Pantry, Roofs, and Closets.

Busy weekend here at Zoo View Home.  We had long ago decided that we needed more storage in the kitchen, so I spent some time looking at thinks we can do.  I decided that a free standing pantry would be the best option.  We needed something tall, wide and relatively shallow.  Ikea's Besta shelving unit was perfect.  

Here's what we had before:

 The bar has been moved to the living/dining room, to make room for the new pantry.  Here's what we have now:

It looks much larger in this photo than it does it real life (said no man ever!).  We need to add handles, but I'm looking forward to having much more storage space in the kitchen. 

We thought we had a small leak in our roof, so we have had some roofers come out and estimate the repair, and the replacement of the entire roof.  One roofer said that we didn't have much of a leak, and wasn't an emergency situation.  We are thinking we have the roof replaced in November or December. 

After much persistence from Nick, we finally finished the office closet.  

 

 It will be the central storage location for many items.  The left side with the pegboard will be for tools, and the right side will be for tall items.  I will update you on the details of the storage in the coming weeks, as we fill it up. 

We are currently preparing for Hurricane Isaac, which has moved more west, and will not be that bad after all.  Hurricane Romney is another story.  It's going to be very disruptive this week, with the RNC in town.

Anyone else have a busy weekend or week?

Guest Bathroom Update

I was unhappy with the medicine cabinet above toilet in the guest bathroom.  I kept thinking that it was ugly, old, and visually took up too much space.  

 I took down the cabinet to find the previous color, a nice blue gray color.

 I sanded and patched the holes, and to match the texture of the wall, I sprayed an orange peel wall texture, which is available at any home improvement store. 

I painted it, and now it's difficult to see where the cabinet used to be.

Before and After:

I plan to add a shelf and some artwork.  It should bring in some personality, and color.

Have you completed any small updates recently?

Belrossa

I have an incredibly talented sister, Julie, who about a year ago, quit her job, and started her own business, Belrossa.  

 She finds vintage, salvaged, and sustainable items, and recycles them into beautiful items.  She creates housewares, jewelry, handbags, and accessories.  They are awesome.

 She does it all herself, in her tiny apartment, in Green Bay, Wisconsin.  She also has a wonderful blog, that is mostly about her personal life, but does give you peeks into her shop. 
 You can buy her items online at her Etsy shop year round, or seasonally at craft fairs in Green Bay, or at the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago this September. 

Office Closet Progress

After weeks of slacking, I finally got going with the office closet.  We cut and sanded the pieces last weekend, and this weekend I started painting some of the pieces. 

These are the installed back supports.  I also installed the supports along the left side, the brackets for the top shelf, and the top shelf.  

Next weekend, I'm on vacation so nothing will be done, but I'm hoping that we will finish this by the end of August.