Starting with Inspiration

I've written several times about using inspiration pieces to start your room design, and Amber from Atlanta has taken this suggestion and designed a beautiful master bedroom using her wedding rings as her inspiration! ( I only consulted on this room, she did all the work!) The room isn't complete, and when it is I will share the before and after photos, but for now, I want to talk about how she translated her inspiration.

Amber's Engagement Ring

First, let's take a look at the ring and think about the characteristics that can correlate to a room design. Amber told me that her decorating style was a little bit modern or contemporary and that her husband liked more traditional. So, since this is their most intimate shared space, it is important to make sure that they are both represented; and they wanted it to feel romantic. Here's how we broke down the details.


Traditional -  Wedding rings are all about tradition, and become a part of the history of, not just a couple, but their family as well. Their home is an historic home with traditional details like plantation shutters, crown moldings and original hard wood floors. It is a place in which they are building the "history" of their lives together. They have dark wood, very traditional furnishings with matching night stands, a triple dresser with matching mirror and a beautiful large bed. So, having taken stock of what they have, traditional is covered!


Contemporary -  The yellow diamond is contemporary, the styling of the ring is contemporary, so we set out to find the contemporary details for the room. Amber found beautiful bedding with pin-tucked pleating in a slate gray color, very contemporary in style and fabric. The color palette which is yellow (for the center diamond), gray (from the color of the white gold) and white (isn't it obvious?), is very contemporary and extremely popular right now. We found  lamps with a chrome finish which are contemporary and also translates very well as the metallic finish of the rings. They have glass accents and beautiful silvery gray shades which deliver a little bling and continue the color story! The walls, she painted yellow and has added yellow accent pieces and a wonderful zebra printed rug. (you can't wait to see pictures can you? me either!)

Romance - It is a master bedroom, that should be romantic no matter what! and, there is nothing more romantic than an engagement ring! The color palette and fabrics are soft and romantic. By choosing very personal accessories, like the hair-piece she wore in her wedding in a shadowbox, photographs of the couple or other special moments for them, just enhance the romantic theme. 


Now, that you know how we've "translated" an inspiration piece into a room, keep checking back for the progress and the final outcome. If it could only get done as quickly as I can write about it, that would truly be a magically "romantic" room, right?




(When choosing bed linens you should always get the very best you can afford. Remember that you will spend more time in these than any other single article of clothing you own, they should be the most comfortable and durable fabrics in which you spend time.)

Reading...again (and another broken rule)

So, today I was reading and looking at pictures on HGTV.com  Designers Portfolio, and I realized that the rooms that welcome me the most are the ones with less color. I think I'm one color off from being "monochromatic"! Or, as my Aunt Judy would say, "booorrrriiinngg!".

my wardrobe!

Then I took a look in my closet and my entire wardrobe, and think, it's not quite monochromatic, but it is pretty boring, at least to some people! What I really like about fewer colors is that, it's easy to get dressed, everything matches and for the most part black and white can be dressy or casual. It's about being simplistic and classic and in such a simple palette, texture goes a long way.

 Now, I don't just decorate my spaces with black, white and cream, although that is all I've shown you so far I think, but I could easily do so. I've heard designers say that picking color for your space is like picking color for your clothes. The colors you feel most comfortable dressing in, you'll feel comfortable living in as well.

My living room now. Do you see my "broken rule"?!

So, I took a look around me to see if I really am boring in my new space and what I decided is that I'm not! I think it goes back to the living in small digs, and needing less visual clutter in my own space, because in my house in Vegas I have lots of color!

Well, after I checked out my space more I realized it's not color that I don't have, it's pattern. With my dark purple wall (which I've totally ignored) there is actually tremendous amount of color here, but with the solid sofa, solid colored pillows and chair, it does feel less visually stimulating.

What you might notice, if you've followed my blog for long, is that I have used the same accessories over and over. I love changing things up regularly, and since I can't rearrange furniture, I rearrange accessories. I once heard a decorator friend of mine say, "A well appointed house is one where you can take furnishings and accessories from one room to another and they work beautifully". She is sooo right! It's the same with the wardrobe, mix and match every single piece! This again goes back to a simple color palette and knowing your style.

So, what is all of this about really? Well, it's this: take a look in your closet for inspiration on your style and color palette; remember that color and pattern are not equal when thinking about how to add them to your room; and use magazines and the internet to help you find styles you like and get a feel of what you'd be comfortable in! You might just find that your space fits you like your favorite outfit!

(The "broken rule" is the height of the art over the sofa, and I have to say it is a pet peeve of mine. However, when I hung them the sofa wasn't there and I was trying to make them about a hand's width above where I thought the sofa was going to be. Because they each require two huge anchors to hold them, I decided to leave them where they were! My landlord will be glad I didn't put more holes in his walls!)

Designing a New/Old Kitchen

As you all know, I've been working with my parents on their house. Well, we're at the point where it is time to rip out the old kitchen and start over! This has to be the biggest and most dreaded part of the house to remodel/redesign. This is where all of the things I tell you about where and how to start come in to play. I'll take you on a little journey with me as this all gets done.

First, let me tell you that the room is not very large, and at the current time has a set of stairs coming down one wall that land and turn out into the kitchen, they are going! There is also a storage area under the stairs that is no longer needed due to the large pantry we added on. So by removing this two-in-one feature, we are creating a lot more space. However, we are having to move the desk area out of the living room so we are building in a "home office" in that space. Having said all of that basically means that the footprint of the kitchen is remaining the same, so the goal is to make it much more functional!

So, to start off with my first step, taking stock of what we have to work with! Ok, the room is 14' 4" X 17', there are only three walls as one side is open to the dining room. There is a door to the deck in the corner and a window on the shorter wall over the sink. That window is going to be replaced, and we have not yet decided whether to add the same size or double it up (Momma and I say, double it up). Adding more window is great, more light and more view, but less cabinet space, so it's a toss up.

We have three large unfinished armoires which I put five shelves in each, two of them will serve as office supply storage, as well as the CPU and printer, craft supplies and books, the other will store dishes. They will make up one wall and will also serve as the ends of a desk top that will be fitted between them. The desk will also serve as a place for sewing, so the plan is to put a flat screen computer monitor on the wall over the desk, reserving the surface for other tasks. We will paint these armoires white, to tie them to the other cabinetry, since we have not selected the cabinetry yet, the color and hardware will be the common thread here.

"rough draft" of kitchen, but on the right track!

I've been working with the kitchen planning software on the Ikea website. I haven't yet figured out how to attach the plan to the blog, but when I do, I'll send it along. Of course, it is subject to change as we find obstacles to the plan. (This feature on Ikea's site is awesome, you can actually look at the room from all sides and angles, but this still image will have to suffice for now.)

Right now, we have all of the appliances except for the dishwasher and microwave, however, Daddy has been shopping for these in the "scratch-and-dent" sections of his favorite appliance stores. He has gotten some incredible deals on high-end appliances. Some of these were just purchased and then didn't fit in the spaces and returned, but because they weren't in new packaging, they mark them down tremendously! So, we're on the look-out for a dishwasher, microwave and great stainless sink!

As we search for materials and ideas, I'll keep you posted, and would love to hear your thoughts and ideas as well. Remember, this is a project on a tight budget and will be reusing, repurposing and recycling as much as possible. This isn't just about saving a dime, it's about saving the environment as well. We want to be true to the style of the house and still have modern conveniences. So creatively using materials and finishes is going to be the key to making this old kitchen new!

Reading & Writing

So, I was on Amazon.com today looking at decorating and home design books, (there are 5,899 books that come up under that search) and it got me thinking... why are there so many books about this subject? I think it's because so many people are intimidated by designing and decorating. I have heard so many people say, "I don't know where to start" or "I'm just not a decorator". Well, most people aren't decorators, but it can't be that hard, we all know what we like, right?!

When designing (or decorating) a space, I always start by taking stock of what I have to work with. It might just be an empty room with a window or it could be a room full of furnishings, either way, I look at the space and what is in the space and try to get an idea of what I want the outcome to be.

Outcome, for me, is about the function as well as the look or feel. For example, if it is a bedroom, it's pretty easy to decide the main function, but what if you don't have a home office, yet you need a place to pay bills and check emails, etc. Then we need to "build" in to the function of that room a space for a desk or at least a place to organize bills and mail.

In my current space I have a sofa table that is functioning as my desk. The desk that I have (and I love) is huge, it is nearly the size of a dining room table, so it definitely wouldn't fit in this condo, however, the sofa table is almost the same width, but not as deep and still has 3 drawers that keep my necessaries neatly organized. It is not ideal for long-term use (because I have 2 printers and right now can only fit one), but it works fine for me, for now.

Getting back to the point... knowing what functions you need from the room will help to decide layout, furnishings, lighting, color, finishes, just about everything! That seems like a simple thing, but sometimes it's hard to think of every single use you might have for a space.

Common functions for a den, for example, are TV watching, family gatherings, kids playing, even video games and usually a place for the family computer. That is a lot of function for a space that for most of us, isn't typically all that large. It requires a lot of seating, comfortable, durable finishes and furnishings, good lighting, but not too bright or it interferes with the TV, and enough floor space to play the Wii without smashing something! Right?!

A dining room needs a table and chairs, but what about space to store linens or dishes? And wouldn't it be nice if there was a space to set up a buffet or display desserts during holiday gatherings? This is a pretty easy one to figure out, but what about finishes and colors? This is where it gets in to what you like!

There are certain colors that invoke certain psychological reactions and it would do well to use those colors if you are looking for a certain reaction to your space. For example, the color red in a dining room increases the metabolism and stimulates the palate, thus encouraging energetic conversation, lively parties and gatherings. Think of a large Italian family gathered around the table... you know the colors would be bold and so would the food and fun! Green is a calming to a space; so if you like your meals quiet and relaxing, this is the color for you, would work great in a breakfast room, to wake you gently.

My best suggestion for a starting point is finding the inspiration piece. Maybe it's a piece of furniture or a color or a piece of art that you love, you can use anything! Ladies, have you ever designed an outfit around a pair of earrings or shoes? It's the same concept, only larger!

One other thing that I think helps when you just don't know where to start is thinking outside the box. Now, I've talked before about using furniture in ways that they weren't originally intended, but here it is again. When you are needing a buffet for your dining room, think about a dresser in a bedroom that you aren't using. You can also use extra dining chairs in a bedroom if you don't use them all the time. Try a drop-leaf table for a desk in the corner of the den, you can put the leaves up for more work surface and then fold them back down when you need the space. I love armoires, and I use them for everything from storing clothing, hiding the TV, a "desk" (because I can close the doors on my mess) and I've even used one in a hallway for a coat closet for guests. 

I like using old things, and repurposing so I love this book about Flea Market Decorating. Anyone can do it, it doesn't take a lot of money to be creative. It's about thinking out side the box, about recycling, reusing, but it's about having things around you that you love! It might just be that you can find inspiration from something old to create a new space!

So, what of all of this book writing and book reading on the subject of decorating and design... Everyone has their own likes and dislikes, and there couldn't be enough books written to describe every taste out there, so read the books (or blogs) and take advice, but write your own story in your space!

Time to Reflect

I have just spent the last couple of hours writing a new post and adding the photos and captions and clicked one wrong button and deleted all of that work! How frustrating! So, here is the photo "story" of my parents upstairs bathroom!

As I spent time traveling the past two days (13 hours in airports and planes on Monday and 7 hours in the car driving yesterday) I had time to reflect on some of the work I did at Momma and Daddy's. Most of the work is not visible because it is inside walls and beneath coats of paint, but we did the finishing touches on both bathrooms and the pantry.

This bathroom is on the second floor and has some funny roof lines. Because of the odd shape the only place for the shower was smack dab in the middle of the room. To the right of the shower is the toilet and sink and to the left is the laundry room.

Daddy added this room on a couple of years ago and it has functioned fine, but the finishes weren't complete until last week. I caulked all the trim, we painted, added shelves and then the fun part, decorated!

After

Before

There was very little storage because of the limited space and pedestal sinks. So they decided to add shelves to the shortest wall next to the sink. Because of the steep pitch of the ceiling, the space was not usable for anything else and yet it was too much space to waste.

We found the perfect bins to use for storage in the office supplies section. These bins are used for file storage, but worked so well here because they are square all the way to the bottom. (most baskets we found were narrower at the bottom and didn't utilize the space as well) We left the top shelf open for towels and since she uses only white towels, it looks very clean and organized!

I'm not going to pretend that we knew this would work out so well, but when we got home with the bins, they fit perfectly!!! I mean it was as if the shelves where built to fit them! What luck!

We used an antique metal kitchen canister for laundry detergent. And where this new addition met the old house there was an odd little niche that we closed in and made space for one more bin to store additional laundry supplies.

It is amazing how some carefully thought out storage made a tremendous difference in this odd space. The bathroom is actually quite large in floor space, but because of the odd angles of the ceiling, the space feels much smaller. The layout, use of every inch of space we could cut out for storage and the clean crisp color scheme, keep it from feeling cluttered. When it comes to organization and storage, think outside the norm. We found the best solutions in office supplies and antiques!

Hitting the Proverbial Brick Wall



The fireplace before.



Today has been the toughest so far. We are tired!  I've had some sort of allergic reaction and my eyes are red and  bloodshot, my hands and feet are swollen and bothersome. The good part is that my eyes don't hurt or itch, they just look bad and my hands and feet are still working. Momma is a bit overwhelmed and has some emotions that frustrate her, they are results of the stroke. The amazing part is that we, with the help of two aunts and two uncles, were still able to accomplish a number of things on the list!

The list gets shorter, and the projects on it get more and more tedious. These are the last details in each room, the minutia that give a room the "period" at the end of the sentence, (or hopefully an exclamation point)  but they wear on the nerves and the timeline. This is also why they are just now getting completed. We have a list of 23 items, most of them requring no more than a hour to do, but that's nearly an entire day, if we could work at it nonstop. The worst part is that you have to gather up the tools to do it, then you have to prepare the space to do it, then you have to do it and then you have to clean up the space and the tools. Thus, the one hour project just took over 2 hours to complete. You've probably all been there!

This evening we stopped earlier than we've been, we sat down and had dinner without the anticipation of getting right back to work, and we talked about what we've accomplished and what was left to do. We talked about the wonderful help we've received from neighbors and family and how grateful we are for each of them. We laughed about things that we've said and done and realized that we're already living wth the memories we're making.

The fireplace today.

One project that was not done this week, but that we enjoyed this evening was rebuilding the fireplace. (we only lit it for a few moments, and we had to crank up the air to be in the room with it) Now, as long as I can remember the chimney was outside the house and the rock fireplace was covered over and there was a woodstove in the house. My dad moved the walls back to bring the chimney inside and when he uncovered the rock fireplace he found a large hole where they had run the stove pipe. He meticuliously worked to remove loose rocks and mud that had been the "mortar" in the original and carefully rebuilt the fireplace.  It is not a rock surface on a masonary fireplace it is a true rock structure.

This weekend Momma and I finished the last bit of spackling around the rough edges at the wall and now the project is complete. It is absolutely beautiful, but there is no way to show the days of labor that were required to restore each old rock to its place, rather than to rip it out and build a new fireplace.  This type of attention to details is the reason that it has taken nearly four years to restore/remodel this house, but it is going to be sooooo worth it!

Today we are feeling a bit tired, frustrated and just plain fed up with the whole thing, and that's when we find that jobs that have already been done are restoring our spirits. I say all the time, that our homes are our sanctuaries and that these are the spaces that should renew and restore us. It's so wonderful to know that this house has been doing that for our family for several generations. So, while we feel like we've hit the proverbial brick wall, we can sit back and admire a lovingly restored rock one.

"its final resting place"

Since the last post, we have not completed all of the projects we anticipated, but we still have gotten a tremendous amount done. My dad's youngest brother and his family came to visit and were able to share in restoring a cabinet that was in the house when my dad and his brothers and sisters were growing up. This cabinet was re-purposed around 1955 to this house from the house of a relative.

When Mom and Dad started construction this time they put the cabinet in the workshop of Uncle Ray and yesterday we brought it back home. As my little cousins (my uncles younger 5 children) scraped off the loose paint, they discovered years of paints in green, red and more layers of white in between. Then my aunts and uncles who were here discussed how many different colors they remembered it being. We spent most of the afternoon, and until just after dark, scraping, priming and re-painting the cabinet to put it in the new pantry we had built this week. It is now where my Aunt Pat has declared its "final resting place"!

We aren't really using it for a new purpose, it will still store dishes and other pantry items, but even in my lifetime this cabinet has been in many locations in this house and is now in a room that was a porch just over a week ago. It will continue to fulfill the needs of the entire family as this is the gathering place for many-a family meal. I heard my little cousin Noah tell my mom yesterday that she was one of the best cooks in the entire world! She definitely needs and deserves this awesome pantry!

Everyone, right down to the smallest one, took part in the cabinet make-over and at the end of the day we took a marker and each one signed and dated the back. It was once again, like years before, a big family affair. We had lots of fun, we made lots of memories and we helped to fill this home with love!