Posts tagged #houston townhome

Oh, hey, living room... And you thought you were done!

Another update to the living room! Because a home is never done. Well, at least this home is never really done - too many ideas, all competing for the little space available! 

So, the latest and greatest around here is this practical addition... Also known as, storage. Better yet, hidden storage! That also acts as a display for meaningful things that had no home before. Win/win!

I had been eying the IKEA's Besta series for a while. On Pinterest. In IKEA. Some more on Pinterest... But I never pulled the trigger for some reason. That is, until I voiced my idea, which was not only liked but rather enthusiastically embraced... Yes! All the encouragement I needed! Off to IKEA we went.

Here is what we came home with:

(x2) Besta Frames  (x4) Lappviken Doors  (x4) Besta Soft Closing Hinges  (x4) Nannarp Legs (x2) Blankett Pulls (not on the IKEA site but available in the store)

Some 2 hours later... and we had ourselves new, behind-doors storage for all sorts of unsightly things and convenient display for all things beautiful. What a great start for the week! 

Posted on August 24, 2016 by Katya Popova and filed under Design + DIY and tagged living room townhome houston townhome house tour IKEA besta Besta hack.

Let's talk Capri!

Oh, wait... that's not Capri now, is it? 

That, too, shall come! Promise! In the meantime, as I was looking through the archives, I realized that this blog is turning into a travel diary and travel diary alone. Not that I am complaining (not even one bit)... but I thought it was time to go back to the basics and talk a little bit about interior design! So.. without further adieu, did you notice that brand new living room?? Let's take an even closer look... (oh, hey, Rebel!). 

Goodbye, old and beloved sofa! You will be somewhat, but not really, missed. Welcome home, sweet, beautiful, lounge-ful, comfortable, big-enough-for-two-(maybe three, if you count Rebel) sectional! What a difference!

This amazing home addition is one of those fine moments of opportunistic shopping I tend to enjoy the most. But first... What inspired even wanting a new couch? Well, apparently, the old beloved sofa was just not good (big) enough for two to lounge on comfortably. As simple as that. So, after observing a few data points (aka a few uncomfortable nights of watching The West Wing), a decision was made. And this was the plan:

The biggest and baddest IKEA sectional available, plus a few (well, 16) custom legs from Etsy... plus a new coffee table. And, yep... Yet another testament as to how design plans usually don't work out quite as you expect them to! And so glad they didn't! Because, as we were walking through IKEA (a rather distraught-looking IKEA, by the way - they have a habit of constructing right when you need them not to!), we stumbled upon this perfection of an As-Is sectional! At half the originally planned-for budget! 

Now we can't seem to get unglued from it. We love it so much! It's perfect for reading, Netflix binging, napping, cuddling... you name it. Pure perfection.

With that said... let's get back to business - diversifying some of this blog content! As I was working through my Italy recaps, two more amazing trips happened: Orlando, FL and Washington, DC. Both of which are well worth the share (and not necessarily aiding in this diversification effort...:)

I am also in the middle of amping up my cooking and reading experiments. Also, Chewie got his portrait hung in the entryway. Not sure how he feels about it...

Oh well... He will surely warm up to it. Eventually. 

Posted on August 2, 2016 by Katya Popova and filed under Design + DIY and tagged houston townhome home tour home decor new sofa nockeby ikea.

I just can't seem to stand still...

I recently learned that there are a few positive things that happen when your doctor tells you to stop pretty much any activity (and especially running and tennis) for 6-8 weeks. First, you get a chance to perfect your crow pose (I am on week two of almost daily hot yoga workouts and I have to admit I am starting to really like it). And second, you get more free time than you have ever had to spend on home projects!

Today, I wanted to catch you up on the latter (I also think yoga deserves its very own post because it has had quite the positive impact on my wellbeing and you deserve to know all about it!). 

Without further adieu, let's dive into number 1: freshly added patio lighting! (installation was courtesy of my incredible friends Matt and Britney who had a thousand other better things to do on a Wednesday night but instead, they were hanging these with me for three hours!). 

I had been planning on installing lights on my patio ever since I got rid of my ooooold awning above the dining room. What pulled the trigger this time around was Britney (same friend from installation fame) spotting these guys at Costco. Three light strings, a few installation hiccups, and a remote control later, my patio now looks like a French cafe at night. LOVE the results! And, it's finally cool outside and I get to enjoy it!

2: mulch. My flower beds were needy. Mostly needy for water but also for some rich color that would contrast the freshly planted blue succulents. Today saw the addition of 2 full bags of brown mulch (well, soon-to-be three because two is apparently not enough): 

3. more (stylish) comfortable seating! Not so much because I needed it but because I came across this Acapulco-style chair for a mere $60. And goodness, it is so comfortable:

4: and speaking of succulents, I have added a ton of new ones... I decided that if I want to have a pretty yard, planters is the way to go. It's a mere function of having  a crazy (sweet) dog chasing lizards he knows he can't catch all day long:

And, last but not least, since it's October already, I have added some 5. much-needed splashes of Halloween decor. Come to think of it, needed is perhaps not the right word. Rather, it is wanted. Because this blogger will be throwing her very first official Halloween party and she cannot be more excited or terrified (pun intended) of the outcomes! 

And all of this without (technically) violating my doctor's orders! I call this one success of a week. Now, T-4 weeks to go... I wonder what "trouble" I'll get into next!

Happy Sunday!

Posted on October 4, 2015 by Katya Popova and filed under Design + DIY and tagged patio lights succulents outdoor houston townhome home tour DIY.