A First Floor Re-Design

Hello! I am so excited to share this Foyer, Living Room and Dining Room reveal today. This client had sold all of their living room furniture, wanted to keep their dining room furniture, and was open to changes in the foyer. So it was basically a blank slate…a decorator’s dream!

All three of these spaces connect and have open sight lines from one to the next, so we started the design in the dining room. We selected the gorgeous Benjamin Moore Hale Navy paint color for the walls, allowing the white mill work to really pop. This patterned, soft 8×10 rug with shades of blue brightens and grounds the space. A large windowpane mirror in the same width of the buffet makes the room appear larger, and this stunning crystal pendant lengthens and brightens.

One of the best ways to elevate a dining room is to select upholstered chairs. These were inexpensive and make the space look cohesive and not matchy-matchy. A navy and white striped table runner, silver and blue accessories, and some greenery complete the look!

You can shop this entire space here

Next we tackled the living room. I wanted to ensure this space flowed well from the dining room so we kept a similar color palette of navy, gray, and cream. This space, along with the foyer and stairwell were painted Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray. This is a warm, saturated shade with no blue, green, or purple undertones. The intricate, patterned area rug keeps the space bright and cozy. The real show stoppers are these navy velvet english arm chairs. They are extremely comfortable and classic.

The other upholstered items were this custom square arm sofa with the coordinating ottoman, in the perfect shade of cool cream in a soft, woven fabric (swatch is “Max Buff”.)

A large wall clock, giant piece of abstract art, and round mirror adorn the walls.

These solid marble and silver end tables flank either side of the sofa with linen textured lamps.

I wanted to layer textures in the space with these mohair fringe pillows and velvet damask pillows. A tray with woven and silver accessories are stylish and functional for any coffee table or ottoman.

You can shop the entire space here

Lastly, the foyer just needed to be freshened up, so we added this rubber backed, durable foyer rug.

We selected a new console table with a white capiz lamp, silver candlesticks in both sizes, and a stack of books.

I have seen these niches in so many homes which leave many clients puzzled. My best advice is to keep it simple. A large ceramic vase with tall stems will do the trick.

You can shop the entire space here

Now all three spaces flow together beautifully, all have a cohesive style, yet unique looks. Thanks for reading and for following along!

 

Lower Level Home Gym Reveal

How are those New Year’s Resolutions coming along? If you made fitness goals, then this post is for you! Before our lower level was finished, I was fairly diligent about getting in an elliptical workout. Now that our home gym is complete, I’ve been even more motivated, and switching up my workout much more! So many times our moods are affected by our surroundings and that’s definitely been the case here!

The Basic Design

I’ve previously shared reveals of our lower level kitchenette and great room. We continued the engineered hardwood through this space for it’s scratch resistance, durability, and ease of cleaning. As much as I love light fixtures, the ceilings are 8.5 feet so LED can lights were the way to go with the height of the elliptical. I painted the space my very favorite gray, Sherwin Williams Repose Gray. The doors are a classic white 2 panel door with this sleek black modern door hardware, which is also throughout the rest of our lower level.

The Equipment

We have had this elliptical (ours is an older version) for years and we absolutely love it. You an adjust the incline, resistance and it has a fan that blows on our face! All it’s missing is a gym attendant to bring you a cold bottle of water and an Evian Spritz! I also purchased this exercise mat with cushion (great for your knees) and this exercise ball. (Both are on sale right now!) We already had a variety of free weights but if you don’t, this set is great because it comes with a stand!

The Decor

Again, since our environments affect our mood, even the exercise room needed a little pretty. I love cobalt blue and greenery especially for an upbeat space! These botanical wall art pieces (here and here) are perfect for the ledge. This vase and greenery completes the look. My kids often come in here to hangout while I workout, so this chair in the corner topped with a throw pillow is perfect for that!

I hope you enjoyed this post! Now go crush those resolutions!

Design Formula Friday – The Shelfie

Welcome to another edition of Design Formula Friday where I share tips, ideas and affordable items to decorate those tricky spaces in your home. In the past I’ve shared how to tackle the entryway, the living room accent space, the Christmas Tree, and the countertop. Today’s area of focus is those difficult-to-style shelves. In our home we have these photo ledges which I re-style each season as well as our new lower level built-in shelves. Today, I’ll share how I curated our lower level built-in shelves

The most common mistake in shelf styling is WAY TOO MANY THINGS! This overwhelms the eye, feels cluttered, and takes away from the uniqueness of the items. So Step ONE is to clear everything off your shelves.

 

Step TWO is to sort through the items you really want displayed and group them by type (just for the planning process). Select items that are different enough but still follow a color scheme. So, for example, our lower level space has a natural toned wood (the flooring, and butcher block countertops) so my  baskets and frames are all in that same natural finish.

 

The next type of item is books…I love styling with them so I removed the book jackets and selected our favorites that are in shades of blue, black, white and green. This book is SO good and the binding is the cutest! I can’t wait to get her next one!

 

I love seeing my babies faces around our home and with all the color in this space I printed some off in black and white to keep it cohesive and classic. We have marble throughout our lower level so this marble frame was perfect.

 

Fresh or faux greenery is a must in every space. I love the selection online here. Select different “species” to provide variety.

 

Lastly, add in some extra color and texture with vases, lanterns, boxes and candles.

 

Now that you’ve narrowed down your items that all follow your scheme, it’s time to decorate. Think in the RULE OF THREE. When items are styled in threes, it’s most pleasing to the eye. You are going to want to mix up your items. For example the books are on the top left and then the bottom middle. The color green is on the middle right and bottom left. You may have to play with it for awhile to get it just right!

So let’s review, the DESIGN FORMULA for a perfectly styled SHELFIE = THINGS IN 3 + MIX OF COLOR AND TEXTURE + UNCLUTTER

I hope this helps you create those beautiful shelves filled with collections of things you absolutely love!

You can shop all the items in this space here: http://liketk.it/2z9XW and here http://liketk.it/2z4A9

Design Formula Friday – Christmas Tree

I am back with another edition of Design Formula Friday, where I break down the steps of decorating specific, sometimes tricky spaces. In the past I covered entryways, accent spaces, and making those countertops look styled, not cluttered. Today, is a special edition for the Holiday season, simple steps for a gorgeous Christmas Tree.

Family Room Tree using design formula

Dining room tree using design formula

Since we will be hosting parties in our new lower level, I wanted to trim a tree without breaking the bank! And guess, what?! I was able to do just that, and it turned out even better than I imagined. I first decided on a color scheme, looked at what I already had that would coordinate, and then purchased a few items to fill in. Since our lower level is mainly greens, blues, and whites, accented by golds and blacks, that’s the palette I went with.

DESIGN FORMULA:

FLUFFED TREE + RIBBON + BEADED GARLAND + PICKS + ORNAMENTS + TREE SKIRT = GORGEOUS TREE

Since we don’t have a ton of wide open spaces (cue Dixie Chicks song), I went with a cute, yet tall (7.5ft) pencil tree. I do have to say that I was very impressed with the variety of colors and textures and ease of assembly for this particular, especially for the price.

Step 1: If you have a real tree, you get to skip this step, but don’t forget to add those twinkle lights. For those of us with family members we may or may not call “bubble boy” due to allergies, don’t feel bad about a faux tree. Assemble your allergy-friendly pre-lit tree and FLUFF! You’re probably anxious to get to the fun part, but this step is so crucial, albeit tedious. Pull those branches apart!

Step 2: Select a wide wired ribbon. Cut the ribbon in 12-18″ sections, preferable with a V-Cut to make the ends pretty. You are going to place these pieces in the tree starting from the top at a downwards at a diagonal. I usually secure the middle of each ribbon piece with the tree branch.

Step 3: Add beaded garlands. I love adding natural wood textures to any space and the tree is no exception. These wooden beads can serve as garland now and then as table or shelf decor after Christmas. Again, place in a downward diagonal.

Step 4: Add Tree Picks. These fill in the tree and add sparkle, color, or texture and are super easy to work with. I happened to have these white rose picks and then added a few new ones to serve as the tree topper. Place these wherever the tree isn’t as full.

Step 5: Add your pretty ornaments. I found these simple black and white ones and then looped and hot-glued coordinating ribbon to act as a hook. I did the same to three boxes of ornaments I scooped up at Homegoods.

Step 6: Vacuum around the tree and secure your tree skirt or tree collar.

Step 1+2+3+4+5+6 = A Gorgeous Tree

Pour yourself a hot cup of coffee, stand back and admire your work!

Lower Level Kitchenette Reveal

I am SO excited to share all the details on our lower level kitchenette. We call it a kitchenette because we added just a dishwasher, small refrigerator and a microwave. It’s a great space for entertaining or for guests spending the night.

 

(FOR ALL SOURCES CLICK HERE)

LAYOUT: Originally I wanted an island but the stairway is way too close so we opted for a u-shaped kitchen. Since we don’t need the storage space, I loved the idea of no upper cabinets and subway tile to the ceiling with open shelving instead.

HARDWARE: The entire lower level has white 2-panel doors with this modern black hardware. I wanted to continue that look in the kitchen, so we selected white cabinets with black pulls and knobs (From Menards) and a matte black pull-down faucet.

I purchased these black shelving brackets and my contractor made the natural wood shelves from pine.

LIGHTING: Since there isn’t the traditional window behind the sink, I added a hanging pendant light with an edison bulb. These black farmhouse fixtures flank it on either side and these large gold pendants complete the look.

COUNTERTOPS AND BACKSPLASH: I selected a white background countertop with grey veining and simple white 3×6 backspalsh tile with white grout.

DECOR AND ACCESSORIES:  I absolutely love the Artifact Rug Collection by Bashian and when this 5×7 went on sale, I snagged it! It’s a pretty porcelain blue that flows with the rest of the space nicely. In any bathroom, kitchen or laundry room, I like to add a tray like this for the soap and lotion. Layered cutting boards and a dough bowl add that pretty natural wood element. For the open shelving decor, I used whiteware that I already had, a few Pellegrino bottles for color and some greenery and cookbooks.

 

FOR A LIST OF SOURCES CLICK HERE

 

We are so happy with how it all came together! Thanks for following along!

Lower Level Great Room Reveal

I am so excited to bring you the reveal of our great room! This space is the focal point of our newly renovated lower level. We wanted plenty of seating with a cozy laid-back, kid-friendly vibe. This is a gathering space, kid-gaming space, and watch-the-big-game space. This was my original design board:

I prefer to select the area rug first because I am extremely picky about finding the right rug and it’s easier to coordinate accessories after this selection. The Bryant Area rug was priced right, plush and had a pattern I really liked.

We moved our slipcovered sectional from our Family Room down and then added two custom upholstered swivel chairs. I know so many people are nervous about ordering furniture online but with these, you can order free swatches which allows you to feel the fabric, see the color in the space and with the other textiles. We ordered the chairs in “Max Buff” and they are the perfect cool sand color. These chairs are comfortable, functional, and beautiful!

Lighting is ALWAYS my favorite thing to source. It’s basically jewelry for any space. This chandelier is perfect for a large space and when hung above our coffee table, the height isn’t an issue. I drew up my vision for the built-ins one night and the carpenter built them the next day. I loved these brass swing arm sconces in the built-ins. They highlight the shelves nicely. A TV will soon be placed in the center of the built-ins but isn’t it much prettier without it?!

This white console table is the perfect place to set your drink, book, and store remote controls. It’s so affordable and beautifully made! The accessories really pull this space together, add color and character. I had been collecting items for the open shelves for awhile so many are things I’ve had in other areas of our home, things I picked up at Homegoods and others from Target. I love to layer with color and texture when decorating shelves. I also framed a few favorite photos of our boys in black and white for a classic look. I raided our bookshelf for books that worked with the color scheme. Simply remove the paper sleeves! This book with black and white binding is a must for styling shelves and it’s got amazing tips and photos too!

Lastly, I continued with the blue, green, and natural color scheme with throw pillows. These small blue and green herringbone pillows work perfectly on the swivel chairs, while these leather corner, blue patterned , and green velvet ones work great on the sofa.

To complete the look I placed some faux stems in a white pitcher, nested in a chunky basket tray with cute pinecone coasters. Thanks for following us along throughout this process! I know this will we a well-loved, well-used space!

Lower Level Great Room Design

I’ve shared the designs for our lower level renovation guest bath, stairway and home gym, and guest bedroom. The entire space is being painted Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace as I am typing this. On Friday I got samples of Decorator’s White, Chantilly Lace and Super White. (Left to right in photo). I was so surprised at the clear winner once the samples were painted in the actual space. Chantilly Lace was bright, warm and perfect.

I also just read this article sharing fashion designer Erin Featherston’s California home that is painted in Chantilly Lace and my jaw was on the floor. It’s so beautifully serene!

Erin Featherston’s Home for Domino Magazine

So, while our home isn’t quite a light and airy 100 year old Bungalow, I have drawn much inspirations from these bright, layered spaces. The great room in our newly renovated lower level will be the heart of the space. It’s completely open to the kitchenette and perfect for entertaining. There are so many components to the space that today I’ll just be sharing the main seating area.

I fell in love with this new landscape wall art and knew it would be perfect for the space!

Aside from art, I prefer to start with the area rug when designing a space. It literally grounds it and sets the tone for furniture and accessories. I selected this beautiful Bashian Area Rug. This coffee table and this 3 piece Slipcovered Sectional will be placed on it flanked by these custom swivel chairs.

This gorgeous light fixture in the black finish will hang over the coffee table with this brass tripod floor lamp sitting next to the sectional.

My favorite part of any design project is sourcing the accessories which tie the space together. This green velvet exposed zipper pillow, this plaid square pillow, this leather tipped smaller pillow and this herringbone pillow will bring texture and color to the space. I love using baskets like these for the coffee table tray and small textural wall art textural on the built-ins.

On Wednesday’s post I’ll be sharing the plan for the media built-ins, and the desk built-ins. Thanks for following along!

Design Formula Friday – The Countertop

Welcome back to the third edition of Design Formula Friday where I tackle those tricky to decorate spaces. The first week was all about the entryway, the second was accent spaces and today is all about styling your countertop. There are so many ways to decorate your kitchen and they should all start with a completely cleaned off space. My current countertop go to formula is LAYERED CUTTING BOARDS + ONE CAKE STAND + SEASONAL DECOR = perfectly styled countertop.

I love the fashion meets function of having wooden cutting boards and layering them against your backsplash. For a warmer darker wood, This gray marble and wood one and this round one are classic favorites.

If you have a lighter wood scheme I love these. This small marble one at $14.99 is amazing! It would look fabulous layered with this large round cutting board.

Next, add a cake stand. I love how these add height but also serve as the perfect spot to hold your seasonal decor like a faux plant, candle and salt and pepper shakers.

It’s pretty simple, but very impactful! Happy Friday, friends!

Lower Level Bathroom Design

Thank you for following along in my posts about our Lower Level Renovation. I shared the plans for the guest bedroom, home gym and stairway over the past few weeks. Today, I am so excited to share the full bathroom design plans and a few current photos. When it comes to bathrooms, I think classic design is the way to go. I fell in love with this striated marble that is sourced from quarries in Greece.

It’s usually a good idea to select a smaller scale tile for the shower floor. This marble hexagon mosaic tile was the perfect compliments to the floor tile. It almost has a blue-gray hue that will be carried out throughout the lower level.

To keep the design simple (and to keep costs down), I went with a white 4×10 subway tile with a beveled edge.

The grout will be white for all of the shower and gray for the bathroom floor. I sourced this 36′ white vanity with a Carrara Marble countertop and backsplash. (It is also available in 24″, 30″, 72″. This piece was delivered and it’s heavy, solid and beautiful. I will be replacing the knobs with these black ones. I selected this sleek modern faucet (under $70!) with great reviews.

These elegant sconces will flank either side of this black modern mirror.

Pottery Barn has a great selection of classic bathroom accessories. I selected this toilet paper holder and this towel ring.

I have always loved framed botanical art and these black and white canvas drawings from an amazing artist from Poland were just perfect for the space. (They are available to purchase on Etsy.)

These matted wooden frames perfectly show them off.

Lastly, these bathroom textiles and accessories complete the space.

I cannot wait to see it completed! What’s your favorite part?

Design Formula Friday – The Accent Space

Welcome back for another edition of Design Formula Friday, where I discuss styling of tricky areas in the home. Last week I shared an entryway design and this week it’s all about accent furniture. Do you have a little bit of extra space in your master bedroom, living room, or home office? Adding accent seating is the perfect way to create more seating with a cozier feel while filling the space. Today’s formula is 1 accent chair + 1 side table + 1 table lamp = PERFECT ACCENT SPACE

The guest bedroom in our lower level renovation project has the perfect corner for some accent seating. I selected this beautiful cane chair, which arrived this week and the quality is top-notch, especially for the price. It’s a beautiful and comfortable neutral piece.

If you have the extra space, two would look great with an accent table between the two. I sourced this one for the guest bedroom.

Next, add a desk lamp that works with the proportions of your chair and table. Since the two that I selected are on the smaller side, I’m going to go with a smaller ceramic lamp.

As I mentioned last week, for the most layered and interesting look, use a variety of materials like something wood, ceramic, woven, green and a metal. So we have natural wood on the chair, white wood on the table with a gold metal pull, and a ceramic lamp. Our last accessory is a faux plant.

If you are working with a larger side table, then you can add a stack of books, a family photo, coasters, etc. So there we have it. 1 accent chair + 1 side table + 1 table lamp = PERFECT ACCENT SPACE!