It turns out that it’s a lot easier for me to shop for others than it is for myself! Besides decisions on window treatments for the new house (you can read about that here), I am totally undecided on stools for our kitchen.  Now y’all probably know this, but the difference between counter stools vs bar stools is fairly simple… one is taller than the other. Lol! I know. I’m a genius.  But let’s continue on just incase someone is confused as I was.   Counter stools pull up to your standard height counter.  Bar Stools pull up to an elevated bar area.   Here are the approximate, standard measurements.

Counter Stools:  Around 30inches

Bar Stools: Around 24inches

For our new kitchen, we need 5 or 6 counter stools depending on their size.  I love the open concept of our kitchen, dining, family room, but it also creates a challenge of making it all cohesive while not being to matchy matchy.  Not an easy task.  I have my faux bamboo chairs (similar here) at the dining table and want to keep them so I don’t want anything to compete with that.  I also have a husband and two boys who want backs on the stools and want them to swivel… who knew they would have opinions on something house related like this?!

Counter Space:

My criteria is a swivel seat, simple frame, and fabric seat.  Sounds simple until my brain looks at ALL the counter stools in the world and completely crashes.

I have searched the internet high and low though so I wanted to share where I have found the best resources.  I am narrowing my search down and will share my decision soon but please leave a comment if you have a suggestion or a favorite source that I haven’t included here!

Joss and Main —

I love how you can narrow your search results and really only see what you are looking for.  They are always competitive prices as well.

Wayfair —

They have a large collection and good prices but kind of hard to get through it all.

Target —

Great prices but again, you have to look through a lot to find what you are looking for- nice that you could return to store though.

Pin Below to source them later! …

Hope y’all are having a great day!

xoxo

B

The post Counter Stools vs Bar Stools appeared first on Windgate Lane.

We have driven up north of us and looked at possible locations for years.  I realize that sounds ridiculous, but things have happened each time we were considering that kept us where we were at and as the saying goes- “All in good time.”

With all of our moves, things have just felt right.  This move was a little different for me because it’s the first time I have moved with kids and that added so many emotions to manage that I have definitely been overwhelmed! But I planned out the best ways to get them settled in as quickly as possible, which I will share soon to maybe help others.

So blah blah blah… you want to see pictures, right?! Well today I am going to show you some bare bones pictures and then a vision board of where I’m hoping to take this new home.  It was a spec home, which means the builder built it in a new neighborhood to get the ball rolling and when we found it, it was nearly completed.  So I didn’t pick any of the finishes in this home but I do really love them because I wanted neutral and they did a great job of making it all very simple and classic.  But y’all know I love an old feel so my challenge will be adding in my own details to knock down a bit of the “shiny new” and make it feel like us!

Top of the list of what sold us on this property was that it was on a half acre and backed to woods.  The view out of the back of the house is priceless and with HUGE windows and sliding glass doors, I could just sit and stare out back all day long! (iPhone pics for the win here)

We back to a small creek and woods- more privacy than we have ever had! And still in a neighborhood with a school in it.  So you can see in the above picture of the back of the house the windows.  Those are out family room, kitchen/dining, and master bedroom and above is the playroom.

So let’s start in the kitchen! These photos were taken while work was still finishing up so there is still paper over the hardwood floors.  The kitchen opens to a 12×14 dining area and it is the only dining space in the house- no formal dining room which was fine for us as we only used it a couple times a year:)

So much light! And more storage than I could have ever dreamed of as I used to have to keep pots and some pans out on my stove in the old house because there was simply no where to put them! I have a lot of ideas for that dining space but am still playing around with it all.  I need to live in the space for a bit- I will say though that my oriental rug from the old family room has been put down in the dining space and I looooovveee it in there!

Next up is the family room- super simple but I love how the fireplace is grand and while the tiles are a little more modern than I am, the woodwork contrasts it enough to bring in some traditional.

The sliding glass doors out of the family room are my favorite.  It will be indoor/outdoor living here for sure! (there might be a pool post coming soon!)

Off of the kitchen is a nice nook that I will make family planning central! And I love that the granite is carried over to it.  Such a nice neutral.

The playroom upstairs also has the beautiful views and large windows…

And a cute little barn door leads to a fun media room that will remain empty until my husband can’t stand it and breaks down and gets a screen for in there:)

And the last spot on this first tour is the master bedroom which is where the final gorgeous windows are.  I have so many ideas for this room that I really need to start narrowing it down!

This has been an exciting, albeit bittersweet, move for our family! But we aren’t too far from where we were and plan on forcing our sweet neighbors to come see us often.  The boys are adjusting and we are excited to meet some new friends and explore the beautiful trails and ponds around us… I sang the Green Acres theme song the other day and it fell on deaf ears around here but I thought I was funny and clever so it’s good to know that some things don’t change

And here is your first sneak peek and my first stab at where this new home will go decor wise… lots of color and bringing the outdoors in…

Can’t wait to share this journey with y’all! First up will be figuring out widow coverings because while I love the view, we also need some privacy options and to block some of this Texas sun sometimes too! What would y’all do? Plantation shutters, curtains, blinds, nothing?

xoxo

B

The post New Home: Time to Dream appeared first on Windgate Lane.

It’s a phenomenon spreading through homes across the world! It starts out with that one pile on the kitchen counter top.  It’s just one pile… it will stop there.  But then company is coming and you quickly move part of the pile to the office and the other part up to your bedroom.  Night falls.  The pile in the office is out of sight out of mind.  The pile on the bed needs to get out of your way so that you can sleep so it moves either to the bench at the foot of your bed or on the bathroom counter.

There’s no ill intent with this pile.  There is a positivity that it will get taken care of any minute now.  But the truth is harsh.  That pile is added to day after day and before you know it, the counters, the benches, the office, the secret two drawers in your kitchen, even the cabinets under your sinks… yeah.  And at some point it’s just easier to ignore, until that one day.  That one day when you realize that you have no idea what is even in the pile and you start looking and the horror and discovery sends you down a rabbit hole.

After I got out of the fetal position, I decided to formulate a realistic plan.  Because let’s face it, this happened because there are 8 million other things going on around me, so it wasn’t going to get better if I spent all day fixing it all because then it would result in chaos in every other part of the house.  Funny how that happens so quickly.  Actually it’s really not funny.

So let’s just start with 5 Degrees of the Clutter.  Last week I picked 5 frightening spots in my home to organize and declutter.  None of which are huge and would only maybe take an hour each to do.

1.  Kitchen counters and junk drawers
2.  Chair in the Master Bedroom
3.  Under the bathroom sinks
4.  The pile of bills in the office
5.  My dresser.  This may not sound like much but as a whole it is a task.

I know you all are just chomping at the bit to see the before pictures.  Wondering if I am the fraud who says my house is a mess but there is one single cup on the counter… no my friends… I am no fraud.  In fact my honesty usually gets me in trouble… just ask my school and the PTA! I show lots of pretty pictures here because let’s face it, that’s really what you want to see the majority of the time, but this is going to give you the satisfaction of some nice before and after shots.

Before:  Kitchen counters and Junk Drawer(s)

Kitchen Make-Over Here

Basic instructions:  Take everything out of them and place on the floor.  Look at it all in disgust.  Throw out all obvious trash.  Throw out everything you didn’t even know was in there anymore, like the 4 cute planners that you never used, the 45 chapsticks you were looking for, the hair clips because you know you have 400 others, and the copies of recipes you saved which you can now google in two seconds.  Now divide and conquer.  What goes where and before you go buy all the cute little organizers that would make this project fun, actually see what you need.  (That was hard for me because I reeaaalllly love buying organizing stuff.)

Ummm… here’s a back scratcher…

And After: (the boys insisted we keep the back scratcher)

That is a glorious cleaned off counter!

Before: Master Bedroom Chair

Let’s all just fess up.  Everyone has that chair or bench in their room that is not used for it’s intended purpose.  It would probably be extremely helpful to just not have it so you wouldn’t put things on them! But they are cute and we have them so let’s just get on with it.  All of my kid’s laundry?  Put away.  All of my husband’s laundry?  Hung up neatly.  My laundry? Dirty and clean ends up here.  Also paperwork that I intend to go through after I hide it (read first paragraph) and other odds and ends that are in my hands and I set down when I get distracted by said kids and husband.  All here.

This is pretty simple, but it actually has to be done.  Put clean clothes away, wash dirty clothes and actually put those away, file or trash paperwork, put toys in appropriate places, and put caution tape across the chair to try and avoid this same scenario the next day.

And After:

Restored! You can find the DIY fabric and painted chair tutorial here.

Before Bathroom Cabinets

I’m not proud of this one.   It’s been awhile for all of them.  Old product, old cleaner, old hair tools (have to keep the crimper though because people need to borrow for 80’s parties all the time).

And because under your bathroom sink is the only place to keep space ice cream…

It’s time to get real.  If you haven’t looked for it in at least a year, it’s out.  Now I can actually see what I have and what I need when it’s running out.  Amazing concept but when you run a household these are the places that come last.

After Cabinets:

Before: Bills in the Office

I hate mail clutter.  Why don’t you just pay them all online and go paperless you ask? Because I tried that and for whatever reason I didn’t see the emails or my brain doesn’t work so then I paid bills late.  You want money from me? I need notice in my hand.  So my plan is usually keep the last 6 months and shred the rest.  Sounds good and attainable but as noted about every other situation in my house, life happens.  This is a dirty job and an annoying one and just has to get done.  Separate by bills and then file or shred.

Side note: The best part about making these little tasks each day is that they kind of naturally lead to a general tidying around the areas.  Did I need to have spray paint in my office… ummm no.

After:  Bills

To see the office make-over head here (yes this 70’s file cabinet is going to get a make-over soon)

Before: My Dresser

Ugh.  A dumping ground.  I appreciate all of you that don’t let these things happen but in my world, it just happens.  The kid’s masterpieces need to be displayed, I leave my jewelry out, 5 legos that I found and could possibly be needed, the bandaids that were brought up in an emergency play room situation, bug bite cream, and the glass of water I meant to drink.   And the cords that still need to be hidden from getting a new TV.

After: Dresser

Master Bedroom Make-Over

It’s not all about picture perfect on my dresser and I like it that way.  I love seeing my pictures and trinkets that may seem like clutter to some, but are actually momentos from very special people in my life that have gone before me.

So 5 days and 5 areas.  Is my house now clean and amazing?  No.  But at least a new beginning in some places.  Kind of how I look at a new year.  Making a huge resolution seems like a big way to disappoint yourself.  Maybe set your bar a little lower and just focus on being better at what you can one day at a time.  Who knows?  Maybe I will not put things on my chair in my bedroom! I mean that is definitely not going to happen, but maybe I will make myself put my laundry away when I make the boy’s do there’s.  Sometimes the little things add up to a bigger thing.

Organization and life don’t actually go hand in hand.  Be easy on yourselves and know that all the pretty pictures in the magazines and the ones you even see here are just that… pretty pictures.

But organizing a post like this did help me motivate.  So maybe shorter lists is the key to greater accomplishments!

Want to see how some of my amazing friends are organizing there way into this new year?! I do! Secretly I also love some messy before and glorious after shots!  Check out these awesome ladies below!

| Domestic Charm | 11 Magnolia Lane | Evolution of Style | Just a Girl and Her Blog |

| Southern State of Mind | Redhead Can Decorate | Chaotically Creative |

| Robb Restyle | Ciburbanity | Windgate Lane | Suburban B’s |

| My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia | This is our Bliss |

xoxo,

B

The post Five Degrees of Clutter appeared first on Windgate Lane.

I knew I loved this house when we pulled up to it! and when we walked inside I fell in love even more! There was just this one thing…. The Kitchen Wallpaper.

Everyone else thought it was red paint in the kitchen- which would have made sence since it was solid!! but alas, it was not paint… it was red wall paper!!!!! Now I didn’t hate it- and was willing to live with it for fear of having to take it down- but why, why, why would you put up a solid color wallpaper?!?!
But living with it I did… and then it happened… that one little tear… and then something else happened another little baby boy….
Every night I would check my little sad tear and even put a drop of glue under it for fear that one of the boys would notice and it would all be over…. Nightmaires I tell you!! a little tiny baby hand gripping that tiny little tear and pulling and pulling and pulling AHHHHH!!
Ok- so this will be anti-climatic… it finally happened.
I tried to be ok with it because I knew we couldn’t afford to have someone take it down and I certainly didn’t want to and then I decided to do it anyway… on a Monday morning and I knew there was no going back.

There were false promises by that wall paper… yes, I am tearing off sooo easy… no I am not and you will be up on this ladder until midnight three nights in a row crying and wondering if you will ever have fingernails again?! I am not going to lie to you people… it was rough and took about a week on my own.  And there are lots of other problems that come with it, that apparently the optimist in me chose to just ignore during the initial stages of ripping it all down.  Like… Wall Texture.  Walls do not look perfect after wall paper removal… at least MY wall paper removal…  I was using a jackhammer- kitchen knives- my teeth- the proper tools!

Ok- now I will try to fast forward this Super long post!! Got the texture done- painted- then bought the 4ft. pieces of bead board ($10/each- needed 4) and chair rail to finish it off ($10).

And a close up of the bead board- I am still going to repaint it a slightly off white- it is a little to white for me right now… but ya know… it’s on my list!:)

There are only a few new nicknacks that I have added- I dearly love my flying pig that I found at a flea market!

And I was going to do a big picture gallery wall behind my table but I am actually loving the simplicity of this pic I took of my two little angels running down a dirt road… and blown up and printed at Kinkos for under $20…

And that is the end of the novel! congrats if you made it! I Hate it because it almost killed me LOVE my kitchen!! it was never horrible with that wallpaper but with no windows and dark cabinets it was always too dark and now it is light and feels so much bigger!So- let the force be with you and take down that wallpaper! It is quite a job but once again I have to stress that every new project I take on- I remind myself that there is nothing that can’t be undone- just go for it!!Have a great week!

The post Kitchen Redo and No More Wallpaper!! appeared first on Windgate Lane.