bathroom remodel

Our hallway bathroom was a blast from the past. True to its 1950′s heritage, it evoked a “love it” or “gag me” reaction from most visitors. For me, it was a little of both. I loved the vintage styling, fun color combo, laundry chute, storage, and half wall for the kids who are too busy to shut the door, yet need their privacy, please.

However, the crumbling plastic turquoise tiles, icky linoleum flooring and rubber trim (a mid-80′s upgrade?!), a tub that left you knee deep in water after a 5 minute shower, and a toilet seat with rust marks that appeared, er, questionable...this all culminated into a dire need to remodel!

Ick, that floor was gross! We took the bathroom right down to the studs. Here’s what we found under the linoleum:

More linoleum! But at least this pattern makes sense with the original yellow and turquoise tile. I’d always wondered about that. I actually kinda like it a little.Our yellow toilet found a happy home, too.

Apparently our curbside toilet disposal was an intriguing opportunity among our neighbors. When it lost its allure as a comfy reading spot, one neighbor actually put it in his pickup and drove off. I guess our trash really is someone else’s treasure.

We’re almost done with the remodel. Here are some sneak peak shots.

{This tile is like a favorite pair of jeans. It goes with anything. Love it!}

Stay tuned for the big reveal which is TBD since my finisher (read: husband) would rather ski than get this project done! Any bathroom doozies in your house? Remodels on the horizon? Do tell.

If you want to truly love where you live, please contact me about design services.

the holiday mullet

Do you secretly wish you were married to Clark Griswold (of “Christmas Vacation” fame) when it comes to Christmas decorations but you’re worried about what your neighbors (or family!) would think? We’ve got the solution for you: the Holiday Mullet. You can have the best of both worlds with Business in the Front and PARTY (or tacky) in the back!

We LOVE cheesy holiday decorations (preferably the retro classic plastic Santa and reindeer) but fear the leers of friends and neighbors who fail to appreciate our tacky holiday fun. Thus, we came up with the Holiday Mullet where you can have a front yard with delicate white twinkle lights and fresh garland and a back yard with all the flash and bling that you really love!

Are you on board? Send us some pics of your Holiday Mullet!

If you want to truly love where you live, please contact me about design services.

family friendly makeover

When a hip mom of three boys contacted me to makeover the main level of her home, I was hooked. For almost 8 years, she’d lived with many family hand me downs that were beautiful, but just not her style. Her living room was so formal, no one ever went in there. She felt like she still lived in her parents' house. Our goal was to revitalize the rooms to reflect our clients' modern taste and lifestyle, so that they could entertain family and friends and really use all of their space. Here’s the living room before…

And here is the new loungey living room…

The chairs swivel so they’re perfect for watching TV and socializing, and they’re covered in the most supple leather…mmmm!

We carved out a nook by the front door for a desk for our client. It does double duty as a console when the drawers are folded inward.

In the dining room, we talked about repainting her Queen Anne style chairs to mix with a new table, but since all of the rooms open to each other, we decided to switch out her traditional table and chairs and the ho hum chandelier…

for a swanky new light fixture, sleek glass topped table and creamy white leather host and hostess chairs with nailhead trim.

There are so many things I love about how these rooms now speak to each other. The silk curtain fabric moves our palette from room to room. The newly painted black mod metal iron fixture picks up the glossy black of the piano. The glass table top visually connects with the cool blue on the sofa. This kind of stuff makes me so happy.

In the kitchen and eating area, we updated the blush toned maple cabinetry and French Country table and chairs with bright white paint on the upper cabinets and an earthy tan on the base cabinetry. We also refinished the chest (next to me in pic above) which was a family heirloom, and made my client's mom very happy.

To offset all of the angles in the room, we switched out the rectangular table for a round one that has a removable leaf, and paired it with sleek curvy chairs that pick up on the white cabinets and are a snap to wipe down. A triple locker replaces the former desk area and gives the boys room to store their jackets and backpacks when they walk in the back door.

The family room’s carpet and furnishings had seen better days…

so we added new hardwood floors, a sectional that accommodates the whole family, and relocated the desk area to the nook by the fireplace.

We ripped out built in bookshelves that our client hated because they were too shallow to hold anything and made room for a game table.

Now the family room looks pulled together and connects to the kitchen beautifully.

When I asked our client if she loves her new family room, she said, “I’m never in it! But I love MY new grown up family room. I’m in that room all the time now.”

If you want to truly love where you live, please contact me about design services.

pull up a chair

Are you finding yourself extending invitations for dinner over the next few weeks, only to find that the guest list exceeds your seating scenario? Never fear, we’ve compiled a list of inexpensive folding chairs so there’s room for everyone to pull up a chair.

For your Bali inspired holiday dining experience, this bamboo duo fits the bill affordably and might just have an extended life as a romantic table for two on your deck, patio, balcony, come warmer days.

Image courtesy of Target.com

For a more traditional vibe, this reasonably priced pair gives you 15 different fabric seat options so your can blend these babies right into your existing set. I’m digging the lattice patterned back.

Image courtesy of HomeDecorators.com

If you’re feeling more contemporary, these blow molded white chairs are priced to perfection (although you need to buy a set of four). Hey, anyone know what blow molded means?

Image courtesy of cymax.com

This set of four folding chairs in mocha is affordable, sleek, and stores easily. Isn’t that exactly what folding chairs are supposed to be?

Image courtesy of walmart.com

If you’re fortunate enough to live nearby an Ikea, these “Jeff” folding chairs are a steal. (Sadly, they’re not available online.) At these prices, you’ll be able to afford so much stylish seating that some complimentary guest is sure to ask you to host again next year.

Image courtesy of Ikea.com

This lovely option is pricier, sure, but it’s solid wood structure and lacy back make a simple and elegant statement.

Image courtesy of ballarddesigns.com

With all of these options, you can afford to be that gracious host or hostess who says, “The more the merrier!” at your holiday gathering this year. Cheers!

If you want to truly love where you live, please contact me about design services.

Jen's Bedroom Gets Symmetry & Style

After ten happy years of marriage, Jennifer is ready to treat herself to the master bedroom she and her husband deserve.  Here’s her letter:

Dear Lisa, My husband and I just celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary, yet we are still living with relics from our single days in our master bedroom. My husband’s bedside table is leftover from his service in the military. My bedside table and our dresser are part of a set I bought right after college. We are ready to “reinvent” our master bedroom to create a more pulled together look, but with one caveat: the paint color must stay. We just hate to paint, and it’s the same color I’ve used in our master bathroom addition, so hopefully you can work with it. Also, I’ve already picked out a few things I’d like for you to incorporate. I love this Marimekko bedding and also the headboard, and perhaps, a dresser from this set. Otherwise, we’re open to new window treatments, furniture, accessories, lighting, and any other ideas you have. Thanks, Jennifer

Ten years is definitely cause for celebration, and what better way to toast the one you love than to recreate your master bedroom retreat. Like a good marriage, a master bedroom needs balance and compromise, so we’re going to infuse this space with complementary textures, colors and finishes to achieve symmetry and style. Here we go!

1. Jen has given clear direction on establishing a color palette. Her wall colors appeared purplish at first, but they’re actually Graytint (BM #1611) which is a lovely pale gray. Jen’s choice of bedding, a plum colored Marimekko pattern with white accents, works beautifully with the gray walls. We’ll accent with fresh, milky white and hints of flax and oatmeal to create a setting perfect for breakfast in bed (albeit a healthy one).

For room layout, we like the new bed positioned under the window as she currently has it. Her new dresser would go on the right wall where the current dresser resides, but the taller shape of the new one will bring much needed height to the room and take up less floor space. Bonus! We love Jen’s oversized floral prints in purple and green and suggest that she hang them one on top of the other on the left wall to the right of the window, again, working the illusion of height into the room.

2. Did you know that “tin” is the ten year anniversary gift? Neither did we! Who comes up with this stuff?! Nevertheless, we’ve got a way to add some tin-type sparkle into Jen’s bedroom. In addition, we want to give the room a more pulled together appearance by establishing a balance of symmetry without succumbing to that “matchy-matchy” look. This mercury lovely will work beautifully as a pair of bedside lamps. Their height will keep them from getting lost as is the case with Jen’s current bedside lamps, and we love their shimmer. Jen can find great white lampshades to top them off here.

3. This trio of mercury glass candlesticks is the perfect accent to grace Jen’s new dresser. They’ll draw the eye upward, giving the illusion of more height in the room.

4. Jen’s bedroom has a gorgeous view of their backyard garden. These textured linen window panels will provide light and airy privacy without shutting out the view. Their flax color and linen texture will bring some natural elements into the space to balance the mercury shimmer. Jen can use her existing curtain rod, but we also love this collection which is currently on sale.

5. With the new dresser freeing up some floor space, we have room to incorporate this fun accent chair. We love how its clean lines work with the new bedroom furniture, the flax linen texture complements the window panels, and the nailhead trim picks up the other metallic accents in the room. Plus, doesn’t every bedroom need a chair to catch those clothes you’re just too tired to put away?

6. This handmade purple accent pillow will provide a dose of color to the accent chair and subtly picks up on the leafy pattern in the bedding.

7. No bedroom is complete without a cozy throw for some added warmth on a cold night. We like the luxurious texture of this one. It could live happily at the foot of the bed or draped over the accent chair.

8. To perpetuate our theme of symmetry with shimmer and style, we are nothing short of obsessed with this sunburst mirror in an antiqued silver finish. We would like to see a pair of these hanging above each bedside lamp with about six inches between the top of the lamp and the longest bottom “ray” of the mirror.

9. This purple stoneware tray brings another earthy element into the room and will be a perfect spot to corral change, jewelry, and the other odds and ends that breed overnight on the top of the dresser.

10. The simple stripe on this rug will bring new pattern into the room without fighting the scrolling leaf pattern in the bedding; a perfect compromise, like in every good marriage. The khaki and white color combination coordinates nicely with our plum, white and neutral palette.

11. A pair of these euro shams in white will enhance the plum and white bedding.

12. We think a pair of these white bedside tables will be the final fabulous dose of symmetry chic in Jen’s new master bedroom. Their white color will pop against the gray walls and plum bedding. Their nickel hardware will shimmer along with the other metallic accents. And, they’ll be a perfect base for the pair of lamps and sunburst mirrors above.

One final design note. We would love to see Jen splurge on some plantation shutters to finish off the high window that sits over the headboard. Their clean lines in a crisp white finish would look beautiful above the bed.

Jen, we hope your new master bedroom will bring you many, many more years of wedded bliss. What kind of shape is your bedroom in? Need some design help? Don’t hesitate to ask.

If you want to truly love where you live, please contact me about design services.

Stacey's snappy sunroom

Stacey tapped us to inject some color and style into her long and narrow sunroom. Here’s her letter:

Dear Lisa: Our family is wrapping up a big home renovation. Now we are stumped on what to do with our sunroom. It’s a long and narrow room that is accessed off the kitchen and houses our pantry/storage closet. We walk through it to get to the master bedroom on the right and our outdoor patio on the left. We need this room to function as a home office for me, as well as a place for our two kids to do crafts and homework. Also, we have two dogs who regularly use the patio door, so we’re dealing with a lot of family foot traffic. Since the room is open to our kitchen we’d like to tie it in with the colors we have used in there (Benjamin Moore Coastal Fog on the walls and red and blue accents).  We want this to be a creative space with some style instead of white oversized hallway. Thanks for your help! Stacey

Stacey, what a blank slate you have! This room is ripe for a reinvention. We hope you love your snappy new sunroom. Here we go!

1. First of all, kudos to Stacey, for using Benjamin Moore’s Coastal Fog (AC-1). It’s one of our favorite neutrals. The greeny undertones in the beige work with almost any palette, plus the contrast with the white trim and doors will make them really pop. For an accent color, we would love to see Stacey paint the back wall with the plantation shuttersWaterfall (BM 2050-50). This beautiful turquoise leans more toward the green side of the fan deck, so it works well with the Coastal Fog. An accent wall will add an unexpected splash of color once you enter the room, but won’t be totally visible from the kitchen. To complete the palette, we’ve added some fun doses of red, white and turquoise throughout the room to blend with some of the colors Stacey is using in the sunroom’s adjoining spaces.

2. These embroidered red and white curtain panels have a cool, bohemian vibe. The Moroccan-inspired pattern will soften the many angles in the room, reduce noise and frame the two windows that overlook the patio.

3. In a narrow room like this, Stacey’s already done a great job of creating two zones: one for her desk, and one for the kids’ workspace. It’s a smart use of the space; what busy mom doesn’t want a desk near the kitchen? Stacey would like a bigger work surface for herself, and we dig the open and airy look of this console desk. With this design, Stacey has tons of room on top, and the open compartments below can store books, storage bins, files and decorative nick-nacks, too.

4. This rug looks like sisal, but it’s made of olefin and bordered withSunbrella fabric, so it’s a great choice for a busy sunroom. Stacey can use this dog-proof, spill-proof, kid-proof indoor/outdoor rug to further divide her two work zones. The 5′ X 7′ size, positioned with the short ends centered between the patio and master bedroom doors, should workhorse perfectly.

5. We love the turquoise splash on this affordable ceramic gourd lamp. There will be plenty of room on Stacey’s desk surface, and it’s much prettier than your typical utilitarian desk lamp.

6. These fire engine red barstools are the perfect perches for the young artists, scientists, writers and mathematicians that live in Stacey’s house. Their super glossy powdercoated finish beckons with fun and creativity. A set of four will slide neatly under Stacey’s current round table.

7. To counter the shiny gloss of the barstools, we think this wood veneer pendant lamp brings a natural element into the room in a funky, industrial way. Just imagine how it will pop against that turquoise accent wall. Mmmm…love it.

8. While her kids are busying themselves at their new work/craft station, Stacey will be large and in charge in this white swivel armchair, multi-tasking all over the room without ever leaving her seat. Sounds fabulous…and kinda fun.

9. We love how the angles on this bookshelf mimic the angled ceiling in Stacey’s sunroom. The open style speaks in kind to the desk on the opposite side of the room. Positioned just to the left of the master bedroom door (facing), this unit will provide storage a plenty for crafts, games, school papers and more.

10. When you’re working round the clock (and what mom isn’t, we ask?) the official timekeeper may as well look good! This retro cool clock will keep the troops on time and look stylish right above Stacey’s desk just to the left of the curtain panels.

11. These affordable and durable canvas bins are perfect for stashing and corralling the unsightly business in both work zones. They’ll add color and style to the bookcase and desk, plus they come in multiple sizes and have a space for labeling.

12. We love how this pair of prints beautifully ties all of the colors in the room together. After curtains are hung and furniture is positioned, Stacey can keep this pair together side by side, stack them on top of each other for a more vertical look, or split them up. We think they would look gorgeous on any of the walls painted Coastal Fog.

Stacey, we hope you have as much fun in your new sunroom as we had pulling this look together for you.

If you want to truly love where you live, please contact me about design services.

Decorate in stages

Ever since I started decorating for pay and blogging about the topic, I've been slightly paranoid about my home. I'm worried people will walk in and expect perfectly appointed rooms, styled just right without a dog hair or pile of school papers in sight. I do have visions of how it should be, but time and money seem to make it impossible to pull it all together today! Is that true for you too?

So to make us all feel better, let’s get a little perspective and break this down into smaller stages. At each stage, the goal is for a room to look and function well. To illustrate, we found images of  a family friendly living room with great potential.

Stage 1: This room is overly neutral, but has the makings of a great space: a cozy sectional, a nook for office space, and great architectural details like the French doors that open to the foyer and the fireplace.

Image from bhg.com

Image from bhg.com

Stage 2: With the addition of some fun striped drapery panels, a color palette is emerging. The round table formerly in the office nook is now replaced by a more functional desk. The table now finds its home the opposite corner. A rug anchors the seating area, and some whimsical accessories liven up the mantle.

Image from bhg.com

Image from bhg.com

Stage 3: Now, some of you may be thinking, “Stick a fork in it; this room is done!” But watch what happens when new paint is splashed on the walls, and some new furniture pieces are acquired.

Image from bhg.com

The pale blue color on the walls makes the formerly boring beige sectional really pop now. Additional throw pillows bring some new patterns into the room.

Image from bhg.com

The office nook now sports a custom desk and bountiful concealed storage. The pumpkin color on the wall differentiates the area, but still works well with the blue on the surrounding walls.

Image from bhg.com

A new coffee table and TV stand have been added, and the former TV stand now functions as a console behind the couch with storage for games and other family room essentials.

Hopefully you’re now breathing a sigh of relief. It’s great to walk into a room that’s “done”, but for most of us, decorating is a process. So take your time, change your mind, stop and start; do it in stages. That's my plan on the homefront, too.

If you want to truly love where you live, please contact me about design services.