Our New Humble Abode

A couple fun things you should know about these pictures.  I took these before the morning that the movers were coming.  It was cold and rainy.  Okay, that wasn't really fun, but get this.  You will see all of our short term living items laying around.  So fun, right?  We decided to have a camp-out like experience for our first night in the new home and it was pretty awesome and memorable.

So first up.  This is Caden's room.



We decided the pink wasn't too suitable so we changed it to his favorite color.... green.  We also removed the white trim and drapery.  We still have a ways to go, but it's a start.  And he's jumping on his bed so what more can you ask for?



A house looks so much better with furniture, no?

Here's Porter's room.



Casey's Grandma would be soooooo happy in this room.  But atlas, we couldn't handle it.  I'm not quite sure we can handle this color either, but that's what I get for choosing a color by its name.  This color is called bubble from Sherwin Williams.  That describes Porter perfectly.  He's a little bubble of cuteness.



I told Casey that once I get the accents and decorations up, it will be just fine.  At least for Mr. Bubble and me.  The next thing to be removed from this room?  That silly light fixture.

That's all the updating we've done so far, but here's a look at some of the other rooms in our house.  I realize it's hard to place where you're at without furniture, but once we have some updating done, I will show you pictures.

This is the living/dining/kitchen.  This is my favorite area of the house right now.  Probably because it's halfway livable.  Right behind me in this picture is a huge window (taller than the one you see) with the same long drapes.  I LOVE these drapes.  They are simple, sturdy and a nice neutral color.

The kitchen is quite a bit smaller than our first home.  But, it does have an island.  wOOt!



When you go down those stairs, you enter the family room.  Like so.



I think I will like this space once I figure out how the heck we are going to lay it out.  We need to fit our office, toys and large couches in here.  Uh, yeah.  That's probably why we are stalking Ikea these days.

Go down another flight of stairs and you're in the basement.  Or what we like to call the Guest Suite.  Yes, we are that awesome so you better come visit!



Here's a little better look at the suite (sweet) part.  haha



It's not much, but look at this.



We figure you need your very own bar if you're staying with us.

So there you have it.  A nice little tour of bits of our new home.  We love it here so far so I can only hope the fun continue!

One Fresh Nest: Amanda Moore's Abode

One Fresh Nest is a feature that we have on the site where we highlight a home that is beautiful and inspiring.



Today's One Fresh Nest is Amanda Moore's home.  She is a single mother, freelance writer and has designed dozens of nurseries for celebrities and private clients since 2006 through her former Manhattan nursery design consultancy first:place and her new design service
Baby Green based in Long Beach, NY.

You can also follow her on her blog here where you'll find endless inspiration.



What is your favorite room in the your home & why?
Each room is special to me for a different reason.  This was the result of the minimalist design approach I took: I only put furniture and art in each space that was necessary and that I truly loved, resulting in a little cluster of seven equally beloved spaces.  Yes, even the bathroom. But if I had to pick one room, I would select what we simply call the "front room."  I believe it was originally designed to be a screened-in porch when these kit homes were only intended for summer use, so it has windows on three out of four walls, and is always washed in daylight.  I had never used the color green in my home before, but I find that it connects me to nature every time I step through my front door.  The photographs of virgin rain forests on the crisp white walls help support this connection, as do the trio of little ceramic birds on the wall above the bookshelf. The reclaimed wood table/bench in front of the love seat is made from timber pulled out of a downtown Manhattan demolition, connecting me to the decade and a half in which I called the city my home. The avocado green rug bears my favorite symbol: the Buddhist Infinity Knot. We're a 'shoes off' household, so the storage bench was a necessity for corralling flip flops and sneakers. There is nothing fragile or breakable in this room, so this is the space where my son can stage light saber challenges, practice his karate and kick around a soccer ball.





When you were designing your home, where did you get your inspiration from?

I think I had been designing my 'beach house' in the back of my mind for years, even when still living in the city. So when the time came to move to Long Beach, the vision was already alive.  I ultimately drew inspiration from the beach and dunes down the block, any tropical beachfront cabana I've ever been lucky enough to stay in, the beautiful collections at Calypso Home and Donna Karan's Eastern Long Island home that had me breathless the first time I saw it in print.



What is your favorite piece in this room and why?
My favorite thing in my whole house is the pair of sun prints hanging over my bed.  For the first year I lived here, the only decorative piece in my bedroom was the ladder.  Then my son and I made the sun prints one late Summer afternoon and I knew they were what my walls had been waiting for (the black and white photo is an even more recent addition). I've learned that sometimes it's best to live with emptiness and the perfect thing will eventually make its way to you. The memory of making these prints with him and the vibrant cobalt blue make me smile every time I look at them.





Share your favorite DIY project in your home.  Tell us a little bit about it.

Actually, it would probably be the sun prints over my bed. But my second favorite DIY effort is in the bathroom. I wrapped the cheap plastic towel bar rod with natural twine (which is a surprisingly long undertaking!) for a peaceful, nautical vibe and to ensure that I didn't have to look at the dingy plastic.

Thanks Amanda for sharing your beautiful home.  Consider it Fresh Nest approved!

Seattle Smith Tower Interior

My friend Amy shared this slideshow this morning on Facebook.  Don't you just love it!  It's pictures of the Lahaie's home.  The interior space of the top pyramid of this building in Seattle:



Notice the little windows at the top.  Here's what they look like from the inside:



What a fabulous space!  I'd love to have a space to repurpose into a residence!

Versailles in Photos

While in Paris my husband and I took the train out to visit Versailles.  It was definitely worth it!  I've never seen such expansive, beautiful grounds as well as an amazing palace!  Here are a few pictures I took of our visit there.



This is the Orangerie at Versailles. King Louis XIV brought over 3000 orange and other citrus trees to his garden. They were all in wheeled planters so when it was nice outside, his gardeners had to wheel them all out!



I love this little window latch, complete with the Fleur de Lis.  To open the window you had to lift and pull.  It looks way better then any latch I've seen recently!



Statues watching the hallway at Versailles.



I've always loved end grain wood flooring.  Basically you take the wood piece, and instead of cutting it into planks, you slice it like you would a roll of cookie dough.  You end up with a super durable wood flooring with a great pattern.



Little doorknob.  Loved the detail on everything here!



Period pieces of furniture.  I loved that the aqua/light blue was fashionable even then.



I saw many bust sculptures throughout my trip, but the ones where a few different types of stone were mixed together were my favorite.  This one had 4 different types of stone used.

Home Tour: Smile and Wave

I am so inspired by Rachel Denbow's creativity.  She blogs over at Smile and Wave and I'm fascinated how she keeps on top of a blog, teaching online classes {check out her classes over at Red Velvet Art and her most recent Home Ec class-- I really, really want to take this given my recent sewing challenge!} and motherhood all the while keeping her home beautiful and inspiring.

Trust me, I know how impossible this is to do.  I work about 25-30 hours a week outside of the home {I do fancy elearning design for a local college and e-marketing with a friend of mine... and I LOVE what I do}.  By the time I get home, and make sure my family is tended to, I barely have enough energy to keep on top of projects.  I am so very thankful for this blog, and for you.  Being in this space motivates me to keep my creativity churning.

Because I really do love creating.  {But sometimes paying the bills must come first!}

Now is where I apologize for going off tangent.  This post really isn't about me.  It's about the amazing Rachel Denbow.  Seriously.  Take a look at her home.

You can see more pictures of her home on her flickr page and on her blog.  I hope you've enjoyed her space as much as I have!

Laundry Room Makeover

Can you believe this Laundry Room makeover?!?  Sausha at {show & tell} did this herself!  I'm loving how she made her own risers with storage underneath for her washer and dryer!  You can purchase those, but building your own to coordinate with the cabinets already there is so much better!

Before

After

Laundry Sorter

If I did laundry in this room, it might not seem like such a chore!

Shipping Container Home

Have you seen Home Contained?  It's a company that will make a home for you out of shipping containers.  Love the modern feel to the home!









What do you think?  Would you be willing to try a home built from shipping containers?  My biggest concern would be insulating the home.

Home Tour: Cara's Kitchen Remodel

Cara Jean from the blog DI Denizen combined DIY ideas and thrift store finds to redo her kitchen!  Isn't it fabulous?  Here is her kitchen before the remodel:

And here is her After:

Can you believe the difference?  Her total cost was just above $1000 and she was able to make a completely different space!  Be sure to visit her site to see how she completed it and tips on how to find the best stuff at your thrift store!  Great job Cara!



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