July updates.
I can’t believe we have been residents at Forest Lane for over a month now!
We closed on Stowe today and can finally put all of our time, energy and focus into our new home. Gone are the days of sleeping on the floor and we have a fully furnished suite in our basement. We’ve been chipping away at some things that we know won’t be changing for awhile. Since we are redesigning our entire first level, it was important to have a comfortable space downstairs that feels like home in the meantime. It’s far from perfect still - the french doors are still half glazed, curtains are hemmed with pins, furniture is a bit mismatched, and our bathrooms are something to be desired, but it’s pretty cozy!
A few things I’m celebrating right now:
Painted the brick fireplace white
Power washed the deck and it looks brand new!
Refinished the doors and windows in the den, from oak to white + black hardware
Thrifted lots of new pieces
Installed new curtain rods from Crate and Barrel - officially my LEAST favorite design activity, definitely had to hang the bedroom one twice. Amen for drywall patch!
I love our large windows and doors but sheesh, we need XL/150” rods and 4 curtain panels each, plus I got double rods for the bedroom and living room. Do the math… that’s 5 rods and 28 curtain panels just in the basement (there goes the budget).
I’ve been busy decorating and meanwhile, Tim has been making our house smart! Living in a big house, these changes have made such a difference in the functionality of our space.
He built us a mesh network. Each of our rooms is equipped with some kind of Google node device to improve our wifi signal throughout the house (not to mention you can use them as intercoms so we can hear each other from different levels!)
In case you’re wondering, here’s a brief description from https://bestreviews.com/best-mesh-wifi-systems.
Mesh networking technology takes a more flexible approach to WiFi: each mesh WiFi system includes multiple identical nodes that you place in key locations, with one attached to your modem. Then, when you connect to the internet, the nodes work together to send the data to the one you’re closest to. The best part: it’s all seamless. With a mesh WiFi system, you get one giant WiFi network with multiple access points.
Most of our light bulbs were replaced with Philips hue lights. We can link them together by room, automate them on timers (great for waking you up in the morning or creating a reading mood at night), and control them by phone or voice via Google.
We installed motion lights. Our 40 foot hallway now has motion sensors so that as soon as we come down either stairwell, all four sconces light the way. The hall is narrow, the ceilings are low, and there is no source of natural light. And of course, each sconce has its own light switch so turning them off and on was such a pain. Problem solved, thanks honey! :)
For those of you who were following along with the great-sconce-debate, I replaced those ugly yellow things with these affordable white sconces - just $35 each from Target.com. I wasn’t ready to pull the trigger on something nicer so these will do for now.
Here are a few iPhone snaps of our progress!
