Over the summer Court and I had the opportunity of a lifetime when Real Simple magazine asked us to overhaul the Master Suite in their 2019 Real Simple Home. The house is in Brooklyn and absolutely AMAZING. I was also so honored that they asked us to do it! I mean, we’re far from what you would consider interior design professionals. Funny story actually, they asked for a mood board of the room to make sure that the vibe jived with the other rooms in the house. I DIDNT EVEN KNOW HOW TO DO A MOOD BOARD. This actually happened. Luckily we got something sort of figured out and they left a lot of trust in my hands. But guys if this goes to show anything it’s that passion and your heart can take you to places you’ve never dreamed of.
Holy cow. Guys, it’s been awhile. I thought that instead of popping back in with a rando project I’d re-introduce myself (haha) and share what’s been happening around here, sound good?
Did you guys have the best time following along with our Little Merc modern playhouse make-it-up-as-we-go build on Instagram the last 2 weeks?! It was so fun to share the process and excitement with you!!
I know why you’re here. You’re itching to see the Sherwin-Williams 2020 Color of the Year right!?!
I’ve been teasing you with black and white photos like this:
Installing a paver patio is a big undertaking. It’s expensive, it’s a lot of physical labor, and it’s semi permanent. All of the ingredients that make up a really intense DIY project right!?
One of the reasons that I chose to use the Plank pavers is because I am obsessed with the dimensions. Traditional pavers have a 1:2 dimension ratio, meaning they are twice as long as they are wide. But the plank pavers have a 1:3 ratio, which makes them elongated and a IMHO little more special.
There are 5 iconic ways to install rectangular pavers (or tile, or boards, or whatever rectangular material makes your heart sing) and we’re going to talk through all 5! I mean, you are basically living with this patio for the next 10-60 years, and you dont want to screw it up. (No pressure!)
1/3 Offset Paver Pattern
The 1/3 Offset pattern is made by offsetting each tile’s edge 1/3 of the way across the previous row. Basically if you divide a tile in 3rds, that is where the rows of edges should repeatedly hit.
Straight Stacked Paver Pattern
A Straight Stacked or Straight Lay pattern is made by squarely lining the pavers up row by row. This will give your paver patio a modern vibe.
Herringbone Paver Pattern
Herringbone pavers are usually set at a 45 degree angle and individual pavers alternate the direction they are rotated. Herringbone pavers will give your space a timeless and fun vibe! You can read all about our herringbone paver patio here!
Basket Weave Paver Pattern
A Basket Weave pattern is made when pavers are laid net to each other to form a square. The following pavers are also laid in a square but in the opposite direction. The basket weave pattern pictured above is made out of 3 pavers, because of their 1:3 ratio. You can also make this pattern with 2 or more pavers, just keep in mind that they’ll have to have an even ratio to make a square! This style will give you a cool mid-century vibe, especially if you are using more than 2 pavers per square!
Running Bond Paver Pattern
You see this pattern all over Pinterest, think subway tile! When something is laid in a running bond it means that the center of each tile is lined up with the edge of the tile above and below it. It’s a little less busy that the 1/3 Step and will give you a traditional courtyard feel. This was my second favorite for the Granary!
I’m dying to know, which one do you love the most!? If you use any of these patterns at your house make sure to share pictures, I can’t wait to see it!
I am so excited for you guys to finally see the patio at the Granary! We partnered with Home Depot and Pavestone to tackle this patio paver project. I had high hopes that we could tackle it in a weekend, but per the usual, our undertaking was full of Merc Perks and went from a 2 day project, to a much much longer timeline.
Before we dive too deep into the how to, let’s have a quick recap shall we?! We’ve got so much going on around here that its easy to feel confused about where, and how, and why. (Feel free to skip ahead if you’re well versed in the Merc saga!)
When we bought the Merc it had some extremely funky property issues. Things like an incredibly intrusive easement, to the simple reality that the building itself was the property line (yayyyyyy). It almost made it so that we didnt buy it, but me being the eternal optimist knew in my heart of hearts that it was going to all work out. So 18 months ago we made an offer to our neighbor and bought a portion of his property, which included the historic Santa Clara Tithing Granary. Learn all about that here!
The Granary is a small building that we’re going to be turning into a studio airbnb. We’ve still got so much to do to it (electricity! plumbing!) but our game plan is to great this great space where people can come and stay. Earlier this year we turned the back patio into an outdoor seating/dining area and this paver project tackled the front. So we feel like progress is happening!
Hellooooooo!! Guys. Good news. We survived the move! Its a little overwhelming to move, travel, celebrate 2 birthdays and stay on top of life. Do you know what sounds so great right now? Just being whelmed. Not overwhelmed, not underwhelmed, just whelmed.
Are you ready to start checking off all of the projects from Aspyn’s house?
Watering can be one of the trickiest parts of plant parenthood. How much is too much!? How much is too little!? What happens if I get it wrong?! OMG THE PRESSURE!!
Today I’m going to teach you all about Bottom Watering, it’s great for people who have a big question mark when it comes to the right way to water their plants. Bottom Watering is sort of like Free Range Parenting. You let the plant decide how much it needs and how it wants to handle it. 😂
