As promised, here are some photos of my colorful spring garden. It’s amazing what a little hard work and a dozen or so cans of spray paint can accomplish.
Colorful Spring Garden
categories: Uncategorized
Spring Garden Frolic
categories: Pets
I spent the last two days cleaning up my yard and tending to my garden. The Phlox are in bloom and I don’t want anything to detract from the spectacular show. My garden always needs a lot of attention after a long winter of neglect. The puppies, especially the boys, are excellent garden buddies–and always so helpful. They enjoy digging holes, stealing my gloves and small garden tools, soaking up the sun, barking at neighbor’s dogs, and engaging in a game of tag, or two, or three.
I also spent the last two days with a dozen or so cans of spray paint in a multitude of colors. My garden furniture needed some serious sprucing up and I wanted to add touches of pink to play up the color of the Phlox. I ran out of light before I finished painting the furniture, so I’ll have to take additional photos and post them tomorrow. I’m so pleased with the results of my work, and boy am I achy.
In the meantime, here are photos of my boys doing what they do best–frolicking in the Phlox, eating grass, and enjoying a few games of tag.
Steve in the Phlox
Piggy in the Phlox
Dexter enjoying the Mandevilla
Piggy with the Mandevilla
Steve and Piggy enjoying a game of chase
Steve in motion
And the best thing after a hard day’s work (and play) in the garden–besides the dogs being seriously tired for the rest of the night–is the fabulous dinner my mother had waiting for me when I was done working (eggplant Parmesan, a green salad, some rustic bread, and peach iced tea). Love you, mom.
Pick a Color, Any Color–Except Beige
categories: Watercolor
I hope my colorful home series has inspired folks to let go of their color inhibition and fear of making mistakes and pick up a paint roller (or two) and a few gallons of paint and add splashes of color to their spaces. For more inspiration on adding color to your home pick up a copy of one of my favorite books, The Comfort of Color by Susan Sargent. It’s a fabulous source of inspiration that’s packed with gorgeous photos, unique color schemes, and tips to help you get started.
Want to add color to your home? What are you waiting for? Just pick a color, any color–except beige–and get started.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Feline Friend
categories: Watercolor
My neighbor’s cat likes to stop by and say hello when I come home from work. It’s a nice pick-me-up after a hard day’s work. Watercolors on cold pressed Canson Aquarelle/Acuarela paper.
Work in Progress–Portrait of My Daughter
categories: Watercolor
Derwent pencils on Stratmore 400 Series drawing paper. This is the underlying sketch for a colored pencil painting. Once the sketch is complete, I will overlay color with Prisma Color pencils.
