Junk Drawers...?!!

Not really junk, but I am going through my drawers in my nightstand and I came across some old drawings I did. These are actually when we first moved into our house a few years ago. Its an idea I had for the family room layout and casual dining room, but looking back...my things have changed!

 

After living in the house for awhile we decided to move the TV to behind the wall where the fireplace now sits. So that really changed the entire layout. The way I use the space is still thee same as far as function so I still have kept some of the same ideas like having a computer armoire in this space. I still want a chaise sectional, but I decided not to use an upholstered ottoman int his room.

As far as the casual dining room ( or breakfast nook) I am  doing wall to wall bookshelves where I show the banquet and a window seat will now go under the window.

This is so random, but I just thought I would share. I have plenty more where this came from...Its just about time I execute!!!!

Its a go for...Concrete Painted Floors?!! (I think)

In the past, I have mentioned that I want dark (really dark) wood floors like you see below. Where you see the hash marks above, which is what I always refer to as the main living areas, is what we would like to cover in wood. We also thought about including our master bedroom as dark like the one you see below...

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Well, we have priced it first at what we really want and then at what would be practical. Neither one is really a cost effective choice for us right now. So I got the idea to paint the concrete?!!! Just to live with for now because the white "Triple B Threat" (blah, boring, and builder grade) carpet in not working for us with four young kids. Well, a few things run through:

1. How safe it will be?
2. How commercial it will look?
3. How maintainable it is?

I just really would like to know your opinions on this to help me out a little with the decision we have made.

We have already decided to go for it, but not before I do lots of research, in July! This is what I do know I am looking for:

1. A finished look
2. More of a matte and not too glossy
3. Nothing marble or inconsistent
4. Not too industrial

So here is where I just did some research on the look that I am going for:

So now you can get a feel of what I am wanting. Now lets take a look at some photos of really cool painted floors:

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I am a sucker for anything black and white and I would do this in a heart beat if I knew that I could live with it for a long time. But for now I will just dream of what could be...

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This, I have always loved! The stenciling added so much character yet it did not overtake the room like the black and white would. Just the right amount of charm!

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This steals my heart. I actually appreciate the glossy effect in here because it looks like you could walk on water. Aqua in this white kitchen is just sooooo...right!

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This is so rustically pretty to me because the floor actually looks like poured concrete with a gentle white floral stenciling on top. I love it!

So please give me your opinions on what I should do or think about if you have been there done that!

UPDATE:

 

No Green Thumb? No Problem!

I told my husband, "NO, I refuse to pay someone to do something I can do for a fraction of the price!" And I put my foot down and meant it! As much as I would love to garden, I just do not have the time and patience. No green thumb for me! I would love to have, but like my husband told me over and over, "you got to be realistic!" And guess what else he said?!! "If we wait on you it will never get done!" Mm-hm, he said it. Me being my stubborn self, would not give in.

So hubby decided to sabotage me (okay maybe I am over-exaggerating, but he don't have to know). One weekend, when it was just me and my girls out at one of our many basketball tourneys, he decided to attack the mulch! Ok, so he hired someone to clean the yard up a bit, you know, put some mulch down, trim some shrubs, and clean-up that stinking baby oak tree that had limbs going out from everywhere. My sweet husband thought he was doing something that would put a smile on my face when I arrived home on Sunday evening. I feel bad about now, but I gave him HELL! As soon as I turned the corner, all I could see was what looked like neon orange colored cheapy mulch. Ugh, I was HOT, oh know he did not!!!!!!

After trying living with ti for one week (I'm lying...it was more like two days) I said, "get somebody over here QUICK!" Hubby broke me down, I could not take it anymore. He actually approached our new neighbors Gardener that actually turned out to be our high school classmate. He came over one day, I told I wanted a little color, layers, and dimension. He drew up a plan and we said go for it! A couple days later I came home to a beautiful front yard makeover. It looks like a different house!

We had our magnolia tree removed because it was diseased. He said it looked like it had been for awhile. I was wondering why it never bloomed. We requested some palms to replace it.

I looove the way it transformed the view of the front entrance. It actually looks much bigger and it feels more open and therefore more welcoming. I plan to add a some pizazz some how. Just gotta do my research.

Everywhere you look is like discovering something new everyday. I can not wait until the shrubs reach full maturity, because that where the layering and dimension is going to come in.

I wish I could tell you what theses are, but I am not even going to front! Remember, no green thumb...no problem! So this is what I told the Gardener; different color greens, red flowers (not bright red), spiky grass things, and some rocks. Is that technical enough for you?!! So what your are seeing are his interpretations of what I asked for. I could not be happier!

I also asked him to frame the sidewalk by adding landscaping to either side of the sidewalk. I am loving the presentation. Here is also a better view of my front door entrance.  Oh man, I am just giddy over it! Now we are able to cross one thing off the list.

I am in...Marble Love

Remember this beauty of a lamp!  Well, I came across Bryn Alexandra Interiors blog via 6th Street Design School's confessions of a designer week . I recognized her interiors once I viewed her beautiful portfolio!

and...BAM!

I found love:

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 Its from the pirouette marbled paper in turquoise, apricot, and raspberry from Paper Mojo! It comes in 24x36 thin sheets for $4.50 per sheet. I actually ordered form here to make my wedding invitations back in 2007! I promise I will be posting about my wedding this month because its our anniversary month, so stay tuned!

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 Check out her marbled paper DIY. It was an antique secretary she won at an auction. Beauty isn't it?!!

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Now I just need to find the perfect lamp base so I am hoping to score big at one of the local hot spots!

Chic Tween Girls' Bedrooms

As a child, I always had to share a bedroom with my other siblings. I never had a bedroom to call my own. So its kind of liberating to know that we are able to provide my girls with the privacy of their own bedrooms and even more liberating that I am in the process of designing two, not one, "chic" tween girls' bedrooms.

As of right now, the girls have paint on the walls! I am still trying to figure out if I should design them to be identical or not, within the color palette of each room. Some alike elements I know for sure are:

1. Upholstered headboards
2. Full size beds
3. Storage options
4. Extra Seating
5. Desk/Vanity 

As I come across inspirational photos I save them to my archives. One of them that I came across recently was over at Erika Ward's Blulabel Bungalow (beautiful blog BTW) when she informed us about Jonathan Adler's new boutique opening in Atalanta.

I am in love with this headboard! Since I did not achieve the Pink that my youngest daughter wanted, I am going to find a solid velvet fabric in a deeper shade of the pink walls. Here are some more inspiring pink headboards:

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Here are a couple more shapes I am loving too (I changed them to black and white to get and idea of shape rather than color):

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As you can see I am going for a certain shape and style  that is scalloped, tufted, and with nail-heads. This is a DIY I am looking forward! Just have to find the right fabric and in the right color!

When it comes to a color palette for the pink room, I am loving this Etsy hand stamped peacock pillow with vivid colors of orchid pink and orange and touches of green apple green and turquoise. They are 12x16 for $38 and I absolutely love this shop, she really has some amazing things.

I find myself constantly working and reworking the space planning for there rooms until I get that feeling that I have just the perfect layout for each of their spaces. And again I keep toying with the idea of doing identical rooms. Here is my latest space plan:

Here is my latest quick sketch:

Still do not have that feeling yet, but I know it will come. I do have a tendency to ponder too much, but I gotta feel it in my gut!

 

Check out how this chic plum bedroom inspiration  is coming together for the purple room! The headboard is another Horchow headboard option I fell in love with in plum! I love the quatrefoil cu-out detail. It sill has the same look and feel that I am going for with the scalloping and the nail-heads. I have a good feeling good about this!

I am loving the idea of two-tone painted furniture. I am so into refurbishing a piece of furniture to make it your own which I have seen a lot of in the blogging world. The purple wardrobe is from the UK that comes in a variety of different colors. I am just glad I found one in purple. Here is two-tone in pink. Pretty huh! I came across this in the April 2010 issue of Traditional Home magazine. It was a Market Place profile article on kids furniture. This is the Savannah Dresser changer.

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The bench is another Horchow find too! I love the simple shape and settle colors. It comes in four, five and six feet widths.  As far as extra seating options, I do not know if I want to create a window seat or just do a simple bench at the end of the bed with storage underneath, but I do know I want a bench!

When it comes to the desk/vanity, I am thinking about splurging! I think the girls (10 &12) are old enough to handle the West Elm Parsons Mirror Console. There is no DIY in this.

I love this option because its just going to reflect all the beautiful finishes and materials that I am planning for these rooms. I wonder if they will do a  BOGO on these for me?

Things I still have yet to consider are:

1. Flooring - I plan to do a pink and purple shag in the corresponding rooms
2. Lighting - General, task, and ambient
3. Ceiling fan - Lowe's has a clear blade fan, but its pretty expensive. I wonder if I can purchase clear blades separately and do a refurb on a couple of fans from craigslist. (ANY IDEAS?)
4. Window and pillow fabrics - (I actually found a couple but I am not feeling them anymore)
5. Closet Organizers

So we are well underway to creating two Chic Tween Girls' Bedrooms!

Master Suite (What if...)

I have had this on my mind all day and could not wait to get home to put it down in black and white. So what if...I designed my master bedroom and bathroom around my kids birth stones? Whatcha think?

They are February's Amethyst (oldest son 8), March's Aqua (oldest daughter 12), September's Sapphire (youngest daughter 10), and November's Topaz (youngest son 16mths)! Jewel tones are trendy right now.

Here is a floor plan of my master suite:

So this gives you an idea of how my room lays out. The sky is the limit in here because I own nothing that is staying except my TV and my king mattress and foundations.

What made me think of this idea are my hubby and I's wedding rings. We personalized our wedding to the "T," which I will tell you about next month (April will be our 4 year anniversary). Instead of a diamond ring we decided to get our kid's birthstones in matching his and her rings. So if you do the math we only have three stones in our wedding rings, gotta add the baby! Diamonds are not my best friend, I know some of you may gasp at that, but I do not have to have a huge diamond. Not saying I do not like them, I think they are beautiful, but my kids birthstones just have more sentimental value then a diamond.

See here is our love story in a nut shell:

Star (me) and Sleepie (hubby) sittin in a tree,  K-I-SS-I-N-G, first came love, then came "chillens," then came marriage, then came our home, then came another "chillen!"

I know, so backwards, but to me it's honestly the modern day love story! You are probably wondering how does a Star and a Sleepie end up together. These are our nick names which mostly everyone knows us by, mine was birth given, his was acquired!

Back to the birth stones...when I see the color palette of the kids birthstones I think of a few different things. I see a cool or stormy sunset (sunset is where I am going with my color scheme for my house). I also see the bedroom blues I was trying to accomplish in my bedroom. But as I was going through my archives, I actually dug up this image:

I have this in my archives of images, so I have no reference for it (sorry). It reminds me of a certain something! Do you recognize it?

Yes a peacock feather, which is also trendy. I am not saying I am going to put peacock feathers all over my room, but I am inspired by the color palette:

So here is what I am thinking, I know I want to do a blue upholstered head board (just do not know which hue). Whatever I choose as the headboard color will become the paint color for the master bath. I want to add dark masculine dresser and night stands, but add the feminine touch with accents and accessories. Here is a perfect example of what I am talking about:

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This is just stunning from the headboard to the wall treatment all the way down to the accent pillows.  And since momma luv da kidz this will make so much sense and have add  more sentimental value to our master suite.

Looky What I Gotty!

I am all giddy inside right now, because I finally made a house purchase. After a stressful morning yesdiddy, I used my lunch break to make a little trip. Do you remember my shopping trip last week? I have had these on my mind every since I saw them. Well..I could no longer maintain so look at what I got:

Welcome home my pretties!! Yep, I backed them on up into their rightful place after work! Mmm..lovely!
$50 dolla a piece...and they are all mine.

They have a painted distressed rub finished on them and hardware is pretty cute. After some tender love and care I will have these babies looking like they can rip the runway!

They are very well made because of the dovetail! I did a bit of research on American of Martinsville and found out that it is a hospitality and healthcare furniture manufacturer that has made furniture for Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons. So, of course I am going to have to make up a glamorous story about them when someone asks, "where did you get those side tables?" Trust me I will be well prepared!

I know the perfect place for them and so now going to the drawing board to think up the perfect little conversation area for my sitting room. I have to find perfect chairs that is going to round out this little style story I have started.

Its going to be the one of the first spaces you see when you walk into the front door, so its got to bring the fire...I am so excited!

Thinking up a Dining Room Design

While I was in Sarasota the weekend before last for my daughter's basketball tournament, I made it a point to make to the local Boca Bargoons fabric store since I was in the area. I am in search of window fabric for the girls rooms and for the main living areas. I only had 30min (always a time crunch). I did find some fabric for the girls rooms.

Its a Braemore Selim Pattern fabric in Punch and Heather. I have found them for as low as $10/yd online. Not exactly sold yet, I am sitll on the prowl! I will post you up to date about my plans fo the girls room.

I actually fell in love with an especially particuler fabric. There was no information attached to the fabric, and I had no time to check with a sales person since I found it at the last minute. I did however cut a good sized sample.

If anyone recognizes this fabric, please let me know! Its a beautiful bird (I cut off its head) :( fabric with all these beautiful colors of the sunset in it! It has corals, pinks, and oranges with a cream base. It goes perfectly with the taupe walls. So, with this sample in hand...I have been thinking up a dining room design.

The dining room window falls in the front of the house, seen above. The way the house was originally built, this was actually supposed to be the formal living room and my now living room was supposed to be the dinging room. It did not make any sense to me space planning wise, so I changed it! My dining room table was my first furniture purchase. I bought it (in my mind) before I actually knew we were buying a house.

Its a 72" round dining table with a large glass lazy susan. Lu-u-uv it!!! It fits the space perfectly. The only thing is I do not have room for a large china, which is okay, because I like the idea of keeping the room feeling open. With the fabric serving as my window fabric, take a look at what I thought up:

I want to make this room more than just a dining room, I also want it to be a lounging place. I bet the first thing you see is that gorgeous turquoise settee. This is representative of color! Its something I  like to do in each room, adding that punch of color. I also would like to soften up it up a little more. I have to pay attention to the height of the back so it does not block too much natural light and I use this window to watch the kids at play when they are outside.

 

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I have always liked the idea of using a settee in a dining room. Its just one more way of making a dining room a more funtional space to lounge and eat. It will definetlty allow for longer conversations due to the level of comfort.
Since I can not fit a china, I am thinking of the best way to create storage in this area. Take a look at my options:

I can either do two matching cabinets with wall mounted shelves above or two matching open book shelf piers. Its something I need to ponder on just a bit longer, but I am leaning towards the cabinets with shelves above because it will allow me to have a buffet surface.

I plan to adress lighting by adding a Z-gallerie gold capiz chandelier above the table (z-gallerie who'd of thunk it?)! Aww...man I bet this will be so gorgeous at night in that large window from the outside. I have always wanted that chandelier, hope to have it within the next 3-4 mnths. 

I would also like to add wall sconces, on my focal point wall. Above is and inspiration photo from my archives, I do not know where I got it from, but here is how its inpired me:

I would like to mount a long wood shelf mantel, no more than 6" deep. Above it I would like to do a abstract piece of art with sconces on either side. This shelf will give me a place to add small decorative elements, like candles, and break up the large expansive wall space since I can not fit a china. I would like to paint the art myself, but this is a great alternative from the "Z."

I have not thought of what I would like to do for chairs, but I know I want either leather or wood. Maybe a woven rattan chair might be a good option. Let me know what you think!