Pure Style: Guest Bedroom

I wanted to share some photos of a guest bedroom I just finished for a client of mine. Her request was for a homey, pretty guest bedroom with natural touches that her mother-in-law would love. This (below) is what it looked like before:

The only items we kept were the oil painting (above the bed) and the duvet cover. I started out with this fabric (below) because the the duvet cover had the tiniest hint of a blue strip in it & the blue flowers in this linen worked perfectly with it.

My upholsterers (who have just started out their business & are AMAZING) created this custom nailhead trim headboard for me with the fabric:

I pulled the aqua out again in linen for the casually elegant drapes & paired them with a light natural woven roman shade & simple rod & rings:

We couldn't resist this contemporary oil painting which had all the colors of our fabrics & added that modern edge the room needed. The accessories on the dresser are different things I found at antique stores & flea markets. (I regret not taking a close up of the adorable iron compote filled with little wooden acorns!- next time- paired with an old tin ceiling tile and some books & candles) The lamp is a porcelain crackle in the aqua.

I took her closet from her to make the bathroom next door larger so we hung these adorable little hooks with painted vintage hangers on them for guests to hang their things. (from Lucketts of course!) ("Don't worry, there's lots of space for guests' clothes in the dresser!" :)

And I almost didn't want to give up these 2 little vintage suitcases!! I found them in Straussburg, VA & they were such a steal!!! Great for extra storage in there... (We usually keep them under the pedestal table to the right of the bed but I had to take them out for pictures- ha!)

And I had to include a little birdie in the room because of the birds in the headboard & because I thought he was great:

The gourd lamps have the roughest burlap shades & I COVET them. In the picture below you can see the oil painting that was once above the bed reframed:

The mirror above the bed reflects the oil painting when you walk in, which always makes me happy. The aqua pillow is the softest courderoy ever & the white furry throw is incredible. (Also from Lucketts... and my husband surprised me with one for Christmas because he knew how much I loved this one!)Well, that's about it. I can't wait to hear what her mother-in-law thinks!!! :)

ps- the "something off" in this room is the painting because its blues are more true than the aquas used in the rest of the room. I worried about it working with the room, but it turned out to be the item I think that makes the room.

Kitchen Design in Victoria B.C. - A Success Story

This morning I was reviewing some material for the new galleries in my website and I had a flashback about this kitchen we designed in Victoria B.C. A place that used to be pure 1970's is now a beautiful space that respects the exterior New Tudor architectural style of the house, but at the same time, is a modern space perfect for cooking and entertaining guests.

Traditional custom designed cabinets and high-end appliances balance functionality and style in this Kitchen in one of the most charming neighborhoods in Victoria BC. The sight-line through the kitchen from the entrance of this home gives visitors an immediate, and accurate, impression of the design choices.

On my first site visit it was clear that this outdated kitchen was in need of a complete overhaul as you can see in the pictures below:

Before

Before

Warm wood tones present the perfect backdrop for the stainless steel appliances in this kitchen. We transformed the space from a being stuck in the seventies to a celebration of modern form and function.

Photograph by Jo Ann Richards

This particular Kitchen was selected to be on the cover of the NKBA (National Kitchen Bath Association) Directory for the British Columbia Chapter.

The 4 1/4 inch wide walnut plank flooring runs throughout this section of the home and provides a visual connection between the entrance, the kitchen, the dining room and the living room. When my clients opted for wood cabinetry; we suggested cherry wood. It has a similar grain to walnut, and also picks up a red tone found in some of the planks. The woods created an analogous effect.

Photograph by Jo Ann Richards

Photograph by Jo Ann Richards

This kitchen was designed for homeowners who are enthusiastic cooks, storage is maximized by extending the top cabinets to the nine-foot high ceilings. However, we were conscious that when taking the cabinets to that height, the non-reflective wood surface could make the space appear a little gloomy. Our solution was to install puck lights in the upper cabinets and insert a seven by 12 frosted glass panel at the top of each door; these squares of light introduce a new atmosphere to the space.

Photograph by Jo Ann Richards

The clients wish list had plenty of counter space. We obliged by placing the Wolfe cook-top in the enlarged six-foot-long island, freeing up space in the rest of the kitchen. The perimeter countertop, a black Nero Absoluto granite, provides a linear work surface of just over 16 feet. Murano glass pendants create a light source above the two-level island.

New windows and doors, specially designed focal points and high-end appliances make this new kitchen unrecognizable from the dated space we first confronted.

Photograph by Jo Ann Richards

My 5 Addictions

Sarah from the honest, insightful & witty blog, Shift just tagged me with the Fabulous Blog Tag: (Thanks so much Sarah!!)

[When you're tagged you're supposed to list 5 of your addictions & then pass on the Fabulous Blog Award to 5 other bloggers with links to their blogs. (It's great for finding new blogs!) Then they list their 5 addictions & link it back to you. ]

So here are my 5 Addictions.. hmmm.. (in no particular order because seeing what #5 is, that would be really terrible!! hahaha)

1) Interior Design & all things house/ home... enough said.

(photo of my dad's kitchen, a project I've almost completed)

2)Entertaining: I love having friends over & getting the food/ drinks out & the table/ buffet set up... putting on the music while we wait for everyone to show... eating and/or hanging out hopefully followed by dancing to cheesy music (yeah, I know that's not your normal dinner party thing but I really do love an "impromptu" dance party ;) ... And I really love having parties... especially Halloween (below is a picture of a ridiculous pirate party) and here are some pictures from a party at my old townhouse:

Ok.. and here's a pirate party we had in college that I must include because it was one of the best! (Check out the walls & ceilings- black trashbags- & doors! --- it still makes me proud- ha!.. that's one of my bestfriends, Erin, on the right)

3)Another one has definitely starting to become blogging (I've started logging on at random times to see if anyone commented!!! or It's time to do something around the house (like make dinner!) & I'm reading voraciously ;) oops!

4) My business- I'm thinking about my clients' projects constantly

5) My husband & toddler. I don't want to get too gooey here, but they're everything to me:

Okay! So, here are my 5 fabulous blogs (there are so many more but I could only choose 5!) (again, in no particular order) ... and guys, PLEASE don't feel you have to pass this on if you've got too much going on!

1. Everything LEB

2. High-Heeled Foot in the Door

3. Eddie Ross

4. Haven and Home

5. The Newlywed Diaries

You're It!

xoxo,

Lauren