2012 Home Goals Party

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I was browsing through some of my favorite home decor and home DIY blogs and came across a super fun party! The 2012 Home Goals Party is a wonderful links party on The Nester .  What I love the most about participating in this is that I not only get to know other amazing ladies who are loving their families and homes but I also have a place to be accountable for the things I plan to accomplish this year.


We are on month 3 of our 13 month lease.  I have some very specific things I want to accomplish before I move into a larger place, so I have actually been thinking that I may stay on for another 13 months. After all this place is pretty cheap for Los Angeles and it's ALL utilities included. {SCORE} By staying on, it will put us right in line to move into a much larger spot and settle in just in time for Christmas 2013. However, while we are in transition in this little place, I plan to make it the best little apartment I can.


As I read the questions The Nester asked herself, I really reflected on my own home and why I started this blog when I moved in here AND why I called it My Renovated Life. Her questions were:

• What's my favorite room in my house? Why?
• How and where does my family hang out together? What's working for that room? What's annoying in that room?
• Is there something in my home I want to do but I'm afraid? What if I take that risk? What's the worse that can happen?
• What's the purpose of my home? Is that obvious by how we use it and what is filling it?
• Do the objects in my home reflect our family or do I just have things because someone told me it looked good, gave it to me or bought it for me?
• Am I neglecting my home and not putting money into something that is needed? Am I squandering money on something I don't need or enjoy?

Oh boy, did that get me to thinking. After careful reflection, I decided on 6 specific goals that I want to accomplish:

• I plan to sew up my own curtains for the living room and bedroom. Not only will they warm up our rooms and add a little personality, but I also want an additional level of privacy from the people who live in the building next door. Seriously, they can look out their windows into my apartment. We are all of 15 feet away from one another, if that.

{See what I mean. Mind you this is a full on sunshiney day! Yep... welcome to my world}

• I want to make an "inspired by Anthropologie" duvet cover and bed skirt, purchase a few new sheet sets and DIY an upholstered and tufted headboard for my bed. My mattress and box spring literally sit on the floor. I am actually okay with this. But I need a way to make it look more like an actual bed / faux platform and it will make a great focal point in the center of my window. As for the bedding, well, I no longer own an matching sheet set. That has to change this year. Nothing matches AT ALL. We have a variety of pillows in all shapes and sizes, rubber duck sheets with various pillow cases, a red comforter and a pink Betty Boop throw blanket. Um, yeah, how do you like that visual. Ah, well, it still does the job even if it isn't much to look at. {LOL}

 

{Oh you wanna know about the stuffed animals? Don't judge me! No seriously, my babygirl sleeps with me. But she knows it's time to move them off the bed. She is entering middle school next year.}

• I need to purchase an assortment of lighting options for my dark living room. When I say it's dark, I mean it is dark. Not an hour of the day goes by when we do not have the ceiling fan light on. It's annoying and doesn't cast the most attractive light. So, yeah. I have got to do something about that. 

• Once upon a time I rented a cute little studio in the perfect spot in Pasadena, just 3 blocks south of Colorado {the street the Rose Bowl parade comes down}. Alas, along with the recession and my decision to significantly scale back, those days are over for the moment. Therefore, I work out of my apartment along with our assistant, Cara. I have already begun the decor project for my workspace {which is in my dark living room, no less} however, Cara has no where to work. No desk whatsoever. We seriously have the best assistant on the planet. She is so excited to work every day she comes in and is sweet as pie. She literally plops down on the sofa and makes it happen with a smile. We are also fortunate in that there are a barrage of coffee shops within walking distance to my place, so we take advantage of that as well. My workspace needs to be completed and Cara needs a place to grind it out. Further, this space can double as a place for my girls to do their homework without distraction and without giving them free reign to disorganize my desk. I feel like a bad boss and bad mom. They are all such good sports. Love them.

 

{There is actually sunshine in the bedroom since my apartment is in the rear of the building. I love that there is a window in my closet. First time I ever had that! Do you see those sliding doors at the top for storage? They are actually painted in that position thanks to the people who painted the place before I moved in. I REALLY want to take a sledge hammer to it and risk losing my deposit. Not sure how to un-stick them. Still thinking about that one.}

• I plan to revamp my closet and buy a dresser. As it stands we have absolutely NO dressers or chests of drawers or armoires. Our clothes are either on hangers or residing in baskets and plastic bins. That has to change. My girls and I have a LOT of shoes. Seriously, it's ridiculous, but we love shoes. I really need a creative way to organize our shoes and free up the closet space a bit. And just look at those baskets. Enough said, okay?

 

• I will install art and photos on my currently bare walls. We need personalization up in here, up in here. It just needs to happen. Point blank period.

• Lastly, I need to bring more laughter and good times into my home. As a family, we have plenty of good times. But I have been notoriously bad about entertaining friends in my home. I would love to buy an iPod sound system, plan a fun menu, buy some wine and alcky-hawl and have the girls over for a little laughter and silliness. I'd love to host a Grammy party or a Golden Globes party. Perhaps a spa and pamper soiree. I need floor pillows, an area rug, some great dishes for entertaining and a bit more ambience. It's time to infuse more memories into this place.

I also need to do something to both my kitchen and bathroom, but I think that I have enough on my plate without adding stress. If I finish these goals by August, I will gladly add another goal or so to the list. In the meantime and in between time, let's just see how I do with what I am working with.

There are other things that I would love, such as having live plants and replacing the lighting fixtures, door knobs and switch plates. The plants will ultimately die with the lack of sunlight. And I need to really decide if I want to go through the trouble of replacing the door knobs, switch plates and lighting fixtures in a place that I will leave eventually. I know those things can be removed and I can take them with me when I move, but it's more about whether or not I want to make that much of an investment here. We shall see.

Anyhow, I am pretty excited about this because although I already had goals in mind for creating a loving atmosphere for my little family, I am now even more inspired and am in some really great company as I do so.

What type of home goals are you setting for 2012?

xoxo, tami

Living Room: The Bombe Chest

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I have had a nearly 20 year fascination with bombe chests.  I love the curvy feminine lines and the incredible details.

Well, when I moved into this spot, my entertainment center pretty much fell apart on me. Partly because I am probably the only person in this nation that doesn't own a flat screen TV! And because of that, the weight of the TV pretty much crushed the soul out of my TV stand, causing it to buckle in the middle, the legs to become all wobbly. It was like an old lady. Poor thing. I had to send it to the retirement home.

So my family and I settled into our new digs and our Jurassic TV went directly onto the floor. Everyday it looked at me begging me to find a lovely place for it to sit. I looked at it and thought to myself, "If you weren't such a great TV, I would trade you in for a sexier model, but I kinda like you."

Since placing my TV on a diet wasn't a possibility, I set out to find a new home for her. What I found was that the TV stands and entertainment centers sold today are mainly created for the new and sexy flat screens! AND unless I was willing to shell out over $1,000, I was bound to settle for a cheap particle board stand that would eventually buckle under the weight of my beloved.

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I needed something made out of solid wood. I needed it to have a place to discreetly hide my DVDs and CDs and I wanted it to be a good looking piece of furniture that would go well with my City Girl Chic vibe but still be classic enough to stand the test of time. Enter the bombe chest. It has all the right elements and goes well with the subtle feminine vibe I am trying to convey. It is sensuous with it's curving lines without being overly girly or frilly.

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Bombe chests were first introduced during the French Regency Period. Bombe is a French term for any rounded or convex piece of furniture. Sometimes spelled "bombay", but it is not refer to Bombay, India. During the reign of Louis XV, French cabinetmakers began to abandon the classic styling of furniture loved by King Louis XIV, who placed strict limitations on how furniture may be designed. Master craftsman were finally able to express themselves and furniture masterpieces began to emerge. Many of these pieces had curved or bowed shapes. It was often lacquered with chinnoiserie, or Chinese inspired designs, such as flowers, exotic birds, dragons and tigers never before seen on furniture.

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How much do you love that this piece of furniture was born out of a need to express oneself creatively following a repressive state of being? This is right up my alley and perfect for My Renovated Life.

Today's bombe chests are a bit more diverse, and traditionally have Queen Anne style Legs (which is exactly what my table desk has), and ornamental hardware. Many people use them as an accent piece to their entryway, and perhaps I will too as my living quarters change. I do long for a place large enough to actually have an entryway or foyer. But for my small apartment, I was on the hunt for a dark walnut finish, no chinnoiserie and minimal ornamentation and hardware. The most fun part of this search is that it is nearly impossible to find two chests that are the same. Like the snowflakes of chests.

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I am REALLY hoping to find the perfect piece. I want a classic piece that my family can treasure for years to come. And I need a new home for my television that will fit right in with this new design I am installing in my living room/workspace. Wish me luck.

What do you think of the bombe chest? If you have one, I'd love to know how you use it and how it's styled!

Workspace: Painting the Walls

Welcome back! Today we are going to paint my wonderful little workspace. I am beyond excited to get started. So, as you may recall this little area was a former closet. It is in my living room area but since we rarely use the television in our home, it should be a perfect place for me to turn my back to the activity of my home and focus on the work at hand. If this is your first visit and you want to know more about this process, feel free to review the posts on my Color Palette and Paint 101.

OK, are you ready? Let's get this party started!

Materials {found at Home Depot}:

Pour your paint into the paint tray.Only fill your tray about half full because the space on the top with the ridges is to squeeze the excess paint out of your rollers and brushes.

PREP TIME:
As I stated before, I am painting inside of a former closet. However, if I were painting a room, I would need to remove the plates from all light switches and electrical outlets. I would also need to remove any lighting fixtures.

1. DUSTING - You want to be sure the walls are free from dust particles and cobwebs. Anything remaining on your walls will inevitably be painted over, which may lead to unsightly bumps and creases in your paint job. Because I live in Southern California, we always have spiders. And with spiders come cobwebs, therefore, I purchased this duster to wipe away the cobwebs that seem to appear in the corners of my home all of the time.

2. TAPING - Next is taping. This can sometimes be the most tedious of jobs because you want to be sure your taping is straight and also well adhered to the wall and border you are protecting so that your paint doesn't leak through. I generally work with strips that are no longer than 12-inches in length because they are easier to line up properly. Be sure to cover all borders and tape the corners on the wall you will not be painting.

PAINTING THE WALLS:


First things first, place your drop cloth on the floor. Trust me, no matter how careful you are, it is very likely you will drop paint on the floor. It happens.


I very rarely paint the ceiling but if I were to do so, it would be the first task. Because I am using such a dark colored paint coupled with the fact that this area gets very little light, I chose to keep the ceiling the white color it currently is. When I place my lighting options in this area, I want the light to reflect back down to illuminate this space. {Trust me, honey, it needs all the help it can get}.

If you are painting the ceiling, you pretty much go about it the same way as painting the walls except you will need to purchase an extension pole to add to your paint roller and a two-step ladder for the borders. Unless you are Shaq, you will need the ladder and the extension pole. How else will you reach it?

3. BORDERS - You want to start out by painting the borders using either a brush or an edger. I prefer a brush because I am very particular about coverage and with a brush I can get in there and make sure it is completely colored in.

4. THE W - Using your paint roller, roll out a "W" shape about 3-4 feet wide. This is the basic movement you will continue to use as you paint your wall. When you have completely painted a 4-foot square, move onto the next area and repeat. Continue on in this manner until you have full coverage that bleeds into your painted borders. Because I am painting with a very dark and saturated flat paint, I didn't need more than one coat. However, if you are painting a light color over a darker color, or you are painting with a sheen, you will more than likely need two coats of paint. This will ensure more coverage, less streaking and a more durable professional looking paint job.

NOTE: Be careful not to overload your roller with too much paint. Not only will it drip and run all over the place, but it can also clump up if your paint is fast drying. If you get any runs or clumps, be sure to wipe it immediately with a wet rag. 

5. TAPE REMOVAL - Once your paint is nearly dry (not all the way dry), you can pull off the tape. Did your paint bleed over? No worries, you can simply touch up your trim or borders with a bit of paint in your walls original color.

VOILA!!!

You are done! Or in this case, I am done! It's dark, but I love it. Once I add the lighting to this space, it will be just perfect. It really does make a difference compared to the before photos, doesn't it? Hard to tell in my grainy iPhone pics with poor lighting, but it is a delicious chocolate-y color using a flat paint. Wait until you see what else I have planned for this area!

xoxo ~tami

Welcome to My Renovated Life

ren·o·vate

To restore to a former better state; give new life or energy to; reanimate; repair, quicken, vivify, revivify

The year 2011 has truly been a year of purging the old and welcoming in the new. My family and I have experienced many changes that have positioned us to grow and elevate in ways we have been praying for. We recently joked about how for years we felt the recession before the recession actually began!

Among many of the changes that have come, our most recent change was a relocation from an apartment circa 1960s in West Los Angeles into a really beautiful and historic apartment towards Larchmont and Koreatown. Our new neighborhood was one of the first comprehensively planned communities in Los Angeles designed for upper and middle-income families. As I walked through the streets the other day, I was excited to find so many hidden treasures, cafes, bistros and gorgeous architectural elements around every turn. 

Our apartment building was constructed in 1929 with design elements in the famous Art Deco style. This architectural style began in Paris in the 1920s and is marked by the use of materials such as aluminum, stainless steel, lacquer, chrome and inlaid wood, as well as exotic materials such as sharkeskin and zebra skin. The use of stepped forms and geometric curves, chevron patterns, fountains and the sunburst motif were quite typical. At it's best, art deco represented elegance, glamour, functionality and modernism.

{lobby of a building in our new neighborhood showing the art deco elements found in our building and others like it}

The details in our apartment is what makes living in a historic building so fun. Our building is made of brick, which is not the typical building material used in Southern California where most buildings are reminiscent of the Spanish Revival period with it's smooth plaster and red-tiled roofs.  Instead, we live in a building that reminds me of apartment living in New York City. We have beautifully maintained original hardwood floors and high ceilings with a small kitchen and bathroom. It stay nice and cool in the summers and will retain a decent amount of heat in the winter. We are thrilled.

This type of apartment is right up my alley. I am not big on living in these new pre-fabricated homes built on tracts. Historic homes have personality, architectural interest, nooks and crannies that today's constructed homes lack unless you are designing your dream home from the ground up. Historic buildings definitely come with challenges... like insulation issues, creaky floors and lack of air conditioning. However, I say bundle up if you are cold... the creaks are the homes way of telling you it's been loved... and thankfully living in Los Angeles rarely requires the use of air conditioning. 

The first several weeks that I lived in this space, I did so without my furniture. I placed everything I owned in storage and have camped out on an air mattress as I decided what I wanted to do with our new living quarters, what items I would keep in storage and what can be incorporated into our new home. I have been collecting a few ideas that I plan to turn into projects and a few forgotten and discarded items that I plan to bring back to life. As they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure. Sometimes people have no idea what they are throwing away. In addition, I will journal about my second-hand furniture shopping and finds.

I created this blog as a place to share my journey as I paint, design and decorate our new digs. And I wanted to allow you an opportunity to have a peek inside my real life. Perhaps you will follow along. Perhaps you will not. Either way I am journaling my process because it is therapeutic for me and it helps me to look back at what I started with so that I can truly appreciate and always have a heart of thanksgiving for where I am in my current state.

I truly believe in surrounding yourself with what you love. I am the type of person who will take my time finding that perfect chair, that perfect piece of art work or that perfect accessory in order to feel happy and satisfied with my home. I am not just creating a living space...I am making my house a home (or my apartment, in this case).

I have plans... lots and lots of cool and amazing plans to share with you. I invite you to journey with me as I refurbish old furniture, decide on wall coverings, select art work,take on DIY projects and create the home that my family can settle into and enjoy for the next year or two.

Welcome to my renovated life!