All posts by Sarah @ 702 Park Project

Inspiration

June 25, 2013Categories: Just For FunSarah @ 702 Park Project

Sorry, but nothing new to report today. The weekend, a contractor on vacation, and a very rainy Monday slowed down the progress a little. But we are pushing forward. I keep returning to this quote…

In the meantime, I thought I’d give you a little insight into what inspires me when planning for this house. As addictive as it is, Pinterest is a spectacular tool for conveying ideas. I am no longer required to flip through magazines in the hopes that I will find something I can use as inspiration. That’s not to say that I don’t still love magazines…I still have subscriptions to Martha Stewart Living, Real Simple, Southern Living, and Our State, and my mother-in-law lets me have her Traditional Home, Better Homes & Gardens, Veranda, and Southern Lady too! (I’m kind of a magazine-aholic.) But there’s just something about the convenience of being able to pull up an idea on the iPad really quick and show it to the contractor or the painter or my husband.

When it became apparent that we would be owners of the Park Avenue house, I started a Pinterest page that is solely for that purpose. I only put pictures and ideas that I know could someday work in the house. So no massive backyard terrace and pool. No rustic country decor. No guest house. While I like all of these, they don’t fit the house, and I want more than anything to stay true to its character. Here are some that really capture my style and my vision.

For the master suite:

For the kitchen:

For the guest rooms:

For the home office:

For the foyer:

For the formal living room:

For the family den:

For the dining room:

For the mud room:

And last but not least, add some black shutters and a black door to this bad boy and it’s a winner:

A few of my favorite pinners…

1. http://pinterest.com/EmilySchuman/

2. http://pinterest.com/savvyhome/

3. http://pinterest.com/ladolcevitablog/

4. http://pinterest.com/mycraftyhmelife/

5. http://pinterest.com/ireneturner8/

Since I started blogging, I have become obsessed with other blogs. My favorite house blogs are Young House Love, La Dolce Vita, Making It Lovely, Emily Henderson, and Better After. It’s interesting to me that my favorites represent such a wide variety of styles. Some of those bloggers don’t share my tastes at all, but I still enjoy reading about what inspires them. Without even knowing it, they have helped shape the ideas I have for my house…and I’m sure I’m only one of many!!

The Official One-Month Report

June 20, 2013Categories: RenoSarah @ 702 Park Project

Happy anniversary to us!! We started work on the house exactly one month ago today. What a difference a month makes!! I can’t believe how much has already happened. Here are a few shots I snapped this week.

The house is still two different shades, which makes for an interesting sight:

The brick on the front porch, the front porch ceiling, and the front porch trim have all gotten their first coat of primer and are already looking cleaner.

Almost all of the plaster throughout the entire house has at least been touched. Much of it has been filled in.

The house is still very messy, but it is starting to look more like organized chaos than just a total train wreck.

Lastly, we had to remove our mailbox from the house so the painters could get started, and getting our mail (still intact) has been a huge issue since then. So this past weekend, we bought a standard little mailbox and stuck it in the yard. No more mail problems!!

I also started a “wish list” board for the house on Pinterest. Some things are ridiculously priced and will never happen, but some are actually achievable. I realized I had tons of pictures that showed my tastes and hopes for the new house, but not really any actual products I’d like to buy. The new wish list covers that! I’m pretty sure I will be creating my annual Christmas list from this board for years to come!! Check it out at http://pinterest.com/sarahgshouse/wish-list/

Photo Link

June 19, 2013Categories: RenoSarah @ 702 Park Project

No new photos today…just wanted to add this link to my menu.

Check out lots of before, during, and (eventually) after photos at http://702parkproject.shutterfly.com!

An Update and Some Pictures

June 17, 2013Categories: RenoSarah @ 702 Park Project

I hope yall had a super weekend! Mine was great because I got to see my husband (who took a one-night break from studying), we found out the sex of our good friends’ baby (it’s a boy!), and I got to celebrate Father’s Day with both my father and father-in-law. But most of all, NC State beat the crap out of UNC!! Woop woop!! Hate those Tarholes!

But back to the house…I headed over Saturday morning for a photo shoot. You can see all of the pics on my Shutterfly site: http://702parkproject.shutterfly.com/. Here are a few of the highlights.

1. We have electricity in the whole house now! The electrician built us a sweet little panel in the attic for easy access. I especially LOVE the old-timey light switches!

2. We have running water (and flushing toilets)!

3. Our basement is finally (relatively) dry, but needs a whole lot of cleanup!!

4. We are now VERY secure. In addition to the alarm system for the whole house, the basement is now wired to the alarm system, and we have several exterior motion lights.

5. Our house is half mint green. (See previous post about the primer.)

6. Our house is a MESS!!

Happy Father’s Day!

June 16, 2013Categories: Just For FunSarah @ 702 Park Project

I am blessed to have the best father there is. I know a lot of people say that, but in my case, it’s actually true. My dad taught me what good music was at an early age, and I was raised on the classics, like Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, Neil Young, etc. My dad taught me how to play sports and be athletic. My dad shares my love for action movies and is always up for watching one with me, even when no one else will. My dad has helped me move 8 (yes 8!!) times, and that’s not even counting all the times he has helped my brother and my husband move. My dad has always supported me in everything I’ve done, even if he did not agree completely. He has always been one of my biggest supporters. And last year, my dad gave me a fairy tale wedding that could not have been any more perfect. He gave me away that day, but I will always be his little girl.

For my dad, and every father of a little girl, this is for you: http://www.fromdatestodiapers.com/50-rules-for-dads-of-daughters

Happy Father’s Day, Dad!! I love you!!

I’m Not in Love with a Stripper

June 14, 2013Categories: RenoSarah @ 702 Park Project

I’m in love with a primer.

I was just so excited to share the mint green house with all of you that I didn’t wait to hear back from the contractor on what it actually was. (Although I did do some research and found several chemical primers tinted the same color…so it was an educated guess!) I can see him cracking up, imagining my freak out when I thought it was paint.

Here’s what I’ve learned about the peel stop primer:

1. It locks down peeling paint (we have that)

2. It seals any worn, cracked, or weather surface (we definitely have that)

3. It is much thicker, usually 3 times thicker, than regular primer so it provides a smoother surface (we need that)

4. It dries very quickly (we need that)

Also, since I last posted, we got an update on the progress. The electrician started work in the attic this week, and will do the bulk of his work next week. They are hoping to start on repairing/replacing the soffits next week as well. Plaster repair will continue and hopefully not take too much longer. First we were crawling, then taking baby steps, and now we are definitely running! Let’s hope it stays that way for a while!