Category: Projects

Here are some fun projects I’ve done around the house.


Mar
2012

Inverting the Palette–Kitchen Makeover

categories: Projects

You’ve seen glimpses of my kitchen makeover in previous posts, but here are additional shots from different angles. Before the makeover, the walls were painted a more saturated green called Pear by Benjamin Moore. Still committed to my green color scheme, I repainted the walls with a quieter, more serene shade of green called Pale Sea Mist by Benjamin Moore Paints. Once again, I left the ceiling color alone (Windmill Wings also by Benjamin Moore) because I can’t get enough of that color and it’s a royal pain in the neck to paint ceilings. I replaced the black iron table and chairs with the white set from the dining room and installed pale laminate flooring (a necessity when you have five dogs) to create a light and airy feel.

The accessories (colorful bowls, condiment set, red and white stripped pitcher, green colander, black and white salt and pepper shakers) are from Pottery Barn’s Colorful Serve collection. The white ceramic pig cookie jar is an antique from my great grandmother’s house. The lovely bird prints hanging over the sink and in the morning room–and seen in photos of all the rooms in my home–are watercolors painted by my friend, Geninne Zlatkis. She’s an amazing artist, crafter, and interior designer. Visit her blog at www.geninne.com to view her work plus photos of her amazing studio and gorgeous home.

I love this kitchen makeover–the simplicity of the design, the quietness of the colors, and spareness of the room. It’s not necessary to spend thousands of dollars on a kitchen makeover and purchase high-end appliances and finishes. All that’s needed to freshen up a kitchen is color, clean lines, practicing the art of restraint by keeping accessories and clutter to a minimum, and a super clean space. I wouldn’t trade this delightfully fresh, simple kitchen for a high-end kitchen. Keeping things simple is the golden rule in design.

This concludes the tour for now. Coming up soon will be photos of two bedroom makeovers. Work will begin on those rooms any day. I hope that you enjoyed the tour.


Mar
2012

Inverting the Palette–Family Room Makeover

categories: Projects

The next stop on the tour is my family room. For this makeover I replaced the maple entertainment center, coffee table, end tables, and wicker sofa with the white entertainment center, coffee table, end tables, sofa, and wicker chairs from the living room. I added a white slip cover to the sofa, a stripped cotton rug, and nautical themed pillow covers and artwork.

Still committed to my previous blue color scheme, I covered the aqua walls with the same color I used in the dining room (Ocean Air by Benjamin Moore Paints) for a cohesive look. I left the ceiling color as is–Windmill Wings also by Benjamin Moore. This room is screaming out for crown molding, so I’ve added the task to my to-do list.

For those who are curious about where to purchase items in this room makeover, the cottage-style entertainment center, tables, and camel back sofa are from Lane Furniture, the white wicker chairs are from Lexington Furniture, the brown wicker chair is from Pier1 Imports, the stripped cotton rug and sea grass lamp are from Pottery Barn. The sail boat prints and frames are from Pottery Barn Kids.

The final stop on my Inverting the Palette tour is the kitchen, which also serves as my studio. More on that tomorrow.


Mar
2012

Inverting the Palette–Living Room Makeover

categories: Projects

Next up on the tour is my living room. For this makeover I switched out the white entertainment center, coffee table, and end tables and replaced them with black pieces in a similar scale. I also replaced the sofa and chairs with more formal pieces. The white sofa brightens up the room and looks fabulous with the black tables. The aqua chairs are recliners, so they make a comfy spot for watching movies, and they look great, too.

Still committed to my previous green color scheme, I covered the lime green walls with a lighter shade of green (Hampton Green by Benjamin Moore Paints). I left the ceiling color as is–Windmill Wings also by Benjamin Moore.

I chose the same sisal rug and drapes I used in the dining room for cohesiveness and added clear glass lamps for an airy feel. For those who are curious about where to purchase items in this room makeover, the entertainment center, tables, sofa, and chairs are from Lay-Z-Boy Furniture Gallery, the sisal rug and glass lamps are from Pottery Barn. The white and black curtains are from Pottery Barn Teen.

Up next on my Inverting the Palette tour is my family room. More on that tomorrow.


Mar
2012

Inverting the Palette–Dining Room Makeover

categories: Projects

First up on the tour is my dining room. For this room makeover I switched out the white dining room table and chairs and replaced them with more substantial black pieces. I left the china cabinet white because I wanted the room to look as if it evolved over time.

Still committed to my blue color scheme, I covered the navy blue walls with a lighter shade of blue (Ocean Air by Benjamin Moore Paints). I left the ceiling color as is–Windmill Wings also by Benjamin Moore–since it’s become my signature ceiling color. The two shades of blue work great together. The trick is using crown molding to separate the colors so it’s easier to see the different hues.

I switched out the colorful pottery in the china cabinet with a collection of Majolica in more muted tones and replaced the sheer curtains with more substantial drapes. For those who are curious about where to purchase items in this room makeover, the dining table and chairs are from Lay-Z-Boy Furniture Gallery, the Garrett china cabinet and black-bordered sisal rug are from Pottery Barn. The white and black curtains are from Pottery Barn Teen.

Up next on my Inverting the Palette tour is my living room. More on that tomorrow.


Mar
2012

Coming Up Next–My Inverting the Palette Series

categories: Projects

Last week I took you on a tour of my colorful home, which showcased white furniture against highly saturated wall colors. But what if I switched things up a bit? What if I kept the high-contrast color scheme that I love so much but simply inverted the palette? What kind of results would I get? What if I changed the white furniture to black and replaced the highly saturated wall colors with less saturated hues?

Oh, yes, we’re going there, and it’s coming up next in my Inverting the Palette series. Stay tuned, you won’t want to miss this.


Mar
2012

The Porch That Started it All

categories: Projects

Here’s a photo of the front porch on my first home. It was a pint-sized porch, but there was still enough room for me to squeeze in a comfy reading spot where I could sit back and have a cup of coffee or enjoy my little garden, which I packed with as much color and as many flowers as possible. The rocking chair in this photo is still in use on my porch today–only now it’s painted a sunny yellow.

If you have a small porch like this one it doesn’t take a lot of time or money to create a lovely outdoor space. All that’s needed is a chair with a comfy cushion and a colorful pillow or two, a cheery wreath for the front door, some colorful accessories, and a few hanging pots of flowers.


Mar
2012

The Yellow Porch

categories: Projects

Here are a few pictures of my spring porch makeover. I just completed it today. What a gorgeous day to be outside working on my front porch. My hands are absolutely covered with yellow paint even after several thorough washings. It looks like I’ll be sporting yellow hands at work tomorrow.

My inspiration for this project was the adorable tulip themed rug from Grandinroad.com; I couldn’t resist those bright colors. I purchased the pillows, chair cushions, and accessories at Pier1Imports. The white bistro table is from Target. It will make a fine place to sip a cup of coffee or work on the computer. I purchased the flowers for the wreath at Michael’s Craft Store; the orange polka-dotted flowers and ribbon were too fun to pass up.

It took me three days to complete this project–one day of shopping and two days of painting.


Mar
2012

Work in Progress–The Yellow Porch

categories: Projects

I spent the day painting my porch furniture yellow, white, and tangerine but ran out of paint before I could complete the job. I really underestimated how much paint it takes to cover purple paint with yellow. I purchased two cans of paint for each piece of furniture. Normally that would be more than enough to achieve a nice, even finish. But not this time.

I ran out to buy a few more cans of paint but the hardware store was closed. So tonight my porch is sporting a strange mixture of purple, green, yellow, white, and tangerine furniture. This evening my mother and I will be working on a matching wreath for the front door; not only is she my muse, but she has mad wreath design skills.

Here are some pictures of my porch makeover in progress. Stop by tomorrow to see the completed design.


Mar
2012

Color Changes Everything–Chocolate Brown Bedroom Makeover

categories: Projects

The last stop on the tour is my chocolate brown bedroom. To punch up the color scheme in this room I added aqua and white into the mix. It’s an unusual combination of colors, but I’m pleased with the results. The headboard, nightstands, quilt, and curtains are from Pottery Barn. The cute white and aqua lamp, grass bedskirt, and pillows are from Target. The paint color is Clinton Brown by Benjamin Moore Paints.


Mar
2012

Color Changes Everything–Pink and Yellow Bedroom Makeover

categories: Projects

Up next on the tour is my hot pink and yellow guest room. It’s another fun beach-themed room that reminds me of summers spent at the beach. The wall color is Moonlight by Benjamin Moore paints. The ceiling color is Windmill Wings, also by Benjamin Moore paints. I used a straw beach mat as a headboard (I stapled it directly to the wall with a staple gun) and an outdoor umbrella as a canopy. To hold the canopy in place over the bed, I filled a sap bucket with sand that I brought back from the beach, sprinkled some seashells on top, added artificial tall grass that I bought at Michael’s Craft Store, and some colorful artificial flowers I bought at Pottery Barn. The school of fish is a set of plastic plates from Pier1 Imports that I hung on the wall with plate holders. The plates were $1.00 a piece, so this colorful little school of fish cost me just $5.00.

The beaded curtains, wicker chair, and wrought-iron mirror are from Pier1 Imports. The white wicker nightstand is from Lazy Boy furniture. The sheer curtains are from Target. The cute clip-on flowers on the beaded curtains are from Pottery Barn Kids. The bedspread and bedskirt are from Horchow. The pillows are from Target. The dresser is from Pottery Barn. This little room packs a lot of punch for a little money. I really love this room.

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