The Little Contractor

2017 has been a busy year. Its been a crazy season of low inventory, high demand and busy schedules. So how did I decide to make that busier and more chaotic?
Take on my first home renovation project, of course!

In early August, I bought my first "flip" (though I hate that word. Its a thoughtful renovation of a higher level of craftsmanship that someone else will be living in!)
Its a Victorian/turn-of-the-century row near park entrances, a train station and full of charm. It was partially gutted when I purchased it. Another real estate agent and her builder-husband tried renovating it a few years back and decided to give it up. Its a big project, there's no two ways of putting it.

However, the potential was screaming at me. 4 beds, 3 1/2 baths, 2000 sq ft, central air, off-street parking and a front and back yard. Minus a roof deck, its basically a city dream house.

While I am already behind, of course, I am hoping to have it on the market in early November.

Things have finally started happening over the last week-ish. Whole house plumbing, electrical and HVAC are getting wrapped up this week. So in terms of post-worthy items, we are only now coming around to some of those things.

So stay tuned! Next time I will post a bit more about the design and updates thus far.

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Accessibility in Good Design

I've been impressed lately with some of amount of accessible design features I've seen around as of late. By "accessible design", I mean home decor, renovations and design that is accessible to those with a physical impairment or disability. First I noticed that back in March, Better Homes and Gardens did a great feature on a home designed with a wheelchaired child in mind. Yes, it was a rancher and mid-century modern in design so it leant itself to move open-flow and clean line design. But even if this isn't your style, there were some great ideas here! Check it out here Then I saw Southern Living did a great home build with "adaptive design" in mind. This was a great feature because it reviewed new construction and slight changes in thinking to make just a welcoming, easy access home for all guests. As noted in the article, " If you’re going to be a good host, particularly from the Southern point of view, where we’re all about hospitality, ...

All About Green!

Bright white and moody colors will likely never go out of style but we are seeing more and more mid-tones come back on trend (last time mid-tones were cool were probably around 2000 when Pottery Barn was THE word). One of the ones I am seeing most often is a gray-green. Its a friendly color that pairs well with more modern tones (think the grays, blacks and whites we have been seeing) but warms nicely with wood tones and natural materials. Apparently SW sees this too as their color of the year (and the month of Jan) is Evergreen Fog. Want to see some of the best ways to use it? Loving these cabinets in green! Again, working well hear with both bronze/black and earth tones Love this more traditional-eclectic look. Looks much more saturated in a dark space! But also a great pairing for a mid-century boho look Great combo color - bold but not overly so. Here looking more truly green against the dark blue Whatever your style, this is ...

Those pesky extra rooms...

Ok, its a pretty first-world problem, but there plenty of people who live in suburbia (or even in the city!) who have a room or two that they just don't use. Often, its a formal dining room or extra bedroom, but if you are the owner of such a room, you may wonder why you are paying for so much unused space! Today, I'm walking through some of the best uses of dead space in your house and how to make it you new favorite room! The Formal Dining Room This is the most commonly "complained-about" space in the suburban home. While we still like to entertain, a lot of people aren't crazy about a whole, extra, (often large) room thats only used on a handful of occasions throughout the year. Unless you have family dinners there, this is likely a space that you are taxed on & heating that sits vacant 350 days of the year. One of my personal favorite ways to reuse this room is to use it as a craft/workspace. The room can keep a large dining table and chairs that ...

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