PREPPY & PRETTY (with pinks & blues)

I am happy to report that Jeanette's moving mania is finally over, well the first part! (everything is in storage except the furniture) All the storage stuff will be the next move, happening early September. In the mean time she is getting settled  in her temporary "casa" while the construction is still going on at the farmhouse.  The "casa"  is a beautiful lakehouse on Lake Travis with an AHmazing view:

Let's just say Jeanette's loving it here and is going to have a hard time leaving this heavenly setting.  Might warrant a search for some lakefront property again!? But,  I personally can't wait to share the new farmhouse, transformed,  and we promise to post more pics as soon as possible.

In other news, we are currently working on a fabulous large-scale project, we'll call the Patterson Project.  We're starting to select all the bedroom interiors and today I'm featuring some ideas we're thinking about for the girls' room.  Classic navy and white will be modern and fun with a dash of pink, turquoise, and green accents. 

One of the biggest mistakes people make when designing for a young boy or girl is using the "bed-in-a-bag" mentality and creating a space that is appropriate for the here-and-now, but may not work 5 years from now.  We wanted to design a space that is both functional and age appropriate for a young girl, while at the same time utilizing furniture and colors that will truly grow with her.  We know our client's daughter will feel preppy and pretty in her new room.  

Here are some of the design elements for the space: (Click to enlarge)

Here is a list of resources for all of the items shown above (click on the links for more info):

1) Curtains (Will be custom but similar to this look)

2) Headboard (Will use a custom pink fabric)

3) Pendant Light

4) Storage Basket

5) Navy Floral & Ticking Stripe Pillows (Both available through the same Etsy shop)

6) Geometric Pink Pillow

7) Chair

8) Wall Art

9) Desk Lamp

10) Desk

11) Desk Chair

12) Wall Paper

13) Rug

First photo via Beach City Lifestyle blog from the store Indian Pink in Manhattan Beach, Ca.

Up next on the Patterson Project...the boys' room!  Hope you all have a wonderful week!

XOXO

Christin

The Benefits Of Home Improvement Projects

There are many reasons to consider a Home Improvement project instead of selling your house and buying another. A home improvement project can be a fantastic way to save money or just to personalize your home to suit you better. In today's economy, the ability to accomplish improvements, both small and large to your home, can be a great asset. If you are a handy person, this will be even easier for you. However, a novice can complete most projects.

What Kind of Projects Should You Attempt?

If the reason for your home improvement project is to increase the value of your home, the best places to start are in the kitchen and bathroom. These are two places that both prospective homebuyers and current homeowners tend to concentrate on. Luckily, for you, both of these rooms are relatively simple and while they can be expensive, they do necessarily need to be. Something as simple as resurfacing a countertop or changing a faucet in the kitchen or putting in a new sink or mirror in the bathroom can make an amazing change in almost no time at all.

Learning to Do Home Improvements

If you are a novice handyman, it’s easy enough to gain the skills needed to do the already mentioned improvements. A library is a great place to start your learning, there are some fantastic home improvement books with simple step-by-step directions and pictures to guide you every step of the way. Another way to learn what you need to know is to consult video sites online. There are experts and novices alike that can show and tell you all that is needed for just about any project that you want to complete. It is important to note, however, that it is a wise idea to watch several videos by several different people to get a good feel for whose example to follow.

Where to Buy Supplies

Now that you have decided on the perfect home improvement project and have researched just how to get it accomplished, it’s time to buy all of the needed supplies. This may present another issue. Where to buy the supplies? If you live in a town large enough, you can go to a large home improvement store for one stop shopping. However, in a small town, you may have to resort to a department store. They will generally have what you need, even if they don’t have as good of a selection. Sometimes it’s possible to find a discount store that specializes in scratch and dent product at a savings, allowing you to do more with your money.
 

ROCKIN' THE FARMHOUSE

We are in the middle of moving mania this week and in the process of the sale of Harbor Hill. The farmhouse we're moving to is in full swing with the remodel process, and we thought it was time to give you some sneak peeks!  The "farm" as we affectionately call it, is not move-in ready just yet, so in the mean time we will be living in a vacation rental home on the lake.

Today it's all about the ROCK. A few weeks ago we took out the tile floors of the pool bathroom and laundry area and installed a river rock floor.

The wood planking on the Pool Bathroom walls will be painted white and we'll be adding the Martha Stewart vanity (shown below) in the Pool Bath too:

I actually love this vanity in person. The pic doesn't do it justice.  I was surprised at the quality of the sink, counter and the faucet. Erin from  HOUSE OF TURQUOISE, recently posted this very cool bathroom by Caccoma Interiors, which was puuuurrrfect timing for this rock post:

My laundry room, just off the pool bathroom will have a lighter shade of turquoise on the cabinets, called SW Waterscape, along with the river rock floor. Here's another room accentuated by a fabulous river rock floor, created by designer Stephen Shubel:

We've also been working on the fireplaces at the farm...Here we are viewing the property the first day, and then the new rocked version below (click to enlarge photos):

My husband really wanted the rock, but it is absolutely beautiful in person and has a lot of little hidden crystals that I love.  We call it "rubble rock" around here and it's actually one of the least expensive rocks. Definitely worth the look if you are in the market for rock!

Outdoors in the vegetable garden, we're removing the old rotten cedar and putting in rock borders instead.

And in other (much more adorable) news,  my first grandson Tatum was born July 17th. Yep, I'm officially a Grandma! Hard to believe when I still feel like, well say 40! Ha! But he is truly a gift from above and we're over the moon in love with him.

Looking forward to rockin' that sweet baby boy at the farmhouse soon. We'll be giving you updates on the farmhouse, after we get settled in our temporary home at the lake.  Hope to move into the Farm in September...fingers crossed! A LOT of rockin' remodeling fun has been happening there, I just never have enough time to write about it all.  But stay tuned....Until then hope you're having a great summer!