New Floorplan | Myrtle House

Now that we have free reign with the floorplan, I have to get my butt in gear and figure this puzzle out. I was informed that the plumber is coming on Monday, so I only have this weekend to finalize everything. Yikes! Talk about pressure. Here is what I have, but since we are losing 4" on the perimeter of the house on one side to fix the structural issues, I have to remeasure this weekend to make sure it will all work and that you will be able to brush your teeth without having to stand in the bathtub. :) Wish me luck.

Sorry it is so light - I had to quickly draw this in pencil and haven't had time to put some ink on the plan. As you can see, we are taking down the wall between what used to be the living room and the bedroom and turning it into a combo living/dining room. It will open to the kitchen, which used to be another bedroom. The giant rectangle in the kitchen is the double sided fireplace. The previous dining room will be divided to make an office/bedroom as well as a bathroom, laundry room, and closets. Towards the back of the house will be the other bedrooms. The master will be in what used to be the kitchen. We will also turn the old gigantic pantry into a master bath and take a bit of room for the master closet. On the other side of the house will be the guest room. This will also have an ensuite and closet. I love this new layout so much more because I feel like there is a LOT less wasted space. We have more room to entertain, and I love how the side porch now opens up into the kitchen instead of the guest bedroom. What do you guys think? Anything you would change? I would love to hear your ideas! Speak now or forever hold your peace. ;)

August Goals

July was a fun month. We finally had a second to stop, enjoy a few outings, catch up on business things, and celebrate a handful of birthdays. I turned 27, my "little" brother turned 22, and we had my brother and sister-in-law's baby shower this past weekend (technically August, but all of the planning happened in July). My older sister also flew in from the Caribbean to help, so it has been a fun, family-filled few weeks. Our contractor has been hard at work at the Myrtle House while we are in Raleigh, but due to a few unexpected set backs, we didn't get everything accomplished for July as planned.

• Have foundation work complete and floors leveled - not quite
• Beadboard demo-ed - DONE
• Floors demo-ed - DONE
• Measure broken glass and FIX windows (need to do this!) - N/A
• Find old doors for master closet - N/A

So, as mentioned earlier, there was a lot more termite damage than we initially suspected. This meant that instead of just leveling the joists, we actually have to rebuild them. I think our contractor is finishing that up this week, so it didn't hold us up too much. The subfloor should be almost finished by this weekend. It will be so exciting to walk on even floors. Our contractor and his crew flew through the beadboard and floor demo (a heck of a lot faster than we could have done), but since we are still debating on whether or not to get new windows, we haven't tried to repair the current ones yet. Once the electrical and plumbing quotes come in, we will make the call on new windows. My gut is saying they will have to wait, but I have my fingers crossed. :) Also, since we are changing the layout, we no longer need new closet doors as we can use the existing ones.

I have put a freeze on allowing myself to buy things for the house. The biggest thing I have learned through this process is that your plans WILL change and you have no idea what will happen during this crazy renovation project. So that brings me to my August goals:

• New joists in place
• New subfloor
• New DETAILED floor plan drawn out
• Go to the Zoo with Brian
• Sell remaining unneeded furniture on Craigslist
• Re-pack storage room
• Start planning for our Chicago trip
• Refinish/fix Craigslist dresser

How was your July? Fun plans for August? Here are some of my favorite Instagram moments from this past month!

Fueling my obsession with Tiny Houses by watching Tiny House Nation

Discovering this brick beauty!

Finally seeing my favorite band (The Fray) in concert

Reminding myself on tough days that this renovation will be worth it :)

More Demo | Myrtle House

We finally made our way back to the Myrtle House after a month away. My oh my what a difference four weeks can make! We met with our contractor and he confirmed that demo was officially finished (woohoo!) and now we can start putting this little house back together. When I first walked into the house, I literally laughed out loud.

So, the bad news is, there was so much termite damage, the majority of the floors, joists, and framing has to be replaced. The good news is, this means it won't cost that much more to do WHATEVER I WANT with the floorplan. :) That is music to an interior design major's ears. I think I finally have a new layout in mind which converts this little 2 bed/1 bath house into a 3 bed/3.5 bath abode (hello rental potential!). I am also going to leave that beautiful double-sided fireplace open and create an open dining room/living room/kitchen. I can't wait to share the floor plan with you guys! Oh, and this is currently what the front of our house looks like. Oops. Sorry neighbors! Please don't steal those beautiful old doors!

Double Vanities Under $1000

I have been on the hunt for a double vanity for a few months now and was quite surprised by how expensive these pieces are, especially when you realize you can buy two single vanities for about 20% of the cost of a double vanity. Ugh. I was hard pressed to find anything that would work for under $1400, and frankly, that just is not in our budget for the vanity. Well, we ended up buying a used double vanity off of Craigslist that I plan on re-finishing (which was the worst CL experience to date, but that story is for another day). During our search, however, I did find a few deals I wanted to pass along in case you too are on the hunt. Here are the best double vanities I found for $1000 or less at Home Depot.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

Craigslist Luxe for Less - Nursery Edition

So, since this week has seemed to be all about Craigslist, let's continue with this topic, shall we? :) The older (and hopefully wiser) I get, the more I refuse to shop at actual stores for home items. When we bought our first house, my motto was: no matter the cost, it has to be perfect. Well, this ultimately led to a lot of stress and strain on my wallet. Next go around, it will be different. I am going to try and buy almost everything second hand to 1. save money and 2. be a bit more friendly to the environment and local economy. Don't believe me when I say you can find awesome deals on Craigslist? Well let me prove you wrong! Here are a few finds on CL and their much more expensive, new counterparts.

---

Exhibit A. Changer

I adore this changer. The lines, the unique hardware, the PRICE. Your baby will be out of diapers soon (maybe not soon enough for your liking) and spending $2000+ for a changer that does not convert to a dresser does not compute in my head. Tack on an extra $50 for paint/supplies to this bargain piece and you have a brand-spanking-new pretty fancy changing table if you ask me.

Exhibit B. Crib

I love a classic Jenny Lind crib. Those spindles! This $20 crib is a steal and I don't even know if I would paint it. I kind of sort of love that off-white cream colored goodness going on. And, it is $20. Compared to it's $840 custom-made twin, it is the deal of the century.

Exhibit C. Armoire

Armoires are great for a nursery since they provide so much storage and can hold your little guy/gal's clothes if you are short on closet space. The lines on this Craigslist armoire are gorgeous, and I think with a bright coat of paint and new hardware, this gem could shine again. You could even remove that wood detail at the top if you are going for a slightly less traditional look.

---

So have I made you a believer yet? I hope so as I plan on continuing these kinds of posts. :) Plus, if you are in the Raleigh/Durham area, let me know if you are on the hunt for an item. I will keep an eye out for you in my searches! Also, if you have a house filled with refurbished treasures, please send me your photos/links!

Craigslist Part 2: Selling

On a whim, I decided to sell most of our furniture. I was getting tired of having so much stuff, and I kind of like the idea of finding items from scratch for the Myrtle House (especially since that part of NC has so many amazing furniture finds). It feels SO good to get rid of unused furniture that is just collecting dust. Therefore, I have a few pointers on selling your furniture on CL. If you missed Part 1: Buying, here is the link!

1. Buffer your price
Everyone loves and has come to basically expect an awesome deal when buying off of Craigslist. This being said, know what you really want to get for your item, and then add a bit on top. If you want $200, list it for $250 or $225. People are going to want you to lower your price, and this way you will still feel comfortable with the price and the new owner will feel like they got a bargain. It's a win-win. You can always lower your price later on if it doesn't sell right away.

2. Take lots of detailed photos
There is nothing worse than when you go to get an item and realize it is not at all what you expected. A lot of times, buyers will back out. Make sure to take lots of photos of all angles.

3. Be honest
Is there a crack or tear in the item? List it in your description. It says a lot about a seller when they are honest about the imperfections. Plus, this will eliminate any potential problems upon pickup.

4. Try to meet in a neutral place
While I like to assume everyone is a decent person, this is not always the case. If an item is easily transportable, agree to meet the buyer at a public, well-lit place. This way the person will never know your home address in case he or she is a little crazy.

5. Hold your ground
Unless you have to sell, hold off on accepting low ball offers. Usually the person will either come up on their offer if they really want it, or another person will pay a better price. Sometimes multiple interested parties can start a sort of "bidding war" on your item and make closing the deal more time-sensitive in their mind. I like to say, "I have had multiple emails about this piece, so I probably will stick close to the asking price" when I get low offers. Usually works like a charm!

6. Add lots of product information
If possible, list all of the manufacturer bullet points. Always make sure to include the dimensions, too. I try to do a keyword list on the bottom of the ad to catch any random searches. For example, if you are listing a buffet, try adding console and sideboard to your description in case a potential buyer searches differently than what you might call it.

7. Offer delivery
If you own a truck or larger vehicle, sweeten the deal by offering to deliver the item if the person is somewhat nearby. A lot of people these days drive compact cars and may have a difficult time figuring out how to get that gorgeous six drawer dresser home in their Prius.

One of the items I am selling is this Campaign Dresser. Do y'all remember the Campaign Craze that happened a few years ago? Finding a Campaign was like finding gold. :) I have someone coming to "look at it" (grr, hate this!) tonight. Hopefully it goes to a good home this evening as I do NOT want to lug this monster back up the stairs. Drexel Heritage made some heavy furniture!