Peacock Blue

St. Marys Master Bath

2010-04-13T17:50:00.048-05:00

We did it! We finally finished the master bath in our home on St. Marys Ct! Our project took a lot longer than expected (I should have expected this...), we were without a master bath & closet for about 6 months! But, we finished it and love it! Take a look at the before photos. Before....Ugly cabinets, ugly floors, ugly wallpaper

(a "good try" goes to my husband in his bachelor days.)

Ummmm, needs work....

and what is up with that mirror over the tub?

And the shower.....ewwww! I wanted a shower more like this......

But first, demolition! My husband and his dad did most of the work, although we hired out the labor to build the shower and make sure it was done right (no leaks please and thank you).

Here are the demolition photos....

What lovely layers and layers and layers......of wallpaper we found.....we ended up taking out all the walls and re-drywalled the entire room (FYI, this is MESSY!). Its hard to tell from the before photos, but our closet was tiny...so we took a wall out, deleted the shower, and put the new shower in the tub location......and now my closet is big! (see after photos). By the way, To my father-in-law, this one's for you....Nice knee pads.... We decided to keep the vanity cabinet, but it needed some work. So we relocated it to the garage where I refinished it myself (see after photos).

Our closet was also relocated....to the middle of our bedroom. It was made by using 2x4's, pvc piping, rope, and a lotta love...(so glad to get rid of this contraption)...

So , after all that, 6 months later, here it is.... Finished product.....well almost, close enough..... We are installing a stained frame around the mirror. And we'll put in crown molding as well.....

Same cabinet, better color (Minwax mixture of Dark Walnut & Red Mahogany)..... The walls are a calm grey/blue.

Diagonal floor tile inlaid with brown glass mosaics....

Glass mosaics in a row on the shower walls....just like I imagined & designed.....2 tile shelves for shampoos & a bench....I have a bench in my shower!

I highly recommend a handshower in addition to your main shower head....this shower is a breeze to clean!

Look, now my closet is .....IN my closet.....and its sooooooo big!

The colors (brown & grey/blue) were chosen in the bathroom....

1) because they are neutral tones perfect for re-sale.....

and 2) because they compliment our master bedroom.....

Next project....the powder room....or the upstairs guest room, or my office.....the kitchen, too......it never ends!

A Model Master Suite....

2010-01-18T15:00:00.007-06:00

I once posted about a model home in Windstone, "Dining in Gold", click here to read it again. Remember the beautiful spiral staircase across from the dining room?Well, at the top of that staircase, you'll find the master suite.....

Here are photos before I furnished & accessorized.

This is looking into the suite from the stair case....You'll enter in through the tiny alcove... The bedroom already has sconces to flank the bed...the grey-blue paint color is soothing.... The master bath is finished with harlequin and mosaic tiles, dark wood cabinets, and marble counters.Lets go in.... The alcove was furnished with a bow front chest & art....I used Restoration Hardware bedding and that beautiful Silver Sage color to compliment the soothing walls.

I had the window treatments custom made with stripes of silver-sage & brown fabric to perfectly frame the french doors.I absolutely LOVE this antique mirror! Just leaning in the corner makes a huge statement. In the bathroom, I added accessories, towels, and a bench, bringing life to the room Wish this was my home! Its fun spending other people's money! :)

the Fowler's Family room

2009-11-10T14:58:00.015-06:00

Over the summer, I've had a few "design irons" in the fire. One fire put out that I can now share with you is the Fowler's Family Room. They wanted a make-over and I was glad to help. The above photo shows the plan I laid out...

Updated finishes, fabrics, and colors. New window treatments, new lighting, new furniture, and a new cozy feel.

Here are a few before photos.

Notice the outdated fan & light....

& the TV is way too large for its cabinet....

a boring builder beige wall color...

& mixmatched furniture (and the sofa was too long).....

& uh, we need something here...too much clutter in this nook.... So I put the plan to work and I'm happy to say my clients loved the outcome!

I used a larger console, at a much better scale for the TV, with a rich dark wood tone. The back wall was painted a gray-green to punch up the character in the room. I accented with the gray-green again in the window panels to pull everything together.

Remember the red leather sofa & recliner? They were switched out with an updated rich brown leather recliner & a cozy linen sofa.

The homeowners have great taste in art and were able to pick up the leafy prints on their cruise this summer...

A brown stripe in the window treatments helped tie in the new brown leather in the room for a more cohesive design...A new linen sofa fit the space better. And new throw pillows accented in brown, again, tie it all together... I love the small faceted mirrored table from West Elm. Its perfect for a small area, but still gives you a surface for drinks while relaxing. I wasn't sure Mrs. Fowler would go for it, but said she especially loved the table once installed! Success!

And remember the cluttered desk and brass shelving in the akward nook? I sketched the design for built-in shelving so that it looks as if it were always there. The wood was painted white to match the room's existing trim, and we used the same gray-green color on the back wall of the unit. The space now has a much cleaner look. An overall photo.... Hope to share more summer projects soon!

Mosaic Monday.....Texture.

2009-06-14T13:31:00.004-05:00

Be sure to check out the Little Red House's Mosaic Monday to see other lovely mosaics!

Dining in Iron and Gold....

2009-06-14T12:00:00.019-05:00

In Brentwood, TN, there is a lovely new neighborhood called Windstone that sits tucked away in a valley of nearly 200 acres. In this model home there, the foyer and its winding IRON stair case set the stage for the entrance. But the dining room off the foyer needed a little finessing...

It also has touches of IRON (in the chandelier) and it has touches of GOLD with the paint color on the walls.The furniture (high back uphosltered chairs and an antique-like wooden pedestal table) I found at a little known furniture store in Franklin, TN called JJ Ashleys. I thought a round table would work well in this room.....now everyone can see each other while dining around it....

I had the window treatments professionally made for the arched window....taupe sheers with GOLDEN flowers stiched in to play off the wall color....and IRON hardware to hook and hold....

(p.s. I loved the sheer fabric so much that I purchased more of it a few years later for my personal home....to see my own dining room re-design with these sheers, CLICK HERE....) Go see Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday posts!

I'm hooked on photography.....

2009-06-11T11:36:00.020-05:00

At Karrie Hillis Photography, Karrie is great at capturing the simple things in life and making them wall-worthy....

....I can surely say that I am hooked on great photography like Karrie's.....

...things like an old door with brass knobs, historic buildings, or a green rusty entrance that is never used, become artwork....

....Quaint places in black and white take you back to another time....

...this abandoned home makes you feel something and wonder who once lived here....

...a single limb on a tree....

....a favorite soda....

.....she captures cute smiling faces.......and sexy poses, too.... You can drool over more of Karrie's wall worthies here at Karrie Hillis Photography.

And check out Hooked On Houses' blog party, "Hooked On Fridays," to see what everyone else is hooked on.....

Dining in Blue...

2009-06-03T20:38:00.014-05:00

Remember the model home I was working on in Westhaven? Well, this is the dining room. It needed some color on the table.....

so I went with BLUE!

3 centerpiece votives...in blue....Pretty and delicate stemware....2 different patterns are fine to use together..... I added white dinnerware with blue placemats, blue linens, and a blue accent plate for each place setting....

Before and Bare.....

After..... Head over to Susan's Between Naps on the Porch for more great tablescapes!

a model home in Westhaven...

2009-05-19T21:10:00.022-05:00

I do design work in a community in Franklin, TN called Westhaven.

For this model home, I selected the exterior and interior finishes. Later, when everything was complete, I added accessories to the home. And one thing that needed work was the kitchen table, it needed tablescaping.

Kitchen table Before....

And after.... I purchased a dinnerware set similar in color to the Porter color on the walls....then I added some white dishes with a beachy theme to accent.... The tablescape compliments the kitchen adjacent to it. The cabinets were finished in an ivory paint, with no glaze, and topped with Uba Tuba granite on the counters.....the island cabinets (as well as the inside finish of the glass cabinets) were finished with beadboard in a Nutmeg stain. I added some of the white plates behind the glass cabinets to contrast the dark stain and really pop! Uba Tuba granite usually has a hint of green and some veining of gold, but is almost a black granite..... Notice the bronze finish on the cabinet hardware to pull in the dark granite....I designed the backsplash in Autumn Lilac 2x2 slate tiles laid diagonally and a pinwheel pattern framed over the cooktop area for interest. There was no need for metal or glass accent tiles with the slate. The natural random color slate has gave all the variance needed for an interesting backsplash. I love how it pulls colors from the countertop, cabinets, and wall paint color.

I thought this post would be perfect for Susan's Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch. I will have to show you the rest of the model another day!

Craft Room Inspiration...

2009-05-04T18:54:00.011-05:00

I've had ideas floating around in my head for a while now on how I want to design my craft/scrap room. These are my inspiration boards to help me stay on track.....

I'm thinking bright blue color on the walls: like Benjamin Moore's Electric Blue.... I'm thinking red acents in the bold modern floral fabrics.... And fun funky storage ideas for all the stuff.... I'll let you know how it turns out....

Carrie Bradshaw's new digs....

2009-04-29T22:12:00.023-05:00

Did anyone see Sex and the City, the movie, last year? I've seen it, well, lets just say a few times.......

After Mr. Big couldn't bring himselft to show up to the New York Public Library to marry Carrie (boo hoo), the roller-coaster of love couple broke up yet again! Carrie took her Mexican honeymoon with the girls, slowly came out of her Mexi-coma, returned to NY, hired Louise from St. Louis as an assistant, and then.....made over her NYC apartment....

And it was good! Very good!

What I LOVE, is

1. the blue walls.....I read an article saying the designer always mixes his own paint colors, but this color is close to Benjamin Moore's "Electric Blue." Its very peacock blue-ish...

2. the unexpected purple rug - there is nothing else purple in the room, but it definately works!

3. the large floral pattern fabric on the new grown-up loveseats.

4. the "LOVE TOO" artwork now hung in her foyer....after some research, I found out that this is actually a rug for your wall. It comes from The Rug Company in the UK. http://www.therugcompany.info/wallhangings/paul-smith/love-too.htm 5. and the very sexy mirrored vanity.... Can you believe the before shots? Much improved! And I can't wait for the movie sequel for more ideas! And check out Hooked On House's Blog party at www.hookedonhouses.net for more things that make people happy!

a colorful tablescape...

2009-04-29T21:24:00.015-05:00

My mom found this colorful china for me at a garage sale when I was still in highschool. The set was complete with serving bowls, a cake stand, dinner & salad plates, cups & saucers, and cute cute soup bowls. She knew I would like it's asian influence and color, I did, and still do! I have never had a meal on this china, but it makes for a great tablescape, I think! Now that I can actually cook, I will have to host a dinner party with this set! I have also used the dinner plates as wall art in my new dining room!

You can see other tablescapes at Between Nap's "Tablescape Thursday" party at

www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com

What's Hot....

2009-04-24T10:42:00.028-05:00

...these are!

And I want one...or two....

These are Garden Stools meant for outdoor areas, and they are HOT right now. They can also be used indoors as coffee tables, side tables, or extra seating. Really, they are just cute! And the colors are great! I hope to use one in the craft room I'm planning out. These 2 are at West Elm and a little pricey at $120 to $200..... The 3 shown below are at Pottery Barn for around the same at $150.... These super cool metallic stools are at Wisteria for $129.But earlier this week, I found these stools at TJ Maxx Home Goods ranging from $39 to $69. Not bad!

Oohhh, I want one!

Check out Hooked On Houses' blog party, "Hooked on Fridays," at www.hookedonhouses.net to see what everyone else is hooked on.

a Formal Dinner Party...

2009-04-22T18:18:00.012-05:00

I really just wanted to share the new china & stemware that my husband and I received last summer for our wedding gifts....

The China is a Lenox pattern called Solitaire with a platinum band and accent salad. The Stemware is Mikasa Park Lane, which I LOVE! You can see more tablescapes at Susan's "Between Naps on the Porch" Blog @ www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com.

An empty loft is staged...

2009-04-21T20:18:00.039-05:00

Last week, I staged an empty condo to try to get it and its seven other condo-mates to sell. Staging helps a potential buyer see their own furnishings in the space, which in turn, hopefully also helps the potential buyer see themselves living here and ultimately...BUY! These particular condos are located in Nashville off West End Ave, and are called Longview Place (Condos & Lofts).

You can learn more about the units at http://www.tenpennyteam.com/custom7.shtml.

One Loft's Master Bedroom Suite.... Beautifully built, but empty....

I used the builder's own 4 poster bed (shown below)..... And their own antique rocking chair (shown below).... Then updated the bedding and accessorized to create an overall clean crisp look....

I also added some linens and accessories to show off the great bath as well.... In the living area, an open floorplan might make it difficult for some potential buyers to see their own furnishings and how they would be arranged. A few pieces of furniture and accessories solves this dilema.

Empty Loft....

Furnished Loft.....

I hope it sells!

Check out Between Naps On the Porch's blog party "Metamorphosis Monday" to see other great metamorphosis posts.

www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com

Dining Room Re-design

2009-04-18T17:03:00.027-05:00

My husband and I recently re-designed our Dining room....and this is how it all went down....

BEFORE...(as in before I moved in).... Yellow walls...ceiling fan...low chair rail with red wallpaper below.... BUT, loads of potential! The table and chairs were given to us by my mom, who inhereted them from her mother, so they have some special meaning to them for me, and they are classic, they just needed some re-vamping... The chairs were originally covered in a green fabric....

The window blinds would stay, they just needed something more to dress them up for a formal dining room....

This is my husband...posing...for...something....

And my husband working on the room....he did work very hard! We took down the original chair rail and put up beadboard wainscotting, finished it off with a new chair rail and base boards, then painted it all white.

Then we painted above the chair rail a deep dark chocolate brown and finished the ceiling with crown molding and corner blocks.

We also replaced the ceiling fan with a bronze chandelier.

Finally, I recovered the chairs with a taupe fabric. Hung new window panels made from a sheer floral patterned fabric. Added a buffet. And accessorized....

AFTER ....

Go to Between Nap's blog at http://www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/ to see more metamorphosis monday posts.

How to set a CASUAL table...

2009-04-15T17:25:00.016-05:00

Welcome to Between Naps on the Porch's http://www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/ Tablescape Thursday!

I have 3 sets of dinnerware/china. One is for everyday casual dinner. The next is my fine china that is used for fancy dinners (like once a year for Christmas). And the last is an old garage sale find that I consider "in-between" fine and everyday china.

I'll set my table for a FINE DINNER and an "IN-BETWEEN" DINNER another night....

Tonight, I've set my table for a CASUAL DINNER...

Here, I just used the place setting's fork as a name card.

A tall candle holder is the centerpiece. And a bird vase to hold a single flower (in this case, I didn't have fresh flowers, so I used a dried rose my husband gave me last month).

Ta da....