before and after | So Pretty is as Pretty Does.

Oct 3

The “Guesthouse” Update

I’m happy to report that our chicken coop has made it one step closer to becoming our 12 x 12 guesthouse/office/studio (I know, it’s a lot to fit in 144 square feet). With the interior demo completed, which you can see here and the foundation repaired by my husband and father earlier this year, the next step was to make the building slightly less of an eyesore for our poor neighbors. It was just some lattice and paint, but I learned a couple of neat things along the way, so I thought I’d share. Plus, I have a strong affinity for before and afters.

Sep 30

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Spring Forward, Fall Back.

Welcome back! I trust that everyone has had an epic summer full of long weekends at the beach, uproarious laughter with dear friends, and lazy afternoons spent sprawled out on a blanket somewhere awesome. The past several months have been deeply eventful for me, some of the time was filled with events like the ones described above and some of the time was not. Either way – life has been beautiful and busy. Though not in the way it normally is, where my days are stuffed to the brim with awesome projects or thrift stores finds that I can’t wait to share with all of you.

Jul 30

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Privacy Window: The Kitchen

The privacy window I made during the bathroom mini-renovation last year (you can see that project here) has held up remarkably well. I worried a bit about peeling issues due to humidity levels inherent to bathrooms. But its stickiness hasn’t changed a bit since the day it was painstakingly applied. And, because we know that privacy and tons of natural light are not mutually exclusive, I decided to use this method again. This time I chose a simpler geometric pattern for a kitchen window that faces my driveway.

Oct 30

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The Garage {before + after}

Our garage needed a little TLC. (Read: it was a hideous monstrosity of an eye sore that taunted me each time I traversed our driveway.) So, over the past few weeks I worked away at it, little by little to make it a better space. I’m really happy with how it turned out – it never ceases to amaze me the difference that paint can make. Here’s how I repaired the windows and gave the garage a face lift for $60.

Jul 10

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Bathroom Mini-Renovation {Part 3: DIY Shower Storage}

Let me preface everything I am about to say with the simple unwavering truth that I love claw foot tubs. I think they are beautiful, add great character to a bathroom and I especially love old cast iron tubs when they’re in the homes they were meant for. With all that said, having a claw foot tub doubling as the only shower in our home can be a bit of a pain. There’s no storage, sometimes being encircled by shower curtains can create a bit of claustrophobia (akin to the E.T. quarantine scene), and the tub itself takes up a lot more space than a conventional shower stall, space that would be nice to have in our 6′ x 6′ bathroom. But, on the small budget set for this mini-reno, buying a ready made storage solution wasn’t an option and for a few reasons, not very practical. So we quickly (about an hour) and cheaply ($18) made a storage solution for our showering supplies.