#29 Paint Chip Art

angie schwab November 6, 2018

Brent, August, and I went to the Art Fair on the Square here in Madison this summer and the last booth we stopped at was Lydia's. I am captivated by her unique art. She paints on paint chips - you know, the little swatches of color we use to select paint colors for our walls.

I had one wall left in my office that needed some art. I collaborated with Lydia providing her with pictures of the room and a pintrest page of things that I like. I requested a series of 3.

I absolutely love the paintings she did and how they incorporated into this gallery wall in my office. I purchased shadow boxes with linen backgrounds and white frames and the painting really look beautiful and feel so personal.

Her paint chip art is personal to me because of my profession but her subjects are so diverse reflecting holidays, animals, food, and much more! Check out Lydia's website, instagram page, and etsy shop. It's really awesome!

Click here to visit Lydia’s website!

#28 Building a House: Frequently Asked Questions 2.0

angie schwab October 29, 2018

Thank you SO much for your interest in our project. Whether you're interested in having a custom home built, considering a remodel, or have a decorating project, we REALLY hope you find the blog helpful. We've been asked some excellent questions over the past year. We thought we'd share a few of those with everyone.

1. How long does it take?

For us, it took 7 months.

2. There are so many decisions to make, how did you decide to do what you did?

Our education and experience helps - no doubt! But, there's more to the building process than interior design and flooring. Over the past 15 years, we have been careful listeners and observers and we've used that to cultivate our own list of wants and needs. That includes listening to our clients as well as the professionals we work with. We also utilize resources online (houzz, Pinterest, blogs, etc) and use images to inspire our own ideas. We also love a good home and garden TV show. We've actually learned a lot from This Old House and it's good family entertainment. We love walking into the house during construction and saying, "Wow, that is so cool!" when we we get to see some of our ideas finally put in place.

3. With all of the work that you have done in preparation, has everything been seamless?

No. We make regular (daily) trips to the house to check on progress and make sure that all of the details are being done to our specifications. There have definitely been some “slap the forehead” moments and definitely some “tear up and re-do’s” but we are very happy with the outcome in those situations and the way that they have been handled by the people we are working with. If you want seamless, a custom house is not for you!

4. Did you enjoy going over to check on progress?

Yes!!! Most definitely. However, building a home is like having another job that you aren’t getting paid for. With all the planning, site visits, decisions, electrical walk through, HVAC walk through, cabinets, countertops, flooring (Ha Ha), lumber, doors, windows, on and on and on…….. You have to commit yourself to some late nights and full weekends. Even 2 professionals like us can suffer some burnout (not to mention the poor kiddo, thank goodness for some well-placed tech-time #Ithinkweregoingtobeoverondatathismonthagain).

5. How did you deal with ...(insert whatever you want)?

Knowing that not every decision you make in prep is going to work the way you want it to and being able to move past that is paramount to making the home building experience a good one.

Every contractor that works in our home has an opinion on how things should be done. We always listen because his/her experience can definitely lead us in the right direction; however, we also need to trust our instincts. We spent a lot of time thinking through the decisions we're making so we recognize the value in that too.

Thanks again for your interest. If you have any other questions you'd like answered, be sure to send them our way and we'll be sure to answer them in another post!

#27 Window Treatments

angie schwab October 23, 2018

We L.O.V.E. our new blinds. Really, we do!

There are 8 windows in the front of the house. We wanted all of the windows to have a similar treatment so the look is consistent.

We love the look of plantation shutters but we felt that the shutters would mostly be covering the windows with the vanes either open or closed. We wanted something that would open up the windows a bit more.

So, we went with Silouettes by Hunter Douglas. The wide vane creates the look of shutters but they roll up nicely into a head rail at the top of the window for a clear open option. They come in wide widths as well so we were able to do just one blind for each set of windows.

The layering of the sheer fabric allows for light to come through but still allows for privacy.

Three reasons why we love THESE BLINDS:

The design allows each vane to magically float between two sheer panels. Creating a sculptural look.

Adjusting the vanes in different angles diffuses sunlight and creates ambient light throughout each room.

Each shade has ultra-sheer panels that allow you to see outside clearly while still protecting you from UV rays.

Even easy to use for august

Home in the Heartland hunter douglas.jpg

Because there is a large built-in under our daughter's windows, it would've been a reach to get to a controller on the wall. We splurged a bit more and went with a remote controlled blind to allow for easy up and down. Her blind also has a second layer that blocks out most of the light so she has lots of flexibility in how much light comes in. It's been helpful during the summer when her bedtime is before nightfall.

And now for the cream of the crop…

For the master bedroom and for my office, we installed Hunter Douglas Softtouch™ Motorization blinds. The quick touch of the wand signals the blind to automatically roll open or up. Yes, this feature is expensive but for us... it's SO worth it. We spent a lot of money on these windows and we want it to be easy peasy to see them during the daytime. We know that if we would've had to manually open and close 8 separate blinds every damn day (excuse my french)... it just wouldn't have happened.

We can pop into every room each morning and touch the wand or push the button on the control and we’re ready for the day.

H&R Carpets sells these blinds (and many other brands and styles). Visit hrcarpets.com, stop in, or call (608) 849-7482 to find out more!

#25 Interview with an Intern

angie schwab October 6, 2018

This past summer H&R Carpets and Angie Schwab Interiors provided a joint internship to Kelsey Nonn. She's a student currently studying interior design at Madison College. As part of the internship, we asked Kelsey to help us out with our blog. She offered some questions for me to answer interview style - things that she was interested in learning and so she thought other folks might be interested in as well. Here's the interview:

1. Was there a defining moment when you knew you wanted to become an interior designer? If so, what was that moment like?

No, there wasn't a defining moment for me. It was a slow process of realizing an interest. Looking back, it was always there. I have always enjoyed color, texture, and pattern. I have always had a heightened awareness of my surroundings and the emotional changes that come with the physical changes in our environment. The ability to affect things has always intrigued me.

Interior design is a second career for me. I worked in information systems at Kraft Foods first. After I moved away from home and later became a home owner in my early 20's - that is when I first considered interior design a career choice

2. Where did you study interior design?

I studied interior design at UW-Madison. I received a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Textiles and Design in 2007. I also have a Bachelor in Business Administration from UW-Eau Claire. I received that degree in 1998.

The door that would lead me to my new career!

Classroom in the School of Human Ecology

3. When did you decide to take the leap and start your own business?

I started my interior design business in 2004.

I knew I wanted to be a business owner well before I knew I wanted to be an interior designer. I took marketing courses in high school and continued taking business classes while attending UW-Eau Claire after high school. I read books about entrepreneurship and biographies about entrepreneurs. To this day, I'm still fascinated by people's stories. Being a business owner takes courage, confidence, and a serious work ethic. It demands that you work hard to figure things out even if it's outside of your area of expertise.

4. Why did you decide to start your own business instead of going to work for someone else?

I enjoy having the responsibility to set standards for how our clients are treated. Since most of our projects are residential - I am invited into people's homes. This honor comes with a responsibility to be respectful and empathetic. Listening to my client's needs is the most important thing. I also enjoy having the ability to be flexible and adaptive. The options available for purchasing home furnishings and fixtures has drastically changed since I started the business 14 years ago. I can meet those needs by using trade vendors for a full service experience, local retails for a more personal feel, or online vendors offering convenience and variety. We also offer e-design where we send you a completed plan and all the information you need to implement it without even meeting.

5. Between having a family and 2 businesses to run, how have you gotten through some of the more difficult times?

It hasn't been easy! We've had some serious challenges along the way both personally and professionally. Having a loving and supportive husband helps. We believe in each other and we love each other very much. When the going gets tough, you pick yourself up and do your best to learn from the situation.

6. If there was one thing you learned along the way that you’d want to share with others, what would it be?

Never. Stop. Learning.

Hang out with people smarter than you.
Never assume someone doesn't have something to teach you.
Read.
Listen.
As a designer, always be aware of your surroundings and how you feel in those surroundings. Analyze why.

Some of my favorite books and podcasts for inspiration:

7. How has your business grown or changed over the years? Have you changed with it?

Each project is different so the depth of knowledge and experience that I have has increased. I also have a wonderful list of resources. I've met a lot of creative and talented folks through the years. Harnessing their talent in a team effort has led to really beautiful work.

Another aspect that has changed is technology. We use digital images to convey our ideas and aid in the design process. The digital images get surprisingly close to reality. This offers clients an added sense of comfort that they're going to love the space when it's completed. Many of the purchases we make for our home are long-term. Making sure you love them is really important.

8. What has inspired you to continue to want to be a designer (and run your own business) every day?

After all of these years, I'm still so aware of how we are affected by our environments and I have an emotional attachment to the word "home". It's such an important place. Living in a home that is filled with things that provide beauty, happiness, comfort, and safety is so important. Being a part of helping our clients achieve that feeling is so rewarding!

I am also really excited about the unique service that we offer and the unique way we deliver that service. We don't rely on product sales. We make the best design decisions for our clients based on his/her budget and preferences. This leaves our client with a sense of comfort about our motives and excitement about the way we can curate their selections for a unique and interesting look . Our delivery with digital images is really unique.

Moving Day!

angie schwab May 31, 2018

Whew... moving is hard work! We're getting more settled as the days go by and LOVING our new digs!

Construction is behind schedule so the contractors worked hard to get us a temporary occupancy permit. We sold our previous home and we needed to move! There is still some interior work to be done and lots of exterior work to be done. We appreciate not having to move to a temporary home though.

Here's a gallery of pictures taken by Liz Schaefer just as we're starting to move our things in.

A special thank you to all of our heavy lifters and packers - you guys rocked!

We can't wait to share more pictures of our home after each room is completed. Our daughter settled right into the art room. It has one of the best views in the home!

#20 Exterior Details

angie schwab April 18, 2018

We're getting down to adding the final details to the exterior. One of the many decisions we need to make yet involves the flower boxes planned for under the windows. Should the color be black or brown?

My designer instincts are leaning me towards repeating the brown from the garage doors in order to create balance. We are considering black as well because of the continuity it would have with the shutters. The brown can be brought in with a fence or landscape. We had some images made of the options to confirm.

And the winner is...

After looking things over, we decided to stick with the brown. We really like how the brown adds warmth to the white and black. It also adds a touch of rustic which we like very much. we can't wait to see that pink wall by the front door turn to stone in the next week or two.

Are you following us on Instagram?

If you're on Instagram, make sure you follow along on our journey! We're making some serious progress on the house and posting lots of new photos!

Screen Shot 2018-04-17 at 4.09.40 PM.png

#19 Recessed Lighting

angie schwab April 10, 2018

Recessed cans that aren’t recessed? Confusing statement? Yes, it is!

One of our goals in the basement was to have as unobstructed of a ceiling line as possible. Giving us the full range of our walls. It worked out extremely well because the heat runs and returns could all fit between the joist space with no extra soffit needed. Whew!

Angie meticulously mapped out the perfect location for all of lighting downstairs, careful to space out each can appropriately to give optimal coverage for their glowing magnificence. We planned for 8 in the living room spaced out symmetrically, 6 in the playroom, 4 in the workout room. It was going to be perfect.

And then… the electrical walk through. Almost everything upstairs went according to plan and then we walked to the basement. Our faithful electrician dashed our dreams and resurrected them all at once. “You know that you can’t use cans in basically any of the spots that you want to put lights because of the HVAC, right? However, you can use these newer fixtures that are available.” Do tell.

Buy on Amazon

After some explanation from the electrician, we were able to find these little beauties.

They can go anywhere a fixture goes!
They only hang down ¾” off the ceiling and gave us the ability to put our “not recessed” cans wherever we wanted to!
Let their LED light shine!

We even bought enough of them to use in the storage area in the unfinished part of the basement because we liked them so much.

Buy on Amazon

We ended up using this product for the “true” recessed can lights upstairs.

They fit into the can itself
Remain flush at the surface with a trim kit to cover the opening

However, the other style also has a retrofit kit included so you can use it in your existing can lights.

We love the way they look and we're looking forward to the longevity of these fixtures. Let them shine for 35 years plus!

#18 Building a House: Frequently Asked Questions

angie schwab March 21, 2018

Thank you SO much for your interest in our project. Whether you're interested in having a custom home built, considering a remodel, or have a decorating project, we REALLY hope you find the blog helpful. We've been asked some excellent questions over the past five months. We thought we'd share a few of those with everyone.

1. When are you moving in?

This is a question that makes us both laugh because you'd think we could answer at this point, but the truth is we're not sure yet. Our builder has given us a completion date for the house (early May) but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re moving in then. We need to coordinate the sale of our current home. We do know it's getting closer and we're getting excited! Construction began in October so the actual building of our home will take approximately 6 1/2 months.

2. There are so many decisions to make, how did you decide to do what you did?

3. With all of the work that you have done in preparation, has everything been seamless?

4. Do you enjoy going over to check on progress?

5. How do you deal with ...(insert whatever you want)?

Knowing that not every decision you make in prep is going to work the way you want it to and being able to move past that is paramount to making the home building experience a good one.

Thanks again for your interest. If you have any other questions you'd like answered, be sure to send them our way and we'll be sure to answer them in another post!

#17 Tile Progress

angie schwab March 14, 2018

For the past two weeks, the finish carpenter, painter, and flooring installers have been hard at work adding the interior finishes we've selected. It is really satisfying to see the finishes installed. The flooring is near and dear to our hearts so we'd love to share some information about the installation products and techniques.

Even if reading about tile installation technique is not your jam, we hope to convey the layered and detailed nature of tile installation. These installers are true professionals and we're so proud of their work!

To keep our toes warm in the bathroom, we're installing the Schluter Ditra Heat for both bathroom floors. Here is a picture of the Ditra Heat Mat installation. The orange mat has to be mortared down to the 3/4" subfloor using a polymer modified mortar.

Making sure to get good adherence is important so the installers roll it with 100lb roller and then go along the edges with a grout float to make sure it is securely in the mortar.

One of the cool things about the Schluter Ditra Heat system is that the resistance wire (aka: heat source) clips right into the mat. Even cooler is that the spacing is set by the mat making it easy peasy to space properly. Three rows apart just like the picture. The cable gets tested before and after installation to make sure that it is still in top shape and wasn't damaged during the installation process.

Because we weren't immediately installing the tile, the installers back buttered the entire floor with mortar to protect the cable and make it easier to snap lines for the actual tile installation. This is the blank canvas for the installer to plan out the tile pattern.

This picture shows a very important tool our tile installers use. Believe it or not, tile is not flat and is not always square either. These orange wedges and clips are a tile leveling system by Raimondi Industries. This system helps make installations as perfect as possible by maintaining spacing between tiles and bending the tiles to make the floor as flat as possible. Extremely cool technology that has been developed to accommodate installations with plank and large format tiles.

Main Bath Tile Floor Home in the Heartland.JPG

After the mortar dries, the wedges are broken off which breaks the clip at the bottom of the tile and leaves a perfect line for grouting.

home in the heartland h&r carpets tile selection.JPG

This is the wall tile we selected for around the tub. It is called Artigiano from Dal Tile. It's an extremely beautiful tile that can be used on walls. Notice the jagged edge giving the appearance of a handmade fire kilned tile. The tile surface is not flat which adds some additional interest.

Before installation the installer met with us to discuss the tile spacing. He pointed out that because of the irregularity, you can stack these tiles on top of each other.

The tile installer also pointed out that the bullnose (piece on the end with a rounded edge) could line up with two rows of tile if stacked on top of each other. We like things to line up whenever possible. We very much appreciated his input!

Notice on the walls behind our installer is more orange product from Schluter. That product is Kerdi and it is designed to water proof the wall so that no water ever penetrates the tub surround. We are using it in our custom shower as well. The Kerdi system by Schluter provides niches like the one on the right wall to hold shampoo and soap. It also offers benches and other products that you would want in water proof in a custom shower.

Oh my, do we LOVE this tile! Even surrounded by the in-progress mess - it shines bright! Go to our Shop Our House page to learn more about the products we're using in this bathroom and check back to see more progress.

#13 Window Seat Love

angie schwab February 7, 2018

Angie here. Time for me to open myself up - this post is all about me. Pretty self-serving, huh? But no, wait. this is a true confession - about my love of window seats!

You could say I'm o-b-s-e-s-s-e-d. While many of my design decisions are based on necessity, in the vein of simplicity that I often speak of, this is one of pure passion. Our home - my home has to, must have a window seat. I am so in, I can't wait to tell you all about it.

I love this quote by Morris and appreciate the "guidelines" he offers. Window seats are both beautiful and useful. Offering additional seating and storage while using potentially wasted floor space is so genius! When used in a dining room, it feels like a comfy picnic bench. When used in a living room, it can be a cozy reading fort. The architecture and woodwork are beautiful but also the lighting, pillows, cushion, and fun accessories really draw you in!

For more ideas, check out my Pinterest board
http://bit.ly/windowseatlove

Serta Perfect Sleeper Plush 500 Memory Foam Mattress, Twin

Serta Mattress Company

Buy on Amazon

A few years back when we purchased our daughter's "big girl bed", we invested in a high quality twin mattress (similar to this mattress by Serta). We bought the mattress at our local furniture store and planned to use it for a window seat in her new room someday. We know a few sleep-over parties are in our future and we want to be prepared. (Always, planning ahead!)

As with many of our designs, I started with some inspiration. This image is something I tore out of a magazine a very long time ago, and have kept it ever since.

Inspiration for this nook from Sarah Susanka's book The Not So Big House http://bit.ly/notsobighouse — Inspiration for this nook from Sarah Susanka's book *The Not So Big House* http://bit.ly/notsobighouse

The design is so beautiful and what I love most about it is that the bookshelf is turned into the seat and not out into the room. I can't think of a better spot for all of our daughter's treasures.

After many different sketches and plans, the room unfortunately couldn't accommodate all that I had dreamt for the window seat, but I still love the final plan I came up with. Here's a rendering of the design.

Rendering of our daughter's room by Lindsey

So, what had to change? Why? Three things went into the placement and size of the window:

Bedroom location and size - her bedroom will be further down the hallway and away from the kitchen
Desire for a symmetrical front exterior view - the windows are in the middle front of the house
The mattress size - the twin was purchased and ready to be moved in

Once that was determined, a wall was placed to create a nook for the bed and also to allow for the bookshelf turned sideways. Some fun things were planned for that "hidden" ceiling between the soffit and window wall - the details were shaping up! But, as I was planning the rest of the space, it felt "tight". A full-size bed would take up most of the remaining floor space.

There are usually trade-offs to be considered in design and weighing the pros and cons is an important step in editing. For this design, it is best to remove that wall and push back that space for a more spacious feeling. I'm still really excited for the revised design. The flower-inspired light fixture will still offer some whimsy. The cabinetry has a built-in dresser on the bottom AND room to display her library of books on the top.

Rendering of the original design by Laura S.

While the renderings offer a representational view of design (oh, so valuable!), technical drawings are needed to communicate specifications to the cabinet maker.

After showing our daughter the blog post with her sketch of the submarine window, she confessed that she's embarrassed to have that drawing published. She said she didn't think it was a very good. I assured her it was - and then realized I'm a bit of a hypocrite.

I too feel self-conscious about sharing my drawings. So, here it is, world - a drawing I did of the cabinet plan for our daughter's room.

Of course there are still many more details that will go into the overall room design and many items to purchase but the plan for the cabinetry and lighting is set. My daughter and I both are looking forward to seeing this room built & finished!