The first thing that we had to do during our kitchen renovation is remove the tiled and textured ceiling. We plan on replacing it with drywall, and although it sounds boring, it’s something that needs to be done and will make a big difference in the overall appearance of the room!

During the renovations we ripped out some strange wood veneer along the wall which revealed this original drywall wall and paint color from the 1950’s. You can almost see the faded shelving and picture marks from the original owners.

The wood planks across the ceiling were used to hold up the tiling and will now be used to hold up drywall. With a bit of work we’ve prepped the ceiling by removing the tiles, staples and nails. Finalized kitchen plans and a layout is order as we continue to browse for more inspiration.

From here we do some fun stuff  like block off the doorway to create a new wall and destroy the cupboards!

Hi Everyone! Just an update that we’ll be guest blogging for one of our favourite blogs, Poppytalk this month!

We’re sharing our vintage ideas, inspiration and home decor every Tuesday! Check out our first post HERE!

Well this is an embarrassing photo. Here is our kitchen before, or should I say in the middle of it’s third renovation. We’ve tried so many things and nothing looks good! It’s been painted white, green and grey over the years and still we’re not happy. The cupboards are in your face, the storage isn’t there, there’s no room for eating, there’s too many awkward glances at the neighbours through the kitchen window… It’s just not working for us with this current layout.

We’re thinking open shelving, new countertop and flush back splash. Great lighting and some Benjamin Moore Snowfall White paint.

As you can see almost everything here needs to be changed. This is the original flooring we found after removing fake hardwood planks. We’re thinking about cutting wide plywood planks for the flooring and painting them white like we did in the bedroom.

We’ve taken over the “dining room” space which has now become a second office and we’re in need of a spot to eat. We’re planning on closing this arched doorway and putting up a wall with an eating area and cupboards above. Nobody seems to like that we’re closing up the doorway, but trust us! It’s a good idea, you’ll see :)

There’s still tons of other work that needs to be done but we’ll keep you updated on the progress over the next couple of weeks as we move along!

Since the living room make-over, we’ve moved our offices into the spare room and studio. Although we’re just getting started, I ordered a few things online to make my desk a little more comfortable. Color was the first thing the room was lacking so I added this vintage orange task lamp.

Other additions include a desk planner, vintage vase and stapler, and an oversized, 70’s inspired calculator from Japan. I have a mac wireless keyboard without a num lock pad so the calculator gets a lot of use!

I also bought some Japanese stationary products and this cute Tokyo landscape notebook from Macey Mack. The wooden storage drawer is vintage and the patchwork leather wallet is perfect for cards!

Hope you like it! We won’t be doing any major renos to our offices until the kitchen is finished (more on that tomorrow), but the space definitely feels a lot more comfortable already!

August has been a super busy month for us but we’ve managed to make some progress on the house. We bought this vintage sheepskin rug and I think it’ll be perfect for the upcoming fall and winter weather.

The rug has a perfect off-white color and our cat seems to love it (I can’t decide if that’s a good or bad thing)! We just need some more colorful pillows, blankets and a pair of new slippers and we’re ready for fall!

Right now we’re also in the midst of a serious kitchen renovation – I’m talking wall knock-out, cupboard destroying, new ceiling mess. But that mess is for Friday’s post! Enjoy your Wednesday night!

p.s, we also moved the sofa to the other side of the room, oh decorating!

We’ve been taking advantage of the last of the warm weather around here and heading to the beach often for a picnic and some swimming.

Here’s one of our favourite spots, in a bay, across from a lighthouse. Below the high cliffs there is an uninhabited rocky beach.

Uninhabited because the hiking trail isn’t exactly for beginners, or anyone wearing flats for that matter! But it’s worth it.

My trusty Pawling Print Squares Tote which fits a full picnic, towels, sunscreen, a large water bottle and MORE!

Setting up a spot on the beach.

And swimming!

Hope you’re all enjoying your summer! We’ll be updating the blog soon with some home renos and shots around the house!

Hi Everyone!

First off we want to thank everyone that entered our Ampersand Giveaway and all your kind words! Because of the overwhelming response (311 comments!) we decided to pick TWO WINNERS for this giveaway!

The winners are: Anna @ D16 and Mojgan Fay! We’ll be contacting you soon!

If you still love our ampersands we’re offering all of our commenters 40% off (that’s $50 off!) our Ampersands now until the end of the month! Just leave the code “GIVEAWAY” under “notes” during checkout and we’ll refund you the $50 difference right away via Paypal.

Thanks again and have a great week!

Daniel recently acquired this vintage brass beetle boot jack that used to belong to his great grandmother. We’ve placed it in the entrance and it really brings a pop of metallic color and something unusual to the space.

It’s always nice to acquire a vintage piece that used to belong in the family, it just has more meaning and you know there’s something special about it.