2017 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale - Top Picks for Your Home

Here at Gray Oak Studio, not only do we love all things gray, but we really love it when we find them on sale! Believe it or not, although we are only half way through the summer, retailers are already gearing up to push us right back into the world of back to school gear and jackets, how dare they! The good news is that there are some major sales happening right now, including the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.

If you are not familiar with the sale, it is held once a year and lasts for a few weeks. They have some great items that can help to give your home a fresh new look while not having to break the bank. Take a look at these new finds from the sale going on now, and don’t miss out, items sell out quickly!

1. Ticking Border Accent Pillow - We love this velvet pillow, and it's a great deal for the price!
2. Acacia Wood Cheese Boards and Marble Knife - What a great housewarming gift idea.
3. Dash and Albert Samode Indoor/Outdoor Rug - This rug will add interest to any space.
4. Two Tone Basket - A nice basket to stash away toys or books is always a good idea.
5. Quilted Pouf - Cute little pouf with loads of uses, footstool, extra seating, or ottoman, you choose.
6. Soy Candle - This candle adds a bit of industrial charm with its concrete container.
7. Turkish Towel - Turkish towels are not only stylish, but they are fast drying, lightweight and antimicrobial, a no brainer for summer beach days.
8. Spruce Tree Bookcase - This bookcase is adorable for a nursery or playroom.
9. Dash and Albert Beatrice Rug - Beautiful cotton area rug with a subtle geometric pattern.
10. Basket Weave Accent Pillow - Soft and stylish knit pillow in an array of neutral hues.
11. Embroidered Chevron Pillow - Fun pillow with fringe and chevron, yes please!
12. Jersey and Faux Fur Throw - Amazing throw, one side is cozy jersey the other is faux furry goodness.
13. Set of 6 Ice Cream Bowls - For under $15 these bowls are a great deal for a kitchen staple.
14. Pom Set of 3 Canvas Bins - Cute bins to keep your nursery organized.

Happy Shopping!

Sonia

*This post contains affiliate links*

Meet Leah's Kid's Bathroom.

Let me introduce you to my kid's bathroom.

What's your favorite part? The random white column or the lack of plumbing?

This is what my house looked like the day I moved in. That's grasscloth wallpaper. It covered half the house. No really, HALF THE HOUSE. You can see it is faded in some areas where the prior homeowners had furniture pushed against the wall. You can also see the seams (because it was peeling off). Grasscloth can be perfection in the right space, but this treatment was a hair on the extreme side. Apparently it wasn't broke, so they didn't fix it...

Back to the bigger issue - this isn't a bathroom. But, I knew it could be. Or, I hoped it could be. Here's a different angle.

You didn't believe me about the grasscloth, did you? 

The space beyond the columns is what my family came to affectionately call - Nowhere. It was a glorified hallway that connected the house's three bedrooms. A glorified hallway that measured 10.5 feet wide and 17 feet long. And there's more. Behind the doorway in the far left corner of Nowhere is more a useless space, known as The Nook. 

The Nook is another five feet wide, which doesn't account for the depth of a built-in bookshelf (another foot or so).

Here's a side-by-side photo to help you understand this bizarre layout. Please don't judge my arrows or, for that matter, the quality of any of these photos. They were taken pre-Gray Oak Studio and my attention to photographic quality was lacking. The arrows are pointing to 2 sides of the same wall.

When we added Nowhere and The Nook (plus the width of the wall and the built-in bookshelf) we had almost 250 square feet of space with no real use other than to connect bedrooms.

Now you have the lay of the land and, finally, we reach The Bathroom Plan! 

Pretty early on, my husband and I agreed this would be the perfect location for a bathroom for our kids. Our daughter's bedrooms were right off The Nook and, by adding a bathroom for the kids, we wouldn't be forced to survive with one full bathroom. Fast forward 2 years. We finally get the ball rolling. Our biggest hurdle was the wall connecting Nowhere to the Nook. It was load bearing. It was actually an original exterior wall of the house before a previous owner's addition.

With this in mind we tried to avoid taking it down. Why? Did I mention we decided to do this project ourselves? Yep...we did. And the thought of putting a beam in our attic felt quite hefty/horrifying for a couple of modestly experienced DIYers. Emphasis on the word modestly. So, we developed a reasonable layout that didn't require removing the wall and instead made an additional opening in the wall the size of a door.

As you can see in my highly sophisticated and accurate schematic (nothing about the above chicken scratch is proportional), we would leave the load bearing wall for the most part and just take out a few studs to create another doorway/hallway/pass through within the bathroom. The bathtub would butt against the remaining (load bearing) wall and leave just enough space for the toilet. Meanwhile, the vanity and sink would be on the other side of the wall. For a bit we (sort of) bought into this layout because had vacationed in a rental house once with a similar setup.

We spent months with blue painters tape on the floor, which mapped out the precise size and location of all the components. We would sit on our painter's tape toilet and practice getting in and out of our painter's tape shower. I can't stress enough the importance of this part of the planning process. For anyone at the jump off of a renovation - put some painters tape on the floor and really see/feel what a space will be when it's changed. It will help you realize what doesn't work and, more importantly, open your mind to possibilities you wouldn't have otherwise considered. One more tip while I'm at it, when it comes to bathrooms it's never too early to bring in a plumber - there's a difference between where you want all those behind-the-wall-pipes to go and where they can actually fit. 

After living for a while with our painter's tape bathroom we realized it could technically work, but it would be awkward and very cramped. After all the work it would take (that we would do ourselves), did we really want a finished product that was awkward and very cramped? Didn't sound like a real win even if it did get us another bathroom. In stepped an incredibly handy (major understatement) and incredibly generous family member. He talked us and walked us through the process of fully removing the load bearing wall. And, he pushed us to go for it. If we were going to take on this project, we should TAKE ON THIS PROJECT. And, he would help. 

We reconfigured the layout without the load bearing wall. 

Well then. That's a bathroom. Removing the load bearing wall allowed for so much flexibility in the layout and so much more space. Nothing about the new layout felt awkward or cramped. Again, we put down painter's tape. This time we practiced dubbing in the middle of our large and open bathroom floor. The was no question that the wall needed to come down. 

Last October, it did. 

Here's a huge hole in our ceiling where the wall used to be and the beam went. 

And here's shot from when it was finished and cleaned up. 

I'm going to stop here for now...I know, a real cliff hanger. But if you'd like to see some sneak peaks of the current state of this space, check us out on Instagram (all those 4x8 subway tiles!!!). 

And, stay tuned. I think this story is going to have quite the fairy tale ending.

- Leah

Sale Round-up for July 10

If you missed out on all those amazing 4th of July sales last week, fear not - the summer sales continue. West Elm is currently offering 25% off one item with the code YOUR25 (some exclusions) and Anthropologie is having a sale on sale items...an extra 30% off.

1. Hexagon side table / 2. Round brass mirror / 3. Archway side table / 4. Pendant light / 5. Oval mirror / 6. Rug / 7. Bench

Hexagon Side Table (West Elm) - We love this drum side table made of mango wood with hammered metal top. It's a great way to add some interest to your living room.

Round Brass Mirror (West Elm) -  You can't go wrong with this metal framed round wall mirror in brass. Add it above a bench in your entryway or above a console in your living room. There are so many uses for this timeless mirror.

Archway Side Table (Anthropologie) - This little tables are so versatile. They are a great way to add color and interest to any room. Place one near a console or buffet in your dining room and top it with a plant for a low cost and high impact.

Pendant Light (Anthropologie) - This brass pendant is 1000% on trend. You can hang it above your kitchen sink for a gorgeous task light, or flank your bed with two sconces for a touch of glam in your bedroom. The pop of light pink on the interior is an unexpected surprise, and softens the fixture.

Oval Mirror (Anthropologie) - The antique finish and details on this mirror are just right. Add it above your mantel or in an empty space in your hallway and you've got an instantly gorgeous focal point.

Rug (Anthropolgie) - This large scale patterned wool rug is a steal at the moment. A steal! We love natural material rugs in a nursery and this rug would be a sweet addition for a little girls bedroom. Pair it with brass and cream details and furnishings and enjoy.

Bench (West Elm) - This bench is gorgeous. Replace your dining chairs with this bench on one side of the table to mix things up in your dining room. Or, use it in your entryway paired with an oversized round mirror for an instant mudroom makeover. So many uses for this great piece!

Happy shopping!

- Sonia

*This post contains affiliate links*