Shed Series: Random Bits/What Makes a House a Home

So as I mentioned in the last shed post, we are done touring the rooms of the shed. I wanted to end the shed series though with some other images...and have decided to name this post: Random Bits/What Makes a House a Home. Because any house is more than just the rooms inside, it is the people and the memories that make it "home."

MCB - the man, the myth, the shed owner. Do you notice all the red walls behind him? I cannot express how happy I am that they have disappeared. MCB was a busy worker-bee in this picture and throughout everything (mostly) kept that cute smile on his face.

The flooring. Oh boy. There was lots of flooring. Even Anabelle here is amazed by all of the flooring. Thank goodness for MCB's folks - both sets of parents were amazing throughout the entire shed renovation. Thank you Chris, Becky, VW, and Molly!

MCB painting doors on a lovely sunny day.

At one point there was no sink or stove in the shed. Thank goodness for instant coffee (even if it is Starbucks) and a Jet Boil. We would not have survived without these things.

Thankfully the fridge remained plugged in during the renovation. We had cold beers. We drank them. What remained in the fridge throughout the renovation? One sad Bud.

A much needed coffee upgrade arrived once the stove got installed. Yay!

Building furniture, painting, cleaning, and more can be exhausting. Here I am at the end of my rope one night. At least the couch was finished for me to curl up on.

Finally, pretty things have a home. MCB's favorite coffee cups are unpacked.

Our first breakfast in the shed. Things are coming together.

MCB - self portrait. The man has a home he can live in now. A shower and a new robe does a man good - he is happy - thumbs up to the shed.

Our first dinner in the shed. MCB cooked salmon caught in Alaska by his Uncle. It was, as you can imagine, delicious.

Anabelle enjoys the sunshine in her new home. The light in the shed is amazing.

Beside coffee, a few of these may have helped get us through the harder times.

A few of MCB's favorites: coffee, his favorite coffee cup, new counters, and the amazing sunshine in the shed. What a great way to start the day.

The IKEA shelves have proven their worth in many ways. The latest discovery? They do a great job of drying skins after an early season ski touring session.

The infamous grolla. Yum.

MCB partakes. And makes a wish (part of the custom).

The shed gets photographed for a magazine spread. Not sure if they make it available digitally. If so, I will be sure to share the story/layout with everyone here.

Cheers to a happy home!

Yep, the shed is pretty wonderful. Nothing like a cold beer on a cold night to celebrate a job well done. Come by soon to share a beer - promise there is more than a lonely Bud in the fridge now.

See you soon.

Around the house...

Today I went home and it was strange. Besides a couple minutes here and a couple of minutes there, I honestly have not been home in six weeks or more. As in, I have not slept in my bed since early October I believe. I have been staying at the shed.

But today...today I came home. It feels nice. We have been spending a lot of time visiting the shed lately on the blog here (don't worry, there are more posts to come), but for today, let's take a [very] little tour around my house.

The bathroom. On my counter sits an old baking tin with things I use - salts for baths, lotion, q-tips, various makeup brushes and such, a candle, and a little battery radio so I can listen to NPR in the morning when I am getting ready. And another flashcard so I can remind myself to "bounce" to it in the morning.

A little bedside vignette. Yes, the lampshade is supposed to be broken, I kind of like it that way. A little ornament frame that I spray painted and hung on the wall using a ribbon has a picture of my dog's namesake, Madison Square in Savannah. Next to it is a framed Sanborn Map of Savannah. Also, remember this silhouette of my dog that I made? Hmm - this seems to be quite the dog/Savannah corner now that I think of it. On top of the frames are wooden models of buildings from NYC from MOMA, my initials in old typewriter keys, a shell found on a beach, and this matchstick case.

A little shelf in my bedroom. Jars of sand from two of my favorite beaches. My initials in old letter blocks. A silly owl from Urban Outfitters. An ikat bowl from Anthropologie full of Japenese washi paper tape. That white thing? That is a card - remember this? Yes - that is an alligator head (from the Farmers Market in New Orleans probably 20 years ago). On the wall is a drawing by the wonderful Molly (there is a long story behind this - for another time maybe), a little mirror, yet another flashcard, and a print from Made By Girl.

The [cluttered] gallery wall behind my TV. Every piece on that wall has a meaning. Do I dare bore you with links to everything and explain what everything is? Ask me in the comments if you want additional information about anything.

And, my bed. Though not used, it is unmade and disheveled. Oh well. Just so you know, there is a loft above my bed that is a little home office.

Ah, home.

Thanks for letting me tour my house a little. Now back to the shed...

(Apologizes for the crappy iPhone photos - the only "camera" I had)

Shed Series: And so it begins...

Yes, and so it begins. I have finally been able to pull together all of the shed photos - from before, during, and after. While there aren't as many "before" images as I would like, hopefully the ones I do have will give you all the sense of what the shed once looked like and what it has since become.

I plan on going room by room (don't worry, it is small so it won't take too long) with my posts.

So, let's get started - welcome to 586.5 West Pacific in Telluride, Colorado.

Here is the shed from the first day we had an opportunity to visit. The sign on the front side is to indicate that this shed will be reviewed by our local HARC (Historic Architectural Review Commission) Board. The lot the shed sits on will, one day, get developed. Since Telluride is a historic district, this means that there is a volunteer board that reviews all development plans within the town to ensure their compliance with prescribed guidelines in order to maintain Telluride's historic character.

This shed is a "protected" building within the town's historic guidelines. Probably built near the turn of the last century, this means that this shed cannot be altered. The shed adds to the historic character of the town in that Telluride has a mix of high Victorian homes, railroad warehouse buildings, small miner cabins, and many sheds. These sheds must maintain their rough exteriors, cannot be added onto, and may not be moved from their original locations.

The shed went before the HARC board as the front house on the lot will be renovated and the middle (now open) portion of the lot will be developed - as an addition to the front house. The shed will remain exactly where it is and how it looks.

Here is the happy little house. All 491 sq ft.

The shed is covered in a plethora of materials like rough hewn boards and various types of metal siding - in both vertical and horizontal configurations.

This is the view from the shed - lots of big condos in the area.

MCB wasn't digging the taupe colored front door.

So, it is now green.

Here is the front door on a recent snowy day. We are now on the hunt for some cool "numbers" to put on the front door. Maybe a stencil? Maybe some nail on metal type numbers? Who knows.

Also, I want to note this now - with two dogs between us, you will find dogs creeping into many of the images. Cannot be helped. Woof.

There is a little patio type area out front of the shed. Right now it houses bikes - MCB's townie and the tandem (aka. USS Montana).

So, welcome to the shed. It is cute, it is cozy, and I cannot wait to show you around.

I...I...Ikea...

This evening MCB and I are off to IKEA. It will be a whirlwind shopping trip. A seven hour drive up to Denver tonight after work, shopping tomorrow morning, and then a seven hour drive back to Telluride tomorrow evening. I am exhausted already. It needs to get done though - as the big purchase will be flooring which needs to get installed Sunday.

So, I wanted to give a little sneak peak of a couple of items that will be purchased tomorrow. This is only a small sampling of what MCB is buying. Space saving items are a must as the shed is a mere 491 sq. ft.

We have been up late night every night after work painting away. The disgusting red walls are [finally] gone and it is slowly starting to come together. I promise some before and after photos once things are in a little better shape at the shed. It is going to be amazing though - can't wait to share.

In the meantime - here are some items that will be coming back with us from IKEA tomorrow.

This little locker will make a great TV stand.

I love this lamp. Hotness.

The bedroom is the tiniest bedroom I think I have ever seen in my life. It will hold a bed. Period. So, this little headboard number will at least give MCB some "nightstand-like" shelves. I can't wait to see it installed.

I saw this bed in a NYT article and thought it was genius. MCB's new bedroom is too small to pull drawers or anything like that from the sides. So, this is the best way to store stuff. I cannot wait to see this thing in action. Such a smart idea IKEA.


And this. This will go up in the kitchen. Mostly it will be down I suspect. But, the great part is that when it is down, it creates a little shelf. I think this is where keys and such will tossed.

Hmm - interesting that everything I am posting is white. Weird. I swear there will be color.
You will just have to wait and see.

New (to me) blog love

Thank you Julie for sending me a link to this lovely blog post/house pics and saying you thought of the dreamwithinreach girls.  :) 

House of Turquoise 

 [Andres Jacque home on House of Turquoise] - wow want to be in this house now. 

Absolutely Amazing....

Wow.  I truly do not know how to sum up the amazing house we visited last night.  This Rick Joy home - called the Desert Nomad is in Tucson (Northwest of our home) but makes you feel like you are in an amazing yoga retreat center far away.  Our friend is renting the place for the week and is considering buying it (recently went on the market - want it? - go here for the listing).  The home and property are so unique.   

Each pod was all windows (that automatically have shades come down when it gets too sunny) with the most amazing views.  We sat out by the fire pit and looked at the stars, city views, surrounding mountains and bats flying above.  I want to cook in the kitchen, sit outside in the sun, and enjoy this lovely spot. 

I want....

...this house in San Francisco.   

Um. Wow.  Slightly out of my price range.....hee hee.

 

 

[see entire house here]

Things That Make Me Happy...

I recently read a great article in a back issue of Real Simple all about taking time to appreciate things in your life. In a small side note caption in a much larger article, it mentions a woman who takes a week every year to capture the nitty-gritty of seven solid days of her life in order to celebrate the "everyday stuff." For some reason this resonated with me and I decided to take a week & photograph my favorite part of each day. It was a fun project...and helped me appreciate the little things that comprise a day and see them in new ways.
What things do you appreciate in your day?

Saturday: A snowy hike. My new favorite thing - this moss that grows on the trees that is the most amazing color of green. Apparently elk & deer snack on this throughout the winter for nutrients. It is by far my newest favorite discovery.

Sunday: Farm fresh eggs. Brown, white, blue. The colors are amazing & these eggs taste unreal.

Monday: Poetry. Read to me in bed. This particular book - a recent gift. I haven't read poetry since I had to in school for English class. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed poetry and I was surprised how much I actually remembered. Pick up a poetry book today - I promise you won't regret it.

Tuesday: Coffee. Well, this is an everyday favorite. Black. French Press. I cannot live without it.

Wednesday: A simple DIY. Seriously - it took mere minutes. A fun project. Sort of industrial bling. Dig.

Thursday: TAB Fashion Show. A huge annual event here in Telluride - all to benefit AIDS organizations doing great work around the world. The models are all locals who practice for months. The show is a huge production and is always a blast.

Friday: Gift wrapping. I don't know what I get a bigger kick out of...the wrapping or the gift inside. I love wrapping gifts - I always have such a great time. This gift...wrapped in newspaper with a grosgrain ribbon. The card...spray painted with chalkboard paint. Easy. Fun. Different.

I must admit - I had a little help in the photography department as I have come to realize that I am in desperate need of a new camera. So, this is a bonus photo - per request of my photographer. His favorite for the week - beer. Not only is this New Belgium beer his favorite, but he loves the graphic design and colors on the can.

To note: all photos treated by Rollip to give that "weathered" look.