Latest Posts – Sara Parsons Photography

Our outdoor couch

Sean and I are finally creating a fun outdoor space. The first thing on the list was to make an outdoor couch. I originally thought about building one out of pallets because 1. cheap. 2. easy. but Sean wasn’t a big fan of the pallet idea. So after searching online I stumbled across Ana White’s plan for an outdoor sectional using 2×4’s and Sean approved. 001-storyboard So to the lumber store we went. We opted to go with cedar 5/4 decking in a tight knot, vs the typical 2×4 because it was like half the price. I think the total we spent was just shy of $260 and that included the 230ft of wood, wood glue and a 5lb tub of screws. 009-storyboard And keep in mind, we paid “island prices” so for those of you wanting to make this and don’t live here, you could probably get away with paying like half of that. hashtag- first world ‘island’ problems.

We didn’t follow Ana White’s plans exactly. We had to tweak it a bit to fit our ((awesome)) cushions we had custom made from Sunbrella and to factor in the fact we went with the 5/4 boards instead of what she used. Let’s just say it’s a good thing Sean’s good at figuring those kind of things out 🙂 001-storyboard The couch is built in two separate pieces – first the main couch and then you add on the sectional.
003-storyboard Technically we could one day put an arm on the end of the smaller piece and have ourselves a couch and loveseat, but for now we’ll just leave it as a sectional…but I do kind of like that idea. Ana White also has plans for a matching outdoor chair and coffee table. Sean, just think of all the things we’re gonna make 😉 004-storyboard I’m so happy with how everything turned out. I stained the couch with a Minwax brand stain called Special Walnut and I love how it looks against the white cushions. I knew I wanted good quality cushions where the fabric was removable and washable because – hi, I live in Washington and I have a big brown dog named Pedro. I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to team up with Sunbrella on this project. They were so great to work with. We went with their fabric called Sailcloth Salt in their Elements collection and I couldn’t be happier with them.

Next up on the list is building a fireplace. I’m super excited for this space to unfold and hopefully fill it with lots of strung lights and friends and bbq’s and all the outdoor movies. 017-storyboard

Lacey and Sam

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The Waldron family

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Kitchen updates

You know that saying, “if you give a mouse a cookie”? Well I’m pretty sure I’m a big mouse because I’ve been eating a lot of cookies 😉

Once we made the concrete counters for our attic suite, I knew I wanted to do the same in the kitchen because the Formica counters that we had in there were starting to wear and fall apart in a few spots. Since we had the experience and some left over concrete, the project was a no brainer. We did them exactly like we did in the YouTube we used for upstairs. They are far from perfect, but I love how they turned out. We’re even considering changing my butcher block island into a white concrete counter. storyboardcomp005 Since we updated the counters it meant we’d need a new kitchen sink and faucet. I had the amazing opportunity to partner with Kohler again for this project. I love having an undermount sink! We decided to go with Kohler’s Whitehaven Self Trimming sink and their Tournant kitchen faucet in stainless steel.

And then, since we had these pretty new counters, and fancy new sink and faucet, it seemed like a good time to finally take down the microwave that literally had been broken for six years. But instead of just stopping at the microwave, I thought it’d be fun for Sean to build me a custom hood (insert big cookie). storyboardcomp004 Sean made the hood out of 1×6″ hemlock and a 1×10″ piece around the edge and we found the hood fan from Amazon. We went with the Broan PM390 Power Pack Range Hood Insert I’m super happy with how it turned out. I was hoping to have it completely finished by now, but I still haven’t decided if I want to stain it the same color as our floors or leave it natural.

The next step was fixing the backsplash. When we built, we didn’t know the height of the microwave so we had stopped the subway tiles at the edge of the stove and started up again on the opposite side, leaving behind the stove just sheetrock, and then eventually we glued up a piece of tin. From the beginning, I always wanted it to be continuous subway tiles, so it was a huge blessing when we found out the tiles lined up (almost) perfectly!

Then, after the new hood and backsplash, it felt only right to invest in a new range (giant cookie). It is the most beautiful appliance. We went with the 30″ Verona electric range. I absolutely love it. I think my favorite thing about it is how the light and fan comes on when something is in the oven. It fills the house with all the yummy smells.
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Jonah’s Bedroom Transformation

Well, after sleeping on his new bed for a few weeks now, Jonah gives it a big thumbs up. He is very happy with how his room turned out. I think he’s pretty excited to have such a grown up room, especially since he just became a teenager today! storyboardcomp001

We started with updating his light fixture. I had found that cool vintage feeder at The Farm Chicks show in Spokane a couple years ago with the idea of turning it into a light for his room. Next, I painted the walls with a fresh coat of white paint and then did a deep navy for the accent wall. I found his new curtains from PotteryBarn and his bedside lamp from Target. Also from Target are his army green t-shirt sheets. I found his gray and white pinstriped duvet cover from IKEA. And for the main attraction… his new bed from Wayfair! We decided to go with a platform style and I’m so glad we did. I love the clean look of it. We went with the Smallwood Upholstered Platform bed. Jonah loves it and so do I. Paired with his new Nora mattress, it’s a dream. Literally.