Faking Large Scale Molding

Tags

adding molding, architectural details, crown, faux molding, how to add molding, inexpensive home ideas, molding, Moulding, stack, stacking molding, stock molding, wall

Molding can really make or break a house, but it can also make or break a budget. Unfortunately, I just can’t get enough of it! You may have noticed in a lot of the pictures of my house that I have ornate molding – but I also have areas where we installed simpler, linear molding. Let’s face it, the fancy-smancy stuff isn’t for everyone and it has to suit the architecture of the house. It can also be pretty pricy. The problem I run into is that I have tall ceilings – 12′ on the main floor and 10′ in the basement and upper level. With that, the molding has to be in scale, so in many rooms I have stacked moldings or, in the case of our mudroom, duped the eye and used a trick that builders use to get the most bang for the buck.

Here’s what I opted for in our mudroom, which was SOOOO dreadfully plain, boring and devoid of any details:

I incorporated the wall into the molding by painting it the same color, which added several inches to the height. All the pieces are generic stock molding that can be bought off the shelf at Home Depot or Lowes. I SO wish I remember how much I paid for this project, but it wasn’t much!

Call Off the Search Party – I AM Alive ;-)

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APT, Blogging, cats, critical infrastructure, cybe warfare, cyber security, dog, dog and child in bed, guest posts, kid, Pets, product placement, sponsored posts, telecom

Where did the time go and where the heck have I been?!?!?

With my little ones on winter vacation I took some time off  – and my blogging, which I normally do during at night, got interrupted by this debacle:

Every. Single. Night!!!

What To Do for a Child’s December Birthday Party

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child's party ideas, Children's party, Christmas, Claus, December, December birthday ideas children's invites, December party ideas, handmade invitations, holidays, Horchow, Mrs. Claus, party planning, Santa, The White House Santa, Xmas

If you have a child that is born in December, celebrating with a party can be quite a challenge. Before I had children, one of my friends told me that children’s parties were very “competitive” these days, which at the time struck me as odd and I thought that he may be exaggerating. Nope. He was right … or maybe it’s just here. My children are invited to parties with a guest list of 70 to 150 children (plus parents and siblings ?!?!) with every form of entertainment you can imagine. When did it become a three-ring circus and what ever happened to the sweet, little parties of our youth? Those were great!

None of these large 70-150 children parties have to contend with cold weather either, which keeps them indoors and throws a monkey-wrench in burning off the “exuberance“ that seems to multiply in intensity with each munchkin added. Since I don’t want to spend that kind of money on a children’s party that they A.) may not remember and B.) would have just as good of a time if I put them in a room full of balloons, balls and dogs, I keep the girls’ parties on a smaller scale and just invite their little classmates/close friends.

What better solution to a December birthday than a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus?

A New Rug: Men, Kids, Dogs and Nice Things Don’t Mix

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beige family room, Carpet, dogs, family room, German Shepherd, gray, grey, husband, ideas, kids, nutcrackers, rug, ruined, ruining, transitional, writing on furniture

Good news: after the kids and dogs did all the damage they could to our family room area rug, we got a new one! After I did the post Fifty Shades of Grey, I inspired myself. There are two rooms on our first floor that could use my attention, but our family room really needed a new rug asap! The nice thing about grey is that it is a neutral – the new neutral – and can blend where you wouldn’t think it could.

I actually didn’t buy the rug for this room, but am using it here for now:

Patterned Stained Floors

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border, diamond, diy, family crest, floor inspiration, floor patterns, hardwood, harlequin, how to stain a pattern onto your floors, inlaid, inlaid wood floors, medallion, patterns, Stained Concrete, stained floor, stained floor patterns, wood floor

I think I have a DIY ADD (Do-It-Yourself Attention & Daylight Deficient). There are only so many hours in the week month that I can work on house projects, but my mind is running constantly – and there are SO many projects and rooms that I want to do … with the list growing 😉 (Plus, I’m not one to pull the trigger unless I’ve thoroughly researched the possibilities.)

You may remember the stained harlequin floor from the post I did profiling a designer’s apartment… I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. (The interior shutters from that post went on “THE List” too, but I haven’t been able to shop fabrics.) I thought the stained diamond pattern on the hardwood floors would look wonderful in my kitchen or foyer.

Heck, while I’m researching, why not see if there are other stain patterns for wood floors that would be nice too because the first and second floors of our house (minus the orangerie) are hardwood. What was out there was a mixed bag of nuts:

Designer Rooms: A Peach Dining Room and a Tiffany Blue Boudoir

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antique chandeliers, antique sconces, blue bedroom, Blue Room, cool paint colors, coral room, coral room inspiration, designer bedroom, flea market design, high-end bedroom, how to add designer touches, Kelee Katillac, luxury blue bedroom, luxury dining room, neoclassic, panel molding, panel molding inspiration, peach room, sconce, warm paint colors, window treatment ideas

Good news and bad news. Good news is I have a new favorite paint color: a pinkish peach. It is delish. The bad news? I was looking for a cool color! I realized I have a lot of warm colors in our house, so I think I need to change a room or two on our first floor.

But peach…it’s just scrumptious! On Friday, I did a post on part of interior designer Kelee Kadillac’s apartment, but only showed you a portion of her apartment because it was quite a bit to take in. Here is the rest, starting with her yummy dining room:

Orange and pink is a “hot” color combination right now.

Designer’s Apartment Filled with DIY Inspiration

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blue and yellow living room, blue living room, diamond pattern stained floors, diy, DIY shutters, gold stick lamp, harlequin pattern, high end design, high end living room, how to add panel molding, interior designer's living room, Kelee Katillac, luxury apartment, Luxury interior design, mirrored furniture, Moulding, panel molding, paneled walls, raw amethyst quartz, upholstered doors, upholstered walls, yellow living room

Interior designer Kelee Katillac and her partner, architectural interior designer Steve Heiffus, recently collaborated on a 1915 apartment that showcased and married their skills. It seemed that the project was a success and both were happy with the result, which is good, because they are more than just partners – they are husband and wife – and they live in this apartment!

I wanted to show you this apartment because it is full of the DIY potential and inspiration. Even if this style is not yours, there are things that Kelee has done that are wildly creative and can be used in different applications.

I could just die over these floors!! This was the first thing that drew me to the apartment; I have been dreaming about doing this stain treatment to a floor (maybe our foyer or our kitchen??) in our house…having never done it before, though, I am slightly nervous about messing up! I’ve never even painted the harlequin pattern before…yikes! So, it may be a long time before I muster the courage, but there is one little entry area that I could try it that if I messed up, I could sand the floors and re-stain them…ugh…

Today’s Tasteful Take on a Historic House

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Barry Dixon, Baton Rouge, courtyard, designer, DIY outdoor drapes, drop cloth, Elway Hall, floor plan, French, historic house, historical renovation, House tour, interior design, interior designer, Italian chandelier, Ivy, library, neoclassical, painters drop clothes, Parsons desk, Target, Thomas O'Brien, toile, traditional, Travertine, Ty Larkins, West Elm

Historical renovation is something I am passionate about because of my love for the architectural features. In my “About Me” section. I referenced almost buying a beautiful, historic house named Elway Hall, but it was just too far away from my office and I would have spent a minimum of 3 hours in the car a day. Two interior designers ended up buying the house that I had to begrudgingly pass on; it seems that interior designers frequently take the challenge of older homes head on without thinking twice.

House Beautiful profiled one such designer…

50 Shades of Grey

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50 shades of gray, 50 shades of grey, Dining room, gray, gray bathrooms, gray bedroom, gray bedroom ideas, gray curtains, gray living room, gray living room ideas, gray living room walls, gray office, Gray paint, gray paint colors, Gray room, grey, grey bathroom ideas, grey bathrooms, grey bedroom, Grey paint, Grey room, Living room, mushroom gray, slate gray, slate grey

Although I haven’t read the book, I thought I’d show you my version of 50 shades of grey – 50 shades of grey paint 🙂 Grey rooms can fit into any style: romantic, minimalist, modern, traditional, sophisticated and rustic. Grey, though, can be a tricky hue to get right as it can be tinged with different hues.

There are cool greys, which are mixed with blue, that read more of a more slate-grey, and warm greys, which are mixed with yellow, that read more of a mushroom-grey. From the pictures below, you will see examples of each, which may help you in determining your preference.

Small Space Solutions for the City Mouse

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bookcases, Cambridge, how to decorate a small apartment, loft, Lucite, New York City, NYC, small apartment, small space, sofa turns into bunk bed, solutions, Staircase, storage solutions

I am a country mouse. My brother, however, is a city mouse. Our lifestyles could not be more opposite. He has lived in Cambridge, London, but primarily in New York City, where apartments have their quirks and run on the small side. New Yorkers have adjusted and know the tricks to get the most out of their space. Maybe because of his metropolitan living, I was intrigued…

On my Mac, I have a file entitled “Small Spaces”, which is full of pictures that I find engaging for one reason or another, which will take me quite a while to get through, but I wanted to start and show you a few!

This space may be small, but it certainly doesn’t give the impression of being cramped.

White Walls: Sumptuous, Intentional and … (wait for it) … Cozy?!?!

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Furniture, how to decorate a white room, ideas, ideas for white walls, luxurious white living rooms, nordic, paint, room with white walls, walls, white, white living room design, white paint colors

In the comment section of another post, a reader asked about white walls – do I love them or hate them? I actually do not have any white walls in my house, but I do have many neutrals. As I told her, I have been in many houses where it was painfully apparent that it was the builder’s white and the rooms felt cold, undone and uninviting, despite residing there for years… and I’ve been in homes, where the walls were Nordic white and the rooms were sumptuous and downright cozy!

If you want versatility, are renting or just hate painting, white walls offer a blank canvas, but they need to be addressed the right way to be successful. In other words, they need to look deliberate in order to work.

White living rooms bespeak of a certain type of lifestyle: chic, sophisticated, metropolitan … and that of no kids, no dogs and no red wine 😉

Clive Christian Kitchens

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backsplash, cabinet moldings, Clive Christian, countertop, cream, creme, green, high-end kitchens, kitchens, luxury kitchens, Marble, molding, Moulding, oak, painted, white, yellow kitchens

Clive Christian is a fabulous cabinet manufacturer – a very, very high-end cabinet manufacturer that focuses on details like no other. Their millwork is so impeccable that their cabinets with the Edwardian style and the preponderance of moldings transcend kitchens and enter the realm of libraries, bathrooms and closets.

Since I didn’t want to drop $250,000 just for cabinets in my kitchen, I studied one of their designs, picked it apart and based my kitchen upon it.

This was my inspiration. Rod Stewart dropped the money this kitchen.

Courtney Cox’s Modern Malibu Manse

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étagère, Bourgeois Bohème, Celebrity home, Celebrity homes, Charles Pollock, Christain Liaigre, Courtney Cox, Elle Decor, Haenisch, Hans Wegner, Harland Miller, Hermès, Intérieurs, Kent Williams, Malibu, Massimo, Matt Palmer, Matthew Heller, Michael Kovac, Minotti, Paul McCobb, Rug Company, Trip Haenisch, Vitali

Courtney Cox recently moved from a house that she adored because it was level with a public beach and she couldn’t even go for a walk without pictures being taken. The home, designed by famed architect John Lautner, was “futuristic”, “modern” and, according to Cox, “the most amazing place I’ve ever lived in.” (See bottom for details on the house.) But, the silver-lining in all this is that she got to buy and renovate a new home!

According to Elle Decor, before becoming an actress, Courtney Cox wanted to become an architect. Hmm…that sounds familiar (Brad Pitt). Difference being, she actually took college courses in the architecture before pursuing acting. She has been very involved in every home and this project was no different. She held weekly, 3 hour meetings with the architect, Michael Kovac, who was referred by Laura Dern, and her designer (and friend), Trip Haenisch.

The team took this house, which they were not allowed to demolish:

How to Choose a Paint Color

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blue, bold paint, brown, colors, cream, dark paint, diy, gold, green, how to choose a bedroom color, how to choose a living room color, how to choose a paint color, how to paint, how to pick a paint color, navy, neutral paint colors, paint, painting, painting tips, Renovation, sweat equity, tan, yellow

For some, it may be easy to pull a room together – (and if this is you, this may not be the post for you, except maybe to comment on your thoughts, preferred colors, etc.) – but for others, it can be a real puzzler. There are so many thoughts, rules and philosophies on how to choose paint colors, but forget all that. Here’s what you really need to know:

– Paint should not be the first thing you pick out/pick up. Why? Because it comes in just about every shade imaginable, but your sofa, upholstery, rugs, accessories and artwork do not, so it’s better to start with them and work your way out.

– Pull a color that exists in the room or furnishings already. Looking at this rug:

there are a myriad of colors that could be used on the walls, from cream, yellow, peaches, navy blue, cornflower blue, sage green, burnt sienna, etc.

Large and Lovely Laundry Rooms

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apothecary jars, clothes pins, colorful rooms, drying rack, Home Depot, how to decorate a laundry room, ironing boards, large laundry room, laundry, laundry baskets, laundry bins, laundry detergent, laundry room, laundry room design, laundry room ideas, laundry room inspiration, recessed ironing boards, small laundry room, tile ideas, tile patterns, wrapping paper storage

I mentioned in my last post, Smart Little Laundry Rooms, that it takes real ingenuity to design a small space because every inch needs to serve a purpose and be maximized. Larger areas? Not as much. It’s a luxury…and a real curse (more surface area for junk to accumulate, more cleaning…)! But if you do have a dedicated or larger laundry room, how do you decorate it? Like any other room. Think about functionality first and then the aesthetics.

The paint color actually matches the ironing board and the shelves were painted as well to disappear into the wall.

Even here, they have a retractable drying rack as I talked about in my last post. Putting the clothing pins in a glass jar in very pretty. (In case you don’t know where to buy clothing pins, they sell them at Home Depot – I think a pack of 50 is $3. How do I know? I live at Home Depot!)

Again with clothing pins in a glass (apothecary) jar, as well as powdered detergent. See my previous post for a brilliant liquid detergent equivalent. Note that the fold out ironing board door is wallpapered on the inside too. It’s details like this that show incredible thought. Ready for the other half of the room?

Smart Little Laundry Rooms

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city kitchens, city space, Closet, dryer, ideas, laundry, laundry room, laundry room ideas, laundry room inspiration, Renovation, small laundry room, small space laundry, washer

A small space takes above average creativity. With a large space, things can be put in willy-nilly and without much thought. That is just not the case if you live in a city or a smaller and/or older home. The placement of a washer and dryer is one of those things that takes some thought. A laundry room just may not exist, so it’s going to have to be tucked in somewhere…and addressed aesthetically.

How gorgeous is this? The tile floor, the wallpaper, the molding, the side panels that are hiding…??? Of course laundry supplies, but how great would laundry bins be too? It appears that this was fitted into an awkward space (with the ceiling slanting in on one side) that would have been unused if not for this brilliant concept.

Instructions for DIY Ornate Pilasters and Door Surrounds

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A Detailed House, appliques, architectural detail, Crown molding, Crown moulding, Dining room, diy, Do it yourself, Door, Door surround, fluted, fluted pilasters, frieze, home improvement, ionic, ionic cap, molding, Moulding, pilaster, pilasters, Renovation

Supplementing my post about our dining room pilasters, here is the break down and the instructions for the door surrounds. The material list below is what we used, but (of course!) adjust to your taste, architecture and level of complexity with which you are comfortable. Also, we have 8′ tall doors, which aren’t the norm, so please make sure to measure your doors prior to buying any materials or “ready-made” door pilaster kits.

DIY Ornate Door Pilasters

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A Detailed House, Crown molding, Crown moulding, Dining room, Door, Door header, Door surround, Doors, Dramatic doors, egg and dart molding, fluted pilasters, Home and Garden, home improvement, Ionic order, mantle, Moulding, pilaster

After we did our kitchen door pilasters, which were actually more difficult and our first time attempting door surrounds, we felt we had the hang of it. So you can imagine what crossed my mind. Yep, let’s rip them all down! Great idea, right? It was…until children came along and threw a wrench in my grandiose plans of custom molding everywhere! I think my husband thought the children would be less work, but they suck up more energy than all my projects combined 😉

We have gradually managed to address a few, one being the dining room pilasters:

Kid Craft Birdhouse Project

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A Detailed House, Baby bird, Bird, Birdhouse, Birdhouses Feeders and Baths, Craigslist, Decorative Birdhouses, diy, Fledgling, Garden Accessories, Home and Garden, How to make a birdhouse, Kid craft, Loggia, Portico, Shopping

Since my children were gunning for a project and I wanted to finally start on my upstairs hallway project, I went to the craft store to buy large canvas boards. Unfortunately, they don’t carry any large enough (GRRRR!!!!). So….I’m either going to have go to another craft store -or- make my own. But I’ll figure that out later. Although my children were disappointed, they handled it well (i.e. no whining about it), so I suggested we see if there was anything else the store had that may be of interest for a project. They were beyond thrilled when we found these unusual, unpainted birdhouses:

My Silos

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A Detailed House, Dovecote, Pigeonnier, Renovate silo, Ruins, Silo

As a follow up to my post yesterday called Keep Silos, Dovecotes and Pigeonniers and Think About the Possibilities, here are a few pictures of our silos that I opted to keep:

Keep Silos, Dovecotes, Pigeonniers and Think About the Possibilities

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A Detailed House, Abandoned houses, Abandoned structures, Bird, Bird house, Bird houses, Dove, Dovecot, Dovecote, England, Glass dome, Guest house, Message transfer agent, Old barns, Pigeon, Pigeonnier, Ricardo Bofill, Silo, Silos, Travel and Tourism

When we bought our land, one of the questions that was frequently asked was: are we demolishing the silos that stood upon our acreage. You see, our property was at one time farmland, so with it came an old, dilapidated barn, crumbled milking sheds and, my favorite of the structures, the silos.

For aesthetics, the prevailing sentiment was that we should take all these structures down, but I loved these structures and think too often things are stripped bare – the very things that give character. So they were staying and there was no talking me out of it.

Kitchen Islands with Legs: Hybrids of Farm Tables and Cabinets

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A Detailed House, Construction and Maintenance, Cream kitchen, High end kitchen, high-end kitchens, home improvement, How to make a kitchen island, kitchen, Kitchen farm table, kitchen island, Kitchen island cabinets, Kitchen island with legs, Kitchen islands, Kitchen islands with bookcases, Kitchen islands with shelves, kitchen renovation, White kitchen

A reader (Diane) has a quandary with her kitchen renovation, which she and I discussed in the comment section of a previous post, so I wanted to do a post on kitchen islands that will hopefully benefit her and others. Besides showing some inspiration, I also wanted to show how basic cabinets can be transformed with a larger countertop and legs.

Baby Boy Nursery Ideas

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A Detailed House, Baby boy, Boy nurseries, boy room ideas, Colorful nurseries, high end baby rooms, Luxurious nurseries, luxury baby rooms, Nautical flags, Neutral nursery, Nursery ideas, Signal flags, Yellow nursery ideas

A while ago, I did a post on girl nurseries, now I’m finally getting around to baby boy nurseries!  Not having a boy, it was difficult to get in that mindset, especially after so many years of glitter and tea parties! I tried to include many styles (modern, neutral, colorful, white, luxurious and whimsical), as well as some gender-neutral rooms, so that there is enough inspiration for all tastes!

Cents and Sensibility: How to Make a Penny Floor

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A Detailed House, Floors made out of coins, Floors made out of pennies, How to make a nickel floor, How to make a penny floor, Nickel floor, Penny floor, Portland Press Herald, Standard Grill

With two little ones running around the house, I am always picking things up off the floor. I am amazed, though, by the sheer number of coins! Granted, we play “store” a lot, which involves a cash register, spare change, and my youngest setting up “shop” where ever I am… no matter what I’m doing, working or not! They have piggy banks that they love to fill, so why are the coins spread cavalierly on the floor?

I tell myself it’s good for me – like exercise – and picking them up is the equivalent of toe touches, but not even an Army Drill Sargent would put someone through this 😉 Now my thought process is that I’m just going to start cementing them down, so I will eventually end up with these floors:

Beautiful Bathrooms

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A Detailed House, Barry Dixon, Bathroom, bathroom fixtures, Bathroom ideas, bathroom inspiration, bathroom renovation, Bathroom sinks, home improvement, luxurious bathrooms, marble floor, marble tile, Stone sinks, tile designs, tile ideas, tile work, Venetian mirror

While researching bathrooms for a project, I came upon pictures that were too exquisite not to share! Some of these luxurious bathrooms have unusual sinks, fixtures, mirrors and/or faucets, providing a statement piece – a good idea for any room – that goes beyond the typical and gives that “custom” look. Any homeowner can tweak certain features, even if you aren’t doing a bathroom overhaul or renovation.

I just love the drama of this deep, moody, masculine grey paired with the feminine Venetian mirror and gleam of the metals.

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin’s New Home

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A Detailed House, Candace Barnes, Celebrity bedrooms, Celebrity designers, Celebrity home, Celebrity homes, Celebrity kitchen, Celebrity Kitchens, Chris Martin, Coldplay, Galveston grey, Gray kitchen, Grey kitchen, Gwyneth Paltrow, high end design, High end kitchen, high-end kitchens, House of Windsor, Kathryn Ireland, marble floor, Martha Stewart, Martyn Lawrence-Bullard, Paul Robbins, Peter Dunham, Richard and Esther Shapiro, Richard Shapiro, Staging a room for a photo shoot, Stephen Block, Tara Shaw

Gwyneth Paltrow and her musician husband, Chris Martin of the band Coldplay, have been on the East Coast for years, living in Manhattan penthouses and a sumptuous Hamptons estate. Now, they have put down roots in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California with the purchase of a house for $10.45 million, $1.5 million below the original listing price – good for them for negotiating 😉

This new construction, concept house called “The House of Windsor” after its designer, Windsor Smith, gave a respite to the sea of Mediterranean and Spanish Colonial Revival houses with the stereotypical red tiled roofs and white stucco walls of the neighborhood.

Lucky for us, Veranda Magazine profiled the house, where designers decorated the rooms, so we get to see it – yay!!

The House of Windsor

All I Need Is 8 Fewer Eyes and 4 Head(er)s

Tags

A Detailed House, Columns, home, molding, Moulding, pilaster, pilasters, Roman Corinthian, Split columns

My pilaster project is coming along nicely and all that is missing is the header. Our local home improvement store discontinued a whole line of molding that I really liked, which really put a damper on things!

Bathroom Floors of River Rock

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A Detailed House, Bathroom ideas, Beadboard bathroom, Beige tile ideas, Black and white tile ideas, Black bathroom, Candice Olson, Coastal Living, Divine Design, DIY river rock, Gray stone floor, Green bathroom, Green marble, High end bathrooms, luxurious bathrooms, Modern bathroom, Mosiac in floor, Pebble floor, Retro bathroom, River rock counter, River rock floor, River rock rug, River rock shower, River rock wall, Rustic bathroom, Seashell tile, Seychelles, Shell floor, skirted sink, Soli, Tan tile ideas, Unusual bathroom, White bathroom, white bathrooms

You may or may not have noticed in my last post a comment thread between me and a reader about her shower. She is updating her bathroom and had a few questions, so I wanted to show her some pictures to (hopefully) give her some ideas 🙂

Right now, I’m going to address the flooring, as she is contemplating river rock. When people hear river rock, sometimes an image is conjured up based upon past usage of the material, where it was too dark, rustic, etc.

Times have changed and this perception is no longer true, given the right application and color scheme. River rock can look sleek, modern, luxurious, traditional, spa-like, rustic (without being heavy-handed and in a tasteful way), feminine, masculine – you name it! I saw an episode of Divine Design with Candice Olson and she used an inset of river rock in an upscale bathroom that was absolutely luxurious! I, unfortunately, couldn’t find a picture of it! Drats!!!

This is such a great example of using river rock in a crisp, classic black and white bathroom.

White river rock floor.

How chic is this bathroom?

Prince of Darkness

Tags

America's Got Talent, Architectural Digest, Brown marble, Brown marble floor, Celebrity home, domed chair, hooded chair, Jack Osbourne, Kelly Osbourne, Martyn Lawrence-Bullard, Million Dollar Decorators, MTV, Napoleon chair, Osborn house, osborne house, Osbourne, Ozzy Osbourne, Ozzy Osbourne's house, Porter chair, Sharon Osbourne, Sharon Osbourne's house

Ozzy Osbourne’s house was put up for sale several months ago, which gives us a look inside his house, designed by Sharon Osbourne’s favorite designer, author, and star of the one time show Million Dollar Decorators, Martyn Lawrence-Bullard.

I don’t know what their house looked like in the height of Ozzy’s fame, but this is a far cry from what I would expect, although if you watched the MTV show, The Osbournes, you saw another one of their homes that had some of the same sensibilities.

Love the porter chairs!

Why Does Life Get in the Way of My House Projects?

Tags

diy columns, foyer molding, pilasters, Roman Corinthian, Roman Corinthian cap, Roman Corinthian column, Split columns

I have been planning this house project for a long time, so I was VERY excited to start on it. However, we had my friend over one night, a girls’ sleep over and a school project to finish up for Monday. Come on people! Don’t you see I have some materials here that I am dying to put up!

So, of course it didn’t get finished….sigh. But aren’t you a little curious as to what has my britches in a bunch?

It started outside with these tools – Ok, maybe I didn’t focus exactly on the tools, but how cute is that face 😉

Mid-Century Make Over in Georgetown

Tags

Ann Sacks, Black and white tile design, black and white walls, blue and yellow bedroom, blue dining room, blue living room, Conservatory, custom built library, Farrow & Ball, gold ceiling, greek key, green sunroom, Hillary Thomas, huge orb chandelier, huge orb crystal chandelier, Jeff Lincoln, Kendall Wilkinson, La Murrina, library inspiration, lucite bar stools, lucite chairs, lucite dining table, mid century chairs, mid century wallpaper, Mid-century design, modern white kitchen, Montgomery 1, nailhead, red chandelier, red sofa, round crystal chandelier, silver ceiling, Solarium

Georgetown, DC has many historic homes, but this townhouse, recently profiled in House Beautiful and designed by Hillary Thomas and Jeff Lincoln, was built in the 1960s. Since it was in my neck of the woods, I was very interested in the home. While some rooms I found a little “busy” for my personal taste, the home had some ravishing rooms as well.

I thought you might enjoy looking at it as well…

For a small foyer, having a table with an open design is smart…and I love it! Plus, with black and white pieces, you can switch them where ever you want throughout your house – and in the case of this table, even outside. I have several pieces like this that I switch from room to room.

Art Installation in Georgetown

Tags

Andy Cao, Cambridge MA, Chicken wire, Dumbarton Oaks, Garden, Georgetown, Harvard, Harvard Graduate School of Design, Harvard University, Installation art, Massachusetts, Stephen Jerrome, Swarovski, Xavier Perrot

In Georgetown, far away from Cambridge, Massachusetts, there is an institute of Harvard University called Dumbarton Oaks that is dedicated to promoting Byzantine, Garden and Landscape, and Pre-Columbian studies through fellowships, internships, meetings, and exhibitions.

When one thinks of Harvard, chicken wire and Swarovski crystals are the last things that comes to  mind. Enter Andy Cao (Loeb Fellow at Harvard Graduate School of Design in 2010-11) and Xavier Perrot and their incredible creativity. They set up an art installation that is simple in execution, but nothing short of pure genius.

See for yourself:

Like a low storm cloud about to burst…

Canopy Beds Aren’t Just for Little Girls

Tags

canopy bed, Elle Decor bedroom, interior design bedroom, luxury bedrooms, luxury master bedroom, master bedroom, neutral bedroom, Phoebe Howard, romantic bedroom, yellow and pink bedroom

Kids definitely shouldn’t have all the fun! Grown ups like to feel nestled, protected, and imaginative too, like we’re in a fort. So move over girls, we’re taking that image back from little girls and put it squarely where it rightfully belongs: with us adults! We’re not heartless though; we will give them some blankets to make their own tents 😉

The finish on this bed frame looks like an antique mirror and the details on the headboard are so attractive.

A Peek at My Daughter’s Room

Tags

built in bookcase, chandelier shades, Crown molding, Lighting, Lockheed Martin, make valances, panel molding, pink girls room, valance

There’s only so much time in the day and sometimes things have to take a back seat. Unfortunately, it’s been my blog!

I have been working on Lockheed Martin’s Cyber Security Initiative into the corporate sector due to the unprecedented number of cyber security attacks, which has been very time consuming since it is a new venture, but interesting, and completely unrelated to aesthetics.

Spending so much time on the technical, I’m so happy to spend some time on creative matters! So, on to my post…

When I was expecting my 2nd child, I knew there was a long road ahead in terms of fixing up her room. I started when I was first expecting and was still at it when I was 8 1/2 months. If only I had taken a before picture!

It was a major overhaul. We added crown molding, panel molding, door surrounds, two built in bookcases and ceiling medallions, I painted chandeliers and made and trimmed chandelier shades, I designed and made a rug, a play table, and (my favorite) three window valances WHEW!!!!

Even though this is a little girl’s room, all the projects I did can be done in other rooms.

I sketched out the design on plywood and made these fabric-covered valances for all the windows. This treatment can be used in any room and with any shape you want.

The White House

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2012, Barack Obama, Blue Room, Cross Hall, Cross Hall 2012, East Room, East Room 2012, Easter, Egg Roll, Green Room, Green Room 2012, Inside the White House 2012, Kennedy Center, Michelle Obama, Obama, Oval Office 2012, Oval Room 2012, Red Room, Red Room 2012, Senator, State Dining Room, State Dining Room 2012, State Room, The White House 2012, Vermeil Room, Washington DC, What the White House looks like in 2012, White House, White House Easter Egg Roll, Yellow Oval Room

Sometimes it’s hard to appreciate what you have until it is taken away from you.

Growing up right outside of Washington DC, I went to the museums, monuments and the Kennedy Center. And then there’s the White House. I’ve been inside many times times, but the holidays were absolutely THE best time to visit. During December, it was like a fantasy with garlands, trees and gigantic gingerbread houses.

The second best time to go was in April for the White House Easter Egg Roll. I wanted my children to have the same experience that I did and to take them Egg Roll this year, but now, thanks in part to the Salahis crashing the White House, you have to submit applications through your Congressman and jump through other hurdles. You can’t enter the White House with a purse (you will be turned away) and can’t park anywhere near it. Times have changed.

The Egg Roll kicked off the idea in my head of a “virtual tour” because the architectural details, which I love studying most of all, and the design are something that you just don’t get to see every day.

Cross Hall, which looks downright regal.

Look at that stair runner with the graceful curve.

Black and White Bathrooms Part 2

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A Detailed House, artwork in bathrooms, bathroom inspiration, Baths, black and white bathrooms, black and white check tile, black and white rooms, black and white tile, Black bathroom, black bathrooms, black tile, black walls, chandeliers in bathrooms, color scheme, Crown molding, crown molding in bathroom, Crown molding in bathrooms, Ellen Degeneres, historic bathrooms, marble floor, marble tile, Shower, tile, tile ideas, TIle on the diagonal, vintage bathroom, White bathroom, white bathrooms, white tile

So many, many exquisite bathrooms, so little time! Here is the continuation of the exploration of black and white bathrooms.

This first picture, although I’ve commented below as well, shows a treatment that I will be addressing in a DIY segment down the road, as I am going to do this to one of our bedrooms that has sloped walls. Sloped walls obviously aren’t conducive to crown molding, but I can still add some architectural elements to the room, and this is similar to what I have selected:

Stunning architecturally and just shows what can be done when bathrooms are fitted into attic areas. Faux beams or just flat planks painted black can be nailed to the ceiling as well to give the same illusion. You could even add some substantial brackets (and they do not have to be expensive). Try to let your imagination run wild…

Black, white and gold/brass – love! Note the tile and how there is a black border around the room – I will show a better picture, but it’s not a bathroom.

Black and White Bathrooms By Request

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A Detailed House, bathroom inspiration, Baths, Black and white bathroom, black and white bathrooms, black and white check tile, black and white rooms, black and white tile, Black bathroom, black bathrooms, black tile, black walls, Black-and-white, chandeliers in bathrooms, color scheme, Crown molding, Crown molding in bathrooms, historic bathrooms, marble floor, marble tile, mirrored vanity, Shower, tile, tile designs, tile ideas, TIle on the diagonal, tile work, Venetian mirror, vintage bathroom, White bathroom, white bathrooms, white tile

In the comments section of my post, Sophisticated Rooms in Black and White, I had a request (from a blog I follow) if I had any black and white bathrooms. Well, of COURSE I’m going to oblige!

She is going to renovate a bathroom of a new home she is buying (yeah!), but  not knowing her taste, I wanted to make sure I gave her enough pictures to work with (all had appealing features). I lean towards traditional with a dash of modern thrown in for interest. And that’s great – for me! But this isn’t my bathroom! So you will see a progression because I have so many pictures. I’m going to try to cover many styles to make sure she has what she needs to be inspired. Warning: some of these bathrooms are not ones that are practical and have shortcomings, but have features and elements that still can be utilized

But, what you will not find is a brushed or burnished finish on any of the faucets. As I mentioned in my last post, I have crow-like tendencies and will fly towards anything that is shiny or reflective. I was the child that put her pennies in vinegar … every single time I got a penny, which if you aren’t familiar with this, it shines those pennies up like nobody’s business!

Please, please forgive my formatting!! I have spent the past 2 days trying to get this out and I have done nothing different from prior posts and have done everything to try to clean this up, but I’ve had a hard time getting it to look good! Then my pictures inexplicably turn to the small blue box with the question mark!?!?! Wha-wha-what!!!! When dealing with a lot of pictures, this is the last thing you want to see (because I like to see/ponder/comment/ on them)!

Well, enough about that! (Drum roll) Here’s the first of at least 2 batches 🙂

Sigh, there are so many things about this bathroom I love, I don’t know where to start. It makes me what to take a sledge-hammer to all my bathrooms and start from scratch. The tile work is GORGEOUS and understated. The sink may not be practical for everyone, unless you have a linen closet or some storage or a cupboard (even in the bathroom). But hanging pictures and the silver frames, I just adore in bathrooms. Why not?

Sophisticated Rooms in Black and White

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chandelier, Dining room, entry, foyer, Furniture, high end design, Home & Garden, interior design, Light, light fixture, luxury interiors, Textile

I have been pondering so much lately – the outside of my house because of the nice weather, but also a few rooms in my house, which led me to look for some inspiration. Spring always brings on new projects for me – I just get the itch!!

I think dark and light rooms are very smart looking when done right. I also like them infused with a “pop” of another color to prevent them from looking to sterile or serious. Here are some pictures that I have found interesting for one reason or another (but some could use a 3rd color) :

My floors have gotten a little worn, which I like because it gives credence to the house being old, but I do like dark and glossy!

Small Kitchens that Still Inspire

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inspiring small kitchens, kitchen inspirations, kitchens, small kitchens

A commenter or two said that their kitchens are small and that the dream kitchens didn’t do anything for them.

While it was not my intent for us to take these literally and for us all to go out and emulate the dream kitchens (they were meant to inspire in terms of style, accessories, architectural elements, colors, etc.), I did take note of their message.

So, I started searching for smaller kitchens that would still meet our level of style, but also limitations in terms of space. Needless to say, there were not as many. Some of the “dream” kitchens I had pulled from cabinet manufacturers websites, where they had large showrooms with mock kitchens that literally had everything and the kitchen sink!

House Beautiful had an article about small kitchens, but some of the kitchens that they considered “small”, really were not small! But I did find some that were gorgeous with some ideas that are unique.

Some ideas to maximize space? Use an electric cooktop to serve as additional counter space. With such a small space, try to use special touches, like drawer pulls.

Note on the lower left how a bathroom hand towel holder was used! Unexpected and rich looking with the brass finish! I love it!

OCD Eye Candy – aka Keeping Kitchen Clutter at Bay

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Atticmag, Bilotta, Build.com, cabinet, container store, Habitat for Humanity, Home Depot, kitchen, Kitchen cabinet, kitchen clutter solutions, kitchen island, kitchen storage, paint, pilaster, ReStore, Wood-mode

My mother used to say, “Everything has a home and a place.” This is a great philosophy in theory. She, however, did not have my two little ones going behind her taking everything out! My point is, storage solutions need to be easy in order to be ongoing. Otherwise, it was a nice idea that lasted a month or so.

Adding bottom cabinets to your pantry is a nice idea and I believe in making every space attractive. However, I would probably go to Home Depot and get stock cabinets, instead of incurring the cost of the higher quality kitchen cabinets for a pantry. OR there are building “left-over” stores and nonprofits, like Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore that run building supply depots.

I also have to comment on the curved cabinet of the kitchen island! I have never seen a cabinet that has a bow before! Gorgeous!! Via AtticMag