Ittybittybungalow

I found the fireplace. I owe all of you a lot of thanks for dissuading me from getting the gel fireplace because you were right, I’m going to be much happier with this in the long run. Although it is still not exactly what I wanted I think I made a great compromise. To begin with, it is not a vented model. I wish it was, but they were simply out of the budget. If I could have, I would have, but I can’t. As an unvented fireplace it burns cleanly enough to not require a flue pipe. Which does have some positives. One of which is that all of the heat stays inside the house rather than going out the chimney. I read some mixed reviews online about them but it seems as though, as with anything, if used sensibly will be quite safe and very efficient. Nevertheless, I will be installing an extra C02 detector just to be safe and drilling a vent in the storm window to crack open while it is being used. The instruction manual claims that the fireplace puts out about 26,000 BTUS and can heat about 1,200 square feet (almost double the size of the whole house).It is also equipped with a blower to help circulate the air.

This model is a few years old, but buying it used saved me over $800 dollars and it is exactly the same as what I saw in the showroom. So far I have spent $400 for the unit itself and $75 for the materials I needed to construct the new mantle.

So this is where we are at currently. I built the new mantle from 3/4 inch Oak Veneer Plywood which I had cut to size at The Home Depot. I then screwed it together on a a simple 2×4 frame which I will show you another time. All the screws and the seams and the plywood look will be covered with decorative moldings and stained later. Here’s the general concept:

I’ll also spray paint the brass with the Rustoleum High Heat Spray paint to make them black. And yes, that is a mock-up of the TV on top (because there is nowhere else for it). However, I do have plan for that that I spied online today at Remodelaholic.

Cool right?

My father will be coming up on Sunday to install the gas line. Because that is not for amateur hour.

I got the fireplace today. Its used off Craigslist and was waaay cheaper than a new one. Don’t worry, the brass is not staying. I’m posting from my phone since the internet was tied up in the old mantle. Standby for more updates.

Rochester got quite a bit of snow overnight from a winter storm. The roads were a little dicey last night, but overall the storm wasn’t much more than business as usual for us. However, it did make the neighborhood look like a winter wonderland.

After I dug myself out, I took advantage of the day to install some weather-stripping around the front door. This is probably one of those projects that should have been done a long time ago. It only took about twenty minutes to install and I think it will go a long way to help keep out the drafts. You can see the gap near the lockset is pretty wide here.

After I was all done the seal was much better.

I read a lot of blogs. In fact, so many blogs that I recently cancelled cable and don’t seem to care. Of all of these blogs only my real favorites make it to the Blogroll here. I’ve done a little housekeeping over there. Some bloggers have moved on to greener pastures (Stucco Bungalow, If your reading this, I’m dying to see whatever happened to your bathroom!) so they have been removed. To fill their places I’ve added some newer favorites.

Speaking of other Blogs…

I’ve mentioned before the false fireplace in the living room  that I made to replace the original that was once in  there. I like it, its fine… but I wish it was real.

The last couple weeks have been bitter cold and I’ve been using a space heater to take the chill out of the corners of the house. As you know, I read a lot of blogs and I’ve noticed a lot of people going to the next step with their fake fireplaces. They have done such a great job with it, managing to walk on the better side of a thin line of really cool and tacky.

The most recent of these has been over at A Country Farmhouse. Let’s just start of by saying everything Trina and her husband do is very tasteful and this fireplace is no exception.  

When you look closer you can see she used an electic insert

Which she then covered with an antique screen to complete the total illusion, quite effectively in my opinion. If you have a chance, check out the entire renovation of her guest house.

Another impressive fake fireplace that I spied was at Just So Lovely. In her basement another electric insert was used to create a similar fireplace.

Her blog has a very descriptive and helpful step by step tutorial that anyone follow.

It’s true that you could go purchase one of these pre-built at the hardware store, but I think the look is much more convincing when you have the ability to build your mantle to the correct proportion and with a style that is appropriate to your home.

One more blog that has done something similar to this, although without the electric insert is The Hunted Interior. Kristen made this really great example in a fashion much like the others but used the area that would be a firebox to fill with log slices.

 How cool is that?

So if I do venture down the electric inset path its going to create the where do I put my TV drama that always accompanies a room with a fireplace. Let me propose a possible solution. If I nix the side chair and suitcase end table I can create a built-in bookcase to the side of the fireplace. Then I can mount the TV inside with a swing arm mount like this one. This will allow me push the tv in and out of the shelf when in and out of use. In the attic are the original doors to the mantle bookcase that used to be here and I can use those to add to the front of the bookcase, hiding the entire operation.

Something like this without the bench to the right:

Or maybe… I just save my pennies and get a gas inset put in and be done with this nonsense.

My blog and I are in  the middle of  giant fight right now. My apologies for the recent blank post.

I’m trying to improve the Before & After page and other consistency issues but the images will not align correctly in the WordPress editor or in Windows Live Writer especially when I try to make them go side by side. I’ve tried to circumvent the issue by inserting images into tables and then tried a gallery plug in for the Before & After page and that’s when things got ugly.

I must say blogging IS NOT EASY. Over the past year and some change that I have been doing this I’ve learned a lot. One of the biggest things I’ve come to understand is the incredible about of time, dedication and sheer skill it takes to do this well. So kudos to all you guys out there knocking out of the park on a weekly and sometimes even daily basis. To be a good home blogger you have to be a good writer and speller (which I am not), you have to be a good photographer (another thing I am not) and you have to be a halfway decent web designer with graphic design skills to boot (that’s another  BIG no)yet, these are only the backend skills. On top of all of this you have to be handy around the house and full of creativity to do something interesting enough for people to care to read about. Oh, and don’t forget straight-up fearless in a “Hello word, come into my house and judge it!” kind of way.

I’m left wondering what other people are using to create their blog posts, and if they have had this image alignment issue I’m referencing before and how they’ve rectified it, any tips would be very helpful to me.

There is no reason to have blank walls. There is also no reason purchase art from Target, Marshalls or TJ Max. But I’ll be honest… there is nothing as intimidating as a big, blank wall. As I’ve settled into my house over the past year I’ve had some trouble with this myself, but I’m finally getting to a spot where I have been able to find just the right thing for just the right spaces and I paid very little for all of them. So here are some ideas I’ve used here, maybe they’ll be of use to you.

Dishes:

I found a set of Ironstone dishes like these at a thrift store. They are stained and crazed but that’s why I lov’em. I think I paid about twelve dollars for them.

See more eclectic dining room designs

Vintage Family Photos:

Check out this collection of vintage family photos. The frames are just as interesting to look at. When you find yours you can take the originals to Target and had them enlarged, color corrected and reprinted for less than five dollars each.

Photo by Kara Mosher. See more contemporary staircase designs

Authentic Vintage Signs:

I dug an”Open To The Public” sign out of corner at a consignment shop. I paid about ten bucks for it.  Another, “Fire House Connection” sign came from an estate sale, if I remember correctly it cost around two dollars and hangs in my living room. I think the real key here is finding AUTHENTIC peices. The ones that say things like “live, laugh, love” do not count. I really love the size and style of the one used here.

Photo by ENJOY Co.. See more rustic bedroom designs

Maps:

What a fun pop of color on an otherwise blank wall.

See more modern spaces designs

Or what about nautical charts for a more subdued look?

See more traditional bedroom designs

Clocks:

An old clock provides a functional wall filler here.

Photo by Rauser Design. See more farmhouse kitchen designs

Book and Calendar Illustrations:

Find a coffee table book of images or artists you like and cut it up. There are also all kinds of really great calendars you can find to use as well.

An Antique Mirror Grouping:

Keep your eyes open for interesting mirrors. Large ones, small ones and ones of various sizes to create an interesting combination.

Antique Group Shots:

I’ll admit there is something creepy about a large group of dead strangers on your wall but I really like the way they create an interesting collection on the wall.

Photo by sarah & bendrix. See more eclectic living room designs

Vintage Ads:

Find something unique and interesting. There are 1,000s to choose from online but steer clear of Chat Noir and Parapluie Revel it’s not unique at all.

See more rustic family room designs

Shadow Boxes:

Do you have something really special to you? An antique pocket watch? A ribbon from the State Fair? Find a deep frame and hot glue or wire it in.I really like this idea of the labeled champagne corks.

Photo by Pour Toujours. See more eclectic spaces designs

A Special Card:

Ever get a handwritten card or note that said just the right thing? Frame it and remind yourself you are special everyday.Or… If nobody thinks you are special, you can always hang some of these vintage ones which you can find 1,000s of at any antique store.

See more coastal spaces designs

Your Trendy Instagram Photos:

Print them out and frame them,nothing ever looks bad with a washed out grainy filter. The most difficult part is finding the right size frame. Keep an eye out at the dollar store.

Photo by GM Construction, Inc.. See more tropical family room designs

Thrift Store Art:

This take some patience but you can really come out with some gems. Paint by numbers, sketches and other cast offs can become very interesting when properly curated and hung.

See more eclectic bedroom designs

Leaf Presses:

I really like the look of these leaf presses. I did something like this at my backdoor. I gathered all the leaves myself and then simply framed them. This is almost free to do.

See more farmhouse hall designs

DIY:

Lastly, you could always make your own. Look at this… I bet you could make it from cardboard.

Photo by Croma Design Inc.. See more modern bedroom designs

or string…

When you’re doing all of this hanging. Don’t forget to the size and composition of your peices. Even a simple print  like this Keith Haring example can look quite dramatic on a large scale, or divided into several peices like this map below it.

Photo by Niki Papadopoulos. See more modern living room designs

Photo by Molly McGinness Interior Design. See more transitional dining room designs

Whatever you do, make sure it is personal. Have a story about where it came from, what it means to you, how you made it or what it says about you. Don’t ever hang anything with out a mat and don’t take it too seriosuly; well… maybe a little seriously.