My House Reveal: Dining Room

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” 

Virginia Woolf

The open floor plan combines the dining and adjacent living area into a single, large gathering space where family members and guests can interact during the entire course of a visit, not just during the sit-down meal. 

Admittedly I am not the best cook on the planet. I can make a mean tater tot hot dish (as we call it in Minnesota) or a respectable pot of use-what-you-have-in-the-pantry soup. But when these culinary delights are shared in the ambience of a beautiful dining room, somehow they just seem to taste better.

The biggest challenge I had in decorating this space was finding a table the seated six while comfortably filling the space in front of the floor to ceiling windows. After a frustrating game of this table is too big, that table is too small, I found an old, inexpensive trestle table that was ahhh, just right. 

My husband and I spent a Saturday afternoon stripping, sanding and staining it to its natural perfection.

Keeping with the light, monochromatic palette, I also found an open shelved hutch (with a cute ladder!), perfect for displaying dishes, baskets full of linens and assorted vases and jars.

 I have a few more rooms to reveal, so as always, stay tuned...

{photos by Sara Boulter}

My House Reveal: Powder Room

"Never underestimate the power of a powder room...

the small size of a powder room gives you the ability to really make a statement."

Shane Inman, Houzz contributor

I chose a bold floral pattern wallpaper and a decorative ceiling light for my small, windowless powder room. The bold turquoise leaves pull in the subtle variations of the same color throughout the rest of my home. 

Dare to be bold in the powder room! The tiny, often windowless, room is the perfect space to add a pop of pizazz in your home. Patterned wallpaper, distinctive art, and dramatic lighting are all simple ways to make an eclectic statement.

Artwork, flowers and a contrasting floor pattern add to the eclectic feel of the space.

Not quite sure how you feel about making such a bold statement? Here are some other inspirational powder rooms:

Brown Design

Elle Decor 

Elle Decor

Massucco Warner Miller 

Still not convinced? Check out the latest LIV Showroom blog post with some great resources and additional insight into using wallpaper. 

As always, stay tuned...

My House Reveal: Den and Study

“A room without books is like a body without a soul.” 

Cicero

Welcome to my den and study, the combination of two formerly small bedrooms united into one magnificent area for watching TV, reading, and working from home.

One of the initial disagreements my husband I had when we were renovating was where to place the TV on the main level. My thought was that it should go in the living room so that the family could enjoy the TV in the main living area (e.g. living room, dining room, kitchen). My husband, on the other hand, did not want a TV to distract from the incredible views from the living room, and felt that the TV should be a secondary focus rather than the main.

Our solution? We created a den. I'm so glad I let my husband win that argument *wink wink*. 

Likewise, the study serves as our family work area. It is connected openly to the den to encourage family together time. The study is decorated with an eclectic mix of personal mementoes like an oversized canvas portrait of my husband in his rodeo days. Yeehaw!

The functionality of the two-rooms-in-one serve our family well, and the diverse mix of furniture and accessories keep the rooms informal and fun.

As always, stay tuned...

My House Reveal: Master Suite

"In the end, I think that I will like that we were sitting on the bed, 

talking & wondering where the time had gone."

Brian Andreas

As the last room we see at night and the first room we see in the morning, the master bedroom is one of the most important spaces in our home. In order for a master bedroom to feel as grand as it's purpose, there are several things to take into consideration when planning this space. 

When we purchased this 1960s rambler, one of the unusual things about it was the size of the master bedroom. It was LARGE. Homes from that era are typically know for smaller bedrooms. So with that in place, we only had to make minor architectural changes to make it into our dream bedroom.

The first thing I wanted to do was to salvage the hardwood floors. They were in impeccable condition even after 50 years! Unfortunately, the unique size of the wood slats were not available, so we opted to install wool carpet in the bedroom instead. 

The second thing I noticed was that there wasn't a large enough wall to comfortably accommodate our king size bed. I decided to replace the existing patio doors with a wall and replace the window with a large set of sliding patio doors that would walk out to a private deck. 

Although the room was relatively large, I still wanted to expand the space. Since moving walls was not an option, I chose to coffer the ceiling to add height and install faux beams for visual interest. I had a custom barn door made to prevent the door from swinging into the room and impeding the bathroom walkway.

Finally, a master suite wouldn't be complete without a master bathroom. We opted to forgo the bathtub in lieu of a large walk in shower, a trend I'm seeing more and more of lately.

More house to reveal coming soon. As always, stay tuned...

My House Reveal: Living Room

"I love my house, oh, yes-sir-ee,

My own little house in my old oak tree."

Miriam Young, 

children's author of Miss Suzy

I've always had a fascination and love for the homes I've lived in. I'm sure my predilection stems from a few of my favorite childhood books including The Little House and Miss Suzy. 

As a child, I loved playing "house". I loved creating my own space, setting up pretend rooms and arranging things just so. It's no surprise that I became an interior designer. As an adult, I get to play house for real!

I've posted about the renovation of our house over the past couple of years, but it's only been recently that we've been able to finish furnishing the main level (sometimes even interior designers only get to work on their own projects a little bit at a time!).

If I had to pick a theme for my house, I would label it as Rustic Modern Industrial. There are lots of natural elements like slate, white oak, glass and steel combined with distressed and casual furniture pieces. A textured rug, spooled accent chairs, and a coffee table that you can put your feet on complete the look.

I wanted to add a touch of elegance to the laid back feel of the space, so I added a brushed brass side table with round mercury glass inlays. Linen tufted ottomans (extra seating) are conveniently tucked into a niche which displays black and white images of some of our favorite places.

I wanted to create a space with plenty of seating where we could all hang out and enjoy the fire (and the amazing view). Despite the open floor plan, floor to ceiling windows and vaulted ceilings, the space feels quite cozy.

I'll reveal a new room in each new post, so as always, stay tuned...

{photos by Sara Boulter}

Out With the Old, In With the New?

“We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, 

drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, 

we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential.”

Ellen Goodman

As I've perused design magazines, websites and blogs, I've compiled a list of the most common IN'S and OUT'S interior design trends for 2014.

Keep in mind that there are differences between a trend and a fad. Trends point toward a certain direction (neutral colors, indoor-outdoor spaces) and evolve over time. Fads, on the other hand, are short-lived (antlers, word decor) and are popular for a brief amount of time.

I've always been a bit leery of interior design professionals who scream Like This! and Don't Like That!, and I tend to take their opinions with a grain of salt. However, there are several common threads amongst the various design experts. Not that I agree with all of them, but I've listed them here:

OUT for 2014
Top left: Stacked books, woodland creatures, antlers. Top right: Distressed furniture. Middle right: Word art.
Bottom left: Ikat print. Bottom middle: Stacked books. Bottom right: Industrial furniture.

OUT for 2014

1. Ikat prints
2. Lattice geometric patterns
3. Antlers
4. All-white kitchens
5. Word decor and accessories
6. Woodland creatures such as birds, owls, foxes, and deer
7. Stacks of books used as décor
8. The color grey
9. Burlap fabric
10. Distressed furniture
11. Granite countertops
12. Industrial furniture
13. Ombre
14. Stainless steel appliances
15. Gallery walls

IN for 2014
Top left: Neutral colors with indigo accents. Top middle: Brass accessories. Top right: White oak floor.
Middle left: Geode hardware. Bottom left: Quartz countertop. Bottom right: Vintage modern with turquoise accents.

IN for 2014

1. Gold, Brass and Copper
2. Turquoise
3. Modern vintage
4. Light woods and knotty woods
5. Geodes and quartz accessories
6. Macramé and fiber-art wall hangings
7. Window sheers
8. Corduroy upholstery
9. Venetian marbled-paper prints
10. Deco hues such as bright yellow and indigo
11. Neutral colors
12. The open concept kitchen
13. Space designed with aging users in mind
14. Quartz countertops
15. Indoor-outdoor spaces

As always, stay tuned...

Do As I Say, NOT As I Do

“The only good thing to do with good advice is pass it on; it is never of any use to oneself.”

Oscar Wilde

Ok. Here's the deal. I failed to follow my own good advice and I am passing on my hard earned wisdom to you.

A few months ago I'd written a post called 15 Shades of Gray. In it, I discuss my top 15 choices for gray paint. I also impart some very important advice... I believe my exact words went something like this:

I've selected each color within its specific brand because I DO NOT recommend color matching (that is, taking a color formula from one brand and having it matched for another brand). Each brand has a  base color that is specifically designed to coordinate with each color formula.

Although color matching results are usually pretty close, 

on occasion it can go oh-so-wrong, and it's not worth the risk.

To make a long story short, I color matched.

In my impatience (it was, after all, the weekend and the store carrying the brand I wanted was closed), I went to a local big box retailer to get a gallon of paint so I could paint my bathroom, rather than waiting until Monday to buy the correct color in the actual brand. I goofed up. Big time. Here is error of my ways:

Can you see the difference between the painted wall (on the right) and the color chip (on the left)? Instead of a warm gray, the unfortunate result is mint green. Luckily I only painted a small section of my bathroom, but I am now out $40 for the paint I bought, $40 for the paint I will purchase, and I get to start over.

Dang. Why don't I listen to myself!

Please learn from my mistake. NEVER COLOR MATCH. Ever!

As always, stay tuned...

On My Front Porch

"And the view I love the most 
Is my front porch looking in, yeah." 

Lonestar

I took advantage of the great weather this weekend to repaint my front doors. We added a porch to the front of our house in September (which still isn't done, grrrrr) so now that my double doors are receding, I wanted to add a punch of color. Benjamin Moore Wythe Blue HC-143 was the perfect choice.

Here's the progression of transformation so far...

This was the front of the house when we purchased it. I can't wait to have my front yard fully landscaped again!

I custom designed the front doors and painted them a bluish gray.
This was prior to repainting the exterior and adding the front porch.

And, the final product. Well, technically not final FINAL since the porch isn't done
(notice the missing wall lights in addition to many other things).  

More to come as this project continues!

As always, stay tuned...

A View From the Terrace

"I am excessively fond of a cottage; 

there is always so much comfort, so much elegance about them." 

Jane Austen

Here's the second model home I worked on for Rainey Homes. The Terrace model at Daybreak is a quaint, yet sophisticated version of a lake cottage. Check it out...

As always, stay tuned...

Welcome: All Things Considered

"Come on in, baby take your coat off;
Come on in, baby take a load off."
The Oakridge Boys

I offered to whip up an entryway room recipe for blogger Tressa of Tressa's Wishful Endings.  I asked her to send me some inspiration photos and a few key must haves for the space. Follow along on her blog as she transforms her space from blah to wow! Here's what I cooked up for her:

{INSPIRATION}

{BEFORE}

Tressa's Wish List:
1. A place to hang four children's backpacks.
2. A small seated bench.
3. Extra storage.
4. A warm and inviting entryway!

Tressa's Challenges:
1. The house is a rental, so no major renovations allowed!
2. There isn't a lot of wall space to place a bench.
3. The closet must stay as is since it stores coats and sports equipment.







{PALETTE}

{INGREDIENTS}

1. BENCH
Paint a geometric design on the seat of a small wooden bench.

2. RUG
A natural fiber area rug made of sisal or jute is neutral in color yet provides a hint of texture.

3. WALL HOOKS
Provide an oversized decorative hook for each child's backpack.

4. ARTWORK
Handmade artwork and screen printed graphics can be customized to fit the space or the family.

5. LIGHTING
An oversized light pendant adds an artistic, dimensional focal point to the space.

6. STORAGE
A wicker basket or two provides extra storage for odds-and-ends that sometimes collect in an entryway.

7-8. ACCESSORIES
Incorporate a decorative mirror to the wall collage to reflect light (and to check your teeth before answering the door!), and throw in a colorful, round clock to add an additional shape.


{ROOM RECIPE}
Tonya's Take: Even a rental home or apartment deserves to welcome guests in a creative, inviting way! Paint, furniture and decor are easy to add when moving in, and just as easy to remove or change once it's time to move on.


REPURPOSE an old piano or organ bench, which often come in odd, small sizes. Follow the instructions here. As a bonus, the lid lifts to provide extra storage space and a basket can be tucked underneath to provide even more storage. Paint a black and white geometric pattern on top and paint the inside a bright turquoise. Place in the space below the window.

PAINT the top 1/3 of the wall and the ceiling the same color such as Sherwin Williams Gauntlet Gray SW 7019. Install a decorative trim piece to separate the top 1/3 from the bottom 2/3 of the wall. This will pull the ceiling height down and create a coffered ceiling effect.

INSTALL tongue and groove or wide board and batten on the bottom 2/3 of the wall. Paint it the same light color as the overall trim in the house.

HANG four decorative hooks approximately 12" apart from each other on the far side of the wall next to the front door. Install hooks at approximately 48" from the floor.

ARRANGE a gallery wall of artwork in mixed frames to fill in the space above the hooks across the wall next to the front door. Add a clock and an uniquely shaped mirror to break up the square and rectangular shapes.

INSTALL a large, oversized pendant light in place of the existing fixture.

PLACE a 3'x5' to 4'x6' area rug in front of the door. The bigger size provides more space for leaving muddy shoes. A natural fiber hides dirt better and is easier to clean.

ACCENT the space with artwork in shades of aqua, turquoise, teal, gray, black, and white.