Meaning Behind the Color: Turquoise

When selecting colors in design for a particular space we need to think in ways that reflect us as individuals as well as what the space is being used for. A quick example, red is used in dining rooms for a sense of appetite as well as in a bedroom for romance. This brings us to one of my favorite colors, turquoise! I did a little research to find out why I love this color so much and came up with some interesting information that I would like to share with you!  Turquoise represents open communication from and between the heart and the spoken word. It relates to the electronic age and the world of computers, and communication on a large scale. Also, it is the mid color between the extremes of red and violet, turquoise is the color of balance, for the emotions, thoughts and speech. Turquoise is also representing self-sufficiency and has the ability to tune into its own needs and find the way to success.  Turquoise also enhances the ability to focus and concentrate, assisting with clear thinking and decision-making, and the development of good organizational skills. Lastly one of my favorites,  it is calming yet invigorating, restoring depleted energies. Now the amount used in key, too much and it can create an emotional imbalance, too little and it can lead to secrecy, lack of direction in one's life.  Now that you know a little more about this great color, here are some spaces I think represent a healthy amount of turquoise! Enjoy!

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DIY Decor Ideas: Easier Than You Think

If you are the creative type, like me, you sometimes want to create your own piece of furniture instead of buying one. Nice quality furniture can get pricy and usually you feel obligated to keep it for a long time because you invested so much into it. Well not every piece has to be like that, you can mix old and new, inexpensive and expensive and even store bought and DIY furniture. I have built a few piece over the years for my own home and have started to incorporate piece I make into a few on my client's homes. Some are simple, just a little sanding and some paint, others take a little more planning. If you have never challenged yourself to make a piece of furniture you should try, you will be surprised at what you can do. Take a look at some of these examples and enjoy!

Is your bed all lonely with no headboard? Well for about $100 you can make a custom one! Easy to do any doesn't take up too much time!

 One of my favorites, the penny floor. Now this is time consuming but it is a less expensive option t a traditional tile floor. I am still collecting pennies for our bathroom!

 

Palettes have become a popular item for many home decor ideas. some make headboards, a wood wall, table or how about a shelf!

I recently stumbled on these planters made form concrete pavers....OMG it is going on the list of projects for the house. Don't worry, as each of our rooms are completed I will share them with you! :)

Last but not least, these are the tables we made over the weekend for a project. Made fromindustrial pipe from Home Depot and some wood we stained in a walnut finish. We are pretty pleased with the way these turned out! Maybe we will have to make more!

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All-American Hotdog: Happy 4th of July!!

Yes, it is national hotdog month, but lets remember what this day is about. Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Thanks Wiki! But in all seriousness it is about remember how we as a nation got to where we are today. But with that being said, enjoy the time with family and friends, BBQ-ing, hanging by the pool or eating some hotdogs and here are so ideas for making your celebration that much better! Happy Independence Day! Enjoy!

 Change up that dusty mantle with some festive decorations.

 Make you front porch standout and stand up for America!

 

 

 

 Having a party, and happen to have a gazebo? Dress it up a little to make it feel special and part of the festivities.

 Can't stand the heat outside? (Here in Houston it is supposed to be pretty hot this 4th)Take the party inside and class up those glass jars you may use for other holidays. Sure Independence Day is usually a casual time but who says it can't have shiny things!

 

 

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The Hidden Gems: Mid-Century Modern Bathrooms

I have always had a love for mid-century homes. I think they go back to a simpler time where not everyone have a 3000+sq ft home, where small and efficient were normal. Now for some of the older generation they may not prefer this type of home because that is what they grew up in as a child but for us in our 20s and 30s we tend to gravitate towards smaller more functional homes. In the 50's most home had one bathroom, maybe two, but they weren't large how we see newer homes master bathrooms. This was purely a functional space that lacked extra room. There is not anything wrong with small, but when it comes to renovations its about effective storage, function and flow in a bathroom. That small only bath in your mid-century home can work for you better than you may think. With help from a designer and a list of what you need in that space can make all the difference in modernizing a 50+ year old bathroom. These are some good ideas for the spatially challenged bathrooms in older homes. Enjoy!

 This bathroom has kept the same look of a mid-century bathroom but with a few modern touches like new faucets, toilet and a simple blue vanity with crystal pulls.  Clean lines and simple materials can be beautiful.

 This bathroom features wood floor, which isn't typical for a bathroom but they have done a great job with the rest of the selections. A wall-mounted trough sink and simple 4x4 inch tiles set in a brick pattern add to the vintage style of the bathroom. A little color never hurt anything.

 Black, white with a little red chair!  Classic floor tiles and a claw-foot tub with a little facelift and a few new pieces make this bathroom feel like new.  Wallpaper seems to be making a comeback.

 Oversized hex floor tiles give a classic tile a more modern feel. The streamline sink with attached towel rack take up little room in this small bathroom to allow the feeling of space to be present.

 Storage can be hard to find in a small older bathroom. When renovating your bathroom thin vertically. There most likely is free wall space that can be utilized for shelving or cabinets.

Yellow might not be for everyone but it can be the center of attention if you want it to be. How do you make such a bright selection go with other choices? Well keep it simple. white subway tiles, neutral color vanity and one metal choice, like in the bathroom they went with a polished chrome.

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Mirror, Mirror on the...

Ah the mirror, so many uses, yet you don't want to cover every surface with it right? In today's design world mirror furniture, accessories and tile are bring made of, you guessed it, mirror!  You love the way it makes a small space feel larger, a dark room feel brighter, and is great for getting ready in the bathroom. Although, it seems like an easy to use material, it can be tricky to know just where and how much to use in a room. Don't worry, I am here to help! Here are a few examples of how to tastefully use mirror and integrate it into an existing design or if you are doing a remodel how to use just the right amount. Enjoy!

A mirror backsplash is a great way to introduce a nice reflective surface in a kitchen. This particular one is a irregular mosaic tile, that allows light to bounce around under the cabinets instead of a place you would look at yourself.

Parsons tables are always a popular table style, but what happens when you cover it in mirror? It looks that much better! This is a less "permanent" way to bring mirror into a space.

 

 The closet, a place were most people need a mirror. Instead of buying one of the slim cheap ones from your local hardware store, think about integration. If it is something that will make you everyday life a little easier, why wouldn't you do it! Closed storage with mirror doors, functional and looks great too!

 Do you just want to try in out for a little? To see if you like it? Small accessories, such as a tray, is a great way to introduce this wonderful material. After some time, if you decide it's not for you, at least you didn't invest a lot into it! :)

 The wall mirror is what started this whole movement! How about a really interesting wall mirror? One that says "hey I'm not just a mirror, I'm a piece of art too". Try to get creative with it, think outside the square, rectangle or circle, irregular shapes can add interest and still give you the functionality that you need.

The bathroom mirror, pretty much every bathroom has one, and if it doesn't something is wrong! Think about not only the mirror above the sink, but introducing a full length mirror as well. This is another place in the home that it will come in handy while getting ready.

 And for all of you who had homes built in the 70's probably had a mirror somewhere in there, it's ok, you can leave it now that mirror is back in style. Can you imagine this dining room without the mirror? Would probably look much smaller.

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Design Tip: Adding Accent Colors to a Neutral Palette

Color is a difficult thing for many people when designing a space. They know what they like just maybe not the right shade or don't know how much to use.  It is your home, so do what makes you happy but for those of you who don't know exactly how to pull together a space with what makes you happy, here are some pointers! Enjoy!

 Let there be one dominate accent color. Lots of blue on the wall and a single object in red.

 Don't want too much color? Try a neutral palette with a few pieces in a bright colors. Also this makes it easy to change your color scheme when you feel the need.

Bright white is always a great choice when adding really bold colors in a room. It lets the accents speak up. 

 Want to use more than two colors? Of course you can!  Make sure they have enough contrast and are given a neutral background.

Bold wallpaper is always a great way to introduce a color. Make sure to leave the rest of the room neutral enough so the wallpaper is the focus and nothing will compete with it.

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Lake House Laundry Room Renovation -Before,During,After

One of our most recent projects was redesigning a functional laundry room for one of my favorite repeat clients. Their home is beautiful and has plenty of space but lacked the storage and functionality in a space they used frequently. After several years living with a laundry room that was missing usable storage they finally decided they had enough and it was time for an over-haul.  Now in a room, such as a laundry room,  function is everything. Thinking about how they move in the space and what order they do things; this made them really think about the layout and that is where I came in. 

Here is the project- Before, During and After:

For starters, there is only one little wall cabinet. That is it for storage! And the swing door limited what you could do with the wall on the right.

 For some reason the water supply and outlets were not in ideal locations. So they needed a little reworking for the new layout. Also with lack of storage, items that usually would be out of sight were just sitting on the floor.

 In reaction to not having enough storage, my clients used this make-shift storage shelf be their means to store household items. Brooms and mops just hung out next to it.

 The swing door prevented precious wall space from being utilized, so we had to change that!

Construction begins by moving the plumbing and electrical to the left wall and removing the wall cabinet.

 Then the old tube florescent light fixture is replaced with two recessed cans.

 Once all the behind the walls are done we framed out the new pocket door and relocated the light switches to the outside for easy access. This pocket door has allowed us the maximize the cabinetry in this 5'x8' room. Giving us 10' span of cabinets for plenty of storage.

Cabinet installation begins! These are 8' tall and they are full of storage space inside!

 Ta Da! Tall 24" deep cabinets on either side of the washer and dryer, one with pull out drawers and the other to hold a hamper and other laundry items. A cabinet above for less used items.

 On the other 5' wall we did 12" deep cabinets for smaller, frequently used items and left a space on the floor for the dog crate and have a hanging rod for drying clothes. This wall used to be where the swing door sat when door was open, now much more functional with lots of storage!

 

Finished the white cabinets off with hand finished brushed nickel hardware. 

 The pocket door made this room!

 As you can see, yes this room is only 5' wide and we utilized as much space as we could. With 10' ceilings this means think vertical storage, and that is just what we did!

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Coastal Living at it's Finest!

Coastal living has always been sought after for relaxation or to get away from your everyday routine. Some people chose to live on the coast full time and I am sure they enjoy every minute of it. If you choose to build a waterfront home make sure the views are first priority! From every part of home you should see a stunning view, no acceptations. Now, here are some tips when you decide to make your dream retirement home or just have a love for water. Like I said before, the views are priority, why else would you live there, right? The main living areas, kitchen, bedrooms and even the bathrooms and laundry areas should have a view. even if you can't put a huge picture window, think of how you use that space and position your windows accordingly. Here are some rooms that take advantage of their amazing views without sacrificing functionality.  Enjoy!

 Ah the first view you have when you awake. Stunning right? For a bedroom you always want the view to be facing the bed so when you rise and shine you instantly feel refreshed. Also a great way to start your day. Adding a stone fireplace to blend with the natural rocks outside is a great way to blend the inside and out nicely. Also think about native materials when choosing them for the interior.

 Now you always want to have a water friendly area accessible from the outside, And this sitting room is just that. You can relax in a more casual space that you can sit in your wet swim suits. When the weather is nice this is a great feature to have a wall of doors that fully open to the deck. Then you can enjoy the view, be "outside"  and not get sunburned all from a comfortable seat.

  What a comfortable looking room. The picture window and door give you living art that changes with the seasons. Who wouldn't want that! People tend to steer away from light color fabircs but using indoor/ outdoor fabric, such as Sunbrella, can allow you to get the crisp, clean look you want and still be able to clean it if something happened.

  Who needs lighting when you have this much natural when putting your make up on in the morning! Most people like a mirror in the bathroom and this is great application so you don't obstruct the wonder beach view.  With plenty of storage this bathroom has all you need and much more!

Hope you enjoyed this week's inspiration! Get ready for summer and enjoy! 

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Storing Wine....Creatively!

Wine storage for those of us who lack a cellar or just don't have a large collection of bottles these are some great storage ideas for you! Some of these ideas are DIY which is always fun others are ideas for when you decide to finally renovate that kitchen you have always dreamed of! Wine storage is something people often look over and just simply buy a table top rack that holds few bottles.  That doesn't seem like a very creative idea for your precious wine collection, does it? You want your display to standout and house your wonderful collection for all to see. Here are a few ideas to get your thinking. Enjoy!

 

 Above the cabinets in the kitchen has always been a place to store bottles, but what if you could integrate your storage system? This kitchen shows the holes in the brick wall but this could easily be done on a typical wall or any material for that matter, just make sure to plan for it when designing your kitchen.

 

 Ah concrete, one of my favorite materials to use in design. Inexpensive, industrial looking and durable.

 Postal tubes are great for shipping drawings or anything that can be rolled up easily, but wine storage? Yes, please! Cut them down to your desired size, arrange your design and ta da! Easy on the wallet so you can buy more wine to store in your DIY storage system.

 This teardrop design is simple and sleek and a perfect piece for modern designed interior.

 Reclaimed wood is another one of my favorite materials to use in design. This can be a DIY project that is sure to hold your all of your bottles.

Oh the classic wine cellar look. If you can get your hands on one or two these would make great storage for a small collection. Can either be free standing or mounted on the wall!

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