The Houseboat Studio That Wasn't

This is a story of heartbreak and disappointment. A story of what might have been. A story of a unique floating studio right down the elevator from our city crash pad.

I'm sure many of you know we live in two places. We have our beach house, which was supposed to be our "most of the time" house, and we have a tiny city crash pad. We make all these big plans, and then life gets in the way, it would seem.

Creative Ways to Add Storage to Your Kitchen

Are you one of those people who vows to get more organized with the new year?  I love new years and new beginnings! It's a great time to tackle those projects we've been putting off for ages. Sometimes we need to organize our kitchens a little bit better, but our space and resources are limited.

Here are some easy and pretty ideas to help you get your kitchen in shape for the new year!

bhg

Convert a thrift store desk into a one of a kind kitchen island. Add shelves in the knee space for storing wine and serving dishes. A towel rod on the side and a cutting board on top turn this into a hardworking island!

homelife

Use an old ladder (or crib rail!) to hang pots and pans. Store baskets on top. Such a pretty and functional solution!

thekitchn

Add an eclectic mix of open shelving to add texture and interest while providing easy to reach storage. This is a great solution for those items you use every day!

via design sponge

Use inexpensive wood crates from a discount store to create a custom shelving unit! This is an especially good idea for renters and students. When it's time to move, put your things in the crates and carry them to the next place!

bhg 

Use a vintage plate rack to keep your dishes handy! Hint: seal the piece well, with polyurethane, to prevent chipping of old paint.

bhg

Stack vintage (or new) picnic baskets for out of sight storage in plain sight! The baskets add texture to the space and repeat the warm tones of the wood floor.

bobvila

This one is not as pretty as the other ideas, but it sure is clever! Cut the top and bottom off an old soda bottle and use it to dispense plastic bags. Screw the bottle upside down to the back of a pantry or cabinet door.

bobvila

Screw T-mold strips to the bottom of your cabinets for wine glass storage!

classy clutter

Do you have a little bit of extra space next to your fridge? Build this pull-out on wheels to store spices and canned goods! Brilliant!

What do you think? Are you inspired to tackle an organization project in your kitchen now?

How to Decorate and Organize with Vintage Trunks

I think I will never get tired of dusty old trunks and chests. They all have stories hidden away inside. As a kid, I loved looking at the old newspapers that had been used to line some old trunks that my mother had. I used to have a hump-backed trunk that was lined with lovely old wallpaper.  I used it to store vintage linens. Another trunk was used as a bedside table. We no longer have the hump-backed trunk -- it was a victim of a cross-country move years ago, but the other trunk still serves as storage. These days we use it to store Christmas ornaments.

That's the wonderful thing about trunks. They can live so many lives.  They start out going on grand adventures, and later retire to life as an end table or are tucked away in an attic, storing treasured items.

How to Bring Vintage Industrial Style into Your Home

As urban populations continue to grow, we are going to continue seeing residential areas expanding to abandoned factory buildings. More and more, people are recognizing and appreciating the need to preserve our history and our resources through adaptive re-use.

Of course, not everyone can live in a downtown factory loft, so here are a few ways to bring that look and feel into your own home!

Our Newest Make-Over Project

We signed our closing documents today for our newest project!    It's another condo in our building -- right in the middle of a big city, but right on the edge of a lake and wetlands.  The seller signs tomorrow, and hopefully the rest of the closing will go smoothly. (closings are different here -- sellers and buyers don't sit down together, and you usually sign a day or so before the actual closing)

I was waiting to share more on this project till the closing was completely finished, but I was too excited, so here is a peak of the views from the new condo.

Our Newest Project

It looks like we are buying the bank-owned condo I mentioned in an earlier post.  We have a contract, and as long as we are happy with things after doing "due diligence," we will soon own a little pied-a-terre.

The beach house is great, but we really need a small place in the city during the work week.  After two years of renting a very tiny apartment, we knew we needed something slightly larger, so we could entertain comfortably -- or something even smaller, so we wouldn't even be tempted to try to entertain!

Other criteria included an easy commute to work, a safe neighborhood, a parking space, and a pet friendly building with an elevator; and it needed to be well-priced.  This little condo met all of our criteria.

When we saw the rough shape of this condo (which explained the "too good to be true" price) we were ready to walk away -- then the realtor threw out two little words -- "boat slip".

We were hooked.

This is the slip that goes with the condo.  I wonder whose boat that is?  Maybe it comes with the slip?