my home

all about the renovation of our 100-year-old home.

My husband and I, along with our four small children, live in a 1919 foursquare in Fort Worth, Texas. We have been renovating it for six years, and yes, we have lived in it the whole time! Chapter by chapter, while dealing with white dust and blocking off parts of the house in plastic sheeting, our adventures are chronicled here.

June 12, 2014

  AStoriedStyle.com As you can see from the Master Bathroom Inspiration Board I created above, the tub was a front-and-center element for me.  I love baths, and it was important for the tub to be comfortable and beautiful.  I'm a tall girl, so the tub needed to be long, and I wanted it to be deep.  Oh, and I also wanted to stick with the original tub's material, cast iron.  It holds heat longer, and I wanted to keep with the time period of my home.  My husband was iffy in this - cast iron is so heavy, and he worried about getting it up the stairs.  I will tell you, it was no small feat, it took eight burly men!! I originally wanted the silver matte looking finish shown in the above picture.  Through a little research, I learned this is TRULY silver leaf, and guess what, it tarnishes.  The lady I spoke with told me this was the type of tub you put in a bathroom "you don't use much".  Uhhhhhh this is the Master Bath, and who has a bathroom they don't use much?!  So that was out as I do not plan on polishing my tub every time I use it...was there a way to mix Beauty and Practicality? Why yes, there is.
June 11, 2014

AStoriedStyle.com Years ago, I fell in love with the Sara Chandelier from Canopy Designs. Sara chandelier That beautiful blue color has stuck in my mind for years; in fact, one of my clients has this chandelier in her house, and it looks amazing.  Although I explored other options, and even DIY-ing a fixture, we ended up leaving room in our budget for a pair of the Sara pendants since I believed they would add so much to the room.  Even with my discount, they were pricey, and after waiting what felt like forever (these are handblown in the US), two boxes showed up on my doorstep from New York. There was one small problem though...that "beautiful blue color" looked more blue-green than I had imagined. AStoriedStyle.com
June 2, 2014

AStoriedStyle.com Thanks so much for the great comments on my DIY Acrylic Rod Update!  I have loved getting photos of what you guys have done with the idea so keep them coming! Curtains are an easy change usually, which is good for me because I like to change mine every few years.  : )  Now there are some I will not change as often because the fabric is a one-of-a-kind, or it is some amazing pattern and was more expensive, etc.  I also like to get creative when changing out curtains and will use them to make pillows or cover a small bench or chair, etc.  In fact, that is exactly what I did for a client in her guest room.  We covered a sad bench with two panels of gray velvet drapery I used to have in my office, and it turned out great!  (see the post here)  I mean, seriously, would you ever know those were curtains?

photo courtesy of Sabrina Gebhardt Photography

As I'm sure you have noticed, wide,  horizontal-striped curtains with a bold color have been all the rage the past few years, although a stripe is classic and will probably never go out of style.

Janie-M-Designs-horizontal-draperyjanie molster designs

I have loved this look for years, but wanted something a little softer for my living room.   Brightening this room up is something I have really worked on (through changing color palette - paint, trim, etc.) because even though it has two large and two small windows, it can feel rather dark.  None of the windows have direct light as the front porch presides over the two large windows, and the porte cochere hovers over the two small windows. When I spied this neutral wide striped fabric, I knew this was just what I wanted. AStoriedStyle.com However, the fabric had been discontinued, so luckily, my friend and talented designer, Emily, helped me track it down!  Thanks again, Emily! I like drapery with pleating at the top because I think it helps the fabric hang better, but I wanted the pleats to be very very minimal.  Pinch pleats can look very formal and sometimes a little severe to me.  Since I have an old home, and this is our living room, I did not want it to feel overly formal as these rooms can project "stuffiness".  The slight pleats give it a more casual, livable vibe.  I'm so happy with how they turned out.
May 29, 2014

diy acrylic rod

Without a doubt, one of my most popular DIY's ever has been my acrylic rods.  Well, they are DIY-ish, but more importantly, they are timeless, fabulous, and affordable.  You can find the original post that started it all here, and if you do use the tutorial, make sure you say "hey" to my buddy, Kipp, and tell him I sent you.  I don't get a commission or anything (although I should, ha), but he has always been kind to me and provided awesome customer service to all of you who have called.  (as you have told me) UPDATE:  Kipp's contact info!  He works for Nationwide Plastics in Dallas, and they will cut, polish the ends of your rods (if desired) AND ship the rods straight to your door.  They are open Monday through Friday 8-5, and his number is 214.239.3870.  Just call and ask for Kipp. My living room has gone through a number of changes since I first posted the rod tutorial nearly two years ago.  And yes, I'm going to post the full room eventually, but I am still tying up a few loose ends before I photograph it.  You can see in the photo below from a couple of years ago that my rods have changed a bit.  Plus the paint color, curtain fabric, and hardware are different.  : ) Then... AStoriedStyle-DIYAcrylicRod6 Now...

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