New year, new carpet. And this isn't your grandma's shag.

Hello old friends. It's been awhile since my last post. . . October to be exact! I guess you could say I took an unannounced hiatus, but a new year means new beginnings and so I think I speak for both Laura and I when I say we are back and ready to share our décor finds, DIY triumphs and all the funny nuances that happen along the way.

Have no fears though, I have been using the power of decorating to spread Christmas cheer! This year my husband and I took our creative wits and "surprise" decorated our neighbors lawn with inflatable Christmas yard art!

And then they "surprise" decorated us right back with Christmas flamingos.

But now that the holidays are over, I'm beginning to move my focus back indoors! My living room has been an ongoing project. If you recall from way back when, we started by painting the walls white and the trim black.

My husband and I aren't techy people and so we have forever been ridiculed by our tech-savvy friends and family for our TV inadequacies. That is to say our embarrassingly under-sized TV. So we took the plunge and tore out the built-in cabinet holding us back from TV nirvana. We're really going to blow their minds when we mount it on the wall - with a sound bar! 

Oh, and for those of you who haven't seen us in awhile, no that is not Tom (my husband). That's Bob, my "does it all" carpenter.

Of course, all this euphoria did come with a few casualties. . . the carpet (or lack thereof under the built-in) and damage to the wall and trim to name a few. 

The hunt for carpet (and a good wall repair) was on! We had the classic builder grade short shag. Pretty standard and, as it turns out, not the greatest choice when part of your carpet is a major traffic area. So I went in search of a carpet with style that could handle the heat of two kids, eight neighbor kids and a potential new pet (yeah, that's one of those funny life nuances I was referring to earlier. I'll keep you posted as this one unravels). 

Turns out sky's the limit on carpeting nowadays. No more are the days of deciding between which shade of beige or gray you want. Pattern, color, and texture are all up for grabs.

I love animal print and these carpet stair runners make an impression without overwhelming.

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A bedroom is a great place to add pattern and a pop of color.

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I love the traditional plaid pattern in the modern hues. 

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And for the more daring at heart, this floral carpet makes a dramatic statement against the stark white walls and trim. 

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For my living room, I wanted something with pattern and texture, but not so graphic or bold that it would be the main focal design of the room. I was drawn to the classic patterns like chevron, herringbone and greek key. 

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I decided on a two-tone herringbone pattern.

Now I'm looking for media consoles to go on either side of the fireplace. I'm leaning towards something with a mid-century flare like these from West Elm and Crate & Barrel. 

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But ultimately, I want to find two vintage pieces that I can redo myself. I love this one from Phoenix Restoration. 

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And so the next hunt begins! Happy New Year everyone - it's good to be back! {Erin}

Does My New Kitchen HAVE to be Gray & White?!?

I will be the first to say, I love trends. Change is the very thing that keeps me feeling inspired! However, I will also be the first to admit that there is nothing like a trend on the verge of being abused, in my opinion, to make me think maybe there is something a little different that I will love even more. I think they call that an occupational hazard?! On a side note, I think all of these kitchens are beautiful and I do love the feeling of a clean spacious kitchen! And for sure in terms of kitchen trends there is some definite comfort in knowing that the $$$ you put into a project this scope will be the very thing that everyone wants, you know, especially for that resale value (I am certain I wasn't meant to be a realtor:) 

We updated our kitchen two years ago and repainted our stained cabinets gray, went with the ol' white backsplash and ever popular white marble looking counter tops....and I do love it. Here she is, for old times sake. You can see some before pics here. 

We will have lived in our house 8 years and I love everything about it. It's my baby and though we did not build this house it feels like we have made our mark on it even if there is nothing unique about it in terms of the layout. And like I said we would NEVER do, we are building a house! I am the type that likes to say never so I don't disappoint myself. I think they call that a personality hazard:)! 

So as we get plans together I am starting to think what if, what if, what if.... For the first time it can be created not altered and materials can be chosen over repainted and so my mind will be spinning until the plans are closer to being real but I cannot wait to take you along on some planning and of course as we implement those plans. First phase though, the "what if" phase. Or as my husband calls it the phase where no one has told me yet that my ideas are way out of our budget:) So what if my kitchen was not gray and white?! 

What if I were Kelly Wearstler?! Probably not in the budget. That dress may be more than my entire kitchen budget! But oh the drama! I love the black, the open shelves with the pop of that gorgeous mint color! Hell, I even love that horse! I'll take two! LOVE! 

Speaking of GREEN.... ohh lala!!! This is one of my all time favs! I love these green cabinets against that blue backsplash! It's a great mix of coastal and glam styles and it just works all around! And this subtle green feels airy and open like the gray and white trend but it has a warmth about it that makes it way more appealing in my opinion! 

Speaking of light an airy. White takes on a pretty unique look with this black contrasting hardware and the old rough oak floors and beams. This is what unique is all about peeps! 

Another example of taking a classic cabinet color and creating some interest with hardware! This is what thinking outside the box is all about. You start with the basics and turn it into something all your own. Um, yes!!

Don't "poo poo" brown (I'm here all week!). Brown has been with us since the day we were born. I know what you are thinking, brown cabinets are like beige walls. Everyone is looking to paint their walls gray to replace beige and their cabinets gray to replace brown! But what happens when we have 50 shades of gray going on???? It ain't gonna be as exciting as the books people! Mix it up! Brown, beige, white, black and gray are gorgeous together! Then on top of it, go ahead and mix that trendy gold metal with the gray chrome. Do it, I dare you! 

And lastly when it seems like all is lost for a pop of color in a kitchen, please oh please don't do it in the walls! Instead save your color for accents! A red hot stunner. 

 Until next time....
{Cheers}
Laura~

Client Living Space Renovation - Phase 1

Now that the master bedroom is complete, my client wants to start tackling their overall living space. Currently, their living room is being used as their toy room and home office area. The sunroom off their kitchen is used as their main TV and living room and their formal dining room is just not used. They wanted a plan to better utilize the space they have and take back some of their living space while still in the midst of raising young children.  

My fist goal was to get the home office out of the living room. And since the dining room is underutilized for eating, I suggested they use this space as a multi-functional den/dining room.

My client already has great built-in cabinetry in their dining room.

The plan is to simply remove the middle, lower cabinets and dress the former bar as a desk area.

Similarly, use the built-in buffet as a bookcase.

A round table for easy traffic flow and a chandelier that is large enough for the table but with a slightly masculine, den feel.



I added a narrow console table in front of the window for serving when the room is used for dining. The dining table I chose for them also converts to a larger oval when the leaf is in.

 I am so excited about this first phase of my client's living space renovation! Giving this space a purpose opens up an entire new area for them to live and love.

Stay tuned for the living room and sun room plans! {Erin}

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}

Lake Renovations Reveal!

For those of you who have been following my sporadic progress pics of our lake house renovation, it is finally finished! I think I said that it would take around 3 weeks in my initial post about the makeover. Well, what can I say? I was wrong! Weather, changes, etc. made it more like an eight week makeover, but who's counting?! 

The most important thing is that we are completely thrilled with the results. Take a look!

You'll have to pardon my photos - forgot my nice camera and so these are from my phone. But even bad photography can't hide what a great change has been made. Here's where we started again. 

And the end result.

I am starting a much smaller renovation this week for a client. This  chic bamboo edged dresser is getting a glam makeover with a jewel tone finish and new hardware. 

Stay tuned for the results! {Erin}