Quarantine projects GALORE at Chez Bonner!
During these LONG weeks of social distancing, I’ve found that some days I’m super-productive, and other days I feel like I’m spinning my wheels and not getting anything done. Am I alone here?
The first two weeks felt kind of like a “stay-cation” — home organization, work projects, hiking… It all came pretty easy. But after that, it seems like the absence of the light at the end of the tunnel took away any sense of urgency. However, looking back over the month of April, I actually am surprised at all we accomplished: landscape designs, raised garden plans, exterior finish sketches, exterior lighting install, and, of course, interior design projects including mood boards, floor plans and client meetings (almost all virtual or over the phone).
Is anyone else beginning to HATE Zoom???
We’ve also been able to work on some personal projects beyond organization! New throw pillows for the sofa in our bedroom, rearranging the guest bedroom (and crisp new white sheets), Roman shades for Blissy’s room… And, in case there’s any thought left in your mind that it’s all FUN and GLAMOROUS, this family handy-woman also repainted some antique Adirondack chairs, installed a new wall-mounted TV in our bathroom and hooked up a freaking bidet attachment in our master bath water closet! (Check out the Tushy bidet attachments at hellotushy.com — they’re inexpensive, easy to install and save on toilet paper, duh!)
I also switched out the vanity hardware in our master bath — the mercury glass knobs from Anthropologie looked great, but I can’t tell you how many times the little decorative metal pieces ripped my leg open. It was time for them to go, like five years ago. I found these cute gray leather pulls on Etsy — and they really gave a fresh look to our master bath.
We also finished tweaking our kitchen remodel, so we are ready to begin whenever Brad gives the green light (when we return to some semblance of post-quarantine normalcy!) Here’s the mood board and the layout. I’ve spent a lot of time considering what works in our current kitchen layout and what doesn’t — especially where we tend to have issues with running into each other. Black and white cabinets, Calacatta quartz in a honed finish, walnut shelving and accents, and a coffee/tea bar… I seriously can’t wait! Let me know what you think!
I also drew up a plan for a future gym (and additional closet space) off the master bedroom. We really want a steam room (and wonder why we didn’t just put one in when we added the new master suite!), and considered adding it to this plan. However, we determined it will likely be more cost-effective to eventually add the steam component to the existing shower. Any comments on the gym plan? Not sure when it will actually happen, but we sure could have used it during the last many weeks.
We also decided that the warm weather gave us a perfect window to have the guest cabin and chicken coop repainted. Before and afters below — not sure what I was thinking with the green and blue-purple combo! The painter did a great job — and our local paint store owner has been super patient with me not processing their current operating hours. He’s kindly delivered paint to our house on weekends! Lifesaver… Now the cabin and chicken coop match the house! And we used Benjamin Moore’s color of the year, First Light, on the antique chairs. Loving it! Now we just need green grass and flowers…
I’ll share some landscape designs (both ones we’ve worked on for clients and personal ones) in a future blog post — we have an in-town deer population where we live that means many of our landscape plans need to be both beautiful and deer-resistant. It can get tricky…
Until then, I’d love to hear about your quarantine projects. Be well — and be good to yourselves and each other.
Love,
