Meadow Lake Road - Interior Design for Do It Yourself Spaces

Powder Room Plan

April 2, 2013 · 3 Comments

I’ve been itching to decorate a room in our house and since the powder room is the teeny tiniest room we have, I figured that it would be a quick room to dress up.

There’s really nothing wrong with it as it is, other than it’s totally boring.

The plan is to give it some personality by adding wood planking to the ceiling that looks similar to this…

(source)

We’ve already completed most of this project, but are still working on finishing up the crown molding.

I ordered a new light fixture week ago from Restoration Hardware, but it is taking forever to get here! I am incredibly impatient.

It is the Campaign Double Sconce in oil rubbed bronze.

We plan to put up some beadboard on the bottom half of the walls, which will look like this…

(source)

The top half of the walls will be covered in gray grasscloth wallpaper. I also ordered this weeks ago and am impatiently waiting for it to arrive.

(source)

We need some shelves behind the toilet to hold bathroom necessities and cute knick-knacks. I want to build something like these…

(source)

Between the DIY projects and waiting for materials to arrive, this “quick” project is turning out to be quite lengthy!

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Too Many Irons in the Fire

March 27, 2013 · Add Comment

My sincerest apologies to my loyal readers that I have been MIA on the blog over the last month!

I had a few too many projects going at the same time and got in a little bit over my head…

I created my sister’s wedding invitations, which ended up being way more difficult than I imagined.

The ones pictured above were actually the rough drafts, so the color looks off a bit. The final ones look much better, but they are in my sister’s possession now.

We started giving our teeny tiny powder room a much needed makeover, starting with the ceiling.

We still need to caulk and pain the crown molding, replace the light fixture, put up beadboard on the bottom half of the walls, and wallpaper the top half.

I completed a beachy multi-room design plan for a family’s shore house in New Jersey.

I’ll post all of the room details soon.

The weather turned nice and we got started on some landscaping projects in our yard.

I started building a knock-off Pottery Barn Eagan style mirror and encountered some hiccups along the way that I have yet to resolve. It’s still sitting in the garage unfinished, underneath a pile of crap and covered in sawdust.

And my three little amigos decided to stop napping and any free time I ever had flew out the window along with the naps.

So in between all of my projects and trying to keep the little ones entertained, I just haven’t had time for much else!

Free Valentine’s Day Printable Sign Round-up

February 8, 2013 · 1 Comment

I was looking for a cute little hint of Valentine’s Day to display in my house the other day and came across some great FREE printables on the web.

Seeing all of these super cute posters got my creative juices flowing and I ended up creating a few of my own.

Feel free to print them off for yourself (just click on the image to download to PDF)!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Space Planning – Making a Plan Before You Buy

January 31, 2013 · Add Comment

I’m in the process of helping my sister-in-law redecorate her family room and thought I’d share with you some tools I use when trying to figure out the furniture placement in a space.

The easiest way to figure out how to arrange furniture in a space is to use good old fashioned graph paper.

I typically use graph paper that has 1/4 inch squares. Graph paper with bigger squares would probably be easier to work with, but my hubby got this paper for free, so I make it work.

I also like to keep a calculator and my laptop handy so that I can look up furniture dimensions and convert measurements into feet.

I use a scale of 1 square = 1 foot and draw out the dimensions of the room to scale.

Then I like to draw out furniture pieces (to scale) and play around with their arrangement until I find a layout that works well.

Sometimes, however, I prefer to do my space planning on the computer.

My favorite online tool to use for space planning is on the Pottery Barn website (don’t worry, it’s FREE!).

http://www.potterybarn.com/design-studio/tool/room_planner.html

It’s really fun to play around with!

If you create a (free) account, you can even save your plans.

Even if you are not overhauling your entire space, I think it’s important to make a plan of how you envision your room coming together in the end. Far too often my husband and I buy pieces on impulse without the big scheme in mind and I always regret it!

If anyone is interested in a tutorial on using the Icovia software (from the PB site), let me know and I’ll make a video!

Happy planning

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Color Block Drapes

January 25, 2013 · Add Comment

I have had quite the dilemma with window treatments in our family room & breakfast nook. We have a big, long wall that connects the two spaces with a really big window and a sliding door. I’ve looked at many different drapery options and have had a really difficult time finding a solution that was affordable and looked good.

I tried drop cloth drapes but found them too boring.

Then I made striped drapes, but though a whole wall of striped drapes would be too much.

I stressed and obsessed over the issue.

Finally a friend suggested color block drapes after seeing this image on Houzz…

Perfect solution!

After hours of sewing, ripping out seams, and re-sewing, the new drapes are done!

I’m very pleased with how they turned out. The colors look absolutely perfect in our house.

They are fully lined to block out some of the massive afternoon sun we get on this side of the house in the summer.

Good thing they turned out nicely because they were a total fiasco to make!

Here some other good looking color blocked drapes I found when I was searching for a solution to our window covering issue…

(Houzz)

So many pretty options…

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Classic Kitchen Design Plan

January 23, 2013 · 4 Comments

This kitchen design plan is one I recently created for a client who wanted a kitchen that was inviting, classic, and practical. I chose materials that would give the kitchen a balance of warm and cool while remaining timeless and neutral.

Sources:

1. Verona Rug (Home Decorators) 2. Benjamin Moore’s Gray Owl 3. white classic cabinet doors/drawers 4. glass front upper cabinet doors 5. Quartz Counters in Raven (Caesarstone) 6.white subway tile backsplash with Laticrete Spectralock Powder Grout in Light Pewter (Lowe’s) 7. stainless steel appliances 8. woven window shade (Made by: Ambria, collection: Rangoon; color: Green Tea) 9. Pendant Light (Lowe’s) 10. Pfister Avalon 2 Handle High Arc Faucet in Stainless Steel (Home Depot) 11. oil rubbed bronze bin cup handle pulls/knobs (Amazon) 12. American Lifestyles Bay Breeze Pub Chairs (Overstock)

We looked at a variety of flooring options, but ultimately settled on wood because the warm wood provides the perfect balance against the cool stone counters. Additionally, wood floors will help the kitchen flow with the rest of the house, creating a sense of cohesiveness in the client’s home.

(image source: Houzz)

To break up the bank of upper cabinets, I suggested using glass front doors on a select few of the uppers. These cabinets can serve as a great way to display favorite pieces of china or even your everyday dishes and glasses while also creating visual interest.

(image source: Decor Pad)

Quartz countertops were selected for the client for several reasons. Cost-wise, Quartz is pretty comparable to granite, but it is more durable and holds up to staining better. It also comes in a less shiny sheen than granite, which I think looks better and is easier to maintain. The dark gray color provides visual interest as it contrasts against the white cabinets.

(image source: House Beautiful)

If you are having a hard time selected a finish for your appliances, I would always suggest stainless steel. They are versatile and give a nice reflection of other colors in the room. White can be stark and draw the eye to the appliances rather than put them in the background. I also think stainless appliances give the feel of an updated, professional kitchen.

(image source: Southern Living)

(image source: Juxtapost)

I can’t wait to see how this kitchen turns out!

I’m seriously loving this design plan so much, I’m thinking about incorporating some of the elements into my own kitchen!

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How to Clean Pet Stains Out of a Rug

January 14, 2013 · 2 Comments

I had been drooling over Pottery Barn’s Hayden Zig Zag Rug since the first time I saw it in their catalog.

Over the holidays, it finally made it’s way into our house.

With three 4-year-olds and two dogs in the house, it probably wasn’t the best idea to lay down an expensive rug that I absolutely adore at this phase of our lives.

Especially since its’ home is in our dining room, which is functioning at the kids’ play room right now.

But I am absolutely in love with it and think it looks awesome in our home.

Therefore, I am VERY protective of it.

Unfortunately there are some ‘accidents’ that you just can’t prevent.

Like a dog getting up in the middle of the night and peeing on it.

Arrrrggggghhhh.

Hard to believe one of these sweet pups would commit such a heinous crime.

After muttering some curse words under my breath, convinced my new rug was ruined, I did some research on “How to Clean Pet Stains Out of Wool Rugs.” And I’m pleased to say that after years of battling with dog stains on the carpet, I’ve finally found something that works!

So if you find yourself in my shoes, where your dog (or cat) has peed on your precious rug, here’s what to do:

1. Try to soak up as much of the urine as you can first. Pull back your rug and place a folded up towel under the stain.

2. Place a folded towel on top of the stain and step on it repeatedly to soak up the urine.

3. Pour Nature’s Miracle Urine Destroyer (I found some at PetCo) on the stain, completely saturating the rug.

4. Let the cleaner work its’ magic for 5 minutes. With a clean towel, soak up cleaner by blotting/stepping on towel.

5. Repeat steps 3-4 if stain/odor still remains. Once you’ve blotted up as much as you can, let the rug air dry. This may take a full day.

I am happy to report that this totally worked for me and there is not a trace of pee on my pretty rug! I also tried this on a dried up dog throw up stain on our carpet and it worked beautifully.

*This post is not sponsored by Nature’s Miracle. I’m just so happy to have found something that actually works that I wanted to share it!

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How to Fake Great Handwriting

January 4, 2013 · 1 Comment

A sweet reader left a comment on my Gallery Wall post about how my handwriting looked really good on my handwritten song lyric wall art.

Well, I have a confession.

I totally faked it.

I honestly have pretty good handwriting, but I knew I wanted perfection for something that would be hanging on our wall for all to see.

Here’s how you can fake great handwriting too…

1. Using MS Word (or any document program), type out your lyrics using your desired font.

The font I used for this particular program was Mistral, size 125.

Print it out.

The lyrics I typed out took up several pages, so I cut out the words and strung them back together with tape.

2. Flip your paper over. Using a pencil, scribble on the back of your words.

3. Flip paper right side up and position on top of background paper. I used thick white craft paper to write my lyrics on.

Trace your words using a ballpoint pen.

The pencil from the back of the paper should transfer onto your background paper.

4. Remove printer paper. You will see your lyrics written faintly in pencil.

Trace over the pencil marks with Sharpie.

5. Your can leave it at that and be done

if you want to give it a fancy look and make it look more like calligraphy,

go back over all of the down-strokes and make them thicker.

See Emily’s post at Jones Design Company for more detailed instructions on how to do this.

And that, my friends, is how you fake it.

1 Comment

Family Room Gallery Wall Completed

January 2, 2013 · 5 Comments

It may have taken me a year to fully complete, but the gallery wall in our family room is finally complete!

When I stared the project months and months ago, I had no idea it would be so hard!

Maybe I did it all backwards.

I chose all of the frames (from Ikea) first. Then I arranged them all on the wall. And last, I chose the pictures. The last part was the hardest. It’s was difficult to find a mix of pictures and art that complimented each other and looked good in the room!

After lots and lots of tweaking and changing everything around, I’ve finally got a grouping that works well together and that I’m happy with….

for now.

I wanted a mix of art prints, family photos, and other meaningful pieces.

The frame containing the text is the lyrics from our wedding song that I wrote out on craft paper with a Sharpie.

The shells in the shadowbox are some we’ve collected on various trips + more to fill it up from Michael’s (read about it HERE).

The Schwepes clock face was an antique store find.

The large wooden clock face was a DIY project (you can read about it HERE).

The lighthouse picture was one I snapped when we were on vacation in the Outer Banks.

Other than the family pics, all of the other art prints were purchased from Art.com.

1. Close-up of Nautilus Shell Spirals by Ellen Kamp

2. Harbor I by Amy Melious

3. Shades of Aqua III by Vision Studio

Overall, it was pretty inexpensive to complete considering it’s a whole wall full of art!

I’m looking forward to sharing many more completed project with you in the coming year!

5 Comments

Christmas Mantel and Tree Decorations

December 21, 2012 · 2 Comments

Christmas is only 4 days away so I thought I’d better share some of our home’s holiday decorations before Christmas has come and gone!

The past few years, I’ve adorned our tree and living room with primarily white, gold and silver decorations. This year I wanted to add in some red and give our home a little bit more of a whimsical feel for the kids. The trio just turned four (!) this month and are really excited about Christmas, so I wanted to make our home suit their taste and not just make it pretty for my sake.

To give the room a more kid-friendly vibe, I swapped out the kids’ white stockings for knit ones from Target and added scrapbook tags with the kids’ initial on them.

I also made a red & white “believe” sign to bring in some more red.

The lanterns were purchased from Ikea last year and spray painted red.

I added some Epsom salt to the insides to look like snow, however, I had to “dam up” the openings at the bottom with cotton balls so it wouldn’t all spill out.

I found this great red and white striped bin on clearance after Christmas last year at a flea market. It is the perfect book bin to hold all of the kids’ Christmas books. They love to sit by the fire and read this time of year!

To spruce up the tree , I added in red glass balls and sprigs of red berries to the gold berries, balls, and flowers we already had.

One of our yearly Christmas traditions is to give each of our kids a new ornament each holiday season that represents the past year. I love that our tree is a reflection of the past four years of our kids’ lives.