St. Patrick's Day Breakfast

We have a great tradition on St. Patrick's Day.  This was actually a tradition we adopted from Casey's mother.  We love to act like our kitchen was invaded by leprechauns and all of our food was turned green.  Our breakfast usually consists of green pancakes and green milk for breakfast.  It's a silly tradition, but one that Caden loves.  You've never seen a boy scarf down pancakes and a glass of milk more quickly!  (I need to remember this trick when he doesn't want to even try the food on the table).

All you do, is add a couple drops of food coloring to the milk and pancake batter (or there are endless options... muffins, waffles, bread, rolls, etc) and voila!  Your kitchen has been invaded by leprechauns.

Do you have any fun traditions for St. Patrick's Day?

A Touch of Green

I'm feeling a little green today for obvious reasons. {Happy St. Patty's Day everyone!}  I found a couple interiors that have a touch of green that I would share to keep us in an ol' jolly Irish mood.

{Rachel Robby}

{Quest Twenty Eight}

{Don Freeman}

{Christina Murphy}

I hope you have a good evening celebrating the holiday.  Eat a little cornbeef and cabbage for me!

xo

Cooking Green

Still trying to decide what you'll be cooking tomorrow in honor of St. Patrick's Day?  Here's a few ideas to get you started!



Mini Mint Cheesecakes



Roasted Pear Salad



Pistachio Cupcakes



Chocolate Baked Donuts

Monday Redesign: Bedroom

Happy Monday everyone!  Was your weekend as hot as mine?!  I about melted away with the humidity.  And keeping with the theme, I have a very personal and hot redesign today.  As you know, I've been working on our master bedroom.  Over the weekend I worked on some wall art.

And it was a big fail.   

So now I'm back to square one. 

When I feel like I'm at square one, I like to get ideas down on paper to see if I like where my vision is headed.  {Because sometimes things look better in my head than they do on paper}.  The paper never lies, I tell you. 

In our master bedroom, I'd like to incorporate a little yellow.  {Note: I haven't run this past the mister so we'll see how well this flies}.

Here's what I've envisioned for the room so far:

1. This is what is currently in the room:  {upper left corner clockwise} paint color, pillows, bedding, lamps, wood finishing on bedroom set.


2. I'd like to cover the white lamps with a print like this one.  I'm not sure if she sells it anymore as the color isn't available in her etsy shop. 


3. I have about a 2'x2' area between the wall and the dresser.  I would like to add a sidechair with some wall art hanging over it. 


4. This wall art might just do the trick, and it makes me happy. 


5. Above the end tables, I would add some simple wall art.  I would take these placemats and spray paint them white.  I think with the lamp shade covers, it would be a nice simple touch that would feel balanced.


6. I would like to accessorize the end tables too with lovely treasures like this birdie vase.  So sweet and cute. 

The one item that I keep going back and forth on is whether or not to paint the end tables white.  They are more of a cherry finish.  The mister says no --- mainly because I have an obsession with painting things white, and sometimes it backfires on me.  I'm just sure it would make everything look a million times better.  What do you think?  Should I paint them white, leave them, or do something else?

Monday Redesign: Stephanie's Living Room

Happy Monday everyone!  I hope you had a great weekend.  We were met with a little hail and threats of tornadoes this weekend.... which is always fun.  My husband automatically goes into storm chaser mode when bad weather arises.

Well, today I have a fun living room/dining room redesign for you!  Stephanie is a photographer and has impeccable taste.  She wanted to keep her living/dining room colorful and fun, but simple and functional too.  She is an avid dwell reader, and loves to shop on Etsy.  I just knew the minute I saw her space, that this was going to be a fun redesign... we have very similar taste and I love her artistic flare.

I first worked up a new floor plan arrangement.  Stephanie had a great couch already in the space as well as a dining room table.  Keeping the space simple and functional was a must-- as the space is used for both a lounge area for the family as well as an eating area.

And now for a breakdown of the new goodies in Stephanie's space:

1. Stephanie already had this great piece of art that I based the entire redesign from.  Isn't it great?


2. I used the Tullsta chairs from IKEA covered in the Green Sprig fabric from JCaroline Home.   The accent pillows are also from JCaroline Home covered in solid Orange Bdwalk and Apple Green.


3. The Ottoman is a large 18″ square one from JCaroline Home covered in the Orange Bdwalk fabric.


4. Accent rug from FLOR.  This is the All Square pattern in lime.


5. A floor pillow in Tangelo from JCaroline Home.

I had such a great time working on this redesign and I hope Stephanie enjoys her new space!

If you need help redesigning your space, check out our services here.

Monday Redesign: Living Room

Happy Monday everyone! Hope the weekend treated you well.  I've been spending the weekend in Utah and it's been absolutely wonderful.  I even had a chance to go skiing with my husband for an early Valentine's Day getaway.  I couldn't have asked for anything more.  The snow was perfect!

Later this week, I will be able to soak up a little sun in Houston as I go to Mom 2.0 Summit.  Are you going?  Erin and I both attended the conference last year and it was incredible.  I hope to see you there!

Without further adieu, I give you Monday's Redesign.  It all started with this tangerine chair.  I love the color and the look of this chair.

And now for a break down of the rest of the goodies:

1.  This sleek and modern sofa is a perfect match for this room.  I love the color of it and how it compliments the tangerine chair. These great pillows (here and here) bring in the color palette of the rest of the space.

2.  I love the texture and natural look of this rug.  It does a great job of bringing the entire room together.

3.  I love this white table and the contrast it provides against the tangerine chair.

4.  The tangerine chair.  No explanation needed.  :)

5.  A lamp next to the chair would be perfect for reading and providing extra light in the room.

6.  I love the pattern of this wall art and think it would perfect placed over the sofa.

I hope you've enjoyed this redesign.  If you need any help or opinions in planning your space, check out our services here.  Tell me,  what do you have planned for the week?

Monday Redesign: Bathroom

Need help with your bathroom redesign? Here's a a great start if you like greens and browns!  {Which as you can tell by our logo-- we love those colors!}

Don't you just love the richness of this room?  Here's a breakdown of the goodies I found.

1. The inspiration for this room all started with the shower curtain.  I love the green color and the pop that creates.  It's a definite foundation to any bathroom.


2. I wanted something that played off the shower curtain for the bath mat.  I found this lovely mat at Anthropologie.  Don't you love it?  I think it works perfectly.


3. I found these towels and thought they were a perfect fit for the room.  I was so close to going with a solid color towel, but I like the texture these towels give the bathroom.


4. In keeping with the darker brown tones, I found this espresso vanity for the bathroom.  It is so simple and modern.  I love it.  By the way, if you are looking for a way to DIY your own vanity, check out this great tutorial over at Young House Love.  Amazing!


5. This wall art fits right into this bathroom, don't you think?  I envision three of them hung in a vertical strip above the toilet.  And good news, they're budget friendly!

I hope you've enjoyed this bathroom redesign.  I had a lot of fun creating it.

If you need help with your home designs, check out our services here.

Monday Redesign: Entry Way

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you had a great Halloween.  Wasn't the extra hour this weekend a cherry on top to a fun and festive weekend?  I think it certainly was.

For today's redesign I'm redoing an entry way today with a warm mix of yellows and greens.  This entry way needs storage and a place for everything (coats, wallet, and goodies).  Here's a look at what I came up with:

I love multi-functional spaces where the design is beautiful and there's extras like storage and a purpose for everything.  Here's a breakdown of the goodies:

1. The wall color for this design is Sherwin Williams Sunbeam Yellow SW0078.  Sunbeam, don't you just like that?  It makes me happy already.


2. This bench is from Crate & Barrel and it's on sale too.  It has great storage as the seat lifts up and it's a simple & timeless design.  I accented this bench with some great pillows from 2Modern (white on green) and this shaggy pillow from CB2.  For a DIY version of this shaggy pillow, check out this ruffle pillow from kelly + olive.


3. This rug is a perfect accent from this room.  It sets a good foundation and doesn't take away from the design of the room.


4. I have a thing for globes lately so I wanted to add on to my redesign today.  This standing globe seems to fit nicely.


5. Need a place to drop your stuff and hang your coats when you walk in the door?  This entryway cubbie shelf from Target fits well.


6. And now for a little DIY wall art.  Try out this spray paint wall art tutorial from Krylon.


7. And a perfect little vase to top off the cubbie shelf.  I think it helps balance everything out.

So what do you think?  Would this entryway redesign keep you organized the minute you come in the door?  What are your must haves for your entryway?



If you’d like our help in desiging your space, click here for a full list of services.

Room Redesign-Boy's Room

Tammie needed a new design for her boy's room.  On Friday she let us know what her goals were with the space.  Here's her new floor plan and furnishings!

1. White Bunk Bed.  This is a steal at $689 and includes free shipping!  This one has great style and will work well in your space.  Later as the boys are older you can separate them and they will be fine in two separate rooms.  These would also look more like a teenage boys' room if you repaint them later in a nice blue or green.  These should last you the entire span that your boys live at home!  :)

2. The Ikea Tullsta Chair with round pillows made from Fabric Worn fabric:  Dottie Porch. Super durable chair and very reasonably priced.


3. Downloadable Illustration:  Download it or make your own at a larger scale for a little DIY project.

4. Large Round Floor Pillows made with this Joel Dewberry fabric.  Stack these by your chairs so there's plenty of fun seating options for both you and your children!

5. Table Lamp from Target on top of end table, also from Target.

6. Rotating Bookcase and Storage Unit.  Love this piece!  It takes up a minimal amount of floor space and provides lots of places to store books for bedtime as well as special toys and a board for special messages to your boys!

7. Keep your closet wall painted the Benjamin Moore Grecian Green, but paint the rest of the room a warm blue, Benjamin Moore  704 Del Mar Blue.

Thanks for letting us assist you with designing your space!

Monday Redesign: Jennifer's Living Room

Remember Jennifer's Living Room?  Well I'm back today with a redesign for the space.  It's a great and spacious living room and Jennifer has a great start.  Here is a breakdown of the goodies:

1. 
   
   Jennifer likes the color of the walls so good news- she can keep her paint supplies in the closet.  I am building upon what it there and pulling in white, a golden yellow, and a mocha brown.  It's going to be a warm and inviting room that everyone is going to want to hang out in.


2. 
   
   There is an electrical cap in the center of the room.  Since there is a struggle with light after the morning hours, I'm recommending this beautiful light fixture.  It will brighten up any space and it will be a great accent to the room.


3. 
   
   The fireplace is ready for a great piece to bring out attention to it.  I love this mirror.  It has a great yellow tone and will tie into the room perfectly.  It is also a decent size so it will be perfect in scale above the fireplace and better yet, it's on sale!


4. 
   
   Jennifer really wanted to change the window treatments in the room.  However, I am keeping them pretty similar.  And here is the reason why:  I am using colorful accents throughout the entire room and I want the window to feel light and airy.  To bring in as much light as possible.  A simple white sheer does the trick just nicely.  I would buy 9' treatments like these and hang them above the window.  This will maximize your ceiling height.  I would also add the same treatments to the other windows.  Jennifer also mentioned that she had some white wooden blinds handy and I would suggest replacing the current ones with these- again, to bring in as much light as possible.


5. 
   
   When you are standing, looking at the entertainment armoire, I would hang this on the right side. Center it between the end of the armoire and the end of the loveseat.  Underneath this, place the circular side table that you have on hand.  You can dress it up with a vase, and a couple trinkets on top.  I would take out the dresser type accent that you have when coming directly down the stairs.  This will help simplify the space and make it feel more open.


6. 
   
   Above the sofa, I would use this fabric to make your own artwork.  You can buy ready made frames at any art supply store (I would make the art piece 3.5-4' x 2.5-3').  You can pull the fabric and staple it on the back.  It's an easy way to do an art piece, and for a good price too.  {Stay posted for a great step by step tutorial on this}


7. 
   
   I would add this 6x9 rug to help tie the space together.  It's a great neutral piece and a wonderful price as well!  I would replace your coffee table with this circular one.  This will help make the space more inviting and open.


8. 
   
   Jennifer happens to have a couple wing back chairs on hand and they are definitely worth using in the room.  I suggest using this fabric to reupholster them and getting great accent pillows like this, this and this to use throughout the room.  I would place these chairs on each side of the fireplace.  This will create balance in the room and also make it appear as the smaller windows by the fireplace are taller than they actually are.


9. 
   
   To further create balance in the room, I would suggest getting some plants to place on the sides of the chairs.  A taller plant like a Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus Lyrata)would be perfect.  I would place the toy chest behind the chair on the right of the fireplace (if you are standing looking at it).  I know this isn't the most convenient for the children, but for the purposes of selling your house, I would try to make the space appear as clutter free as possible.

Here is a space layout of the space so you can get a better picture of what it will look like:

A couple other side notes.  I would leave the back console table where you have it (or replace it with the dresser if you need the extra storage).  I really think the layout you have is perfect for the room- it's not quite big enough to have a seperate seating room without replacing major furniture pieces.  I hope this helps you Jennifer and we will be excited to see the final after picture.



Do you need help redesigning your space?  Click here to get started!

Katie's Living Room Redesign

Katie has a difficult space to design.  There's a lot going on and her house was built in the 50's when they loved using lots of wood wainscoting and sometimes wood paneling for the entire wall.  Remember her before pictures?  Here's her redesign:

1-2. Let's paint!  Paint the Wainscoting Sherwin Williams color  6090 Java (1), and paint the ceiling Sherwin Williams color 2813 Downing Straw (2).  Leave the ceiling beams exposed but paint between them.  This will help accentuate the beams and help to tie in our other wood pieces throughout the space.

3. Linen Wallcovering.  This will provide a nice textured finish above the wainscoting in the room.  It will keep things nice and neutral while providing a more earthy feel to the room.

4. Keep things clean but understated with the Sheffield Sofa from Chiasso.  This is a great priced sofa for the design!  It's very unassuming, and although large, doesn't seem to take up space because of the small scale of the legs and arms.

5.  Accent the sofa with some great earthy pillow covers from IKEA in green and blue.

6. Stumped Block Stool End Tables topped with a glass top for a larger table top space for accessories and a lamp.

7. Light things up with this great Walnut Cutout Lamp.  This is a great clean lined lamp and adds some warmth to the room with the beautiful walnut base!

8. The Audrey Coffee Table from Overstock.com is also a clean lined piece that help us go with the more earthy feeling of the room.  I LOVE the mixture of the dark and light woods.  This piece is gorgeous and a steal for only $220.

9. Custom Paneled Fireplace (idea from Rex Brown).  Build out the sides and top with wood paneling painted to match the wainscoting.  With your leftover linen wallcovering, add it to the insets between the molding above the fireplace.  By building out the paneling you will leave room behind to run the cable through the frame and add enough wood blocking to hang your TV above the fireplace making just one focal point for the entire space.  (This also let's your husband keep some of the brick that he liked, while keeping it understated  and making the mantle and above the fireplace more of a focal point.)

10-12. Top off with a few natural accessories like a vase from Salmon Pottery(10), a bud vase from Lurearts (11), and some walnut picture frames from Black Elm (12).


Thanks Katie for letting me redesign your space!  It was tons of fun and might be one of my new favorite redesigns!  Want us to redesign YOUR space?  Click here.

Monday Redesign-Surabhi's Bedroom

Remember Surabhi's Room from last Thursday?  We need a few items to add to her bedroom and we'd like to add some more color but need to do it in a non-permanent fashion because she's currently renting her place.

First off, there's not too much I'd change with the room layout.  With some apartments, there's only so many layouts and so many walls you can put the bed against.  I'd also keep the bedding.  It's modern and casual and will work well with the new design!

1. Overlapping Square headboard from West Elm. This will give us a little bit of visual weight on the wall, without being overbearing.  It will also define the wall as a focal point.

2. Lamps for the nightstand from Lamps Plus. The lamps will provide a little more height and the larger scale of these will coordinate with the larger headboard.

3a. Even a new DIY'er can do this project.  Paint a few pieces of foam core board.  (Found at most office supply stores, Wal-mart, Target, etc.)  Then cut out in your desired shape.  I used a hexagon above.  Use a non-permanent adhesive to adhere to your wall and you've got instant color.  It's lightweight and easy to remove when you move.  Colors from left to right are: Sherwin Williams SW 6423 Ryegrass, Sherwin Williams SW 6425 Relentless Olive, Sherwin Williams SW 6423 Ryegrass.

3b.  Want a little more pattern?  Try covering your foam core with this wrapping paper from The Container Store.

4.  Emerald Bud Vase from Inside Avenue

5. Jade Green and Brown Ceramic Vase from Inside Avenue.

6. Round Storage Ottoman. Try two or three of these.  You can line them up at the end of the bed or use two at the end of the bed, and one by the dresser.  They are lightweight and flexible.  The will also provide extra storage and a place to sit without taking up lots of room like a huge bench would.  You could even turn the storage lid upside down for the tray and use two as a nightstand.  I love having pieces that serve more than one purpose!

I had so much fun working on the bedroom!  I love a good challenge!  Thanks Surabhi for letting me redesign your bedroom!

If you'd like to enter your own space for a redesign just submit this form.