On a job site this past week the builder announced that there was going to be left over materials that he and my client did not need if anyone was interested. My Friday Find is a pile of wood that I was thrilled to take off their hands, mainly 2 x 4′s and pieces of reclaimed lumber. My goal was to come up with four projects from novice to insanity and then figure out which one to tackle. Here is the round up, wow this is exciting…
I just love when I find old pieces of furniture at an estate sale or one that is handed down to me that I can breath new life into. When I am working on client projects and I access their existing furniture I often recommend painting pieces or even kitchen cabinets. Think outside of the box when evaluating old furniture for possible re-use; below an old dresser gets an easy makeover by removing the bottom drawer, a coat of paint and adding a basket. Over the years I have tried re-finishing, distressing and painting furniture and I have learned what my limitations are. By far, I have had the best results with painting and wanted to share the steps I use when transforming a piece.
Happy Memorial Day friends, today I am sharing some red, white and blue inspiration with you. Red is vibrant and energetic, blue can be soothing or bold depending on the shade and white is peaceful and crisp. Combined the result is crisp, clean and fabulous. Read more
A few years ago I decided my family needed a pool. Working from home, summers were becoming increasingly difficult as my kids got older and I needed an activity where they could just walk outside and have fun without leaving; building a pool was the answer. If you have ever put in a pool then you know what a stressful, exhausting and costly endeavor it can be, you can read all about our adventure in pool building here. I would still do it again in a flash, our pool is one of my favorite family gathering places where we have shared everything from lazy summer days to 70th Birthday celebrations.
Let’s face it, many of us would love to have that fabulous front porch or grand staircase to dress up this time of year with beautiful flowers and potted plants but it isn’t always the case. Styling your stoop can be as simple as changing your front door color and adding some potted plants or as elaborate as changing your lighting fixtures and sprucing up stone work. I’ve received so many requests this week for ways to style a stoop and I am happy to share ways to enhance curb appeal creating a warm welcome for your guests. Read more
The beautiful weather we are having is bringing my little man out constantly, he just loves it. This week at his Nana and Pop Pop’s they decided to make a mini-golf course, a simple and inexpensive DIY project for your budding golf champion. Jake enjoyed making the flags just as much as playing with his Pop Pop. Give it a try! Read more
The great outdoors, this is the perfect time of year to spruce up or create a setting that you can enjoy throughout the year. When creating an outdoor oasis here are a few steps to consider that may help drive your design decisions. Read more
I am a huge fan of window seats and have designed dozens of them for my clients. The two questions that my clients often ask are; how will it be designed and where will it go? The basic design of any window seat looks similar to this one pictured above. The simplest, most cost effective way is to construct a box, add a door and hinges to the top, add panels to the front, trim and base molding. Design details to address (1) The face; recessed or raised panels, bead board, open shelves, doors or drawers? (2) How will you access the storage inside; a door on top of the seat or from the front which we just touched on. (3) The base; to the floor or a toe kick (open space)? (4) The top; will it have a cushion, a decorative slab of wood on top and will it need to open? Read more
Q. I am taking down the wall between my kitchen and dining room, should I keep a formal dining table or go more casual now? Leeanne
A. Let me start out by saying, I just love the open plan concept mainly because I believe it can increase the quality of your life through natural connections. These connections can be visual as well as interpersonal, the open plan creates opportunities to connect on many different levels. Now on to our readers question, consider the following items when deciding what the dining area should look and feel like. Read more
St. Patrick’s Day is March 17 and if you are entertaining this is the perfect time to get organized. Today I want to share ideas to get you started; setting a festive table, some simple DIY decor and a menu of traditional Irish fare with a twist . What I love about St. Patrick’s Day parties and dinners is that the menu is basically pre-determined and a little bit of green in your decor goes a long way. For a busy working Mom like me this takes the stress out of planning and makes finding a few wow factors an easy task. This year my husband’s Irish side of the family is coming from Texas and Colorado for another event and stopping in for dinner at our house, its time to get my act together and start planning. Above, printables are a fun and easy way to add some pizzazz to any Irish inspired display, find these free printables at Catch My Party. Read more
