DIY: Ombré stairs!

Ok my friends... It's been a long time coming- but I'm ready to share.  

Behold! The first DIY post from our crazy home remodel project...  Emphasis on the crazy.

Here's Elliott modeling the wreck we were left with after ripping out that nasty carpet. 

My dad was kind enough to drive up from San Diego and lend a little experience and expertise to our otherwise fly by the seat of our pants/make it up as we go - construction philosophy.

It was his idea to trim the overhang (a painstaking job) and add a rounded, finished trim piece to the edge.  When I questioned the extra work and additional cost he said: "Uhhh... I'd have a hard time putting my name on it with that big gap you've got on there now."  Touché, dad...  Touché.

I'll spare you the sweaty guys sawing and bending over bit and move straight on to the pretty part.  :)

Ok, so this is where I took over the job.  I had really been wanting to try an ombré staircase, and decided to tackle it yesterday while Elliott napped.  HA!  Wishful thinking on my part.  This project was about 10,000x more intense than I expected.  Plus you can always count on me to be impatient and ill-prepared, but... ONWARD HOOOO!!!

After debating my color options right down to the moment I put brush to board, I decided on a pinkish/coral gradient.  I went from dark at the bottom to light at the top to give it an enhanced ascending effect.  The skylight at the top of the stairs was kind of the cherry on the cake for this effect- providing a great, bright white quality as your eyes go up.  Hey, did you know that each and every stair in our house is a unique and special snowflake with totally irregular dimensions, bumps, and divets?  Yeah, we didn't either.  Jeff and my dad measured each one individually, cut them, ground them, filed them, and cut a corresponding face board, marked with a number (my idea) to make things easier when matching them up.

   

After a lot of mixing trial and error, I went the Dixie cup route.  13 faces, 13 Dixie cups.  Beginning with a deep, vibrant coral red which fades to a barely-there shade of pink at the very top step.  I used our white house paint as a base in each cup and added a true red in varying amounts.  I laid the boards flat, and went about painting them in sequence.  The first result was a little too clean and looked more like a color-block than the subtle ombré fade that I was going for.

  

It took me a good hour and a half (and Elliott waking up and walking over the wet boards twice), to figure out that I needed to ignore the individual boards and treat them as one big canvas.  

Painting over the gaps and letting each one mix and fade a bit into the next really made all the difference.  I got the exact vision I had for these stairs in my head.  If you try it, keep a cup of water handy for dipping and blending.  

The end result.  I'm in love.  James thinks it looks like a sunset, and I think that's a huge compliment.  

Aaaand this is what it's all about... The before and after!  

                     

WOO HOO! *cheerleader jump*

Let the pinning commence!

Ok my friends... I've finally organized and uploaded all of my home inspiration photos on pinterest!  YAY!!!  Every day that we get closer and closer to our new home, makes us more and more excited.  I  can't wait to get in there and start working on it.  We're really hoping for a breezy, open, and serene feeling in the house, and these inspiration photos I've been collecting totally nail the look.  I think they're the perfect combination of modern and comfortable.  Clean and fresh, but not too fussy, and just the right amount of quirk.  You know, I'm all about the quirk.  If you have a minute, pop on over to my pinterest page and take a look at the Home Decor board.  I'd love to know what you think.  ♥

P.S. Here's a sneak peek of the board: 

Free People, and gum wall'ing, and stuff...

I had so much fun today with Anissa.  Remember her from the bikini shoot?

Ambiance is celebrating Fall fashion from Free People this month (really pretty).

I can't believe we're talking about the Fall transition fashion already... wasn't the first day of Summer like, yesterday???  

But it all looks beautiful.  Lots of rich knits and embroidery, mustardy hues, and fun pattern play.  

So we did photos.  Around 700 of em.  I love taking pictures in this big room flooded with light.  

And did you know that there's a secret sliding glass door above the gum wall?  I totally spy on everyone from up there, and giggle at the endless exclamations of "EEEEWW, GROSS" coming from down below as they first encounter the wall.  This is promptly followed by a collective "Whoooa" as they take that first step into the alley.  They pop a piece of gum into their mouth, chew it just to the point of stickiness, and then ever so gingerly attempt to leave their mark- 

without ever making contact with the wall itself.  They also like to remark about the smell.

It's usually something like... "It smells so nasty!  But in a good way."

Hilarious, I tell ya...  ANYWAY.  Yes, photos...  Fun.  Super good day.  :)  

Isn't Anissa the cutest?  I love working with her.  And how great is that reclaimed wood wall?!

Ohmygosh.  I feel like I need one in my house.   

Behind-the-scenes... (thanks, Grant)

Home Inspiration, Oh you Swedes...

HELLO, GORGEOUS!

That's what runs through my head when I look at these photos.  Can you imagine waking up in that bed in the morning, trudging down the bright hallway, passing by the wall of books, and plopping down to enjoy the endless sunlight?  Seriously, is there a single spot in this entire home that isn't full of light?  This is the sort of place that helps the inhabitant paint better, write better, be kinder, healthier, and generally more amazing.  I'm so ready to move in.  

What do you think, Sahnzy?  Are we up for Sweden?

Home Inspiration, bright white + full of light...

I'm of the opinion that white (and nearly white) in the home is hit or miss.  

Depending upon the way it's used, the objects surrounding it, and the way it's lit... white can be austere, harsh, or just plain un-welcoming; however, it can also be clean, simplified, and help put your mind at rest.  When my mind is at rest, I feel more open to epiphanies and much more likely to stumble upon creativity.  But I never consciously realized how cozy white could be until tonight.  While randomly sorting through the "Home Inspiration" folder on my desktop, I couldn't help but notice my own predilection for white in the home.  

I've rounded up just a handful of the images for you here, and found several cohesive elements that help tip these room from severe to serene.  Notably: Furs, plants, soft textiles, whimsy, natural light, woodgrain, and warm neutrals.  You'll find nearly all of those elements in each of the images below.

Fur.  

From a shaggy dog, to a cowhide, wolf pelts, and lots of sheepskins...  cozy, natural elements, such as furs, instantly soften edges and warm the rooms they occupy.  

Ahhh, natural light...  

Nothing beats it.  Nothing else even comes close.   It's that gorgeous diffused glow that seems to illuminate inanimate objects from within.  It flatters, feeds, and helps us function.  Even better?  It's free!

Textiles. 

Look at all the textiles at work above and below... a Kilim rug, embroidered woolen wall tapestry, pelt on the floor, throw blanket on the mid-century chair, and fluffy duvet, act as an invitation to sit down, snuggle up, and ahhhhh... relax.  Note, the whimsical animals in the tapestry.

Woodgrain + Plants.

The natural greens of plants instantly sets a mind at ease.  The warmth of woodgrain and straw help soften the hard lines of this very contemporary room.  Note; the whimsy of the sheepskin pillow.

Whimsy.

I love the unexpected duo of bathroom and bedroom sharing a space.

Warm neutrals: Copper, linen, leather, straw, rust, taupe, and even worn-out ballet slippers are the perfect accompaniment to a shocking true white... creating a comfortable balance and toning down the austerity, without losing the wonderful sense of clarity that white creates.  Can you find the whimsical element in this photo?  It's got ears!

So there you have it...  my white moment.  What's inspiring you right now?  

Home Inspiration... Le Shack!

Magical.  I'm sitting here, wracking my brain to think of a better word- and there just isn't one; to describe Isabel Marant's darling little shack, at the end of a nameless road, along the Loire river in Fontainebleau.  Can you imagine a more charming existence?  Cult-status fashion designer in Paris, 5 days a week... no phones, no electricity, no city, on weekends.  It looks like Neverland!  Now, this is my kind of camping.  

The New York Times ran a beautiful story on "Le Shack", the rustic weekend retreat of Marant, her husband/accessories designer-extraordinaire, Jérôme Dreyfuss, and their little boy.

I've been living vicariously through these photos ever since.