Real Before and After Pictures - My New Office

Did you like the before and after pictures I posted earlier today? 

I love cracking myself up, often left alone to laugh at my own jokes.  He, he, he.

Here are the real before and after pictures of my new office, our new painted walls, and newly refinished hard wood floors.  What do you think?

Before

 

After...

 

Living Room

A place to put on shoes

Dinning Room

Hallway

Walking into my office, off the living room

A place to sit and think

This picture is titled "She was always prepared for what she suspected might be just around the corner" by Lisa Kattenbraker

Here are the pull down blinds for the french doors --will hang soon.  This will help give privacy like I mentioned in "Create a Space that Works for You".

My HUGE work space!

More storage

I love adding details like this to spaces, details that help the space shine just a hint more than it would without them.

More details

More storage and organization

When creating a space that works for you, think about how you can hide practical pieces like this functional, magnetic curtain rod, which is being used to hold my quilt tops.

The french doors look into the living room

I might need to lock you all out now, I have a lot of work to get done ;)

To see more, follow these links to see our home's exterior, our back yard, Monet's bedroom and our bathroom.

Thanks for taking a tour through our newly renovated home.  What do you think?  

Before and After Pictures - My New Office

Before

And after...

So what do you think?  Was my remodel a success?  He, he, he. 

Create a Space That Works For You

OWWIE aceo print by Boopsie Daisy's Etsy Shop

I'm pretty sure sharp scissors, hot irons, needles, and craft glue are not the wisest toys for a baby. It was this, plus many other factors, which prompted our last home renovation project. And in the midst of chaos and destruction, I realized that the most important step in a home renovation project, is to create a space that works for you, a space that solves the problems you are encountering day to day. Let me explain...

My old office space was completely out in the open, right off the living room, in the midst of all the day-to-day action. Along with not being a safe place for Monet to play, it was also too loud for me to focus. Often my daughter Monet would throw fits because she could see me when Daddy was watching her. These were just a few of the problems I was encountering in my "work space" and so we decided to embark on a home renovation project by first creating a list of problems and frustrations, and then brainstorming practical solutions to these problems.

The solutions to my problems were quite simple. For example, french doors with pull down blinds now provide privacy, a quiet space for me to work, and safety for Monet, at the same time not closing that space off too much for future home buyers who might like the open floor plan that is so popular in homes today. Other solutions included buying a large table for me to spread out on, keeping me off our dinning table and keeping my mess in a confined space with a door. Along with that, we found the perfect storage unit with open shelves to hold the many projects I'm always working on; add in a few bars here and there to hang my quilts on and voila, my space issues have been answered. We continued this process through the remodel, solving many problems, and as a result I now have both a beautiful and functional workspace.

This is the art of making a house a home, creating a space that is not just sentimental and pleasing to the eye, but also a space that is functional and realistic, a space that allows both you and your family to live comfortably. And so I advise, before you pick up a hammer or a paintbrush on your next home renovation project, first brainstorm the problems and find solutions for the space you're renovating, aesthetics coming second not first.

No matter how big or small a home project is, always make sure you are creating a space that works for you, a space that is solving the day to day problems you are encountering in that space previous to the remodel. If you're not careful, to consider this important home renovation tip, you might just be creating a prettier space with the same problems.

(Note:  The french doors need another coat of varnish, and a few more items still need to be hung, before and after pictures coming soon...)
 

Search Amazon.com for home office solutions; creating the space that works for you

Before and After Pictures...

The art of making a house a home sometimes requires that things be custom made for a space. I recently picked up an old wooden cabinet that had been converted into a play stove for kids. It was still in pretty good shape but definitely needed a little TLC. Josh took off all the old hardware, gave it a good sand, painted it, and added new door handles to match our little girl's room. Finally Josh rummaged through his pile of miscellaneous junk to find the perfect oven temperature knob. Along with that, Josh also made a grocery cart. Can you see it parked next to the newly renovated stove? I think a matching fridge is in the works for Christmas. Shhh, don't tell.

Here are the before and after pictures...

To make a room stand out as being unique, and truly belonging to you, you need to find a way to customize it with things that are truly one-of-a-kind; those things can be made by your or by others.  This is the secret behind the art of making a house a home.  In my daughter's room for example, items have been made by 16 different crafters and artists...

Print by Artist Charley Harper

 

Fairy furniture by Utah Artist Debbie Schraman

Custom made changing table by Great Grandpa Korte who specializes in woodwork

Hand-knit blankets, custom made by Great Grandma Korte and Grandma Kathy

Handmade one-of-a-kind quilt, custom made by nine of my dearest Utah friends

Custom made bed-skirt, curtains, one-of-a-kind machine appliqued quilt, and baby mobile all made by me.

All these items, perfectly mixed together like a good recipe, make Monet's room a genuine masterpiece.  Not only is it aesthetically pleasing to the eye, but it's also warm to the heart because the items have been made by real people.  As Monet get's older, I'm sure the collection in her room will grow.  Like a fine wine, a house becomes a home over time.

Thrift Store Gold Mine

We descended the stairs into the musty basement of our local thrift store, turned right, and took a few paces before I looked up and saw Angela's eyes grow two sizes in two seconds.  Immediately she started doing a little dance and squeaking with excitement.  She had made a find.  I have seen this look before; it reminded me of when Angela spotted an old dresser at this exact thrift store.  That dresser, stripped, refinished, and dressed up with some new hardware, currently looks marvelous sitting in our bedroom. 

This time it was four metal-framed chairs that had her jumping with joy.  Two had been poorly reupholstered with some sort of red velvety material. We just wanted the bones anyway.

All it took was a little cleaning, a coat of Rustoleum paint, and some cedar boards picked up from Home Depot to make the former refuse good as gold.

Now these chairs are a welcomed addition to our back yard dining area.  They also served as great inspiration for me to refinish our old table that had become a little weathered, and Angela's Picnic Set is the perfect accessory.   

Have you turned any trash to treasure recently?  We would love to hear about it.

- Josh Flicker

No More Drab and Dreary

Welcome to our home!  Will you wander with me...

Here's our cute little historic home located in Salt Lake City, UT.  We pulled up the grass two years back and xeriscaped our front yard.

Josh has custom made many items in our front yard.  Sculptures blend in with the plants, the rocks, and the bark.  They really add interest to the space we've created.  Above you can see a planter, a sculpture, and some number tiles that he made last summer.  I really like how they give the home a uniqueness that makes it stand out from the other homes on the street.

Once again we chose succulents for this beautiful planter Josh made.  They are so wonderful and water-wise.  I can't wait to see how they fill in as the summer progresses.

And here is our pet turtle.  He hangs out in the front yard and eats all the bad bugs.  He, he, he.  Honestly this little guy is not real, if you haven't already noticed.  Josh custom makes ceramic creatures.  Don't you love this little guy?

I love this time of year when life starts to pop out of our drab and dreary yards.

Each spring new life pops up in the yard along with ideas on how to make it even more beautiful.  As artists I think it is great to have a canvas that changes with the seasons and can continually be reworked.

Where Woman Create and Escape

Have you heard of the magazine, "Where Woman Create"? My mother turned me on to it this past Christmas. It's now one of my favorite magazines. A recent issue inspired me to "clean shop" and create a comfortable environment that I can escape to everyday, even if just for 30 minutes.   

Where do you go when you need to escape?