JVW MIA?

Yep, I've been "missing in action" alright. We've been moving the past few weeks into our new home. I JUST got my office in order this past Friday, and so now I'll be able to work & write again.
(isn't that the cutest card my SIL gave us?)

We moved from the sweet 1800's farmhouse to a new , Tuscan style one story. We hope to show you ideas we incorporated, for warming up a new house with unique touches. Unfortunately my camera isn't working again. So , until I get a new camera, I'll show you a couple of "not so great" Iphone pics. At least you'll get a teensy glimpse.

In the first pic below, you'll see the living room before we started the transformation. When we bought this house, all the rooms (and I mean ALL) were painted this gold beige. The entire house felt dark. I knew the first thing I wanted to do was lighten the spaces. With the gold, you had to turn on lighting to feel good in the house. Now, I hardly have to turn on lights, unless I want that special ambient lighting.

I've always loved seaside Italian homes with a more Mediterranean feel, and knew I needed to incorporate white walls. However, the entire interior trim/cabinetry was painted SW Antique White. SW Antique White is a bit on the yellow side for me, and wouldn't have been my first choice for trim. However, our budget to repaint the entire house was alot. So, I decided I could live with the existing trim paint awhile and just repaint the walls white. I'd prefer all white walls with a "greige" or deep taupe trim. (in due time....other important things to spend $ on, like window treatments)

We did repaint some kitchen cabinetry and the cabinets in the Study. However, that's another post I'll share soon.

So, for starters you can see in the living room we painted the walls white. We also wanted to give the fireplace some depth and texture. We removed the builder's grade mantel, and added a rubble type rock, reminiscent of Italian farmhouses. (click on any photo to enlarge the photo)
We knew we also wanted a chunky interesting piece of wood as the new mantel. Our contractor Mark just happened to have an interesting piece of an old cedar back at his house that he thought we might like. His friend had just cut large cedar trees on a ranch, but kept some interesting pieces. One of the pieces was this wood mantel Mark brought over. Mark cleaned and sanded it to it's natural beauty , and cut it to fit the fireplace wall. He also sealed the wood with a clear sealer. I like the look because it's got a bit more modern look being thin vs. a lodge style thick mantel.
See those spaces & cabinets on either side of the rock fireplace? We are hunting for the right old barn wood or antique doors to cover the arch areas , and add more interest into the room.
Again, I'm only giving you a glimpse until I get a new camera and more room fluffing complete. You can see sleepy Dylan on the left floor and his dog toy on rug, always!

It's good to be back at the computer and I look forward to revealing more of the new house soon.

Until then I also wanted to thank Becky Harris from HOUZZ for writing this fun article on my last farmhouse project, HERE. Received alot of fun response from the article and I appreciate all the nice comments so very much. I hope you'll take the time to read the article and learn more about that precious farmhouse. We'll miss the setting, the houses, great neighbors and that wonderful pool.
But I'm hoping our Tuscan style one story will inspire you as well. We're in the process of building a pool here also and excited to share the garden and pool, when the time comes.

You know I love Italian decor, but I also love anything French. Jordan of Oh Happy Day, is hosting an amazing giveaway for two flight tickets & a tres chic hotel stay in Paris! Check out her fun blog and the trip details HERE . Jordan is an American girl living in Paris for a year with her husband and family. She will personally take you on a Paris tour to all the great stores and sights as well. I believe the contest is almost over, so enter today!

I'll get back to designing pillows and dog beds soon. I know I keep promising new designs, but the move set me back on getting things into production.

Have a great day and I'll be back again soon,