A Christmas Bedroom - for Kids!

It's the holiday season!

I love this time of year. It's so fun to see the joy on the little ones faces when they see Christmas lights and decorate trees and, of course, get all those presents! This is the first year we got a big, real tree in our living room since we've had our sweet boy, who is now 3! So, I decided to put to use the small 12" tree that we had been using in our years in New York in E's room.

Once I set up the tree, I thought it would be cute to add a few more accents to his room from items we already had around the house, including some of his own toys - so here they are!

E's grandma got him his very favorite Angry Bird Ornaments & they were the perfect size for his very own tree!

We got this cute little train in Gettysburg and although it's not on a track circling the tree, it still adds a bit of nostalgia.

On the other nightstand I put one of E's red trucks carrying a Christmas tree along with some "reindeer." So cute, but I really can't take credit for this - I got this idea from Sixty-Fifth Avenue blog, as I did the tree with snow and animals in the glass cloche below.

Sixty Fifth Avenue blog used reindeer, but I saw these cute polar bears at Michaels and thought they'd be perfect for the winter wonderland on E's dresser.

I used extra batting I had lying around for the white snow and got the pine tree at Michaels.

Another detail for E's dresser: using blocks to create a "Christmas" tree. 

We made the reindeer feet last year from an idea I found on pinterest from Life In Motion blog.

E's sock monkey got a make-over with Santa's hat - so simple, yet E loves it!

And one last detail for the room - fresh pine tied to the foot of his bed. 

We trimmed the tree and I couldn't just throw out the branches! So here they are, looking so festive and smelling so wonderful.

Merry Christmas!

Bedroom Redesign

I recently designed a room that was once used by a teenage boy and needed to be updated into a mature, comfortable bedroom that could function for the now adult college student. I wanted to create a space that would also transition well to a guest bedroom later. The overall style of the house is Tuscan, with lots of reds, golds, and deep browns. I wanted this room to feel slightly more modern, but still flow with the feel of the house, so I opted for neutral creams, browns, golds and blues.

Floor Plan

Guest Bedroom

Since this room is in the basement, I decided to go with a light cream paint color on the walls and light linen drapery panels. The canvas art really helps to tie in the color scheme and I love the rich colors in it! 

This project had a budget under $2,000.00 so we found the bed and nightstands on craigslist! All of the bedding, the canvas art and the lamps are from TJMaxx Homegoods. (Have I mentioned that I love that store? You can find so many great deals there!)

The artwork above the bed is very unique to this particular client. We framed images of the city his son had lived in the past two years. I love this idea because it makes the space more personal and yet discreet at the same time - perfect for a future guest bedroom.

I found this great desk on sale at World Market and paired it with a leather side chair. The metal accents in the desk, lamps and accessories create a more masculine feel for the room while the linen draperies and paisley duvet add softness and comfort.

Color Trend 2013

Have you noticed a trend in colors for this year?

I've seen a lot of emerald green, whites, and light neutrals and according to examiner.com the colors this year will be 1. "bright & bold", 2. lots of white, and 3. earthy tones.

Image from lvdesigncenter.com.

Denverpost.com said this upcoming year will bring "blue with a touch of green." In the same article, Mark Woodman stated, "Blue will dominate the color movement for years ahead. It's stable, comfortable and well liked."

Image from ballarddesigns.com.

The "new" blue for this year will be warmer than in the past. Woodman also stated that, "Tropical, watery blues with a touch of green will dominate."

Image from ballarddesigns.com.

The paint company, Sherwin Williams announced their 2013 color of the year to be Aloe, a soft green-blue.

Sherwin Williams Paint Color SW6464 Aloe.

This color is so relaxing to me... and there's a good reason why! Blues and greens psychologically have a calming impact on a person. Jackie Jordan, a Color Marketing Group chair holder, said that these light colors are making their debut now because "it takes people back to the 50's, a time that was a little more carefree. The color is fresh, fun, optimistic and hopeful." (denverpost.com)

Image from ballarddesigns.com.

I love this fresh new palette with whites, light neutrals and splashes of breezy color!

Image from designsfromhome.webs.com.

Mesa Remodel - Kitchen

Here are the final photos from the Mesa Remodel for the first floor. You can find the family room photos here and the living room photos here.

The kitchen had already been upgraded with beautiful granite countertops and painted black cabinets. Accent lighting had been added beneath the upper cabinets and in the niches, which really made the kitchen stand out. All it needed was a few accessories. 

New construction in the southwest often includes niches to fill the space the vaulted ceilings have left behind. When accessorized right, these niches can bring the eye up and add interest to an otherwise dull space.

This kitchen happened to have four large niches.

One of the best things to think about when filling a niche is scale. Don't be afraid to use large objects and wall art, and when you have multiple niches to fill, keep it simple. Too much clutter will make it feel like the walls are coming in on you... but just enough will add the finishing touch.

Add variety too. I already had two iron pieces in the kitchen so opted for this bronze metal piece in the last niche. The other two niches simply have a large vase and some greenery. Not every niche needs to have artwork in it; just the focal points are fine.

A few useful accessories on the kitchen counters complete the room while keeping the look clean.

And whenever possible, add fresh flowers!

Mesa Remodel - Family Room

Here are the photos from the family room for the Mesa Remodel that was just completed. You can find the foyer and living room photos here. 

This was a unique space to design. The ceiling was lower than the rest of the house, approximately 7' high and the room itself sits right off the breakfast nook and is quite narrow. The only request from my client was that the TV be viewable from the kitchen and that we keep his existing chair and ottoman in the space. So we did just that and arranged a simple layout revolving around the TV. This room has a few lucky finds in it as well - both the Rowe sofa and iron coffee table were found on craigslist!

Floor Plan 

Family Room

If you are ever looking for a well-priced, good quality rug, try checking TJ Maxx Homegoods first. They don't always have a huge selection, but they seem to update their stock often and I feel the prices are great. We got this 8x10' rug from a local Homegoods store and the colors are just perfect.

I am in love with this coffee table, it completes the room!

The TV console is from Target and the ladder bookshelves are from Walmart with free shipping to the store. They were well priced and only reaching 60" high, were the perfect size for this room.

We found these votive holders on clearance at Target and thought they would make the perfect centerpiece for the family room coffee table.

Mesa Remodel - Living Room

I've been busy working on a remodel for a client in Mesa, Arizona. We started the project with nothing but a beautiful house... no existing furniture, no art, no lighting and no accessories. Having experience in the model home industry, this was a fun and exciting project for me! 

We focused our efforts on the first floor of this Tuscan inspired, three story house. The budget for the main floor which included the living room, foyer, kitchen, breakfast nook, powder bathroom, hallway and family room was under $10,000 to furnish and accessorize. Because this particular client lives near me I was able to personally shop for the home and find great deals at places like Ross and TJ Maxx. 

This post focuses on the living room and foyer. This was our first area to complete.

Floor Plan

Foyer

Living Room

We were lucky and able to find some great deals on craigslist... the sofa, love seat and glass coffee table are all reused finds!

Kirkland's Home was the perfect store for this remodel - I found many of the accessories, pillows and artwork there.

Funny story... The iron art piece originally had a 3" border around it in bronze colored metal to match. Just after purchasing, we were driving home with it in the back of the truck when it flew out and was promptly run over by two different cars. We were able to salvage it with a little bit of DIY and cutting off the metal border and what do you know - it fits perfect without it! I guess it was meant to be...

My client loves to have parties in his home and I thought this unused space in the corner of the room would be a perfect place for an extra seating area for all those guests. These Rowe chairs are another find on craigslist and the ottoman is from none other than my favorite store: Target.

It's all in the details. You don't need to buy a lot of accessories to fill a bookshelf. Try using items you already have around your house... books, baskets, picture frames, and anything you'd like to showcase. This is a perfect place for sentimental objects that would just be clutter anywhere else.

One last detail for the room... restaining the oak stair rail to match the new dark furniture. Didn't he do a great job?

A Pop of Coral

I've been seeing some links on Pinterest for the upcoming colors of 2013. It brought me back to when the color "coral" first made its debut... It was a few years ago and I did a model home in Tucson with a transitional feel using creams, grays and splashes of coral accents. I loved the look & still do!

I am excited to see what 2013 brings!