It's Great To Be Home

Before we got ahold of it, the front yard at the flip was a hot mess:

The house was barely even visible behind two humongous magnolia trees that totally obscured the roof and most of the exterior – which might have been a good thing, given the not-so-lovely appearance of the house at that time.

And not only were the magnolia trees obscuring the house, they were blocking out so much sunlight with their dense and low-hanging limbs that grass couldn’t even grow over much of the yard – mmm, mud yard – just what everyone wants!

Jason and I knew that the trees were awesome so we didn’t want to cut them down, but we didn’t really know what could be done to (a) let the grass grow, (b) let the house be seen, and (c) let potential buyers mosey up the sidewalk without getting whacked by branches. After we asked around a bit, my aunt came up with this brilliant yet common-sense solution – lift their skirts!! (Her words, not mine!!).

Enter Landscaper Jared – you might remember him from such adventures as Fun With Big Machines and Backyard Oasis. I think it’s only fitting that the Landscaper Jared series gets a third installment, don’t you?

Anyway, Landscaper Jared shimmied right up those ginormous magnolias with a rented chainsaw in one hand and his life insurance policy in the other – kids, don’t try this at home!

Those low-hanging branches didn’t stand a chance!

After we waited a few hours and didn’t hear any sirens, we swung back by the flip and were greeted by this awesome sight:

Have you ever seen so many branches in your entire life? It took three trips to the dump to get rid of that huge pile.

After the magnolias were pruned and the ground was touched by sunlight for the first time in decades, we knew that anything we planted would finally have a chance for survival – no more mud pit!! We trekked over to Home Depot and bought a slew of bushes, plants and flowers – red tip photinas, holly bushes, purple ferns, and impatiens. Once we hauled them back to the house in Landscaper Jared’s truck, we spaced out each plant and flower on either side of the house:

That gave us a chance to eyeball the arrangement and spacing before Landscaper Jared planted all those puppies:

In no time, the front of the flip was looking about a thousand times better. But even though the beds full of ivy were no longer, the front yard was still begging for some new sod:

Landscaper Jared laid about a pallet and a half of St. Augustine over the bare spots in the front yard:

Curious how Landscaper Jared got the grass to curve around the flower beds oh-so-perfectly? I was too, until I spied Landscaper Jared with his secret weapon:

A machete!! Apparently he just gives the grass a few whacks with his trusty machete and he gets a perfect cut every time – man, I wish I had known that when we were laying sod in our backyard!

The lawn has now settled in and is happy as a clam, and the new plantings are looking fab. Have any of you tackled laying sod before? Got any landscaping tips or tricks up your sleeve? Fill us in!

Lately I’ve been so busy filling you guys in on what’s been happening with the flip that I’ve gotten behind in showing you the design plans that I’ve created for my clients – the shame!! So, today I thought I’d share this gorgeous contemporary space that I designed last month for a lovely family of five.

My client had recently purchased a clean-lined microfiber sofa in chocolate and a pair of contemporary sage green swivel chairs with rounded backs that she absolutely loved – unfortunately, she realized that her awesome new furniture just wasn’t working with the mismatch of furnishings that she currently had in the room. Here’s a quick peek at the “before” of my client’s living room, which is open to the kitchen and dining room:

Since the living room is where my client and her family hang out and entertain, the goal for this room was to create a comfortable yet sophisticated space that is perfect for either family game night or a room full of guests. Working with the existing palette of chocolate brown and sage, I added touches of metal, glass and wood to create this inviting and contemporary design that her whole family is sure to love:

The backdrop for this room is the existing beige wall color – it acts as a great neutral base for the rich tones and pops of color that will be brought into the space. Here’s how the rest of the plan breaks down:

Rug.A fabulous rug can be hard to find, and this gorgeous piece anchors this space and ties the whole living room together. By replacing the existing burgundy rug with this 7.6 x 9.6 contemporary, lighter-toned rug, the living room is instantly brightened and feels more cheerful. The sage and brown accents tie in perfectly with the chocolate sofa and sage green chairs, while the blue introduces a beautiful and somewhat unexpected accent color into the room.

Floorplan. My client and her family have tried numerous furniture arrangements and are comfortable with their existing floorplan, so we’re leaving it like it is – with just a few minor tweaks. Moving the sofa several feet out from the wall will narrow the gap between the sofa and the swivel chairs, and keep the ottoman from floating out in the middle of the room. The extra space behind the couch can now be used for a console table that provides the perfect opportunity for a little personality (we’ll get to that later).

I also provided the client with an alternative floorplan (below), in case they ever decide to shake things up a bit.

Furniture. My client already had some great basic pieces for this room, and I was super-excited to find new furniture to complement the existing sofa and chairs and really up the sophisticated and contemporary vibe of this room. Here are the details on her gorgeous new furniture:

~ Ottoman. The family of five needs room to spread out, so this tufted leather ottoman is perfect for extra seating during Wii tournaments, or they can just put their feet up and relax. I especially love this ottoman because of the slatted base which provides an awesome place for woven baskets filled with games and Wii controllers, folded blankets, or cushy floor pillows. A silver, hammered tray would be beautiful on top of the ottoman and would provide a sturdy place for drinks.

~ Media Center. The long wall across from the French doors is begging for a sturdy entertainment unit. This affordable combination of a media stand and etageres will give the family ample storage for DVDs, and still allow them to display personal photographs and accessories on the open shelving. In a deep chocolate brown, this piece will balance the sofa and add some needed weight to that side of the room.

~ Console Table. This glass and metal console table is sleek and stylish, and its curved metal base is pretty sexy. Centered behind the couch on the back wall, this console table will anchor a gorgeous vignette that the entire family will be able to enjoy from the kitchen and throughout the room.

~ Side Table. I love this side table – its metal base is rustic and the curved legs are so unique. The maple tabletop helps blend the light-toned cabinetry in the kitchen with the rest of the space – and it’s always nice to have a place to set your drink!

~ Dining Table. The existing dining set ties in beautifully with the maple cabinets in the kitchen – however, I’d love to see my client stain the table in a deep walnut tone to blend the wood tones in the kitchen with the chocolate woods throughout the living room. Now they’ll have a beautiful contrast between the blond, graphic chairs and the rich, stained wood of the table.

~ Dining Chairs. This striped outdoor fabric is the perfect choice for reupholstering the chair pads for the dining chairs – easily wipeable, this beautiful cloth can stand up to three kids while it adds another layer of interest to the dining area.

Lighting. Lighting is the perfect way to create a cozy ambience in a room, and my client is sure to love these beauties:

~ Capiz Table Lamps. A pair of these shimmering capiz lamps on each end of the console table will instantly add texture and interest to the room. This duo will frame a beautiful art print (discussed below) that will be hung above the console.

~ Metal Floor Lamp. The addition of this bold, metal floor lamp will brighten the corner to the left of the barstools. These touches of metal throughout the room provide nice contrasts with the smooth, rich woods around the room.

~ Wood & Chrome Ceiling Fan. While the existing white ceiling fan is certainly functional, this contemporary, lighted fan ensures that every aspect of the room is cohesive (and adds a bit more light!).

~ Contemporary Chandelier. This pair of chandeliers is really a star in this design. Centered above the dining table, these sculptural chandeliers are totally unique and exciting, and the glass shades will add a touch of sparkle to the dining nook.

Curtains. Tying in perfectly with the swivel chairs in the living room, these sage green curtain panels will look fabulous hung wide and high on either side of the French doors, as well as the window in the kitchen. The curtains can be drawn during movie-time to ensure that everyone can enjoy the show without a distracting glare. Black or oil-rubbed bronze curtain rods would totally complete the look. If my client wishes, bamboo blinds can be used to add another layer of texture to the French doors and window in the kitchen.

Artwork. Since my client already has beautiful artwork that she loves, I have blended her existing art with a new piece. It would be a great touch for all of the artwork to have coordinating frames and mats – the existing frames can be spraypainted a chocolate brown, and cream-colored mats would look fabulous.

~ Multi-colored tapestry. The colorful tapestry that is currently unframed will look amazing framed and hung on the wall behind the dining table.

~ Framed text. My client already found a great location for her framed text (by the bar in the kitchen), so it’s staying put!

~ Triptic prints. The set of prints is also staying put – kind of. With the lamp placed in the corner, it would look best if the prints were rearranged in a vertical line to the right of the lamp.

~ Abstract art print. This piece is perfect for the space – the blues and greens tie in beautifully with the rug, chairs and curtains, while the unexpected splash of red keeps the living room from looking too “matchy-matchy.” As an added bonus, this colorful piece is a great complement to the existing artwork.

Throw Pillows. The final touches to the space are throw pillows for the couch and chairs. These off-white pillows are crisp and clean and pick up the cream in the rug. – two of them will look great on the chocolate couch. The brown and cream crewel pillows are my favorite, and by placing one on each chair the chairs will instantly mesh with the chocolate sofa.

So there you have it!! A fresh new living room that really captures the family’s style and needs for the space. What do you guys think?

This post is shared with Hooked on Houses and DIY Day on A Soft Place to Land.

Images courtesy of cb2, Pottery Barn, World Market, JC Penney, Fabric.com, Overstock, Contemporary Rugs, Home Depot, and Art.com. Floorplans by Floorplanner.com.