Hey Folks,

I’m back with pictures of our kitchen renovation.  Its been done since February, and my only regret is that we didn’t renovate sooner.  It has changed our lives!  Because the before and after will be more dramatic this way, I’m using pictures from when the house was on the market for the befores…

So that is what we saw when we first moved in.  Lots of reds, greens, navys, creams, and laminate. (although it was suuuuper clean)  The layout was the biggest problem.  Within two weeks of moving in, we bought a new refrigerator and dishwasher, and while the new refrigerator was great, it partially blocked the only four drawers, so we couldn’t open our silverware drawer all the way.  There was not a lot of countertop space anywhere, and the layout just made everything feel cramped and closed off from the rest of the world.  So, after a year of coming up with every new layout imaginable- and it was hard because every wall either had a window or door in the way- we decided to close off the window in the carport (which didn’t bring in much light anyway) and gain a wall for cabinets.

The goals were more countertop space, to open up the kitchen to the keeping room with the fireplace and the dining room/den, to not lose too much cabinet storage space, to gain a pantry, and to make everything more efficient.  And the afters…

This is probably the best picture to show the actual color of the bottom cabinets.  They are a medium gray.

I have been searching Craigslist for a wing chair to recover, and stumbled on this… I know I have been gone, once again, and I come back with this, but I couldn’t resist.  I feel like if anyone could appreciate this, it would be fellow design lovers/Craigslist searchers.

The Listing:  3 Ethan Allen upholstered chairs for $40 each or best offer: 1 large wing chair (42hx32wx30d) about 12 years old and pair of tufted back stylized wing chairs (35hx30wx30d) which are about 17 years old.
All three were clawed by a cat and I have glued matching fabric over the spots. On the pair of peach chairs the repair is not truly noticeable but on the soft green wing chair the repairs are visible.
None have seen a lot of “sitting” time so they are in good shape.

I think they may have come up with a new way to “repair” furniture…

In other news, we are actually moving forward with the kitchen now and are searching for ranges.  There is a KitchenAid that we really like, but it seems to have mixed reviews.  Does anyone have any experience with this one?  Or know any secrets that we need to know about buying appliances.  We only need to get the range, hood, and possibly microwave…

My client is young mom of two and wants an updated traditional look, so we’re basically going mainly traditional, then using some wing chairs with a little bit more modern lines mixed with some French dining chairs.  The wings will have an elegant damask print, and the French dining chairs will be in a solid linen.

(sans ottoman, of course)

I love the table she chose!  The perfect choice for an elegant-with a little bit of rustic, European look.

The walls are going to be Branchport Brown HC-72 by Benjamin Moore- a richer color than this sample looks

And we will accessorize the sideboard/hutch she already had.  The overall color scheme is going to be brown and golden yellows, with some creams/whites and hints of green in the wall hangings and accessories…  This picture is somewhat of a representation of the color palette…

I’m excited to show more pictures once progress has been made.  Hope you had a good weekend!

I am working with a client that is looking for the perfect green paint color, and found these images as some inspiration.

I love how different green can make a room feel…

It can make a room so serene and peaceful…

(above photos from Martha Stewart Living)

It’s a great neutral color- adding a little more punch than your typical beige wall…

(photo from Apartment Therapy)

And looks beautiful mixed and layered with other shades in its family…

(photo from Almasy Photo)

(image from Real Simple)

Real Simple did a story on decorating with green here.  What better color to add to your home than one of the most vibrant colors found in God’s beautiful creation?

West Elm has this rug online right now and I love the way it adds an unexpected punch of color in their room.  I’m not a fan of red, but this rug doesn’t bother me- maybe its because of the different tones and the way it pulls in some raspberry colors too.

Here’s another one currently at VivaTerra.  It is made up of the patterened kilim look- really love it.

Here’s a runner in shades of brown, found here.

A little pricier at Room & Board, but the colors are great.

And here’s one in a home done by Kathryn Ireland, via House Beautiful…

I love that these patchwork rugs can serve the purpose of cozy-ing up a more modern room, or modernizing a traditional space.  Either way, they are becoming a look I love.  There’s an article and more resources on House Beautiful’s website here.

(blowing rock, nc- by cone manor)

A lot has happened in the last few months:

1- These are no longer pretty, but pretty fried.  The heat and lack of rain has not been nice to them. (the model, however, just keeps getting cuter)

2-  We painted our bedroom last week and I am in love with the new color… gray area by Sherwin Williams…(this swatch isn’t really accurate)

3- We have redone our pink bathroom (can I get a hallelujiah?!) and I am in love with it as well.  It’s amazing how much better it feels without the mauve pink tile and bathtub!

4- I have moved furniture/accessories around in every. room. of our house.  Will I ever stop doing that?

5- I have bought 4 shower curtains in the last week and now have 3 to take back.

6- I keep coming up with things to repaint.

7- Our screened in porch is no longer screened in, but a current code violation and danger to toddlers and dogs that can’t tell there is a drop off.  The porch project has lasted much longer than anticipated, which is why its always good to have the complete plan figured out before demo starts (note to Will ).  I’m probably not totally innocent in that either though…

8-  I have a new favorite lipgloss- read about it here.  Anthropologie has it in their store in a tube- bonus!

9- We went to the mountains this past weekend (insert random, unrelated pictures) and went to the Mast General Store in Valle Crucis (NC) where they have a candy room.  $16 later we now have a hefty supply of swedish fish, strawberry sour punch straws, chocolate covered caramels, peanut butter malt balls, laffy taffy, bit o honey, gumballs, and peanut brittle.  Two words: fatty and toothache.

10-  Please feel free to hold me accountable with posting- I might need it!

(blowing rock, nc- bass lake)

(view of cone manor from bass lake- blowing rock, nc)

I love this idea of putting small knobs on the front of your file folders for easier access to getting them off the shelves.  In reality, this probably only saves a couple of seconds, but to me the lack of frustration is way worth it.  Plus, just seeing an unexpected knob on my file folders would make me smile.

I feel like I have seen this one a lot before, but the appeal of the idea is still the same.  Add a magnet to old broaches that you no longer wear and let them hold your notes or ever increasing wedding invitations on the refrigerator.  This could also be a fun way to display Christmas cards by creating a board just for all of your holiday greetings and adding some holiday sparkle with the broaches.

For the earrings that seem to have lost the other half to their pair, use the singles you have left as a pretty alternative to plastic Office Depot finds.  I must say, I’m tempted to just buy some cheap vintage studs to use this idea too.

And speaking of vintage earrings, if you are looking for another way to use some old clip ons, think of accessorizing your accessories.  My mom bought me a pair of shoes in the Spring so that I could add something “fun” (we way overuse that word, but it definitely fits here) and colorful to my wardrobe.

They started as this:

And while I loved them, the yellow flower was a little too big for me to LOVE them, especially if I wanted to put them on with pants- it really just looked like something growing from my foot.  So, I found a pair of vintage clip on earrings and did a switch-a-roo.

And now, they are a lot easier to wear.  The vintage vibe that the earrings added gave the shoes a little more of an Anthro vibe too.  And who doesn’t love a little bit of Anthro…

All this to say, if you have missing earrings or old jewelry, don’t be too quick to throw them out or you might miss a good opportunity to revive a boring look!

So, this might be old news to some of you, but I went in Bed, Bath, and Beyond the other day and was so excited to see a lovely display of pattern by the favorite, Amy Butler.  Yes, she has a bedding line there now and I really love everything she has done.  I have to admit that some of it does go a little too bed-in-a-bag, but taking pieces here and there could make a really sassy room.

Like this sheet set…

Start with a headboard like this…

I’d put a white duvet and shams with it…

A pillow from Etsy:

Some soft blue curtains…

Maybe drape this blue herringbone throw over the edge of the foot of the bed, for that casual chic effect.

Or drape it over a chair in a little reading nook.  Find a wingback on Craigslist…

Cover it in a white fabric.  Velvet?  Linen?  Maybe add some nailheads to the arms.  Kind of like the one in this picture…

(Image via DesiretoInspire)

To balance the traditional wingback, make the side tables more modern…

And add some lamps… I’m pretty sure these are Aidan Gray, although I found this picture on Shades of Light.

Finally, paint the walls a rich gray color…  Maybe Benjamin Moore’s Graytint.

I’m diggin’ dark walls with fresh crisp decor right now.  Me and everyone else, huh?

Real posts coming soon, I promise.

I got a little A.D.D. typing the last post, but now I am ready to finish…  The last day Will and I were there, we decided to drive along HWY 1 along the coast.  I have to admit, as much fun as going to the wineries were, I was MOST excited about getting to see the beach.  For me, not much is better than a beautiful beach.  Everything about sand and water refreshes me- even regardless of temperature.  And I will say, its a good thing that the temperature wasn’t a deal breaker for me, because the beach was cold and windy.

First, we pulled off on the side of the road.  We found a place to relax, but none of us were that brave.

So we drove further and found access to walk on the beach.  Will found some friends immediately.

And then as we continued…

We found another one.

We had seen a large group of seals from the road, so we thought we might get close to one, but this little one was by himself, way up on the beach, and we all thought he was dead.  We seriously stood staring at him for 5 minutes, and then all of the sudden he “sat up” and looked directly at us.  We were a little caught off guard at first, but he was the cutest thing I have ever seen with the sweetest face.

The guys got real close to him while I photographed.  I wanted to get closer, but immediately got a mental picture of the sweet face/blob rolling swiftly after me (which I am sure it can’t do).  The unknown scared me… am I crazy?!  I’m pretty sure seals can’t move fast- ha.

Needless to say, he was harmless… and another highlight of our trip  We said bye to Mr. Seal and departed.

Does anyone else think that this cliff looks similar to where Elizabeth is standing in her dress letting the wind carry her?  ”Liz on Top of the World” is the song playing…I always picture that scene when I think about God’s love for us…

There is one more thing I skipped.  We stumbled on a redwood forest that was a state park and it was such a treat to see the huge trees.

You could park the car and walk around the trees, but since we were running short on time, we just drove up to the top of the mountain and back down again.  Can’t say that was a bad thing though…

It was pretty awesome, and those trees are some of the biggest things I’ve ever seen.

I think I covered it all now.  Are you still reading this?  It really was a wonderful trip and we are very grateful to have gotten the invitation from Molly and Jamie to join them!  It is always so nice to experience and see new things and places.  I think it is an essential part of growing as a person and learning to appreciate the simple things in life.  And as amazing as a house with more room and toys than anyone could use in a week’s time, there’s something even more special about coming home to a simple house abounding with love and comfort.

There are obviously so many wonderful places to visit in wine country, but if you want any information on any of the wineries we visited I would love to pass it along.  I would highly recommend all of them!