Online Design Board For My New Living Room

After a major struggle, hmm...can I call designing a room a major struggle, or is that exaggeratory (that's Ryan's word that he made up and insists that it is really a word, it isn't a word - is it?)?  Anywhoo... I decided to "hire" a designer that I have a major design crush on - Emily Hewett of A Well Dressed Home. She is in Dallas, and even though I can't physically have her over for some tea and paint advice, she makes it possible across the miles with her Online Design Board Service.  I don't think Emily has posted a room or design board that I haven't loved, and her own home is gorgeous.  Today, she blogged about my room!!!

Go here to see what she had to say:

http://awelldressedhome.com/yet-another-reason-why-i-love-my-job/comment-page-1/

Here is the board!!! Love it, love it, love it!

I have already ordered the lamps, the throw pillows, and bought the paint. The fabric is on backorder, but I WILL have it!  I am SO excited to put it all together! Isn't it fab!?  I'll share the steps to making the room something to look at! Check out Emily if you need a little help, she does not disappoint!

Spring Break Was Magical...

We ran into Snow White on Main Street.

Then she gave us a hula hooping lesson.

Then we took a trip around this Small World of ours (who doesn't love these little hula girls!?).

Had to stop by Mommy's favorite - Beauty and the Beast.

Ran into Cinderella in the garden.

A trip to Disney wouldn't be complete without Daddy's favorite:

I am not exaggerating when I say that EVERY time we see a parade Ryan tells me the story of when he was little, and they went to Disney, and his lips were sunburned, and they sat on the curb, and watched the Electrical Parade, and ate popcorn. The salt from the popcorn hurt his lips so badly that he almost cried, but he kept on eating it because it was so good. Every time.

And then the fireworks - so pretty.

But now that I have recovered from vacation, I am ready to get back to work.  Next up is the Living Room. I have paint swatches on the wall, and I hope to start painting the trim this week. It is the first room you see when you come in the house, so I would love for our home to have a better first impression than "Run, hide your eyes and run to the kitchen!"

House Tour - Family Room

House Tour - Family Room

Is any room really ever complete? Please view with the understanding that unless otherwise stated - all rooms are a "work in progress".....

Our Family Room

Before:

Nice beams, and checkerboard ceiling, right? Purple, green and khaki, nice.

This little half wall served no purpose, except for closing off the space.

After:

The built-ins my FIL built! Love them! And our no longer needed TV stand, now standing in as a sofa table.

After about 5 coats of paint, and 3 days of caulk - there are still cracks that need filling and paint that needs painting - but Ryan gave up on it for now.

Linking to:
View Along the Way - Roomspiration

I Can See Clearly Now...

that the grody busted windows have been removed! Buying windows/glass for your house is like buying tires for your car - an evil necessity that keeps you from getting the good stuff. I would have much rather spent the $$$ on something pretty and fun.

When we bought the house this big patio door was clouded over and the home owners opted to credit instead of replace - and it only took us 7 months to replace - shame shame!

Before:

(This is Gerry from Gerry's glass - he's the cheapest most reasonable in town!)

After:

Ahhh.....just makes you breathe easier, doesn't it?


In that time the kitchen window became worse, so it had to go to.

Before:

And as he replaced the right side glass in the garden window, he said - oh - look this other left pane in the garden window is bad too, only another $135?? Sure Gerry, what's another $135? An end table!?

After:

In 7-10 days when Gerry comes back I can say ahhh over this one too.

I have debated on this garden window. Once we paint the cabinets I wonder if the black trim will be too much against the creamy white. I could paint it white? My friend Gerry told me that a lot of people take them out because they let in too much cold in the winter. What do you think?

A cold 80's hole in the wall?

Or a nice light and airy herb garden is calling it's name?

Sara's Bedside Table Rule of Thumb

I've Been Featured! Judy at DIY by Design was so sweet to feature my guest room redo on her blog last week after I joined in her Swing Into Spring linky party. She even used the word stunning! Wow, talk about making me feel warm and fuzzy!

Judy's kitchen had me at hello and I knew I needed to see what this talented gal was doing in her house.

Check out her delicately beautiful daughter's room.

Thank you Judy!

I have been improving on my room, and I just learned something new from Sara last night on Sara's House. The rule of thumb with nightstand/lamp proportions to the bed is:

Your nightstand should be as tall as the mattress and your lamp should be about as tall as your headboard - wow! Who knew? Did you?

So what I bought for my new room, might be a little off...what do you think? Lamp too small here?

As you can see, I still haven't taken off the plastic wrap from the lampshade yet, so I can totally take it back (I think I say that about most things - which is why my MIL laughs as she picks up most things in the house to find the price tag that is still stuck to the bottom of things I've had for years).

I love the nightstand, so I might need to raise the headboard up a bit?

What do you think of the plate arrangement, it wasn't the arrangement I had on the floor, but when we put it on the wall I kind of ran out of room. Does it look off kilter, not enough plates, just need to move around a bit?

OK, now I am off to finish the Variety Show program - which I should have been working on for the last hour....

Pretty Plates and Platters

So I have been out looking for plates to fill the space above the headboard in my new guest room that is eagerly awaiting company...

I couldn't decide - simple classic white, or graphic black and white?
A random arrangement or something more streamlined and symmetrical?

I found a few inspiration pics:

With so much pattern on the bed and windows I think I might go with plain white, and I think I am definitely a symmetrical kind of gal.  What do you think?

Guest Room Step One!

Oh my word! Who knew it would take me two weeks to paint this room?! And all of it's trim! I did do it for a couple hours here and there, in the middle of Daisy Scout meetings, Girl Scout Cookie pick up and hand out, and Variety Show preparations - so it took a while. At least I had a good friend keeping me company and sharing advice:

We began with caulk, caulk and more caulk. Painting the wood trim reveals every nook and cranny that you never noticed with the naked wood.

Then the primer (BTW - the primer war was a draw - the Bulls Eye primer was about the same as the Sherwin Williams Adhesion primer, it still took two coats of primer and two coats of paint.
Here is one coat of primer:

Here are the same doors after two coats of primer and one coat of paint:

And the final product, 2 coats of primer and 2 coats of paint:

I did end up choosing the color Amazing Gray by Sherwin Williams instead of Silver Fox - Benjamin Moore, it was a touch lighter, and I wanted to err on the airy side.

 

It is a nice taupey gray, I had some warnings about grays that tend to look purple - thanks for that! But this one turned out really nice in the room.
We also painted the ceiling the same color as the trim - Pure White - Sherwin Williams, it really brightened up the room.

Here is the room now!

I still need to add some things, I am thinking:

• some plates or small quatrefoil mirrors over the bed
• would love to have overhead lighting put in, it's begging for a chandelier!
• a new lamp, I'm thinking citrus, but I might have to whip out the spray paint to get it
• a new bed skirt, gray or black?
• my seamstress (aka MIL) said she could make an adjustment to the bedspread so it would fit better on the full size bed
• either a dresser or desk on the entry wall to the left. The hub says a desk doesn't make sense, but I thought it would give the opportunity for a chair we might not other wise have room for. Any opinions?

P.S. I didn't paint the inside of the windows for fear of painting them shut. When warmer weather gets here in 3 years or so, I will paint them... I can turn a blind I to them until then, right?







Linking to:

Houseography for House Tour: Guest Rooms
The DIY Showoff for DIY Project Parade
Under the Table and Dreaming for Sunday Showcase Party
Dittle Dattle for Amaze Me Monday

Debbiedoos Blogging and Blabbing for her Newbie Party
Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphasis Monday

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Tuesday's Treasures
Domestically Speaking for Power of Paint Party
DIY by Design for Winter Blues Wednesday