Blog - Oh, I Design Studio

OUR KITCHEN DESIGN PLANS #OHIDESIGNHOME

August 16, 2017

Hello, friends! I haven’t done a #ohidesignhome update in a while as we have been focusing on the front exterior of our home, but now I’m excited to share we are making some kitchen updates. If you’ve been following along on my insta stories, you may have previously seen our new appliances being installed and the drama of getting the old fridge down + new fridge up 4 flights of stairs…and us almost having to pay for a $600 crane to get the darn thing up to the 3rd floor and through the front deck. Gotta love old homes in Boston. Conclusion? We told the delivery guys we could easily fix dry wall in the stairwell if they could at least try because we know it will fit. Well, they did it (cursing us I’m sure) and we tipped them well. 😉 Oh and during this time, we had to replace our hot water tank that we knew would give out eventually but were not ready for that unexpected cost on top of the appliances. Sigh.

Anyway, the floor tile is cracked in multiple areas of the kitchen (you can’t see in the photos below) and the grout has been coming out little by little since we moved in. The tiles were poorly laid which is not shocking considering the other cheap and quick decisions they’ve made around the home. Side note: Evie tried to eat a piece of grout when she was really little (thank goodness I saw her do it and got it out of her mouth right away!) and I think that’s when Cody and I realized we should put the kitchen updates on the priority list. Plus we want to enjoy the updated kitchen before we sell, which could be in the next couple of years. See the before photos below. Our plan: We don’t mind the white cabinets and since this isn’t our forever home, it’s our 3-5 year home (we’ve lived here for 2 years), we decided to keep them and will be fixing some of the chips in the paint and updating the cabinet hardware. All of the new appliances are stainless steel which really opened up the kitchen, the black appliances felt so heavy in the space.

So the plan is to replace the tile flooring, the cabinet hardware, the countertops, the backsplash, painting the toe kicks, and adding a pantry area/open shelving to the right of the cabinets next to the stove/microwave.

Our goal for the space is for it to feel like a modern cafe, keep it bright and bring in more warmth through the countertops and flooring. We also chose finishes that will help us when we sell our place in a couple of years (or whenever that may be). In addition, we have no pantry or storage for dry foods, so I use a rolling cart right now with glass jars, but I’m ready for some shelving to be able to organize them in a better way.

Below are a couple photos from the zillow listing (from the previous owners), but they show more of the space thanks to their wide angle lens. The photos make it look a lot better than it actually does, trust me. one // delta trinsic single handle faucet from wayfair – we decided to go with the matte black option and match the cabinet hardware.

two // ms international hampshire 6″x24″ slate flooring – we will be doing a herringbone pattern.

three // butcher block countertops from IKEA – I get it, everyone might be over the butcher block, but I’m not! 😉

four // we are still in search of a white farmhouse sink because our dimensions are tricky and we are looking for a fireclay option that doesn’t break the bank. 33″ wide and about 22″ deep – any recommendations?! We need one like yesterday.

five // we will be doing subway tile all the way up to the ceilings on the walls that have cabinets (I know, I’m not shocking you with any new design concepts here, but we have a very low budget…I’m my own worst client).
one // ranarp pendant in black from IKEA

two // we already own this gorgeous sequence rug from Room & Board

three // to tie in the matte black we are going to do these lewis pullsu & lewis knobs

four // we also already own this odysessy round white table from cb2 and think it will work nicely in the new kitchen

five // if you saw my adventure to Vermont recently on my insta stories, you will know we scored these (knock-off, unfortunately) Cesca chairs at a rummage sale for $7.50…for both!!! It felt sinful to just leave them. You can find similar ones here.

I will keep you updated on the process, but in the meantime, follow along on insta stories.

inspiration photo credits: photo one // photo two // photo three

NATURAL PRODUCTS DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR

August 8, 2017

It can be quite overwhelming to do your own research and test products when switching to natural, non-toxic options. There is a lot of green-washing out there and a few products that just simply don’t work for everyone. I have yet to find a natural deodorant that actually works, recommendations welcome. 😉 I digress. I’m thrilled that I was recently introduced to Back to Basics, a monthly subscription service that delivers toxic-free, full-size natural essentials for your home & body at a fraction of the retail cost. The products have been carefully researched, curated, and tested by the Back to Basics founder, Ashleigh Frager, a homeopath & wellness expert. I think it’s great that you can also shop all the items individually from previous subscription boxes and/or stock up on your favorite items you’ve already tried and loved!

The 3 boxes offered:

Household Combo: Total of 6 Products // 2 Women’s Beauty/Skincare/Body Products + 2 Men’s Body/Self-care Products + 2 Home/Cleaning Products
Eco Chic Chica: Total of 4 Products // 2 Women’s Beauty/Body/Skincare Products + 2 Home/Cleaning Products
Go Green Gent: Total of 4 Products // 2 Men’s Body/Self-care Products + 2 Home/Cleaning Products

I received an assortment of items to try:

Molly’s Suds Laundry Detergent – I’m excited to try this one out!
Herbivore Cleansing Bar Soap – Pink Clay
Essential Oxygen Organic Mouthwash – I’ve been trying to find a mouthwash that works and I really love this one! It’s not going to be as strong as say Listerine, but it definitely has made my teeth whiter.
Erbaviva Sunscreen SPF 30 – this is my favorite sunscreen for Evie! I LOVE IT.
Rare Essence Aromatherapy Roll-on – I use the focus roll-on when I am working and it helps me concentrate!
Radius Floss Sachets – these are perfect for travel!
David’s Premium Natural Toothpaste – of all the natural toothpaste’s I’ve tried, this one is my favorite so far.
Anyway, after reviewing the box Back to Basics kindly sent my way, I have become a big fan of this brand! This is by far the easiest way to transition your home and personal care products to non-toxic options. If you would like to follow Back to Basics on social media, here are their links:

Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // Website

In addition, I’m so excited to meet Ashleigh, the Founder of Back to Basics, in person at The WELL Summit at the end of this year in NYC! Have you grabbed your tickets?!

*This post was written in collaboration with Back to Basics. As always, my thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support Oh, I Design!

A DAY TRIP: NANTUCKET (PART TWO)

August 2, 2017

I had the pleasure of attending another day trip to Nantucket with a few bloggers/influencers in Boston, thanks to NIR Retail! You may have remembered my trip from last year. Since it takes just over an hour to drive to Hyannis to take the fast hy-line ferry, a day trip to Nantucket from Boston is possible, you might be a bit tired once you’re home, but totally worth it. Once we arrived at the island, we began the day with a charter boat around the harbor thanks to IYC (Mark Elliot Yachts) and Nantucket Mermaids. They offer Nantucket day boats to charter, or a longer-term charter in New England (or world wide onboard your own private yacht). The rest of the day included:

Lunch at Provisions (SO good!)

Walked around the beautiful cobblestone streets & visited:

Levitate Surf – lots of cute bathing suits and they carry one of my favorite sunscreens, Raw Elements!
DeWolfe Leather Goods – Gina is such a fantastic person, I could chat with her for hours, and we own a couple of her leather bracelets! Such a good brand.
Faherty Brand – I’m obsessed with this brand now and their clothes are so soft! I bought this top & this one.
Charleston Shoe – the most comfortable shoes and super cute! Perfect for the cobblestone streets of Nantucket.
Shift – this shop is SO dangerous, too many cute pieces and brands!
Space – absolutely love this shop – so many good vintage finds & amazing home goods
Nantucket Whaler – I have this striped sweater and I’m so obsessed, I will be sure to share a photo of me in it soon!
Ice THE BEST! You cannot go to Nantucket without a stop here. I highly recommend the lemon blueberry.

the hydrangea photo & last photo were taken by my friend, Jenna of Boston Chic Party!

All in all, it was such a fantastic day and I can’t wait to go back soon! Thank you to Jenna, Katie, & Poorva for making the day even more fun.

This day in Nantucket was organized and complimentary thanks to our friends at NIR Retail. All thoughts & opinions are, as always, my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support Oh, I Design!

SWITCHING TO NATURAL HAIR PRODUCTS (PART ONE)

July 31, 2017

This is going to be a two-part post as I’m going to test a few natural hair products and fill you in on how the process goes! I don’t know why, but in my clean beauty routine, hair products have been the last thing I’ve switched over to non-toxic. I mean, it’s all about balance, right? But I’m excited to focus my efforts on my hair for awhile and see what difference it makes. I also need to work on having more hair styles, I typically just leave it down with beach waves or up in a low bun. So perhaps this is a challenge to find the right non-toxic hair products as well as practice more hair styles (I’m thinking braids, high buns, etc.).

A little about my hair type & current routine:

My hair is naturally curly but I blow dry it straight and will either use a flat iron or my curling wand and I wash it every other day. I also get my hair highlighted (balayage) and cut once every like 6 months. To be honest, I use Head & Shoulders sometimes (don’t judge), but most days I use a shampoo and conditioner I got from my hair stylist and I rarely put product in my hair after I shower. Sometimes I will put a bit of hairspray in, but my hair holds curl really well and I feel like I don’t know the right products for my hair and get overwhelmed with options. Anyone else?

Luckily, Follain has the option of ordering sample-sizes of most of their hair products, so I’m going to be able to test quite a few without committing to a large bottle. Here’s what I will be trying (so far):

one // Josh Rosebrook’s Balance Shampoo & Conditioner (also want to try his hair spray!)

two // Josh Rosebrook’s Balance Shampoo

three // Rahua Voluminous Shampoo & Conditioner

Four // Rahua Voluminous Dry Shampoo

Five // Feed Your Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner

I’d love to know what natural hair products you use? Or if you have made the transition?

Can’t wait to tell you how these products work for my hair!

*This post was written in collaboration with Follain. As always, my thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support Oh, I Design!

MY HALF MARATHON TRAINING SCHEDULE #OHIDESIGNRUNS

July 18, 2017

Well, guys, the week has finally arrived! My HALF MARATHON training officially begins. I’ve been running/working out a few times prior to this week to make sure I’m prepared to begin, and I have to admit…I’m pretty nervous. I don’t know if I’m ready, but there’s no looking back at this point!

In case you didn’t see the half marathon details, you can read about why I signed up & the race info here. The race is October 14th, so I have exactly 12 weeks until the week of the race. These are going to be the most challenging 12 weeks of my life and if you see me out and about in Boston in workout clothes multiple times a week, don’t judge. I have a feeling I will be living in my running shorts, tanks, and running shoes for the next 3 months. 😉

Like I mentioned in my previous half marathon blog post, I am also raising money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, an organization that I am very passionate about. In an effort to raise $3,000, I have some pretty awesome brands (that I love & use everyday) that are donating items for an AMAZING wellness giveaway for you guys! Brands like: Runkeeper, Organic Bath Co., Follain, The Optimist Co., and more to come! I will share the giveaway details in a separate post, but basically, for every $5 you donate, your name will be entered into the giveaway(s). So for example, if you donate $20, your name will be entered into the giveaway 4 times. Got it? I’m going to finalize the details and will let you know if anything changes, but if you go ahead and donate today (or when you are reading this), your name will absolutely be included in the giveaway! So feel free to donate today & know how much I/the children at St. Judes appreciate your support!

Below is my training schedule in case you are running a half marathon as well or would like to bookmark it for the future! It’s a mix of a couple different training schedules I’ve seen online. Also, Runkeeper has an AWESOME training schedule built into the app that I’m going to use as well.