All posts by Sarah @ 702 Park Project

Ending Soon

June 3, 2014Categories: ShopSarah @ 702 Park Project

Hurry, there’s only a few days left to snatch up these fun vintage finds from the shop! These are some of my favorite pieces, not just of those available now, but ever. I’ve been on a real Chinoiserie and blue and white kick lately, and I hope you love these items as much as I do!

I’ve included a little “inspiration” so you can see how you might use these pieces in your own space. Enjoy the eye candy! :)

1. Set of 3 Chinoiserie silk screen prints in bamboo frames

Inspiration:

2. Matching Vintage Floral Garden Stools and Colorful Vintage Open Garden Stool

Inspiration:

And of course you can’t go wrong with blue and white!

3. Vintage blue and white floral ginger jar

4. Vintage blue and white Bombay vase

5. Extra large blue and white vase

Inspiration:

Hint: click on the photos for the source.

Stay Glassy

June 2, 2014Categories: RenoSarah @ 702 Park Project

It’s official: our shower is getting glass!

You may remember from this post that our shower in the master bathroom looks like this now.

(Before you start thinking that’s waaaay too much white, we are planning to paint the walls a light gray similar to the veins in the tile. Hopefully soon!)

We discussed the option of putting in an angled shower curtain rod, but then we figured we’d come so far with this bathroom…we might as well go all in and finish it.

So we cut some expenses out (like cable, manicures, and eating out) and contacted the glass company. They gave us two options: framed or frameless. These are the sample photos they sent us:

The cost difference wasn’t negligible by any means (about $500), but to me it was a no-brainer: frameless!! The framed shower already looks dated to me, and our ceilings are 10 feet, so I think it would look kind of stubby.

So frameless it is. They are coming to take final measurements on Friday, and then the glass will be installed in about 10 days. I can’t wait to finally be able to use this bathroom!!

Here’s a little taste of my inspiration…

You can see all of my master bathroom inspiration here.

The Sunday Currently, #30

June 1, 2014Categories: This Week's LinksSarah @ 702 Park Project

Happy Sunday! It seems like there’s been a lot of 30s lately…Charles turned 30 on the 30th and now it’s the 30th Sunday Currently. I digress.

Currently:

Reading– North Carolina Slave Narratives. This book is fascinating and eye opening. My cousin-in-law read it and was telling me about it, so he lent it to me about a week ago and I’m almost finished (which is saying something because I am NOT a big reader). I would definitely recommend it.

Listening– To a little Mariah after checking out this interesting chart of vocal ranges of famous artists.

Thinking– How amazing these celebrity vacation homes are!

Wishing– I could take this online class.

Hoping– To make it to the beach more this summer than last summer…and hopefully stopping at some of these tasty places along the way!

Wearing– My new Revlon tinted moisturizer. This stuff is perfect for summer!

Loving– These life lessons from the dog. So simple.

Wanting– S’mores!! The perfect summer treat!

Needing– Y’all to check out this fabulous Instagram account: @chateaugudanes. This family is restoring an 18th century chateau in the south of France and it is just incredible!

Feeling– Much better since I’ve been eating “clean” for the past week. (If I can just ignore my serious craving for the s’mores above!) I can already tell my body is thanking me. I’ve added some yummy clean eating recipes and information here if you’re interested.

Clicking– These staycation inspirations. With summer on the horizon, it’s tempting to want to travel constantly. But we are planning to stay in town and work on house projects as much as possible this summer. These are some good tips for making your “staycation” worthwhile.

And in case you missed it this week…

Don’t forget there’s still time to vote! Just click here.

A Milestone, and Quotable Friday

May 30, 2014Categories: Quotable FridaySarah @ 702 Park Project

My old man is 30, y’all!! Dirty thirty. The big 3-0. Or, as Olivia Wilde calls it, the beginning of the “Cut the BS and go be awesome” stage. (I think that one’s my favorite.)

And so, to my best friend, my love, my rock, my diffuser, my business partner, my encourager, my adviser, my protector, and my fur-baby daddy…I love you more than you will ever know and I hope that this birthday brings a whole new year of adventures! All my love, all my life.

Cheers to 30!

Old House Dreams

May 29, 2014Categories: Just For FunSarah @ 702 Park Project

When I was little I dreamed of growing up (check), marrying a handsome man (check), and building a big gorgeous home that had every detail exactly like we wanted (er…). But now I can’t stop dreaming of old houses!

Since we even had the thought of purchasing an historic home to restore, I’ve been obsessed with old houses. I guess it technically started before then, but that’s when I got serious about it.

It’s no coincidence that the town I live in happens to be in the forefront of the effort to preserve North Carolina homes. My husband’s family has been active in helping to preserve various homes and buildings, and we hope to be involved too (after we get this one under our belt!). North Carolina has a fantastic non-profit organization with tons of resources dedicated to the preservation of historic properties. I’m sure many other states have the same, but having been born and bred in NC with no desire to ever leave, that’s the one I’m looking to!

So today I wanted to share with you just a few of my favorite historic properties for sale in NC for under $100,000. That’s right…all of these are under 100 grand.

1. Charles S. Brewer House, Henderson

How gorgeous is this Vance County house?! It’s under contract, but we can still look. Built in 1920, this house is just $32,000 for 3,468 square feet…that’s $9.23 per square foot.

The kitchen and bathrooms–and probably the whole house for that matter–need some updating, but the bones are incredible. This house reminds me so much of our favorite house on Market Street in Greensboro.

2. Laughinghouse-Fawcett House, Grimesland

I have to say that this Pitt County farmhouse is my favorite. I mean, it’s called The Laughing House. Come on. If you can believe it, this house is FREE! Yep, absolutely free. Well, except for that one teeny tiny expense of moving it! They are giving away this house to whoever is willing to move it, and I’m hoping and praying that someone gets it and it isn’t torn down. It’s just too fantastic!

Built in 1903, the house is 4,339 square feet with a 1,000 square foot wrap-around front porch. I would drink so many cocktails on that porch. And that staircase is just killing it! Seriously, someone please buy this, before my husband decides he has to. Eeek!

3. Hoover House, Thomasville

Although this Davidson County house needs a paint job, I wouldn’t change the colors for anything! That green and purple is perfect! This house is listed at $35,000 for 2,600 square feet, or $13.46 per square foot, and was built in 1878. An oldie but a goodie.

It also comes with 2 acres of land. And the black and white checkered floor! Stop it. I would do everything possible to preserve that gem. This one would need a lot of work, but the price is right, and everything’s negotiable (right, Dad?).

Are you interested in finding other historic properties for sale across the country? Just look here! I think this one, this one, and this one have a lot of potential. You can also see lots of great historic homes and commercial buildings by following these guys on social media.

Any questions on buying an historic home, applying for historic tax credits, etc.? Just ask! I’ll be happy to help or to at least point you in the right direction.

Which one is your favorite? Is there an historic home that you’ve been eying? I’d love to see it!

Room by Room Recap – Butler’s Pantry

May 28, 2014Categories: Room by Room RecapSarah @ 702 Park Project

To continue the Room by Room Recap series, let’s move into the butler’s pantry. This small room between the dining room and kitchen is one of our favorite features in the house, and luckily didn’t have a ton of work that needed to be done before we could move in.

We’ve had a few people suggest that we knock out this room and create more of a “great room” feel that connects the kitchen and the dining room. Like they say…noses are like opinions: everyone has one. But Charles and I agree on this one. That’s a BIG no-no! We’ve worked so hard to preserve the character and historical features of the house, and we feel like knocking down those walls would be a slap in the face to all we’ve done.

Anyway, let’s get started.

What we’ve finished

Repair plaster walls and ceiling
Remove shutters
Remove vinyl flooring
Prep, prime, and paint walls, ceiling, and trim
Install new floors

What’s left

Strip all cabinetry
Repair, prep, prime, and paint all cabinetry
Replace wooden shelves with glass shelves
Install lighting in cabinets
Install new light fixture
Decorate

(Please ignore the really tacky directors chair with all the cords and wires! We just set up our internet, and are looking at options for hiding all of the equipment.)

We painted the walls in this room Lazy Gray by Sherwin Williams, which is a shade lighter than the Morning Fog in the kitchen. We opted to install engineered hardwoods in the butler’s pantry and the kitchen, and lucked out with a steal on these dark floors at Lumber Liquidators.

Many people have asked us why we wouldn’t just leave the cabinets as they are. They certainly would fit into many homes as is, but rustic or shabby chic or whatever else you want to call it just isn’t our style at all, and wouldn’t go with the rest of the house. So we plan to paint them in a high gloss color eventually. The glass knobs are original, so we will definitely be keeping those!

I’d also like to remove the wooden shelves and replace them with glass shelves so that the light shines all the way through the cabinets when we add lighting inside. This will most likely be our bar area, so down the road I’d love to make it into a wet bar by adding a sink and wine fridge.

I still have plenty of shelf styling to do in here, but it will do for now. You can see more of my inspiration for the butler’s pantry here.

The figures…this room is 6′ 10″ x 8′ 8″ with 11′ ceilings. There is 1 window and 2 interior doors.

Be sure to check out these other Room by Room Recaps: