Tim & Tanya's Fixer-Upper Turned Dream Home

{table from Crate and Barrel outlet, lamp from IKEA}

When Tim and Tanya purchased their South Land Park home two years ago, they knew full well that transforming the quaint little fixer-upper into their dream home was going to be a huge undertaking. Still, they were up for the challenge and after a lot of hard work, some tough decisions and many gallons of paint the couple has nearly completed their modern, yet cozy home. I say nearly because the backyard is still a work in progress. After some gentle prodding, Tanya agreed to let B&S snap some photos of her lovely home - minus the yard. Hope you enjoy the tour!

How much has your home changed since you moved in? Completely. We added central heat and air, new windows, all new electrical, new doors, refinished floors, remodeled kitchen, remodeled bathroom, new plumbing, appliances and new furniture.

Describe your style. Modern, comfortable, practical, with a little bit of sentiment sprinkled on top.

{a collection of photos & prints are the "little bit of sentiment sprinkled on top"}

Where do you look for inspiration? Everywhere! Modern style magazines, retail displays, catalogs and anything else that strikes me.

What do your friends say about your place? "It's so clean."

{the kitchen - love the cork flooring!}

{custom cabinets by California Interiors}

{backsplash by 3form is made of Ecoresin, which is a recycled resin}

{chairs from Target, coffee table from West Elm, sofa from Scandinavian Designs}

Biggest indulgence...Leather couch from Scandinavian Designs and all new appliances.

Biggest challenge...Right now it's our yard!

{Tanya's proudest DIY project is the headboard above, which she constructed out of wood left over from other home-improvement projects. The headboard features built-in lights - can you say awesome?!}

Proudest DIY project...The headboard in the guest bedroom is made out of scrap wood from various projects. It's also backlit and has a switch to turn the light off and on built right in.

DIY project you're currently working on? Probably some pillows from scrap material. But, after the remodel, we had enough DIY to tide us over for quite awhile.

{while they didn't completely gut the bathroom during the remodel, it did get quite a makeover}

Favorite resources: Scandinavian Designs, Target, Ikea, Crate and Barrel, and West Elm.

{I love the bird print in the master bedroom, which Tanya scored at a second-hand store}

More photos on the Bows & Sparrows Facebook page.

Angie & Jennifer's Modern Yet Rustic Abode

{coffee table by IKEA, leather sofa by Restoration Hardware}

When my dear friend Angie Wyant first bought her quaint East Sacramento home she was working as a commercial photographer for the likes of Martha Stewart, Vanity Fair, Gourmet and Sunset. It was an exciting time, chock-full of fabulous places and fascinating people, but the constant travel required for the job left little time to spend at home. As a result, renovating her home took a back seat. That is, until she scaled back on her photography jobs and started her own pet-sitting company, Away to Way.

Since then, Angie and her fiance Jennifer have essentially gutted the place - knocking down walls, putting in new windows and doors, and basically creating their dream home. During my tour, the self-effacing Angie was quick to point out that there are many renovations still needed -of course, I thought the place was divine.

Our style could be described as...comfortable with modern accents.

Where do you look for inspiration? Dwell and Metropolis magazines, and the Bravo show Flipping Out.

{tiered side table and chocolate shelving unit by West Elm, leather chair by Restoration Hardware}

What our friends say...That it's clean and cozy, and that it smells good. We always have Aveda candles burning.

{bed from IKEA, bedding by Dwell}

What is your favorite part about your home? The light and airy feel of our home. We don't use window coverings or screens because we want to let as much light in as possible.

{vintage chair, dressers by IKEA, photograph by Angie Wyant}

What was your biggest indulgence? The new kitchen - we put in concrete countertops, a Wolf stove and Poffenpohl kitchen hardware. Kitchen planner Moly Korb of MK Designs was an amazing resource.

{hardware by Poggenpohl, sink by Bates and Bates, cabinets by Kings Custom Cabinetry}

{bird salt and pepper shakers by Jonathan Adler}

What is your proudest DIY project? The tile in the bathroom, which was inspired by the flooring in the Restoration Hardware showroom. My mom and I {Angie} installed it on our own, and I love the way it came out!

{All bathroom furniture & fixtures from Restoration Hardware}

What it the best advice you were given while redesigning/decorating your home? Mix quality pieces with affordable items. Also, do your research before you start!

{Kitchen table and chairs by IKEA, lamp from DWR, all photos by Angie Wyant}

More house tour photos up on the Bows & Sparrows FB page.

Sacramento Mid-Century Modern Home Tour

Yesterday marked the first-ever mid-century modern home tour in Sacramento...and it was awesome. The tour featured a very small vintage car show, screenings of Scopitone films from the '60s (my favorite was "Femininity" by Donna Theodore), an 11-home tour and several local points of interest. Photography was forbidden in most of the homes - with the exception of a few, including my two favorite homes on the tour. Yay!

One of my favorite homes on the tour was this two-story custom home designed by Robert N. Hill in 1963. The home features floor-to-ceiling windows, a floating staircase and a front-yard pool - what?!! Can you say "amazing"?!!

{love, love, love the floating stairs}

{By the way, this is the front yard! This is the first front-yard pool I've ever seen - love!}

{the doors lead into the living room and there's also small window for easy access to the bar - brilliant!}

{the kitchen featured tiles by Heath Ceramics - specifically "oval" from the dimensional collection}

{Darcey & me - look how cute Darcey is! She told me she was channelling Joan from Mad Men while getting dressed that morning}

Perhaps my favorite home on the tour was a two-bedroom designed by George W. Haggert back in 1964. The home featured a dropped living room, shag carpeting and some truly swoon-worthy furnishings and decor.

{many of the homes featured vintage & quality pieces mixed in with items from the likes of IKEA, like this sofa}

{knitted lab rat - available from Etsy seller Crafty Hedgehog, $125}

Another home that I adored, was that of tour co-coordinator Gretchen Steinberg (who I interview here). Built in 1961, the home was designed for a semi-retired pear farmer by the name of T.B. McCormack. Gretchen shares the home with her husband and children. The home features a mixture of quirky retro pieces and mid-century modern furniture.

{The above George Nelson Sunburst Clock was in several of the homes on the tour}

{large RCA dog aka "Nipper" and Eames Armchair}

{a pear pillow by Jonathan Adler pays homage to the original owner}

{the family's quirky sensibilities are evident from this vintage toy gun display}

Want to see more photos? Head over to the Bows & Sparrows FB page.

Small & Cool? No Way!

{Walter kicks it on the rug}

{where the magic does (or doesn't) happen - haha!!}

{I like to think of the gun-range target as a burglar deterrent - look closely & you can see I got him where it counts!}

Somehow, and I'm not exactly sure how it happened, my apartment made it to the next round of Apartment Therapy's Small, Cool Contest. I don't expect to get to much further than this, given that the first apartment I'm up against is pretty spectacular. That said, I'm going to do my best to drum up support from family and friends (virtual and local alike). If you feel like voting for me, you can do so here. Thanks again to everyone who voted for me during the first round - you guys rock! Wish me luck!

{You know you love my awesome linoleum!}

Before (or Rather During) & After

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to pull the bird decals off of my kitchen wall. They'd been up for several years and I'd finally grown tired of them. Unfortunately, when I went to pull the first bird off, the paint came with it. Uh oh! And, of course, the paint under the top coat of paint just had to be a different color. Double uh oh!

Once I got started, there was no turning back - peeling the paint was SO addictive! If you've ever had a sunburn peel, you may know what I mean. I pulled the other birds off with the same results - a mixture of fear and excitement filled me with each large sheet of paint I removed. Well, I decided that if I was going to have to repaint the walls, I'd add some color. Enter Behr's Hallowed Hush (love, love, love this color!!). After two days of scrapping, sanding and priming, I had finally finished - and I couldn't be happier with the results.

Without further adieu, here are the results:

P.S. You can see more of my apartment over at Apartment Therapy, where it's a contestant in the small, cool contest. If you feel compelled, you should vote for me!!

The Bartell's River Park Home

{Wedding photos by Don Button}

Back in March of 2006, Veronica and Jeff Bartell went in on a duplex with Jeff's brother and his wife (the other Bartells). Since then, Veronica & Jeff have transformed their 1000-square-foot portion of the duplex into a comfortable and stylish home. Veronica, who you can learn more about here, was kind enough to give us a peak inside her lovely home. Enjoy!

How much has your home changed since you moved in? Well, we haven't taken down any walls necessarily, but have done a lot in terms of a makeover. When we moved in there was nasty wallpaper and filthy carpet everywhere, a very out-of-date kitchen and a swamp in the backyard, to name a few things.
.
Describe your style. Accessibly modern (as opposed to the modern I love but I can't afford).

Where do you look for inspiration? My creative friends' homes, magazines. But mostly, I know it when I see it. My husband and I usually start with a piece or two for whatever room we're working on and build around that.

What friends say about your place...People say it's cozy, stylish. We get a lot of comments on the cleanliness, which makes me beam. If nothing else, I want my home to feel clean when people come over!

Biggest indulgence...Our new roof? Honestly, most of what we own has been very reasonably priced. Even the recess cans we put in the living room and kitchen were a steal because an electrical-savvy friend helped us install them.

Biggest challenge...Definitely the kitchen. We took it on with a tiny budget ($2000) and totally transformed it. We laid tile for the first time and were so happy with the results, and created a pantry out of the shelving that held a tiny oven (separate from the range).

{Dresser built by Jeff Bartell}

Proudest DIY project...We are definitely proud of our kitchen, but I am so proud of the furniture my husband has built: our dresser and nightstands, my workbench, our backyard fence and our garage cabinets. I love owning one-of-a-kind items that were built with his own hands.

DIY project you're currently working on...The baby's room! It's not done yet, but we've laid the groundwork. We emptied the room, built the furniture and painted. We're going for a vintage-robot theme, so we've got cogs painted on the walls and are beginning our search of the perfect robots. We're trying to pace ourselves in anticipation of a lot of gifts with nowhere to store them!

Favorite resources: Apartment Therapy, ohdeedoh, IKEA, Target.

More photos on the Bows & Sparrows Facebook page.