Dining Room Christmas Table

I love coming up with a centerpieces for my dining room table for different times of the year!  This Christmas, I decided that I wanted to use some of my silver that rarely gets used.  I remember being a child admiring my Maw Maw Dodd’s silver and wishing she’d actually use it!  When I got married, she gave me some of her silver and since then I have added a number of pieces on my own.  

I pulled out a silver hollowware epergne that has 3 hanging baskets.  I have never used it and decided that I wanted to put it to use!

 I also had a holloware cake stand that I had never used.  It gave the epergne the right height. 

I added various champagne, cream, and white glass ornaments to the bowls.

 

I added variegated Pittosporum from my yard.  I was thrilled to actually have something I could use from my yard.  I planted this shrub at my old house and when we redid our landscaping I made sure I planted it again.  It is used by florist and stays beautiful all year, giving you something to always decorate with in your home for special occassions!

 

 I then found these adorable Santa Clauses in my attic and added them to the base of the arrangement along with more ornaments.

 

I found these great fresh green ornamental stars and balls at an end of Christmas sale last year and decided to hang them on the chandelier. 

In the end, I was pleased with the outcome and glad I was able to use some of the dressier decor I have in my home. 

 

 

Take a look around your own home.  You might be surprised at what you can come up with right under your nose!

 

Remember, Great Design Takes Time! 

 

 

Lisa

Foyer Ledges

Foyer ledges started showing up in homes in the early 90’s.  Ever since, I’ve noticed that most people leave them empty.  What do we do with them?  I started looking around trying to figure out how to decorate this space myself. 

I’ve not been a big fan of the statues or floral arrangements that can be seen from the outside.  It’s just not me and I wanted something different. 

 

 I also have not liked seeing accessories that you’d normally see on table surfaces.  They are not to scale to the space and the ledge is really a floor so it just looks odd to me. 

 I love the idea of a reading loft but not in a foyer and mine is way higher than I’d want anyone to climb. 

I’ve seen tables and chairs on the ledges but that makes me want to go over and sit down to look at the window and there is no way to do that!  Why would you put a table in chair where you can get to them?  However, most ledges look like this one with nothing on it.  What a waste!

Here is what I came up with:

• From the outside, I think the window should highlight the chandelier.  There shouldn’t be anything in the window that would obstruct the view of the chandelier. 
• From the inside, I want to frame the window and add interest to the space that will draw the eye up when guest enter. 
• I think that you should only use accessories that can stand alone on the floor.

Some ideas of what to put on a ledge are architectural pieces such as large corbels, old shutters and doors.  Also, old wooden wagon wheels, ladders and farming tools would be good.  You could even use large picking or tobacco For a beach house, I think a large decorative sailboat would look beautiful as well. 

Here is one I did recently.  We started out with a blank slate, just like so many homes have.

I started out like I always do, looking for items around her home.  I found a beautiful weathervane that was not spotlighted in her house as I thought it should be.  Instead it was in pieces and not on a stand.  I took it and had it mounted on a stand for her.
 

Then in the attic, I found a butter churn.  I found these large sunflowers to put in it.  Aren't they beautiful? 
 

 

I found a garden topiari when I was out and about scouting local stores.  I added Christmas lights to the inside of it to help draw the eye up when it is night.  I put our finds together and still didn't feel like it had the look I was going for so I went back into the attic and found her husband's grandmother's antique chest.  Her husband was delighted that something of his had made it into the collection and helped me get it up to the space!  It was the magic piece and I loved how it turned out.  What do you think? 

In my home, I also had an empty ledge.  Being a decorator, I couldn't just leave this space empty!  I found a painted door with iron to put on one side.

Then I wanted to add light that would draw the eye up, show through the window a little but not take away from the iron chandelier hanging in the foyer.  I have been eyeing for a while lanterns but couldn't quite find the place to put one in my home.  I found this one and decided to add LED willow branches inside.  Then I placed an architectural corbal next to it.

This is how my ledge turned out.  It added a pop of color that help add interest to the space during the day and at night, it gives a warm inviting glow.

I was excited about how it turned out.  I plan to add something seasonal to the space as the year goes on.  As much as I love it now though, I can't wait to decorate it at Christmas time.  You'll love what I do then so stay tuned!  Don't forget that:  Great Design Takes Time! 

Until next time,


Lisa

Fall Decor

The nights are getting cooler and soon Autumn days will soon follow.  When I was younger, fall was my least favorite time of the year.  I associated it with leaves and in the house I lived in I was always raking so I associated fall with one big mess!  Now I live in a house that doesn't have as many trees so I guess because I'm not always fighting leaves I enjoy it.  Instead, I find myself taking in all the beauty that comes with the turning of the leaves. 

Have you started thinking about how you are going to decorate?  Well, let's get to preparing!

First, I begin putting away all my warm weather decor.  Next, I slowly begin bringing out my fall decor.  I bring it out much like you begin seeing farmers bringing in their fall harvest.  I start by bringing out my fall ceramic pumpkins and bowls and containers around the house to display apples, small gourds and pine cones. 

This antique hand painted porcelain bowl was given to me by my husband's grandmother.  I leave it out throughout the year but in the fall I give it more of a spotlight on a table in my living room.  You'll see the inside of the bowl has acorns painted on it.  It's really beautiful alone so I don't put anything in it. 

Next, I think of all the spaces that I want to add a little fall decor to. For me, it's my front door, dining room and kitchen.  I like my money to go far so I try not to get too stuck on Halloween or Thanksgiving and focus on decor that will carry me through the season the furthest. 

This year for my dining room, I decided to add to my decor by purchasing a large ceramic owl and pumpkins.  I used my faithful burlap runner, large baluster candles and wicker chargers.  I love how it turned out and can't wait to entertain family and friends!

When it turns a little cooler, I will begin decorating my front door area with mums and pumpkins.  I love how this one is done below.  The coloring is beautiful!

This year I am wanting to add a new fall wreath.  I found this one and am going to copycat it.  I've already purchased everything to make it.  I'll be sure to post on my Facebook page the end result.  Isn't it adorable? 

I also love to put out sunflowers in the fall.  Live ones last over a week but you could always buy silk.  Look at these large ones that I found for a client.  I put them in a buttermilk churn and they look gorgeous!

When October arrives, I pull out my witches hat to put on my foyer table along with one of my ceramic pumpkins.  I thought it was way too cute to only come out for one night so I decided to dual purpose it!

When Halloween passes, I pull out our cornucopia and fill it full of faux gourds, pine cones and berries and set it at our doorway.

I hope this has gotten you to thinking about fall and that you'll take time to enjoy the cool weather, the beautiful colors and the festivities that go along with it.  Remember, you don't have to do it all at once.  Start out small and add to your fall decor each year because Great Design Takes Time!

Until next time,



Lisa

My Bathroom Remodel: The Spa Shower

Our bathroom remodel started because we had a crack in our tile shower floor.  I was not heartbroken at all!  Our house is 20 years old and all the tile was stark white so it wasn't fun to keep clean.  When my husband and I started putting our ideas together for our bathroom remodel, the shower was of special concern to us. 

I began researching different ways to design a spa shower.  My husband thinks BIG so his ideas were much like this one.  He liked the idea of having various showerheads and dual showerheads.  I liked the idea but realistically I knew that would be extremely expensive, require some extensive plumbing and really didn't fit our space.

I loved this one.  It has the various showerheads but is still within reason for the space.  Hower, it too is pretty expensive.  Some of the other features I like about this cubby for my shampoo, conditioner and shaving cream.  The bench is actually functional and inviting.

The shower below, has no door.  I loved the idea of not having to clean a door!

 Then I ran across this one I liked the idea of a spa shower door that would swing in so that you could keep the door open to allow it to dry and prevent mildew.

In the end, we kept the single showerhead and chose fixtures in bronze.  I went to a local tile store I have used a number of times and asked for a lot of input as to what was slip resistent and easy to clean.  I knew I didn't not want a natural material because they are harder to keep clean.  I also knew I needed something affordable because frankly we have a number of other projects we need to do in this house. 

I went with a larger tile on the walls to cut down on grout lines.  Then of course we went with a smaller tile on the floor and ceiling.  It is amazing how I have no problems keeping this tile clean!  When the grout starts to get a little mildew I just pull out a "true" grout brush, a little tile cleaner and scrub it clean!

 My husband designed a bench seat that we could actually use to sit on.  He decided not to have a box seat because that would require another drain inside of the box.

Then my husband added a cubby for our hair products and a seperate cubby for our soap.  Brett actually did the carpentry work and we hired a professional to tile the shower.  There's some expertise involved in laying tile for a shower and we didn't want to risk losing that.   

Last, we chose a boarder to give it a little more design. 

I love the final result.  In the end, I realized that there was no overspray from the shower.  I got to looking around and found that this was becoming fairly popular.  I decided that I enjoyed not having to clean a door; my shower staying dry and clean; and being able to actually enjoy the beauty of the tile other than when I was in the shower was a plus!

I hope this has inspired you.  Stay tune for the next feature of My Bathroom Remodel:  Redesigning Existing Cabinetry.
 

Until next time, take your time because your best designs happen over time! 

Lisa

My Bathroom Remodel: Clawfoot Tubs

Remodeling a bathroom is exciting but definitely overwhelming!  My husband and I have remodeled quite a few of our own and for clients of his when he was in the construction business.  We've learned something from each remodel.  Our latest remodel is our master bathroom and we have throughly enjoyed the outcome and special touches in it!  Join me in a series of blog post telling you about each of those special touches, including our clawfoot tub, spa shower, additional storage space and final touches.   

Our clawfoot soaking tub is where I will start.  I remember as a child going to family member's homes who had clawfoot tubs in their bathrooms where ring shower curtains were added later to convert the use of showering.  Remember?  

 Although I saw the issues with showering in one of these, I still always wanted one in my own home.  When we started planning our master bathroom remodel I decided to ditch our BEAUTIFUL jet tub and incorporate a clawfoot tub.  Who wants to fight me for this beauty?  ;)

 

Believe it or not, it ended up at a men's hunting club!!!  I'm sure they felt as manly as my husband did waking up to it each day.

I began my search by pricing clawfoot tubs at local hardware stores and found them to run $1500 or more.  Keep in mind, that didn’t even include the plumbing!  I was fairly certain that “new” was not how I was going to go but I wanted to see what was available. 

I looked around at antique stores, junk stores, Craigslist and companies who specialize in iron products.  Allen’s Ironworks in Tarrant is where we ended up purchasing ours.  Our friend, Larry Foster, assisted us with the purchase.  First, Larry helped me to determine what size of tub I could have.  Then we he showed me how different the claw feet could make the tub look.  I wanted my tub to have pretty feet! 
 

Secondly, I learned that the plumbing was the most expensive part and that for the most part the plumbing is fairly standard from tub to tub when it comes to prepping your area and dimensions.  I was able to order the plumbing from Allen’s Ironworks.  Within 3 months, a tub came into Allen's that I fell in love with much like the ones below. 

Can you imagine why my 8 year old daughter was concerned? The next hurdle is where my love for decorating came in!  I wanted to make sure I chose just the right finishes for our antique tub.  This by far was the fun part!!!!   

I tend to be more conservative so I started out looking at just a simple white finish.  However, I began finding some really unique ways to finish my tub though so I decided to consider something different. 

I saw several tubs finished in bright bold colors and fell in love with them but they really were not the style of my home.  If I were a contemporary girl, I really would love this look.  Don't you?

 

When I found this one, I fell in absolute love with it.  However, I was a bit scared of how the finish would turn out and it was a bit fancier than my style. 

 

Then I saw this one and thought about going with it but decided that I really wanted my space to be light and airy.
 

I finally decided to do a little something different while still remaining conservative so I had my tub's pretty feet bronzed.  Once I chose the finish, Larry had the tub sent to a man who does all their glazing and this is how mine turned out. 

  

 

Having an antique claw foot tub in my home is really a joy!  I love the relaxation that it has added to my life and the uniqueness it brings to our home.  The best part of it is that I added this to our home for a fraction of the cost of a new clawfoot tub.  The plumbing was about 2/3 of the cost and I spent a total of about $1800 for this part of the project. 
 

Hope you found this inspiring!  Stay tune for the next feature of My Bathroom Remodel:  The Spa Shower. 

I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time,

 

Lisa

 

 

High Space Vignettes

Creating vignettes above cabinets and furniture is a great way to display items you've collected over the years.  To do this, keep a few things in mind.  First, you don't want so much stuff that it looks cluttered.  Choose your items wisely and limit them.  Secondly, when working with cabinets, create a vignette above each section.  This helps the eye pause at each section and take notice of what is up above.  Last, choose items that are large enough to see from down below. 

 

 

This is a picture of the kitchen cabinets in my own home.  I have displayed various pieces that I have gathered over the years.  My goals here were to find items that would bring more of my color palette into the room and that would contrast against the rich chocolate paint.  One of my favorite items is the log cabin that my father and I made for a 3rd grade project.  I'm so glad I kept it and lugged it around from house to house until I found the perfect spot for it in my home.  Isn't it precious? 

   

 

Here is a beautiful picture I found of an armoire with a collection of different textures of containers.  I love the mix of weathered wicker and terracotta.  Actually, I love everything about this room! 

 

 

Even modern spaces look great to display pieces up high.  Years ago, I had a friend whose home had alcoves, high ceilings and lighting centered in each alcove above his cabinets.  He displayed local artwork in each alcove.  I wish I could find a picture of it but this was the best I could do!

  

 

Here is a picture I found of another kitchen with cabinets decorated above.  I love the geese above the cabinet spaces.  I don't think they ever go out of style!

 

 

Above my dining room china cabinet, I added a pop of color to the room by painting a large basket I already had a pale blue.  I had an antique terracotta birdhouse that was given to me almost 20 years ago by a lady who was in her 90's at that time.  Her parents had brought it with them to America from Holland.  Then I added a small mossy basket at the end to give it more life.  Notice that I put my largest piece on the left and my smallest piece on the right.  We naturally look at picture starting high on the left and move diagonally to the bottom left. 

 

I hope you have been inspired to either create or rearrange items in your high spaces.  Remember, vignettes are pictures of what you want the eye to see.  Feel free to share with me obstacles you have.  I'd love to help!  And I'd love to see things that you have done in your own home. 

 

Sincerely,

 

Lisa

Wall Collages

Wall collages are a great way to display a collection, fill a wall, and add interest.  There's countless ways of what you can hang and how you can hang it.  First, gather all the items that you'd like to hang.  You can hang photos, plates, or even an assortment of various pictures and architectural pieces.  Next, find a space you'd like to hang your collection.  Take the items and arrange them on the floor in that area.  Be sure to consider furniture and accessories that might block the view of the collage.  You'll want to get a measuring tape, level, pencil, nails and hammer to help in your project. 
 

 

This is a collage in my daughter's room.  She chose some colorful bird pictures from Classic Home Decor and at 8 years old lugged them up to the front desk to let Carol know she was purchasing them!  Aren't they great?  Then I had a cross-stitch picture my mom made me about a mother's joy in having a daughter, so I passed it to Adelyn.  My mother in-law gave Adelyn a picket fence with hooks to hang hats and accessories on so we decided to use it as well.   My centerpiece is a large cork board that Adelyn displays her artwork on.  Then we used several pictures Adelyn created that I framed. 

My husband and I have tried to decide where to display family portraits.  He made the comment one day that he really didn't like that I had family pictures in our guest bathroom.  (Hey!  I didn't have anything to hang so I used what I had!  lol!)  I knew he was right so I pulled my collection together and decided that our next portrait appointment would be a new 11x14 of our family.  I chose to go with bronze, gold and brushed gold frames.  I took in mind that I wanted to balance the size and coloring of the frames.  I love how it turned out and it compliments the other artwork in the room.  Next on my list to do is to create a collage of extended family pictures from mine and Brett's childhood until today.  It will be a while before I can collect all the frames I need to get that project started but I've already started gathering the photos. 

This collage was done in a dining room I have been working on.  I found these great wall sconces and a peacock plate to start the collection.  The homeowner added to the collection.  When I was creating this collage, I had to keep in mind the possible placements for the custom floral arrangment I made for her.  This is a collection in progress so I'm hoping to add at least a few more plates to the bottom portion of this grouping.  I'd love to add some dark weathered wicker flat baskets to give it more texture and pull the dark wood up onto the wall.  Isn't it beautiful start?  Remember, Great Design Takes Time!

  

Botanical prints are in.  In my office, I have created a collage of botanical bird prints.  These are from vintage botanical books.  This one was created symmetrically so that everything is balanced. 

 
I could go on for days about wall collages.  They are a great way to display a collection, fill a wall and add interest.  I hope you have been inspired and are able to put these tips into use.  Please share with me any questions you may have.  I'll be glad to help!
 
Sincerely,
 
 
Lisa