The Nursery Diaries: Chapter 4

This chapter is all about the paint color. As I shared in the first chapter, I knew I wanted a deep, dark green color on the walls. But boy, that color is HARD!! And I wasn't 100% sure exactly what type of green. Did I want emerald? Or Army? Or something that read as almost black?

So I bought a TON of paint samples and put them up on the wall.

These four pictured above were my favorites.. there were even more samples than this! The trouble I had was... and I'm sorry this is gross... I didn't want to be changing his diaper and have the wall color be the same as what was in his diaper. I know - interior designer mom problems! So the warm-toned greens were out ;)

The color I finally decided on was Benjamin Moore Chimichurri.

Of course, I am always drawn to the most expensive thing available.. and this paint could only be mixed in Aura paint. Matt wasn't too happy about that ;) HOWEVER - after we painted the room, we realized it was worth splurging on the best paint. We only needed one gallon, and we didn't even need primer! I highly recommend it!

I knew we needed both the walls and the trim/ceiling painted, so we decided to do the walls ourselves and hire my painter to do the trim and ceiling. It ended up saving a lot of money and it really wasn't too bad painting ourselves since the room is so small. 

And here is the current state of the room with the freshly painted walls & trim (and the crib installed!)

The color is exactly what I was envisioning, and it really changes with the light (which I love). During the day, when we get warm light the room is pretty green. When the light moves past the front of the house, the walls feel a bit more green/gray. At night, it's very dark and cozy... that means he'll sleep through the night right??? ;) 

This picture below most accurately depicts the color:

I'm really excited that we are getting pretty close to being done... now for all the "fun" stuff like fabric and art! I have ordered the crib sheets and the crib skirt and roman shades are being made. I've also started looking into art.. but other than that I'm really at a loss with fabrics. So I'll share those details as soon as I figure them out! ;)

As I mentioned in my first post about the nursery, I really love nurseries that appeal to an adult aesthetic, but have fun & youthful details. So now that I have the masculine "base" that I was going for.. now is the time to bring in the "cute" stuff. For example, I've ordered two of these little Pehr bins:

I love these colors... I'm planning on pulling them into the room.

On a side note.. I can't believe my due date is in 59 days!! The nursery may or may not be finished by his arrival.

The Nursery Diaries: Chapter 3

In case you missed my previous chapters, here are the links: Chapter 1, Chapter 2. This chapter is all about furniture. I recently posted this picture (for the rockaRoo giveaway!) on Instagram and had some inquires about the dresser.. and I'm here to tell you about it!

I know you shouldn't love inanimate things like furniture, but I'm sorry, I LOVE this piece of furniture. I came across it at Slate Interiors right before Thanksgiving and snapped this pic:

You can't read the tag in the picture, but it says HOLD. I was so bummed.... but I took a picture anyway and told the girls at Slate to let me know if it's still available. We then went to Texas for Thanksgiving, and I couldn't stop thinking about this dresser. I figured, if it's available after our trip then it's meant to be and I had to get it!

Sure enough... it was still available!!

I honestly thought this was a vintage piece, but I was so happy to find out that it's a somewhat new piece from Vanguard and has soft closing drawers. You know the kind that they use in kitchens? We plan on keeping diaper changing materials in the top drawer, so that soft closing feature will really come in handy. (Note: I tried searching for the chest on the Vanguard site, but I don't think they make it anymore. Also, I can tell the dressers have been hand painted.. I have no idea what color they originally were.)

This piece was both a splurge and a steal. It was a steal at $600 for a Vanguard piece, but $600 was a lot for me to spend on a dresser for the nursery. But it was so, so, so worth it... this is a piece that will not only grow with our little guy, but I could even use it anywhere in any future homes if needed.

This brings up a point I want to make... JUST SAY NO to "kid" and "nursery" furniture. There is no reason to buy something specifically designed for babies and kids.. (unless of course it's the crib.. will get to that below). Buy something YOU love and that is good quality and you'll have it forever!

(And here is some more unsolicited advice... if you are on a very tight budget, buy something old/vintage and paint it!)

Here is the dresser in the nursery:

Please excuse the messy room shot!

This room is TEENY TINY... and the dresser (along with the changing pad that will be on top of it) has to be in front of the window. I know, some moms would NEVER do this. Honestly - I'm never going to have the window open and the baby unattended, so I'm not worried about it.

Moving on to the next major piece of furniture in a nursery.. the crib! It's funny, I spent WAY less on the crib then I did on the dresser. That large box in the picture above is the crib... and this is the crib I chose:

Jenny Lind Crib in Ebony

Classic, simple, inexpensive. I know I just got done preaching that you should buy high quality, non-babyish furniture for nurseries... but when it comes to buying pieces that HAVE to be baby related (like cribs) - keep it simple and budget friendly. During the holiday sales, we paid around $175 for this crib, and it will easily last us through more than one baby and more than one nursery design. There are so many nurseries that feature this crib, and rightfully so! It goes with EVERYTHING!

You may also have noticed the small black bookshelf in the corner of the picture above... Erin (who owns Isabella) gave this piece to me and it's so perfect for the space! I'll be using it to hold fun things like stuffed animals and my husband's vintage cars and some not so fun things like the humidifier and sound machine.

For the past couple weeks, we've been tackling paint colors... that's next up on the Nursery Diaries! I finally was able to find the perfect shade of dark green, but it took a million samples. Here is a picture with some samples up on the wall, and a better shot of my beloved dresser!

ps- If you are getting sick of my baby & nursery related posts, stop by Isabella Studio where I'm blogging about an awesome new product we've been loving and I'm also posting an amazing home tour this week!

Lauren Adams Pop Up Shop on Joy & Revelry

I am so excited to share with you this pop up shop I curated for Joy & Revelry!

I've been a huge fan of Lauren Adams for a couple years now. Last year, I purchased one of her small 4x6 abstracts for my own gallery wall and it's one of my favorite pieces.

My Lauren Adams 4x6 abstract, currently hanging in my family room.

One major reason I love having a shop with Joy & Revelry is getting the chance to support my favorite artists and also getting to pick my favorite pieces to share with you!

I love Lauren's pieces because they are so delicate and simple, but they still have so much movement and (depending on the piece) color. I have never seen anything like them!

I want to share with you how Lauren Adams describes her art:

My work is inspired by my home; by the lush hills and glittering rivers that drew my ancestors from their own mountainous regions  of remote lands to settle in this place, their new home, now my home - West Virginia.

I revel in the act of painting; utilizing a combination of thin veils of color and thick oil paint to create a dialogue between intuitive painting and my background in working en plein aire. The feeling of place that is established through texture, color and rhythm is essential to that dialogue. Simplicity is pursued as I break down the landscape to its purest form, portraying its true essence.

I selected 15 of my very favorite pieces from Lauren for my Joy & Revelry pop up shop. Here are a couple of them:

#267 - $65

#225 - $75

#413 - $40

Neutral Landscapes (Set of 2) - $60

Black & White - $65

These pieces are originals only, there aren't any prints in the pop up shop. In fact, Lauren doesn't make prints of any of her pieces, which I think is really cool. They are best viewed as originals, so you can see the multiple layers of paint and the detail she puts into them.

Check out the rest of the shop here! I hope you enjoy it!

Classic Kitchen Materials (on a budget)

Seeing that stainless steel island at IKEA this week got me thinking about kitchens. I actually often think about updating our kitchen and what I would do when that day comes.

A beautiful kitchen with high end finishes is one of life's biggest luxuries (in my opinion). The day I can completely gut a kitchen and put in whatever I want is the day I know I've made it (ha!) But until then, you really can still have a pretty kitchen on a budget. And since I've had this "plan" in my head for years, I thought I would share it with you!

First up, a pretty kitchen to me is a classic kitchen. If you go to my Kitchen & Bath Pinterest page, you'll see exactly what I mean. Here are some of my favorites:

 

If you have somewhat decent cabinets, it's amazing what a coat of paint can do. When we bought our house, we had our painters refinish our cabinets. It sounds expensive, but it's not! They sanded and sprayed the cabinets with oil based paint. The previous owners had painted the cabinets on their own, but it makes such a difference when they are sprayed! Our cabinets aren't in perfect condition (some of them buckle a little), but they are "good enough" now that the finish is nice.

The last picture I posted above is my favorite, and pretty much what I would do to our own kitchen. I love the mix of elements, but they are all so classic and timeless.

Here are budget friendly elements I would/will use when it comes time to update our kitchen:

1) Inexpensive Black Granite For Main Countertops: This particular granite I pictured is "Black Pearl", but there are so many inexpensive black granite options out there. That's the great thing about black granite - it's so budget friendly and easy to care for.

2) Marble Subway Tile: Home Depot sells a great, inexpensive marble subway tile. It's the same type of tile that I used for our bathroom floors. It's only $5.49/sq ft. I recommend going through and picking exactly which tiles you like since the veining does vary a lot from box to box. It's tedious, but worth it! If you're on a really tight budget, you could always go with plain white ceramic subway tile!

3) Light Gray Grout: I love a good white backsplash with dark grout. But when it comes to picking a gray, I like a lighter gray. Exactly like the grout used in the 3rd picture above.

4) White Granite/Quartzite Island: THIS is a great thread all about Princess White/Super White quartzite with a lot of pictures. This stone is a great alternative to marble, and from what I've seen is pretty budget friendly. Especially if you are only using it for the island!

Okay, this post has made me really excited/anxious to update our kitchen! But we don't have any immediate plans to.. first I'd really like to tackle the floors (we still have vinyl floors in the kitchen! Ah!) But, I'm a planner... so I definitely have it all planned out for when that day comes :)

A Quick Trip To Charleston

When we moved away from California my heart broke a little for moving away from Laguna Beach. I love that funky little town so much. BUT my East Coast "Laguna Beach" is Charleston. They are very different, but provide me with the same things - great food, good shopping, awesome houses to admire and a beach.

My husband's work sent him down to Charleston last week for the PGA tournament, so of course I had to tag along! I got to work and play in and around Charleston while Matt was watching golf. We were only there for two days but I tried to get in as much as I could.

On Thursday I went shopping for clients. I had no idea where to go, but I emailed Shannon and she provided me with a long list of some awesome places. Thanks, Shannon!! Some things caught my eye, but I didn't end up bringing anything back to Charlotte because most of the things I was interested in were pretty pricey.

My favorite store in Charleston was Elizabeth Stuart Design. It was an awesome mix of new things, vintage pieces and jewelry. I snapped a picture of this piece of art because I loved the use of the silver leaf and the oil paint:




I came across this beautiful antique linen closet at Antiques of South Windermere:



The wood grain was so beautiful. I wanted it for a client, but it was too pricey.

This was one of my favorite pieces that I saw in Charleston, I found it at Terrace Oaks Antique Mall. It was an art deco light fixture that someone took out of a very old Charleston home.




The picture doesn't do it justice.. it was so beautiful. I think it was made out of a frosted lucite plastic. The down rod was very strange.. like someone took a cheap Target table lamp and turned it upside down. I would have replaced that.

I sent it to a client, but here was the kicker - it was HEAVY. Probably like 50 lbs. We would have had to add extra support in the ceiling to hang it, so we decided to pass.

I also enjoyed Celadon (didn't take any pictures there) and GDC. I really liked this table for a client at GDC:




The shelves were glass, not black (they were reflecting the black ceiling). I may need to call them back to see if they will drop ship!

Friday morning I hit up Folly Beach. I was only there for two hours, but it was two wonderfully relaxing hours. A very quick refresh.

The first hour the sky was covered in dark, gray clouds but then the sun came out and it was beautiful.






After the beach, Char and I checked out of the hotel (she came with us) and we did a quick walk/shopping trip on King St.




And I went into South of Market. A BEAUTIFUL shop.. I was loving their emerald green:





We were only in Charleston for 48 hours but it was AWESOME! Oh, I love that city.

RAQ's

Hi! My parents were in town and just left yesterday, and took a little break from blogging.

But today I am back with RAQ'S - Recently Asked Questions instead of Frequently Asked Questions. I sometimes get questions in the comments but don't have time to go back and answer them, so I thought I would answer some here today! If I missed your question, let me know!


"Random question prompted by your doggie on the couch.  With a dog and a cat, how do you combat pet fur?"

I really lucked out with this situation because our black dog sits on her black chair and the light cat sits on the light sofa in the living room. But they still do shed quite a bit and I use this on the furniture and it is awesome!

Eureka Easy Clean - $38

What fabric color did you go with on new sofa? It looks soooo comfy! 

I used their stock color for the Lounge sofa called "Linen" which is exactly what I was looking for! I love a natural linen color, but luckily this fabric isn't linen.. linen is great but loses it's shape easily. 


Just curious, what tables did you order for this room?  I am looking for round tables for my family room too.

I ordered these tables from Noir (to the trade):

NOIR Imperial Side Table in White Wash

 The finish in the picture is deceiving, it's actually more white:

NOIR is to the trade, but if you are interested in purchasing from them, contact them directly and they can tell you a store local to you that carries their line... support local businesses!


Do you mind sharing your paint color for the walls in there?! 

This question was asking about the paint color in our family room. It's called Snowcap White by Valspar.


Which JCP curtains did you use? I see a lot of designers using JCP curtains these days but when I go to the website I cant tell which ones they used.

(This was in reference to the white pinch pleated curtains in my most recent job posted).

I've actually only used JCP curtains once, but they are a great option for pinch pleats on a budget. If I remember correctly, we used THESE in Cream.

Okay, I need to get going... if I missed your question let me know and I will try my best to answer it in the comments section!!

Leather Bags

Last year I received this leather bag for my birthday, and I haven't stopped using it since:

It's the perfect size.. it holds all my stuff that I carry on a daily basis and also my computer, paint decks and tape measurer when needed. The only problem is, it doesn't have pockets. I often find myself standing there digging for my keys or phone for what seems like forever.

I'm in the market for a similar bag that has at least one pocket (the more, the better!) Here are some I have been eying on Etsy!

I think this one is my favorite... I love the light blue leather, and that zipper!

Light Blue & Honey Brown Tote

Another beautiful bag by the same seller:

Navy & Sky Blue Leather Bag

This is a different Etsy seller, and you can customize the colors. I like this black & tan combo (but I also think the gray and mocca would be pretty, too! You can also pick which liner you want... I would definitely go with the indigo. What a fun detail when you open the bag!

Black & Tan Leather Bag

This one is a good price ($92) and is pink! I love the pink, but I may get sick of it...

Pink Leather Bag

Here are some bags from Nordstroms (not Etsy) that I like:

Halogen Everyday Tote

Lucca Medium Canvas & Leather Bag

Are there any that you have been eying that you think I would like (with pockets!)?

Boring, but Necessary

Yesterday I spent all day painting doors and switching out hardware. I know, it makes for a very boring Monday post.. but it's SO necessary!

The dirty (literally) little secret about our house is that all our trim is NASTY. Seriously, guys. I'd bet good money that all the trim and doors have not been cleaned since the 90's. It's amazing what a good cleaning and two fresh coat of paints can do.

It costs a lot to have trim and doors painted (much more than walls), so I am slowly going around the entire house and doing it myself. It's a pain, but when I step back and see the fresh, shiny new door or trim I feel SO much better.



Ahh... so pretty. (I still need to do the door surrounds.. look closely you can see how gross it is!)

I'm also replacing all the old brass doorknobs with new oil rubbed bronze. I love the contrast of black hardware on white doors.





I got all my new hardware on eBay via this seller. The price was really good and they are good quality. I'm happy with them!



In case you are curious, I paint the doors while they are still on the hinges. I've found this is the easiest way to do it. I use a small foam roller with two coats. The paint I used is Benjamin Moore Advance.. the best! Sorry the pictures are so bad.. it's rainy today and very dark.

It feels sooo good to be out with the old and in with the new, even if it's something as boring as doorknobs and fresh paint.

Here is my current status of painting trim... still so much to do :-/

Living Room Trim
Office Trim
Bedroom Doors
Downstairs Doors
Powder Room Trim
Dining Room Trim (luckily this was done before we moved in, the previous owners updated the dining room)
Kitchen Trim (next)
Upstairs Hallway Trim (next)
Upstairs Bathrooms Trim
Family Room Trim
Bedrooms Trim (3 of them)

I'm actually glad this house doesn't have crown moulding!

office commitment

Work has really picked up quite a bit and I'm now completely committed to getting my office put together. I need my workspace to be as functional (and pretty) as possible, and stat!

If you remember, this is what it currently looks like:



When we originally painted the office, we ran out of paint and it's in desperate need of a second coat. Since I've been using this office for about a year, I decided I need to go lighter on the walls. As you can see, it gets very little light and even the pink feels a bit too dark.

I'm going to stick with pink (because it makes me happy), but go with something lighter and more subtle.

Maybe Benjamin Moore's Opal...



As much as I love my vintage green desk, the opening for the chair is too small and it's pretty frustrating. I end up constantly hitting my chair up against it... this is the result:



It would work great with a regular chair - if anyone local to Charlotte is interested I'll sell it to you for CHEAP! All it needs is a new paint job, it has a really great shape.

I am going to get this IKEA dining table to use as a desk (ahh, lots of open space underneath and lots of desk space).



Examples:

contemporary home office design by orange county interior designer Domicile Interior Design

modern home office design by dc metro interior designer Nicole Lanteri

One thing I've really needed is organized and easily accessible storage. I worked on that this weekend.

The SKUBB closet organizers from IKEA are really great for memo storage:



I need to get one more small one and a couple larger ones to hold fabric I have laying around. This will free up storage in my campaign dresser.

The Container Store is currently having a sale on office supplies, so I picked up a few things I've been wanting for a while.

Acrylic hanging file holder with white hanging files and black file folders.



Acrylic sorter with zippered job jackets (I've found this works the best for me for organizing client stuff). As you can see I've only moved over one client to the new jackets so far...


Making progress, hopefully I can get this done soon!!