5 Great Home Improvements (No Professional Construction Required!)

There is a very small percentage of individuals who can move into a home and not want to change a thing.  Most of us (including yours truly) have a punch list of immediate changes, followed by a long term wish list of improvements for their home.   When we moved into our home, I had a vision of what I wanted to do with the space (and of course I wanted to get it all done immediately).  My husband, the voice of reason, reminded me that money doesn't grow on trees and our home improvements would take time to accomplish.  We have been in our house for over a year now and are starting to gear up for round 2 of our renovations.  While planning for what work we would like to have done with this round of construction, I have taken time to reflect on the little changes that I made myself in between the first and soon to be second round of renovations.  Today I am sharing a list of my top 5 home improvements that I was able to make to our home.  These were easy fixes, that were also affordable and made a huge difference in the overall quality of the home (both comfort and aesthetics).  

Shower Head

When we were first planning our bathroom renovation, we made the decision to break it up into two phases in an effort to cut down on initial costs.  Phase 1 included renovating all aspects of the bathroom except for the tub/shower interior.  Phase 2 would involve re-tiling the tub/shower walls and replacing the tub/shower system.  While that seems like an odd way to break up the renovations, we had decided to use a different tile for the tub/shower walls and more importantly, the cost of a new tub/shower system is major $$$. 

Our tub/shower renovation is still part of the long term plan, but in the interim I wanted to give the space a mini facelift to make bathing more enjoyable until the overhaul could take place.  After a good cleaning of the tub basin and grout, I ordered a replacement shower knob, and the biggest improvement was replacing the shower head.  The original shower head had build up that was causing low water pressure and it didn't have the option to change the settings of the water stream.  My friend Whitney suggested that I look into getting  a Speakman shower head and I am so glad I listened to her!  The replacement process was a cinch (unscrewing the old shower head and screwing on the new head), and the difference in water pressure was extraordinary!  An easy upgrade that made a big difference.  

Trim Paint

Windows are an important and expensive aspect of the home.  A benefit and drawback to buying a condo is that we do not own our windows, front door and roof.  The benefit being that we don't have to pay a whopper amount when say, the roof needs to be replaced.  The drawback being, we are at the mercy of the condo association for when they deem it to be time to upgrade/replace the windows.  Our condo association is currently going through a massive window replacement project for all of the building windows.  The problem is that we do not know when the windows for our unit are scheduled to be replaced.  While I am certainly capable of exercising patience until that blessed day occurs, I did not want to live with the tired look of my current windows.  So what did I do?  I got out a can of trim paint, brushes, painter's tape and got to work!   As the saying goes, I "put lipstick on a pig," which made a huge difference aesthetically and cost less than $20!    

Closet Shelves

In a perfect world, I would have had a company like California Closets come to my house, assess my closets and design custom spaces that maximized storage space for all of my garments.  Hopefully one day way down the road I will be able to afford something like that, but for now I need to serve as the California Closets technician for my home. One of the best things I found for increasing closet storage space was the Closetmaid Horizontal Organizer.  These shelves come in an assortment of sizes, colors/faux stains and are stackable!  You only need a screwdriver to assemble these shelves and at a cost of less than $30, it's definitely money well spent! 

The Nest

I know I have already gushed about the Nest in my Father's Day post, but this is a home improvement must on my list and so I felt the need to include it again.  In addition, there were a few fab features about the Nest that I failed to mention, like:

• You can find out if your home is compatible with Nest, simply by using the compatibility tool on their webpage.
• Nest will pay for an approved A/C technician to come out to your home and install Nest.
• Nest emails you a monthly energy report, detailing your most recent month's energy consumption compared to the previous month.  The report also includes reasons why there may have been an increase in energy consumption and tips on how to conserve energy in the future. 
• The Nest thermostat provides you with both the internal home temperature and outdoor temperature (which is extremely helpful when deciding what to wear for the day).  

I know I sound like a paid spokesperson for Nest, but alas I am not.  I am merely an extremely satisfied customer sharing my enthusiasm for this product with you all.  

Door Knobs

Before moving into our current home, I hadn't appreciated what a difference hardware (door knobs in particular) could make in terms of creating an updated look.  During our bathroom renovation, we had decided to change out the old brass towel bars for polished chrome towel bars to match the knobs on the vanity.  Our contractor then pointed out that we needed to replace the laundry door knob (our washer/dryer is in the bathroom) to remove the "gold tooth" aesthetic from the sea of polished chrome.  One knob led to another and before I knew it, I had changed out all of the knobs in our house.  Just like the Closetmaid shelves, only a screwdriver was needed for assembly/installation and at a cost of $8-$15/knob it was totally worth it!   

I know that Rome wasn't built in a day, but being patient during our home renovation process has been challenging.  These easy and affordable fixes have been a huge help during this process and might I add, it has been very gratifying reap the fruits of my own labor.  These small changes have had a huge impact in the overall aesthetic and comfort of our new home and I hope that these ideas have inspired you to maybe find little ways to update your own space.  As always, if you have any questions regarding info discussed today or anything else domestic, feel free to contact me any time!

A Few Decor Finds

Decorating a house is a process.  You start with a vision and foundational pieces, and from there you select a wall color (paint or wallpaper) and a rug or floor covering.  Once you have those items in place, you move on to filling in the rest of the furniture gaps, lighting, wall hangings and window treatments.  Whew!  In an ideal world, decorating a room would be complete at this point, however that is never the case.  What really brings a room together and turns a space into a cozy and inviting room are the finishing touches (decor accessories or "knick-knacks").  Today's post is a list of some of my favorite decor accessories at the moment.  Most of these items can be used in a variety of spaces, are reasonably priced and really help to create that finished look in a room. 

Sferra Throw Blanket

Whether it's the bedroom, living room or even a study, I love outfitting rooms in my house with plenty of throw blankets.  Not only do throw blankets provide an additional element of comfort, but they can also serve as an accent/pop of color that your space might be lacking.  One of my favorite throw blankets at the moment is the Sferra Brushed Cotton Herringbone-Weave Throw.  It's very comfortable, comes in an array of great colors and is currently on sale at Horchow for 25% off + Free Shipping! 

Linneas Soy Candles - Wild Fern

 If you have read my previous posts (like this one and this one), you know that I am a huge fan of deliciously fragrant candles.  I think that they create a lovely and inviting touch to almost any space. Last week, I came across this candle the other weekend while perusing a local DC store, Salt & Sundry.  Initially I fell in love with just the smell.  Wild Fern (pictured above) is absolutely delightful and comes in a very subtle/neutral glass candle holder.  What ended up putting this candle over the top for me (and on this list today), was when I took it home and realized that the candle's packaging included a book of matches.  How beyond cute and so practical!  If you happen to come across Linneas Lights Candles in a store I highly recommend trying them. Here is a link to where you can find them online (*They retail for about $32).  These candles also make for a great hostess/housewarming gift. 

Agate Bookends

This past spring I shared a Housewarming Gift Idea post featuring these agate coasters.  Since the time of that post, my love for small accents of agate throughout my home has certainly grown!  In addition to the coasters, I absolutely love my agate bookend.  A large challenge with bookshelf decor tends to be adding color.  I have a habit of erring on the side of caution and including lots neutral colors and textures (ex. glass/crystal, metallics and grey scales) on my display shelves.  The agate bookend is a great way to incorporate a small pop of color that diversifies your shelf palette both in color and texture, while simultaneously serving a functional role (to hold your books in place!).  l found the agate bookend (pictured above) at my local Home Goods for $20.  They can be a bit pricey depending on where you shop, but here are two stores with reasonably priced bookends (Store #1 and Store #2).  

CB2 Hoth Candle Holders

Just like my love of fragrant candles, I am a huge fan of tea lights/votives.  I love how versatile they can be and the added ambiance they can bring to a space.  The CB2 Hoth Candle Holders have been my favorite votive candle holders during the spring and summer months.  The pop of turquoise is the perfect accent to compliment an array of neutral colors used around my home.  In addition, these votives have been a great way to explore the addition of a daring color without being forced to commit permanently.   Favorite spaces to use these votive candle holders include: dining room table, coffee table, bar and even my bookshelf.  Bonus- They are currently on sale for $3.99!  

Pre-Matted Frames

Artwork and wall hangings can be quite expensive.  If you decide to go the extra mile and have something professionally framed, be prepared to spend a mint.  Sometimes it can be worth it to make the investment in custom framing.  However for me personally, I haven't found anything yet that I have been able to justify having custom framed due to my recent discovery of Pottery Barn's Pre-Matted Frames!  Thanks to these frames, I have been able to take a water color from our Bermuda honeymoon and turn it into wall art for our bathroom.  In addition, the photo featured above on the bedside table, is actually a framed Christmas Card (similar frame found here)!  These frames give you the ability to turn almost anything into art and the option to either hang or display on a table.

While there are still plenty more topics to cover in the world of decor accessories (throw pillow post is currently in the works),  the items I have shared in this post today have really helped to tie my various spaces together and achieve finished looks.  If you have any questions regarding items in this post or other decor questions, feel free to contact me either through my contact page or by email at redefiningdomestics@gmail.com.  I am always happy to share any/all of my domestic tips and thoughts with you all!

Caring for Cookware

When I started my first job after graduate school, one of the first purchases  I made for myself was a decent set of pots and pans.  It was a 10 piece set of stainless steel cookware for $148.99, which was a fantastic deal.  In addition to the price being reasonable, I am so glad I had that first set to practice on (both cooking and cleaning/care) before we invested in a nice set of cookware. While damaging any pan is never the ideal, it's much easier to move on from a less expensive pan than a really nice pan.  

When it came time to purchase a nice set of cookware, I will admit that I did spend a slightly excessive amount of time researching the different types of cookware available.  I wanted to find a line of cookware that best complimented my lifestyle and cooking frequency.   High end cookware is not cheap, so whatever I ended up purchasing need to last a lifetime (or close to it).  

Throughout my search process, I learned a lot about the products and even more about what was required to care for each type/line of cookware.  It has been two years since we purchased our cookware, I cook quite often and our cookware still looks like new.  Below I have compiled a list of my best tips and resources for caring for 4 of the most common types of cookware.  Properly caring for cookware requires explanations with a bit more granularity, so this post is a little longer than most but definitely a great resource.  

Stainless Steel 

Stainless Steel is probably the most commonly used type of cookware.  It is durable, easy to use and fairly low maintenance to maintain.  There are many different types of stainless steel cookware to choose from (ex. 3 ply, 5 ply, brushed, copper core, etc).  For all forms of stainless steel, I have found Bar Keepers Friend (BKF) to be the best cleanser and polisher. BKF comes in two forms, liquid and powder.  I prefer the BKF Soft Scrub (liquid version), as it tends to be less abrasive.  BKF not only cleanses and polishes stainless steel, but it is equally as effective on copper!  Since I have the All Clad Copper Core line of pots and pans which is consists of both copper and stainless steel in each piece of cookware,  BKF has been the most effective and efficient cleanser for my cookware.  In addition to using BFK, I have also found All Clad's Product Use & Care Manual to be an invaluable resource.

Cast Iron & Enamel Cookware

In addition to my set of All Clad pans, I also have a few pieces of Le Creuset enamel cast iron cookware.  I love to use my Le Creuset Dutch Oven for making soups and stews, my grill pan does an excellent job with cooking various meats and my braising dish creates the most flavorful and delicious entrees that are always cooked to perfection.  

When it comes to care for Enamel/Cast Iron Cookware, my favorite cleanser is thanks to a suggestion I had received from my friend Kelly.  I had been battling the stubborn bacon grease brown stain in the bottom of my enamel braising dish for days.  My struggle had randomly come up one day in a conversation with Kelly, who suggested I fill the piece of cookware with hot water, add a 1/4-1/2 scoop of powder OxiClean and let the piece soak for a few hours.  Wouldn't you know, it worked like a charm!  After a few hours of soaking, I dumped the oxiclean water, then washed the piece of Le Creuset with soapy water and a nylon scrub brush, and voila!  The cookware was back to looking pristine!  Since OxiClean is my preferred method for cleaning Le Creuset, I keep a small tub of it underneath my kitchen sink for easy access. (*Note-This is the only type of cookware you should ever allow to soak in water).  

Copper

Who doesn't love the look of copper cookware?  Gorgeous is an adjective that comes to mind when I think of copper cookware.  In addition to being beautiful in appearance, copper is an excellent heat conductor, evenly and quickly distributing heat throughout a pan, which is why chefs love to use copper cookware.  With that said, there are two reasons why copper is not the most common type of cookware used.  The first reason is that because copper is a precious metal, it is the most expensive type cookware on the market today.  The second reason is that copper cookware is extremely high maintenace.  It tarnishes easily and requires polishing constantly.  

On my recent trip to San Francisco, I had the opportunity to experience cooking with Mauviel Copper Cookware at my sister's house.  All I can say is that it certainly lives up to it's reputation in every way.  There was one morning when I used the small skillet to make eggs and the pan cooked the eggs beautifully!  After I had let the pan cool I went to clean it and saw that the entire copper side had been tarnished from a single use!  My sister keeps her copper in perfect condition and when I opened her cleaning closet I saw how she achieved copper perfection.  Inside her closet was a stack of Wright's Copper Cream (Wright's also makes a fabulous Silver Cream).  This copper cream is affordable, non-abrasive and very effective.  In addition to Wright's, I have found BKF and even Twinkle to be great copper cleaners.  

Teflon/Non-Stick

If the truth be known, I only have one piece of teflon/nonstick anodized cookware. The reason being, this particular type of cookware can only endure a maximum temperature of 450 degrees fahrenheit (which can be very limiting for someone who cooks frequently).  My biggest tips when caring for Teflon/Nonstick cookware are:

• Never use metal cooking tools on the surface of Teflon/Nonstick cookware.  Metal cooking utensils will scratch the surface, thus compromising the integrity and effectiveness of the non-stick component.
• Hand wash with dish soap, water and a nylon brush.  This is a non-stick surface, therefore, you shouldn't require cleansers for advanced stains. Simple soap and water will adequately cleanse your cookware.   

Cookware Do's and Dont's

• Do- Your research!  Each type of cookware requires different types/levels of care and maintenance.  If you don't think you are up to the task of polishing your cookware after each use, Copper might not be the best option for you.
• Do- Handwash your cookware thoroughly after each use.
• Do- Use either vegetable cellulose sponges, nylon wool or nylon scrub brushes to assist in cleaning your cookware.
• Do- Use wooden, plastic and silicone cooking utensils when cooking.  If possible, avoid using metal cooking utensils, as they can scratch/damage the surface of your cookware.  
• Do- Dry your cookware thoroughly after washing to prevent water spots and rusting.
• Don't- Put your hot pan under running water right after use.  Allow your pan to cool completely before cleaning it to avoid warping the pan. 
• Don't- Soak your stainless steel cookware in water.  Soaking your pans in water can lead to pitting damage that is permanent.
• Don't- Put your pan in the dishwasher.  Even if the instructions say "Dishwasher Safe," you are always better off hand washing your cookware to preserve its integrity and increase the longevity.  
• Don't- use steel wool to clean a stubborn stain out of any pan.  While you may succeed at removing the stain, you will scratch/damage the pan's interior which could affect future cooking.

As I have mentioned in this post, cookware is not an inexpensive purchase so it is important to make sure you select a set that can fit your lifestyle.  If you want a low maintenance set of cookware, I would recommend Cast Iron/Enamel or Teflon.  However, if you don't mind a little extra cleaning, then maybe stainless steel would be the best choice for you.  My goal with this post is to equip you with the knowledge to care for whatever type of cookware you select or may already own.  If you have any questions regarding the information in this post or care tips beyond this post, you can always contact me at redefiningdomestics@gmail.com.  I am always happy to answer any questions you might have regarding all things domestic!

Helpful Tips for Moving

As I was driving around town the other day it was evident that Moving Season is in full swing!  All of the local college students have wrapped up the school year and are in the process of moving out for the summer.  Which means that in the coming days/weeks, an influx of summer interns will be descending on DC.  Witnessing the abundance of movers and moving trucks in DC made me take a moment to reflect on my own move last Spring.  For today's post, I have compiled a list of my favorite moving tips and advice based on my experience with last year's big move.  These tips range from big picture to small details, but all have proven to extremely helpful and are definitely tips that I will be using for our next move.    

Children & Pets

Around the time we closed on our house, I had discovered Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook (a book that I absolutely LOVE-see this post).  Martha's Homekeeping Handbook is a wealth of information regarding all aspects of the home, including moving! One great tip she shared was with regard to pets, and I think it also applies to children.  On the day of the move, make arrangements for your pet or child to spend the day at a day care, friend or family member's house.  Watching their home be moved can be traumatic for an animal and/or child, so it's beneficial to shield them from witnessing the actual moving of furniture.  In addition, it's also dangerous to have a pet and/or child present when heavy furniture and boxes are being moved out of a home.  Keeping your children and/or pets away from the action on moving day will help to ensure that they are kept safe and your move runs as smoothly as possible.   

 Wall Hanging Hooks

When preparing to transport all of our wall hangings and paintings, I pulled everything off the walls and started to create a large ziplock bag of all picture hanging hooks.  I realized that I was going to have a serious dilemma once we got to the new house, because the hooks that I had started to pile supported different weights for specific paintings.  In an effort to avoid having to sift through a pile of wall hooks in order to hang paintings in the new house, I placed the wall hook that corresponded to a particular painting in a snack size ziplock bag and then used packing tape to secure the ziplock bag to the hanging wire behind each painting.  As a result of this packing tip, hanging artwork in the new house was a breeze and required a fraction of the time to complete.

The Week Before...

Have everything packed and ready to go one week prior to the official move date.  This was another Martha tip that I absolutely loved from her Homekeeping Handbook.  Reason being, the amount of loose ends that will undoubtedly emerge on the day of the move is sizable.  Simple and seemingly insignificant items like spare hangers, paper products or door hooks that you want to take with you to the new house, all require time and space to move.   The more you can do ahead of time, the easier your move will be (especially on the official moving day).  

 If you don't want an item to break, move it yourself

We ended up having a total of zero houseware casualties during the move.  Why?  Because anything that we considered fragile or irreplaceable, we moved ourselves.  We opted to move everything over in phases using 30 gallon plastic storage bins.  The bins were a tremendous help when moving over a variety of our belongings because they are sturdy, have handles for easy transport and are now used for storage in our attic.  Plastic Storage Bins are a great cost saving idea when purchasing moving supplies and very effective for moving delicate keepsakes.   

 Coupons

A well known checklist item when moving is to have your mail forwarded through the United States Postal Service.   While I was taking care of this checklist item on their official website, I was prompted to select catalogues that would be of interest to me.  Of course I clicked on everything!  A few weeks later, I received a welcome package at our new address from USPS that was filled with coupons from fabulous stores like Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, West Elm, Target, etc.  Talk about an unexpected, much needed and very appreciated surprise!  

If you have moved before, you are most likely aware that there are so many little house items to buy right off the bat (ex. Shower Curtain Rod, Kitchen Trash Can, Paper Towel Holder, etc.)  In addition, more often than not, certain furniture pieces that may have worked in your former house do not fit to the appropriate scale of your new house and you are in need of new furniture.  Having all of these coupons, courtesy of the USPS is a big help in off-setting all of those initial expenses.  In sum, not only do I highly recommend forwarding your mail through the USPS website, but I would also strongly encourage you to check all of the catalogue box options.  The benefits you will reap are well worth the extra step of signing up for additional catalogues.  

 When it comes to moving, the resources available to help you through this process are endless.  These 5 tips were merely some of my most helpful/less obvious lessons learned from my own experience.  If you have any additional questions regarding moving, please feel free to contact me.  I also would love to hear from you if there are any tips/strategies that you have found to be particularly helpful during the moving process.  Whether it's a comprehensive moving checklist or a singular tip, when it comes to moving, more information ahead of time definitely contributes to a seamless move.   

Renovating your Bathroom: Flooring

As I have mentioned in previous posts, we renovated our bathroom prior to moving in last Spring.  Reason being, re-doing the flooring in a bathroom requires 3 days to complete (the demolition has to take place, new tile needs to be laid, grouted and sealed) and our bathroom would have been off limits for that entire time.  When you only have one bathroom in your home, you quickly realize that this type of a renovation needs to take place either before you move in or while you are away on vacation.  Since we were using all of our vacation time to move in, we needed to go with the first option and have our bathroom renovated prior to our move-in date.  

As soon as we had a ratified contract, I began planning out all of the work that needed to take place prior to our move-in date.  I had decided that I would paint the bedroom and living room to save on expenses, but between painting the two rooms, working full time, my husband traveling 6 days a week for work and moving, there was no way that I would have time to re-tile and renovate the bathroom myself, so we had to hire a contractor.  

Even with a contractor, I knew I wanted to be involved in the renovation process for a few reasons.  

1. Stretching my dollar as far as possible- Always looking to get the best deal/save money, I purchased the materials that the contractor would need.
2. Being an informed consumer- Even though the contractor was doing the work, I wanted to make sure that it was being done properly. 
3. My husband and I have to live with the final product- I needed to make sure I had the opportunity to speak up regarding design decisions.  

There is so much to share regarding bathroom renovations (and over time I will definitely impart all of my knowledge), but for this post I am going to keep it to just talking about flooring.  Below I have compiled a list of my best tips/information when it comes to re-doing your bathroom floor that can help with saving money and ensuring quality work.

Shop Around 

When it came to selecting tile for the bathroom, I knew I wanted to keep with my neutral color scheme of whites and greys and did not want to use standard traditional tile.  I became more aware of the different tiles used in my friends and family's bathrooms and fell in love with the look of carrara marble.  The white stone with grey veining was perfectly in line with my color scheme and overall vision for the bathroom.  The only problem- carrara marble can be a bit pricey (yikes!).  Determined to achieve my desired aesthetic while staying within the budget, I started shopping around.  Of all places, I ended up having success on Amazon.com!  I found the Carrara Marble Hexagon Tiles I had been searching for at a cost of $9.75/sqft and the best part?  Free shipping and no tax!

How Much to Buy? 

There are plenty of online tools to help you figure out exactly what square footage of tile is required for your space (*this tile calculator is a great tool).  The most important tip I can share here is to buy 10-20% more tile than you think you need.  Reason being- tile damage during transport is inevitable (the average is 3% of your order) and you have to account for all of the tile that needs to be cut to fill in the edges along the perimeter.  Purchasing an adequate amount of tile before you start the renovation will also aid in keeping delays to a minimum.  Here is another resource that I found to be extremely helpful when trying to determine the amount of tile to purchase. 

Be an Informed Consumer

I can't stress enough how important it is to be an informed consumer.  Whether you are using basic ceramic tile or fancy Italian marble, renovating your bathroom is a significant investment.   The last thing you want is to find out down the road that there is a problem with the craftsmanship because your contractor cut corners.  

Understand the process for re-tiling.  Before our contractor started work on our bathroom I watched dozens of videos like this one and this one, so that I would know everything involved in properly tiling our bathroom floor.  Had it not been for this research, I wouldn't have know that the porous stone I had selected for our floor needed to be sealed after the grouting had been completed.  Researching ahead of time empowered me with the information to talk to our contractor knowledgeably during the process.    

Account for Time

Re-tiling a floor takes 3 days from start to finish if you have ample materials and everything goes according to plan.  Our bathroom renovation came with lots of surprises and setbacks, which drew out the process significantly (like not having purchased enough tile initially and our contractor was working multiple jobs at the time of our bathroom renovation).  This is more of an important reminder for those who only have one bathroom or if you are planning on doing the work yourself.  Ideally this project should only take 3 days, but be prepared for the possibility that it could take longer.  

The Devil is in the Details: Grout 

Who knew that there were so many color options when it came to grout!?!  This was my "first time at the rodeo" so to speak, and at the time I had thought that selecting white grout seemed like the logical choice.  If I had it to do over again, I would probably go with an off-white grout because bright white grout shows dirt easily.  Here is a post from Apartment Therapy that I found to be very helpful for selecting grout.  As well, if you are doing your own grout work, this post from Better Homes and Garden is a great resource.

While flooring is definitely "Step 1," there is still so much to cover when it comes to renovating your bathroom.  I have plenty of great tips and lessons learned from my own experience that I plan on sharing with you all in the future.  If you have any questions regarding this post or other bathroom renovation questions, please feel free to contact me.  Always happy to help!