Our Own Fan House

Office space.

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:18:16 -0400

Office space.

New additions to the menagerie. Mini brass camels from etsy.

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:22:50 -0400

New additions to the menagerie. Mini brass camels from etsy.

Tolix chair // Marais A chair.

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:34:11 -0400

Tolix chair // Marais A chair.

BACKYARD Before // During // After, sort of. What the fuzz, man!...

Mon, 06 May 2013 18:14:00 -0400

MOVE IN - Before

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

AFTER

AFTER

BACKYARD

Before // During // After, sort of.

What the fuzz, man! I hadn’t looked at ‘before’ pics of the backyard until just now and I kind of frigging miss it! Even though this is supposed to be a ‘big reveal’—-

Not our fault, though; we loved the overgrown secret garden-style deal, but maybe it was the winter, maybe it was our vibes—-those bushes just thinned out and died under our crappy care. They were leggy and obnoxious and had to go.

It was impossible to walk from the garage to the door with grocery bags, so we ripped everything out, sawed the stumps down, ripped out roots for days, and cleared it out.

Japanese sky pencils, confederate jasmine, some juniper, and 30+ bags of rocks later… we’re hoping the jasmine eventually makes its way up over the iron guides the previous owner installed for the vine (the vine that ripped apart the siding of our neighbor’s house, btw) so that it’s lush again and we don’t have to look at… well, you get the idea.

Guest bath // during I go through these times when I see...

Thu, 02 May 2013 12:15:57 -0400

Guest bath // during

I go through these times when I see pictures of a huge, expensive gorgeous house, done up to the nines, so well planned out, and I get discouraged. I can’t afford a decorator, custom this and that… But then I realize: I’d be lost in a house like that.

Making a house a home is such a fun journey with so many epic discoveries. Like this sign from a boys summer camp!

It’s all happening.

The lights are up! Backyard Biergarten open!

Wed, 01 May 2013 22:09:10 -0400

The lights are up! Backyard Biergarten open!

Details // Master mantle. Antique French books purchased on...

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 11:47:45 -0400

Details // Master mantle.

Antique French books purchased on etsy (modulem shop) originally for future office in back bedroom, but are perfect here, which has been in a sort of constant rotation of clashing objects. Win!

Backyard inspo // via Dwell. Amazing, right?

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:20:13 -0400

Backyard inspo // via Dwell.

Amazing, right?

The landscaping conundrum // BEFORE Fan houses are notoriously...

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:06:00 -0400

The landscaping conundrum // BEFORE

Fan houses are notoriously good at capitalizing on tight quarters. Some better than others.

While we love our little garage-top deck space, the stairs leading to it have obliterated almost all the available yard space out back. They are GARGANTUAN. Perhaps they were built with sunbathing elephants in mind.

I loved the ‘secret garden’ feel with the ivy and plants (these pics are right before move-in), but through a general moving-around of things, pruning, and cleaning, we all but ripped it out, and now the place looks like a landmine went off. I miss the green, viney abundance!

We’re researching both wrought iron, spiral staircases, and bamboo + stones + these neat cement planters we bought at Lowe’s for a more modern feel—-stay tuned! Also, seen any good small cafe-style chair and table sets? Gotta be TINY.

Bedroom // BEFORE & DURING New sconces! (via Pottery Barn)....

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 12:13:00 -0400

BEFORE

Bedroom // BEFORE & DURING

New sconces! (via Pottery Barn). We’re beginning to shed the old bedroom and slowly drift it into the guest room in order to make room for our new angle: industrial cool + distressed wood + cool neutrals w/ pops of color. Sounds like a frigging disaster, right?

We’ll see.

Still no headboard yet, no rug, no duvet, and no side tables—just little mismatched things we have lying around. Big plans for that as soon as we’re out of the red!

It’s totally interesting to notice how good some things look in a brand new construction house (like our last place, a condo in NY) vs. how they look in an old home (OOFH). None of our homey, antique-style pieces quite fit in this old beast; modern, sleek pieces tend to feel more fresh.

It’s a challenge.

Finally got the window seat cushions reupholstered. They were a...

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 12:03:11 -0400

New custom upholstered window seat cushions from UFab!

Here's a 'before'---yellow and red fabric.

Finally got the window seat cushions reupholstered. They were a yellow/red fabric before, to match the yellow walls. We went with a cool, neutral gray linen. Thanks, UFab!

Kitchen // AFTER Got the new range & hood installed; rest of...

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 12:06:56 -0400

Kitchen // AFTER

Got the new range & hood installed; rest of the shelves are up.

We’re a couple of proud parents.

Up next: wide plank pine flooring! Going to be a game changer.

I must own this.

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 10:14:15 -0400

I must own this.

KITCHEN // One down, three to go! Clearly very excited about the...

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:25:28 -0500

KITCHEN // One down, three to go!

Clearly very excited about the first shelf going up last night as soon as grout was dry enough to give it a go. This subway tile is insanely easy to drill holes in (bonus) and the shelf (West Elm) is so sturdy and perfect. One more above, two on the right side of the hood.

Love the touch of warm wood with all the sexy, sterile subway tile and stainless.

Finished photos to follow.

RECORD STORAGE. COME ON. Gimme. via Dwell.com

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 20:24:25 -0500

RECORD STORAGE. COME ON.

Gimme.

via Dwell.com

DETAILS / CURE FOR THE COMMON LAUNDRY BASKET I haven’t had...

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 10:13:00 -0500

DETAILS / CURE FOR THE COMMON LAUNDRY BASKET

I haven’t had a laundry bag since camp in 4th grade. Wasn’t anything I ever thought I’d get again, until I saw this bad boy from Izola.

We’ve had a big wicker laundry basket marring the landscape for years. This is sleek, has a big sturdy canvas strap for carrying easily downstairs (down narrow Fan house hallways) and is cool as a cucumber.

get yours at www.izola.com… $39, but get a discount if you Like their FB page.

New art by my best bud she put on permanent loan for display in...

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 17:40:15 -0500

New art by my best bud she put on permanent loan for display in OOFH! So incredible. Cleaned up mantle, relocating sconces… love it.

More bedroom inspiration. White floors + shots of color and a...

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 16:45:25 -0500

More bedroom inspiration. White floors + shots of color and a brilliant bedspread. Love the chairs as bedside options + sconces rather than lamps.

DO IT.

New hood arrived at Lowe’s and is now safely inside!...

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 12:52:53 -0500

New hood arrived at Lowe’s and is now safely inside! Cannot wait to get it up.

We were really limited for a couple reasons: we needed one 30” wide, and we couldn’t do a chimney hood because our ceilings are too high. So here she is! A Broan beauty.

MASTER BATHROOM / FINISHED The master bathroom photographed...

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 21:03:33 -0500

Before

Before: you can really see the damage to the grout here.

Freshly regrouted.

Tons of mold and grime settled in the seams and layers of caulk. Caulk in showers is not so good...

MASTER BATHROOM / FINISHED

The master bathroom photographed well, but up close was another story. The tile was grouted with crumby, non-sanded grout and all the corners were layered with caulk, which both hold and trap moisture, discolor, and get moldy over time. I dug out all the original grout and caulk and replaced with with epoxy-based grout. It’s pricey and a pain in the arse to work with but it dries impenetrable and resistant to mold and wear.

-Rob.