninFKv4YePMAzWPDpNwO21LJuD78sK6BAXl5-jx3GacTaRQyEo70lYNEeRfzm7DTb-QDBdB_hzKweCRQtbFD0js3OTbkVpSxvNYs/s1600/bluediningroom.jpg" width="626" /></a></div><br />So nothing earth shattering but now all of my dinner guests can enjoy themselves without bonking their head in the middle of an animated story. (we host a lot of animated storytellers at our house). And really I'm a fan of little updates to a room. It feeds my constant appetite for change without chucking a room and starting over again every few months ($$$$$$)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVlFDnFHFLa6vX3zbO3ouVY8kCaOwrd_YOAm3eL92ExeOLueayInHBpIgP8iQnWNWAmtg9zwcfJJc_oZ6fQxJHATBBsDYYA6JIwSi2UMbiHQCVEsEzHTJDZ-Gvt6k3lG2JpxBJuZhsyoJA/s1600/LBDDiningRoomWIDE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVlFDnFHFLa6vX3zbO3ouVY8kCaOwrd_YOAm3eL92ExeOLueayInHBpIgP8iQnWNWAmtg9zwcfJJc_oZ6fQxJHATBBsDYYA6JIwSi2UMbiHQCVEsEzHTJDZ-Gvt6k3lG2JpxBJuZhsyoJA/s1600/LBDDiningRoomWIDE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqk304dAjtJt266bp4z56SkW9P7g8Vg-Eq_hVuKPYN-lKeqRBbeh2SkOu92jO4KO_QD2xqmPrIyrcJXdVG3S62HrgciR0BGyRQ7ZuswwotNXJ-zCJaJ3NscOeUBUqSNI8Xn5RDi-vR7A1z/s1600/diningroombenchcloseup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqk304dAjtJt266bp4z56SkW9P7g8Vg-Eq_hVuKPYN-lKeqRBbeh2SkOu92jO4KO_QD2xqmPrIyrcJXdVG3S62HrgciR0BGyRQ7ZuswwotNXJ-zCJaJ3NscOeUBUqSNI8Xn5RDi-vR7A1z/s1600/diningroombenchcloseup.jpg" width="610" /></a></div><br />The runner is a temporary one I made from fabric leftovers and extra ribbon. It will hang out until I find a more permanent replacement one day.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOFp8sV0B4jX_e4NkuQtfuU6WYt-AZ6KOdWB28HHdbjwfVqN4R70E_EZ3zRHu04hYsTzMyWYVdeHHsD-d0RzLkK7_UKp_jGo69aAVWLwbEBwlc29kDPKfgEInLqM7tQVgZF8RXhLkHiUQ/s1600/LBDDiningRoomTIGHT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOFp8sV0B4jX_e4NkuQtfuU6WYt-AZ6KOdWB28HHdbjwfVqN4R70E_EZ3zRHu04hYsTzMyWYVdeHHsD-d0RzLkK7_UKp_jGo69aAVWLwbEBwlc29kDPKfgEInLqM7tQVgZF8RXhLkHiUQ/s1600/LBDDiningRoomTIGHT.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimZ3_lX1E51dbNs4r0ZeGrghswZ4CvAu_9yNQsiwSvMqktMJ5o1eGmoT04EsO25cWCCFTLHTEeTTFV5mRRjqDDBeeamBPB7954aYfpQM9wstND9rz6PlBYUFATgCsfcUqLIP3e1SUCA5xE/s1600/LBDDiningRoomOtherSide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimZ3_lX1E51dbNs4r0ZeGrghswZ4CvAu_9yNQsiwSvMqktMJ5o1eGmoT04EsO25cWCCFTLHTEeTTFV5mRRjqDDBeeamBPB7954aYfpQM9wstND9rz6PlBYUFATgCsfcUqLIP3e1SUCA5xE/s1600/LBDDiningRoomOtherSide.jpg" width="620" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_94ulhYNuzhmiizn2uZ-YWX80atDwoGIKXZZvDaGCgGAUG90R1Dc3rOerTbxsEu5nSiNCdN29xNMC5ITEKvDOGyc4ZEAcdsIwVfKBoxONu3O9o7MW9F6WeCPBqNZ_njRFlwMVzoMShb1w/s1600/LBDDiningRoomDetails.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="582" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_94ulhYNuzhmiizn2uZ-YWX80atDwoGIKXZZvDaGCgGAUG90R1Dc3rOerTbxsEu5nSiNCdN29xNMC5ITEKvDOGyc4ZEAcdsIwVfKBoxONu3O9o7MW9F6WeCPBqNZ_njRFlwMVzoMShb1w/s1600/LBDDiningRoomDetails.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNy8L2vc57XyneYmgF6mHqQKzjlzM6mc7ScyqCOq8A4cpxmt5N4bYb7KOGY9UgKkZCv6PSsvLoMjOycWXX5p3xyyatjsBHlW0Vd5VvOS62TVBpyOnoG2flvCSrRQTx5KCzYInmOJkVSKOL/s1600/LBDDiningRoomWIDE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNy8L2vc57XyneYmgF6mHqQKzjlzM6mc7ScyqCOq8A4cpxmt5N4bYb7KOGY9UgKkZCv6PSsvLoMjOycWXX5p3xyyatjsBHlW0Vd5VvOS62TVBpyOnoG2flvCSrRQTx5KCzYInmOJkVSKOL/s1600/LBDDiningRoomWIDE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />What about you? Do you make a lot of little changes around the house to pacify the 'itch'? Ever cut a piece of furniture in half? I'm willing to rent my mom out to anyone who needs her, although maybe I should ask her first.

dining room updates

I've been meaning to tell you, my mom is a genius. Of course I knew this already, but let me just share with you her latest example of g...

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plank walls - what i learned

When I did the reveal of our <a href="http://thelittleblackdoor.blogspot.com/2013/11/one-room-challenge-week-6-aka-reveal.html" target="_blank">family room</a> on the latest <a href="http://thelittleblackdoor.blogspot.com/p/one-room-challenge.html" target="_blank">One Room Challenge</a>, I got a lot of comments and emails about the plank wall and several requests for a tutorial. Ask and you shall receive.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegjbgIyOFdJPTdr8p5W2ClUgx-VigN0bWxYdNSG5JuYRt0Xq9D3rlcz7Vu5oLvcGT7STOYFfMPiN7v48D-PNC40zB908UEtMMNHCA0pULeuls6pzj9VlpkrwZXyDWFeYjYPgIWQ3tzLxu/s1600/brightfamilyroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegjbgIyOFdJPTdr8p5W2ClUgx-VigN0bWxYdNSG5JuYRt0Xq9D3rlcz7Vu5oLvcGT7STOYFfMPiN7v48D-PNC40zB908UEtMMNHCA0pULeuls6pzj9VlpkrwZXyDWFeYjYPgIWQ3tzLxu/s640/brightfamilyroom.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Well, sort of.<br /><br />There are dozens of tutorials for planks walls out there, all of them giving you fine directions on the logistics. So I'd rather focus on the issues that made this project unique and a few 'learn from my mistakes' nuggets. So with that, let's dive in, shall we.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkBOFe9wc1IHWWKQomhQbflZzbi9ANWpTs5PAMwp4dRz03oZ4lzixAu7rsYEPNN2-TyMzj2Z2lTmHKWkgyfoFoDcFzSXfWsvXBg_UNgAmalNiow_ZgPnzZJ0TS9TRzZjs5x4LEKFcxDXn/s1600/basementbefore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkBOFe9wc1IHWWKQomhQbflZzbi9ANWpTs5PAMwp4dRz03oZ4lzixAu7rsYEPNN2-TyMzj2Z2lTmHKWkgyfoFoDcFzSXfWsvXBg_UNgAmalNiow_ZgPnzZJ0TS9TRzZjs5x4LEKFcxDXn/s640/basementbefore.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />There was one huge head scratcher in our family room, which is in the basement, and that was the 15 foot long foundation wall that runs along one whole side of the space. Since it is the foundation it always made me a little uneasy to think about drilling holes in it. But it was so vast and boring and it just looked cold. It would basically give me the middle finger every night as I watched TV. "I may be ugly, but there is nothing you can do about it sucka."<br /><br />I loved the idea of a plank wall to give that beast some texture and warmth, but every. single. tutorial talked about nailing the planks into the wall. And that wasn't happening.<br /><br />Enter creative thinking.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIuqMDxso27KI4qK5YaZm95CsfLrJ8Fcn-WL_kNg3CwsIdZHwmygb9neP1EUXICokIfHMDGdAA2ptngUoCni8XwHa3rhQWJC74Qf8_NfBiOvDfNjRAzaQzTlvoMy_w8ydu8gpQhmGwvw27/s1600/411-LONG_CFIP_rev_D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIuqMDxso27KI4qK5YaZm95CsfLrJ8Fcn-WL_kNg3CwsIdZHwmygb9neP1EUXICokIfHMDGdAA2ptngUoCni8XwHa3rhQWJC74Qf8_NfBiOvDfNjRAzaQzTlvoMy_w8ydu8gpQhmGwvw27/s400/411-LONG_CFIP_rev_D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Thanks to a night of G&G&T (Google, gin and tonic) I found an alternative that was worth a shot. <a href="http://mounting.scotchbrand.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/ScotchMountingAndFastening/Home/ProductCatalog/~/Scotch-Outdoor-Mounting-Tape-1-in-x-450-in?N=7583086+3294268039+3294529207&rt=rud" target="_blank">Scotch Outdoor Mounting Tape</a>. (we got ours at <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/p/Scotch-1-in-x-1-66-yd-Exterior-Mounting-Tape-411-DC/100575385#.UtXUkWRDvpY" target="_blank">Home Depot</a>). The reviews were excellent and it said it would hold up to 10 lbs. I also liked the fact that it was outdoor, meaning it would hold up to any possibly dampness that can sometimes come with a basement. With a solution in hand, I went to put this plank wall into action.<br /><br />On the advice of many a plank wall tutorial, we went to Lowe's to get our plywood and have it cut on site. We went with a mid-grade option that was light but sturdy. For our 15 foot wall we got eight boards which totaled around $180.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltm73nczWTxAtJD9nRQemtBY4bytvXSmyH2dnBhjiCm9SXtTHE2AhhY9QkLJycP_Zm9S13Y4dGqXZab3ktsw2RtatV7U_Hcuw1F1yYK00JVFSSxhsrATo44GJ1KO1vZpS9EDHHGZHIkKT/s1600/pinewoodpricetag.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltm73nczWTxAtJD9nRQemtBY4bytvXSmyH2dnBhjiCm9SXtTHE2AhhY9QkLJycP_Zm9S13Y4dGqXZab3ktsw2RtatV7U_Hcuw1F1yYK00JVFSSxhsrATo44GJ1KO1vZpS9EDHHGZHIkKT/s320/pinewoodpricetag.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><br />Our first attempt to get our planks cut was on a Friday night (I am Mrs. Weekend Excitement) and the old dude was obviously annoyed to be at work and tried to tell me that they didn't cut wood for customers. As he was standing in front of the big huge wood cutting machine. I asked him what that machine was for then and he just said, "Lady, we just can't do it." Uh huh.<br /><br />So I went back the next day and got the young spry Lowe's dude who was more than happy to use the big machine for me. So hold strong and be firm - Lowe's does cut boards. Home Depot however does not, and they state that fact in their lumber area. Go figure.<br /><br />One other important note - make sure to stand right next to the young Lowe's dude as he cuts your boards. We sadly, did not do this. And then when we got home after loading all of these boards into the car and then unloading them into the garage and then bringing them downstairs, we noticed that he was not a straight cutter. The first three planks cut from each board were straight as an arrow but as he got closer to the bottom of the board, young Lowe's dude didn't hold the board with both hands and the ends of the last two planks would start out straight and then get narrower as the weight of the board would tilt at the end of the cut. Bummer.<br /><br />Of course, this discovery wasn't made until we were already several boards into the project and it caused me to exceed my cussing quota for the day. So cutter beware.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-WA1d5mui4Ad8wsurZabHJsGRMByzI1pD-KCwYVY73OcZ11Em1-aWIiF71piActhaVwbipbfvm406D3JQqW6TVydDEibHjCmOnztLUfsRRCdcPIVEP3b6hEzr6nONe9dQa9lWqMK4q3q/s1600/plankwallwithtape.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-WA1d5mui4Ad8wsurZabHJsGRMByzI1pD-KCwYVY73OcZ11Em1-aWIiF71piActhaVwbipbfvm406D3JQqW6TVydDEibHjCmOnztLUfsRRCdcPIVEP3b6hEzr6nONe9dQa9lWqMK4q3q/s320/plankwallwithtape.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />With the wall primed and the boards home we got busy installing. We cut our tape into long strips spacing them out on the plank and up it went.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXjilkL8ZTJ0WCCv6od0hfB5TYL6HE7oGsrFaCE5mJzrk0sOy_xR8p5szzMVafCeFTgwaRQyAnQYQy3D0F2WFgXlT1xOqs_U2a6qMB-_UsxiW2F_GOF0tjusmW97mQdXe55dmq4w5WVo0m/s1600/plankwallstart.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXjilkL8ZTJ0WCCv6od0hfB5TYL6HE7oGsrFaCE5mJzrk0sOy_xR8p5szzMVafCeFTgwaRQyAnQYQy3D0F2WFgXlT1xOqs_U2a6qMB-_UsxiW2F_GOF0tjusmW97mQdXe55dmq4w5WVo0m/s400/plankwallstart.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Since the walls nor the floor in the basement are perfectly level we started at the top knowing we could address the unevenness at the bottom with finishing trim.<br /><br />Once the plank was up, one of us would keep our hands on it while the other would run the length of the plank making sure all of the tape was adhering. And it worked like a charm. This stuff sticks like no ones business so it is hard to remove after you put it up, which was the hope. We did have to remove a few pieces as our friends cutting skills came to light but with a bit of muscle the plank came off with only a small chip to the paint on the wall. The key is to remove it right away if you decide you need to. Once that tape is on for a few minutes, it is on there for good.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwO-oJSJYTe5pEAzTueMpGWd9lpo2PEbpLa50B4CYWiBXqrsAvie2avSt0pi7tpbhi8x-GBWg-W5fH5GO7SOlvGYAN0KeIEm0qQ8HtPBB0x6dbjbLQuZqgrgkTZ2A6EOc22WId7QE834nN/s1600/plankwallprogress.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwO-oJSJYTe5pEAzTueMpGWd9lpo2PEbpLa50B4CYWiBXqrsAvie2avSt0pi7tpbhi8x-GBWg-W5fH5GO7SOlvGYAN0KeIEm0qQ8HtPBB0x6dbjbLQuZqgrgkTZ2A6EOc22WId7QE834nN/s400/plankwallprogress.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />From there the process went quickly. It would have gone at lightening pace if we didn't have to fit the planks like a jigsaw puzzle to account for the poorly cut boards. But without the need for a nail gun the whole thing moved right along. Just make sure to stager your seems as best you can.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipF9RaNGQfYNHeUBcbF1CJaG_dbPDGRwNnYfzM2tCuYqitooZd5o8EnOnjNZ1p9eYSxx68Jir8LY9pRtx2TqReqLOqGm5jx-TDf95nxf1_UWiNpXnddXeNUjxAIA64d71dtAOMSLjRxizz/s1600/P9024255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipF9RaNGQfYNHeUBcbF1CJaG_dbPDGRwNnYfzM2tCuYqitooZd5o8EnOnjNZ1p9eYSxx68Jir8LY9pRtx2TqReqLOqGm5jx-TDf95nxf1_UWiNpXnddXeNUjxAIA64d71dtAOMSLjRxizz/s320/P9024255.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Some people suggest using a nickel as your spacer in between planks but I wanted more space between my planks so the wall looked more authentic and less engineered. So we used a short castoff plank as our spacer.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxqaG_xwZiNsqMP73MrrTO1VwfuH78W7Chq9gNWJgGCyDj7_HkWNlbS4dodb44l0Mwve10zar7wyNks4j50axtdRK_EmbSqcs6lpAGawPCRXK_XU2WRlEnHCDsg-ZVHg6s5q65rYMfKWm/s1600/plankprime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxqaG_xwZiNsqMP73MrrTO1VwfuH78W7Chq9gNWJgGCyDj7_HkWNlbS4dodb44l0Mwve10zar7wyNks4j50axtdRK_EmbSqcs6lpAGawPCRXK_XU2WRlEnHCDsg-ZVHg6s5q65rYMfKWm/s400/plankprime.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Once the wall was up it was time to prime. I was worried that this wood would just drink up paint and I would need many many coats. But <a href="http://www.kilz.com/primer/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=ef4c693378683210VgnVCM1000006b0910acRCRD" target="_blank">Kilz</a> killed it again and one coat of primer was all that was needed.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmND4RUSSH46DXM8Z1EaAE9vxOBcSqzvNFaPZ6R_efgpLu1AZjA9srlLVzuLN1W3Nz4yCF7m4pXEbMtqhBDBAltAtM3VcIRJf4v154h_UwJAFbEnCEJXyYrs48JWH2Jb_Do6g3lyH1Cqic/s1600/PA054580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmND4RUSSH46DXM8Z1EaAE9vxOBcSqzvNFaPZ6R_efgpLu1AZjA9srlLVzuLN1W3Nz4yCF7m4pXEbMtqhBDBAltAtM3VcIRJf4v154h_UwJAFbEnCEJXyYrs48JWH2Jb_Do6g3lyH1Cqic/s400/PA054580.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Once the primer was up, I went over the wall and caulked some of the bigger seams as well as the space between the wall and the crown. And then finished it off with two coats of the white paint I used on all the other walls of the room. I didn't paint in the seams because I liked the depth it gave the planks but you certainly could use a paint brush to get dip into those cracks. Just a matter of preference.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuo7obSvKof1af9Hb3m2qxovZ_F8jDj8tTQ-3w1sbeh-IPK8rMLRRhdEI9ERT5LHIakEIuQZhHjci6lrUNHozBpIZGjlyP-EVSlN79ERoBMdYnnJMfQQV2IojnBNcmvZtgH6BSo0NBAG0o/s1600/familyroomleft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuo7obSvKof1af9Hb3m2qxovZ_F8jDj8tTQ-3w1sbeh-IPK8rMLRRhdEI9ERT5LHIakEIuQZhHjci6lrUNHozBpIZGjlyP-EVSlN79ERoBMdYnnJMfQQV2IojnBNcmvZtgH6BSo0NBAG0o/s640/familyroomleft.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNRt5r8xBWX9fCQ_vQP3_wnVXwsNb7KhxdDz7QGesv8ZDgqrdoyAWO-mtnqZSXcSnoTsVMBvooa9S6QWxfOeXV6D48jm9bSHmWgh3d78HG0oq1kXYHYcD_hCmg8fKHvwX_jFv7kNpXx6a/s1600/slipcoveredchair2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNRt5r8xBWX9fCQ_vQP3_wnVXwsNb7KhxdDz7QGesv8ZDgqrdoyAWO-mtnqZSXcSnoTsVMBvooa9S6QWxfOeXV6D48jm9bSHmWgh3d78HG0oq1kXYHYcD_hCmg8fKHvwX_jFv7kNpXx6a/s640/slipcoveredchair2.jpg" width="494" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfVqkhbG5GMRyQH3YMtyDCKUElZVkg76b03Nlc4kDGM604_eKaHREHfm3Ndglxus4dBwzvyGlpuSxuqe1QbEnCT472SCj6BgF8Zd-r8c51T4zI7ynw8lryuqoFfjxq_sdyM37zh-KN8pK/s1600/blueandwhitebookshelf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfVqkhbG5GMRyQH3YMtyDCKUElZVkg76b03Nlc4kDGM604_eKaHREHfm3Ndglxus4dBwzvyGlpuSxuqe1QbEnCT472SCj6BgF8Zd-r8c51T4zI7ynw8lryuqoFfjxq_sdyM37zh-KN8pK/s640/blueandwhitebookshelf.jpg" width="420" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I was so happy with the result that I used the leftover planks for the backs of the bookshelves.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga4rb0qDhcv4Jef8ZxSPjmFsGQNfVMefD123us8LktDXWNk7ZvetgOcRa5fhkA2MhsHzSP1hJQo_TGJpON2ToOHch1v7rcaQE2hVSRnLO6RaMh5qytDzt6UD16zPUqD4GHgZEqwLrXJlNd/s1600/c6f0a9afd0562cec256e9f48fe4f46d0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga4rb0qDhcv4Jef8ZxSPjmFsGQNfVMefD123us8LktDXWNk7ZvetgOcRa5fhkA2MhsHzSP1hJQo_TGJpON2ToOHch1v7rcaQE2hVSRnLO6RaMh5qytDzt6UD16zPUqD4GHgZEqwLrXJlNd/s640/c6f0a9afd0562cec256e9f48fe4f46d0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />I finished the corner where the plank wall meets the stairwell with a piece of corner trim that fit like a charm. And with that the project was done.<br /><br />So with the experience behind me and the benefit of time and hindsight I would tell you that a plank wall is a very cost effective and manageable DIY. Just be sure to make sure those boards are cut straight, and know that if you thought this wasn't an option for you before Scotch Outdoor Mounting Tape is your friend.<br /><br />What about you? Have you ever had to tweak an online tutorial to fit the quirks of your house? Ever hung anything on your walls with tape? (Besides your Cory Haim posters)

plank walls - what i learned

When I did the reveal of our family room on the latest One Room Challenge , I got a lot of comments and emails about the plank wall and sev...

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