Category: design

We ripped out the old backsplash ages ago because we wanted to get all the major demo out of the way before we really moved in. So we’ve been living with the innards of the walls exposed since early October. Marc couldn’t start the new backsplash until the counter was in so… we just waited.

I had a plan a long time ago to do marble subway tile – I had even purchased the tile and stored it at mom’s house (I’m still not quite sure how to thank her for all that she has done for us…oh wait…maybe we could just get all of our crap out of her house? Actually, we don’t have room for that yet…maybe just a really nice card.)

With all the waiting, came doubting.

Should we just go with white subway tile? It’s so classic yet at the same time so cool right now.

I went back and forth and back and forth and back and forth.

I also hacked in the colors that someday I’d like to paint the cabinets and that that might give me clarity.

I was perfectly decisive for every decision on the house… except THIS ONE.

And so it wasn’t until the morning that Marc was going to start the install that we decided. Or rather, went back to our original plan.

The marble is scary because while it’s pricier than plain white subway tile, it is made of the stuff that doesn’t get made into stunning slab marble. So you get a lot of variation in color and pattern. I decided that to do this right I would need to lay out every tile into a design that put similar marble pieces together and subtly transitioned from one to the other, rather than just letting Marc open up boxes willy-nilly and pop the tiles up on the wall. It was an awesomely excruciating puzzle. But, I’m happy that I did. I was able to find pieces that actually fit together to create larger striations and patterns in the wall.
I was apprehensive and asked for a lot of folks’ advice, but, I’m really happy that we stuck to our guns. This will be unique but, still classic; interesting but, subtle. And I’m pretty sure that when we redo the bathroom that it will be floor to ceiling white subway tile. Which feels like a better fit for that tile and this house to me.

(Note: the backsplash isn’t even close to done. Marc still needs to do the wall behind the sink and stove and grout it all. But, we do what we can when we can.)

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The bamboo floor that we inherited in this house is good enough. There was a big part of me that wanted to rip it out and put in real hardwood rather than matching existing and just patching in the new areas… but, the budget and the desire to move-in sooner rather than later persuaded Marc and me to stick with the bamboo. Harrison loves it because he can slide on his socks. But twice I slipped and fell. FELL! On my butt and bruised by elbow and hip. It hurt and was needless to say super embarrassing. So I found an awesome sisal runner for the hallway from Overstock.

Also – we got a new fridge! That actually fits all of our food!

Good stuff.

This old Sputnik chandelier was purchased before the kid was born from Uncommon Objects for his nursery.

I couldn’t find a photo of the whole thing, but, it’s reflected in this one:

I KNOW RIGHT!? That much cute should be illegal.

We loved it but, when he got his loft bed there was no space for it. It took a concession from the pantry to get this to work… we will have to have only half-doors on the upper part of one of the pantry units (as soon as IKEA gets those doors in anyway!), but, that’s worth it for the extra light not to mention super-fun addition.

The thing was pretty badly tarnished after being stored away for years. Marc and I polished it for a couple nights – as long as we could stand the smell, then we stopped and decided that the dark spots gave it character.