VIB Chronicles

Phase III Renovation

And so it begins. Actually, that is a bold face a lie – we are still quite a bit off from beginning of Phase III of VIB renovation, which is supposed to feature a full basement dig out. We did more or less sign off on the basement plans, and are now in the process of interviewing contractors for phase III. Once we settle on the candidate and price point, we will file permits (which require total budget number) and figure out how we will finance this massive undertaking.… Read the rest

Before and After: Powder Room

I realize I haven’t done proper before and afters for the half bath. Partly because the space wasn’t properly finished for a long time. Partly because the powder bath is devilishly difficult to photograph. It’s tiny, and getting in there for any sort of angle shot is pretty much impossible — head on also doesn’t work very well.

On the upside of the bath being a tiny, we are really squeezing out all the mileage out of the space that we can get.The… Read the rest

Basement Inspiration Files – Let There Be Light

We are putting meetings on the calendar (with each other and architects), pens to paper, and I am pinning away like a mad woman in search of perfect design plan for our currently unfinished basement. This actually is my favorite part of the renovation, before the reality of a price tag and structural restrictions sets in. We do have a rough framework to guide us – defined by existing dimensions, a few considerations, and an overarching goal of creating more light.… Read the rest

The State of the VIB

Long time – no see! We are back from our round the world trip – actually have been for a few months now. I have missed this space, but…you know how it goes. We’ve been busy setting up house, writing about our adventures over on House to Laos – our travel blog, and I have been looking for a new job (found).

Last month we took some photos of the State of the VIB, which I am super excited to share with you.… Read the rest

Before and After: Kitchen

Long overdue. But better late than never, right? The space is not 100% complete, but it looks fantastically close to being done. The one thing we never got to was painting the french doors. I wanted black frames. But there is so much prep work required and so much room for error I decided to put that off until we were back from our adventure. Also, now I am vacillating on whether I actually want the frame to be black — in general I like for things to be as light as airy as possible — the more light, the better.… Read the rest

Kitchen Counter Update

Sooooo — we had have these beautiful countertops in the kitchen. Originally butcher block from Ikea, we stained them jet black with ink and then invested a lot of time getting them sealed. I had done a lot of research and apparently quite a few people out there have a luck with Waterlox, which is great to use because it is food-grade safe. But bad news for us, I probably didn’t do a great job sealing them.… Read the rest

Tag, you are it!

We are having a tag sale! Saturday, 27 July, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

We will be selling items big and small,  letting go of an era. Please feel free to come by, browse, and take a peak at the house if you like!

A sample of what’s on offer:

Lots of candles. And candle holders. Vases of all sorts. Including those that can hold floating candles.

Picture frames. You know, for that gallery wall you always wanted to make.… Read the rest

Renting the VIB

As exciting as our upcoming grand travel adventure is, there is a whirlwind of planning and research associated that is at least as extensive and time consuming as the deepest throes of renovation. But I kind of love it, so that’s cool! One of the big to do’s on our list: Renting the VIB – so we can take care of paying the mortgage and hopefully put away some money to take care of emergencies should those arise (knock on wood).… Read the rest

How to: Wallpaper

I have attempted to photograph the finished foyer multiple times, but the pattern has proved to be a tricky bastard. this is a combination of photos that Sergey and I took, with a caveat, that I wish a professional would come and help us out here. Also, this post took an inordinately long time to be published, in part due to time crunch with the fact that I have been selected for 6 week jury duty, in part due to picture taking troubles, and in part because I am still learning to operate on my new Mac…I hope to be back here more frequently soon.… Read the rest