House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse

It’s not everyday that you find a home that appeals to your zombie-apocalypse-prepper side and your interior designer side.  If you’re fortunate enough to live in the UK you can see this place, the Martello Tower Y, in Bawdsey, Suffolk.

For 1,250,000 Euros, or about 1.4m dollars, you can own this award winning “Martello Tower,” originally styled after similar structures built to protect against a hypothetical Napoleonic invasion in the 16th century.  Built in the early 19th century, and redesigned in 2010 by architect Stuart Piercy and designer Duncan Jackson, it is a masterpiece and is a designated future historical site.  With a breathtaking ocean and marsh view, it doesn’t get much better than this.

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full disclosure at the end of the post.

This place is currently a holiday rental, so even if you can’t afford the whopping price tag, it’s a two hour ride by train from London, and I’m betting, a wonderful get away.

It is listed by The Modern House, London: 020-3795-5920, and all photo credits go to the listing agency.

The exterior is intriguing in an unbelievable ocean setting:

 

House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse. View of the bunker across the marsh
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse. Another exterior view along the marsh.
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, A Close Up View of The Exterior
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, Exterior With Stormy Skies
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, Stormy Skies behind The Structure

 

If you didn’t know what you were approaching, the first clue that something magical is on its way is the entrance stairway to the incredible, weathered door.

House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, Entrance
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, Front Door with Metal Banding

 

The exterior patios offer ocean views and fresh, sea air.

House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, Patio
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, More Patio Views

 

The rustic brick entrance with smooth finish wood and glass doors is your first clue inside that the home will offer an array of architecturally stunning staircases, passageways, and rooms, cleverly tucked away.

House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, Interior Entranceway
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, Interior Open Staircase
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, Incredible Curved Brick Hallway
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, Curved Walkway and Stairs Lined in Brick
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, Interior Hallway and Staircases in Brick
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, Central Staircase View

 

Multi-level living spaces offer the opportunity for both warm, family spaces and bright, open living spaces with a tremendous view.

House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, Wood Burning Fireplace in Family Room
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, All-Brick Walls in the Family Room with Natural=Light Hatches to the Outside
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, View to the Other Side of the Family Room
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, More Mid-Level Family Room with Central Staircase
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, Upstairs Living Area
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, Upstairs Living Area and Staircase Entrance
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, Looking Out to the Patio From the Living Space
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, Incredible, Practical, Rustic-Modern Kitchen with Views
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, View Through the Dining Area to Kitchen
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, The Living Room
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, Another View of the Dining Area, Living Space, and Patio

 

The tricky part in this type of home would be making cozy bedrooms that still get good natural light.  The architect and designer decided on light portals in all of the downstairs spaces that prevent them from feeling like caves.  The bedrooms and baths are unique, comfortable, and modern.

House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, Bedroom with Light Portal
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, Bedroom with Natural Light
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, Bedroom With Natural Light and Curved Brick Wall Detail
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, Cozy Nook
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, Modern Bath with Natural and Artificial Light
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse
House Porn: The Coolest Luxury Bunker For The Zombie Apocalypse, Bathroom with Wood Detail

There is something very attractive about the safety of living in a bunker, and of course, the cozy feel of the home juxtaposed with the modern coolness of the architecture.  I could definitely see myself living here.  Could you?  Tell me your favorite part of the house in the comments below!

Check out more of our great content on our blog!  Cheers!

*Legal stuff:

I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it.  I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.

Slavetodiy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.  Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links.  Each of your purchases via our Amazon affiliation links supports our cause at no additional cost to you.

If a blogger links to an Amazon product (with a special code for affiliates embedded in the link), and a reader places an item in their “shopping cart” through that link within 24 hours of clicking the link, the blogger gets a small percentage of the sale.  Amazon links are not “pay per click.”  If you click on the product link and stay around Amazon and purchase something else, however, I will get a commission on that sale.

Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.

The Best Upcycled and New Jars For Your Farmhouse Pantry

Chances are you don’t have your Dream Pantry set up yet, and neither do I. But, it’s absolutely the RIGHT time to start planning and collecting the types of containers to use. Then you can design your pantry around the functionality you want to have!  There are two basic types of jars I have, upcycled and purchased.  I will show you where I find the best of both worlds.

And, yeah, I have a jar for that.

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full disclosure at the end of the post.

Most of the jars that I am using currently live on top of our sideboard.  The big jars inside the sideboard (which will eventually become a baking station) will remain accessible for cooking when the sideboard becomes the base for the island/breakfast table nook.  But, the rest of the jars will live in the pantry or in the glass and metal cabinets (that are not yet actually hung on the wall).  By the way, I am loving the sideboard, and it is going to work fantastic for what I want.

 

The Best Upcycled and New Jars For Your Farmhouse Pantry
The Best Upcycled and New Jars For Your Farmhouse Pantry: Shown Inside Restoration Hardware’s 20th C. English Brass Bar Pull Glass 4-Door Sideboard in Waxed Black

 

As you can see, my kitchen renovation is started-ish, but I’m betting it will be years before we put in the time and effort to get it finished.  In the meantime, we’re collecting pieces for the kitchen, and the metal cabinets I found are a house for my found and upcycled jars.  Freebies are my favorite.  So, where do I get all these free jars?  They’re from things we bought and used, and now I can reuse them for all kinds of stuff.

 

The Best Upcycled and New Jars For Your Farmhouse Pantry
The Best Upcycled and New Jars For Your Farmhouse Pantry: Upcycled Jars Shown in Aurelle Home Gunmetal Iron Tall Cabinet

 

Classico Pasta Sauce is our favorite, and it comes in an intentionally reusable mason jar. We use our sauce, soak jars overnight, pull the label off, and then run them through the dishwasher.  We use them for all kinds of stuff, nuts, etc.  And honestly, I find having them out and visible makes for healthier snack choices for kids AND adults.

The other jars are from salsas, mushrooms, olives etc, and I LOVE the assorted sizes.

If you’re impatient to start your jar collection, you can get reasonable Mason Jar Sets on Amazon but, I recommend waiting and getting the free ones as you use food jars!

 

The Best Upcycled and New Jars For Your Farmhouse Pantry
The Best Upcycled and New Jars For Your Farmhouse Pantry, Upcycled Classico Jars As Nut Storage

 

But, what about those GIANT jars, you ask?  They’re my FAVORITE, which is why I have so many.  What you can’t see is that they have a rubber seal on the lid that keeps them air tight and perfect for all your dried items in the pantry (dried beans, assorted noodles, quinoa, flour, dog biscuits, etc).

These are Anchor Hocking jars:  the smaller one is the 1.5 Gallon Anchor Hocking Montana Jar and the larger ones are 2.5 Gallon Anchor Hocking Montana Glass Jar.  I love these, hence the collection. I found them quite a bit cheaper on Amazon than any other sites which is awesome because the jar websites usually charge for shipping (which I don’t like doing because I’m spoiled by my Amazon Prime).

And, guess what, I’ve gotten almost all of them FREE  because I use my Amazon card points!

 

The Best Upcycled and New Jars For Your Farmhouse Pantry
The Best Upcycled and New Jars For Your Farmhouse Pantry, Upcycled Classico and Salsa Jars and Anchor Hocking Montana Jars

 

Do you have any favorite jars for upcycling?

Thanks for hanging out and check out other DIY and project ideas on our blog.  Cheers!

 

*Legal stuff:

I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it.  I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.

Slavetodiy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.  Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links.  Each of your purchases via our Amazon affiliation links supports our cause at no additional cost to you.

If a blogger links to an Amazon product (with a special code for affiliates embedded in the link), and a reader places an item in their “shopping cart” through that link within 24 hours of clicking the link, the blogger gets a small percentage of the sale.  Amazon links are not “pay per click.”  If you click on the product link and stay around Amazon and purchase something else, however, I will get a commission on that sale.

Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.

House Porn: An Artist’s Masterpiece in Alabama

I have a confession to make: I’m bored to tears with white.  There was a time when texture and color were okay, and i desperately miss those days. I recently found a place where every surface: every wall, floor, fixture, and cabinet door has interest.  Like a breath of fresh air: hand carved details, custom wall finishes, hand hewn floors… I love it all. Check out the home tour in photos below.

The listing, at 2740 Abingdon Rd, Mountain Brook, AL is 4 bedrooms, 5.5 baths, and a sprawling 4337 sq. ft.  The listing photos are the property of the Realtor, Brooke Wahl, at ARC realty and can be reached at 855-822-3469 for anyone interested in purchasing.

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full disclosure at the end of the post.

The exterior:

A two acre lot feels big and is beautifully manicured, perfect for outdoor entertaining and family time.  Sculptures are placed throughout the landscape, rolling hills, and stone gardens and patios.  The pool is a tasteful addition and blends with the rest of the exterior seamlessly.

 

Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Exterior stone, chimneys, and descending rooflines
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Incredible lush, sloping lawn with mature trees
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Curb appeal, view of the exterior
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Leaded glass windows with stained glass inlays, sculptural detailed window crowns, blue stone patio, stone containers and wrought iron lanterns.
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Sweeping stone patios with a firepit and custom hewn log furniture
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Extensive stacked stone garden walls
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
View of the outdoor entertaining area with large sculptures flanking the pool
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Large sculptures outside Birmingham home flanking pool
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Incredible stone tiered outside patio terrace leading to incredible pool with bluestone pavers
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Pool with sculptures and blue stone pavers
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Beautiful pool with bluestone pavers
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Outdoor volleyball court between stone walls
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Entrance walk leading up to the house

 

Special spaces:

I felt like Alice in Wonderland exploring this place, and the details are incredible. One of my favorite places?  The art studio.

Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
The side entrance leading to the art studio.
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Side patio leading to art studio, with custom iron railings, tiered stone patio, and custom hewn log furniture
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Interior art studio, light and bright with tons of space and track lighting
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Interior shop and art studio

 

The interior:

Deep autumn hues wrap the entire interior in a warm, homey hug, yet it’s sophisticated and creative.  Extensive recessed lighting, and warm wrought iron fixtures and chandeliers, ensure that it’s still bright even with the maximalist style and textured walls, ceilings, and floors.

Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Front entrance with rustic wood doors and inlaid leaded glass, textured walls with a sheen to maintain cleanliness, crystal lighting, walnut floors, custom wooden railings, and stacked pews.
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Custom leaded/stained glass windows, textured walls, wooden ceilings, stone floors, modern lighting, cast iron railing, and carved wooden crest
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Properly scaled, massive metal hood with an aged patina over 60 inch gas stove, flanked by wooden cabinetry with hand carved doors
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Two islands in a rich, multi-texture kitchen with modern and period lighting
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Kitchen details: antique glass in cabinet inset with electric sconces and leaded glass grid windows and marble
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Rich drapes and sculptural details around a one of a kind wooden mantel
c2505216b535fd30653e6ae2d622f3b2l-m11xd-w1020_h770_q80
Living area with real wood paneling, beams, and modern lighting
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Living space with wood walls and details
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Incredible arrangements, unique light fixtures, and professionally done draperies
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Cozy reading nook with textured walls and wooden builtins
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Living area looking through to the front hall
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Study with walnut paneling, custom wood burning fireplace, textured ceilings, and soft golden lighting
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Majestic dining room with properly scaled art and furnishings and grand, tall leaded windows
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Large leaded grid windows surround an informal dining area, bathed in natural light
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Twin beds upstairs in a guest bedroom
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Master suite with crystal chandelier
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Rustic wrought iron chandelier and sconces, textured walls, and wooden ceiling paneling in an alternate guest bedroom
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Guest bedroom with a view, out leaded windows
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Another unique large scale bedroom
c2505216b535fd30653e6ae2d622f3b2l-m33xd-w1020_h770_q80
Guest bathroom with marble and glass shower, iron sconces, textured walls, and wood plank ceiling
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Marble tub surround with textured walls, built in shelves and window
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Marble shower with bench
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Additional bath with marble, planked ceiling, recessed lighting, textured walls, and iron sconces
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Half bath with custom carved vanity, textured walls, recessed lighting, and wooden builtins
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Custom, carved vanity
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Half bath with stone pedestal sink, textured walls, gilded mirror, and iron sconces
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Marble shower with glass door and textured walls
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Guest bath with marble, glass, wood molding, textured walls, plank wood ceiling, and iron sconces
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Laundry room with beautiful wood cabinetry, custom door, and marble counters
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Office nook with textured ceilings, hand carved light fixture, and leaded glass window with crest inlay
Birmingham Alabama artist's home with incredible textures and finishes
Hallway with textured walls, wooden floors, wooden hand railings, leaded and stained glass windows

What do you think?  Are you ready to ditch those boring white walls for texture and layers of color?

Thanks for checking out our post!  Get more awesomeness on our blog.  Cheers!

 

*Legal stuff:

I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it.  I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.

Slavetodiy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.  Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links.  Each of your purchases via our Amazon affiliation links supports our cause at no additional cost to you.

If a blogger links to an Amazon product (with a special code for affiliates embedded in the link), and a reader places an item in their “shopping cart” through that link within 24 hours of clicking the link, the blogger gets a small percentage of the sale.  Amazon links are not “pay per click.”  If you click on the product link and stay around Amazon and purchase something else, however, I will get a commission on that sale.

Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.

House Porn: A Birmingham Home Sexy Enough For Vampires

Every once in a while you stumble across a home that absolutely takes your breath away.  I had no idea, until we attended an event there last year, that Birmingham, Alabama has some unbelievable real estate.  This particular place is downright sexy.  It has everything: adult entertaining spaces, a gorgeous stone exterior, and stunning panoramic views.  For a cool $2.4m you can own this little slice of heaven, perched on the side of a mountain, overlooking the city.

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full disclosure at the end of the post.

All photos are the property of the listing agent Stephanie Robinson, with Realtysouth at 866-243-8436.

This home tour begins with a stunning stone exterior, custom windows, amazing curved rooflines, and incredible views.

Front entrance
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Drone view of stone Birmingham home
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Side view of stone Birmingham home
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Front entry, stone house in Birminghan
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Driveway approach, stone home in Birmingham
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Stone patio with wrought iron railings overlooking Birmingham
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Stone wrapped patio overlooking Birmingham
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Outside entertaining space overlooking Birmingham
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Outdoor entertaining space overlooking Birmingham
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
View from the back patio into Birmingham
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham

 

Inside, the common spaces are elegant and thoughtfully designed.  Exposed beams, soaring ceilings, exquisite light fixtures, rich hardwood floors, and crisp clean lines define the home.

Interior entry way, stone home in Birmingham
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Interior entry way, stone home in Birmingham
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Soaring windows and ceilings, stone home in Birmingham
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Arched ceiling beams, soaring windows and ceilings in living space
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Common space in Birmingham home
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Common space in stone Birmingham home
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Birmingham stone home
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
View into kitchen with exposed beams
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Kitchen island, exposed beams, butcher block
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Kitchen with exposed beams and subway tile
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Kitchen and steel and glass windows
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Kitchen, breakfast, and keeping room
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Breakfast nook with steel and glass windows
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Cast stone mantel, soaring ceilings and windows, beams, and natural light
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Keeping room with custom windows, soaring ceilings, and exposed beams
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Half bath with one of a kind fixtures and mirrored wall
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham

 

The master suite is generously sized and features a flowing and open floor plan.  It’s absolutely stunning.

Walk in shower with stone walls
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Master bath in Birmingham home
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Master bedroom in stone Birmingham home
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Master Suite in Birmingham home
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham

 

The home office is absolutely dreamy and filled with light.

Gorgeous traditional home office with natural wood paneling
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Home office in natural wood paneling with exposed beams and tall custom windows
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham

 

Guest spaces are welcoming and luxurious.

2nd Bath in Birmingham
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Guest bedroom in Birmingham
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham

 

The downstairs entertaining areas are my favorite part of the house and are just as beautiful as the upstairs.

Downstairs entertaining area in Birmingham
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Pool table in entertaining area in Birmingham home
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Pool table and stone staircase to entertaining area in Birmingham home
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Stunning circular stone staircase in Birmingham home
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham

 

More stunning spaces:

Bath tub in Birmingham home
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Hall spaces in Birmingham home
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Bath in Birmingham home
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Guest bedroom in Birmingham home
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Bath in Birmingham home
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Guest bedroom in Birmingham
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham

 

And what entertaining mecca is complete without a fantastic wine cellar?

Wine cellar in Birmingham home
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham
Downstairs living space in Birmingham home
Vampire worthy stone home in Birmingham

How much would you pay for a place this awesome?  Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Thanks for hanging out and check out more of our projects and DIY on our blog.  Cheers!

 

*Legal stuff:

I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it.  I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.

Slavetodiy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.  Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links.  Each of your purchases via our Amazon affiliation links supports our cause at no additional cost to you.

If a blogger links to an Amazon product (with a special code for affiliates embedded in the link), and a reader places an item in their “shopping cart” through that link within 24 hours of clicking the link, the blogger gets a small percentage of the sale.  Amazon links are not “pay per click.”  If you click on the product link and stay around Amazon and purchase something else, however, I will get a commission on that sale.

Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.

House Porn: Amish Country Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

For a cool $2,350,000 you can own this 15,370 foot castle-ish home in Lancaster PA.  I love looking at homes in this area primarily because of the awesome stonework, handcrafted woodwork, and copious numbers of amazing antique fireplaces.  If it is that big and made of stone, I think I get to call it a castle.  HA.  Did I mention stone walls?  I have a stone wall fetish, and it just so happens that Pennsylvania was where I built my first stacked stone garden wall with rocks that I dug out of my yard and the surrounding woods.

In Lancaster, usually known for Amish influence, stonework, and mission style furniture, this place sits like a magical, hidden oasis in the center of town.  With 8 bedrooms and 9 baths, and sitting on 3.5 secluded acres in the center of town, it was originally built in 1920 and appears to have gone through a variety of renovation cycles.  I went through a range of emotions looking at the pictures, but some of the parts of this delightful place are definitely worth sharing.

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full disclosure at the end of the post.

To be certain this place is one of the most confused mix of styles I’ve seen to date.  I think pieces of this home were renovated in every decade last century and left as is.  I’m going to start with the exterior because I find it absolutely breathtaking.  It feels like something a Lord would be living in somewhere in the mountains in central Europe.

All photo credits go to the listing agent Anne Lusk with Lusk & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty, and if you’re interested in purchasing she can be reached at 717-271-9339.

I’m going to call this next part:

  1. The part of this house that takes my breath away: the entire outside of the house.  Curb appeal, outdoor living, everything (the only thing that’s missing is a pool and an outdoor kitchen).

This is real, actual stone: not stone veneer.  Check out the awesome exterior:

Blue Stone Castle, Home Exterior
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

Sigh.  The drone view is amazing.  The levels, the roofline, the stone.  All breathtaking.

 

Circular drive leading up to bluestone castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

The approach to the house is incredible.  Driving up, you must know something magical is about to happen.

 

Stone hardscaping at Lancaster castle
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

The house is completely surrounded by stone paths and manicured gardens.  Afternoon stroll, anyone?

 

Bluestone exterior
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

No castle is perfect without a great lawn.  Perfect for big families.

 

Stone paths at Lancaster stone castle
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

And if you like your paths shady and wooded, there’s some of that, too.

 

Raised patio area with terracotta tile at bluestone castle
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

I’m betting the terracotta tiles were added late in the game (but, they’re lucky, they’re back in).  Just ignore the outdoor furniture that may have been procured circa 1985.

 

Outdoor stone patio, bluestone castle in Lancaster
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

A great patio space with a nice cross breeze for the menopausal women in your life…

 

Exterior stone patio outside of bluestone castle in Lancaster
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

And MORE exterior patio space.  This place is just WRAPPED in a stone patio.  It’s really nicely done.

 

Garden scaping and stone path at bluestone castle in Lancaster
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

More filtered light walking paths.  Seriously?  Their garden designer gets an A+.  It would be hard to stay inside (except in the winter, when it’s ridiculously cold in PA).

 

Garden landscaping with fountain and stone patio at bluestone castle in Lancaster
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

Beautiful fountain in a bed of hostas with stone statues: check.

 

Three story three car garage at Lancaster bluestone castle
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

I like to call this picture: when their three story garage is bigger than my house.  LOVE.

 

Castle door entry with iron hardware at bluestone castle in Lancaster
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

And, finally, no castle is complete without a magnificent, solid, carved front door with cast-iron hardware.

The next section is:

2) Awesome amenities.

Okay, they’re not PERFECT, but they’re there.  And kind of awesome.

 

Pool table recreation room
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

Having a pool table is SO awesome.  I don’t think I’d like the rec room open to the rest of the house, but it’s great that it’s there.  (This is your first hint of the traditional brown that they bathed most of the living area in… which sort of makes sense with the whole castle thing).

 

More Pool table in the rec room at the Lancaster castle
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

Another shot of the pool table room.  (Check out that great bench!)

 

Home gym in castle
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

This is SO cool.  (Please ignore the drop ceiling- there will be more on that later)

 

Wine cellar in the Lancaster Castle
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

I generally love ANY wine cellar, and this is no exception.  Unfortunately, I hate that red color on the walls (even if it kind of fits the whole castle theme) and how would one actually go about PAINTING BEHIND the wine racks???  It’s bad enough that you have to take down pictures and remove light switch covers to paint, but disassembling an entire wine room would be a bummer.

 

Wooden staircase at lancaster castle
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

I love the wooden back staircase.  Classic and nicely done.  The floors are magnificent.

This next section, though not perfect, falls into the category of:

3) Things that make me feel tingly all over, and I maybe never thought of before.

Dude, this is the two level master suite.  Yes, I said TWO LEVEL master suite.  Now, I’m trying to figure out how to make this happen at my house.

Bed on a platform in master suite
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

Okay, so bear with me here.  Ignore the furniture and drapes, but check out the PLATFORM, and for some reason I really like the carpet???  Also, the cherry stained coffered ceiling is absolutely stunning.  I adore it.  I feel like films have been made in this room.

 

Cherry coffered ceiling, paneling, and fireplace surround in master suite
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

Prepare for the tingling!  The cherry paneling continues down the FIREPLACE alcove (swoon) and down the railings and paneling that leads downstairs to the lower half of the master suite.  Oh yeah, you heard me right.

 

Downstairs sitting room for master bedroom wrapped in cherry paneling
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

So, downstairs from the bedroom is your own personal “sitting room,” which is more like a whole living room, wrapped in that same beautiful cherry paneling with yet another wood burning fireplace and bookshelves.

 

Sitting room in cherry paneling downstairs from master bedroom
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

Yes, I get that the fireplace and the gigantic, hot tub sized bath are in that awful green marble, but I could get over that.  The beginnings of the matching cherry wardrobes can be seen from the sitting room.  I just can’t imagine a more awesome set up for the master bedroom.

 

Glass block in master shower with cherry trim
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

The green marble and gold fixtures are quite ridiculous (is that late 80s glam?) but, once again, I could get over it.  This floor plan is to die for.

And now we’ve come to the rest of the house and what I’d like to call a very confusing mashup of styles.

4) What in the world is going on here?

If everything before this was “the good”, then what follows now is the bad, ugly, and perhaps downright bizarre.  Allow me to explain.

Previously we saw beautiful exterior stonework reminiscent of early primitive Americana or even an old English manor or castle.  So, the heavy traditional cherry molding and even the green marble and shiny gold fixtures were excusable.  That is where any cohesiveness in this space ends.

The kitchen is very traditional and sort of fits with the castle-ish feel and the browns throughout.  The elevated fireplace IS awesome and I love the placement.  That’s about where my love affair ends.  Enter the mission style furniture in the kitchen (remember the fantastic chesterfield sofa in the master suite?).

Kitchen in the Lancaster castle
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

Mission style stools at the island.

 

Traditional kitchen in the Lancaster Castle
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

The mission style benches, chairs, and dining hutch are starting to clash with the traditional kitchen here (I SO love the floors, they’re gorgeous).

 

Mission style furniture in traditional kitchen
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

From this view, everything SORT OF matches, the traditional cabinetry mixed with the heavy mission style dining room set (although I do love the scale of the table).

 

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House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania
Kitchen island lined up with fireplace
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

I’m wagging my finger at the realtor here.  The countertops should’ve been cleared and every fireplace should have a fire going.

Now here’s where it gets weird.  We’ve gone from a decent traditionalish space with mission style furniture, which leads us to the formal spaces which are….

Oriental furnishings in Lancaster castle
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

Oriental style.  I actually started laughing looking at this listing the further I got into it.  Because it’s downright confusing.

 

Oriental furnishings in dining room
House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania
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House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

This chandelier is breathtaking, in the Oriental styled dining room, with traditional gilded mirror.

 

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House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

Which brings us to the basement.  With 80s modern natural cabinets, mirrored pillars, traditional stone fireplace, green carpeting, track lighting and a drop ceiling,…   The only thing salvageable here is the stone fireplace.

 

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House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

Yet another stunning chandelier, iron railings, and terracotta tiles that match NOT at all the continuation of the oriental styling in the elevated living room.

 

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House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

The orangy-reddish theme continues in more spaces (though you know I love builtins).

 

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House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

And for the media room, we’ve gone back to deep red and mission style furniture.

 

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House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

I actually sort of dig this workspace.  It looks very functional.

Which brings us to our next section: Themed bedrooms.  Normally people who put their houses on the market will paint the bedrooms if they’ve indulged their kids in personal styling.  My guess is this room hasn’t been painted since the early nineties when this “child” graduated from high school (tip off: the Garfield collection which I also had).

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House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

The blue room.

 

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House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

The space room.

 

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House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

The cloudy garden room (complete with light green carpet).

 

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House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

The giant pink guest bedroom.

 

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House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

The eighties modern bedroom in black and pink with matching pink carpet.

 

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House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

The kids antechamber, complete with 80s couches- sort of feels like a TV studio green room, right?

 

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House Porn: A Castle in Lancaster Pennsylvania

If that whole thing didn’t give you whiplash, that was my best game.

All kidding aside, this place grabbed me because of the stunning exterior beauty.  I would gladly spend a lifetime updating it room by room, restoring it to a serene and cohesive space.  It appears to have solid bones and the cosmetic updates shouldn’t be terribly difficult.  In fact, I’m fairly certain that most of the updates would involve paint, flooring, and furniture removal.

If you’re looking for a place in the middle of town, in the middle of Amish country, this could be your own personal paradise.

Thanks for stopping by and check out more on our blog.  Cheers!

*Legal stuff:

I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it.  I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.

Slavetodiy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.  Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links.  Each of your purchases via our Amazon affiliation links supports our cause at no additional cost to you.

If a blogger links to an Amazon product (with a special code for affiliates embedded in the link), and a reader places an item in their “shopping cart” through that link within 24 hours of clicking the link, the blogger gets a small percentage of the sale.  Amazon links are not “pay per click.”  If you click on the product link and stay around Amazon and purchase something else, however, I will get a commission on that sale.

Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.

House Porn: Epic Charleston Historic Property on Legare Street

I have a confession to make: I’m addicted to beautiful homes.  I especially love old homes, updated with modern conveniences, but disguised with original charm.  What we’re missing in the United States is the REALLY old world charm you can find in Europe and beyond, but we do have our own type of royalty.  We have areas with wonderful historic districts, and when people list their homes, we get a glimpse of the type of artisanship possible even here, and distinctive in it’s Americana.

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full disclosure at the end of the post.

One of my favorite places to stalk Real Estate is in Charleston, SC.  If we ever had royalty, it would’ve been here.  Enter this stunning estate on Legare Street, which, for a cool $15 million dollars (ish), you can live like a baron.  Check out the following photos (photo credits to the listing agent).

Iron gate with brick wall
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

Start with the ornate, iron gates, massive gas lantern, and amazing brick privacy walls.

 

Stone courtyard
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

Courtyards are an integral part of any palace, and this gorgeous estate is no different.

 

Brick carriage house with barn doors
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

Pathway that  leads to the exquisitely redone carriage house.

 

Traditional home staircase
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

Traditional moldings, columns, and a wedding-portrait ready staircase.

 

Southern wrap around front porch
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

Southern front porch style: ready for afternoons with a cold sweet-tea.

 

Traditional southern living room
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

Elegant, nautical-inspired formal spaces.

 

Southern foyer with nautical ship paintings
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

Another great view of the entrance.  I wonder if you get to keep their collection of ship paintings?

 

Southern dining room with hand painted mural
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

I have no idea if the mural is original, but it is amazing and blends seamlessly with the rest of this beautiful home.

 

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House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

A properly scaled, magnificent chandelier in the main living space.

 

Traditional southern living room
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

I’m sure it has been nothing less than an art keeping the moldings repaired and authentic.  I love the floors, kept in original condition.

 

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House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

I would LOVE to see a repro on this as a cast stone replica.  Really nice work and styled professionally.

 

Historic home with butcher block island
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

The kitchen is usually where these places lose me… but I sort of adore this one.  It has all the makings of a place where you can prepare incredible meals, professional grade appliances, and a homey feel with plenty of prep space.

 

Stove with copper hood in historic home in Charleston
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

 

I love that the stove and hood experience wasn’t overlooked… Nothing chaps me more than seeing multi-million dollar properties with chincy kitchen appliances.

 

Curved kitchen cabinets in historic home
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

This is SOOO cool.  Rainman would kill me if I requested curved cabinets.

 

Traditional home hallway and staircase
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

It’s so weird that I love this, because I generally despise any kind of wallpaper.  But, this is just beautiful.

 

Study and den with traditional wood panel
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

The ultimate man den with wood panelling.  I can almost smell the cigars.

 

Traditional bedroom with canopy bed and fireplace
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

 

That bed is SO awesome and the wood burning fireplace seals the deal.

 

Historic home dressing room
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

Off the bathroom, the dressing room is absolutely spectacular.

 

Historic home bathroom with fireplace
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

And this bathroom is perfect.  I keep arguing with Rainman that we need seating in the bathtub so I don’t have to sit on the sink while we chat.

 

Green bedroom in historic home
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

This was common to do color themed rooms.  “You’ll be staying in the Green Room while you visit.”  Although I don’t do it now (I find abrupt color changes distracting and uncomfortable, and ultimately lacking in cohesion), I love it in this space.

 

Green wallpaper bathroom
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

With it’s matching green bathroom.

 

Pink toile
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

And the pink toile room.  LOVE the toile.

 

Pink wallpaper in bathroom with marble in historic home
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

With it’s FANTASTIC matching bathroom.  Looks like a Williams Sonoma style vanity with traditional carrera marble.

 

 

Back staircase with ancestor wall
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

With pictures of ancestors going down the back staircase.

 

Attic with exposed beams and wallpaper in historic home
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

I love that the attic was formalized and finished, as I’m sure it was NOT in its hayday.

 

Carriage house bathroom in historic home
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

The tub tile is great here and I do adore some Victorian Cameos.

 

Attic in carriage house in historic home
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

This is a great mini apartment in the attic.  I love the angled walls.

 

Carriage house formal room in historic home
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

Of course, I adore the Chesterfield sofa in linen and the trunk.  What a great, cozy space.

 

Charleston roofline
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

Overlooking the Charleston rooftops.

 

Charleston courtyard in historic home
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

The value of outdoor space always baffles me.  The incredible, manicured gardens and stone and brick walkways are impossible to put a price tag on.

 

Outdoor patio with garden wall in Charleston
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

This is another fantastic outdoor space.  What a great garden wall.

 

Builtin courtyard hottub in charleston
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

This is an incredibly disguised hottub.  It fits in seamlessly with the rest of the exterior spaces.

 

Greenhouse in courtyard Charleston
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

What an exquisite greenhouse with amazing brickwork and sculptural boxwood hedges.

 

Reflecting pool in Charleston courtyard
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

The design of this reflecting pool and the architectural interest is really second to none.

 

Courtyard in historic Charleston
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

Of note here is the copper lean to roof that creates a little bit of protected space close to the wall of the house.

 

Carriage house with brick walls in historic home
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

I love that they kept the brick wall in the cariage house.

 

Antique stove in historic home
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

And the repro antique stove in the carriage house kitchen is a super nice touch.

 

Carriage house bedroom in historic home
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

Once again, maintaining the rustic brick really adds a nice touch.

 

Carriage house bathroom in historic home
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

I adore the carriage house bathroom with the gilded mirrors, wallpaper, and especially the travertine tile.

 

Night exterior historic home
House Porn, Legare St, Charleston, SC

The exterior lighting updates were well done and really make the exterior spaces welcoming in the evening.

If you’re ready to drop some serious cha-ching for a historic favorite in Charleston, this estate is listed by Debbie Fisher at Handsome Properties, Inc in Charleston, SC.  They’ve dropped the price from an initial listing in 2016 at $19,500,000 so I’d guess this is probably bargain pricing for this type of place.

Grab a glass of wine and join us for more house porn and DIY projects on our blog!  Cheers!

 

*Legal stuff:

I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it.  I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.

Slavetodiy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.  Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links.  Each of your purchases via our Amazon affiliation links supports our cause at no additional cost to you.

If a blogger links to an Amazon product (with a special code for affiliates embedded in the link), and a reader places an item in their “shopping cart” through that link within 24 hours of clicking the link, the blogger gets a small percentage of the sale.  Amazon links are not “pay per click.”  If you click on the product link and stay around Amazon and purchase something else, however, I will get a commission on that sale.

Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.

The Classic Living Room of My Dreams

I am super excited to be sharing our completed living room with you!!!  It’s hard to believe that it’s come this far from where we started, but one of the reasons we bought this place was its overall improvability.  I like everything customized MY way, and it’s nice not have to make any structural changes to achieve results, or to pay a higher price for a home that’s finished, but not necessarily what you would have chosen.  So, now we have EXACTLY what I wanted and it turned out even better than I dreamed.  See the complete source list below each photo!

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full disclosure at the end of the post.

So, here’s a flashback to what this place looked like before we moved in (eeeeek!).  But, with the high ceilings and great windows, it was ripe for an elegant update.  The house was super clean and ready for a facelift.

ec032231-9fac-436c-b2e9-43cb91c3eeb6

It is difficult to believe that this is the same room, but I am completely in love.  Check out the incredible results:

 

Classic living room with Pottery Barn Chesterfield sofa, RH 19th Century Rococo Iron & Crystal Round Chandelier, and RH knock off (DIY) velvet curtains

The fantastic light fixture from RH is the crown jewel of the space and really takes it to another level.  It is the 19th Century Rococo Iron & Crystal Round Chandelier in Matte Natural Iron/Smoke Crystal and it is breathtaking.

I started out with a great foundation piece from Pottery Barn, this Grand Chesterfield Sofa in Vintage Cocoa Leather that has held up great to kids, two cats, and a dog that occasional jumps up when we’re not looking.

The curtain rods with marble end caps were super reasonable and I got them at my local Lowe’s.

Also from Lowe’s are the metal globe lamps that flank the couch.

The side tables are from wally-world and are decent (they’re not show-stoppers because they are playing a support role here).

The customized Bourbon Barrel top is from Etsy and the shop name is KYBourbonBarrel.  This was a gift for my husband for Christmas and we just love it.

The velvet curtains were sewn by my mother and you can find the source links and project tutorial here.

The rug is from Home Depot and it’s one of my favorite finds.  It doesn’t feel cheapy and it wasn’t a small fortune like similar ones I like from Pottery Barn.  I wish I had a sourced a few others from there that I got online and didn’t totally love.

The pillow covers and blanket are all from Amazon: the whalecompass rose pillow covers, dark gray corduroy pillow covers, and fuzzy light gray blanket and pillow covers.

Hemnes IKEA Builtins in Black with Custom Hardware

Above are the semi-custom IKEA builtins that Rainman built for me.  You can find the components on the IKEA website  and the tutorial here.

We updated them with Antiqued Brass Bin Pulls and Antique Brass Cabinet Latches from House of Antique Hardware and it really changed the look of the whole unit.  The tutorial is here.

The beautiful, solid (and did I mention heavy) dough bowl is from Pottery Barn, although I’m not totally sure they have this dark wood one anymore.  In it are found driftwood, a starfish, and Japanese Fishing Floats.

The room was designed around the curved television so that it can be viewed well from almost any angle.  Rainman researched and decided on the LG 4H in a curved model.  It’s pretty awesome.

Classic Living Room with black builtins, leather chesterfield sofa from Pottery Barn, and Chandelier from Restoration Hardware

Most of the items in the builtins are things that I’ve collected over the years but there are a few that I’ve purchased recently to fill in just a few areas.  I believe in builtins because you need them, not to arbitrarily spend money for storage and display space that you don’t need.

 

IKEA black builtins, brick veneer, custom wood shelves flanking the builtins, RH Chandelier

The little punches of green are super important on the builtins and I love getting REAL preserved boxwood.  My artisan of choice is on Amazon and Etsy, Door and Decor.  The wreath below is from her, also, and her work is stunning.  The prices are slightly less than West Elm or other online vendors and her creations are far superior.

 

Rainman’s chair, with Kim Taylor Reece photography in Koa wood frames, Preserved Boxwood Wreath from DoorandDecor (Etsy)

To match the chesterfield sofa, we purchased the Lansing Leather Recliner in Vintage Cocoa from Pottery Barn.

The tutorial for the dried rose arrangement is here and the table is an antique hand me down from my mom.

The Octopus Pillow Cover and Compass Rose Pillow cover are both from Amazon.  The lantern looks very nice but I wasn’t super excited about the construction, so I won’t recommend it.

So glad you came to check out our finished adult living room!  Thanks for stopping by and check out our other updates, projects, and design inspiration on our Blog.  Cheers!

*Legal stuff:

I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it.  I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.

Slavetodiy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.  Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links.  Each of your purchases via our Amazon affiliation links supports our cause at no additional cost to you.

If a blogger links to an Amazon product (with a special code for affiliates embedded in the link), and a reader places an item in their “shopping cart” through that link within 24 hours of clicking the link, the blogger gets a small percentage of the sale.  Amazon links are not “pay per click.”  If you click on the product link and stay around Amazon and purchase something else, however, I will get a commission on that sale.

Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.

DIY Black Builtins, Epic Hemnes IKEA Hack

I’m so excited the Hemnes IKEA builtins are finally finished!!! This has literally been a two-year process (of building custom-ish bookshelves) and life has been truly uncooperative. But, they are done and I am super psyched to be sharing our process and pictures with you!

Before I get started, I feel like a short discussion is warranted… a note on this new culture in which I find myself.

You know, when I was growing up, the word “hack” was a bad thing. Like, if someone called you a “no talent hack” or you were watching a movie about murderous chainsaw wielding “hacks”… or am I using that wrong? Anyway, so I’m old now, and apparently hacking is a positive thing. Unless, it’s computer related and you’re trying to pass high school by updating your math grade in the school by flashlight. But, suddenly life hacks are awesome, furniture hacks are even better, and IKEA hacks are the holy grail. So, now I’m hacking away, trying to fit in.

I’ve performed my very first IKEA hack (in my head I’m trying desperately to suppress the sound of a hair ball being coughed up every time I write the word “hack”).

This post may contain affiliate links.  Please see the full disclosure at the bottom of the post.

After much pinteresting and pinning and planning I finally bit the bullet and ordered the components for my long-awaited living room builtins (I challenge you to find hemnes hacks in black on Pinterest- they’re few and far between). The boxes of homeless decor were staring at me every time I walked by and rendering the media room, which was temporarily storing the wayward decor, unusable. Enough was enough. And this HAD to be easier than building from scratch with MDF and poplar/pine as we’ve done in the past. And, of course, that dreamy factory finish is just impossible to accomplish without, you know, buying it from the factory.

So, we’ve previously done four sets of built ins of slightly varying design, each time getting better and learning tricks along the way. However, when you’re working with afternoons and weekends, and your own personal OCD- Rainman husband, they take FOREVER. It was worth seeing whether these would look as nice (or better) and if the process would go any more quickly. Fingers crossed. This is in my living room. So, no pressure if I hate it, right?

Listing photo from before we purchased the house.

Before.

Our New House, getting unpacked!

Here’s how this went down. In case the cops ask.

So, I ordered the hemnes components after measuring, remeasuring and adding their weirdly sized measurements together (these are designed with metric measurements, so the conversion is generally some oddball number and 5/8s). So, I got my 6th grade math hat on, did my measurements, made a pretty drawing on graph paper, left PLENTY of wiggle room in the design, and ordered online. This is literally drawn on graph paper. And yes it’s still okay to use a paper and pencil. This is a big wall, and those of you that follow our journey, know I like to use the WHOLE wall when we do builtins. Go big or go home, right?

And now I can’t find my sketch, so I have no proof that ever happened.

A design note: I fell in love with white cabinets and built ins for years. We did white builtins in the last place and I adored them (so did the buyers apparently). But, is that dreamy white kitchen on Pinterest really timeless? Are the built ins? Or will they be the next victim of HGTV inspired design trend that date the home? I’m so glad I waited, because we went with black, and I feel like it’s way more US, and timeless. Dare I say classic? I would hate to be here in 15 years and think, “nice going, 15 years ago self. That looks like garbage.” So, time will tell. But, I feel like black is like that little black dress that will stand the test of time. (I’m not hating on your white builtins, they’re just boring me to tears lately and I’m way to moody for all that cheerfulness).

Total cost on the bookshelves and bridging shelves from IKEA (not final cost with support lumber and trim) was $1591.64. This was the general plan:

IKEA Hemnes Builtins Hack, in black, bridging shelves and bookshelves

Buying from IKEA, a few things to note:

I purchased when I did because they were offering 20% off. Once you add the shipping, it comes out to about what it would’ve otherwise cost. Shipping on furniture is almost never free at IKEA, so if you’re waiting on that it will be a long time. Furniture delivery took about two weeks and was delivered by a different delivery service (as in scheduled with an appointment time, not FedEx or UPS). There was one damaged box with a nicked shelf and one of the seven bridge shelves was missing completely (I did the math on weight and figured out that it never shipped from IKEA, not that it disappeared en route).

So, I immediately emailed with the discrepancy and, after not getting a reply, called IKEA. After 59 minutes on hold listening to the elevator version of “I love you, always forever” by Donna Lewis mixed in with Ikea advertisements, I was approaching homicidal, but got a human being in time that my phone didn’t become just another statistic. Well, it turns out they didn’t ship it on purpose because it wasn’t in stock (could I get a heads up???). Also, helpful-insider-info-Ikea-customer-service-guy shared with me that they never get to the emails, so just call next time… good to know. Back on hold with electronica Donna Lewis…. Yay! They shipped it via FedEx so I don’t even have to be there for delivery. But, wait! The shelf! Back on hold… sigh.

The missing bridging shelf arrived a few days later, not so much the other shelf. Let’s see if I ever get around to calling them on that.

Assembly:

Assemble components. Follow the directions. Leave the el-cheapo back covers off (this is the cardboard-ish thin backer board).

Bridging shelves. Well. Most of them. Stacked. Tempting cats to cause a mishap.

 

 

IKEA hemnes bookcase with drawers and cabinets. Partially assembled.

 

 

IKEA Hemnes Bookshelf in Black

 

Helpers assembling Hemnes IKEA with Rainman

 

Wall prep.

So, for installation the baseboard had to be removed, and not being totally sure where the shelves would cover to (due to the *cough *cough extreme precision of my design plan) I decided to spackle and sand the uneven spots. I hate mud. I hate sheetrock. I hate sanding. Shoot me.

Paint:

I kept seeing all of these great shelves with an accent color on the back wall. So, I chose a color at the paint store, and hated it. My pretty gray turned out purple and I waited a couple of months before admitting that I hated it, and got the wall painted black before the installation began. Yeah, I said months. This is why we don’t six-week challenges. Six MONTH challenges would be record-breaking for us.

Purple. Blech. It was supposed to be gray.

So, we survived the holidays and I dropped not so subtle hints about beginning the installation on our anniversary weekend when we were both coming down with colds. I mean, I painted (again) so now we were waiting on HIM. Not my best moment as me and grumple-stilt-skin headed to Lowe’s with Chatty-Cathy in tow. Thank the Good Lord the Lowe’s car shopping cart was available. About a hundred bucks later, with black cabinet screws and framing lumber, we escaped back to our nest where I decided we collectively needed a break and SEC football was more important than my built ins. Oddly, I didn’t get any protests.

The black looks good, though, right?

Two days later he built the base for the bridging shelves to sit on and we were back to waiting on…. ourselves. Because we were not sure what we wanted to do for a conduit to hide all the crap that goes behind the TV. Well. I’ll let you know.

It’s going to be a few days because it snowed in North Carolina and the state is shut down. My husband was doing donuts in the cul-de-sac in his truck with the kids, so that’s a better day, ANY day, than installing built ins. Snow man 1. Built-ins 0. Send help.

And the kids were out of school for a WEEK. No snowplows. (Did you happen to notice that we’re nowhere near done and these aren’t so much as attached to the wall, but I already started putting stuff in them?)

Cord hiding solution win. I pulled the surge protector out so you could see where it was all hiding.

Several installation sessions happened in the spring. I finally decided on a cord hiding solution (which is totally genius and I should definitely receive a prize for) so my tired Rainman got to work. The cord hiding solution ended up being three rectangles, one in each center shelf, hiding from view the two-inch diameter access holes through the horizontal panels. The cords thread through behind with super easy access.

To be fair… Looking back, I realize that the hesitation for Rainman on this project actually had to do with the odd shape of the hemnes components. And this is something to keep in mind during the design phase.

Front and Side View of Hemnes Bookshelves from IKEA, Dimensions

Basically, the back is not flush on any of them. Presumably this is to allow for the whole unit to sit flat against a wall with base molding, (with the top of the back sticking out further than the bottom) but makes installation as built ins maddening. Several times we had to pull pieces of trim out and reseat them because we lost track of which edges On the face were supposed to line up flush.

In hindsight, it would’ve been easier if we had trimmed the tops on each component so that the back sat completely flat against the wall and we didn’t have to shim each component to line them up. He suggested that after the initial component assembly and I shot it down because all I saw was an afternoon of wasted time disassembling, trimming, and reassembling components. I like the way it ended up because now I can install a light kit with existing gaps, but in hindsight this project would have been WAY faster without the bumped out tops. He was right. I was wrong. Don’t tell him I said that.

This is how ridiculous my life is. It was December when we ordered the IKEA components. It is now July, and wouldn’t ya know, that s&@# is still. Not. Finished. We’re agonizingly close. But, life and work just won’t step aside to allow us to finish the built ins.

Side note, I can blame an entire lost work day, last Sunday, on a collapsed shelf in the garage. Little shelf? No, huge shelf. Like shelf that runs along the entire back of the garage shelf. I went out to get a water out of the beverage fridge and the door was WIDE open. “Which one of you little $#&% left the damn door open and how long has it been that way?” I thought to myself. I pushed on it. Harder. Nothing. I looked up. Why was the beverage igloo pushed forward against it?

Then I saw it, the giant shelf collapsed on top of the fridge, on top of the filing cabinets and router table, BARELY missed the bottle on top of the hot water heater. I distinctly remember warning a certain someone that those were crappy shelves were going to collapse. We installed really strong, nice shelves, that are bolted into ceiling joists. UGH. I managed to only say I told you so once, and everything on the shelf fit up on the new shelves. I still want to find the jackass who built that shelf and have a short conversation with him.

So, here we are again, NOT finished. However, we’ve made some progress. I almost, in a moment of desperation, changed the design plan in favor of the version that would get us to the finish line faster, but I’m just not willing to throw in the towel, yet.

We began installing the components and securing them to the wall and to each other, which proved challenging. This is because of the aforementioned bumpouts which leaves only one section of each component actually touching the wall. We secured them to the studs with black cabinet screws. We used pine boards for the transition areas since they were going to be painted black.

And I have to say, the details are turning out BAD ASS. We ordered some brick veneer from Home Depot (after I price compared with a local brick distributor that needed six weeks lead time to create the veneer and only sold big pallets). It’s called Old Mill Brick, comes in neatly stacked cardboard boxes and is really nice. I looked at all the types first on their website and ended up choosing an antique style, “Colonial Collection Castle Gate”, 59.97 for a box of 50 bricks. Not cheap, but reasonable. Here’s the thing, the cost of the brick detail just on the outside shelves, cost about $120. The mortar and grout ran around $70. But, it’s the thing that makes them awesome. Don’t let the “veneer” part fool you.. It’s real brick. Just thinner.

Castlegate, Old Mill Brick
Castlegate, Old Mill Brick, Veneer

Tip: When measuring for your brick, include your anticipated grout lines in the height and width of your bricks and you won’t ordered $120 worth of extra brick. Yes, we literally ordered twice what we needed. We used half-inch grout lines so our measurements should have been 8.225 x 2.75 instead of 7.625 x 2.25. Luckily, we’re planning to use this same brick as an accent in the kitchen so no biggy.

Concrete Backer Board

We installed concrete backer board on the walls where the brick was going, but looking back, we probably didn’t really need it.

 

Old Mill Brick, Castlegate, on the accent walls flanking the buitins

We got the brick installed… (that is a much longer story). And I’m not going into it. Because it was misery.  Working in the tiny space was awful.  I look forward to doing this on an open wall.

 

Anyway, it looks awesome. Took three different tries and one of the biggest, messiest, most tedious installation processes ever. The brick installation process is coming soon.  Maybe.  If I have the strength.

 But, this is what it looks like when we finished the outside edges:

And as you can see we installed the awesome floating shelves on the outer edge. This, combined with the brick really makes this installation special. These little customizations are what make the IKEA hacks look super awesome and non-generic.

Oh, and I’m sure you noticed the pure awesomeness of that pretty hardware (hint: NOT IKEA). See the tutorial on updating the hardware.

So, here’s what they look like empty. Awesome. And most importantly, finished.

IKEA Hemnes Builtins in black

For those of you looking for stuff to buy to “dress your shelves”, I hate you. Built ins are for unpacking 10 boxes of stuff you already had, not arbitrarily purchasing junk so your built ins look good. That’s insane. Find stuff around the house. Arrange it. Never, never buy stuff to fill shelves. Also, never buy anything you don’t ABSOLUTELY have to have. I learned this from my mother who had to smuggle outdated decor out of the house when my dad was out-of-town.

Anyway, how cool is it that we went from THIS:

ec032231-9fac-436c-b2e9-43cb91c3eeb6

To THIS:

IKEA Hemnes Hack-in-black Builtins, dressed and finished.

I don’t know if you noticed the fantastic, gray velvet curtains, but you can find that tutorial here: DIY Restoration Hardware Knock Off Velvet Curtains.

I’m SO super excited we’re finished.  My SUPER EXACT recollection of how much this project cost was around $2500, including the hardware update. Using the brick veneer definitely added some cost but I think the effect is spectacular, and lends itself to the CUSTOM look we were going for.

Thanks for checking out our FINISHED project and we’d love for you to check out more on our Blog.  Cheers!

 

*Legal stuff:

I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it.  I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.

Slavetodiy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.  Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links.  Each of your purchases via our Amazon affiliation links supports our cause at no additional cost to you.

If a blogger links to an Amazon product (with a special code for affiliates embedded in the link), and a reader places an item in their “shopping cart” through that link within 24 hours of clicking the link, the blogger gets a small percentage of the sale.  Amazon links are not “pay-per-click.”  If you click on the product link and stay around Amazon and purchase something else, however, I will get a commission on that sale.

Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.

DIY Restoration Hardware Knock Off Velvet Curtains

Restoration Hardware
Restoration Hardware

Can you hear me laughing maniacally from there? I believe once I added in the shipping it was five hundred dollars from Restoration Hardware! For TWO luxuriously wonderful curtain panels. Yes, TWO. Not two sets. Two panels. ON SALE. I swallowed my insanity, put down my wine glass, closed the tab, and let reality sink in. Allow me a moment to get my blood pressure back down. Look, I admire Restoration Hardware’s whole seductive look they have going on, but I’m apparently in the wrong tax bracket to be shopping there. They’re CURTAINS. As in, fabric that adds privacy and style to windows. Not exactly life or death. So, I did what I do best: I found a way around their ridonculous pricing. But, first let’s bask in the sexy glory of Vintage Velvet Drapery for just a moment.

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full disclosure at the end of the post.

Restoration Hardware
Restoration Hardware
Restoration Hardware

Luckily for us, Restoration Hardware likes to brag about their designers and suppliers. Woot! It ALSO turns out their velvet supplier, J.B. Martin, is available on Fabric.com and Amazon (let’s hear it for non-exclusive suppliers). And (even better) I have a mother that is awesome with a sewing machine. WIN.

I almost purchased the J.B. Martin Banker’s Gray Velvet on Amazon, but decided I wanted a darker gray. So, I found 54″ wide fabric instead J.B. Martin’s Velvet in Graphite, to EXACTLY match the curtains I couldn’t afford from RH, shipped them directly to her… And here they are… (DRUM ROLL, PLEASE)…

RH knock off, DIY Velvet Curtains with Pottery Barn Chesterfield Grand Sofa

So, we made two 96″X50″ exact duplicate panels for the jaw dropping low price of:

$169.05

We saved $330.95 off of retail RHs SALE price.

So, not cheap, but CHEAPER. And gorgeous. And happy me.

Here are some shots with fewer distractions:

RH knock off, DIY Velvet Curtains with Pottery Barn Chesterfield Grand Sofa
RH knock off, DIY Velvet Curtains with Pottery Barn Chesterfield Grand Sofa
RH knock off, DIY Velvet Curtains with Pottery Barn Chesterfield Grand Sofa
RH knock off, DIY Velvet Curtains with Pottery Barn Chesterfield Grand Sofa

Yaaaas!  I just love them!

Check out more of our awesomeness on our blog! Cheers!

 

*Legal stuff:

I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it.  I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.

Slavetodiy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.  Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links.  Each of your purchases via our Amazon affiliation links supports our cause at no additional cost to you.

If a blogger links to an Amazon product (with a special code for affiliates embedded in the link), and a reader places an item in their “shopping cart” through that link within 24 hours of clicking the link, the blogger gets a small percentage of the sale.  Amazon links are not “pay per click.”  If you click on the product link and stay around Amazon and purchase something else, however, I will get a commission on that sale.

Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.

Mashup Monday 2: 14 Inspired Kitchen Banquette Benches

Our current “breakfast nook”

Over the Holidays, Specifically in time for the annual sale, I have requested a trip to the magical land of Restoration Hardware. For those of us who don’t live anywhere near one, this is a big deal, so don’t judge me. We are going so I can touch and feel a sideboard that I’m planning on using as a base for our breakfast nook/island with banquette seating. So, of course, in anticipation of my big purchase, I am trying to decide which type of banquette seating I really want to do that will serve the look and functionality I’m trying to achieve.

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full disclosure at the end of the post.

*Update: soul-crushing disappointment: the sideboard is not on sale. We’ll still go at some point so I know if I like it, for when it DOES go on sale. I will take LOTS of pictures to share.

In case you haven’t figured it out, this is how I passive aggressively start projects. I buy the pieces I want to use, then leave them in the middle of the room until Rainman reluctantly asks what’s supposed to happen with them. The bench will need to run the length of the wall under the windows (backless so we don’t limit visibility to the pool and backyard) and have the ability to house small appliances that will be homeless when Rainman reclaims the pantry for an office closet.

Here are some ideas for banquette seating:

RoomforTuesday.com

The banquette above is a very nicely done seat. I would definitely do cushions, but this is a solid concept. Unfortunately, I don’t think using premade cabinets will work for us as they open from the front and we’ll have an island in the way, making it more difficult to get things in and out. I love the stained finish, though.

Ana-white.com

The DIY one above is a very clean look and I love that it has the flip-up bench seats. I think we may want more detail than this one, however. It is fantastic for the nook it’s in and I love their heat register solution. We also have one to contend with in our future bench seat.

Blueroofcabin.com

The blue roof cabin banquette is a super simple and attractive design. I really like it but I would want to have the squares centered vertically whereas here the base molding covers much of the bottom.

Housefulofhandmade.com

This is a neat idea also, but I want a solid flip top instead of the cushions mounted on wood.

Louannedeco.blogspot.com

With some caulk and paint this could be a very nice bench. If your plan is to have a painted piece, MDF really makes anything more affordable.

Home craft builders

This is very nicely done, although aesthetically I think I prefer the base bumped out instead of recessed as it is here- especially since I have some small appliances that are wider at the base.

Placeofmytaste.com

This is a very basic, clean design. Once again, I think these are pop off cushions, and I would really prefer a hinged lid.

Marthastewart.com

Here’s that beautifully crafted hinged lid. I love that the cushions are separate for wash-ability.

Utahrealestate.com

I love the thickness on these cushions though I question their longevity on a kitchen banquette. If they are washable slip covers that would be awesome. I can’t imagine trying to cut the base molding on these angles. Ugh.

Jurnaldedesigninterior.com

Like most things in Veranda magazine, the next one is impractical, but breathtaking. They should just rename it “shit-you’ll-never-have-because-you-have-kids magazine”. I’m telling myself, willing myself to walk away. (My sister asked me why this is impractical: the pretty little knobs will become footrests and get ripped out. The light-colored fabric will become immediately stained.)

Veranda.com

Once again, Veranda, I admire you for your optimism. Breathtaking and unrealistic.

Makinghomebase.com

Any DIYer could be proud of this simple, little build. Add some quarter round and cushions, and voila, you have yourself a pro level bench.

Biggerthanthethreeofus.com

I love this whole space, except the face of the bench. Just a few pieces of trim will make this space varsity level.

Trendir.com

Once again, if you’re using stock cabinets and want drawers, these are very nice.

I think we’ll eventually settle for a basic board and batten style, with a hinged top, and removable, leather cushions (for easy cleanup).

Thanks for joining us on our adventures! For more inspiration check out our blog.

*Legal stuff:

I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it.  I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.

Slavetodiy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.  Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links.  Each of your purchases via our Amazon affiliation links supports our cause at no additional cost to you.

If a blogger links to an Amazon product (with a special code for affiliates embedded in the link), and a reader places an item in their “shopping cart” through that link within 24 hours of clicking the link, the blogger gets a small percentage of the sale.  Amazon links are not “pay per click.”  If you click on the product link and stay around Amazon and purchase something else, however, I will get a commission on that sale.

Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.