Chez Larsson

Laundry Room, Boiler Room & Pantry ~ Before, in Between & After

Today I'm off to see my mom in the souch of Sweden so I've prepared a couple of before and after post for today and Monday. Enjoy!

~

Laundry room washer side

1998

Recognize the corner hardware we use in the kitchen? This set was in the laundry room and I had actually forgotten it was there before I found this photo. Most of them where in the garage and storage room.

 
2008

Here's what that corner looks like now...

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1998

Lovely isn't it? Wouldn't you want to do your laundry in here. There were wood planks (partly) laid on top of the concrete. I don't mind spiders at all but even I thought it was a bit much to give them all that crawl space in between.
 

2003

As soon as we moved in we ripped the wood planks out and painted the  concrete grey. At his point though we had laid a white tile floor and built the tiled bench and shelves.

 
2008

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Laundry room back of bathroom side

1998

A year before we moved in the previous owners remodeled the bathroom. Sigh. Besides from it not being to our taste at all it was also a sloppy job. Just look at the other side of the bathroom wall, facing the laundry room.

2009

The ugly pipes are now hidden away. This is actually one of Martin's and my favorite DIYs.

2008

For a while we had our map collection on that wall but removed it o I could put the framed print up. I want to put it back somewhere but not sure where.

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Boiler room

1998

Again, don't you feel you just want to hang your clean laundry in here? Dirty mustard walls and ceiling and paint spattered concrete floor. Eeek!

 
2007

This side of the boiler room has a coal shute and it's where the coals were kept back in the days. We turned it in to a storage area. Those shelves are actually old cabinet doors found around the house such as the one in the very top photo.

 
2009

That corner is now my sewing nook. I built the work top out of a hollow core door and the shelves are just planks on metal brackets.

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Basement Pantry

1998

I love having all these little storage spaces downstairs and the pantry is one such area I love. Didn't love it much right at the beginning though.

 
 
2009

Today it's a space I don't mind going into at all. I painted everything white, added some shelves, covered all surfaces with easy to keep clean oil cloth and laid the coir carpet. Fresh and clean!

That's it for today. Have a good weekend!

Oooh! Vote for me!

 

I entered a competition and submitted a photo of our livingroom a while ago and I'm a finalist! Wohoo!

Pretty please help me win 10 000 Swedish kronor (USD 1400) worth of paint and a painter to come do the job for me! I could so sit back and relax and have someone else do the work for me for a change...

All you need to do to vote is to click on this link which will take you straight to the voting page where you click "Rösta" which means "Vote". There's no need to register, you just click on the painted room that takes your fancy and Bob's your uncle!

Thank you so much!
~B.

Troubleshooting for Moira

Cute kitchen. What's the trouble?

I got an e-mail from Moira. She writes:

My husband and I just bought our first place in good ole' North Carolina. It was built in 1900 and has beautiful hard wood floors in some rooms. The only drawback is that it only has 1000 square feet, and the washer, dryer, and hot water heater must stay in the kitchen. I was wondering if you had any ideas on how to incorporate those things into the space. Right now the washer, dryer, refrigerator, and hot water heater are all just lined up on a wall. (it really looks bad)!  I am currently in school to become a physician assistant, so we are living only on my husband's salary. We would love to renovate the entire kitchen, but that is just not possible at the moment.

 
 

Ok, so one side's good and the other one not so. Koli's cute though!

So, my first thought was to shuffle the units around and put the fridge in the left corner and switch the orientation of the doors. That would leave all the lower units on one side. Unfortunately it's not possible because of the positions of dryer vents, water hook ups and electrical cords so here's what I suggest.

I'd remove the shoe cabinets on the left. I'd add counter-tops on either side of the fridge/freezer. The appliances are at different height and above normal kitchen counter-top height but I think it will ground this whole side by adding them.

Because the dryer is the tallest appliance I'd make a cut out at the back of the counter-top to allow for the back lip to appear behind so the whole counter-top doesn't have to be another 4 inches up. I'm sure there are some really deep heavy duty brackets available in the DIY store to which the counter-tops can be attached to so they are suspended above the appliances.

Above the counter-top which is slightly deeper than the deepest appliance, I'd add narrower shelves. I'd go for the same  wood as on the chopping block next to the stove. I'd use white brackets so it will match what goes on on the other side of the kitchen. Another option would be to switch it around and have white shelves with wood brackets.

To hide it all away Moira can add a curtain in front of the lower appliances by adding a thin curtain rod or wire underneath the counter-top.

There. That's what I'd do. Any other suggestions for Moira? 
 

Brainstorm #7

Time for another Brainstorm. This one's for Ibabe from Spain. She wants some ideas for her wooden cigar boxes.

Our friends Sanna and Sebastian came over on Halloween (a tradition with pumpkin soup and the works) and I immediately put them to work on providing some ideas for upcoming brainstorms including this one. Sorry. Thank you!

So here are our suggestions. They can be used with the boxes stripped from labels or as is:

By covering the box with paper and mocking a book cover it could be placed in a bookcase holding hidden jewelry for safe keeping.

To store cigars... (yes, we did have some wine on Halloween).

 I could use some in Wille's room for sticker collections etc.

One could be placed in a high traffic area and used to corral clutter. Lid on and it's gone!

 

Love this idea by Sanna; A surprise After & Before frame. Current photo (of son, daughter, boat, home, kitty etc) goes on cigar box lid and inside goes a before one.

By cutting holes in the lids and gluing pieces of perspex at the back of the lids the boxes can be turned in to deep edge shadow frames.

How about using one as a key cabinet?

I'd use one as  pencil case.

 

My favorite idea is to make them into memory boxes from trips and travels. A few photos, the theater tickets, a couple of candy wrappers, the match box from that great restaurant, a map, the subway stubs etc.

So there are our ideas. Lets here some more from you guys! 


 

Hong Kong and China

Today I'll show you a bunch of random photos from my trip to Hong Kong and China. It was my 8th (or was it 9th or maybe even 10th?) time there so nothing was really new. I remember the first time I went where everything was all exciting and it's not really anymore. I've seen the sites and done the exploring on previous trips so this time just went to the trade fairs and ran a few errands in Hong Kong. The best part about the trip was actually coming home.

 

This is a bakery's shop window in Hong Kong. There was surprisingly little Halloween in HK this year but this cute cake made up for it.

I love 7-Eleven in Hong Kong. It's where I get a mini bottle of wine to take to my hotel room and it's also where I get fun candy for Wille. They also always have cute promotional stuff.

 

Lunch in Hong Kong usually equals sushi for me. This time I had a great view of the Japanese homestore across the aisle.

After two days in Hong Kong my collegues and I took the train into mainland China and Guangzhou where the BIG trade fair is (50 000 booths over a period of a couple of weeks!). It's located in an area of new futuristic buildings with these creepy walkways in between. That's a real taxi down there in the street three stories below. Eeek!

There's a lot of standing around going on in China. Like so...

...and so...

... and again...

... and some more.

Here's one place where I'd rather not be standing. I'm familiar with these "facilities" from France but I refuse to get used to them.

I had very little time to shop in Hong Kong this time but did a mad dash in a Watson pharmacy and besides from the regular cold remedies I get there (much stronger than any stuff we get over here...) I couldn't resist the fever patches. I hope I'll never have to use them but the packaging was to cute to pass up.

My other supermarket sweep type of experience always takes place in one Japanese home store or other. This time I found one I hadn't been in before and besides from some other Japanese necessities like a "New Butterdish" (so glad it wasn't an old one) I just had to have the scouring sponge with the happy dish washer.

Apart from the goodies above I also brought a terrible cold home with me. It's still making me really tired so I'll sign off here and go make myself a cup of tea. Have a lovely Tuesday!

Give Away Winner

Congratulations Amy (with comment 42, drawn at random) to winning the spot in Aby's Get Organized for the Holidays - Before, During + After Workshop!

Amy wrote:

We celebrate almost everything in these winter holidays-Hanukkah, Christmas, Winter Solstice, New Year's...so i need to figure out a plan to incorporate my traditions & my husband's traditions so that we don't overwhelm our son (and me with all the prep!)! Thanks for the chance to win this fantastic class.

For those of you who didn't win this time, I'm sorry, but there's still time to enrol and get organized, class starts tomorrow!  See you there! 

Happy Peaceful Holidays!

 

Happy Halloween!

 

Happy Halloween to You All!
~

Benita, Martin, Wille
Meany & Boohonus
 
 
 
  

Get Organized for the Holidays Workshop ~ Give-Away

It's never too soon to talk about the holidays is it? At least not in my book. Although my job requires me to be in the holiday spirit 12 months of the year (we have our first Christmas campaign meeting at work in January each year...) I still love it and can't wait to start decorating!

The holidays can be really stressful though, there's so much anticipation, so much to do and it can easily become too much.

My friend and sponsor Aby of Simpify 101 has a great workshop on that very subject. It's called Get Organized for The Hoidays Before, During and After and you have a chance to win a spot in the 5 week / 10 lesson online class!

Check out the contents:

• 5 information-packed lessons including holiday planning forms, checklists, and worksheets you can use year after year.

• 6 bonus handouts:

• Bonus handout #1:  Pre-workshop assignment “Create a Holiday Planner.”

• Bonus handout #2: "Simple + Fun Ways to Celebrate Your Holiday Inspiration Statement" by Aby Garvey

• Bonus handout #3: “Tips to Simplify the Season” by Aby Garvey

• Bonus handout #4: “Holiday Meal Planning Made Easy” by Laura of the popular OrgJunkie blog.

• Bonus handout #5: “Simple + Stylish Holiday Decorating Ideas” by Benita Larsson of the popular Chez Larsson blog! Yes, that's me :) and I'll be joining in the forum for a few days too!

• Bonus handout #6: “Holiday Card Organizer Project” by Aby Garvey

• Learn on your time schedule in a format that works for you–online web pages, printable PDF handouts or MP3 audio files.

• Access to the workshop forum and photo gallery for a full 10 weeks.

In all you will:

• Figure what’s most important to you and your family to have a joyful holiday season.

• Create a holiday planner and fill it up with printable forms and worksheets that will organize all aspects of your holiday preparations. 

• Create a customized holiday plan so you can get it all done. You’ll be organized, prioritized and energized!

• Learn practical, doable strategies for simplifying the key areas of your holiday preparations…from cooking, baking and entertaining, to shopping, wrapping and sending out holiday cards.

• Share gift ideas, recipes, holiday traditions, tips and more in the private workshop forum.

• Learn a simple process for getting your holiday gifts put away and your home put back together.

• Learn how to store your holiday décor efficiently and effectively.

• Get tips and ideas for making next year’s holiday season even better than this year, and exchange ideas with your classmates.

• Share photos of your holiday decorations and storage solutions in the online photo gallery.

• Create a simple and fun project to organize your holiday cards so you can enjoy them next year.

I took this class last year and besides from it being great fun (the forum) it also was really, really, useful (the handouts). I learned a lot and enjoyed reading my classmates thoughts on what was important to them during the holidays and it really got me thinking of how I want my own to be.

So, if you want to win a spot in Aby's class which starts November 3rd please let us know via a comment below which one of the workshop topics above interests you the most. Comments will close on Sunday afternoon (my time) and the winner will be announced on Monday! Good luck!

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***EDIT: COMMENTS ARE NOW CLOSED ***

Bathroom & Boatroom ~ Before in Between & After

I'm sneezing and blowing my nose as I'm writing this. Have a terrible cold and as soon as I'm done I'm getting in under the blanket on my favorite armchair. I'm so not going to work! Great thing is that I'll get a bunch of laundry done today. Every cloud does have it's silver lining.

Before and Afters downstairs coming up!

~

Downstairs Bathroom sink side

1998

I guess this was pre homestyling before putting your house on the market. The used tooth brushes and other hygene products on the yellowed plastic shelf really give this bathroom that special touch, no?

 
2008

Still the same tile and basin but we managed to clean up the space slightly. Still not my fave area in the house but I can live with it.

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Bathroom WC side

1998

It as all very utilitarian and not much style. 

2008

A little better.

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Boat room window side

1998

Not very nautical as is but this was to become the boat room. Low ceilings painted dark red, wood floors stained a weird mustard brown and cheapo panels. 

 
2004

Floor boards painted white. Wonky walls covered in fabric, ceiling painted white. And there it is, the little former kitchen table, turned into desk upstairs and then desk in here and later catchall in the storage room.

 
2009

Early this year I ripped the fabric off the walls, wall papered, painted, repainted the ceiling, trim, windows and floor and Martin and I later built the desk along the window wall.

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Boatroom toward garage 

1998

The radiator had this odd position on the wall above the day bed. The boat room is partly under ground so mybe this was what one did back in the days? The door leads outside in front of the garage. Cosy decor, don't you think?

 
2004

We had the radiator removed and repositioned under the window and because of some very weird phone cable placement in the ceiling I did a quick cover up job with a canopy. Good enough for MIL to come stay which was what the room was used for initially.

2008

Here's that same corner a year ago. Martin reluctantly agreed to Billy book cases along the wall (he wanted to custom build the whole thing but I put my foot down seeing as I was the one who would have to paint he whole thing...). The odd choice of widths is due to the door being behind the third book case. We figured, if we ever wanted to have access to the door again we could remove that one section. We added trim and molding to give the whole thing a more built in, less Ikea look.

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Boat room garden corner 

 
2004

Here's what the foot end of the bed and the two book cases that the previous owners left us looked like a few years ago. My best tip if you want to make people happy AND get rid of stuff is to put "For Free!" ads on Craigslist (Blocket over here). We've gotten rid of so much unwanted stuff that way and it gets snapped up and removed within a couple of hours.

2008

 
2008

This is a fun shot because I didn't arrange it, the crew that came over to shoot a commercial at our house a year and a half ago turned the bed around and I loved the look. We kept it like this for a while but ended up turning it around again because Martin didn't want the desk facing the wall.

 
2009

Ok guys, my nose is dripping all over the place. Need to blow it urgently! See ya tomorrow!

WC, Stairs & Downstairs Hallway ~ Before, in Between & After

So from what I understand you don't mind more B&A's so here's another one. This one starts upstairs and ends up in the basement. Enjoy!

~ 

TIny upstairs bathroom

1998

Wasn't it just lovely?  Ivy patterned paper, olive toilet seat, wonky cabinet and lighted mirror. Ugh. Oh and not to forget, the cracked tile floor.

 
2007

This was taken quite a few years later but this space was one of the first I tackled. I say I because there was no way Martin could tackle anything with me in there. We can barely squeeze past each other to get our toothbrushes in the morning. I tore out the masonite boards that the wallpaper was pasted onto and simply sanded the bare wood down a little bit and then painted it all white with water based paint. I laid white floor tiles and installed the glass shelves. And no, I didn't change the toilet and sink. It's the same, just a really bad photo back in 1998, but I did switch seats... Actually, the toilet and sink color was one of my favorite things about the house when we viewed it.

 
2009

Some years later we built the narrow cabinet to the left. It matches the other corner where the pipes run and the dis-symmetry of the space before always bugged me AND we needed more storage. I switched the glass shelves at the back wall to painted wood ones and took the opportunity to give everything else a fresh coat of paint too. Next project to do in here is to lay a new tile floor with under floor heating. Hopefully I'll get it done this fall, around the hoildays or maybe next spring.

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 Stairs

 
1998

Right next to the door to the tiny bathroom is the door to the basement and I remember the feeling of dispair when I saw it after seeing the OK upstairs in terms of decor. Just about every pattern imaginable was represented in this small space. Yellow faux brick wallpaper on two walls, ships-in-stormy-weather paper on two walls, orange faux brick vinyl floor, blue/grey patterned runner on stairs, grey painted stairs, burgundy doors. It was all a bit much. Oh, I almost forgot to mention the lovely open-for-all-to view fuse boxes.

2003

I just had to hide the fuse boxes so I sewed a piece of fabric that I attached at the top of the stairwell and fastened over a pipe at he bottom. Not the most sophisticated solution but at least I didn't have to see the dang things everytime I opened the door. By this time we had tiled the floors downstairs, painted the stairs and the walls. Before painting the walls I removed the old wallpaper by wetting it and rubbing the whole thing off with a scrub sponge...very messy but also very satisfying. Oh, the doors are no longer burgundy, I painted them and the stairs in a sort of jadeite color. Très Martha.

 
2009

I don't know if you can tell the biggest difference here, besided from this being a better photo and that there's a door covering the fuse boxes. The big difference is actually the light switch being white and not black as in the previous photo. By now we had had our whole house rewired. It's something you should definitely consider doing before starting any other renovations but it took us quite a few years to be able to afford it so we did it after we had done almost everything else. We have THE best electricians though so after they were done you could barely notice they'd been here, besides from everything now being safe and with all new (but vintage in style) white light switches.

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Basement Hallway

1998

You are in luck! Not only do you see the ships-in-storm wallpaper up closer but the burgundy doors are very much in your face now. And the bonus, the piece de resistance; the pipe from the upstairs toilet. All lovely features in the downstairs hallway. Actually there is a lovely feature, for real, in this photo. No not the coat but the coat rack. It's is the one we use upstairs now. It's a classic and is still available in some design stores. The cool thing is that it was designed in 1937, the year our house was built. By the way, that door to the left is what we built the bench upstairs out of.

2003

There was virtually no heating in this part of the house so we had a radiator installed in the area of the coatrack (you can just barely see the top of it in the lower left corner ).To disguise it we built a rad cover around it and a book shelf above. The shelves are open at the back so air can circulate. The toilet pipe is still there but not visible from where I was standing.

2008

A little later still and there's a cover which lets air circulate in front of the radiator, an additional shelf had been built next to the now covered up pipes after they had been switched out to new and improved ones.

More downstairs to come.