Inspiration: Rustic Modern

(via Apartment Therapy)
What I love about it: white walls with rough, open wood shelving






















(via The Brick House)
More white walls with dark wood, mix of old and new, bright pops of color


















(via Apartment Therapy)
Rough wood shelves against white.
Unfussy, functional, and welcoming all at the same time.





















(via Apartment Therapy)
I love everything about this -- the two tone shelves, the ladder, the combination of open upper shelves and closed lower cabinets (are those sliding doors?!), the pendant lights, the chairs, the coffee table, the espresso machine.

The only thing i do NOT love is the TV hung over the fireplace.

Project #1: Entryway Closet Build Out, Day 1

Here's what I hope our new entryway closet will look like, as designed by Craig at Parts+Labor Workshop:

and here's the post-demo reality of the space:

Uh oh.

Big ugly pipe alert.

Home Projects Master List v1.0

By room:

Entryway

1. closet build out
2. hall cabinet/landing strip

Guest Bath

1. vertical storage

Kitchen

1. how to organize super deep drawers?
2. food storage/pantry
3. dining space needed - kitchen island or dining table?
4. high chair for G

Living Room

1. record shelving, 12" and 7"
2. book shelving
3. home office space
4. play space

Master Bedroom

1. limit natural light coming in
2. clothing storage
3. baby gear storage

Master Closet

1. limit natural light coming in
2. clothing storage
3. accessories storage
4. full length mirror

Master Bath

1. shower privacy
2. towel hanger solution

Roof Deck

1. seating
2. storage
3. decor

G's Room

1. build it!

New Home - New Issues

Well, we're in.

We've been in our new home for just over a month now and have a long list of things we love AND a growing list of issues that we need to solve to make the space work for our little family.

Things I love about our new space:

1. stainless steel in the kitchen
2. high ceilings
3. white walls
4. abundant natural light
5. modern washing appliances (in Brooklyn!)
6. view all the way to Coney Island from the deck
7. 2 bathrooms complete with penny tile
8. indirect lighting

Now for the challenges.

1. not enough storage
2. super intense natural light in the master bedroom
3. white walls
4. master bathroom lacks privacy
5. baby needs a bedroom!

The biggest challenge by far is storage -- there really isn't any.

The previous owners went hyper-minimalist and did things like turn a huge entryway closet into super deep, super impractical glass display shelves.

They also did away with upper cabinets in the kitchen (yay!) but failed to put in a pantry (boo!).

And then there is the master bedroom closet which is so poorly laid out that natural light floods into it for 5 hours a day. And it has a completely empty 8' wall with no shelves, no hanging bar, and no hooks.

Add to this J's immense record collection, our books, and the baby gear that G is amassing and it's easy to see why we still have a good chunk of stuff in boxes.