Polished

We had holiday parties all weekend so there was a bit of a scramble this morning.  Wouldn't getting ready at this vanity make you feel like you had it all together!

Happy Monday!

2017 Southern Style Now Showhouse

So, the Southern Style Now and Trad Home show house went on the market recently for a cool 2.5 million.  It is stunning, and of course, very bold and assertive.  A show house is the perfect place to show off ideas that might be a harder sell to clients and to really showcase trends and daring looks.  Just to be clear, wallpaper is very much back in style!

All photos from Realtor.com.

I can't wait to see what it sells for!

A Little Longer!

Wouldn't a leisurely breakfast be heavenly here!

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Instead it's up and at 'em!  Happy Monday!

Oh the Choices!

When we bought our first house 10 years ago I knew we would be redoing the kitchen.  And when we redid it, I planned on installing brick floors.  I had also lived in a tiny, converted garage apartment at one point which had beautiful terracotta tile floors.   I also thought about using those when we redid the kitchen.  That renovation though, ended up being far more extensive (and expensive) than we had planned and when we discovered the original wood floors under the vinyl, and it turned out to be cheaper to refinish them than install new floors of any kind, we of course went with the wood.  Fast forward to this house, and I have known all along that we are probably going to do tile here.  We are on a slab so I know we won't be discovering wood, and I think that tile is more practical than laminate in a kitchen, so we won't be continuing what we already have.  When we first moved in I was obsessed with slate herringbone, just like these:

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Then I moved on to patterned cement, along the lines of these:

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Those were a fleeting idea though because I worried that they were a trend and I would likely tire of them. So then I moved back to gray tile, only lighter than the slate.  Something like this, maybe in a brick pattern or maybe herringbone:

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But just recently I came across a home for sale that had beautiful terracotta floors in the kitchen which sent me down the rabbit hole of Pinterest in search of well done, modern terracotta tile.  I was shocked to actually find a lot of examples, several by Devol kitchens, whose work we already know I love.

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So now I am back at square one and have no clue what kind of floor I want.  I guess it's a good thing  that we don't yet have the time or the budget to start on the kitchen!  Oh, which direction should I go?

Back to the Grind

It is amazing how clean a home can remain when the small children have been packed off to the grandparents for a week!  And with Thanksgiving celebrated elsewhere my kitchen is even still clean!  Just not as nicely done as this one yet!

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Happy Monday, let's ease into this week!

Dreamscape

It is coooold here this morning and with the short work week and upcoming holiday I really didn't want to get out of bed this morning.  I can only imagine how much harder it would be to get going in this room!  I could lay there all day enjoying that view!

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Let's get this week to the good part!

Once Upon a Time

I don't remember what I was looking at recently, but something prompted me to House Beautiful's site where I stumbled across an oldie but super goodie.  I am pretty sure I remember seeing this home in the magazine when it was first published and I think bits of it were splashed across many of the blogs I read back then.  The design elements in Lindsay Reid's cottage, to me, will never go out of style.  All of these images are from House Beautiful.

I think a lot of design from that time period speaks to me because we had our first home that we were beginning to renovate, and the spaces just all feel casual and homey.  While I love the dramatic look that is becoming popular I prefer a more comfortable feel at home.  Can't you just picture yourself curled up on that window seat there!

Blushing Beauty

Sometimes a Monday needs a rosy start!

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I have plans to make this a great week!

When More is More

So, I have written before about how much I like simple spaces and that the call of minimalism is strong.  Probably because I have two kids who do not hear the siren song of fewer things and simplicity.  They want MORE and BIGGER and LOUDER and ALL THE TOYS!  As I believe most kids do.  And in all honesty, they probably come by it honestly, since despite my many professions of love for restrained design, I also tend to lean towards a highly layered look.  In my house it frequently translates as clutter, but when done well maximalism can create a very rich and eclectic look.

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It's a fine line but it sure can create a magical effect!