Our wine cellar: part 3 and reveal

Our wine cellar is a huge source of pride in our home. We love it!
 We didn't have air conditioning in our home for two years but we had a cooling unit for the wine cellar. I know, our priorities are all messed up! At least we had lots of cool  wine to dink away those hot summer days:)

Here is it is- our cellar:

We are currently running low-ish on wine since we restock in fall/winter during wine making season.
We painted the walls a light buttery color, installed wooden crown moldings stained walnut, and the wine racks were also stained walnut. Yes, we stained and assembled all these wine racks- it took forever!!! The wine racks were purchased at Aux Plaisirs du Bacchus on Bernard Avenue in Montreal.
You can also see the end result of the travertine floor. It's just the right look for a wine cellar.

 

We use an old wine barrel to decorate a corner of the room and we got some wooden wine boxes from our local liquor store to hide some wine making supplies. Tip: In Montreal if you ask your local S.A.Q. for some wooden boxes they'll give them to you for a small donation.

 We have a small bistro table in the room, mainly for good looks. We don't actually drink in the room because it's cold in there (10-12 degrees celsius). 

View from the wine room into the living room. We installed an exterior grade cedar wood door. Ideally, the wine should be in a dark room and the door shouldn't have glass. But I wanted to be able to see into the wine room from the living room so we decided on this door. The room is large enough that the light that flows in doesn't disturb the wine

View into the wine room from the living room. Love it!

The light fixture was purchased at Home Depot and it's the right size. color, a style for the room. Just to add some pizazz we also installed a decorative medallion.

I think it's now clear to everyone that I love my wine. Every year since we've been married Tony and I have made wine, about 200-250 bottles each year. We also like to buy some inexpensive bottles and of course we love it when our friends bring us gifts of wine bottles- hint, hint! LOL- just kidding:)

Smiles,
Nancy

linking to Between naps on the porch and other parties on my Party Link page

10 Pretty Bathroom Features

  Now that my bathroom has been featured on Remodelaholic and Inside-Out Design- it's famous!! 
Just kidding:)
I've received a lot of questions about the decorative items and paint colors. So I've decided to write this post about the finishing touches- the pretty stuff.


1: The art.

This is leftover Piero Fornesseti wallpaper from our walk-in closet. It was very pricey so I wanted to be sure to make use of every last piece. I simple wallpapered a masonite/hard board (it's the same material as pegboard but with no holes) purchased at Reno Depot for $8. Then added the trim which is the same trim used on the walls (approximately $15). We nailed (using finishing nails) the whole thing to the wall so that it's tight against the wall. 

2. The light switch cover:

The light switch cover was collected from a friend's renovation. It was goldish in color and I sprayed it black.

3. The soap dish:

I couldn't find a soap dish I felt would pop in the room- and they were wall so pricey! And then I thought of using these sushi dishes. I purchased them in Montreal's Chinatown for about $3 each.

4. Useful little cups:

There are the matching saki cups. I use them for q-tips and cotton pads.

5. The light fixture:

This is the best find yet! I rented a dumpster to empty out the shed- which was a hoarder's paradise. I looked through a box and found some of our home's original light fixtures. Again, it was gold and I sprayed it black. My husband and I love chandelier medallions. This one is so pretty and simple. 

6. The Kleenex box:

This was an original feature of the bathroom and we kept it. It was the only thing that made it back into the bathroom. Again, I sprayed it black.

7. The sconce:

From a friend's renovation. Also, sprayed black.  A black spray can is like a little black dress. Always have one on hand:)

 8. Towel storage basket:

This black leather basket holds the extra towels. It was purchase at Home Sense for $20.

9. The storage cabinet:

Purchased at Home Sense for $100. The drawers are actually clear but I didn't like that the mess was visible (visible in the next image). So I purchased some dressy paper, cut it to size and slipped it behind the glass. Much prettier.

10. The mirrors:

The mirrors are from a store called Zone located on St. Denis boul. in Montreal. They were pricey $150 each. But they make the room shine!

Also, many have asked about the wall color. It's called Silver Strand from Behr. The ceiling and trim is painted Little Dipper from Behr.


Check out a previous post about the larger bathroom items (sinks, tub, tile, etc.).

Please don't hesitate to comment and ask questions!


Smiles,
Nancy

Mainfloor Bathroon Reveal!

THE REVEAL!!!

The sconce was a generous gift from friends who renovated their home and were kind enough to give into my pleas for their light fixtures. It was originally gold in color and I sprayed it black.

This was an original feature of the bathroom and we kept it. It was the only thing that made it back into the bathroom. Again, I sprayed it black.

Black leather basket used to keep some extra towels on hand. I drape the towels over the tub instead of having a towel rack.

The inlay that took sooo long to complete!

Now, in case you forgot how the original bathroom looked, here it is:

See previous posts about this transformation:
Goodbye pink bathroom
Inspiration and choices
Hard at work


I uploaded this transformation to DIY network's rate my space and I currently have a 4.3/5. Not too bad:)


Also, I received an email from DIY network and they might feature a short segment on my bathroom transformation!!!! Super excited!!!


Nancy


Linking to:

Part 2: project #​1 bathroom renovation

Yesterday's blog chronicled the demolition and rebuilding of our basement bathroom- our first renovation project. The work was done by my father, husband and myself. Our budget was very itty bitty- I was a PhD student at the time so just imagine the finances!


Once the necessary but not so pretty work was done (gyp rock, plumbing, etc.), the exciting part began (tiling, sink and toilet, yes the toilet is exciting!).

My father installing the shower base and tiles.When buying a pre-made shower base, make sure it is a solid fiberglass base. Otherwise it's bouncy and susceptible to cracking.

Boxes and boxes of tiles. Heavy, very heavy!

Tiling the shower in a brick pattern. We went with a classic 12x12 marble tile for the floor and shower. I really like the color variations in the tile: brown, gray, blue, red, etc.

Tip: when choosing tiles for your bathroom my suggestion is to pick something classic that will not look dated ten years from now. Some classics are 12x12 square tiles and subway tiles, classic colors such as whites, grays, creams, are great. You can always pick modern paint colors for the walls or hang some funky art, but tiles are difficult, expensive and messy to change. 



The Reveal:

Clean, classic and pretty. I love it!

The clear glass shower door allows the beauty of marble tile to shine. I love the simplicity.

Not much I can say about the toilet- it works! I have a small basket of toilet paper in the corner- a must. Also you can see that there's a bamboo rug in front of the shower. I don't know why but I have an aversion to actual rugs in bathrooms. There are many nice ones out there but it's not for me.

The mirror is a brushed nickle finish with a beaded trim. Above is the light fixture and it has a painted rose pattern on it. I believe it is original to the house. It's quirky but I like it. The only thing is that the metal plate is bronze so I need to spray it either black or a nickle finish.  

The pedestal sink was the perfect choice for this tight space. I'm a believer that the more storage you have, the more stuff you buy and keep. I did place a storage cabinet above the toilet (see first reveal image above) but the cabinet is practically empty. It's a second bathroom after all. The trash can and soap dispenser are made of travertine.

Total Cost: approximately $4000-  not bad, eh?




Smiles,
Nancy