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finishing the living room
It’s been just over two years since we completed the big overhaul to the main floor of our house. The living room (which used to be the dining area) had a slow start with furnishings but over time we added a new sectional, a coffee table, this rug, a transforming side table and a much-coveted LCW chair.
And now we’re changing things again and attempting to truly finish this space. It started a few months ago when we moved the coffee table downstairs. At first it was a temporary move to accommodate my PEPs group (10 moms and their babies in our living room, definitely a record!), but Avery was also at the age where floor time was becoming more fun so we decided not to bring it back up. (We knew we’d have to relocate it eventually when she became more mobile.) The downside to moving the table was that it now exposed the pretty uneven wear of the shag rug. I’d been secretly looking for a replacement rug for this area for a few months, but couldn’t find anything that was the right price, size and material. And then we finally had a stroke of luck during an impromptu weekday lunch last week (the excuse, the sun was out!). We stopped in our local Crate&Barrel where I saw this sisal rug, but at $399 it was more than I wanted to spend. On our way out, we passed a stack of floor models on sale and what do you know, there sat the same exact rug, on sale from $399 down to $219. Kyle negotiated the price down to $199 and with that we rolled it up and took it home. It has been a long time since we had a moment of karma like this and it felt good.
I’ve always liked the practicality of a natural fiber rug but Kyle has been reluctant because of its coarseness. It took him a few days to warm up to this one, but we’re feeling good about our (non-returnable) purchase. We’ve owned IKEA fiber rugs and this one really is quite a bit “smoother” underfoot, which I’m guessing is related to the quality of the weave. We were also pleasantly surprised how much a light-colored rug brightened up the space (these photos were taken on a typical overcast day).
The rug is 6’x9′ (our previous one was 5’x8′) and it’s a much better fit for the space. Our layout can be challenging because you clip the corner of the living area coming from the front door, but with a thinner rug it’s not awkward at all. We still put down a blanket for Avery, but more so to protect the rug from spit-up. (The great thing about having a stack of homemade quilts is that you just keep layering one on top of the next until you run out. Then I just throw them all into the wash and repeat the cycle.)
She looks pretty bald in these photos, but her hair really has gotten longer – by millimeters at least!
The new rug definitely puts us one step closer to the space feeling truly complete. Now we just have to deal with that shameful secret next to the front door:
I know! We still have this ridiculous TV stand that Kyle bought in college from…I don’t know, Target? (Let’s hope it was Target!) We’ve been working on the design for a media console of sorts for over two years now (first seen in this post) and it just keeps getting back-burnered.
Despite the mismatched nature of everything, we keep putting it off because what we have is functional and more or less gets the job done. Plus, the previous design we came up with was very custom and a bit fussy and made us tired just thinking about it. (Paralyzed by design, you know how that goes.) But now that we have baby-proofing on the brain, we knew it was time to come up with something – preferably something that was inexpensive and easy to execute.
So this is what we’re thinking – we’ll purchase an IKEA Besta unit to house all the “equipment” (with frosted glass doors so the remotes will still work), then make a bench element out of two fir 2×10’s that will bear on the Besta unit on one end and a pair of metal legs on the other. The subwoofer and records will go under the bench. The turntable will go on top of the bench (for now), but will also be able to move to the Besta unit once Avery tries to play her Sesame Street records herself. (We have some ideas for the records themselves if that becomes an issue.)
The cushion is a new idea. There have been a few times where we could have used extra seating in this space and I like the idea of Avery reading a book up there, Moonrise Kingdom style. Of course, we’re having a hard time finding an inexpensive cushion option…anyone have some good sources? I know it would probably be easy to make, but we just want to get this done. (P.S. – Kyle wants leather and I’m leaning towards a color/pattern.) Finally, the speakers and TV will be secured to the wall or bench to keep from being accidentally pulled over. I know our friends give us a hard time about baby-proofing our house, but I think we have it easier than most. Besides the obvious (stair and loft ladder) we have very few potentially unsafe items at her level and most of what we have is along this wall.
(Side note: that Artemide floor lamp keeps showing up in our renderings yet it is not in our lives yet. Why?)
So there’s our living room, in its current and forecasted glory. We can do this! (But really, if it’s April and we have yet to post about our finished living room someone please call us out.) After all, blogs are all about being held accountable, right?
6 months + baby stuff update!
Avery is six months old today! (She can’t believe it either!)
She had her 6-month well visit and another round of shots this morning, so today has been a little rough. It took a few tries but I was finally able to snap enough photos when she was in better spirits.
These are the same jeans she wore for her 3-month shoot, but I don’t think they will fit for much longer! (My stepdad made the “Avery” onesie. He bought a 3-pack to make her “Apocalypse Survivor” onesie so this one was a by-product.)
Behold, the power of Sophie! Look deep into my beady black eyes, Avery…
Did you get enough? Ok. It’s also been awhile since we did the last product update post, so I figured we were due.
Last time we were at the tail end of the “4th trimester” so a lot of our baby stuff revolved around sleeping and comfort. As I was taking photos this time around, I realized that we hadn’t really acquired many new products or contraptions. The one thing I did finally buy – toy storage.
Super cute, right? I saw a similar 3 Sprouts storage bin on Stefanie’s blog a while back and had to go for the squirrel (because they’re cute and creepy?). Avery’s favorite pastime (besides eating or sleeping) is to lay on the floor and play with toys/books/Bailey or anything within reach really. We had received a few toys as gifts and they sat neatly on one of the shelves in the wardrobe. And then Christmas came. All in all, everyone did a good job about not going crazy, but when you have 3 sets of grandparents, extended family and lots of aunts and uncles, it adds up. Fortunately, she got some really great toys so there wasn’t any, “oh…I’m sure this Disney Princess karaoke machine is age appropriate!”.
Avery is a reluctant sitter but an avid wormer and lunger, so floor time is her jam. It’s hard to catch her in focus.
This baby has always been eager to use her legs, so we knew she would love a jumper. I’d heard mixed reviews about the kind that clamp to the door frame (from a health and safety standpoint) but seeing as how we don’t have any traditional doorways it was an easy solution. I started doing some research and came across this jumper from Canadian company Merry Muscles. It was more than we wanted to spend, but as soon as Kyle and I watched the YouTube videos on their website we were sold.
Adorable, yes?
This jumper has a couple of different installation options, but the easiest solution for us was to simply screw the included hook into our exposed joists in the living room. The height of the jumper is determined by which chain link it’s hung from. We’ve had this for a few months now and while it took her a few weeks to get the hang of it (and be tall enough to see over the front bib) she LOVES it. She will happily spend 30 minutes to an hour in it, bouncing…spinning…appreciating the architectural decisions that her parents made. The harness part has a series of snaps to grow as the baby does and everything seems incredible well made and durable. I have not had any safety concerns since we’ve owned it. Plus, it’s super easy to take down (I just stand on the couch and slip it off the hook).
Here’s a rundown of the other must-haves or lifesavers that we continue to use on a daily basis.
Crib: Although this is an obvious daily use item, I wanted to give a quick update on our decision to go with an IKEA Gulliver. No regrets! Yes, I’m sure I would have loved the Oeuf (my second choice) but not enough to shell out an extra $900 or so. Avery isn’t into the gnawing or jumping phase yet, but so far the Gulliver has held up just fine. Here’s another thing, I used to think that the crib was important because it would be the focal point of the room. Well, it’s really not. Who knew?
Monitor: As mentioned last time, we received an Angelcare monitor that detects both sound and movement. Our house is small enough that we don’t really need the sound component, but the movement detector has been a luxury. Avery started rolling over to her tummy at about 3 months, so we stopped swaddling and relied on the monitor to ensure us that she was ok (an electronic pad goes under the mattress and an alarm goes off in no movement is detected for 20 seconds). Once or twice a week there’s a false alarm (when she’s wormed her way to the corner of her crib), but I don’t mind a few of those for the peace of mind it gives me. Now that she’s older we’ll probably stop using it soon, but I am thankful for all the shut-eye that was saved not having to go and check on her to ensure she was still breathing. 🙂
Now that I think about it, we still use and love almost everything that was profiled in that first roundup post. The only things we’ve retired are the swaddles and the bassinet. (It’s marketed as a chair too, but she doesn’t have much interest in lounging anymore.) I still carry her in the K’tan – it’s great because I can keep it in my purse or diaper bag (yeah, I got one of those too) and comes in handy at the grocery store or for going on a walk with a weaving golden retriever at my side. (It was indispensable for traveling last month!)
Next on the horizon is solids. I made pureed pears, apples and sweet potatoes last weekend. We started with pears and she loved them (so much that she dived toward the spoon rather than wait for me to bring it to her mouth!). Right now she sits in her Bumbo (another lifesaver, another item I didn’t know what the hell was before having a kid), but we need to upgrade. Originally I wanted the Stokke or OXO highchair (brown and wood!), but I just can’t justify the cost (around $250 or so) when I can get the well-loved IKEA one for $25 (which is also smaller and you can rinse it off in the shower!). Of course now I’m thinking of holding off on the high chair all together and instead I ordered this table chair (it was recommended on Lucie’s List and got great reviews on Amazon). Since the dining room table is my office these days, we’ve been eating at the island so it made sense to go this route with Avery. It will also allow her to be part of the action as I’m cooking, eating, etc. (And in true Zerbey fashion I ordered it in brown.)
So there we are, six months in! Do you guys have any must-haves or great tips? I’m guessing my next post like this will be all about baby-proofing our house. That’s going to be fun (prooooject!).
And for those of you that have made it to the end of this post and aren’t so much on the baby train, our next post is all about BIG, SEXY ARCHITECTURE. Watch out.
I wasn’t compensated for any of my reviews. Just trying to pass along good info from one design snobby parent to another.
bathroom follow-up
It’s been four years since we finished our bathroom and about time for a good ol’ fashioned follow-up post (in fact, a draft version of this post was started nearly a year ago). We’ve had some crazy rain here the last few days, but this morning there was a fleeting moment of blue skies (and decent lighting) so I snapped some fresh photos for you.
Besides a few accessories, we really haven’t made any changes to this space since its completion. Our house is small so we opted for a modest yet efficient layout. However, since it is our only bathroom (yeah, the basement bathroom is still on the to-do list!) we wanted it to feel a tiny bit luxurious too (deep tub, radiant heat, etc.).
Despite the many doubtful comments I’ve received on the subject, my toilet paper roll art is still going strong! We used a clear acrylic spray on the pieces and our bathroom has a good exhaust fan, so moisture has never been an issue. I’ll probably grow tired of if at some point, but not yet.
The IKEA full-length mirror on the back of the door has been well worth that Liquid Nails experience. With only a small mirror above the sink, the full-length version also doubles as a make-up mirror on days when we’re both rushing to get out the door.
Back in 2008, IKEA didn’t have nearly the number of bathroom vanity options that they do today. Our solution was to attach a simple cabinet unit to a 3-drawer unit and wrap the top and side with teak plywood. (We like to put vanities on legs in small spaces, which makes them feel more like a piece of furniture and not so bulky.)
Our faucet and sink are from Kohler. No complaints. The only thing that slightly annoys my OCD side is that the faucet handles aren’t perfectly horizontal in the off position (we tried to adjust it but no luck so we’re not sure if it’s a flaw in the product of what). Another pro tip: if your sink is non-directional, install it backwards so you hide those ugly overflow holes. Genius, right?
We had a hard time sourcing simple, modern and inexpensive wall sconces, but finally found these from Restoration Hardware. Although they are pictured on the website with the shade facing up, they are designed to go either way. Or not. One of our sconces has failed twice in four years (with the shade separating from the housing as shown in the photo), so we’ll probably just replace both once we find a decent alternative. (Suggestions?)
Over the tub we vaulted the ceiling and installed a small skylight. With the small window above the toilet, there is typically enough natural daylight to avoid using any artificial lights. It’s a good way to start the day.
Opposite of the skylight is our exhaust fan. It’s a Panasonic Whisper Quiet and my only complaint is that sometimes it can be too quiet for guests. If you know what I mean.
One of the smartest moves we made in our bathroom was to add a 2×6 pony wall between our tub and the exterior wall. This allows for a small ledge that runs the length of the tub. It’s only 6″ but it makes a world of difference for storing items and avoids those ugly shower caddies. Better yet, the height means it’s easily accessible while showering or in the tub. Originally, we finished the solid teak ledge with teak oil but after a year switched to a spar varnish. It’s probably time for a fresh coat, but has held up remarkably well considering that it gets blasted with water on a daily basis. The white subway tile is affordable Dal-Tile. For the price I like this tile but every once in a while I have a pang of regret upon seeing higher quality tiles. (This was our first tile install job too so that might have something to do with it.)
We purchased our Kohler Tea-For-Two tub on Craigslist. It was barely used and we got it for about 1/3 of the list price. We love its depth and clean lines, but let’s be real – this is not a two person tub. Sorry Kohler. Although we only had space for a shower/tub combo, we’d definitely recommend going with a deep tub instead of the more standard hotel style. (Y’know, the kind that are so shallow that no one actually ever takes a bath in them.) Our shower fixtures are a combination of Kohler (Purist) with a Hansgrohe valve. Love it all. The valve controls both temperature and function and it’s nice not having a diverter on the tub spout.
The medicine cabinet was from the IKEA Molger line (though has since been discontinued). I like the design but sometimes I wish our more frequently used items weren’t on display. The back panel is a piece of masonite with a mirror attached, which I never really understood because it just multiplies the visual clutter. I’ve toyed with the idea of flipping the masonite and painting it a fun color, but it’s a low priority (obviously).
This IKEA hack was a spur of the moment idea, born from a desire to hide the exposed fasteners on the IKEA Grundtal towel rack. We had a scrap piece of teak plywood lying around so we just cut it to fit with two slits that go over the towel rack. Shortly after finishing the bathroom a friend commented that we should have made the teak plywood a bit longer and installed two hooks. Damn. That is a good idea. Oh well.
Ok, a serious topic – shower curtain rods. At first we reused our inexpensive IKEA rod, the kind that friction fits into place. Well, there is nothing more frustrating than your shower rod and curtain collapsing upon you during a shower and after a few times of this happening I turned to the interwebs for a better solution. Surprisingly, there wasn’t much. I finally found a Moen rod (through Amazon) that both screwed to the wall and had seamless cover plates. Victory. I also finally gave in and traded in my stainless steel shower rings for the kind with ball bearings. Go figure, they do work better (thanks physics!).
For our bedroom and bathroom, we experimented with a window and door reveal detail that involved installing (and painting white) a metal u-shaped reveal between the jamb trim and drywall. We like the look, but the install was a pain and there are some functional aspects that drive me crazy. Like, how do your terminate the reveal at the floor? Well…not this way. Basically we have a small dirt collector that can only be cleaned with a Q-tip. Word to the wise, don’t design stuff that requires a Q-tip to clean it. (Everywhere else in the house we axed the metal reveal and instead butted the drywall up to the wood jamb trim.) Those with a keen eye will also notice the abuse that the door jamb trim has received from the middle drawer. Despite our best efforts, I guess we can’t make a 102 year-old house perfect.
Ok, moving on. The floors! We chose a simple large-scale tile for the floors which we still love. But what we love even more is the electric mat radiant heat underneath. A small splurge but worth every penny. The system is on a timer so it kicks on early in the morning and then again in the early evening. If you do a system like this, you absolutely need it on a programmable timer. (We used to live in a rental house that had it but on a twist timer, which was frustrating because it takes a while to heat up.) The electric mat is only under the portion of tile that you walk on – the only part we goofed on was not running it under the vanity six inches or so (cold toes!).
We haven’t touched the teak plywood countertop yet and it’s starting to show some wear. The issues with using a plywood like this is that the teak is only the top ply so there’s only so much sanding that you can do before exposing the blond middle layers. So, another item on the to-do list. We’ll likely do a very light sand and then add a new layer of finish and cross our fingers.
Other miscellaneous items:
Paint: It’s not as apparent in the photos, but the space needs to be repainted. We must have been tired at the end of this project because for some reason we purchased pre-mixed white paint from a big box store. It looked ok, until we painted the rest of the house and realized it was quite a yellow white. Also, we bought cheapy foam rollers which shed in certain areas. Argh! NEVER BUY CHEAP ROLLERS. Felix also did some damage to the walls so a new paint job is needed. (See how we now need to redo rooms we’ve already done?)
Baseboards: We used a simple painted MDF for the base trim (held off the tile about 1/4″ and caulked between). It’s ok. Ideally I’d like a tile base but the MDF does the job.
Toilet: I never thought I could have such love for a toilet, but I do. We have the Toto Aquia and have never had a single issue (we don’t even own a plunger!). In fact, I’ll go as far to say that rarely do you even need the #2 flush. Best of all though, the streamlined design makes cleaning the thing SO easy. (No Q-tips needed!) We splurged on the soft close seat (which is awesome but does present awkward moments when you’re at a friend’s house and forget that not everyone has your same toilet). The finish on the seat is starting to fail but a new toilet seat every four years doesn’t seem too unreasonable.
Finally, several people have asked us about our sliding door and how we deal with privacy. Well, considering we didn’t have a proper door for the first two years we’re probably not the best advocates of privacy. However, it didn’t take long (ok, actually it did) for Bailey to figure out how to open the door with his nose. For this reason, we bought a door bolt to prevent people/dogs from creating awkward situations. Do we like it? I don’t know, we haven’t actually installed it yet. Furthermore, we’re not even really sure where it is. So here is a picture from the website we ordered it from:
Basically, we’ll need to router out part of the backside of the door (to the left of the mirror) to install the bolt flush. With the door in the closed position the bolt can be kicked out to prevent the door from sliding. It’s meant for a pocket door, but the idea is the same.
Ok…and this concludes a long-winded post about the smallest room in our house!
Want a comprehensive list of everything we’ve used. Here ya go. A play-by-play summary of how we remodeled this space? Boom!
office space
Over the last few weeks, when friends and family have asked us how we’re doing I usually say, “we’re busy, but it’s a good busy”. And it’s true – each day starts early and ends late (and sometimes there’s a middle of the night shift), but it feels good.
And we’re making progress. Like ordering business cards! We went with a simple and clean design (thank you Anna!) and had them printed through Moo after hearing good reviews on Door Sixteen. Really, I was impressed with the whole process. Their website is well-designed and easy to navigate, the ordering process was straight-forward (we went with regular business cards printed on recycled paper) and we received them days before their estimated delivery date. (And gah, I’m such a sucker for clever packaging!) Since Anna’s blog referred me to Moo, I was able to save an extra 10% off my order and Anna gets $7.50 credited to her account. (If you want to get 10% off using my Refer a Friend link, here ya go.)
We’ve also been ordering various reference books and office supplies. (I love ReBinder products from Seattle company Guided Products, who offer more sustainable alternatives to vinyl.)
As far as office space, well…that’s still a work in progress. Although I was originally going to work in the loft, we’ve decided that one of the keys to effectively working from home will be for us each to have our own spaces. For now, I’ll be splitting my time between working and taking care of Avery, so it makes sense for me to have a more accessible office space. Even though we had plans to move the TV down to the basement and make that a guest/den area, we’re now thinking it will be a guest/office/play room. We’ll leave the sofa bed where it’s at, but add a work surface along the wall where the TV will eventually go. (Ooh! Do I smell a trip to IKEA? I think so. I haven’t been since Avery was born. WITHDRAWAL.)
Anyhow. The loft is currently an explosion of architecture, but we’ll be getting that space (and the basement room) in order over the next several weeks. (So y’know, it will look like a better organized explosion of architecture.) Now that we are a company of two, we’re also working through the logistics of computers, software, file sharing and data backup. Living in Seattle, we’re fortunate to have several techie friends to help us navigate those options.
We’re still adjusting to this new work-life balance, but so far, so good.
side yard roof
Here’s one thing we’ve learned in our 6+ years of remodeling: tackle the crappy jobs first. (Trust me, your future self will thank you.)
When we bought our house it was very much in a need of a new roof. Unglamorous but necessary, that became our first major project the following summer. At the time, we were young(er) and had lots of pent-up DIY energy, so tearing off a roof seemed like a moderately fun time.
Or not. For a few anxiety-ridden days we literally had no roof over our heads. (Our previous neighbor took this photo from her second story window, probably thinking “those crazy Zerbeys!” all the while.)
Our initial strategy was to shovel debris directly into the dumpster in the driveway. This worked fairly well for the north side, but not so much for the south (where we optimistically thought we could just toss shingles up over the ridge). Before we knew it, we were knee-deep in layers upon layers of old shingles, intertwined with rusty nails. By this point we were exhausted and hadn’t even started the actual installation yet.
Our poor little house. When we need perspective in life, Kyle and I look at these photos.
All this to say that when it came time to tackle another roof project, we were glad it was a substantially smaller one.
One of the things on our pre-winter to-do list was to build a small roof over the basement stairs. Although there is a drain at the bottom landing, it often gets clogged with leaves and needles so during heavy rains water ends up finding its way under the basement door.
So, we decided a new roof was in order. It seemed like a quick, knock-that-out-in-a-weekend-or-two project, but of course it never works out that way. Kyle started this project a month or so ago, but progress stalled as we switched our focus to Studio Zerbey. Fortunately, we had a break in the rainy weather earlier this week so Kyle spent an afternoon wrapping things up.
The design we came up with is fairly simple and reflects our goals to create something functional, aesthetically pleasing and affordable. The roof’s size and shape were dictated by the location of the dining room window sill and maintaining adequate head clearance going down the steps. Kyle used two cedar 4×4 posts that are attached to the existing concrete wall. To reduce the depth of the beams, we used two 2×8’s (bolted to the columns) and tapered the outboard edge to avoid a head-knocker situation. (We considered applying a finish to the cedar, but opted to let it gray out to match the fence and gates.)
For the sheathing and rafters, we matched the main roof using painted beadboard plywood and 2x’s.
At the house, the rafters are attached with Simpson clips to a 2×4 ledger board that is attached to the wall framing.
The tops of the beams were cut at an angle to account for the slope of the rafters (we decided this would be easier than bird-mouthing or notching each one).
In lieu of standard building paper, Kyle used Grace’s Ice & Water Shield to protect the plywood sheathing before installing the shingles. This is a more durable product and better suited for low-sloped roofs susceptible to wind-driven rain.
It’s a sticky-back product so installation can be a bit more time-consuming, but you also don’t have to fuss with staples.
With the underlayment on and fascias and flashing in place, Kyle installed the shingles (the easy part!). We used shingles leftover from the main roof project and because it was such a small area Kyle simply hand-nailed them in place.
It’s not so bad, right? This is definitely one of those projects where we could have done something fancier and more “architecty” but couldn’t justify the added costs or creating a focal point of what is essentially a service entry. Eventually (and before Avery is walking) we’ll add a guard rail that will match the design of the adjacent gate. It will be constructed as a removable panel in case we need to move things in/out of the basement at some point.
Where the roof hits the wall of the house, Kyle tucked a piece of flashing up under that row of siding and secured it with a series of nails. The flashing protects the joint between the two surfaces and helps direct water out and away. We still need to install a gutter and downspout, but Kyle picked those up today so y’know…maybe they’ll be up by Thanksgiving?
Obviously, this area still needs some landscaping and hardscaping magic as well.
Here’s a glimpse of how our front yard landscaping is fairing. Our neighbor’s Horse Chestnut is dropping all of its leaves in our yard (the nerve!) and our red-flowering currants pooped out on us, but other than that we’re pretty happy with how the plants are transitioning to winter.
The only plant remaining in the backyard portion of the side yard is the Winter Daphne. In fact, I think it is the only plant that has survived our six years of remodeling.
There has also been discussion about preserving part of this side yard for a future hot tub. (For hydrotherapy purposes of course.) Hmm, maybe that was a purchase that should have been made before six years of manual labor?
