cearuilin's Profile

We have a striped wall in our study. We used frog tape -- marked it off using chalk lines first. We took the tape off shortly after we did our last coat. We didn't wait till it was dry. I have to say, I am not a pro at all but the lines look really good and straight to me.

I love this little nook, especially the art.

We just refinished our red oak floors as part of a kitchen renovation, and we went with a medium dark matte stain. I mainly wanted to get rid of the weird orange/yellow color that was previously the color of our floors. I like the light and airy look of lighter floors, but I was really afraid of yellowing. That might not be as much of an issue with engineered hardwood -- I don't know much about that since we were finishing on site.

I do love the look of lighter cabinets though. I'm really surprised that isn't an option! Our new kitchen has white cabinets, and it is such a great bright and happy room. Dark cabinets are more popular here in WI, but I'm so happy I went against the grain (ha!) on this one.

If I wanted a simple, black or dark colored countertop I can tell you exactly what I'd get: soapstone. Not granite. But I'm one of those irrational granite haters. And I love soapstone -- it's so classic.

Like Zoecat, when we were looking at houses I almost NEVER liked the kitchens that had been remodeled in the last few years. The kitchen in the house we bought was super ugly, and we're right in the middle of the process of tearing it out. But I actually love that, because it means that I can redo the kitchen in exactly the way I want and not feel badly about tearing out something that is new but not what I like at all.

The poufs are from BlaBla. I have two kiddos so I recognize that logo on the ribbon!

Carrie again. I just wanted to mention we're not even considering replacing the original windows... I just kind of threw that into my response as an example of the older elements of the home that would remain. They do have the storms and overall aren't too drafty. And they are beautiful, so they stay.

Our house is a simple foursquare -- I looked up the history, and it was built for a ticket taker for the railroad. It's in a neighborhood with some very fancy homes built for college professors and presidents, but it's not particularly fancy. So it is possible that the wood might have been painted originally. I'm not positive about the history of the home, but I'm guessing it also maybe have been a college rental home at one time (we live very close to the University of Wisconsin). The people we bought it from had lived here for almost 30 years. They were the ones who stripped the wood, and the ones who installed all the replacement wood on the top floors. I must say, other than the stain color, they did a very good job with the wood. The details really replicate the wood on the first floor. I'm guessing that they stripped the wood on the first floor and were going to stain it that same red. But then the husband died in an accident, so it didn't get done. I'm also guessing the wood has been in its current semi-bare state for about 8 years.

I really do love old homes -- I love all their quirks and their history. I have absolutely no desire to rip out the old stuff in here and replace it with the current fads. Any renovations will do will be as period sensitive as we can afford. I am an architecture and history buff as well as an old soul, so I do my very best to respect the home and do right by it. Heck, I'm even considering throwing a 100th birthday party for it in a few years (sort of as a joke, but I think it would be hilarious and actually sort of meaningful too). I love this house. I hope to live here for a long time. And that's why we've lived here with very ugly partly-stripped wood for about a year and a half now. :)

People actually pay $2000 and up for photographic prints all the time. Photography is still art, even if it is not one of a kind. Especially if it is a limited print run.

Madison! Hey, I live there. And judging by the age of your house, I would guess we're actually neighbors. :) This room is ADORABLE. And it will really grow with her too. What a treasure. Beautiful job.

Gorgeous! I love how crisp and clean yet warm and cozy it feels. And I love how many antiques are in the home -- shows how a house can feel very contemporary but not be full of mid-century modern furniture.