It's Great To Be Home

Design Advice: Guest Bath

July 9, 2010 By Liz - It's Great To Be Home 4 Comments

This latest design board was created for a fun couple that was desperate to add personality to their blah guest bath. They needed to work with the existing wall color, flooring and fixtures, but were game to incorporate color and pattern to create a unique, eclectic space. I had so much fun doing this one!

After much consideration, I’ve decided to follow Bryn’s lead and I will no longer be posting design sources or a breakdown of how to implement the designs I’ve created for my clients. If you have questions about the design board I’ve posted today, or if you would like more information about the design services I offer, please contact me here. Thanks!!

Design Quickie: Sara’s Smokin’ Kitchen

June 14, 2010 By Liz - It's Great To Be Home 5 Comments

This latest e-decorating design board was created for Sara, who was craving an updated kitchen that flowed seamlessly with the adjoining family room. Here’s what she had to say:

Love your blog and I am interested in one of your design quickies. I need help with my kitchen. My home was built in the mid nineties and has those awful oak {I think} cabinets. I want to paint them and need help with a color and possibly hardware. Also possibly a new paint color for the kitchen. We will probably be moving next year so unfortunately the countertops, backsplash and appliances will have to stay. I just need help making them look better – ha! It’s an open concept so the kitchen opens up to the family room. I like the color in the family room and don’t want to have to repaint. Sorry for the novel!!!! ~ Sara

Sara was already starting out with a fab kitchen, so updating it and making it flow with her family room will be a breeze. The wallpaper border will be gone in a flash and since Sara’s keeping the flooring, backsplash, countertop and appliances, we’re spiffing up this space with a little paint and fabric. Olive-y greens and rich browns are Sara’s favorite and will completely transform this kitchen and allow it to live happily next to the adjoining family room.

Here we go!

Option 1:

1. Wall Color. 2. Cabinet Stain (Walnut). 3. Fabric for drapes and valance over kitchen sink. 4. Knobs. 5. Pulls. 6. Artwork.

{ Keep in mind that on-screen color representations may vary from actual paint colors. }

Nothing gives a kitchen a warmer, richer feeling than stained cabinetry, and the cabinets will pop against the pale walls {painted 3 shades lighter than the family room} Updating the cabinets with this simple hardware will completely change their look. The graphic, olive-toned fabric will bring life and personality into the kitchen, and provides a great jumping off point for adding accessories {like candle holders, dish towels, akitchen rug, etc.} throughout the space. {Sara might want to add a few olive pillows in the family room to tie the two spaces together even more.} Make simple pelmet box like this {but without curves} for over the kitchen sink {and hang it just above the upper window to bring the scale more in line with the cabinetry} and hang a panel on either side of the bank of windows in the breakfast nook. Think about painting the entire kitchen table and chairs a deep black for a more modern feel, and spray paint the chandelier either silver or black. {Note: for all the plans, think about adding molding to the tops of the cabinets and accessorizing them like this. Also, adding a white or cream slipcover like one of these to the floral couch will instantly transform Sara’s family room into a much more modern and cohesive space.}

Option 2:

1. Wall Color. 2. Cabinet Paint. 3. Drapes. 4. Knobs. 5. Pulls. 6. Artwork.

Option 2 brings a little more opportunity to add color into the space, as the artwork has about a zillion different hues to pull from. The wall color is the same pale shade as in Option 1, but the cabinets are painted a gorgeous sage green and accented with classic hardware. In addition to the drapes, add a brown linen valance over the kitchen window for light control. The chandelier can be spray painted black, and I would paint the kitchen table and chairs a shade or two darker than the cabinets.

Option 3:

1. Wall Color. 2. Cabinet Paint (for cabinets against outer wall) = same as trim. 3. Cabinet Paint (wrapping around entire island). 4. Column Paint = same as trim. 5. Fabric. 6. Knobs. 7. Pulls. 8. DIY Artwork {tutorial}.

Option 3 is the most daring of the different plans because of the treatment the island will be getting. This is the look we’re going for, with stark white cabinets, backsplash and countertop on the back wall, and a dramatically dark island for contrast. Since the island has a column on the right-hand side, that column will be dressed a bit more formally and painted the same color as the trim with a strip of molding added to the top of the column. A bit of color will be brought in through the drapery fabric, and the table, chairs and chandelier will be painted a deep black. Back in the kitchen, think about removing the upper cabinet doors on either side of the sink and paint the back of the cabinet in the same olive-y tone as the drapes – then Sara can show off her favorite dishes in the shelves. The final touch is personalized artwork in the form of silhouettes representing each member of the family.

So there you have it! One open plan kitchen, whipped into shape. Which option would you choose?

Click on the following link to snag some design advice of your very own – Interior Design Services.

Design Advice: Bobbe’s Beachy Basement

June 7, 2010 By Liz - It's Great To Be Home 6 Comments

This latest design board comes from Bobbe, who was yearning for a casual place to hang out with her gaggle of grandkids. She loved the plan that I came up with for her daughter’s living room and hired me to spiff up her basement!

Bobbe’s basement has a ton of great things going for it – four windows, a fab neutral base and oh yeah – it’s huge!

Bobbe asked for a classic look with a coastal vibe, without being hit over the head with a theme. The basement needed room for games, arts and crafts, TV watching and lots of bonding with the grandkids. Because this space will have lots of kiddos running around, the decor needed to be able to stand up to popsicles and legos while still looking great for the grownups.

Here’s the new basement!

Working with the basement’s sandy walls, crisp whites and sea blues will evoke that coastal feeling that Bobbe’s after, while chocolate-y brown woods will ground the space.

FLOORPLAN:

FURNITURE: Bobbe already has a great neutral sectional, a coffee table and a ping pong table that’s going to be purchased. Here’s a quick look at everything else that’s going to be added to the basement:

~ Kids’ Craft Area: It’s important for the grandkids to have a place to draw and be creative. This table is a great color and expands to seat even more people {and hold more art projects}. Pair the table with four of these chairs for an eclectic, mix and match look.

~ Lounge Seating: It’s no secret that kids love to flop down on the floor. Three of these bean bag chairs are perfect for dragging around the basement and flopping next to the ping pong table to watch a game, the art table or near the TV.

~ Bookcase: Bobbe has to have a place to store all those games and art supplies, and this bookcase has plenty of cubbies to hold all the goodies. Mix in a few baskets like these to corral smaller items.

~ Arm Chairs: Two of these armchairs are the perfect size for snuggling up with a good book or watching a movie. The slipcovers are washable and bleachable, so Bobbe won’t have to fret about spills and dirt.

~ End Tables: Nestle one of these end tables between the arm chairs, and another at the end of the sectional.

~ Media Stand: This media stand will fit perfectly between the two windows at the end of the room where the cable hookup is located.

~ Console Table: The back of a sofa isn’t exactly the prettiest thing in the world, so this console table will serve double duty both disguising the back of the sectional and providing a little extra storage space. Woven baskets underneath and a stack of books on top will look great.

RUG: This rug in an 8.5 x 11 size is absolutely perfect to anchor the seating area. Place it under the sectional and coffee table to bring loads of interest to the space. As an added bonus, this rug is an indoor/outdoor rug that is hoseable, scrubbable and bleachable so it can stand up to anything the kids dish out.

CURTAINS: Bobbe is lucky to have such great windows in the basement! Hang these breezy grommet-top curtains as close to the ceiling as possible for extra drama {and they could be layered with bamboo blinds for a little extra oomph}. This black curtain rod will look great with Bobbe’s existing door hardware. Buy two extra sets of curtains and this curtain wire to create a hidden storage area in the bump out by the arts and crafts area – it will be the perfect place to stash any bulky items. FInally, if a crafty impulse strikes then Bobbe may want to gussy up the curtains a bit with a line of cobalt blue ribbon along the bottom of the curtains {hot glue or fabric glue will do the trick}.

LIGHTING:

~ Chandelier over Craft Area: This basement is well-lit because of all the great recessed lights, but wouldn’t it be fun to have a little chandelier over the craft area? Simply use a kit like this to convert the nearest recessed light so that it can be used as a pendant, and then swag this gorgeous capiz light fixture over the craft table for a great focal point.

~ Table Lamps: Two of these stately ivory lamps add to the coastal vibe of the room – place one on the console table and the other on the end table by the sectional {add a few books on top of the end table to bring up the height of the lamp}. Between the two armchairs, add this gorgeous tripod lamp on a wood base. As with the curtains, feel free to snazz them up with a little cobalt ribbon trimmed around the bottom of the lampshade.

WALL DECOR:

~ Starburst Mirror: The space between the TV and the ceiling is begging for a little drama – this gorgeous starburst mirror is just the ticket.

~ Picture Ledge & Frames: Hang this picture ledge just high enough above the sofa so that no one will hit their head. Then layer family photos in brown frames like these in different sizes for a cozy, family-friendly look like this:

~ Leaning Mirror: The space between the two sconces across from the ping pong table would be perfect for this leaning mirror in white.

~ Painted Stripe & Kids’ Art: On the opposite wall, paint a wide horizontal stripe in this color about 50 inches from the ground across the length of the wall – the stripe should be about two feet wide.

The stripe of blue will help bring the color throughout the room, and it will provide a great backdrop for a display of the grandkids’ artwork – and they will be thrilled to see their masterpieces hung on the wall. Simply hang their framed art in frames like these in a straight line all along the painted stripe.

PILLOWS & THROWS:

~ Pillows: The great big sectional and armchairs will be even cozy with oodles of pillows. Start with three of these lumbar pillows, two of the solid ivory button-closure pillows, two of the blue striped pillows, one of the blue sweater pillows for extra coziness, and one of the blue floral pillows for a layered and inviting look.

~ Throw: This throw {or a good substitute} will bring a few more splashes of color to the space which will allow Bobbe to add in accessories in greens, yellows and reds that don’t fit exactly into the tight blue and white color palette. Drape it over the sectional or over the arm of one of the arm chairs.

So that’s Bobbe’s beachy basement! It was a blast to work on, and I hope it’s a great place for Bobbe and her family to hang out.

Click on the following link to snag some design advice of your very own – Interior Design Services.