Decorating Archives – With the Barretts

Debra’s Domain Transformation – a Last Look at Hildring House – Guest Post by Debra

Such a late post- we sold Hildring House a couple of months ago, (Dan here; you know I can’t resist commenting. It has been more than a couple. But the Hildring House Debra’s Domain Transformation was one of the highlights of the adventure, so it’s worth looking back.) and we have moved on to a new adventure – “the Cottage on the Corner,” which we will talk about soon. At least I hope there will be something in some state of at-least-partial-completion that we can talk about.

This is the pre-purchase, MLS listing photo.

Not horrible, but not at all my style.

The first thing that happened was the closet. Mr WTB very wisely insisted that the guest room (aka Debra’s domain) have a closet installed STAT. The before closet was a 1950’s 3×3, not adequate even for a clothing minimalist. Luckily, there was a closet in the garage which backed up to the guest room. We had it flipped, installed some pretty mirrored doors, and then Container Store came and did magic. Voila! a functional, pretty closet space.

Dan again – you can see the post where we talked about doing this closet HERE. You might also remember the post about re-fitting the 3×3 closet that she mentions. You can find that one HERE.

Hildring House Adventure – Before & After – Part 1

Part 1 of the Before & After photos of the Hildring House Adventure – With the Barretts

Before & After at Hildring House – Part 1

You never reach a point in home remodel and redesign where everything is “done.” There is always more that could be changed. Another tweak of paint or fabric or flooring, a different window treatment, an alternative furniture placement.

At Hildring House, almost everything has changed. Even if a room hasn’t completely changed, it hasn’t gone untouched.

But we’re at the stage where we have to say, “enough.”

I believe the transformation Debra brought about here at Hildring House is astonishing. So, let’s take a look at some before and after shots, shall we?

The first change you notice about the facade is the color, since it’s the most dramatic. As important, however, is the fact that you can see more of it. Removing the huge bushes standing guard at the front door and the scraggly hedges blocking the windows made a huge difference – inside and out.

But, wait! There is so much more. Let’s go take a look.

Hildring House Happy Holidays Lagniappe

Christmas or Solstice or Kwanzaa or Hanukkah or Festivus, here at With the Barretts we wish you a Hildring House Happy Holidays.

Our Holiday Wish

Continue reading “Hildring House Happy Holidays Lagniappe”

A Guide to Buying Kitchen Worktops – Guest Post from Trade Up Kitchens

Our friend John Stuart over at Trade Up Kitchens – a UK-based kitchen supply company – has a guest post for us: “A Guide to Buying Kitchen Worktops.” For those of us in the US, a “kitchen worktop” is a counter top. Actually, “worktop” makes more sense, doesn’t it? In any event, here it is. I hope you enjoy it!

Buying Kitchen Worktops

Your choice of kitchen worktops will dramatically affect the whole aesthetic of your kitchen. Choosing your kitchen worktop is one aspect which should never be overlooked during the design process. Similar to your flooring, your kitchen worktops sit on a horizontal plane, making it a prominent feature in your kitchen. With so many options available, choosing your kitchen worktop can seem like an impossible task but our guide is on hand to help you find the best option for you.

Granite Worktop — Photo – Trade Up Kitchens

Before choosing your kitchen worktop, it’s important to consider two things:

Your budget

Worktops come in a variety of materials, all at differing price points. Before you decide on a material for your kitchen worktop, it’s important to assess your budget – this will dramatically influence your choice of worktop.

Your lifestyle

If you’re choosing kitchen worktops for a student house or you’ve got a house full of children, then you’ll need to consider a sturdy, low-maintenance worktop. Alternatively, if you’re likely to clean up any spills immediately and don’t mind dedicating a little time to its maintenance, then you’ve got a few more options when it comes to kitchen worktops.

After you’ve taken these two things into consideration, you’ve got to choose from the following kitchen worktops: Continue reading “A Guide to Buying Kitchen Worktops – Guest Post from Trade Up Kitchens”

The First Thing – Entryway Renovation – Hildring House

It’s the first thing you see when you come in the house – as a guest, that is. In this post, Debra talks about the entryway renovation at Hildring House. It has been through several iterations and, I have a feeling, isn’t done yet. But it’s miles better than it was. Here we go:

Inspiration

Let’s start with some entries that I admire:

At Hildring House, we enter from the back- our garage is in back, and we are lucky enough to have a small entry hall at the garage entrance… Someday I’ll show it to you, but, very much like the front entrance, it has gone through a lot of changes and I’ve not hit on the “perfect” arrangement as of yet. Today, I’m going to show you the many versions of the front entry. Continue reading “The First Thing – Entryway Renovation – Hildring House”

Hildring House Kitchen on DesignSponge!

Our (well, Debra’s) Hildring House kitchen is featured on Design Sponge’s Before and After. Go take a look!

Just in case you missed the link, find it here.

And the adventures continue!

Best –

Dan