Finishing Details and A New Favorite Etsy Shop

It's the little things that bring the most joy.


Case in point: the small side entry in my house...

I have been loving the new shiplap walls and lighter paint color. But, I recently added a couple of finishing details.

Did you notice them? I installed a bamboo shade, which was super easy to do. I like the texture (and privacy) it offers.

And I added this adorable new pillow from HERE. You know how I love a pop of pink!


I usually ignore the emails from Etsy suggesting products I might like. However, in one such e-mail a pillow caught my eye, and when I visited the etsy shop, I saw that it was owned by a gal in my town.


Got to support the local folk… especially when they're making beautiful stuff!!

I mean, check out her work…

She also makes adorable Christmas stockings and these wine gift bags...

She has lots of different style pillows from cottage to modern industrial to boho chic. I just thought they were all so adorable, I had to share them with you.


If you have any favorite etsy shops, I'd love to hear about them! Have a great Hump Day!!

Client's Family Room Makeover: More Progress Being Made

Hey there! I'm back to share the latest progress pics from my client's family room.

Please allow me to shed some light on the matter. Literally.



This is where it all began…

Let me tell you… this room is dark. Don't let the skylights and sliding door fool you. This room seriously needed to lighten up.

Painting the walls and whitewashing the brick helped. But, it was going to take more than paint to get the job done.



Enter my favorite solution for dark places… lights and mirrors...

The large orb chandelier we installed has the prettiest finish, and provides lots of light where once there was merely a sad, unused ceiling fan with no light source.

The mirror above the mantel reflects the light, as do the mirrored gallery wall frames.

I can't tell you what a huge difference it makes!

Now that we can actually see in here, we can start styling the bookshelves. Stay tuned…


I'd also like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the men and women who protect and defend our country's freedom. I'm heading out now to honor our vets at my son's third grade Veteran's Day program. 

Thanks for stopping by! God bless America!!

Before and During… A Family Room Makeover

I love a great before & after, don't you? Seeing a sad looking room transformed into a beautiful space is just so exciting and inspiring!

Well… I don't have a dramatic before and after to share just yet.

Would you settle for a before & during?

I hope so. Because I've realized that quite a bit of time lapses between before and after, and I don't like leaving you hanging. So, if you have an interest in what happens in the "during," I'm going to be better about sharing it with you.

Here we go.

This is the before of my client's family room. It is her least favorite room in the house.

She wanted it light, bright, cozy and contemporary. The leather sectional had to stay, but everything else was fair game.

The adjoining kitchen is very pretty with lovely blue paint…

 and the family room was not jiving with it at all.

I knew right off the bat that I wanted the TV off the wall and onto the built-ins, so the fireplace could be the focal point. And, I wanted the fireplace to get a whitewash treatment.


This is the design board I created...

Here's just a little sneak peek of how things are looking.

DURING

You can see that the TV has been moved, and the fireplace has been whitewashed. The walls were painted Benjamin Moore "Edgecombe Gray." My awful photos do not do it justice, but this is a beautiful paint color. This room gets very little natural light, and the paint really brightens it up.

BEFORE

I can't tell you how happy I was the day the TV came off this wall. We also got rid of the "too short" window treatments, moved the drapery rods way up, and added new drapery panels.

DURING

Ahhh… so much better!! You can catch a glimpse of the new rug and coffee table. I'll share more about those next time.

Lots more changes coming soon. Pillows, a new chair, a gallery wall, and a gorgeous chandelier to name a few. Stay tuned for more "during" photos.

I know it's not as dramatic as before and after, but hopefully, you can see where this room is heading. I think it's heading for gorgeous :)