The wonders of paint

To kind of pick up  on Dana’s last post, paint is such an inexpensive way to transform a space.  As also a realtor, I often have to remind my clients of the wonders a can of paint can have.

Take for example this foyer belonging to Liz of Decorating the Ville. By painting all the brown trim and doors white, it instantly brightened up the foyer and transformed it from the 70's to classic.

Here is another example of painting over dark trim.

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This person really transformed her doors by adding a little picture molding, coat of paint, and new handles.

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For a more sophisticated look, the same can be done using black or charcoal paint.

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Paneling is typically a huge turnoff for most people but look how great it looks when painted.

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Not in love with your cabinets but they are still in good shape? Paint them and add new hardware.

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As a temporary fix, I painted my guest bathroom cabinet which you can read more about it here.

The same can be applied to furniture.

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Did you know you can paint tile and tubs? Rust-Oleum makes an epoxy acrylic for tubs and tile. I haven't used it before but I have paid in the past to have a tub and shower tile professionally painted and was pleased with the outcome.

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Well, I hope you have been inspired. If you are ready to tackle a paint job but not sure what color to paint, when in doubt, paint it white.

Until next time, lovelies.

Pulling off Dark Walls

I have a conflict of interest when it comes to wall color. On one hand I love a good crisp white and a minimalist design scheme. But on the other hand, I like the coziness of bold & dark room color with an eclectic cottage-y feel.

So let's talk about the latter for a bit. Seems appropriate for the season, anyway!

My bedroom walls (as most of you know) are navy. But I've also seen a lot of good charcoal walls lately. And being it's one of our business brand colors, we're a little biased towards charcoal at 3A :)

Dark colors--although tricky--are nothing to be afraid of. I've laid out some guidelines and different approaches that make it a little less scary, and I bet you can pull it off much more easily than you may think.

Let's take a look:

{Click on images for source}

1. Use a lot of natural light. No-brainer here. Keeping your window treatments light and airy will help allow more natural light into the space, so that it doesn't feel too dark or closed in.

2. Use color along with texture to set a mood. Dark neutrals like charcoal can be very earthy, yet bold. So play on that. Use other earth tones, natural wood finishes, and dark metallics. Use it in a room where you won't spend long periods of time, or one where distractions are minimal--where you might settle in for the night, or enjoy a book and coffee.

3. Use metallic accents. Gold is our personal favorite accent with charcoal (they're our business card colors, after all). Golds and warm metallics help create a sophisticated feel when using charcoal.

4. Go with a monochromatic color scheme. If you're not so great with color blending, then keep it simple. Use whites, grays, and blacks in the rest of your decor. It will give the space a crisp, modern, yet balanced feel. 

5. Stay safe. Go partial. Paint an accent wall. Install a wainscoting and paint the upper portion in the charcoal. Use it for some built-ins. If you're still hesitant about taking the plunge on a whole room, then by all means, start slow. If it grows on you, you can always paint more later.

6. Mind your floors and ceilings. Very important. Your floor and ceiling are the top and bottom of your space. The bread on your sandwich. The beginning and end. They have to relate to what's in between them, yet they are all too often neglected. Most charcoals are a cool or neutral on the color scale (meaning they have very little reds or yellows in them). When picking your charcoal, keep in mind the color of your ceilings and trim. Are they off-white? Antique white? Because they will be looking much more yellow-looking with a charcoal wall. So make sure to get several color swatches to paint on your walls. 

This photo shows off-whites used well.

Floors, on the other hand, can look great when they are golden enough to contrast nicely with the charcoal. 

And don't forget a rug that compliments the feel of the room. A light rug can reflect a light ceiling very well, helping open up the feel of a room with dark walls.

And last but not least....

7. Layer, create interest, and decide what you want the focus to be in your room. Mallory had some great tips on how to do this in her last post. If you want your walls to stand out, make them stand out. Don't make the room too busy, or use too many colors. If you want them to be a backdrop, then focus on balancing the room with accents and light colors. 

How many of you have been pleasantly surprised at your ability to pull off a dark color in your home? Tell us about it!

Still want to achieve a bold look, but need help? Drop us a line or scroll to the top of the page for a list of services.

Until next time!

Coastal Bunk Room

As I mentioned last week, we have been working on a coastal bunk room design. Our goal was to create a fun, gender-neutral room that celebrates being at the beach. The subject room has nine feet ceilings and will hold two sets of custom bunk beds, which will be painted white.

Tongue and groove paneling is going on the back wall of the bunks as well as on the bunk ceiling and on the bottom half of the room's walls. Both sets of bunk beds will have three drawers for linens and guest storage. The drawer pulls will be made out of leather to add an unexpected element to the design and because of its soft material we won't have to worry about little toes getting stubbed while climbing up and down the bunks.

The jumping-off point for the design was actually the lighting. The Katy sconce by Ro Sham Beaux, has the perfect mix of nautical and sophistication.  

We then decided to go with Thibaut's, Resort collection wallpaper in "Shore Thing". It’s the perfect backdrop, and I love how it makes the macramé pendant from Shades of Light pop.

The bedding is by Pine Cone Hill.  For a custom look, we paired the Town and County striped pillowcase with the Marina quilt in sky blue. The circles on the quilt resemble sand dollars and pick up on the circular shape found on the macramé pendant.

We thought the nautical themed pillows, by illustrator Wayne Pate for Serena and Lily, would be a fun way to add a little differentiation to each bed.

Here is the resource list for the other items:

Roman shade - Pottery Barn Teen

Woven basket - Tango Zulu

Leather pulls - can be an easy DIY or purchased here

Wooden hooks- From the Owl

If you are looking for a more affordable alternative to costume bunks, many retailers now offer great looking bunk beds. Here are a few.

Pottery Barn Kids / Belden Bunk Bed

PB Teen Oxford Bunk Bed

Land of Nod Terrace Bunk Bed

We had so much fun designing this room and look forward to the opportunity to create another bunk room.

If you need help designing a space that you will love, drop us a line here. We would love to talk to you.

Chicago and More

This past week, our little family took a journey to the Windy City as part of a 10-day, 5-city vacation. It all started with a wedding we attended in Peoria, Illinois. Peoria is in the same general region as my husband's extended family so we couldn't not spend some time with them. And then Chicago isn't so far from either of those, so why not, right?? I've never been and my husband hasn't been since he moved away from the area at 14. 

Since we have a 20 month old, I planned out our two days in Chicago about 10 times. Chicago is best known (in my mind) as the haven of Frank Lloyd Wright works, so needless to say we had a lot to squeeze in, in addition to the normal touristy things everyone recommended. I spent a lot of time in college studying ol' Frank, so these things are on my design bucket list. BIG deal. HUGE.

First stop was Wright's Robie House in Hyde Park. It is probably his most recognizable house, next to Fallingwater in Pennsylvania (also on said design bucket list).

Shout out to my Ergobaby Carrier that I bought at the last minute. This little gem made sight-seeing with a toddler much easier (and compact since we didn't have a stroller).

Interesting fact about the Robie House: it is over 100 years old, but was only lived in as a family residence for a combination of 16 years. The Robies only lived in it for 18 months. The rest of the time it was passed around between wealthy owners and historical societies. It now belongs to the University of Chicago.

One of Frank's most defining design traits was that he designed buildings to reflect their environment. Illinois is a "plains" state, so the Robie house is flat and horizontal, like it's environment. It is much different than the very vertical, boxy, and pointy architecture of Chicago.

All those windows on the middle row are actually french doors to a porch off the living area. I toured the inside of the house as well, but I didn't pay the extra $5 for photos. It might have been worth it, but I'm pretty sure my brain will never forget how amazing it was. 

These are the gates to the driveway which leads to the very first attached garage ever built. They are very accurate reproductions, since the originals disappeared at some point in its ownership changes. That's my daughter collecting rocks behind the gate. It's pretty much all she cares about. Classic.

After leaving the Robie House, we took a quick stroll around the University of Chicago. It wasn't on our schedule of events, but it was adjacent to the house, and so beautiful that we had to check it out. 

And we picked a perfect time of year to see this stunning area of town. The leaves were just starting to change.

After leaving Hyde Park, we met up for dinner with an old college friend and then retired early at our Oak Park hotel to rest up for our Oak Park adventures the next day.

We started early just blocks from the hotel and took a walking tour of this popular neighborhood. I think it's safe to say it holds the highest concentration of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture anywhere. On top of that, it's a beautiful neighborhood. All-in-all, I didn't fall in love with the city of Chicago. I'd pick Atlanta over Chicago any day if we're comparing metropolitan areas. But if I was forced to live there, and it paid well enough, I'd live in Oak Park, even if we just rented a duplex. 

After all, Frank picked it, too. His home and studio are there:

This photo is my absolute favorite from our trip. Frank Lloyd Wright's home and studio is nestled on the corner of a busy street in Oak Park, on the edge of the neighborhood, yet from this photo, you'd swear he lived tucked away in the forest. It's absolutely breathtaking.

His studio had a separate entrance to the public. Here's the plaque in the side letting you know you've arrived.

A detail shot from the side entrance to Frank's studio. The craftsmanship!! 

From there we wandered down the street, taking in the piece of history that we were thrown into. It was by far my favorite part of the trip.

The two of us (architect and designer) easily picked out Frank's works. But I think they are so unique that even the untrained eye would be able to say "Now that's a different house." Some of them had plaques out front to help you identify them.

This was definitely the most un-characteristic of Frank's houses. But he blended in his identifying details with what the owner desired very well.

Never thought I'd see gothic arch windows on a Frank House. But he did it!

I love his quote at the bottom of the historic marker above. My most favorite designers/artists/architects are the ones who would answer the question "Why?" with the question "Why not?" You should never limit yourself to others' expectations. Never build your portfolio based on a trend.

The famous Unity Temple in Oak Park

After we had walked Oak Park and our brains were saturated with amazing design, we got in our car, and by some miracle made it into the city with very little traffic. With a power nap tucked under her belt, we took our toddler and ourselves to the famous Art Institute of Chicago for more design awesomeness.

{Auburn grads you will appreciate this: as we were standing at the crowded crosswalk near the museum, I heard a "War Eagle!" and looked over to meet a woman who spotted my husband's Aubie hat as she was also heading to the museum. And she was from my hometown of Montgomery! After checking the time she realized she didn't have enough time to make it through the museum before catching her flight out, so she offered us her tickets. Sadly we already bought ours in advance, but it was nice to encounter a familiar dose of southern hospitality! I just love War Eagle moments.}

The Art Institute of Chicago has one of the best impressionist collections I've ever seen. My one regret is not spending very much time in that wing. Check out Seurat's famous A Sunday afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. 

The museum has an Architecture and Design portion that I wanted to see first and foremost, so we breezed past the other exhibits. When we got to the A&D wing, it was CLOSED!!! Until next week!!! My heart sunk. I guess that's the one thing I forgot to check in my planning. Oh well.

We did get to see some other cool things in the Decorative Arts wing, like the original Diamond and Wire Chair from Bertoia. They also had a lot of great Art Nouveau pieces.

I'd say my favorite collection was the Native and Tribal works from America, and Central/South America. You can see how much these designs still influence pattern and design today.

From there we took our quickly fading toddler to the Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum. We thought she'd love the sea creatures and dinosaurs. She got a kick out of the dolphins, but she fell asleep in the Ergo by the time we made it to the dinosaurs. 

The city was extremely foggy and wet while we were there. So we didn't attempt the Sky Deck or many other outdoor attractions (and we had time constraints as well).

But we weren't going to miss the Cloud Gate, aka, the famous Bean!!

Bean selfie!!

And right next door, Frank Gehry's Jay Pritzker Pavilion. 

Then it was time for us to head to Indiana, to see our family and have some down time. By the time we got in our car to head out of the city, I could barely lift my legs. They were like jello. The carrier was so great, but you really underestimate walking miles with a 22 lb toddler strapped to you. I'm just glad she's tiny for her age!! 

My husband grew up across the street from his aunt and two cousins. One cousin is just a week younger than he, and they grew up closer than most siblings. Despite our 14 hour distance, we love the blessing of sharing our growing families with each other. Here are all of our girls together (her three and my June). 

This photo, although not the best quality, is best the best representation of their visit with each other. Ana loves books almost more than life, and baby Eva is always content. Ari, the oldest (next to June) has been obsessed with "baby June" since she was born. June has a very unfortunately large personal bubble and didn't understand that her older cousin just wanted to love on her. She spent a lot of time screeching when her personal bubble was invaded :)

And Indiana did not disappoint either. Besides all the Frank Lloyd Wright in Illinois, I was also excited to see what a real fall is supposed to look like in the region. October is still irritatingly warm on the Gulf Coast. I think it's supposed to be 80 today. *Sigh*

But we are grateful to be home. And our little girl far exceeded our expectations and proved all the nay-sayers wrong. She was the happiest little traveler. We borrowed an in-car DVD player and used it very minimally. I think 3 times total. If she was a little older, I'd take her to the store and buy her a new toy. She was THAT good.

So see, we weren't crazy to go on a 10-day, 5-city trek with a toddler. I'd do it again. 

And next time I don't think we will wait for an out-of-town wedding before we decide to go on an out-of-town adventure :)

And you shouldn't either! 

Dream Office

We recently met with a client who is looking to upgrade and move several rooms in her home.  One of those rooms moving to another area in her house is her office.  The possibilities started swarming in my head.  I love designing work spaces.  Love it.  

It got my thinking about my own home office as well.  For designers our "offices" are where our creativity takes shape so it's important for the space itself to be worthy of housing such a job.  Sadly, my current office does not do that.  Once things call down a bit around here, I want to really tackle our home office...a space that's received the least amount of attention since we moved into our home two years ago.  Between new work projects and squeezing in time to plan my daughter's first birthday (coming up next month) my personal design time has been lacking.  However, I've decided that decorating our office will be my Christmas present (I need to fill my husband in on this too).  :)

We currently have a desk, rug, bookcase, sofa and ottoman already in the space.  The sofa and ottoman are going to go and the current desk is where my husband's computer resides.  This means my work space will be completely new and completely my own.  With the sofa and ottoman gone there will be plenty of space on the other side of the room for my desk.  I really like the idea of using a dining table for my work area.  I've seen this CB2 desk used in an office space before and loved it.  

Dining room tables can often be less expensive and more versatile as well so naturally I took to Craigslist to see if there were any good deals in town.  I found this one for only $60!

I absolutely love the base and think it would look great refinished.  I also thought I'd glance at the desks for sale and found this adorable one for $125.  Look at that woodgrain.  Beautiful.  If I needed a desk for a small space, this would be the winner.  I can see if paired with some more contemporary pieces (maybe a desk chair and modern lamp)...

Of course I also want a large memo board.  I talked about a few favorite ideas here.  I definitely want it to be the focus of the room.  If I had another wall to spare, I'd love something like this.

As seen in the office of Esla Events featured in Rue.

Organization is key as well.  I think this acrylic pencil cup and business card holder from Design Darling would look amazing on my new desk.  

I really like this wire magazine holder from Target (only $9).  Every office needs a little gold.

If you want something with more coverage, these Nate Berkus ones are a great option.

These Kate Space nesting boxes would be a great for storage too.  I love the vibrant colors and gold trim detail on the lids.  

This gold stapler by Swingline would make a great desk accessory worthy of residing on the desk and not tucked away in a drawer. 

I can't decide if I want a stationary chair or one that swivels.  If I go with the swivel option, this one has good modern lines and great reviews.  I love a good mix of old (desk) and new (chair).

I've already got a rug in the room that will be staying so all that's left is some lighting.  I really like the one from West Elm that I mentioned last Friday.  Although this faceted one could be really great too.  

Normally, I stick to neutrals in my home and add interest through pattern and texture, but in a creative space, I think color would be so inspiring.  I can't wait to have it all finished!