Crisp & Casual Client Bedroom REVEAL!

I posted in July about a client who had come to the all too familiar crossroads in home ownership: love it or list it? We have been working on plans for their main floor living spaces which I will share with you later this week, but in the meantime, we have given their master bedroom a crisp and casual mini makeover. Here is the design and post from July.

And here was an option for window panels I gave her. 

Here is the design translated! Her husband wasn't crazy about the starburst mirror, so we went with a colorful landscape picture framed by the wall sconces.

And as a tribute to their fury friend Louie, I found a ceramic "Louie" door stop. 

A quick look back at the before: 

Sweet Dreams! {Erin}

Spring Porch Updates: Taking My Own Advice!

In my last post, I gave 5 inexpensive ways to update your porch or patio for the spring. I put my own advice to work and incorporated several of those ideas into my own outdoor space. Here are the results!

I sprayed painted my pots black to coordinate with the outdoor fabric I used for my pillows.

Since it's still too early around here to plant my flower boxes, I added color with some ivy, a fern and spring tulips. I also DIY'd a wreath for my front door for about $25! 

I made new covers for my outdoor pillows with fabric I found at Hobby Lobby for $8/ yard.

And added sheet moss to my planters for a more finished look with the spring tulips.

The best part is that the entire spring overhaul cost me less than $100! 

Happy Spring Planting!
{Erin} 

5 Inexpensive Spring Updates for your Porch & Patio

It may be a little too early to plant all your window boxes or add annuals to your landscaping, but it's not too early to brighten up your porch or patio for the spring.

Here are 5 quick and relatively inexpensive ways to add some bang to your porch without breaking the bank. 

1. Spray Paint Tired Planters.
No need to buy new when you can spray paint your pots back to life. Here are some planters with pattern, color and texture that pop!  

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In addition to painting your pots, think about using plants that will look good the entire year. I use small boxwoods in my large porch planters that stay outside all year long. If your planter is large enough, they should stay mostly green all year - even in the harshest of winters. We got 80" of snow this winter but these babies stayed green all year! Here are my pots "before" their makeover. 

2. Use Moss.
Dress window boxes and smaller planters with moss until you can plant flowers or foliage. This stuff grows anywhere and it looks much better than a box of dirt. 

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Moss will also transition from season to season. In the spring with bulbs to the winter with bare branches. 

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3.  Hang A Wreath.
You can DIY or buy a simple wreath with some color just to brighten the space. Here is a DIY wreath made of painted, leaf shaped paper. 

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4. Update Outdoor Pillows. 
You don't have to buy expensive outdoor pillows to spruce up your patio or deck. These are made of inexpensive burlap and fabric paint. 

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And for those of you who don't sew on a regular basis, Ashley fom The Handmade Home recommends the ease of a hand held sewing machine. It is great for quick sewing jobs like making pillows, adding detail to curtains and hemming pants. 

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Here are two indoor/outdoor fabrics I found on Fabric.com for under $10/yard!

For those who have a sewing machine, here is a great tutorial on  how to make outdoor pillows with a zipper.

5. Paint A Rug. 
You can DIY your own outdoor rug with painter's tape, porch & deck paint, and a canvas drop cloth. Simply sew the edges of a canvas drop cloth to your desired size and create a design using painter's tape. You can sew a rug gripper to the back of the drop cloth for added weight if you want. 

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Or skip the tape and use a stencil on a sisal rug to create your design. 

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And for the bold and daring, paint a rug right onto your concrete using a stencil. For a complete tutorial, click here.

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I will be incorporating some of these ideas in my own front porch later this week. . . that is, after the snow melts!

Happy Creating! {Erin}

Client Basement Makeover

I recently had a client SOS call for a basement makeover. They have a long, but somewhat narrow basement that has been used primarily as an additional TV/game room for their kids and maybe a bit of a storage area for furniture past! Here is a look at our starting point.

The dumpster is coming and the makeover is underway! The only item that stays is the pool table. And she would like to keep the blue/gray wall color, which is light and bright and very neutral.  We are planning to separate the room into three distinct areas: pool room, living room/ TV area and bar/lounge area. We found and ordered a large sectional for the living area. Here are the preliminary plans and color palette.

Or possibly with a bolder coral rug.

Rug

Since the walls are blue/gray, we went with a gray sectional with plenty of seating and a chaise. For accents, I played up the blues with navy and added a pop of color with oranges and corals. An option for the slipper chairs would be a swivel chair. This would make it easy to watch TV or swivel towards the pool table.

Swivel chair

The TV will be located directly across the room from the sectional. Luckily they have an under-the-steps closet located directly behind their TV wall, so we are able to house the cable box, gaming units, DVD player, etc. out of sight using wifi connections. This allows us to do an open console table under the TV with storage ottomans or storage baskets for blankets, etc.

Long console table and storage ottomans

Ottoman

For the pool table area, we are defining the space with a rug and light. And we are adding a bar height counter area (in reclaimed wood) and bar height stools. I also found vintage replica game boards as decor. 

Rug, Lighting

Mantle/Shelf 

Vintage Replica Game Boards

Wishbone Barstools

Pool Table Lighting Option

The last section of the basement will be a bar/lounge area. My client does not want to do a lot of entertaining in the basement, but does want a bar for beverages. We are looking at a flush wall bar with fun lighting.

lighting

And for seating options, I came up with four variations. 

Option 1 and 4 would be regular table height. Option 2 is bar height for easier TV viewing and conversation with the living space. And option 3 is more of a lounge approach with a cocktail height table and comfortable high back chairs. 

I can't wait to share the final room renovations! Stay tuned. {Erin}