An Update that was Worth the Wait

A couple of years ago, I completed my living room makeover. But, there was one area I hoped to eventually improve…

I loved the audubon prints and blue and white vases, but the mirror and storage cubes were only used because they fit my budget at the time. I already had the mirror, and the storage cubes were a Target bargain. But, I always envisioned replacing them with something better.



Well, today I finally have it the way I hoped it would be...

I found the chinoiserie bamboo mirror this past summer at an antique mall in Tennessee. It was a total score at $80! I've seen similar going for upwards of $900.


The Target cubes got a facelift with new upholstery.

The geometric fabric was left over from my dining room chairs, and I chose a turquoise velvet fabric for the lids. I also had my upholsterer put better nailhead trim along the edge. The original nailheads were pretty cheap looking.

I'm so happy with the way this little vignette turned out.

I'd say it was worth the wait!



Sharing at Inspire Me Monday, Winter Blues Wednesday, Feathered Nest Friday, Thrifty Decor Chick's Before & After Party

Client Project: Living Room Reveal

Happy December! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I enjoyed time with my family, and got started on my Christmas decorating. I was also able to clean my house and get caught up on laundry this weekend, so I'm feeling much more organized than usual. (That should last for at least a day!)


While I'm in organization mode, let's start this month off with a finished project, shall we?

My client recently moved into a new home with her husband and 4 kids. Between working and shuttling kids to various activities, decorating was never a top priority. But, my client wanted to treat herself to a pretty room where she could come home and relax.

This is her living room right after moving day. The front door opens right into this room, so it needed to make a better first impression.

Luckily, the room was equipped with good bones... beautiful hardwood floors, a large window and nice moldings.

Three things had to stay… a recently purchased brown loveseat, a media cabinet, and the wall color. I tried to use the existing rug, but it didn't work with the loveseat, so it moved to another room.

Here's another before shot looking in the other direction. This is the loveseat (along with another of my client's rugs that didn't make the cut) ...

And here's the "after"...

Some pretty West Elm pillows and a throw brighten up the dark loveseat and add color and texture.

The one big purchase for the room were the West Elm Everett chairs. I love the midcentury lines of the chairs, and they have a subtle cross weave pattern that is very attractive.

The rug and seagrass accent table are from Target.


Although my client wouldn't change the wall color, I did convince her to let me do some painting around the fireplace.


As you can see in this before photo, there was so much gold that the fireplace didn't really feel defined. And the black granite looked so harsh next to the gold.

Side note: All I can think of when I look at black and gold is the basketball uniform I wore in elementary school. We were a bunch of Catholic school girls, and those uniforms made us look like thugs!

A little white paint around the fireplace and behind the bookshelves made this area really pop! (And it broke up the black and gold combo). It's now my favorite feature of the room.

The only new item in this vignette is the bird print…

My client had the console table and lamp, and I found that adorable woven bench in her storage room!

I'm really pleased with how this room turned out.  It proves that you don't have to break the bank to have a pretty room. With just a couple of key purchases and some accessories, this room is ready to welcome guests!

Have a great day!


Sharing at Wow Us Wednesdays

Finishing Details and A New Favorite Etsy Shop

It's the little things that bring the most joy.


Case in point: the small side entry in my house...

I have been loving the new shiplap walls and lighter paint color. But, I recently added a couple of finishing details.

Did you notice them? I installed a bamboo shade, which was super easy to do. I like the texture (and privacy) it offers.

And I added this adorable new pillow from HERE. You know how I love a pop of pink!


I usually ignore the emails from Etsy suggesting products I might like. However, in one such e-mail a pillow caught my eye, and when I visited the etsy shop, I saw that it was owned by a gal in my town.


Got to support the local folk… especially when they're making beautiful stuff!!

I mean, check out her work…

She also makes adorable Christmas stockings and these wine gift bags...

She has lots of different style pillows from cottage to modern industrial to boho chic. I just thought they were all so adorable, I had to share them with you.


If you have any favorite etsy shops, I'd love to hear about them! Have a great Hump Day!!

Client's Family Room Makeover: More Progress Being Made

Hey there! I'm back to share the latest progress pics from my client's family room.

Please allow me to shed some light on the matter. Literally.



This is where it all began…

Let me tell you… this room is dark. Don't let the skylights and sliding door fool you. This room seriously needed to lighten up.

Painting the walls and whitewashing the brick helped. But, it was going to take more than paint to get the job done.



Enter my favorite solution for dark places… lights and mirrors...

The large orb chandelier we installed has the prettiest finish, and provides lots of light where once there was merely a sad, unused ceiling fan with no light source.

The mirror above the mantel reflects the light, as do the mirrored gallery wall frames.

I can't tell you what a huge difference it makes!

Now that we can actually see in here, we can start styling the bookshelves. Stay tuned…


I'd also like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the men and women who protect and defend our country's freedom. I'm heading out now to honor our vets at my son's third grade Veteran's Day program. 

Thanks for stopping by! God bless America!!

Before and During… A Family Room Makeover

I love a great before & after, don't you? Seeing a sad looking room transformed into a beautiful space is just so exciting and inspiring!

Well… I don't have a dramatic before and after to share just yet.

Would you settle for a before & during?

I hope so. Because I've realized that quite a bit of time lapses between before and after, and I don't like leaving you hanging. So, if you have an interest in what happens in the "during," I'm going to be better about sharing it with you.

Here we go.

This is the before of my client's family room. It is her least favorite room in the house.

She wanted it light, bright, cozy and contemporary. The leather sectional had to stay, but everything else was fair game.

The adjoining kitchen is very pretty with lovely blue paint…

 and the family room was not jiving with it at all.

I knew right off the bat that I wanted the TV off the wall and onto the built-ins, so the fireplace could be the focal point. And, I wanted the fireplace to get a whitewash treatment.


This is the design board I created...

Here's just a little sneak peek of how things are looking.

DURING

You can see that the TV has been moved, and the fireplace has been whitewashed. The walls were painted Benjamin Moore "Edgecombe Gray." My awful photos do not do it justice, but this is a beautiful paint color. This room gets very little natural light, and the paint really brightens it up.

BEFORE

I can't tell you how happy I was the day the TV came off this wall. We also got rid of the "too short" window treatments, moved the drapery rods way up, and added new drapery panels.

DURING

Ahhh… so much better!! You can catch a glimpse of the new rug and coffee table. I'll share more about those next time.

Lots more changes coming soon. Pillows, a new chair, a gallery wall, and a gorgeous chandelier to name a few. Stay tuned for more "during" photos.

I know it's not as dramatic as before and after, but hopefully, you can see where this room is heading. I think it's heading for gorgeous :)

High Point Market Fall 2014

Last week was Fall break for my kiddos. Two of my sons were spending the long weekend on a class trip and a scout camp out. So, I let my husband have some quality father/son time with the two younger boys, and this mama headed to the market!

High Point Market, that is.

Or, as I like to refer to it… "Disneyland for Designers."

If you aren't familiar with High Point Market, it is the largest furnishings trade show in the world, featuring 11.5 million square feet of showspace. That doesn't sound a bit overwhelming, does it?

I've been trying to get to market for a couple of years, but the timing always interferes with our Spring break and our Fall break. So I was beyond excited that I could make it work this Fall!

I had just three days to take in as much of the market as possible. I stayed with my dear friend, Amy Hale, who is a designer in Cary, NC. Every morning we got up early and made the hour drive to High Point to shop until we dropped (literally!).

We had a list of showrooms that we wanted to be sure to see, and also left ourselves time to explore  and discover new places. I felt like a kid in a candy store!

Here is a little snapshot of the eye candy...

Mr. Brown

Mr. Brown

Bobo Intriguing Objects

World's Away

World's Away

Karen Robertson Collection

Dunes and Duchess

Ro Sham Beaux

Lillian August

Lillian August

Lillian August

Lillian August

Chelsea House

Blue Ocean Traders

I'm officially addicted to High Point, and hope to return for the Spring market. I've got more photos and stories to share, so stay tuned.

If you need any of this yumminess in your own home, contact me. I'd love to help you design your dream space!