Curb Appeal

One good thing about this house is that it's a pretty blank slate. There haven't been any real updates in a few decades but everything is in good shape and fairly neutral. This should make it really easy for us to fix things up.

The front and back yard are no exception. There used to be a huge tree in the front yard that still shows up when you look at the house on Google maps. It must have been cut down earlier this year and now there's just a big stump. The backyard has one little tree. The grass is in pretty good shape. That's it. No bushes, no flowers. Nothing.

And to that I say: AWESOME.

Even though it would be nice to have some mature plants in place, this also means we get to pick what we want. Some of you may not know but I absolutely HATE roses. Rose bushes are like, the most popular plant for people to have in their yard and I am so grateful I don't have to deal with them. I hate the thorns, I hate the way they look, and I would have hated knowing I had to pull out a bunch of them.

Anyway. Here is what the house looks like now:

Pretty sad looking, huh? This is my artistic rending of what it could look like in the future:

Photoshop is not one of my best skill. What I was trying to illustrate was the following changes:

• Repainting the lower brick that is currently white. We were thinking a grey would look nice.
• Repainting all of the trim that is currently forest green, probably in the same color as the brick.
• Painting the front door and mailbox bright red. I've always wanted a bright red door!
• Building brick flower boxes along the front of the house. We talked about doing flowers or shrubs but aren't sure. I personally like the idea of shrubs because they won't die in the Fall and Winter. We could always do both!

Here is what the backyard currently looks like:

Not too bad. The backyard is actually L-shaped because the garage cuts into it. This is the bigger portion. Here's what it could look like after some work:

Photoshop skills! What is supposed to be illustrated here is:

• Berry bushes along the garage. We'll have to see where the sun hits it to see if we can plant anything there. 
• Garden boxes towards the back fence. 
• Flowers and bushes along the perimeter. I'm partial to hydrangeas!

Here's the only existing tree on the property:

If we move into this house I'll probably walk around the neighborhood and take pictures of other people's front yard to get more inspiration and make our yard look similar to what's going on around it. Unless there are roses bushes, of course.

DIY: Lamp

I found this lamp a few months ago and immediately saved the picture. I think it's such a fun way to make something that's normally boring and functional into something that makes more of a statement.

It was crazy expensive so I saved it thinking I could eventually replicate it. Any suggestions on what to use for the flowers? I was thinking clay of some sort.

I can't even remember where I found this picture so if anyone knows where it is from let me know!

Inspiration: Kitchens

It's no surprise that we are both fans of vintage styling and homes and home decorating are no exceptions. So, how do we get that vintage look without a room feeling dated, tired, dusty, or kitchsy?

Lavender and Lillies

Lavender and Lillies

Unknown

Light cabinetry with pops of color!

Lavender and Lilies

Removing the cabinet doors all together and adding color, vintage inspired jars and era appropriate hardware!

Southern Living

One of the best features of our current home is the deep sink. Most of the vintage inspired kitchens I have seen have these great farmhouse style sinks. The glass tile backsplash also adds some vintage flare.

Good Home Construction

I love most of this kitchen. The best part of this picture is that it's the original kitchen! This was a before picture of a $30k remodel. I would have updated it with some nice hardware, fresh paint, and window treatments and saved myself a lot of money, personally. I think it's super cute.

Styling in a vintage fashion not only visually pleasing to us. It allows us to re-use items in both expected and unexpected ways which saves us money by not buying new as well as reduce our impact on our environment by keeping items out of landfills. 

Sources:

Lavender and Lillies
Good Home Construction
Southern Living

Inspiration: Mason Jar Pendant Lamps

design*sponge

Mason jars were a prominent feature at our wedding. I love how lights look flickering in them-- simple and rustic. This D.I.Y. project featured over at design*sponge seems like a fantastic way to use the leftover jars from the wedding and incorporate some of our memories into our new home.

I think they would look great hanging from a square piece of wood at different lengths as well.

Mason Jar Pendant Lamps