{a natural runner}

and as usual i've been hoarding photos. remember this post about inspiration for the bungalow stairs? well our stairs have made big strides {and the gh couldn't be happier, she has an aversion/inability to walk down hardwood stairs}
so after an internal debate about whether to paint or leave the treads natural, the conclusion was drawn that a painted stair would go better with aforementioned goal to paint all floors white {author's note: obviously floor painting has not yet happened, for a million different reasons, but it's still on the list...among other things}. also the wood just wasn't that nice {though that's hard to see in the photos} and paint camouflages all flaws. so we got to work sanding... and preparing for a stair runner. also note a stair runner saves time in sanding/painting phase seeing that it covers up 3/4 of said stairs. {and yes, i am fully aware that were later owners to pull up said stair runner, they would get an unpleasant surprise. to that all i can say is ...sorry.}

close up of sanding. we just used a small hand sander which you can see in the above photo. also, dust from sanding gets e v e r y w h e r e & is really the main reason why we didn't sand the entire stair tread. anyway, just don't say you weren't warned: sanding = a mess.

then time for painting... glossy white paint. in case you were wondering, we used benjamin moore porch & floor enamel in oxford white. i will say a few things about this product as having never had an experience with floor paint. 1 - it's much more watery than regular paint. but don't glop it on, thin coats get the best results. 2 - i knew it was going to be glossy, but this paint is reallllly glossy. which at first i wasn't sure about, but after living with it for a little while now, the sheen is a nice contrast to the more matte eggshell paint on the walls. 3 - this paint in particular is oil based. meaning you have to use turpentine to clean brushes and really anything you painted that you rather not have {read-hands & legs especially}. my advice? buy you a pair of those yellow rubber cleaning gloves.

and debuting our runner {can't thank you enough, cb!} which -i'll confess- we had professionally bound & installed. also in this photo you can get a glimpse of the chandelier i found on ebay. and soon that big blank wall will have some attention.

close-up of runner. we wanted natural fiber -which of course isn't cheap since i seem to have expensive taste even when not meaning to- and sisal was one of the most economic options {some natural fibers like seagrass are a lot thicker and thus more $$}. this color in particular is really nice with the green/blue hues on the ceiling and in the upstairs landing. depending on the time of day it has flecks of greens, blues, and yellows. i.e. it's much lovelier in person.

and of course, more to come.

{heathered blue haze}

peach nectar pop of velvet + graphic chevron rug make this bedroom.


{bedroom retreat from apartment therapy}

{monday shoes}

70 degree sunny weather yesterday calls for cognac wedges.
{goes with anything :: nine west getby wedges at piperlime for $79}

p.s. many thanks for the comments on my last post. as for plans, nothing yet set in stone - i have quite a few thoughts/options/back-ups and am taking some time now to focus my ideas. will keep you posted. focusing on the bungalow for now. photos soon.

{birthday wishes at s&s}

it seems only fitting that today, the one-year anniversary of the creation of {shell & seaglass}, is also my very last day working at a law firm {and quite possibly in the practice of law as i know it}. i started this little blog to document, as proclaimed in my very first post, sources of inspiration for the creative endeavors that have been very much lacking in my life. and here i am, exactly one year later, taking a giant leap of faith to follow my heart and to realize my daydreams.

and might i have a moment, to thank you, dear friends, for the listening ears, encouraging words, and overall reception to my whims and ideas. but i have to say the thank yous go most of all to b, whose support & love makes following dreams no longer a daydream.

{photo via :: mary ruffle}

{valentine love}

hope your valentines is full of...

{images via :: green wedding shoes, mary ruffle, 3-unknown, 4&5 what anna loves}

{happy weekend & a patterned studio space}

happy happy friday! if your weather is anything like mine, it's cold & rainy {or snowy?} so what a perfect day for the 3rd issue of lonny magazine to come out. loving the color and pattern in betsy burnham's studio/office. just more ideas for my very own sunroom studio. combining style, pattern, and color can create such a fresh and modern space.

love this brick-colored ikat window seat/sofa. it's not in betsy's office/studio above, but in a client's home...just another idea for the massive window seat in what will soon be my very own office/studio.

{photos : betsy burnham design via lonny magazine}

{a kitchen cart & navy nightstand}

this past weekend my sister came to visit. she just got married, moved to philiadelphia, and has been shopping around for a few things to furnish her apartment. and while in savannah she found & refinished two delightful pieces which cost her all together under $90!

here are the before photos. both pieces were really dirty, which is hard to see in the photos. also the bottoms in two of the drawers of the nightstand were covered with nasty contact paper {of a brown marbled pattern -- lovely} and warped, so j measured & had new pieces cut and she rebuilt the drawers herself {it was a very impressive process}.

here's the cart with the slats popped off {for now} & cleaned & sanded.

painted & drying...

and here's the cart after it's makeover. she restained the shelves to bring out the natural wood. oh and removed the gross office wheels and gave it new plastic feet.

and the nightstand {i let her borrow some of the polo blue from my kitchen, looks great on furniture too, doesn't it?}

fantastic makeovers j! can't wait to visit you in philly to see them all set up!

{herringbone bath}

huge strides this past weekend in the downstairs bathroom at the bungalow. here are a few before pictures. the first two i know don't look so bad really, but you can't see that the peach walls are peeling sheets of wallpaper.

but the old linoleum floor was by far the worst. if you could zoom in you would also see the grime and built up dirt in between each tile.

so up it came. {tools: hammer + chisel + scraper + put your back into it...easy enough.}

but gross subfloor. not only with black mold but this corner was rotted through.

so we bleached the mold & pulled up the rotted portions of the subfloor.
{note the new tool introduced in this photo. yes that is a pink crowbar. gift when i passed the ga bar exam - thanks e! ...and no you can't buy one in stores}

annnnnd here's where it gets really exciting - mapping out the floor. {!} we weren't ready for the expense or commitment of tile, so for $30 you can have a big ol box of linoleum that looks like wood. yes, yes, could be tacky & cheap. BUT with just a few cuts & the right placement, it's amazing how high-end linoleum can look. {note - you only need to score the linoleum & it will break cleanly on the line. works for curved lines and corners too!}

finally ready to lay the pattern. also you can see the subfloor b replaced all around the bathtub. and don't be concerned, the black mold has been killed with numerous treatments of bleach, but unfortunately it stains the wood. but once it's bleached, the stains do no harm, so easily can cover them up.

annnnnd *ta*da* ...not too bad for $30 + a weekend's work. {also did you notice the new faucet?}

once we tackled the wallpaper & repaired the walls {quite the unglamorous task}, charcoal paint moved in with the herringbone floors.

now all we need is to paint the trim, make a shower curtain, add a ceiling light, oh and reattach the door {in the process of switching the direction the door hangs, & apparently that's a little more involved than initially thought}.

more to come, as always...

{be my monday shoes}

just in time for valentines...

{clockwise from top left :: nina elga platform pump at endless for $99, steve madden toppazz platform pump at endless for $99, rocket dog memories at zappos for $39, bc acrobat at piperlime for $50, fergie safra pump at nordstrom for $89, rocket dog orient dress pump at amazon for $44 }

{sunshine for studio}

thought i'd do a quick post before the weekend with the inspiration for the sunroom studio {which is currently the storage studio + why there have not been any mention or photos of it as of late}...but when the boxes are finally unpacked there will be pattern, beadboard ceiling, florals, rattan, bamboo seagrass blinds, black+white chevron/stripes, chandelier, + color {!}

{images via canadian house and home, house beautiful, skona hem}

{creature carpet comforts}

yes, yes slacking on the posting. and, to be honest, also on the picture taking. but to scoot us into the weekend i did manage to snap two photos of new carpet + new mattress in the bungalow master bedroom. {don't forget how terrible the floors were/i.e. justification for carpet} and would you believe we've also since painted the walls!? really owe more photos. promise soon. but happy friday!

and there might actually be someone in the bungalow who loves the carpet more than we do. {and no, her leg is not broken, that's just how she lays}

{monday boot sale}

piperlime is having an awesome boot sale, so good thing it's just barely february & in most climates the weather will still embrace warm footwear for a few more months {hopefully not here in savannah}

{keep those tootsies toasty, clockwise from top left :: rocket dog sheriff in whiskey distressed for $39, bcbgirls petler for $79, wanted stirrup for $39, seychelles orchestra for $99}