Notice anything different?

What’s that? You say there’s some sweet penny tile in the master bathroom where a dirty old concrete slab used to be the only floor? You’re so smart. So observant. So right.

Handy Hubby worked all weekend to install the penny tile then grout the shower and floor in the bathroom. To show my gratitude, I washed his work jeans afterwards. HH said his jeans could stand on their own after all the thinset and grout had dried on them over two weekends of tiling.

If you’re an avid home decor/DIY blog reader, then you probably already saw John & Sherry over at Young House Love install the same penny round tile in their kitchen as a backsplash. Which turned out fabulous, btw. We actually chose the moss penny tile last summer before we knew John & Sherry were thinking of using it in their kitchen. Great stylish minds think alike ;)

Yes, I feel close enough to YHL to refer to its authors on a first name basis. They make it pretty easy. I’ve been following them since their This Young House days…before This Old House sicked their money-hungry lawyer dawgs on them and all but forced them to change their blog name. I’m still angry about that. Glad to see J&S have moved on. {Oh yeah, now I’m feeling friendly enough to call them ‘J&S’.} They featured our previous mini-mudroom and DIY stencils as Reader Redesigns a while back and I still chat with them via email every once in a while. Fun stuff! They’re such an inspiration.

But anyways, they beat us to installing the penny tile. Which is why they make a modest living blogging. Those two are non-stop, I tell you! So much energy. So much motivation. So little sleep.

HH took their tips to heart and put them to use while he cut, set and grouted the penny tile. The tips he found most helpful were to use painter’s tape to mark off the cuts on the penny tile and to use a thin layer of thinset spread with a small trowel. {Thinset tends to squeeze up through the spaces in between the penny tiles and can be a b!#$h to clean up before grouting so it’s best to avoid using more than necessary.} The Tile Shop and YHL both recommended laying the sheets in a brick pattern to help avoid visible seams from one sheet to the next. HH followed that tip as well.

I love the penny tile as a floor tile. I can’t wait to see how it feels on my bare feet. Until then, my boots aren’t complaining.

I may have to start cheating on the shimmery shower tile. The penny rounds are pretty hot. What’s a girl to do? Both. I will do both. And there will be no emotions involved. They will be two totally separate, purely physical relationships. I promise. Sounds like the beginning of a healthy, long-term commitment, no? Ha! Can you sense the third trimester pregnancy hormones kicking in?

HH also finished up the trim along the shower’s edge. If you’ll recall, we had a problem with our new tub being a smidge shorter than the width of the bathroom, so HH built out one wall with a double layer of backerboard to suffice. {A smart, lovely reader has since mentioned installing drywall flush with the backerboard but seeing as how our drywall was already installed, mudded and painted, we decided to make do.}

Our idea was to use pencil edging along the transition to drywall but when I mentioned our situation to the peeps at The Tile Shop, they recommended we use the bullnose version of the shower tile {the same version we used in the shower windowsill}, turn it 90° and cut it to the depth needed. They were concerned that a pencil trim would look too different from the shower tile. The color, texture and sheen would be different since a pencil edge trim isn’t available in the Capua Blanco. So, that’s exactly what HH did. Even though it took longer and required more measuring/cuts than pencil edging, it worked great!

The shower tile is a little hazy from grouting. HH plans to use some grout haze remover to remedy that. If the tile isn’t looking as shimmery as you remember, that’s why. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, we used unsanded standard white grout for the shower tile and sanded mobe pearl grout for the penny floor tile. They were the grout colors used on the in-store samples of both tiles and we liked them so it was easy to choose.

After haze removal comes sealing and caulking. Then our master bathroom will be ready for baseboards, toilet {we’re reusing the original one} and fixtures. I can hardly believe we’re this close.

For fun, I took some pics of the bathroom progress in artificial light too – just to see how it might look at night. The light from the sconce {above the future sink} and can light {above the shower/tub} warms up the wall color and tile a bit. So cozy!

HH also installed a threshold between the master bedroom and bathroom. I wanted a wood one for a seamless transition. We bought the molding accessory from Build Direct to match the engineered hardwood.

A ‘before/progress’ side-by-side for comparison…

Forget our bed that will someday be in the adjacent master bedroom. I’m sprawling out on that penny tile. I’m only half kidding.

FYI – The Tile Shop provided us with materials for our master bathroom tiling project. However all designs, product selections, DIY installations and project photos are of our own doing.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

*THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.*

It’s been a loooooong time since I’ve indulged in some pillow shopping. I’m holding out until we’re moved into the Underdog.

I guess you could say I’ve gotta thang fer pillas. They’re temporary {great for my frequent desire to switch up our decor on a whim}, inexpensive {especially pillow covers that can be placed over forms I already own}, and can help define a mood/color scheme in any room {personally I like to mix colors, patterns and textures together instead of just using a pair of matching pillows}.

So when Stacey contacted me about her new Etsy shop that features handmade pillow covers I was all ears…uh, eyes…although I admit that pillows sometimes talk to me. Weird? Good. I didn’t think so either. Modest Pillows is a great option if you’re looking to add a punch of color or pattern to your decor. You can use them to cover existing pillows or new forms.

Just browsing through Stacey’s shop has me twitching a little.

Must. Get. Pillows.

No, wait. Must get at least one bathroom and the kitchen finished at the Underdog then…Must. Get. Pillows.

No need for you to wait though. Stacey is offering up a gift card to her new Etsy shop as a giveaway this week! Lucky ducks. Here are all the details:

• PRIZE: one $25 gift card to Modest Pillows
• RULES: You must be at least 18 years old to enter. One entry per email address. International readers: You’re good to go on this giveaway. Stacey ships all over the world!
• HOW TO ENTER: Leave a comment on this post proclaiming “COVER ME!”
• DEADLINE: Enter before Thursday, March 8th at 9:00 p.m. EST. One winner will be chosen via Random.org and announced on Friday, March 9th.
• WHILE YOU’RE AT IT: Since we’re talking modesty here, divulge your most ‘un-modest’ moment. I’ll go first. I was standing in line for the trash in my high school cafeteria. I had just finished eating and was waiting to dump my trash and return my lunch tray. It was a hot, hot day. Our backwoods school had no air conditioning so several oscillating floor fans were turned on at their highest speeds. I was wearing a skirt…do you see where this is going? When one of the fans came around and faced me at full blast, I had something of a Marilyn Monroe street grate moment. But not nearly as sexy. My skirt blew up above my waist but because I was still holding my tray full of dishes, I didn’t have a free hand to push my skirt back down. So I just stood there holding my tray with my skirt blowing in the breeze until the oscillating fan turned the other way. I was mortified. Definitely not a modest moment.

If you’re interested in purchasing pillow covers from Modest Pillows, use the discount code “HOUSE” to receive 15% off your order. Offer ends March 31st, 2012.

Don’t forget to ‘like’ Modest Pillows on Facebook!

images: Modest Pillows

It seems my favorite original element of the Underdog’s master bathroom – the window placement in the shower – isn’t everyone’s favorite. Several readers have brought up concerns about water pooling in the sill and/or possible water damage around the bathroom window.

Since my presence at the Underdog has been lacking due to pregnancy-related issues, last night I asked Handy Hubby to elaborate on the whole ‘window in the shower’ issue and how we, um, he addressed it to prevent water damage. If you don’t know it by now, HH is an engineer so he’s very thorough about any DIY project that we tackle. When I’m contemplating the aesthetics of our projects, HH is always working behind the scenes to bring my vision to life. In that way, we’re a good team.

Sure enough, after I decided that the window placement in the shower was staying because I liked the natural light it let in, HH was quick to research what needed to be done to avoid any water penetration around the window. He found the info here most helpful although he didn’t follow the instructions to T. To waterproof our shower window, we used these guidelines:

• vinyl window housed in a wooden jamb We replaced the original aluminum window with a vinyl one. HH built a wood inset into the original cinder block jamb with pressure-treated lumber, ideal for wet and/or outdoor conditions.
• locate window outside range of shower spray if possible The original placement of our window is off-center which makes its location closer to the back of the shower as opposed to right under the shower head.
• install cementboard/backerboard right up to the window’s wood jamb then line inset with a waterproof membrane We chose to continue the shower’s backerboard along the entire window inset and forgo the waterproof membrane.
• use a pitched sill to allow water to drain away from the window HH built the bottom ledge of the wood inset so that it sloped towards the shower.
• install tile over the entire area in the same manner as the rest of the shower HH continued the shower tile into the window inset.
• after grouting and sealing, use a high quality silicone caulk anywhere two planes meet HH plans to do this step once grouting and sealing are complete.
• check the area annually for cracked joints and re-grout or re-caulk as needed We’ll be sure to check the window for any signs of expansion or contraction and address them accordingly.

Even with those precautions taken to avoid water damage, it eases our minds more to know that while water had seeped through some of the cracked original tile along the back shower wall, there were no signs of water penetration or water damage along or near the window. {We know this because we gutted the bathroom which allowed us to see behind the walls.}

Fingers crossed that our waterproofing methods will be just as good – if not better – than those put into place 50+ years ago when the original tile was installed. I hope that clears up any questions about how/why we’re okay with a window in a wet space. We didn’t go about it all willy-nilly.

One other reader concern that came up in regards to the shower window was lack of privacy. While we don’t have neighbors or a busy street or passerby right outside the bathroom window {the window actually looks out onto our private backyard}, we don’t feel comfortable with the idea of taking a shower just inside a window at ground level either. If we were the only house on a spread of land with a great view or if the bathroom was located on the second level of our house {which ain’t happenin’ since the Underdog is a single story rancher}, then maybe we’d be more apt to let it all hang out.

Our solution was to have a window with ‘full privacy’ or ‘obscured’ glass installed. Technically, it’s not frosted glass. It’s more of a textured, opaque glass. Functionally, it’s a lot like glass block – it allows natural light to pass through but provides privacy as well. As much as I enjoy sharing our renovation projects, life goals, family tidbits, design-related mumbo jumbo and even embarrassing images of myself working out, I draw the oversharing line at baring it all for anyone who happens to peep in my shower window!

I’m not forcing anyone to put a window in their shower if they aren’t okay with it due to water damage or privacy concerns. But, man, those images of showers with windows are pretty inspiring, aren’t they? I live in Ohio so a window in my shower is the closest I’ll ever get to an outdoor shower…something I’d totally go for if I had a secluded home in a warmer climate.

**FYI – I made Apartment Therapy’s 2012 ‘The Homies’ list. I’ve always found it ironic when bloggers beg readers to vote for them {I mean, if you’re truly the best then why the need to beg?} so I won’t do it. But HH just found out that I made the list and thinks I should at least mention it on the blog in case you guys didn’t know about it. After all, he didn’t. Here’s the link. Voting ends March 2nd, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. EST. If you wanna vote for me, vote for me. If you wanna vote for someone else, vote for someone else. If you don’t wanna vote at all, carry on with your bizness peeps.**

Happy Friday!

images: 1 & 6) Dana Miller for House*Tweaking  2) House & Home via DecorPad  3) unknown – help!  4) Belinda Graham for The Happy Home  5) Thomas Story for Sunset Magazine  7) Bosworth Hoedemaker via DecorPad

We’re making progress on the master bathroom! Before, the bathroom contained original fixtures and pink ’50′s tile. {And some stylish vinyl accessories I might add – shower curtain, valance and curtains. Yes, you heard me. Vinyl valance and curtains. With bathroom scenes printed on them. Tasteful.} The one thing I really liked about the bathroom was the window. Bathrooms with no windows can feel especially dark and cramped. We had planned on living with the bathroom as-is for a while but discovered that some of the tile surrounding the tub/shower was cracked and allowing water to seep through into the walls.

It’s difficult to see in the picture, but there was a hairline crack through a few of the tiles in the bottom left-hand corner. Unfortunately, water doesn’t discriminate between small and large cracks – it’ll find a way through them all!

In true renovation style, we gutted the room down to the studs removing the original tub, tile and vanity. The porcelain throne was the only keeper. Then something miraculous happened. A marketing rep from The Tile Shop contacted me to see if we’d be interested in using some of their tile for our Underdog’s renovation. Um, please and thank you!

I chose this inexpensive large textured tile for the shower surround. My thoughts were that the white would keep the bathroom feeling bright and the shiny, textured surface would bounce even more light around the teeny room. Plus, who wouldn’t want to take a shower surrounded by glittery tile?!

I decided on this penny tile for the floor. Another affordable option! {The sample of wood flooring next to the tile sample is the flooring we’re using in our adjacent master bedroom.} Can you tell I was going for lots of texture in the bathroom? To ground the room a little and add some contrast, I went for a gray-ish floor tile as opposed to something white.

We got the bathroom put back together {foam insulation, updated electrical, new window, new tub, new lighting fixtures, drywall & paint, backerboard, etc.} somewhat and then Handy Hubby proceeded to prep for the tile installation which involved studying this DIY video and lots of measuring. A few days in, our bathroom is starting to look, well, like a bathroom…FINALLY! Instead of a jail cell.

The shower surround is up and waiting for pencil tile edging and grout. Even without finishing touches, the bathroom is so much brighter and fresher!

There’s my lovely little window! HH installed the tile horizontally in a brick pattern all the way to the ceiling. I think the large size of the tile goes a long way in making the small area feel bigger.

A bullnose version of the large tile finishes off the window inset perfectly.

With the window right inside the shower/tub area, it allows natural light to pour in and make the tile all the more shimmery.

This tile might not be good for our utility bill. I don’t think I’m ever going to want to turn the water off and leave the shower! Is it weird to want to rub my hands all over the shower tile? Yeah, I thought so.

The plan is to add pencil edging along the border where the tile meets the drywall. HH had to install two sheets of backerboard on top of one another on the toilet wall to get proper coverage over the top of the new tub. {The tub was a little shorter than the width of the bathroom.} As a result, the shower tile sticks out further than the drywall – which would happen anyway but in our case it’s exaggerated – so we aren’t able to use the bullnose tile like HH did for the window inset. After a quick call to The Tile Shop {I tell you what, those people know their tile!}, we were happy to learn that we’d be okay to use a pencil tile with some more height to it for the shower’s border.

Once the edging is complete, HH is grouting and moving onto the bathroom floor tile. He’s a weekend warrior that man. Love him. Even more than that glittery tile.

Our goal of having at least one functional bathroom before moving into the Underdog is slowly becoming a reality. Let’s not forget that we have another full kid/guest bathroom to tackle {which I’m just as excited about} along with a mudroom/dining room – both of which are getting tile treatments. We’re not out of the tiling woods quite yet.

What about you? Any bathroom business under your belt? The DIY kind, I mean. Any plans for updating a bathroom in your house?

FYI – The Tile Shop graciously offered us the products linked to above free of charge. In that way, we’ve been compensated for mentioning them. However, we would highly recommend their products and services regardless of compensation. They have been extremely helpful to us in selecting tile, ordering product, and DIYing the installation. We can always call the store with a question and get a quick and educated answer. They even offer DIY classes in-store if you’re a tiling newbie.

images: all Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

It’s unofficially official. It’s likely we won’t be moved into the Underdog before baby #3 arrives. I’m due in early April but rumor has it this lil’ one could come as early as a week and a half from now. Yikes! While I’m doing my best to keep this bun in my oven as long as possible, Handy Hubby and I have decided not to put the added pressure of ‘we must move!’ on ourselves. If someone would have told us six months ago that we’d be bringing this baby home to our temporary apartment, we probably would have told them they were crazy.

We had every inclination to be moved into the Underdog by now but life has thrown us some curveballs as it does from time to time. {Not to mention that we were probably a little overzealous in predicting how long it would take us to complete the long list of projects required to make the Underdog livable.} For one, HH got a promotion at work that required him to travel extensively over the past several months. Some months he was gone for as much as 3 weeks out 4. And there’s no such thing as long-distance DIY!

Once we got the Underdog’s progress to a place where we could bring the kids along with us safely while we worked, we had a major setback with the flooring. What we had guessed would take us a couple of days ended up taking us a couple of weeks! Par for the renovation course. {The good news is we’re thrilled beyond belief with the results.}

Then came the whole preterm labor thing a few weeks ago that has forced us to refocus our priorities {especially mine} elsewhere.

So, we’re still here in our cozy lil’ apartment. And we’re entirely thankful for it! Downsizing and buying a fixer-upper has afforded us a teeny monthly mortgage payment {probably less than most people’s car payments} so we aren’t strapped to pay the rent for our away-from-the-renovation-dust oasis {if you can consider faux wood vinyl floors and primer white walls an ‘oasis’ that is}. Sure, we could have hired someone to finish up the Underdog in a timely manner {i.e. well before baby’s due date} for us but it would have cost us waaaaay more than to pay a few more months’ worth of rent. We’re hanging in there! We can see the light at the end of tunnel!

Which leads me to today’s topic and some pics…finally! Since there’s a very good chance we’ll be bringing baby #3 home to our apartment, I’m getting antsy about throwing together a little nursery in the corner of our bedroom. Our apartment only has two bedrooms – one for us and one for the boys. Luckily, newborns don’t require a lot of space.

Over the years, I acquired this antique cradle that has been passed down through my dad’s family. I think it may have been his cradle when he was a baby so that makes it 50+ years old. It was the cradle my parents put me in as a newborn too. It’s petite enough to fit into a small corner of our bedroom and it’s still sturdy after all these years, so it’s perfect for what we need – a temporary sleeping spot for our impending arrival.

It’s not what I would call ‘my style’ but I can’t see spending a bunch of money {or any money for that matter} on something else…something we won’t even need in a few short months. My first inclination was to paint the cradle but I haven’t decided yet whether or not that’s a good idea. For one, I feel like I would be breaking some kind of unwritten family law that says the cradle must stay in its original condition. For another, I plan on passing the cradle down to my younger sisters when they become mamas and I’d feel bad if they would have wanted the crib in its natural state.

The wood isn’t in bad shape – just worn well. What is an expecting, nesting mama to do? Whether or not I paint the cradle, I do plan on dressing up the corner of our bedroom for the baby. Maybe hang some stuff on the walls and make it more personal, celebratory. Nothing too difficult since I’m still taking it easy these days.

Oh, and I think I might have figured out why I’m drawn to geometric prints. It’s in my nature. The quilt in the cradle was mine as a baby as well. Notice the zig-zag, chevron-like pattern? My grandma has pictures of me playing on this very baby quilt as an infant.

You know the Dirty Dancing quote, “Nobody puts baby in the corner”? Well, I’m about to. Hopefully, that doesn’t make me a bad mom.

images: all Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

Remember this mood board for our master bathroom?

To keep the bathroom from feeling too sterile with all the hard, shiny surfaces {tile, gloss vanity, galvanized wall sconce, etc.} I wanted to incorporate a few natural elements in the form of warm wood tones. I thought that bringing in a small woven ottoman and/or a mirror with a wooden frame would help balance out the harshness of the other very bathroom-y elements. And if the ottoman and mirror were round, they’d also break up the strong rectangular lines {vanity, tub, overall shape of the room, shower tile, etc.} of the bathroom.

The bathroom is openly visible from the master bedroom. In fact, I plan on placing the bed so that when lying in it the bathroom is directly across the room. So, I’m going for more of a dressing room effect in the small bathroom vignette {sconce, mirror, vanity, sink} that will be seen from the bed. It helps that the toilet placement is off center from the bathroom doorway! Otherwise, I’d just close the door and call it a day.

I featured the Jules Mirror from Home Decorators in the original bathroom mood board. But with a price tag of $300, it was more than I was willing to spend. So, like I typically do, I used my mood board as a jumping off point to search for another mirror that was cheaper but still retained the two elements I was wanting – warm wood tones and round shape.

I create mood boards for my own home not to pick exact items but rather to create an overall look for a room. So, if an item that I use in a mood board is not at my price point {or if I simply think I can do better}, I have no problem straying away from the mood board and finding something different. I would say normally I end up buying maybe 60% of the mood board items and finding practical replacements for the other 40%. That’s just a rough estimate and every room is a different experience, of course. Still, it’s a process that has worked well for me so I continue to use it.

Now, back to my mirror search…

Somewhere along the way, it crossed my mind that hanging a wood-framed mirror might not be the best option for a bathroom. What about all the moisture? But I really wanted to make it work if I could. I searched everywhere for a round, wooden mirror – online and offline – to no avail. I decided to take a break from my mirror hunt. After all, it wasn’t pressing. We don’t even live in the Underdog yet. I thought I’d give it some time and eventually ‘the mirror’ would come to me.

And that’s exactly what happened. Weeks ago, on a trip to a local salvage/closeout store while looking for rugs, ‘the mirror’ found me.

Round? Check. Warm wood tones? Check. Budget-friendly price? At $79, check. I called Handy Hubby back at the homestead {Surprise! HH was at the Underdog working.} to make sure the mirror’s diameter wasn’t too big/too small for what we needed in our master bath. Wouldn’t you know? The size was just right. Another big check for the salvaged mirror. Then the “do I put a wooden mirror in a wet bathroom?” question popped into my mind again. That’s when I saw it. The mirror’s description tag. It read ’round teak mirror.’

I was sold. Why? Because teak has natural oils that make it ideal for wet conditions. It’s commonly used to make outdoor furniture, boat decks, exterior architectural elements and cutting boards. It doesn’t matter if the wood is treated or not. This round teak mirror was the perfect solution for our master bathroom! It came home with me. FYI – I didn’t find any buy-worthy rugs. You win some; you lose some.

Yeah, I know it’s just sitting on the floor leaning against the wall up there but can you picture it hanging? It’s gonna be fab. I don’t think I’m going to mind staring at it from my bed across the room. Not at all.

I especially like the wedged design of the frame. It gives the mirror interest, pattern and variation.

The wide frame does take away from the surface area of the mirror but HH and I only use the bathroom mirror to wash our faces, brush our teeth, put on a little makeup {me not HH} and fix our hair. So the size of the actual mirrored surface is plenty for us. A leaning floor mirror in the master bedroom has always been a part of the design in my head and we’ll use that larger mirror for full-length once overs.

And that’s the story of how a round teak mirror found me when I wasn’t even looking. That’s usually how true love starts, right? It is how HH and I met. And here we are 14 years later happily living in an apartment, renovating a house, raising two healthy kiddos and expecting another! I expect just as many fulfilling experiences from this mirror. ;)

In other bathroom news {ew, that sounds gross, sorry}, HH has started work on prepping the master bath for tile!!

He picked up supplies from The Tile Shop this past holiday Monday for all of our tiling projects to come {master bathroom, kids’ bathroom, mudroom/dining room} and there was some concern that his Danger Ranger was going to lose an axel. Luckily, the Danger Ranger held in there and pulled through.

Even with it in the box, I couldn’t stop googling over the shower surround tile. It’s so sparkly! HH has been busy throughout the week {after his long day job hours} prepping the master bath for tile. That’s the first room we’re going to tackle with tile. Should be fun!

So how about you? Ever found love for someone/something when you were least expecting it? Ever put off searching for that perfect piece only to have it find you later? I have a feeling when baby #3 arrives, it will be a similar experience as we definitely weren’t expecting to have more children. Sometimes you just have to let things come to you, huh?

images: 1&2, 4-9) Dana Miller for House*Tweaking 3) Home Decorators Collection

My latest Ideabook is up over on Houzz today. This month I featured a slew of chandeliers that can be used in various settings. I really believe that switching out seen-better-days fixtures or builder stock lighting can make a world of difference in any house. Here are a few of the lights I featured…

With all of the kitchen base cabinets installed, Handy Hubby was able to knock out the rest of the hardwood flooring! If you’ll remember, a few short weeks ago this is what the kitchen looked like…

HH researched the installation of a floating engineered hardwood floor and found that it was recommended to install any kitchen base cabinets prior to installing flooring. From what I understand, since the base cabinets are attached to the wall laying a floating wood floor beneath them could cause problems down the road when the floor expands and contracts. It could result in shifting of the cabinets and damage to the walls. {This isn’t the case with a nailed down wood floor since in essence it’s not a floating floor.}

As much as we were aching for the hardwoods to be done already, we weren’t willing to chance screwing up the kitchen cabinets and walls due to expansion/contraction in the future. So, the flooring install was put on hold while HH assembled and installed the base cabinetry in the kitchen. We chose not to worry about the few upper cabinets since their installation wasn’t necessary for the completion of the flooring. {For more details on our kitchen layout, click here.} Normally, it’s much easier to install upper cabinets first then move on to lower cabinets but IKEA has a nifty rail system on which the upper cabinets are installed so we figured installing the lower cabinets first wouldn’t pose a problem. I’ll let you know how that pans out.

We also opted to forgo the drawers and doors until the flooring was complete.

HH assembled and installed all the base cabinets himself…in between numerous business trips. {That’s why it’s taken me so long to get you some after shots.} In talking to him, he found the process to be relatively easy. But you have to remember he’s comparing this project to tearing down walls, vaulting the ceiling, upgrading the HVAC system, etc. AND he’s an engineer so his evaluation of the situation might be a little skewed. I’m sorry I don’t have detailed in progress shots of the cabinet install…HH doesn’t think of that stuff when he’s DIYing and my bed rest has necessitated my absence from the Underdog. But once HH is back from his most recent work trip {tomorrow!}, I plan on sitting down with him and getting all the details to share with you and maybe even trying to capture a few close-ups so you can see how he attached the cabinets to the walls and installed the kitchen island.

For now though, here are the latest pics I snapped a few days ago when I was feeling pretty good. They should give you a better idea of the kitchen layout.

The view from the front door…

I love that you can see all the way through the house to the backyard upon entrance into the Underdog. A window used to live where those French doors are. HH and I debated back and forth between replacing the original window with a set of doors or not. We knew we’d love the doors but hadn’t planned on putting them in right away. We’re both so happy we bit the bullet and went ahead with the French doors. No regrets one bit. At some point, I’ll paint the doors. I haven’t decided what color…black?…gray?…red? Who knows what hue they’ll end up!

Just to the right of the French doors you’ll see two base cabinets. With a continuous length of countertop connecting the two cabinets, this area will eventually become a desk area. There will be a few shallower upper cabinets for added storage. I see this space being used for making grocery lists, sorting mail, paying bills, filing paperwork, blogging, etc. Organization will be key. I can’t wait for everything to have a place!

If you do a 180° and look the other way across the kitchen, this is what you’ll see…

Our kitchen is pretty wide {~25′} but not very deep. It has a galley feel to it but instead of two parallel walls closing it in, we removed one of the walls and added an island in its place to open things up. There’s a nice, wide walkway between the island and cabinets along the wall to make for easy maneuvering.

Moving across the kitchen right to left {sorry, I’m left-handed so I tend to do things bass-ackwards} from the French doors…

The hood will be centered between the sink window and French doors. We thought it’d make a better focal point than the fridge. This did require us to have a gas line installed at the new stove placement. {The fridge will live where the stove used to.} To the left of the stove is the dishwasher then the sink. Have I mentioned that I’ve been hand washing our dishes for the past six months? The apartment’s dishwasher works as if someone is spitting water onto your dishes…dirty water. I used it once and vowed not to touch it ever again. I look forward to the day I can throw our dishes into a fully functioning dishwasher!

The far left side of the kitchen will house the fridge. This was the original placement of the stove but, like I said, we chose to move it, move it. Not only does this keep our fridge from being the center of attention, but it moves it closer to the garage entrance which should make putting away groceries a cinch. A few shallower upper cabinets will go along this wall as well. One will hold our microwave {which we haven’t purchased yet} and a deeper storage cabinet will top off the fridge.

The hole in the wall in the upper corner is wiring for above cabinet lighting. The uppers on the other {right} side of the kitchen will get above cabinet illumination too. That was another one of our electrician’s ideas that we hadn’t given much thought to until he mentioned it, but I think it will be a great investment and make for some lovely ambiance at night.

Looking back towards the desk area from the fridge…

That concludes a little walk through our preliminary kitchen. Let’s get back to that flooring.

After all the measuring, bending, cutting, squatting, and gluing and gluing and gluing, we LOVE this floor! Sure, it could use a good scrub but we’ve deemed it worthy of all the hard work it took to DIY the install. With that one set of black drawers installed on the island, you can get a good feel for how the black base cabinets will look next to the floor. I like the way the black in the cabinets draws out the darker grain in the floor. But I also like that there’s enough contrast between the brown floor and black cabinets that they feel separate. A darker floor would have been too dark. {With the white cabinet frames, you can see how the hardwood could work nicely in a white kitchen too – in case you were wondering.}

With the island and base cabinets in, HH finished up the rest of the flooring just last weekend {on one of the two days he was home in between work trips}. He floored right up to the island…

…and base cabinets…

The island and base cabinets will get a toe kick treatment with black plinth that matches the cabinetry. It will hide the island’s framed base and the lower cabinets’ undercarriage. There was no need to floor all the way under the cabinets. HH cut notches in the flooring for the legs of the cabinets.

By contrast, HH installed the wood floor underneath all appliances.

This is due to the fact that the appliances – while hooked up at the walls – are not ATTACHED to the walls. Their freestanding properties, unlike the screwed in cabinets, give them more wiggle room for any expansion and contraction that may occur with the flooring later on. Again, this is the case for us because we installed a floating engineered hardwood floor onto a concrete slab. If you are nailing down your wood floor onto a subfloor {lucky dog you!}, then there shouldn’t be a problem installing the flooring underneath base cabinets if you choose to do so.

Luckily, our major appliances {fridge, dishwasher, stove} have adjustable feet so that we can keep them level with the cabinets when it comes time to install countertops. HH did take the heights of the appliances into consideration when installing the cabinets, so everything should be flush. Unlike custom cabinetry, IKEA cabinets have adjustable feet on them so you can finagle their height to your requirements as needed. Or you can always build a base using 2×4′s…similar to what HH did for the island.

For fun, let’s take one last look at the flooring done-zo. Well, minus trim, baseboards, thresholds and a good cleaning.

Not too bad considering she once looked like this…

Ack!

Next up? The master bathroom. We’re sort of jumping trains and moving away from the kitchen for a little while. We’d like to get one bathroom completed before finishing up the kitchen, so that’s where we’re headed next. Tiling here we come! Although it doesn’t look like I’ll be doing much tiling. I have strict orders to take it easy for two more weeks at least. I haven’t quite figured out how to ‘take it easy’ with two busy-body kids, a traveling hubby and a house under renovation but I’m doing my best. So far, so good. Baby is still cookin’.

I mentioned above that HH was home for 2 days in between work trips this past weekend. You saw what he did one of those days and the other day he was home we were doing this…

…celebrating our older son’s 7th birthday! My dad graciously let us take over his house for a low key, laid-back family party. We couldn’t fit everyone into our teeny apartment. For some reason, this birthday was a real stinger to me. I can’t believe Layne is 7. He’s so grown up! He wouldn’t let me decorate – not that I could have gone all out anyways with the whole bed rest thing. He even turned down balloons saying, ‘uh, Mom, balloons are kinda babyish.’ Everyone kept commenting on how mellow and quiet he was, too. But that’s just Layne. He’s not one to want to be the center of attention.

His brother and my sister have that covered.

Two peas in a pod, I tell ya.

Happy weekend!

**Congrats to Katie whose lil’ guy replies, “I wuv you awww da way to da dirt!” every time his Dad says, “I love you all the way to the moon!” Also congrats to Becky who, ironically, loves her sweetie more than sweets. Katie and Becky are the winners of the Signs by Andrea giveaway.**

images: all Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

A few months ago, Joss & Main contacted me to see if I’d be interested in putting together a group of items for sale as a curated event on their website. My response?

‘You want me to go window shopping online and pick a bunch of home decor items to be featured as a collection? Sure!’

It’s basically what I do to waste time around here anyways. Ha! So, without further ado, here is House*Tweaking’s curated collection over on Joss & Main. {And for the record, we’re renovating a 1950′s rancher not a bungalow as mentioned in the introduction.} Have a sneak peek at a few of the items up for grabs.

The loose theme is ‘Imperfect by Nature.’ It’s all about mixing textures, materials and patterns with an emphasis on clean and simple lines. The collection features an array of pieces to furnish a room from top to bottom – everything from sofas to lighting to mirrors to serving trays. I focused on only choosing items I would want in my own home. Mainly that includes items that function well for a young family and look good too. Just because kiddos are taking up residence in your house doesn’t mean you can’t make it work, practically and aesthetically!

If you’re interested in checking out my collection, click here. You will have to join Joss & Main FOR FREE to make any purchases. And in keeping things honest, I do get a commission kickback on any items sold through my event. The items will be up for sale for three days and counting but don’t wait! I just checked and a few items have sold out already. Hopefully, this doesn’t sound like begging but a successful sale would thrill the bajeezus outta this bedridden mama. :) No pressure.

Happy shopping!

images: Joss & Main and Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

*THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED.*

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. If you’re like Handy Hubby and me, there’s really not much involved. No date night, no Hallmark card, no chocolates, no flowers…maybe a cheapie homemade gift, that’s it. It’s not that we don’t love each other. We do. LOTS. We just shy away from the V-Day hype and try to appreciate each other every day. Plus, we’d rather save the money for something else – like a new throw pillow or home improvement tool. You know, the stuff that matters most. ;)

This year an unexpected gift turned up. A gift to us from a total stranger.

It’s the Two Initials Sign from Signs by Andrea. We’re smitten with it.

Contrary to popular belief, HH’s name isn’t really ‘Handy Hubby.’ I just call him that on H*T – never in real life. His real name is Steve. Yes, his name is Steve Miller. Like the band. {Insert obligatory Steve Miller Band joke here.} And, yes, at our wedding reception we walked in to The Joker.

For now, the handmade wooden sign is leaning on a shelf in our apartment living room. I can’t wait to hang it at the Underdog. The included sawtooth hanger on the back should make that easy to do. {Don’t mind the green marker…Everett saw that Andrea signed the back of the sign and thought he should too. He then proceeded to mark up his cheeks with a black – thankfully washable – marker to look like a football player. Oh my! The term ‘bed rest’ is NOT in three-year-olds’ vocabulary!}

I especially like the rustic charm. The reclaimed wood is weathered and has signs of a prior life. Love the nail holes. Thank you, Andrea!

Andrea’s sign repertoire doesn’t only include hand-crafted wooden signs but poster and canvas prints as well. Her signs, prints and canvases are the perfect personal addition to any room. Lucky for you, Andrea is being doubly kind and offering a giveaway to House*Tweaking readers this love-filled week!

One winner will receive the Monogram with Name Overlay Sign {$40 value} and another {yup, two winners this week!!} will receive the You Are My Sunshine 8″x10″ Wrapped Canvas Print {$75 value}.

Are you feeling the love yet? Here are all the details on how to enter to win:

• PRIZES:  Monogram with Name Overlay Sign {$40 value} and Yellow You Are My Sunshine 8″x10″ Wrapped Canvas Print {$75 value} from Signs by Andrea
• RULES:  You must be at least 18 years old and have a U.S. shipping address {no P.O. boxes please} to enter. One entry per email address.
• HOW TO ENTER:  Leave a comment on this post proclaiming “SIGN ME UP!”
• DEADLINE:  Enter before Thursday, February 16th at 9:00 p.m. EST. Two winners will be chosen via Random.org and announced on Friday, February 17th.
• WHILE YOU’RE AT IT:  Go ahead and finish out the “I love you more than _____” sign above. What something do you love so much but not quite as much as your sweetie? I’ll go first. HH, I love you more than chocolate-covered raisins. That’s saying a lot seeing as how I ate an entire bulk container of them from Sam’s Club over the past week!

If you’re interested in purchasing your own hand-crafted wood sign from Signs by Andrea, use the discount code “TWEAK10″ to receive 10% off your order. Offer ends 2/27/12.

Don’t forget to ‘like’ Signs by Andrea on Facebook and follow her on Twitter!

images:  1) Signs by Andrea  2-5) Dana Miller for House*Tweaking  6 & 7) Signs by Andrea