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Liz's Repainted, Refinished or Replaced

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Name:

Liz

Location:

Newark, California

Division:

Small

Square Feet:

950

What I Love About My Home


I love the DIY aspects of my home. When I moved in the house was in disrepair and nearly all surfaces had to be repainted or refinished or replaced by my husband and I. I painted and reupholstered furniture, built a headboard for my bed, came up with new lighting schemes, and had lots of fun shopping at antique markets! It's still a work in progress, so I love that I continually make changes and edit the house's style. I also love the wood beam ceilings-- they are one of the only interesting original architectural details of my 1950's tract home.

Biggest Challenge in Furnishing My Home


The biggest challenge has been adjusting to the scale of the house. Although it is on the upper end of the size of Small/Cool, there are three bedrooms, a full living area, dining area, and kitchen. The space ends up being compartmentalized and separated. We moved in with overstuffed huge sofas but have learned to choose furniture and art that will open up and fit with the scale of the small rooms.

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Comments (21)

It's great. My only constructive comment is to consider hanging your paintings a bit lower. This gives the effect of having higher ceilings if the space between the frame and the ceiling is greater.

posted by cvgmiami on April 20, 2011 at 9:38am
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Great so far. Would have liked to see more pictures of your home.

posted by Tracy333 on April 20, 2011 at 11:32am
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Kitchen is GORGEOUS.

posted by Reeses902 on April 20, 2011 at 11:35am
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Lovely kitchen but the light above the sink needs to go.

posted by Ban Clothing on April 20, 2011 at 1:33pm
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The bar is so cool! Where did you find it?

posted by Eric811 on April 20, 2011 at 3:00pm
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I second needing more pictures, but you're repping for Newark, CA! +1 from me.

posted by cbeatty23 on April 20, 2011 at 3:14pm
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from one liz to another, well done :) im experiencing major ceiling envy....

posted by elizabeth11 on April 20, 2011 at 3:33pm
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I love the ceilings, but because they are dark, it looks like they're caving in on you. There are so many ways you could make it lighter and make the ceilings seem higher. Paintings hung lower, curtains hung from the ceiling, etc.

posted by sweethomesweet on April 20, 2011 at 4:21pm
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I want your ceilings! And your kitchen... And possibly that fabulous headboard! Great job!

posted by HandmadeKatie on April 20, 2011 at 5:55pm
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Gorgeous! You're home showcases your awesome style and restraint. There's not too much 'stuff' - just enough, and it looks great!

posted by JasmineIsDomestic on April 20, 2011 at 6:30pm
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I agree that hanging the paintings lower could make a big difference! I think that if the four little frames were just a tad closer to the headboard, they would look even more coordinated.

posted by owlmug on April 20, 2011 at 6:36pm
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Please tell me more about the painting of the bridge! I love it.

posted by mattster on April 20, 2011 at 8:19pm
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I adore the ceiling & floor.. It is dark, but I think it makes it look cozy! <3 the undercabinet lighting in kitchen.

posted by irry on April 20, 2011 at 8:27pm
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Thanks for all the nice comments!
Eric811: The bar is a DIY piece, my husband made it himself, that talented guy! You can read more about the story on my blog.
Mattster: The bridge painting was an estate sale find, and is an inaccurate depiction of the Golden Gate Bridge with SF and the Bay Bridge in the background. I think the sale's owner was an amateur painter, but I found the bridge painting behind some stuff in the laundry room. I love the color, and the connection to my local area.

posted by Liz A on April 20, 2011 at 10:15pm
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Liz A's husband here....To all the comments about painting height...Ill take the blame for that. I stand a good foot taller than Liz and always seem to want to hang things higher....
Eric811: Thanks for the bar shoutout...the best part of building it was that a cold beer was waiting for me the moment I finished!

posted by Brentan on April 20, 2011 at 10:34pm
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Love your Cake poster!

posted by orbit on April 21, 2011 at 1:47am
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Great ceilings! I love the green on the wall as well. I was ready to swear off green after a bad rental experience, but you've changed my mind. =)

posted by islek on April 21, 2011 at 10:55am
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that bar is worth marrying someone for

posted by ec05 on April 21, 2011 at 11:11am
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Looks like this young lady has her decorator cards in order. Balance and color are excellent. Love the eclectic mix.

posted by Sylvia Kron on April 22, 2011 at 4:03pm
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The kitchen is gorgeous. I love the wooden ceiling beams.

posted by Miko Love on April 26, 2011 at 5:18pm
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I like your kitchen. Like the shade of green wall color and like your bedroom which I prefer the white ceiling/beams more so than the dark wood.

posted by Jannieluvs2cre8 on May 1, 2011 at 5:32am
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