Traditional to Modern- Montrose Project

I cannot believe January is already half way over!! Ryan always jokes that it will be Christmas again before we know it and I think he might be right! For the past few months I have been busy working on several projects, all of which are still in process, but I’m finally taking the time to sit down and share the plans + progress.

First on the list is this great house in the Montrose area in Houston. It’s 4200 square feet, 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths. The house was beautiful when it was purchased but very traditional and my bachelor client was looking for more of a modern, entertaining home. Focusing primarily on the first floor, office and master bedroom our list of things to accomplish included the following:

-Paint all walls (house was a generic shade of tan throughout)

-Strip + stain the light oaks floors

-Replace traditional light fixtures

-Extend island to accommodate more seating

-New countertop + backsplash in the kitchen

-Modernize fireplace wall

-Add wallpaper to various rooms

-Transform elevator closet into wine room

-New furniture

While we’ve managed to check quite a few things off this list, we’re still working on all the finishing details. The house has transformed looks so much and I cannot wait to share more of the progress with you in the coming weeks. In the meantime, here are a few of the before pictures I snapped quickly long before I knew I was going to be writing a blog (Read- excuse the crappy photos with stuff everywhere in them because I didn't know I'd be sharing these before photos)! :) *Side note- the floors were stained darker by the time I took these photos. 

New island will be almost double in size to this one.

Replacing the sink with a large stainless, farmhouse style one with an industrial faucet.

Counters are too dark + the backsplash is too traditional 

Very traditional fireplace wall that will be simplified and tiled. 

This table is being moved to the kitchen area and this will become a lounge area.
The wine room is being built to the right of this space. 

Office space on second floor

Master bedroom with stripped floors

Later this we're taking a trip to dark side and sharing our favorite charcoal + navy colors to use in homes!  

How to Style a Coffee Table

Week 2 of January and I’m posting a second blog--- who says resolutions are hard?!? ;) I’m jumping on the organization bandwagon, but I’m putting a little twist on it by sharing organization tips that also coordinate with styling your home. These two things (organization + styling) really go hand in hand. Once you organize the clutter, you’re able to then style your home, and many of the organization solutions can also be a part of the styling. When it comes to getting a grip on your clutter, it’s best to start off small and work your way up to that overflowing closet! With that being said, we’re starting off small with coffee tables, which involves more styling than organizing.

I don’t know about you but I find coffee tables are generally a manageable area to keep neat as long as there is a home for magazines and remote controls. This is where trays and baskets become your best friends. It is amazing how different magazines looked when they are stacked in a tray or inside a basket versus just stacked on top of the coffee table. The same goes for remote controls. When it comes to styling a coffee table I like to keep things fairly simple so there is still plenty of functional space left for drinks or workspace. Below I’ve gone through the basic setup I follow for *most* coffee tables I style. 

1. Start by clearing off your table completely

2. Stack a few of your favorite coffee table books to one side (I've listed some of my favorites below)

3. Add a basket or tray to corral smaller items such as remotes, coasters, candles, a book you're reading, etc.

4. Add a decorative object to the stack of book and a vase or a small potted plant/succulent to the basket.

Under the coffee table I liked to slide a single basket for magazines. I try to go through this bin at least once a month, or once the basket is fully so that it never becomes overflowing. 

If you're looking to add coffee table books to your collection, I've rounded up some of my favorite ones below. I try to find a range of books on various topics that I enjoy. If you simply want beautiful photos, then you can't go wrong with travel (find places you've visited or want to visit), interior design, fashion and art. I typically remove the dust jackets from the books because I prefer the look of the cloth hardcover rather than the paper printed loose cover. Another tip, if you're wanting books to use as display for on shelves check out places like Half Price Books for more affordable options and try turning mismatched books backwards so all you see are the pages rather than the spines of the books. 

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Friday Favorites- Fireplaces

We are nearing the end of the first week of January and I already almost failed at my New Year Resolution…. posting a minimum of one blog each week! Ahhh! I really need to come up with a designated time to sit down to write my blog(s) for the week because I really do love sharing information here. If only it were as easy to do as it is in theory.....

During the month of January I’ll be mostly focused on ways to organize your home that are also esthetically pleasing. From your bathroom counters (hello, product hoarder), to coffee tables and the dreaded closet! But before we go all New Year Resolution on this thing, I figured I’d start with a Friday Favorites that I've been giving a lot of thought to lately as I'm helping a new client design this for her home that's currently being built- fireplaces! I’ve lived in homes with electric fireplaces, gas fireplaces, and no fireplaces, and let me tell you I love a good fireplace and desperately miss one in my house now! I may live in Texas, but as I'm writing this a cold front moved in and just like that it's 30 degrees out, and taking the chill off the air with a fire sounds pretty dang good right about now. 

*Why I love fireplaces ? They instantly create a focal point in a room and make any space feel cozier. I’ve broken everything down into some of my favorite fireplace trends starting with the classic brick fireplace.

Brick fireplaces have been around forever and are becoming more popular today because of a little secret weapon known as white paint! Everyone, myself included, loves painted brick right now and I honestly don’t see this trend dying out any time soon. For a more rustic, natural look try whitewashed brick instead of solid white.  

Floor to ceiling brick + exposed beams. Heart eyes!!!

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Historic brick next to a large glass + marble shower for the win

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Painted brick + a natural wood mantle

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Lightly whitewashed for a softer look

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*Why I love brick fireplaces? Whether they’re painted or left natural they are a timeless and classic look for any fireplace. 

Over the past few years I’m seeing more and more smooth fireplaces, which are typically covered in plaster, stucco or concrete. While they definitely have more of a contemporary feel, when mixed with reclaimed wood they can work beautifully in a cottage or farmhouse style home as well. 

Sleek, double sided fireplace is perfect in a bathroom

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Gorgeous detail + herringbone brick inside the firebox

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Concrete + natural woods for a rustic yet modern vibe

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*Why I love smooth fireplaces? They’re neutral and you don’t have to worry about the stonework going out of style. Clean, fresh + simple. 

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past four years then this next one won’t surprise you- shiplap!! While it is definitely trendy to use shiplap right now, it has in fact been around for centuries, and in more recent times is finding its way into homes that aren't at the beach or a cabin in the woods. I appreciate shiplap for the fact that it adds instant texture without having to break the bank on floor to ceiling stone. I also love how the wood marries perfectly with just about every other material you could think to add to a fireplace surround- brick, stone, tile, marble, etc.

Shiplap + traditional mantle
What I really love is the navy accent on either side

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White shiplap + those gorgeous wide-planked floors

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Subtle stone accent brings in grays + tans into the space

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More traditional feel but hooked on those little cutie arm lights

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Okay, technically the shiplap is on the ceiling but
this moody gray wood paneling is too sexy not to share

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*Why I love shiplap on fireplaces? It adds instant character and history to a home.

So, which fireplace style is your favorite?