home body's Profile

The roofline MAKES THE HOUSE! Remove all thoughts of changing it. I agree with your inclination to remove the shutters and planter. This is a mid-century design that got a little mixed up by trying to add older style windows (which seems to have happened a lot - new style trying to mash in old standards.) Search online for other mid-century houses that use a peaked roof. Most have windows that go up to the peak, or have a decorative element that mimics this idea. A lot have this section of the house be all stone or brick, not just the bottom area. Since putting in new window sizes and/or stone veneering can be expensive and can be done at a point in the future you can keep costs low by simply painting. I would first try things like a dark trim and garage door and a house color that is different than the brick so the brick can stand out as its own element. I think grey often goes well with brick and helps make mid-century houses "grow up." White trim is for colonials, and more traditional houses. Odd spots on the veneer (like too large expanses) can be filled in with a tall bush, small tree, or even a horizontal lattice.

None of these are exactly your roofline (which you should definitely keep!!), but here are couple links for ideas in the general area:

http://www.ontarioarchitecture.com/Contempo.htm

http://takesunset.com/2010/04/sacramento-mid-century-modern-home-tour/

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/your-areas-midcentury-modern-h-127431

@amandarh - I have a dwarf meyer lemon tree that I keep inside during the winter and it has been very happy and gave me 6 lemons last year. It's only about 18" tall (and maybe 24" wide.) This year, I didn't even place it in a south facing window while inside - actually went with a north window that is textured. I do put it outside once it warms up and it loves it. I also periodically give it some 5-1-1 fish fertilizer, but I'm not super knowledgeable about plants and only feed it periodically. I water once a week and don't spritz the leaves when I have it inside (didn't know it would want that.) It seems to like a lot of water when it goes outside for the summer though.

So, if I can keep a lemon tree alive (in NY) I would say your nursery plant guru doesn't actually know what she's talking about. My parents also had one when I was growing up - even with heavy pruning it got to be over 6-feet tall - and that was in Minnesota! One thing I heard (for all plants, actually) is to not change its location inside - pick one spot and leave it there. And if you want lemons but it flowers while inside, you'll have to pollinate it by hand using a paint brush.

BUT, I still don't think this would be a proper plant for a dorm room at all.

I'm surprised at this list. Dorm room often means little light and sporadic watering at best, sometimes no watering over long breaks, and forget about fertilizing. My dorm room vote would be for a pothos. In fact, my husbands college-era pothos is still going strong 20 years later.

A friend of a friend had a bedroom that had its own bathroom - but the bathroom was actually divided into two closet-sized rooms on either side of the entry door. One was for the sink and toilet, and the other was a shower (the entire space was the shower.) It struck me as really cool, but I'm guessing getting out of the shower actually made a mess if you weren't super careful.

I was also mightily impressed by my one friend who had air conditioning.

Really, really well done! Totally different than my own minimalist style, but I love it nonetheless. Fun, unique, thorough - lovely!

For the life of me, I can't figure out your floorplan as it relates to the photos. Sorry if I'm being dense...

The little 2-inch wide strip of butcher block to the left of the stove is the sign of someone who understands design in relation to actual use. The whole kitchen is great - but that seemingly small item stood out for its attention to detail.

As others have mentioned you could put some stick-on floor tiles over the existing linoleum (some really do look like slate - you can even grout between them) and get some ikea fastbo tiles for the backsplash or some of those tile tattoos. But if you are really going to re-do in a year's time, this stuff is just adding to a landfill somewhere and is a waste. Your kitchen looks pretty nice as is, even if it's not exactly what you would choose to do yourself. In fact, I would consider ways to re-use as much of it as possible in the renovation - like painting the existing cabinets if they are basically in good shape.

Here's what my plan would be. Grey is the hot new neutral, and for good reason. I would paint the walls a warm grey (get a lot of test strips to see them in your space) and then let your own furniture bring in the colors you love. Show the landlord how awesome and up-to-date the new look is, and while s/he is loving you for increasing the value of their property, ask if you might be able to paint the kitchen cabinets a "fresh white that will be easy to clean." The answer will be yes, and you will have a nice, simple color base to work from. And helpful hint - get color chips for the white too to make sure it goes well with the appliances and countertops. A bad pairing of whites can make both look very dingy.

Take your piles. Carefully stack them into one. Use rubber bands to bind together and make sure nothing falls out. Put into desk drawer until the coast in clear. And if there is a very active to-do item in that pile, put it on the top so you don't forget about it.