PORCH SPACE: FINE TUNING FOR SPRING ENTERTAINING!


AFTER MONTHS AND MONTHS OF DELIBERATING THE BEST BACK PORCH FURNITURE SCENERIO (I AM SO SO SO INDECISIVE WHEN IT COMES TO MY OWN DECOR-UGH!), I AM REALLY HAPPY WITH THE OUTCOME. I COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT I WANTED AT THE FAR END OF THE PORCH.....PORCH SWING? 2 CHAISE LOUNGERS? 4 CHAIRS? WHAT DO I DO?????.....FINALLY SETTLED WITH 2 ALL WEATHER WICKER CHAIRS AND AN OTTOMAN-SOOOO COMFORTABLE!!!......WAS THINKING ABOUT A PULL DOWN SHADE BUT THIS PALM PLANT IS AN EXCELLENT SUN BLOCK IN THE LATER AFTERNOON!

 AND I TOOK MY BALLARD DESIGNS TERRIFIC TRIO SKIRTED TABLE OUT OF MY OFFICE BECAUSE WE NEEDED ANOTHER TABLE TOP FOR OUR EASTER EGG HUNT PARTY....WORKED OUT GREAT-MAY LEAVE IT??

BEFORE AND AFTER: EXTERIOR FACELIFT

THIS IS MY HOUSE.....THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE WHEN WE FIRST BOUGHT IT-DID I LIKE HOW IT LOOKED? HELL NO!!! UGLY UGLY UGLY!!! BUT, I KNEW IT HAD FANTASTIC POTENTIAL...AND I LOVE A PROJECT....AND WE ONLY WERE IN TOWN FOR 24 HOURS AND WERE PREPARED TO PUT ANYTHING UNDER CONTRACT!!! 
FIRST, WE REPLACED THE WINDOWS AND TOOK OFF THAT YUCKY ALUMINUM STORM DOOR! WE REPLACED THE FRONT DOOR WITH A LARGE GLASS PANEL DOOR BECAUSE WE NEEDED ANOTHER "WINDOW" IN THE ENTRY.
NEXT, WE PUT ON A NEW ROOF AND NEW GUTTERS...HATED GETTING RID OF THE COPPER ONES BUT THEY WERE IN HORRIBLE CONDITION.
EVENTUALLY WE PAINTED THE BRICK AND GOT A PRETTY NEW LANTERN. I ALSO TOOK A WEEK OFF TO DIG EVERY SINGLE BUSH IN THE FRONT YARD (IM INSANE BUT IT WAS A GREAT WORKOUT AND I LOVE TO REARRANGE PLANTS AS MUCH AS I DO FURNITURE!) I REPLACED THE OLD WITH SOME NEW STUFF THAT I AM ESPECIALLY FOND OF...IE:ENGLISH AND AMERICAN BOXWOODS-LOVE THEM!
IN ADDITION TO A KITCHEN AND FULL BATH REMODEL, JUST RECENTLY ADDED ON A FAMILY ROOM, MASTER SUITE, AND BACK PORCH SPACE....AND I LOVE IT! ....ALTHOUGH THE HOUSE IS MUCH LARGER, IT STILL MAINTAINS THE CUTE COTTAGE FEEL AND WE ARE VERY HAPPY HERE!!

PS-SORRY FOR THE WORDS ON TOP OF THE PICS-NOT A GOOD BLOGGER!!!

CURB APPEAL: MAKING YOUR FRONT DOOR THE FOCAL POINT!

we all want good curb appeal right??even if you think your house is ugly, you can at least dress up the entry area so your eye goes to the good part!
okay, the door is what we want to look at and we want lots of good things to frame it out...it's all about making your eye move to the right places!!!
pretty door is #1 and if this is not possible,  at least remove the ugly ie: metal storm doors, etc. add a nice doormat-i like overscaled ones!
 now let's frame the door with  planters on each side with either topiaries, or planted boxwoods (depending on how much sun you get-sculpted hollies love sun, boxwoods dont).....variagated ivy draping out is fabulous along with some impatients-love it! and if you dont have a green thumb, a kimberly queen fern is always nice in an urn!!
if you have a front porch, frame it out with some landscaping to support the focal point (being the front door!)
here are some great examples of well thought out front door areas that are beautiful!!!

photo courtesy of http://www.houzz.com/

photo courtesy of http://marcusdesigninc.blogspot.com/

photo courtesy of http://www.tuckerandmarks.com/
photo courtesy of http://heirloomphilosophy.blogspot.com/

photo courtesy of http://www.houzz.com/

photo courtesy of http://www.brooksandfalotico.com/welcome.html

photo courtesy of http://www.atlantahomesmag.com/

photo courtesy of http://gervaisdebedee.blogspot.com/
 

 

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF INTERIOR DESIGN: THE REALITY

i'd love to say my job was glamorous all the time! it's actaully 5% glamour and the rest is grunt work (but i actually like grunt work most of the time!)
i spend my days planning presentations, processing orders, following up on orders, invoicing, writing estimates, coordinating installations, consulting, driving, going to the grocery store, doing laundry,driving carpool and cooking dinner......oh, and raising 2 young boys and trying to be a wife-whew!
 here's a look behind the scenes.....including an inside peak in the work spaces of the people i could not live without-the drapery workroom,  my upholsterer, and my cabinet / furniture maker....they are the BEST!!



AT THE WORKROOM........

kim and dave own the workroom-they are a stylish and hip and very well traveled english couple- dave is the best dressed drapery installer you will ever meet and kim is always filling me in on the latest and greatest that she finds in her travels to new york and highpoint. kim is wonderful to collaborate with on window designs!! the workroom makes all of my draperies, pillows, etc and i am so lucky to be able to work with them and their fantastic staff (pictured) all the time!
 




COFFEE BREAK!





 TIME TO FIND SOME SAMPLES FOR A FAMILY ROOM REMODEL........WHERE DO I START??
an extensive fabric, trim, and wallpaper library is a fantastic resource!





panels ready for installation

WE ARE NOT DONE YET, IT'S TIME TO CHECK ON MY CUSTOMER'S UPHOLSTERED PIECES NEXT DOOR............



chris is a MASTER at his craft....not to mention his knowledge in health....he contemplated being a doctor so i know i have a good "go to" if i'm too busy to visit the other doc!  but honestly, thank god he does upholstery because i dont know what i would do without him-noone else matches up to his talent!  he will make upholstery from scratch or will reupholster anything. today we selected nailheads for barstools and welt sizes for this headboard....... here he is preping for the headboard that is going in a customer's poolhouse at the beach.



welts in all different sizes....which one for the headboard????



 

fat welt or thin? we went for the fat.





BACK IN THE CAR DRIVING CROSS TOWN TO THE CABINET / FURNITURE WORKSHOP!!.......
mark can copy anything and he is FANTASTIC!!! mark has done lots of cabinetry in my house and ,wow, is he good!!! he has a few kitchen designs coming his way  (HIS SPECIALTY) and i cant wait to post the progress!! and today he is making a super cool desk like one i found on pinterest for a richmond client-cant wait to see the outcome.......GO MARK!!!

just wait until you see what we are doing with the bamboo on a cabinet / console.....i am beyond excited!

kitchen cabinets in the works.....

 AND THAT'S ANOTHER DAY IN THE LIFE!