Sucker for Stencils

When I was a kid, my mom and close friend started a stenciling business - sweatshirts, tote bags, and the ever popular room border.  This was definitely a trend at the time, and today I'm surprised to find myself plotting out my own stencil projects.  It all started with Schumaker's Imperial Trellis ...

The Schumacher fabric of my dreams was turned into a too small stencil that must have taken hours to cover a full wall.  Check out Hello Gorgeous for the full how-to and final project photos.

While I love this project, I'm not sure I have the patience or dedication to create my own stencil.  Regardless, I was actually contemplating trying this out, until I found three companies that make this project a whole lot easier for just 40 bucks!  Here are some of my favorites so far:

Nautical Chain Pattern at Olive Leaf Studio

Large Chez Sheik Allover by Royal Design Studio

Covington by Cutting Edge Stencils via Etsy

Fancy, traditional or modern?  Which stencil and which wall shall I choose?

Eventual Office Overhaul

The office at Hunter Drive has unfortunately served as the junk room/laundry room/yard sale staging room since the day we moved in.  With the absence of a garage I consider this type of disorganized space to be a necessary evil, but also a shame as the wall color in this room is my absolute favorite shade of grey (it's Valspar's Polished Silver).

While we've had a lot of ideas for the office, we've decided to hold off on any major changes in anticipation that this will one day be a nursery. And no, we are NOT pregnant.

I know grey walls for a baby might seem a little drab but the possibilities are endless for a modern, gender neutral space with lots of fun and colorful accessories.  Here are some inspiring spaces I've found online:

found via back {to}domestics

A nursery in progress by a friend from high school via the facts of Lauren

Project Nursery by wyattsmom

Project Nursery by mscott218

Oooh this is going to be so much fun!  From watching my friends and sister-in-laws prepare for new babies I know this will someday be a huge life change.  For now, I'll just dream about the decorating...

Take Two

Back in January I claimed blog sites for two ideas I had brewing... one, Elle Jay Paper, a spot for my attempt at a stationary company, and this blog Hunter Drive, where I could record the life consuming house renovations that B Dub and I tackle on a regular basis.  After some soul searching and brief business planning, I came to the sad conclusion that starting a stationary company would not be a profitable venture.  Since then I've been looking for a new gig, closer to home, in the non-profit development field.  Now that I have more focus in my job search, I'm hoping it will just be a matter of time before a new position comes along.  In the meantime (and to lift my spirits), I've become friendly with a number of really great home decor blogs, which have inspired me to revisit Hunter Drive.  I look forward to capturing my own projects and sharing inspiring web projects here once again.

Duvets for Dogs

                         

At 26 years old I learned that I am a dog person. Ok, ok...a crazy dog person. Our dog, Wally, is my first dog and I love, and spoil him to pieces. Dog decorations are commonplace at Hunter Drive and if that weirds you out you should probably stop reading this blog.

I was delighted today to find Molly Mutt, a dog duvet company that specializes in reusing old textiles from around your home to stuff a dog bed. While I think this is a fabulous idea, we already have a couple of dog beds so creating a new one isn't very high on my list. However, with 25% off from Daily Candy this week, I'm pretty convinced one of these duvet cuties will end up adorning Wally's gigantic llbean bed in our bedroom. I'm torn between the "perfect afternoon" (image left) and "pictures of you" (image right). What's a dog lover to do?

Tiling

This past weekend we moved the plumbing, installed the tub and tiled. Thanks to our helpers and some unorthodox tile tools we are well on our way to showering in our own home! Check out our progress and learn about my tips for tiling...

1) The tile adhesive (mastic) can easily squirt between tiles and show through grout. If this happens to you, use a pen cap to clean out the spaces in between the tiles.

2) Walls and sometimes tiles are not straight. In addition to tile spacers, wooden shims work well to hold tiles in place while drying. A flat head screwdriver helps when wedging shims.

3) Map out your tile pattern on a paper before you begin.

4) The work goes quickest when you have some people tile and some cut the edges, corners and pipes.

5) Even if it looks and feels dry, give it at least 24 hours before you remove those spacers and shims.

More on grouting soon!

Slow and steady -- remodeling our bathroom

The day I moved into Hunter Drive I knew remodeling the bathroom would be a project we would tackle down the road. The outdated tile, old medicine cabinet and bisque colored toilet left a lot to be desired but it was livable. "It could be worse" I'd say when giving friends a tour of our new home. A few months shy of 2 years later, the first tile fell off the wall (and into the toilet) and the leaky faucet handle broke off and shattered the light fixture. It was time...

We began by removing the tile that covered the walls and lived with the scratched up and hole filled sheet rock for longer than I'd like to admit. When we couldn't find a vanity to fit (the space and our price) at Lowes, we went to a cabinet maker for a custom bottom to match the Corian counter top that a friend gave to us from a construction site that had an incorrect order. Next came tile, fixtures, paint, and a new deep soak tub!