Backyard Update

The last couple days here on the Gulf Coast have been so lovely.  It is starting to feel like spring and with spring comes sprucing up the yard.

As some of you may recall, our back yard has been an on going project. We have cut down some trees and removed a few structures left by the previous owners, but now we are at point where we need to bring in professionals to re-grade the yard.

After meeting with Executive Landscaping  here in Pensacola, we will have a new patio and grass in a just few weeks! Wahoo! Excuse my excitement but for the past few years we have had a backyard full of dirt, weeds, and unpleasant views.  It will be so nice to finally get to enjoy our back yard.

The entire project will have to be broken down into two phases.

Phase A is to re-grade the yard, transplant a couple Crype Myrtles, lay a new paver patio, and sod the remaining yard.

Phase B will consist of building an outdoor fireplace (will also act as a privacy screen) and bringing in plants.

Drawing by Executive Landscaping

We hope the end result will be a beautiful space that can be used for entertaining. Some of the elements I would like to bring in are a dining area, an area for kids to play, a couple potted citrus trees, and a few raised beds for growing herbs and veggies.

Originally inspiration board.

Here are some inspirational images I have been collecting:

I like how they incorporated a raised bed with a trellis. It adds privacy while being functional too.

Image via Pizitz Home & Cottage

Kourtney Kardashian's patio for Domain Home.

Via Domaine Home

Hope to have some progress pics to share in a couple weeks.

Have a happy Hump Day!

Project Files: A Bachelor Kitchen

A friend of my husband had his small river house flooded last year when our region received a record amount of rain. Even on 10 foot pilings he had enough water damage to have to gut the entire place and start over. When it was stripped down to the studs and subfloor, he invited my husband and me over to take a look at his plans. 

The cabin had great bones--a loft bedroom, beautiful herringbone wood paneling. It wasn't just a cool bachelor pad--it had great potential for anything. With the help of several dedicated friends it is now rebuilt, but way back in the beginning, it sparked a little "for fun" project for me while my husband lent his professional opinion architecturally. We weren't hired by them or anything like that--just some friends throwing out ideas. 

Based on what I knew about him, and a few of the ideas he expressed implementing, I came up with a few ideas for the kitchen. He and his fiance (now wife) wanted to keep the overall nature-inspired feel of the space by using blue-stained plywood floors, pebble backsplash, and keeping as much of the wood as possible. If you're thinking "blue plywood??" you'd be surprised to know this is being done quite a bit. Plywood is an inexpensive and sturdy subfloor material, so someone out there had the idea of just sealing and making that presentable as the actual finished floor. In the right setting, I really like it. Because it's not an expensive finished floor, you have creative license to do whatever you want, and then change it up after a few years if you so please. Here's a few examples: 

Farmhouse Entry

Contemporary Closet by Marina Del Rey Interior Designers & Decorators Amy DeVault Interior Design

Farmhouse Kids by Hershey Photographers Amy Renea

So anyway, I was playing around with ideas one night, and here's my take on the space, as far as planning goes. Most of the appliance and plumbing positions stayed as-is for ease of installation, and although the kitchen is tight, it had a well-functioning "triangle"--that is, the traffic pattern created between the three major zones: sink, refrigerator, stove. 

Forgive the hairiness of my linework. Like stated, this was only for fun so it never got beyond pencil on graph paper. I tried to up the contrast as much as possible, but all-in-all, you get the idea: 

The space beyond the stove was getting opened up to a pass-through for a small bar counter on the other side. Optimally, there would still be some cabinets since storage is limited by the size of the space. The french doors open up to the porch that overlooks the river. I get majorly jealous thinking about that aspect. I think overall I'm jealous of the space! Well, minus the whole 100 year flood possibility...

Moving onto the materials I came up with:

I won't go into detailed sourcing here, because a lot of it is just for inspiration and can be sourced many different places. The wood paneling in the cabin (as I stated) is beautiful. But it was a little dark and they agreed painting it was a very real option. I have to be really serious when it comes to painting wood, as I tend to be of the "natural wood" crowd, but in this case, I thought a distressed white wash would work well.

It was also their idea to implement the beautiful raw-edge wood shelving. I thought a dark cabinet finish and stainless counter would be a great combo to give the space a masculine and modern edge to go with the raw wood finishes. 

But here are a few specifics for curious minds:

Caged Wire Pendant and Copper Pendant - Urban Outfitters

Antique Drawer Pull - Vandykes

Cabinets and Pot Racks - Ikea

Antique Kilim Rug - KayaKilims (my recent obsession--if you're not following her on Instagram you should be: @kayakilims. A lot of the most beautiful rugs she posts are gone before they even have a chance to list for sale. I've really had to practice self-restraint because if I had the money, I would certainly be talking myself into finding a place for one of her rugs in every room).

The title of this post is probably a little misleading considering I said he's now married ;) But I assure you she's certainly not one for a feminine kitchen. And really, I could have this kitchen in my house! Although it's meant to tailor towards a masculine dweller, really I think it appeals to anyone liking gender-neutral spaces. It could work in a city loft, a small apartment, or even a renovated older home (so long as it keeps with the design of the rest of the house). The blend of materials really creates a moody, inviting feel that would, in my mind, make a great gathering space. It certainly would not go un-noticed by guests! And I love a kitchen with personality. 

I really should have shared this sooner, but since it wasn't a real project I sort of forgot about it until I was organizing all my project files. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did creating it! Sometimes I tend to go a little conservative when implementing a client's personal design style. While this creates great structure and guidelines for a project, sometimes it's fun just to let my mind go where it wants without having to impress anyone but me ;)

I think that holds true for a lot of professions--it's good to do things just for fun sometimes. It really helps you get back to the love of what you do! 

Until next time,

Let's Take a Trip : Byron Bay, Australia

I do not know about you all but I am so ready for SUMMER! This pale girl needs some sun. Did you know that in Australia their summer months are from December through February? As a destination on my bucket list, it would be so nice to escape to Australia right now.

From what I have seen online and heard from people who have visited, Australia is like California's cool cousin. The food, vibe, and designs are similar in many ways. So, let's pack our bags and head to the beach town of Byron Bay.

Byron Bay is located in the far-northeastern corner of the state of New South Wales, Australia. Lonely Planet describes Byron Bay as a relaxed funky town with a unique vibe, great surf, and fine food.

While in Byron, we will be staying at Atlantic Byron Bay which its website states is a unique coastal estate comprised of tropical gardens and three original beach cottages that have been transformed into Caribbean styled plantation houses.

Image via a Hotel Life

Image via a Hotel Life

I believe I might have featured this kitchen before. The cement tiles on the island are one of my favs.

Love the simple design. The black and white color scheme is chic and allows the surrounding vegetation to take center stage. Even their trees are cool.

Painted stripes on tree trunks.

After a day of surfing and whale watching, it is off to St. Elmo's for Spanish tapas and wine.

Check out that bar. Their wine list consists of over 100 different wines.

Then it is back to the hotel for some more wine and conversation under the stars.

Aaah, I feel relaxed already. If only.

Until next time, lovelies.

Inspiration: Shared Nursery and Toddler Rooms

In less than 4 months we will have a new baby in our house, and I have to say that the second time around the "nesting" urge isn't nearly as strong for me. Having done it once already, and in general being a "less is more" kinda gal, I say, just give me a crib, some storage, and a place to change a diaper and we're good. 

For that reason, and a few other personal deciding factors, we've decided that our 2 year old will share a room with the new baby for a while. Since creating a designated learning/play space for our toddler, her room is barren. She only has her crib (which has been modified to a toddler bed), a changing table (which has been modified into storage), a night stand, and a rocking horse. 

We have an heirloom twin bed that needs to be assembled and put into her room, and there's plenty of room for that among everything else. Recall or refer to this post, if you will, from when we decided to do that anyway, before we knew there would be another little one in the mix. 

{And for those wondering, "why on earth would you think that would work when newborns wake so frequently?", don't you worry--we plan on keeping the baby in a bassinet in our room until he or she is sleeping through the night. It's easier for everyone. And maybe by the time that day comes, our 2 year old will also be sleeping through the night...} 

And hey--looks like others have done it too!

Here's a few great shared nurseries that I've rounded up for inspiration lately: 

image via lay baby lay

There are so many luxuries about the above space that we don't have in our home, but it that doesn't mean it's not inspiration-worthy! I love the great mix of pattern and texture, the airiness of the space, and that it isn't overly girly. Just as with our first, we aren't finding out the gender of the baby so the space will remain gender-neutral.

image via apartment therapy--great details in this nursery if you click the link!

If you look closely at that corner bed, you'll notice it's just a platform bed. No headboard, nothing extra. It's a great solution for the bed's position, and it's not lacking anything! And I love that under-bed storage solution that eliminates a need for a bed skirt (because we won't have a bed skirt either!)

image via melissa esplin

This bright yellow nursery is probably the closest to how ours will be arranged. And can someone please send me that dachshund lamp!! 

Also--shout out to all you renters: a great example of making a nursery feel homey just by the pieces in the room. The walls are still a basic beige, but a bright yellow rug covers the basic carpet, and the rest of it just works so well together you don't notice how ordinary the bones are. 

image via a cup of jo

Very close quarters in this space, but it still works! They even have toy storage in the room. Well-done, folks! It's also a great example of a shared boys room that isn't overly masculine. 

image via transito inicial (page is in spanish, but beautiful spaces need no translation!!)

I could tell almost instantly that this wasn't American. I mean, look at that window! Swoon! (Also jealous of the shutter feature--hello extended "night night" time!) I can't tell if that's a chalkboard finish on the wall or venetian plaster (looks more like a plaster finish). Either way it's a great sophisticated, yet soft and gentle shared room. It looks expensive, even though it's clearly very simple.

image via a merry mishap 

Not my personal favorite style-wise, but this modern shared space keeps things simple. Again, it appears to be close-quarters, but the simplicity of the decor makes the room feel very spacious.

image via apartment therapy

I like that this sweet little room obviously wasn't too thought out (probably a lot how ours will end up, if I'm just being honest). Nothing is matchy-matchy, but there's so much personal touch that you can't help but love it. It's homey, cute, and probably very affordable.

image via apartment therapy

What a great wall stencil! This room also has the same arrangement as ours probably will, and we may even end up with a patterned back wall...emphasis on may. Anyway it's a great use of pattern--it gives a lot of interest while remaining simple.

image via house to home

And finally, take a look at this! A bunk with a crib underneath! At first glance, I thought it was built in, but after looking closely, it appears they just took a lofted bed and put a crib underneath. How smart!! Great space saver.

I'm loving learning that this is still an achieved design and personal goal for having multiple children. There's so much more than I thought there would be for inspiration. 

As far as the actual plan for the room, we've gotten nowhere. And honestly, it doesn't bother me. Maybe that's breaking some kind of designer law, but when you're a pregnant work-at-home mom, other things take precedence. So if you're listening, the answer is YES! It is OKAY to have higher priorities than a good-looking home! I give you my personal permission! 

That being said, here's the fabric I've had stored away in my closet for months. At first we planned on doing an upholstered wall on the big back wall (a lot like the tree room above). But let's be honest. That probably won't happen. And we also don't know how long we'll be in this house so it's best to keep it simple. But it's going in that room! Maybe a duvet cover? Maybe a reupholstered chair or stool? Crib sheet? A bolster pillow? Some black-out curtains? I'll figure it out.  

michael miller fabrics: wee wander, with the birds

I'm in love with it. It's the perfect gender neutral fabric, and it goes with the room's leftover nursery colors of teal, mint, and turquoise (there was orange in there too, but it got booted when I took out the orange crushed velvet french chair--cute for a nursery, but far too dear to me to be in the hands of a toddler).

Other than that and a very simple white bedspread I bought for the twin bed (and an ikea mattress for it, which--holy cow--are so comfy and affordable), that's basically all I've done! I'll post snippets as they come together, but don't expect to be blown away!

I'll put my efforts into making our clients' spaces look great. How about that?? ;) 

Until next time, folks! Have a wonderful Monday. If you haven't already, start your week off intentionally. Think happy thoughts--it will make SUCH a difference :)

10 Dome Light Alternatives under $50

Do you have these in your home? 

You do, don't you? I do, too. And I'm sorry. They're terrible, I know. Now that we've all agreed and lamented briefly over our ceiling fixtures, let's move onto a solution...

Dome lights (I won't even tell you their nickname in the design world, but if you're creative I'm sure you could guess) are inexpensive and the easy choice of contractors everywhere. But ya know what? It doesn't have to be that way. If you are uninspired by your home lighting, there are some great and inexpensive alternatives. 

I understand replacing all of your dome lights could be costly, but if you have a space like a nice bedroom or an entry where it's just detracting from the feel of the room, a little money and a little handy work can make a big difference. 

Here's a list of 10 fixtures under $50 that could make a huge difference in your home:

1. If your ceiling fixture isn't the only source of light in your room and you have some artwork or wall-hangings on display nearby, these LED track lights are a creative alternative. Directional light instantly adds a $$$ feel to your space! Like, "ooh, this feels like a gallery--these people must be artsy and intelligent." ;) Or maybe they'll just walk right past without noticing. Either way, you'll notice. And you'll care.

2. If you've got a little head room to work with, this retro classic would be a nice touch. Globe pendants and fixtures can be found inexpensively just about anywhere. And the cord length can be shortened, so no need to worry about how it looks in the photos!

3. Just like the globe pendant, a warehouse pendant is another great, inexpensive classic that you could shorten the cord on and bring up as a semi-flush mount. And don't be fooled by some of the decor stores' prices--these things are NOT worth $100+, so don't spend it. 

4. Simple and elegant, this textured flush mount fixture will cover the space of your old one. And the texture shows even more when the light is on (I have the coordinating floor lamp in my home and love it).

5. Again, where you're replacing a fixture that's not the only source of light, how cool would this surface-mounted bronze can light be? A bright hallway or entry would be perfect.

6. These cute little vintage glass pendants would be perfect in a small entry or powder bath. Because the glass is clear, the bulbs will provide a lot of light for how small they are.

7. A schoolhouse pendant works great just about anywhere. Just like warehouse pendants, trendy places will have them for a higher price tag, but they are easily found in a lower price range with a little searching.

8. I love this faceted ceramic fixture. And it's another one that fits well over the space where your old dome pendant was.

9. Don't mind the overall concept of your dome pendant, but just want to jazz it up a little? This modern square version will do the trick.

10. A take on Japanese lanterns, this paper lantern flush-mount is a clever way to add some interest without taking up as much vertical space.

So there ya go. Frown over your plain ol' dome lights no more! And if you've got taller ceilings, don't be afraid to go with a pendant or even a chandelier (but of course, that's another round-up for another day). Never underestimate the power of a good lighting choice! 

{And a helpful hint when it comes to lighting--wattage does NOT determine how bright your fixture will be. Instead you want to look for a little key word called "lumens." Lumens measure how much light output you will have. Wattage only determines how much energy they use. Bulbs that have lower wattages and higher lumens pack a bigger punch, like LEDs. So now you know!}

Until next time, friends!

Sophisticated Man Cave

At the first of the year, the hubby and I were talking about our goals and places we want to travel to. Ty is a big soccer fan and one of his desires is to see Manchester United play in England. I got to thinking, how cool would it be to create a sophisticated Man U “man cave” for him, with an English vibe.

With that said, Babe, this one is for you ;)

When I think of classic English design, immediately I see leather Chesterfield sofas and plaids. To make it contemporary, I stuck with a pallet of black and cognac and mixed in some modern pieces. Many of the items are from Restoration Hardware. They are my go to when I am looking for masculine furniture.

sofa // chair // rug // lighting // coffee table  // bar

Now, we have to wait to install until we buy a bigger house or one of the girls move out. Ha!   If you would like to surprise your man with his own sophisticated man cave, drop us a line. We would love to help. 

Until next time, lovelies.