Lighthearted & Charming

Recently a post was made on HGTV's Rate My Space and the owners of this home had fun with the entry and retaining the home's charm. Not always an easy feat, but they did a great job!

The owner's exterior paint selections are perfect for keeping a subtle, warm feeling to the home. Did you notice the 3rd paint color used for the window muntins and sash? Typically someone would have chosed white but they took it a step further and used a golden sand color for the windows. I love those little details!



I love how the curtains soften the front porch and give it a breezy attitude. The landscaping is perfect too and I love the variety of colors and texture...especially the trumpet vine!



Their entry keeps the same lighthearted charm as the exterior by using a lighter blue wall color and mixing contemporary art with an antique garden statue. Did you notice the hat thrown on the head of the statue? Love it!



Another view of the front entry and it's cool how the 3-D art leaves shadows on the wall. Also, the arrangement of the antique prints is very clever. I like how tightly displayed they are...almost appears as one print.



The home office/guest room is a fun collection of art and books. I'm intrigued with the bookcase as it appears to be made of plastic?



I love the color combination of the grey/brown colored walls and eggplant colored fabric draped over the desk.



On to the dining room which has a beautiful paisley wallpaper and did you notice the gorgeous antique light fixture! I love how the tassles of the table runner mimics the fabric shades of the chandelier.



The owner said they kept the original cabinets but updated the hardware and added soapstone counters, subway tile backsplash, and new appliances. I like the off-white grout they used on the subway tile as it adds a little more visual texture to the wall. Did you notice they added the color blue to the ceiling? Love it!



The kitchen nook was kept simple and beautiful with a window seat and the simple marble table, white wall, and displayed artwork on clever little wood blocks.



To see more of their home, go here.

(Images from HGTV's Rate My Space)

Repurposed

Joni from Cote de Texas has a great story about a remodel in Abilene, Texas. The historic home is only 1,600 square feet but was turned into something creative and warm. Here's a peak of some of the before's and after's but be sure to check out Joni's blog to read the rest of the story...

Before.



After. They exposed the shiplap wood walls and repurposed an old 1870 quilt into the fabric for the dining room chairs.



Before.



After. They used antique tin ceiling tiles and repurposed them as the wall treatment for the bathroom.



(Images from Sayles Ranch Guesthouse via Cote de Texas)

Eat Your Veggies

After talking about community supported agriculture here, I did absolutely nothing. I kept meaning to sign up and never did, until last week! This is the first time in my life I'm actually excited to pick up a box of vegetables! Partly because it's a surprise each week with what they pack the box with and because its a healthy option in my diet. I ended up going through Maltby Produce Market because they're close to my house, convenient to pick up produce, and their pricing was better. So for $25 this week I received the following...



Salad Mix
Strawberries
Cherry Tomatoes
Mint
Bunching Onions
Broccoli
Zucchini
Carrots
Yellow Potatoes
Onions
Arugula
Baby Bok Choy
Red Leaf Lettuce
Kale
Biscayne Peppers
Homemade Strawberry Freezer Jam

I also picked up fresh tiger prawns from Tim's Seafood and I think tonight we'll have Marinated Barbecue Prawns with Summer Salad.

Weird. But Cool.

There is a home for sale on Whidbey Island which I could best describe as bohemian, contemporary, artsy, and eclectic...and maybe a little bit weird in a cool way.

My first reaction was "is this a compound?"



But wait. The color palette is too cool for a compound.



The fireplace in the living room is modern but with a whimsical patchwork of tiles that remind me of a quilt.



View of the dining room looking into the living room. The antler chandelier is cool, but I want to reach out and straighten it as it's a little lop-sided.



View of the kitchen overlooking the dining room. I love the fabric used for the lower cabinets!



Here you can see more of the fabric used. Obviously, a woman lives here and is very confidant in her style. I like that! The windows are great as they add in much needed natural light and the cement countertops work perfectly with this style.



I thought the wavy brick pattern in the dining room/kitchen was a fun element to add to the space. Nothing boring in this house!



I love the walnut wood and steel stairs!



Now here's an interesting choice. Traditional floral wallpaper for the master bedroom. At first I thought this doesn't work, but then remembered the owner loved floral as evidence of the fabric in the kitchen. Again, it works in a weird way. Although the pendant lights are distracting.



The master bathroom is tiled with river rock/pebbles and throws off a modern spa vibe to the bathroom but I love how the owner softened it with floral sconces (you can see them in the reflection of the glass)





This is the children's bedroom and it's so cute with the toys, tutus tucked into the corner, and the sweet quilt on the bed. It's a very cute room!



Back downstairs we have the guest bathroom and it follows the same design aesthetic as upstairs with the river rock. It's a Japanese Soaking tub and very cleverly tiled with the "water" spilling over the edge. I'd be curious to know if it's comfortable to lay on river rock?





A little bit of everything...



Okay. Darling greenhouse! It's a collection of different windows but I love how it's thrown together. The owner obviously has a great gift for making something appear effortless but I bet a lot of thought went into it. Very clever!



Obviously bird lovers which I think is great that they also thought of the little ones as well when building this home. Did you notice the hand-made crochet throws on the chairs? I think this owner puts value to hand-made items and the beauty of them.



Incredible view! The property sits on 10 acres and has a peek-a-boo view of Puget Sound.



Again, the compound. Did you notice it sits on a concrete (my husband thought bomb shelter) basement...I'm not even going to broach that subject, but suffice to say, very cool!



And if the owner ever reads this, I think you're cool and brave in your design choices and it all comes together successfully. This is the type of person who'd you love to have over for dinner and I bet she (and he) have fun stories to tell!

(Images from Windermere Real Estate/South Whidbey)

Happy 4th!

Red White & Blue

(Images from Country Living, Martha Stewart, and Skimbaco Home)

Smart Design

Recently a designer named Joel and his wife Erika of Rethink Design Studio posted some photos of a remodel they did for clients in Savannah GA on HGTV. I love it when I see a great design come together cohesively! They played with contrast and kept the space eclectic and clean with a little "cottage" and a little "modern" throw in.

There is so much I love about this kitchen, where do I start? The first thing that caught my eye was the cow hide stools. Then I loved the painted cabinets, Calcutta Gold countertops and backsplash, Circa light fixtures over the kitchen island, and of course the organized pantry!



The only thing I'm not sure if I like or not is the ceiling mounted light fixtures. I find it a little distracting and probably would have chosen recessed lighting, but that's just me. Other than that, it's beautiful!



Love the painted cabinets!



All the natural light really brightens the kitchen.



This dining room really makes my heart pitter patter. I love the beadboard ceiling, bare bulb chandelier, cool sconces on the wall to bring attention to the b/w photos of their children, french doors, tall windows to bring in the view of the outside, and I could go on and on about this room.



Sigh. I love it!



(All images from HGTV's Rate My Space and Rethink Design Studio)