Summer House List

I'm sorry for the lack of posting over here, y'all still with me? To be honest, the One Room Challenge pretty much did me in and I've been catching up and more importantly, slowing down over the last few weeks. I feel like I have had things I've wanted to post but just haven't had the time or energy to do it. I know I still have some One Room Challenge details to share on some last minute projects, so look for those soon. Also...I am still in l-o-v-e with my new bathroom.

While I don't have any big projects slated for summer 2015, I still have those little, fun, hopefully high-impact projects looming in the back of my mind. Things that might take an afternoon or so, and leave me with a big smile! 

I want to stencil the laundry room. I did afterall, buy this stencil last summer. It has been waiting around  for the perfect time. Originally I was thinking a navy and white, now I am thinking more this color blue...or maybe a shade lighter than grassy green? Help!

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I have some drapes that have been waiting around to be hung and I would like to do either an acrylic rod or the industrial diy....While I am at it, I would love to do one of those treatments in the dining room as well. I think we will try it first in our master and then venture to the dining room later!

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The rug in our living room needs to be replaced, even though I bought it last summer. It had great reviews, but my family of three plus two canines must be really rough and tough on it. We do spend a lot of time in the living room over the den. I swear the dogs have found some sort of scent on it too, because occasionally they will just start rolling on it/into it. So strange. Not to mention if there is a mishap/stain...its impossible to clean. There have been plenty of those and it's just no longer acceptable. If I have enough strength, Stephen might come home to it laying out by the curb ;) I'm over it! Anyway...a new rug {no natural/jute fibers} would really freshen it up in the living room. I have some extra fabric that I might make into some pillows too. Don't hold your breath :)

Well, that's enough for now. I told myself these were going to be little projects, right?

We have a busy but fun summer ahead, and that time with my family will come first and foremost. Anything you want to hear about on here? Feel free to leave me suggestions in the comments. And, let me know what you have up your sleeve this summer! xo.

Design Idea: Add Some Green!

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I know I'm not reinventing the wheel here, but in honor of Spring I wanted to feature some rooms that do a beautiful job adding a touch of nature. I looked back at all of the photos, and each room would really be missing something with out that natural element. Don't you think? I mentioned last week I feel like a crazy plant lady with all my house plants, but maybe not so much anymore. You wouldn't know the time of year these photos were taken, but they feel just as fresh as Spring. Am I right? Go get yourself a houseplant!

One Room Challenge- Week 1

So I am really excited to announce I am going to join in so many talented bloggers and designers, and tackle designing a room in six weeks! I will be linking up each week to the One Room Challenge, sharing my progress {fingers crossed} and I am thrilled and oh-so-nervous at the same time. I've got some ideas in my head and I can't wait to get started.

For anyone new that might be reading, this past Spring we found an old house we loved in a location that we loved even more, and pretty quickly decided to move and buy a new {old} house. As with most old homes, they have their fair share of work. The room that I selected for the ORC is maybe my favorite room in the house. In fact, it was my favorite when we first viewed the house. I saw so much character, and so much potential. Since we moved in, it has become "that room". And when I say "that room" I mean its the room all the odd belongings and mismatched pieces go into.

Everything you see that is white has been recently painted...I spent the better half of the summer laying on coats of paint to cover the wood tones. I know some people do not care for wood paneling, and I get that. I really love it though and I think it's so much more durable for babies and dogs. The TV box is not my favorite shape but we have looked into getting that redesigned and I think I would rather spend my money elsewhere.

The stairs have been stripped of their former heinous carpet {plus 1.5 million staples} and are a beautiful pine. However, that pine is not in good shape. There are markings all over the treads that the carpenters used back in 1973. Also, the banister is not legit. Those spindles are not ok and I have witnessed my puggle try to fly from the top opening down below a few times. The stairs are a major project themselves, and I'm not sure how much money we are willing to pour into preserving the pine/replacing...we will see as we do more research. In fact, the stairs might be their own mini room project, but I sure would love to improve them in some way during the next several weeks.

This is the opposite view. You can see on the far right where I started testing paint colors. I would like to paint the walls a dark charcoal, to pop against all the white. We have a long bookcase spanning the wall, and then a seating area with wingbacks and a loveseat. The furniture is in excellent condition, passed down to us from Stephen's parents. I am looking to recover or slipcover all three pieces.

I love bookcases but ours needs some work. Overall, I would like it to have a more cohesive look.

We have this sideboard on the exposed brick wall. The brick wall has recently been primed, but not painted yet. It's on the list. 

I love the wood beams but I am not crazy about the color! It is a really dark stained wood and closes in the room, even more so in these pictures. I would love suggestions on those :) And the ceiling fan and fireplace spotlight will be exiting the room asap! 

The fireplace used to have a wood burning stove which we removed. We don't plan on using it as a working fireplace, so I am enjoying the idea of decor in it instead. 

I know this room is reallllly hodge podge and cluttered. Don't doubt me just yet. I did want to keep it real and not edit it to make it look much better than it is though. What you see is what you get!

I hope y'all will follow along the next 6 weeks as we pull this room together just in time for the holidays. A big thanks to Linda for organizing it and allowing people like me to join in! I have been a huge fan for a long time and I am so excited to finally take part! Oh, and a big thanks to the hubs for agreeing to help me in the craziness!! Now go check out some other rooms that are being made over! Go ahead, its addictive! 

Welcome October- Fall in the Living Room

I'm keeping most of my decorations for fall in the living room this year. I like to keep it on the simpler side for fall and Halloween because I know what is right around the corner- Christmas. And I never want to be burnt out on Christmas decorations! I am using mostly things that I already had, keeping  #the20dollarchallenge in mind. 

I bought these velvet pumpkins a few years ago and mixed them in with a few new Hobby Lobby pumpkins that I brightened up with some white and gold paint. 

I also painted these polka dot pumpkins several years ago. Truth, nothing that you love ever goes out of style. People that know me know I am gold and white obsessed. 

I haven't gotten a chance to show you the living room, now have I?!? We painted the walls a gorgeous blue that changes shades throughout the day, and I love it. It ranges from a minty blue to grey blue and is a true chameleon. The pictures really don't even do it justice. The drapes are from our old bedroom and I love that they are serving a new purpose. They almost got put up for sale because I couldn't reinvent them in our room. The pillows are just a mix for now until I make more decisions.

On the other side of the room is our pretty mantel. I love that we now have a fireplace and mantel that doesn't have a television over it. It's fun to decorate. 

I have had the blue and white jars with cotton for a while and I am not tiring of them anytime soon. I added the cotton and other green vines for filler. Both jars I found at TJ Maxx or Ross {truely, a hidden gem for finding cheap blue and white!} I had the foam pumpkins left over from last year and painted them hot pink and gold. The mercury glass pumpkins were also from TJ Maxx last year, placed on top of gold candlesticks.

I feel like I have just enough fall decor inside now. I have a few Halloween decorations I will add in during the next few weeks. I wasn't into Halloween last year, but with a new space it is always fun to experiment and see how things look! 

Living Room Design Idea

pillows / x bench / pink fabric / eden table / baskets / lanai mirror / 

sconces / blanket / ginger jars / pink vase / chairs

I mentioned a few weeks ago I was really inspired to incorporate blue into my living room design. I have been playing with fabrics and ordering samples and testing out paint swatches to figure out what direction I'm headed in. Then, Chairish asked me to design a room incorporating one of their pieces. If you haven't heard of Chairish, they are a great source to find unique pieces that are hard to come by in some areas (like mine!) I search local places but don't seem to have much luck. I would love to get my hands on one of these chairs above. Anyway, I thought it was the perfect time to create an e-design based around my vision for the room, including some pieces from Chairish. What do you think? I want it to read young but sophisticated, classy and not too informal.

I included toy baskets (keeping it real) and a blanket that I always steal from Weeks. It's his fave. I have collected lots of ginger jars, from the real thing to Hobby Lobby to TJ Maxx, but these are beautiful on a higher end budget. That table is on sale and a great deal! And I am really admiring the pillows, that pink is the perfect shade for what I'm looking for. We have plenty of magnolia trees for fresh clippings for a touch of greenery.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! We are installing our backsplash this weekend and I can't wait to wrap things up in the kitchen! 

I was not compensated by Chairish, all opinions are my own. Some affiliate links used. 

Magnolia Homes: HGTV fave

Have you seen HGTV's Fixer Upper by Magnolia Homes? It is our new favorite. I am quite behind on TV these days and my Mom actually told me about the show. Love it. This is a really cute couple, Chip and Joanna, that renovate homes for a living. He does a lot of the muscle work and figuring out the logistics...and she does the design. Perfect combo if you ask me! 

One of our favorite (past times) things to do is watch these type of shows on weekend mornings while we drink coffee/tea and have breakfast. Well, I realized this past Sunday that hasn't happened in a long, long time because we have been so busy. It was so nice to watch some lazy tv on Sunday morning. And we both loved the style of the Fixer Upper homes we saw done. Sometimes I can't watch these design shows because things are so modern and impersonal it makes my skin crawl. But I love, love Magnolia's style. It's actually quite different than mine but I really appreciate it. Everything has a purpose and character. What I want! 

(all images via Magnolia Homes)

And in case you wondered (like me) Joanna sells some of her items online. 

Some of my favorites below....

Gold Light Fixture

Chartreuse Heirloom Vase

Magnolia Wreath

Design Idea: Surfboard Decor

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Incorporating a vintage surfboard seems so fun and unexpected, also a great focal point. I would have never thought to use one indoors but I think these are all pretty chic room designs. Obviously since we are at the beach it makes a little more sense for us to bring in a little bit of nautical than someone landlocked. {btw we do not do "coastal decor" in our home} But I think this is fun. Maybe in the mudroom or the den? What are your thoughts?

Design Idea: Wood Framed Windows

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Before we completely paint everything white in the new house, I stopped myself short of a few windows. I vaguely remembered seeing an inspiration photo with a dark wood frame window that added so much character to the room. I'm considering leaving parts of this window and casing the natural oak. What are your thoughts? I think it looks pretty fabulous in the above photos.

 before priming walls and paneling...

after priming walls and paneling...

Sorry for the poor lighting. I'm definitely not hauling the good camera over to the house right now with all the dust and paint everywhere. As you can see, the actual windows themselves are new and white, so it won't be quite the same as the inspiration photos. So the options are 1. Paint all of the window casing and trim white 2. Leave natural as seen in second photo 3. Paint window casing white and leave interior wood. 

There are also two windows in the adjoining den that could be done in the same manner.

Weigh in on your thoughts!!