LGarc's Profile

Thanks for all of the positive comments! Glad others find it as fun and relaxing as we do!

BruceS63 & ggsays - Yes, the rug is FLOR squares. I think the pattern is now discontinued but we've been really happy with how they've held up. Only one mess so far and it was really easy to clean!

Sounds like lots of exciting changes are headed your way! I don't have a clear solution for you, but we just had our first child a month ago (and indulging in some much needed adult time while baby sleeps), and I've got a few more questions for you to think about for your new space.
Do you have any idea how hot or cool the attic space stays? Does it have adequate circulation? Stagnant air isn't great for babies as it increases risk of SIDS ... or are you willing to add portable fans/heating/cooling units if need be?
It has definitely been helpful for us to have our baby and his stuff on the same floor the past few weeks, especially for late night feedings and changes. You mentioned a crib, but are you planning for a changing table and a rocker/glider? Having this stuff on the same level as our bedroom has been a life saver.
I think if I were in your situation, and the attic circulation/temp wasn't an issue, I'd make the main floor bedroom the guest/office area, with primary bedroom and baby upstairs. The nursery area could be at the end of the attic past the half wall ... or you could make a large closet zone there. Then the bedroom downstairs could be office most of the time, with off season clothes storage, and use either a futon, sofa bed or air mattress when guests come to visit. This layout could work until baby is a bit bigger and sleeping through the night ... then you could rethink how much privacy you want from baby ... and how baby/guest combo would really work up in the attic.

I echo Lynell - start with a patterned rug, and then pull a few color accents for cooking utensils, towels, magnets, etc.
If you can't (or don't want to) paint, you could hang a large piece of art or apply a vinyl decal on the end wall. Decals can go on refrigerators too ... and they come off easily without damaging paint.
If your landlord allows it, you could install decorative pulls on the cabinets and swap out the light for something with a bit more character.
If you have sculptural pieces you love, you could display them above your upper cabinets. My own kitchen has that same wasted space, and I've hidden string lights at the back wall to illuminate our collection of wine glasses from vineyards we've visited. Most of the time I don't need to get to those 18+ glasses ... and they add a bit of sparkle when the lights are turned on.
Good Luck!

Kathryn-
I have a few suggestions:

1) I'm with everyone who suggests removing the shutters. You're house is a rambler, low slung, not a "traditional" colonial that would actually have had shutters, and the proportions of your windows are much too wide for the skinny shutters you've got anyway. Removing them around the picture window will actually make the corner of your house read more solid and in better proportion to the whole facade.

2) Paint the door a cerulean (bright, medium tone) or royal (deep, red toned) blue. The bricks on your home are too dark to do a red door justice. Yellow could be fun and modern though ... just harder to pull off. Green will only blend in with the bushes.

3) Paint your porch a dark grey, or as others have suggested tile it. It will ground the entry door and make it pop on the facade. And maybe a few colorful pots marching down the sides of the steps?

4) Chop those bushes down so at least 18" of brick is visible below the windows. You're house will look bigger and not feel overgrown.

5) If you remove the shutters, consider getting some big house numbers and installing them vertically on the wall at the left corner of your house.

Good luck!

I too love patterned tape! I bought some at Paper Source and have been looking for more options ... thanks for this post!

This home is so totally not my style, but I love it all the same ... Bravo!
All of the art and collections look approachable, and while the home is definitely masculine, the spaces feel light and comfortable.
This is the kind of House Tour I'm looking for when visiting AT!

@megshell, fyi, the piece above the bed is actually a feathered headdress called a "Ju Ju Be"

Cordelia, I'm struggling with the exact same challenge in my own home. Before I saw this was an AT Boston post, I thought you might be living in the exact type of duplex that I'm in, in Arlington, VA!

I second the suggestions for painting your door a fun color to emphasize the entry, and using a long rug that would extend to where the cart is now. FLOR tiles would be great for that.

Our problem with the shared entry/stair landing is that there just isn't enough room to welcome guests when you have a piece of furniture where your cart is. Its hard to be a gracious host when you're shuffling around at the bottom of the stairs pinned into the corner!

I suggest adding at least one more hook on the wall behind the stair (staggered below the other two about 4 inches), and getting rid of the cart all together.

Instead, use a series of shallow shelves to give you a place to put all of your stuff, but free up floor space. Room and Board has some natural steel shelves that come in various lengths ... maybe a longer one at counter height level below the switches, and a shorter one above next to the switches. Then mount a mirror above the shelves, and you've covered all the uses the cart was doing for you but with room to spare.

I'm a big fan of a shoe basket, something pretty or unique to hide all your shoes in. It could sit on the extended mat.

Good luck ... and let us know what you decide!

shelf link:
http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/product/detail.do?productGroup=19602&catalog=room&category=rm_accessories&subcategory=acc_frame_ledge

What a well-intentioned, helpful post! There have been many times that I've had a client or colleague hesitate to talk about a particular item before cautiously pronouncing its name for fear of getting sniggered at.
I think it's a shame that people may not feel comfortable speaking - and learning - about design because of pronunciation ... but it seems like some of the snarky posts above justify the fear.
I've never been afraid to try my best, and ask for the correct pronunciation when required ... I've just assumed that people would understand we're not all linguists and focus on the message we're trying to say, not how we're saying it.

Overall, I really like the home's volumes, light, and the furniture combinations. It doesn't feel too big to me, but I don't know that I'd call it cozy either. (BTW, should lofts really BE cozy?) It feels comfortably lived in!

I was curious though why there needed to be a bed in the major space - behind the TV wall - is this the guest "room?" And while I think that the furniture is really beautiful in the master bedroom it seems so drastically different from the rest of the house. Mixing a few more modern, but sympathetic, pieces into the room would make it feel more a part of the rest of the house. Maybe two colorful pieces for some extra pops of color?
I also would love to see pictures of the office spaces since they were part of the project too.

But like I said already, wonderful home. Bravo!

I like the the frameless mirrors too, although most of the PB mirrors look too small. I'd suggest using painter's tape to mock up your favorite options above the sink - then you'll have a chance to test out the scale before comitting without damaging the wallpaper.
I also like the pivot mirrors from RH. Some are frameless or have minimal metal rims. Very practical!
http://restorationhardware.com/catalog/category/products.jsp?link=OvalPivotMirrors&categoryId=cat1639028