Decisions Decisions

So we've decided to make the remodel our upstairs bathroom our 2012 project.  I decided that it would be a good idea to start small.  Our bathroom is only about 30 or so square feet, and with the bathtub, there are only about 25 square feet of floor space. 

The original plaster walls are kind of beat up and the tile combination is a little odd...or at least very outdated.  Mr. CP and I visited a few stores to check out what is available in the world of tile.  We had an idea of what we wanted, but after visiting about 3 stores in SF and two in Berkeley we were a little frustrated.  Since we live in San Francisco, we had also been sucked into the Heath Ceramics hype, but after a little research on their website, I discovered that their least expensive tiles start at $16.50 per sq ft and only come in 6 shades and 2 shapes.  Their patterns line, which would look great on small bathroom floor like ours starts at $41 per sq ft. That comes out to over $1000 just for our floor! 

One example from the Heath Ceramics Pattern Tile line

Finally, I stumbled upon the Ann Sacks website and thought they might have tiles that we would like.  Lucky for us, they had tiles that we liked for both wall and floor and they are all in stock, so we don't have to wait for a special order.

I'm not sure where the tiles from this photo are from, but the Ann Sacks Context tile that we chose looks like the elongated subway tile that they use on the walls here.  We plan to tile all the way up the wall.  I like that mirror idea...maybe we should try something like that.

For the floors, we saw a porcelain tile in a tile store, but the colors were all just a little bit off for me.  One gray was too warm and the other too dark.   The Ann Sacks Evolution tile in Tatanio looks the same in terms of texture, but comes in a middle gray which is what I had been seeking.  It has a slightly ribbed texture, which will be great for preventing slip and falls in the bathroom after stepping out of the bathtub.

The ribbing is very subtle and you can barely see it when the tile is on the floor.

One thing we have found is that a lot of floor tile options are only available in a very large size of 12x24.  Apparently, the trend is to get large tiles to reduce the amount of grout that needs to be used, and later on, cleaned.

On our way to Ann Sacks, we happened to park in front of Waterworks.  I had never been inside of one, but I knew that by reputation they carry very expensive bathroom fixtures.  They had a beautiful selection of ceramic, glass and stone tiles, but most of the options were not within our budget.

Next, we need to think about lighting options.  Recesssed lighting would be the cleanest, but the tiles might look nicer he we have something brighter that drops down from the ceiling.

Our BedRoom is Finally Painted!

Since my last day of work, which coincidentally was also Mr. CP's last day of school, we were very busy working on the house and running errands.  Some tasks were in preparation for the baby, like taking the hospital tour, writing up a birth plan and setting up diaper service, while others were things we just wanted to get done because we knew we would be too sleep deprived to tackle them after the baby arrived.

Below for your viewing enjoyment are some before and after photos of our bedroom.  We still have to finish the room the baby will eventually sleep in, but I figured if we at least mostly finished our room, we'd have some place for all of us to sleep for at least a few months before we move the baby into his permanent digs.

The room started out with relatively cheerful yellow walls and an off white ceiling.  There were a number of cracks in the walls, that I decided to repair with some spackle and joint tape (and some help from my brother).

Close up of a plaster crack

First layer of joint compound

Third layer of spackle (courtesy of my brother). It was a lot of work!

We decided to go with a no VOC primer and paint for a number of reasons, mainly since I was pregnant and at home for most of the day after I stopped working and because the baby would be moving in so soon.  It's also good to reduce the future off-gassing in the house in general.

And here is the painted room...For colors, we choose a soothing light gray and a Benjamin Moore shade called snow white for the ceiling and mouldings.  We purchased our paint at Ecohaus here in San Francisco.  They used the Yolo brand base and tinted it with the Mythic and Benjamin Moore shades that we had chosen.  The job definitely required two coats for the ceiling and the walls, though I suspect that many or all no-VOC paints require a double coat, because they are less pigmented than conventional paints.

We still have to install baseboards eventually, but that's a project for another time. We did manage to find a close match to the moulding that we removed at a place in Millbrae called The Moulding Company.  The staff there was helpful and we'll probably order from them when we're ready.  We are also planning to replace all of the doors, so we didn't bother to paint them for now.

The Backyard - Phase II

Phase II of our garden makeover was completed a couple months ago.  The back of the yard was sheet mulched and all of the trees were pruned, including the lemon tree, which of course means another few dozen lemons were harvested, but there are still so many more.

New mulch

Our cleaned up lemon tree and butterfly bush

Pruned persimmon tree and herbs planted in the corner

Two cherry tomato plants planted in the back section

Afterwards, my brother and I installed the scarecrow sprinkler.  It seems to be working, because I haven't seen any cats in the yard since.

Are You Prepared?

Last year, I asked a few friends whether they had an emergency kit prepared in case they Bay Area is hit with an earthquake.  4 out of 5 of the people I asked said they did not.  After the recent earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan, I've asked again and although many people are still not prepared, they are all feeling more compelled to get their acts together.  Mr. CP and I decided to tackle this task this weekend. 

I found that the Red Cross and http://72hours.org/build_kit.html provided good lists for building our kit.  We tackled and water, food and batteries portion of the kit with a trip to Costco.  In addition to a kit of freeze dried food to which you just add hot water, we are including items like canned tuna, beef jerky, dried fruit and peanut butter which don't require water.  I also ordered a first aid kit from drugstore.com.  After it arrives, I'll assess what other first aid items and medicines I will want to get from a local Walgreen's to supplement the kit.

First Aid Only - 200 piece hard kit

Next week we'll gather the clothes, blankets, tools, flashlight, radio, and documentation that should also be included.

It's recommended that you put the kit into a large waterproof container with wheels so that it's easy to move around.  Mr. CP and I haven't yet decide the best for us to keep the kit together in a safe and convenient place.

We will also prepare a smaller kit to keep in the car, in case our larger emergency kit is somehow rendered inaccessible by a disaster or if we aren't near home.  This one from REI is expensive, but looks pretty complete and self-contained, which would be good for keeping in the trunk with a few additional granola or energy bars.

Updated Uses for Chalkboard Surfaces

They've been featured on blogs for a while now...chalkboards...

For those appreciate cute organization ideas, one can find chalkboard labeled jars and canisters and removable and reusable vinyl chalkboard labels. Or you can make cute DIY herb pots like the ones shown below.

Chalk Label Mason Jars from Hindsvik on Etsy

{via i-do-it-yourself.com}

Go ecofriendly while allowing your kids the freedom to be creative...or get a little creative yourself with chalkboard walls!

{via CountryLiving.com}

I like this key hook idea...Mr. CP has access to a laser cutter at school...so we can pick and design a shape of our choosing and then paint it with some chalkboard paint.

{via Helen Rawlinson's Blog}

DIY is inexpensive and easy.  Several paint companies make chalkboard paint and it comes in different shades.  According to the Benjamin Moore website, one quart of their chalkboard paint covers 100 square feet and costs around $16.

Benjamin Moore Chalkboard Paint

A Scarecrow Keeps the Cats Away?

There had always been a couple cats lurking around in our backyard.  After we had the weeds removed, they were more noticeable, because they've been pawing at the mulch.  Kitty, my backyard is not your litter box!  In addition, cat's can carry toxoplasmosis which can be very harmful to fetuses.  So, I've been advised not to garden while pregnant.  What a bummer!  This set off an internet search on how to humanely chase the cats out of my yard.  Some sites recommend sprinkling cayenne pepper around.  Others recommend using powders that smell like cat predators in hopes that the scent would scare the cats away.  Also, apparently cats don't like prickly things under their feet so you can scatter pine cones on your mulch or even stick forks prong side up randomly in the mulch so it's not soft and inviting...sounds like a lot of work and it wouldn't be very attractive.  There were also two high tech solutions that I came across, both involving motion detective devices.  The first emits a high-pitched frequency repels cats when the device detects motion in the yard.  The other is called the Scarecrow motion activated sprinkler - when the attached motion sensor detects movement, it lets out a spray of water.  As anyone who watches children's cartoons knows, cats hate water. 

Contech Scarecrow Motion Activated Sprinkler

There are hundreds of reviews for the sprinkler and the average is a 4.5 out of 5 stars, while the reviews for the frequency emitter are not nearly as high, so I opted for the sprinkler.  It arrived yesterday, so I'm excited to install it.  I just have to remember to turn it off before the gardener shows up on Saturday...he won't be a happy camper if he gets attacked by the scarecrow. 

Our Backyard - Before and After Phase I

After moving in last July, Mr. CP and I had so much on our plates,we neglected our backyard.  In the beginning, that just meant some grass-like weeds that grew a little high and unpruned trees.  But, after the winter rains, tons of oxalis plants started to sprout up everywhere.  I'm not a neat freak, but the sight of our messy yard was starting to drive me nuts.

Our lemon tree

The back of the yard overrun with oxalis

A rose bush which needs pruning next to a dead rosemary tree

Another shot from the back of the yard

I started to look at my gardening services options on Craigslist and yelp.  Some gardeners have flat hourly rate while others charge a package fee for a job.  Our job was mainly weeding and pruning, so I figured finding someone with some experience would be good, but I didn't need to pay extra for tons of experience.   We opted to try out a method called sheet mulching which involves laying down paper or cardboard over the weeds and then mulch on top of that rather than hand weeding the entire yard.  Below are the "after" photos for phase I of the project - sheet mulching the beds.

The lemon trees sans weeds

The rosemary bush has been removed

The Japanese Maple has been removed from the back bed and placed into a wine barrel planter

It's quite a transformation for one day of work! We think it looks great.

Phase II will involve mulching the back of the yard and pruning the various trees and bushes.

Lemon Juice Cubes

We have so many lemons and so little time...enter our new electric citrus juicer which came highly recommended by my sister.  She uses it to make fresh squeezed orange juice for her weekly pancake parties.

Tribest Citrustar Electric Juicer

With this lovely kitchen gadget, I juiced nine lemons in nine minutes.  I didn't have to strain the juice or remove the pits and ended up with ten ice cubes.  I think next time, I'll measure out two tablespoons to each cube so that I can defrost the exact amount of juice that my recipes call for.  This juicer is a great time saver and now I'll be able to continue to make all kinds of lemony goodies even after the lemon harvest season ends.

A New Project

As I mentioned earlier this week, Mr. CP is building us a dining table, but before he has finished, I've already signed us up for another new project.  While I still have my eyes peeled for a Selig Z chair, a couple of weeks ago, we picked up these vintage mid-century teak Danish style lounge chairs from a local Ebay seller.  Unfortunately, the chairs don't have any labels to indicate who designed them or where they were made, but the style is clean and simple, the chairs are pretty comfortable, and it looks like it will be relatively easy to have them reupholstered.

We plan to use eco-friendly material for the cushions (i.e., latex foam or maybe old school wool).  Though it would definitely be more economical to use a high density polyurethane foam, we want to avoid added flame retardants and the chemicals that are off-gassed from polyurethane materials.  As for the upholstery material, I'll be on the hunt for something neutral and maybe tweedy, but not scratchy.

Our First Vintage Find

If you asked me 5 years ago how I would decorate a home, I would not have responded that I'd be on the hunt for vintage mid-century style looks.  However, as I started to look more closely at furniture and assess what hundreds of dollars can get you, it seems vintage mid-century pieces are a pretty good way to go.  The pieces tend to be very well made with solid wood and sturdy construction.  They've already been around for decades and still look great!

Our first vintage find is this set of four mid-century Eames H-base Shell chairs in orange.

I've seen these classic chairs in magazines and staged homes.  They come in a variety of colors, with pricing depending on how common or rare the color is.  Collectors and vintage furniture salespeople tell me that shades of blue and pink are the hardest to come by.  Mr. CP is in the process of designing and building us a beautiful solid walnut dining table and I think the rich color of walnut will look great with these chairs.

Friday Wishlist - The Selig Z Chair

I've been on a search for some vintage mid-century modern chairs and sofas in an attempt to avoid foam cushions containing brominated fire retardants.  It's quite a task.  In my search, I stumbled upon this beautiful Danish teak chair - the Selig Z Chair.  It seems to be pretty difficult to find and Google searches are only bringing up photos of already sold chairs to make me drool even more...

{via Mr. Modtomic}

{via Apartment Therapy}

Wall Candy

I want one of these to hang on a white or light to medium blue wall.

One Million Short Stories Giclee Print by Inaluxe in Australia.

I love that the background texture adds some depth while the colorful design in the foreground can complement a ton of different color schemes.  The 13" x 19" size makes it perfect for a smaller room like a home office or a baby room.

Another beautiful design by Inaluxe...

Helsinki Afternoon

Reminds me of the multicolor leaf pattern by Orla Kiely, but a little less cutesy.