Tag Archives: Home

Confession // DIY’ing ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.

I’d be happy if I never had to look at this room again…for real!  Despite being the tiniest room in the house, it’s been the biggest pain in the you know what to fix. What’s even worse is that we haven’t really started with any of the real transformation stuff. All I’ve managed to do is chip […]

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March 28, 2012 - 11:00 pm

Life with Kaishon - I can’t imagine!!! You are the hardest worker I know Maddylicious!

March 29, 2012 - 12:06 am

yummychunklet - The stairs do look fantastic!

March 29, 2012 - 12:27 am

Punctuation Mark - i need to get some home improvement done and I’m procrastinating about getting it done!

March 29, 2012 - 2:16 am

Tiera - The stairs look great! And your office will look great too, soon enough :)

March 29, 2012 - 7:29 am

Amy - Poor Maddy! Don’t you just hate it when you start a project that seems to never end?! Just remember, this too shall pass . . . and then you’ll be working away in your fabulous office, look at a wall, and think, “That chipping wasn’t so bad.” Okay, maybe you won’t think that last part . . . but the office will be fabulous! :)

March 29, 2012 - 7:52 am

lou - good luck with the room even though i can understand that you’re fed up with chipping. but the result will be awesome. i’m sure! heads up!

March 29, 2012 - 7:56 am

Home GIrl - Great progress…remember slow and steady wins the race. THe room that you are chipping paint in….please tell me that you are using a heat gun or a blow dryer to soften the paint before chipping?? If you do, it shouldn’t be that hard to take off. Try it and let me know if you are still having problems. Keep up the good work. It will pay off.

March 29, 2012 - 8:26 am

The Guilty Hyena - The iron railings look good as new, I can imagine all these projects need plenty of planning and oodles of patience but it will all be extremely rewarding !! :)

March 29, 2012 - 8:32 am

Cafe Fashionista - Your staircase is just beautiful, Maddy! And I absolutely adore the hardwood floors – they would be perfect for dancing! Though I truly cannot imagine the amount of work that DIY’ing a house can be – I don’t know if I’d have the patience for such an undertaking. :/

P.S. I was a huge dancer as a child (and my mom has about nine billion pictures to illustrate this – all showing me in a different recital outfit :P); but I didn’t stick with it the way I wish I had. I recently took it up again, however, and everything I learned back then is flooding back to me, and I love it. I feel free when I dance! :)

March 29, 2012 - 9:14 am

Priscilla - It looks great!!! Can’t wait to visit : )

March 29, 2012 - 10:15 am

Piper - I couldn’t agree more!!! After 5 years working on our almost 100 year home, I’m just about done with the whole DIY/renovation thing!! But look how beautiful they came out – it was worth it :)

March 29, 2012 - 10:38 am

Maddy {Mad Hearts Photography} - No ma’am….I had no clue that would help! But I will be busting out the blow dryer tonight to see if we can speed up chipping the remaining part of the room!

March 29, 2012 - 10:39 am

rooth - Everything looks like it’s falling into place though. Kudos to you all for taking on this type of project

March 29, 2012 - 10:39 am

Maddy {Mad Hearts Photography} - I’m not sure I have the patience for it either, but I’m taking it one day at a time. And how cool that you were a tiny dancer growing up! I’m not surprised though, you’re such a girly girl – you were born to be a dancer! :)

March 29, 2012 - 11:22 am

Maddy {Mad Hearts Photography} - Wow! 100 year old house! Very cool! We saw a few of those beauties and fell in love , but we also knew that we didn’t have the time (or patience!) for such a massive undertaking. We’re barely managing with out 1930’s home :)

March 29, 2012 - 11:25 am

Piper - hee hee, maybe i over exaggerated – but we’re close – we have a 1926 house. only a few more years though until it hits the century mark :)

March 29, 2012 - 11:34 am

Tiffany B. - Love, love the stairs. I grew up in a house with a iron railing and i love it.

March 29, 2012 - 11:45 am

Maddy {Mad Hearts Photography} - Well, I’m sure it still possesses all the charm of a century-old home :) That’s why we decided to go with the older house – charming one-of-a-kind features. Even though I complain about all the work involved, I know it’s going to be great once it’s all done :)

March 29, 2012 - 12:03 pm

Maddy {Mad Hearts Photography} - The iron railing is growing on me :) I’m sure once we change the ceiling fixture, it will look much better!

March 29, 2012 - 2:23 pm

Emily - Dude I can totally relate to being over a home improvement project. Don’t get me started on the backyard project that took 11 months.

The stairs looks great though!! Awesome job Kleber!

March 29, 2012 - 4:00 pm

Elle sees - Such patience! But such good results to come.

March 30, 2012 - 9:36 am

Mindy - the house looks great! those floors look ripe for some sock skating :)

March 30, 2012 - 11:52 am

Adrion - looking good! I love the transformation.

March 30, 2012 - 3:31 pm

Bonnie - This place looks GORGEOUS. I’m in shock and awe. :)

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March 30, 2012 - 4:40 pm

Sabine - You’re working to such a high standard, Maddy, the staircase looks amazing. The small room might take time, but I’m sure in the end your office will be the jewel of the house.

March 30, 2012 - 4:51 pm

Gloria - Haha I say throw some cute wallpaper up and call it a day :-) The stairs look great!

March 30, 2012 - 5:30 pm

Christina Lee - Oooh pretty stars. *pets* And that room is going to ROCK!

March 30, 2012 - 10:39 pm

Sarah - Wow, the stairs look amazing! Gosh I bet you can’t wait to get that room done. What a project!

March 31, 2012 - 3:55 pm

camille - i like the railings! and i think your office it’s gonna be great! you’re always so creative!

April 1, 2012 - 9:37 am

Audrey Allure - The stairs look really good! Good luck with finishing up your soon to be beautiful office space! :)

April 1, 2012 - 10:40 am

Buckeroomama - Just think when you finally have that room done up… I’m sure it will be just as beautiful as the rest of the house. What would make this (all of it!) all the more precious is that you guys did it yourselves!

April 1, 2012 - 1:52 pm

chavonne - I hope the blow dryer tip helped you out a bit. And yay for Keebler!!! A helpful husband makes a big difference :). I’ve pretty much put our home plans on the back burner due to all the traveling but I’m hoping to get back on track this summer since I’ll be off of work.

Confession // I’m Kinda In Love With My Living Room.

It’s far from complete, but it’s starting to look cozier and more like “us” with each passing day.  After much debate, we finally agreed on a sofa we could both enjoy: the Martha Stewart Club. I fell in love with its mocha finish and basketweave upholstery.  He fell in love with its wider and comfortable […]

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March 5, 2012 - 12:17 am

Tiffany B. - I love it as well, great job. I love how bright your living room is and that green pillow on the sofa. Thank you for sharing all the house photos.

March 5, 2012 - 12:26 am

Donna - I love it too! The peachy/cream curtain against the grey… the striped rug.. gallery wall.. I love it all! Can’t wait to see the rest.

March 5, 2012 - 12:48 am

Leia - It looks wonderful! I’ve been on the hunt for a carpet exactly like that, but couldn’t find one so settled for something else.

March 5, 2012 - 7:46 am

sandy - I love the black and white contrast! It’s beautiful Maddie!

March 5, 2012 - 7:56 am

Amy - Black & white with a splash of color makes me giddy–LOVE it!

And it makes all that work worth it, non?! :)

March 5, 2012 - 8:09 am

lou - i’m in love with your living room, too! especially the floors are stunning. now everything fits together perfectly. wishing you loads of happy moments there!!

March 5, 2012 - 8:57 am

yummychunklet - I’d be in love with that living room as well!

March 5, 2012 - 11:04 am

Camila Faria - Beautiful Maddy!!! Looks like one of those rooms we see in decor magazines. Love it!

March 5, 2012 - 12:05 pm

The Guilty Hyena - It’s lovely Maddie !! the sofa definitely has the best of both worlds I like the sofa legs it compliments your rug and photo frames. :)) can’t wait to see more.

March 5, 2012 - 1:24 pm

Keeley @ My Life on a Plate - Great job! I love that you’re doing contemporary-ish/transitional-ish decorating in your traditional/colonial style home. Very nice. Clean lines, modern edge… good stuff!

March 5, 2012 - 1:49 pm

Maddy {Mad Hearts Photography} - I have no idea what to call it (except a hodge podge of the things we like), but I’m glad it has a name-ish :) lol!

March 5, 2012 - 1:58 pm

Maddy {Mad Hearts Photography} - Glad you noticed the legs – it was definitely one of the reasons I picked it. It gives it the more polished look that I wanted, without compromising on comfort :)

March 5, 2012 - 3:07 pm

Gloria - Great couch pick, and I’m really loving the striped rug!

March 5, 2012 - 6:52 pm

Elle Sees - confession: ME TOO!!!

March 6, 2012 - 8:10 am

Jennifer_StudioJRU - What a beautiful room! And that couch… love the couch! :)

March 6, 2012 - 8:45 am

Cafe Fashionista - I am going to be honest here, Maddy…the more pictures I see of your place, the more I want to move in with you. Seriously. Everything looks so incredible. And that couch…LOVE IT!! :)

March 6, 2012 - 10:18 am

Mindy - isnt it great when you and the dh can compromise on stuff like this? The sofa looks fab and I love the photos above it! It looks like you have gorgeous natural light coming in, too :)

March 6, 2012 - 10:38 am

Buckeroomama - Ooh, I love it!m I love the wall of photos behind your couch and I love how the b/w stripes of your rug kind of ‘leads’ to the photos… perfect!

March 6, 2012 - 10:50 pm

chavonne - I love it too! look at all the light that comes through your window

March 6, 2012 - 10:58 pm

Jade @ Tasting Grace - It is a beautiful room! I love the little splashes of color. I’d love to have a room that looked like this, though somehow I doubt I’d manage to keep all that white looking clean!

March 7, 2012 - 8:23 am

Sarah - Dodeline Design - I love it Maddy! Especially the photos above your sofa! It looks so clean and inviting. Great job guys!

March 8, 2012 - 9:58 pm

JIN @ Love Loss & Lacquer - sooooo pretty

March 9, 2012 - 10:54 am

rooth - Beautiful – where is that coffee table from?!

March 9, 2012 - 11:29 am

Maddy {Mad Hearts Photography} - Hey rooth! Thanks for stopping by! I found the coffee table at Home Decorators Collection. I wanted a rustic table and this one was reasonably priced and looks great and sturdy! I highly recommend it :)

March 20, 2012 - 1:32 pm

Nadette@Eat, Read, Rant! - I’m definitely in love with your living room! Loving the black and white photography on the wall and the coordinating carpet.

Quick Tip // Removing Paint from Hardware

We had already purchased new knobs before realizing they did not fit properly in our existing doors. We were faced with the decision to either buy new doors with standard openings or salvage the existing knobs and hinges (that were covered in paint). We chose the latter. Luckily, this project was a super simple one! A few hours in […]

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February 29, 2012 - 1:41 am

kelleyn - Great job!

February 29, 2012 - 7:45 am

lou - hooray! sometimes it can be so easy :-)

February 29, 2012 - 8:33 am

Cafe Fashionista - Gah! That is such an incredible discovery, Maddy! I feel like I am learning all about the home buying / renovating process vicariously through you. It will definitely come in handy for me in the future! :)

February 29, 2012 - 8:36 am

yummychunklet - Great tip!

February 29, 2012 - 9:58 am

Amy - I love it when a plan comes together. Easily. :)

And for the record–I think those knobs have character (leave it to me, naturally).

February 29, 2012 - 10:12 am

Maddy {Mad Hearts Photography} - I like that they have character too! The cheapest door knobs they had at the store look like the ones you’d find at the office…bleh!

February 29, 2012 - 10:36 am

JWS3 - everything is so DIY with you guys…

February 29, 2012 - 10:58 am

Sarah - Dodeline Design - Wow what a great tip! Good for you! I actually really like those knobs!

February 29, 2012 - 11:17 am

Camila Faria - You guys are so clever! And YAY for all the money you saved!

February 29, 2012 - 11:40 am

Gloria - Who knew the slow cooker had so many uses?? This is great to know!

February 29, 2012 - 1:35 pm

The Guilty Hyena - A tidy little restoration project :)

February 29, 2012 - 1:53 pm

Elle sees - I had no idea about the knobs…I figured it was a One Size Fits All deal. Glad you figured out how to rework em

February 29, 2012 - 3:23 pm

Maddy {Mad Hearts Photography} - It usually is, but since our house was built in 1939, some of the features are no longer considered standard. So the holes on the doors didn’t fit the new standard knobs…go figure! I thought changing the knobs was going to be a breeze…

February 29, 2012 - 3:46 pm

Tiera - I love DIY fixes like this! And I’m so glad you guys are having success with all the home improvement stuff you’re doing on you own!!

March 1, 2012 - 2:22 pm

Krysten - So helpful, thanks!

March 1, 2012 - 5:21 pm

Sabine - What a fantastic trick! I guess you not only saved money, the old ones might also look much prettier.

March 2, 2012 - 1:45 am

Angelia Sims - Excellent tip! I love those door knobs. Glad you were able to salvage them. :-)