Recent Project: Cottage Style Home

We are THIS CLOSE to being finished with this beautiful new home.  There are just a few more details to be finished, such as mirrors and miscellaneous cabinet hardware.  I did this project through Arendal Kitchen Design, with Interior Designer Scott Andersen.  Scott does amazing work - I admire his attention to detail in every part of every project.  And I especially admire his taste in light fixtures.  Every light fixture in this house is a "wow" piece that is a work of art in itself and truly MAKES the house.  Of course, the cabinetry is pretty fabulous too (patting myself on my back).  The kitchen is my favorite - the white inset cabinets with custom glass transoms and custom hood are simple yet beautiful.  And they pair so well with the classic marble and limestone tops and subway tile backsplash.

Butler's Pantry

Butler's Pantry

Master Closet

Master Bath

Master Bath

Laundry, unfinished (check out the painted wood floors!)

2nd Floor Bath

Re Store

Have you ever been to a Re Store location?  Re Store is a resale outlet that sells used and donated items to raise money for Habitat for Humanity.  It also helps prevent these items from ending up in landfills.  And considering the large amount of landfill space that is occupied by construction waste, an operation like this is a necessity.

I'm fascinated by what you can find at Re Store.  We've purchased garden tools, seeds, car parts, patio furniture, a humidifier, and much more from the Salt Lake City location.

Today I stopped by because I wanted to see the cabinets that my clients had just donated from their kitchen project.  They used to look like this:

And now they look like this:

These are well-constructed solid wood cabinets with a beautiful veneer. 

My favorite part is the hardware. 

 I can't tell what sort of wood these pulls are (could it be rosewood?) but they are beautiful pulls.  I'm thinking it might be worth buying the cabinets just for the pulls (and then donating the boxes back to Re Store if you don't have a use for them)!

I hope someone recognizes the potential and can give these items a new home!

On another note, I couldn't resist buying this awesome retro office chair for myself!  Whether it fits or not is to be determined, but it was only $10 so I had to do it, right?

If you live near a Re Store, please check it out!  I think you might be surprised.

Quick & Easy Christmas Decoration

I'm definitely not one to go crazy with Christmas decorations, but this year is the first year we will be spending Christmas at our home, so I wanted to add some tasteful holiday flair.  

Over the years we've both received many ornaments from our families, to the point where we actually run out of room on the tree.  So this year we put some of the extra bulbs into a truffle bowl and I love the extra holiday sparkle it adds.

I have to confess, I saw this as a centerpiece somewhere (can't remember where) and totally copied it.  

Sneak Preview

We're getting close to the end of a project I've been working on for a while now!  There is still a lot to be done before I'll be taking final photos, but in the meantime, here is a before and after detail.

We changed the tile (DalTile Panaro Blend.), painted the mantle, and painted the walls (Benjamin Moore Pismo Dunes).  

Big difference, huh?

Stay tuned for more photos in the next few weeks!

Using Photographs and Children's Art in Home Decor

Artwork can add a lot of personality to a home, but it can also be expensive to cover all those walls with art.

Believe it or not, you can make your own art, and even if you don't have a creative bone in your body, it can still look good!  The secret:  Use multiple pieces together in one big arrangement, so the individual pieces are just a small part of the whole look.

See examples below, and keep in mind that these would be great gift ideas if you're on a budget (and we all are!)

You can use this approach with photographs:

from raenovate

by Stuart McIntyre, via desire to inspire

Our dining room (I took all the photos, and the frames are all from Ikea)

  You can do the same thing with kid's art:

from Flourish Design and Style

from Nursery Notations

from Caitlin Creer (family portraits, painted by the kids)

Eric Cohler via vivafullhouse

I love the following images, where the children's art was scanned or photographed and made into a poster collage:

from Sixx Design via Little Green Notebook

from Living Livelier and Kristen Fitzgerald 

You can also use non-traditional display methods:

from Caitlin Creer (hanging wire from Ikea)

from houzz.com

Of, if you are somewhat confident in your creative abilities, try something like these resin art pieces :

from Design Ties (see step-by-step instructions here)