Scenes from the house!

I can't believe we are into fall and quickly approaching October and the seasons (well as much of a season as possible in Southern California). My east coast self really misses those seasons!! Such an exciting time of the year!!  Things are quieting down around the home front (in terms of house projects anyways) and we are trying to button some things up around here and get this place done!!  This is where we stand.

The kitchen. I'd say our kitchen is complete.  A month or so ago, I found this adorable vintage foxhunting canvas.  The kitchen feels like a modern horse club lounge. And the blues and greens in this painting really fit in to our vibe.

The office. I think I am about to bite the bullet and order drapes for the office.  It really needs something.  Some black linen drapes will give this room exactly what it needs.

The dining room.  We took down one of the sconces that you can see in this photo. (that was installed off-centered..yes I said off-centered!!)  And, it looked kind of like a phallic symbol anyways.

 

I am framing these amazing prints which will go on that wall...prints are by Monica Hoover.  A little modern fine art will be amazing. Also, I am in the process of ordering woven blinds for this room. And, then I can check this room off my list!

 

 

 

  Hayden's room. My daughter's room is pretty complete too except for some serious organizing.  Too many toys. How did we accumulate so many things? Does she really need 3 baby strollers and a grocery cart.  Of course not...but some were gifts and others were passed down, blah, blah, blah.

And, our house is turning into this.

 

 Yep, dart boards are now taking the place of art work.  Help!!  I know this phase will not last long and it is just hanging on a nail that was already there but still..agh!!  I want my kids to have fun and enjoy being kids. I do not want our house to be perfect all the time. But, goodness, I sure love it when it looks "perfect" from time to "time".

Above is our typical Saturday morning.  Cat and dog playing.  Pillows all over the place. Football and skateboards strewn around the room. Blankets covering the sofas because are animals think they are people and we let them think that.  Leftover balloons from last weeks birthday party. Messy but this is life.  And, we are enjoying it.  And, I know at any time it can be tidied up but we have to live.  I know my husband talks about his childhood and his  mother was always cleaning and they could not just be boys (and there were 4 of them!!).  I think there needs to be boundaries, for sure, but I want my kids to be kids and enjoy themselves.  As long as they understand, when it is time to clean up..it is time to clean up.  As much as a messy house drives me crazy...I do it for them and me..really..it is just too difficult to be "perfect".

And, here it is a little tidier.  It feels so good.

 

But, then again, this is what I am dealing with and I would not change it for anything:)

 

 

 

 

How do you feel about messes? How do you deal with all the "stuff"?

xo, Paige

The Beauty of Barn Wood

I grew up riding horses and have probably always felt most at home at a barn. I love everything about it...the smell ( yes even the manure)...the animals...it is something indescribable...just incredible. I took a pretty long hiatus from riding but it has and will always be in my heart. I started riding again several months ago...yay...I feel at home again. But, even when I was not riding, I still wanted that barn feel in our home...meets modern day, of course.

So,  after researching barn wood in California, I came across Vintage Timberworks in Temecula, CA.

And, so I drove there and I was in love. The most rustic barn wood you can imagine and it was perfect. Barn wood flooring, mantles, shelving. corbels, etc.

The first time I went there is pretty straight forward as I knew I needed a certain amount of barn wood flooring. I ordered it but then I got a little nervous. It is so authentic...meaning it comes from any random barn in Middle America. I wanted more brown and gray woods but they could not guarantee it. I was so scared of the reds. If I looked at reddish flooring every day...I would not have been very happy. Then , I started second guessing myself. After all, this was a huge investment. And this is the one that I was adamant about. It was all or nothing. And I could not be happier. I am in love. The best decision ever.

This is right after the install...

And one of the best things...nothing shows up... Dirt...Animal hair...nothing except a few scratches because the kiddos are crazy on their scooters. It almost always looks clean. The only negative is the kiddos have gotten a few splinters.  Our flooring guy came back, though, and sanded down some of the rough areas and we have been splinter free for quite some time.  Also, one of our subs said that his kiddos did get some splinters from brand new wood flooring.  I had not heard that before but it kind of made me feel better. I thought I was subjecting my kiddos to pain because I wanted a certain look!!

 I highly recommend barn wood flooring and also the best flooring installer in San Diego, Matt Farner or Farner Hardwood Flooring.  He did an incredible job!!

 

 

 

 

And pretty durable except for when your cute puppy decides to eat it...agh!! If you look closely...you can see a big chunk missing.

But, how can I be mad at this face!! And, the beauty of this wood, is that it does not stand out all that much:)

And, I kept going back to Vintage Timberworks...for mantles and shelving and wall coverings.

 A couple other ways we utilized the barn wood. We ( let me rephrase I) am pretty obsessed with it.

For the fireplace in the office (gray wood)

The powder room sink shelf

 Shelving in the family room

 Mantle in the family room

The door that serves as access to the AC unit..it was not pretty..so I thought it would be better to make it stand out...there was no way to hide it and it would have been too costly to move all of the equipment.

Backsplash in the kitchen

 I am a farm girl at heart so I guess it is only natural...I feel right at home:)

 Xo,
Paige