One Room Challenge | Week Two

Our entire home is painted the same neutral color.... although I don't think it is truly, truly neutral. I kept saying to myself and others the paint was too much of a yellow base and I wanted a cooler tone. But when I really got to looking at it, I realized it has a green base. Not pretty and definitely not neutral. I've been leading a campaign in my home to update our paint color for a few months now. Unfortunately, the mayor of my town wasn't having it. I finally convinced him to let me try out paint on our master bath. I am convinced when he sees how amazing it looks, he will let me do the rest of the house.

Thankfully, the mayor happens to be away on business at this time and I have been free to paint the bathroom my own way and deal with the mishaps on my own terms. I'm mostly thankful because the first color I chose {and painted half of my bathroom in!!} was a total disaster. I don't why I kept thinking I wanted white. But I did. So, I bought it. And, well, here it is....

I thought I wanted white. When I got it up on the walls, I hated it. It just looked so stark against the creamy floorboards and the warm tile & marble. 

This is the part where I had to really evaluate the look I was going for. Why did I want white walls? How could I achieve what I really wanted? 

I knew I wanted a gray. As you can see, the tile and marble in my bathroom are very warm colors. So, I hopped on Pinterest and searched for warm grays. I analyzed grays all night and all morning. Then, I headed back to Lowes for more samples. When I got home, I painted several different colors on different parts in our bathroom where the light hits it differently.

Once I the samples on the walls, it was an easy decision. I kicked myself repeatedly for not doing this the first time! I went with Homestead Parlor Resort Taupe. It is a fantastic color from Valspar. It looks warm and cream colored in certain lights and then a great gray in others. 

I could not love it more.

I apologize for the quality of the photos. I snapped them quickly with my phone as my family and I were running out of town. {notice the suitcase} 

It is amazing what a difference half a gallon of paint can make!! Once the paint was done, I was beginning to see my vision for this room come together and I am so excited! Next up I will be working on some new accessories, shelving and light fixtures. I hope you join me in the journey! 

One Room Challenge | Week One

Just last week I was scrolling through Instagram and was introduced to the One Room Challenge. I was intrigued, so I hopped over to Linda's blog to find out more. The One Room Challenge is a concept created and run by Linda of Calling it Home. Linda hosts the challenge twice a year in April and October. This amazing idea is actually in it's eighth season. I don't know how I have missed out on it thus far! In a nutshell, a designer will work on updating or even renovating only one room for six weeks. Each week, progress is shared on the designer's blog. You can read all the juicy details on Linda's gorgeous blog.

I am so excited to participate for my first time this spring. So, let me introduce you to the room I will be working on for my first round: our master bathroom.

{BONUS: a selfie shot!}

Our home is only two years old. We are the first owners, though we did not have it built. We won't live in it forever. It will likely only be a total of four years or less. I'm telling you this because I feel kind of silly updating anything in our home. I mean, it's practically brand new! But here's what you also need to hear: It is important to make your home your own. No matter how new it is. No matter how long you will live there. Home is the heart of our families and our lives. Make it your haven.

Now, on to the plan!!!

1. First things first. I plan to start with the easiest, most inexpensive fix there is out there: PAINT. I'd really like to do a warm gray of some sort, but not entirely sure on the shade yet.

2. Next up, I'm looking to replace our light fixtures. Again, they are new and they are very nice. But they just aren't our style. I would really love to have some sort of industrial farmhouse fixtures over the vanity. Also, in my dream design, I'd LOVE a chandelier over our soaking tub.

3. Because of all the wall space in this room, I think the addition of floating shelves would be great. Luckily, my hunky hubby is a fantastic wood worker and he is happy to help me with this. I plan to stain them in a dark, rich hue. I love the mix of natural elements and industrial pieces. {source}

4. Finally, accessories!! This is my favorite part of any room. I want to find some luxe rugs to add warmth and depth to the marble tile. I'd also love to add some greenery and maybe an antique mirror or two.

So, that's it! I hope you join me on this exciting journey. I'm already looking forward to using our new and improved space!! 

Facelift Friday | Bulletin Board Upcycle

Facelift Friday | Getting back in the swing of things!

Friends, it has been far too long. I have really missed this little blog of mine. But I have thoughtfully made some changes in my life and as a result, will have more time to blog. I'm happy to be back!

Well, I meant to post this Friday, but as we all know, life gets hectic and I am slowly getting back into photographing, editing and writing up home decor projects and ideas. This week's facelift is a super fun and easy project that anyone can do.

Facelift Friday | Let's try this again.

I found this awesome toy box crate at a thrift shop in the spring. It was a bright red, but I saw the amazing potential. It had casters at one time, so it was already perfectly outfitted to add them again. I first painted it in ASCP Paloma and added the French word for books, "livres." Well, it turns out that not everyone is a Francophile like me. (How?) I had it in my shoppe for $18 for months and no one touched it. Not every style suits every person, right? So, I brought it home with me to give it yet another facelift.

Facelift Friday | Handmade Stool

I picked up this stool at a local mission for a super great deal. From the looks of the construction and pieces used, I am guessing it was handmade.

Room Refresh | Better flow in the dining room.

Thanks for joining me again for the before and afters of my first room refresh. Today I will be sharing the changes we made in the dining room. I think the dining room ended up being my favorite of the four spaces we converted. My client loved most everything about her dining room except for the flow of the space. 

Naptime Project | Recovering the old chair.

Recently, we moved a desk out of our bedroom to the family/dining area. We didn't move the chair because we just pull one from the table as we need it. And as you will shortly see, it was quite an eyesore.

Here is our lovely chair before the makeover. This chair was picked up curbside after a morning of garage sale-ing with my dearest friend in Grand Forks. I covered in a sunbrella red cabana stripe fabric. We intended to use it in the school/playroom in Newport, so I thought something water resistant would be smart. It was a good fit at the time.

We've moved twice since Newport and the red striped chair has found it's way into the master bedroom. While it was tucked under the cream colored desk, I didn't mind the red stripes. But with with the displacement of the desk, this is how it appeared daily in our cream/flax/brown bedroom. No, thanks.

Enter the woolworth faux suede blanket. I had a hard time cutting this, but I resolved that we have too many throws and we are moving to the deep south.

 

I basically mimicked the shape of the seat.

 

 

And then I got to hot gluing with a lovely helper.

 

 

My little napper woke up and I'd say he approved of the new choice in fabric.

 

 

My not so little one also approved.

 

 

Here it is completed in it's new home. I love how it fits right in with the rest of our decor.

 

 

 

One last look.

Have a wonderful Monday!

 

Happy to be sharing at Today's Creative Blog!

Valentine Banners + A Ribbon Rosette Tutorial

 

These lovely banners were sold for a limited time in my etsy shoppe this year for Valentine's Day. On each banner, I featured a delicate ribbon rosette. I thought I'd share a very amateur tutorial on how to make these sweet little rosettes.

 

You will need ribbon, double sided adhesive and a piece of cardstock.

 

 

1. Start by lining the piece of cardstock with double sided adhesive. Make the sticky space large enough to accommodate the desired size of your rosette.

 

2. Tie a knot at the end of your ribbon. This will be the center of your rosette.

 

3. Start twisting and wrapping. As you twist the ribbon, wrap it continuously around the knotted center.

 

4. Keep twisting and wrapping until your rosette is the size you desire.

 

5. Trim the ribbon and tuck the end under the completed rosette.

 

 

6. Trim away all the excess cardstock until you can no longer see it from the front. You will place your adhesive on the cardstock backing of the rosette. It is now ready for your project!

Happy to be sharing at Feathered Nest Friday on French Country Cottage!

Valentine's Day Decor | String Hearts

 

I originally found this idea via Pinterest. It led me to Camilla's lovely blog, Family Chic. There you can find the directions to these simple, yet quite lovely hearts.

 

 

I swapped out the bright colors Camilla chose for something a little closer to my decor style. I picked up white and flax colored yarn at a local store. I didn't have the floral wire Camilla used, so I used a medium gauge craft wire to shape the hearts. After some trial and error, I realized I needed to wrap the wire heart with a layer of yarn before weaving the web around them. This kept the yarn webs taught with no slipping.

 

I love this project. It was simple enough to do with my children and they add a special touch to our living area. 

That space above the kitchen cabinets & how to tackle it.

A few days ago I posed a question on my facebook page: "What are your trouble spots?" I had a few readers mention that empty space above their kitchen cabinets. How can you make it look warm and how do you do that without spending a lot of money?

Happily, creating a warm, inviting space does not require spending vast amounts of money. All it takes is a little creativity and a lot of scouring. I would suggest hitting up thrift shops, second hand stores and even some fun antique places. Go to the garage sales in your neighborhood and don't forget to swing by the clearance section of Hobby Lobby and Target! Just browse. Look for something that jumps out at you... something that makes you feel warm and happy. Take it home, clean it up and set it out.

I've collected some photographs from various sources of ideas for you. These are things I would do in my own home. If it is necessarily your style, perhaps it can give you a jumping point.

1. Antique Books
This idea is awesome because old books can be found anywhere for a great price. You can stand them on their sides of stack them. Either way adds a charming touch. {both images via pinterest.}

Let's say you find some books with great shape that are the perfect size, but you hate the colors. Don't worry! Simply cover them in kraft paper (or even a brown paper grocery sack!) and stack 'em up. {For example: Mara Zepeda's gorgeous books}

2. Black & White Photos
I absolutely LOVE this idea from Casa Cullen. I think the key to this working is using the same color of frame all the way across. While the photos don't necessarily have to be black and white, I would stick to photos that are the same tone. Don't go with pictures that are too detailed as that will make it look cluttered and busy. Landscape or architectural photos would be ideal.

3. Vintage Canisters

I love the way Lu styled these canisters and the baby's breath in just one of them is a perfect touch. If you MUST included greenery or faux flowers on top of those cabinets, this is the way to go. Just a little bit. Gone are the days of stuffing tons of faux greenery up there! 

If you are in the market for some canisters and you adore French country, I am in love with this set from Attic Antics. The numbers on them add the perfect industrial touch.

4. Enamelware 

I have a small love affair with enamelware. It is no doubt that a collection of these beauties (large or small) would be a lovely addition to the tops of your kitchen cabinets. {photo courtesy of Country Living}

5. Wicker Jugs

These may be a littler harder to find, but I think it would be highly worth it. They are elegant and simple, yet unique. They are a perfect touch to farm kitchen. {photo courtesy of Atlanta Homes Magazine}

Hopefully, these ideas will help you as you tackle your own cabinets. Please share any ideas you may have as well! Happy decorating.