Our Home ... The Closet!

Do your weeks seem to be flying by??  It is a little frantic around here, the school year seems to be operating on warp speed!  The Sun was Shining this past weekend which meant I was on a mission to get the porch furniture out of storage and ready for Summer.  I know, I am probably pushing it a little ... but it sure was nice puttering around out there feeling as if Summer is just a breath away! 

So a couple of weeks ago I started the tour of our home.  When I shared our bedroom and how we moved some walls to make it fit us better I really thought I was going to take you into the Closet next.  But then we snuck away a couple of days to Palm Beach ... and I had an inspiration to help make our closet a little more fun!

You've seen this ... this is what the original bedroom looked like when we bought the house.

Remember we turned the original closet and sitting room into our Bedroom.  Which left the room above available for our Closet!

Now don't get me wrong ... I love our closet ... lots of space and being able to really use this space keeps alot of the piles out of our actual bedroom making it much neater for us!

We have a lot of "gifts" from our kids on these dressers ... but it was just lacking.  

I have always been inspired by Tory Burch's closet.  Who hasn't???

You know I also fell in love with this bed and wallpaper at The Breakers.

So while I am in no mood (nor have them time right now) to paint everything white ... I so have the need to give the space a little more personality ... 

I went to Home Depot for inspiration!

Some Chartreuse Silk, Plastic Trellis and a piece of cut glass ...

Easy, inexpensive and just a little more Fun going on in the Closet!

The Chandelier was in the original bedroom ... It stayed put!

Close Up Detail of my "new" dresser top!

I don't always have fresh flowers in the Closet.  I do buy flowers weekly at the grocery store for the Kitchen and my Desk ... they just make things feel a little more special.  In the Summer it is even easier as I can generally pluck something out of our garden.

I truly despise fake flowers.  But I have them in here ... see the tulips peeking behind the picture frames?  I have had these for quite awhile and they actually look pretty good.  I do make exceptions.  Not very often!

I cleaned off the chair for the photo.  It generally is a landing place for ... Everything!

I'm kind of a belt girl.

We have done so many things to this house in the past 5 years ... and it was not the pretty stuff.  New Boiler, new furnace, new electrical ... all very much needed ... but it seems we are just really getting to the fun stuff.  Little by Little!

I do love my Cowboy boots ... and bought two Boot trays from Target ... the Smith & Hawken aisle ... one of my favorites!  And put them on top of my wire shelving.

Okay, it cannot compete with Tory's Closet ... small steps everyone, small steps!!

This is still a work in progress ... Thanks for coming along for the ride!

Are you "tweeking" anything this week?

xo,

kim

Hide ... obsession

So this week was a blur ... back from Palm Beach ... Did that even happen??? It is always fun to have a few days away ... but then do you feel like you are back peddling just to catch up?  I have two installations happening under a crunch and while it is crazy it is my favorite time of a project ... seeing it all come together. 

This also happens to me ... while out and about collecting things to finish off a space I stumble on things.

Some Not Necessary.

Some Absurd.

And some, you just HAVE to scoop up.

Like this Orange Hide ... from one of my favorite Discount Fabric Stores and in My Favorite Color, as you know!

What are you doing to do with it the lady asked?  I have no idea ... but I am NOT passing it up!

I laid it out on my Zebra rug just for you to get the SCALE of this Orange Baby!

I brought it home ... quite pleased.  And started pondering the options.

Then I had to go back ... for another piece of fabric to finish another project and ran across 

THIS one ...

Hard to tell the patina of this one in the photo ... but it is shimmery platinum delight.  I have it in mind for a client's office chair!!  She doesn't know it yet!

And then the Orange Hide ... just might make a great statement on my Bergere Chair ... to continue my journey in the Illusion!!

Do you ever stumble on something and you just can't pass it up?  No Matter what?  Did I mention it was only $75.00!!  Oh Yeah!

Have a wonderful weekend ... I am finishing up my "Palm Beach" Closet to share with you on Monday!!

xo,

kim

Proud Mama ...

Hope you don't mind that I take a moment to Congratulate Callie!  Y'all took many a tour with me in the Fall ...

Remember the Pineapple Man ... well, I might have to be a little more friendly toward him because SHE has chosen!

Bucknell ... And I have to say ... they should be damn proud to get her!!  And I cannot tell you how happy I am to keep "Orange and Blue" in the house!!

Yep, that's the checkbook on the counter.  All design is ceasing here ... now TWO are in college ... here we go!

Then, because I was all boasting about being in Palm Beach last week.  This is what she was up to:

She and about 30 kids went with our Church to help a small community in the hills of Jamaica.  They never saw the ocean (except from the plane) and came home with smiles and stories.  Best Ever. 

The kids loved getting their pictures made and seeing their faces on the digital cameras.  They didn't have any mirrors and were thrilled to see themselves!

Isn't that the best use of GINGHAM you have ever seen!

Okay ... I'll get back to design tomorrow.   I just couldn't resist being a Mom for a minute!!  

xo,

kim

Our Home ... The Kitchen!

Happy Tuesday ... This was supposed to go up yesterday ... I have had some major Computer issues that I believe are thankfully fixed!  On a good note, I think Spring has finally come to New England ... daffodils are bursting from the ground and the trees are budding!

Last Monday  I took you into our Bedroom and promised a peek into our Closet and Bathroom.  I have changed direction, I get to do that ... right?  I had a little Palm Beach inspiration that needs some time to get right ... so I am taking you to the kitchen!

When we bought this house, almost 6 years ago, we gutted the kitchen, eating area, dining room and family room.  It was a typical Colonial with lots of small rooms and we wanted a little more open feeling!

Here is how it started:

The Kitchen was actually pretty okay ... but tiny ... you know how Real Estate photos make things look bigger than they are?  The kitchen window looked out over the back yard.

Before (Real Estate Photo):

The eating area looked over the front drive and was very small and almost secluded feeling.  There was a little "walkway" outside this window ... and we pushed the walls out to gain an extra 150 square feet! ... Plus the garage door opened to this outdoor porch, we wanted it to open into the kitchen.

Eating Area Before (Real Estate Photo):

Off to the side was the Family Room ... with doors out to the screened in porch.  We blew out those doors and closed in the porch for our sunroom ... you'll have to wait to see that!

Family Room, Before (Real Estate Photo):

Clients ask me all the time how they should start if they have a blank slate.  There seems to be a rule that you start with the floor or rug first.  Maybe.  Start with something you love.  A piece of fabric, a piece of furniture, a vase or a piece of Art.

Our whole room was built around our Antique French Advertisement Poster.

The Two chairs I had just brought home from Brimfield.

Here's how it looked with no kitchen and  no family room!  Walls fixed, drywalled and painted.  New Doors (where the window over the kitchen sink used to be) and

Our Girl.

We actually "flipped" the kitchen, so above is where our new eating area is, and to the right, the old "secluded" boxy eating area became the kitchen!

The photo above also shows our table which was really an outdoor table with a skirt ... The dogs loved playing hide and seek here!

I cannot tell you how much dog hair accumulated here ... YUK!!

Copper Farm Sink and Copper Faucet ... and yes, two dishwashers.  These two appliances saved our marriage!!  With four kids and three dogs, these babies run day and night!!

I chose brushed nickel hardware to tie in the ovens and the stove top.  And made the conscious choice to let the copper sink and faucet stand alone.

We added the corbel and wall detail for a "separation" and just some fun to give the house a little more personality!  

And just recently we added one of my custom tables out of reclaimed pine.  No more doggies trying to tip the table and playing "fort"!!

Up Close detail of the table with a painted base ... 

I had the slipcovers made using some stamped linen panels I bought at Scott's in Atlanta.  The two other chairs were from an old dining set that I painted and recovered in zebra.  I am really feeling the need to now paint them gray/white and give them a burlap or linen seat cover.  Things are always changing here!

This area, especially, gets a lot of wear and tear ... so we are always tweaking!
Thanks for stopping back by to visit! 

xo,

kim

The Imperial Suite!

Last Sunday, Don and I took advantage of our kids' Spring Break to take a little getaway! Kids were all busy ... we had 3 days to ourselves.

I had never been to Palm Beach, so when Don suggested we head down to the Breakers, I thought ... Sure, okay!  Then I started looking up antique and design shops and got more excited.

As most of you know, Don is in the hotel business, which makes traveling with him kind of fun.  No ...  REALLY fun!

Welcome to the Imperial Suite!

Powder Blue and White Zebra Linen.

The Details ... which I've been talking alot about recently.  The striped wispy linen drapes over a beautiful set of linen drapes with blackout lining.

Oh Yeah, the Master's was on when we arrived!  Don was watching Golf .. I was studying how clever the two tall lamps on the floor instead of on the console table!

Mirrors and White were everywhere keeping the space clean, light and just a touch of glam!

The Ceiling Detail.  Tray Ceiling, deep moldings AND a detail ON the Ceiling!  Who says Less is More!!

Yes, please ... Step into the Bedroom!

Upholstered Headboard ... just ramped up the ordinary, wouldn't you say?

The Bathroom brought in the dark, warm woods ... 

The View from the Shower!

I have more to show you next Friday ... but I will tell you ... we only had 3 days.  Once I saw how wonderful this place was, we planted it.  Right there on the Beach ... Just an excuse to have to come back!!  We took advantage of every precious moment right here ... Enjoying the NOW!

xo,

kim