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 I love this room. So bright and the windows are beautiful.

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Check out the listing for the house here.

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 Another pillow found a home by our desk and added some softness to our vintage chair.



I love the stitching details on this pillow!




 In the dining room, I tried a couple different looks for the table and ended up using one of the Dash & Albert rugs from The Home Market as a runner.  I love the lines and its nubby details.




I also added some rustic cutting boards and a cloche to the kitchen to add color and texture to an otherwise dull little corner.




Thanks to Kate at The Home Market!  I want all the things.

2. Air Shepard has drones fly over rural areas in Africa to protect elephants and rhinos from illegal poaching. Brilliant idea.

3.  I know a lot of you have been reading up on the #distractinglysexy photos, but I just keep coming back to them and laughing out loud. Every time. 4.  How have I not posted this?  Loved the article on our friend Roberto. He's just rad. And Jennifer, his lady, is marvelous. 
Helpful life tip: find a good hope dealer.
5. Need a giant, gorgeous building? I know a guy. And think of the roller skating rink you could have!                                                        

Hey there. So where have I been? If you've made the assumption that I've been off painting and raising children, then you are correct. As always. 
Summer is in full swing but before I even comment on that, let's talk about the basement. People have been stopping me in the street, demanding to know which color I chose for the ceiling. Forks drop at restaurants when I walk in and the mob swarms 'round me, insisting I show them photos of the pocket doors. It's just hard being a little-known blogger in the midwest, you know.
So let me put the basement fever to rest and get to it.
When we purchased the house, the basement was a tragic mess of mold and general filth.  It wasn't really the selling point of the home, but it makes for a good story. 
We drew out plans for the basement using mad design skills and construction began. The basement plan is pretty simple: a family room, playroom, laundry room and storage room. We also decided to leave the ceiling exposed to save money and headroom. 
There are several unavoidable quirks about our basement, but the one that kept me up a night was the giant sewer pipe in front of the fireplace. There's just no hiding it.

The pipe got a fresh coat of matte black spray paint and I hoped for the best.


I also saved some cash (and added some awesome) by reusing some original doors to the house. They turned out so lovely.



 My father-in-law attached the plywood planks to the playhouse and it looks amazing!


We repeated the plank wall just to make the pipe appear slightly cool and totally there on purpose.


This door was a Restore find that I painted black and had installed as a pocket door. On the other side of the window, you can see a peek of the laundry room, which isn't finished yet but is fully functional.

We kept the original fireplace as is for now, except for the brick in front. We replaced that with fabulous patterned tile.








And the pocket doors. There are just not enough words to describe how cool they make the room.



 Sigh.

Old doors just make a room better.