Friday, June 30, 2017

Powder + Guest Bathroom Design- Glen Arbor

I decided to pop in quick again this week to share the powder + guest bath design for our Glen Arbor project. This bathroom is a two for one deal in the sense that the powder bath and guest bath are adjoining but are separated by a door. You can access the powder bath, which has a small vanity and toilet, from the back hallway off the kitchen. Inside the powder bath there is another door that leads into the guest bathroom, which has a larger vanity with storage space and a shower. This half of the bathroom also has direct access to the guest bedroom at the back of the house. Basically, the homeowners wanted an ensuite for their guests but only have overnight guests occasionally, so this was a way for them to have the necessary first floor powder bath while still providing a private space for those times they do have guests staying at their house. Here's an old picture that I took while standing in the powder bath side looking towards the guest bath side, which should give you a better understanding of the two spaces. 

Now that I’ve made the layout clear as mud, let’s talk about the pretty stuff- the design! We could have easily taken the easy route and used matching mirrors and fixtures in these two bathrooms, but instead we decided to make the spaces feel cohesive rather than identical. We went a little more bold in the powder bathroom, which is honestly my favorite place in a home to use a high impact wallpaper or a unique chandelier (entryways are perfect for this, too). We chose to do both in this space! The owl and leaf motif of the wallpaper is whimsical, but the dominantly white background prevents it from feeling too overwhelming. The shaped brass mirror and beaded chandelier are just icing on the design cake.  


Throughout this home we designed a lot of unique bathroom vanities that have more of a furniture appearance. In the powder bathroom, the vanity is sort of a mini version of the master with the slatted shelf below. 

In the guest bathroom side we’ve selected similar features and fixtures, such as a mirror with brass accents, a white sink (under mount instead of vessel) and a faucet with a similar line to the powder bath faucet (deck mounted instead of wall mounted). We’ve used the same marble countertop and continuous flooring throughout both spaces. We found a gray penny tile for the shower floor that is similar in shade to the porcelain tile on the bathroom floor. And we went with a clean, white subway tile in a large format with a beveled edge for the shower walls, running all the way to the ceiling.


Here are a few pictures of the bathroom in its current state. In the first image the open doorway leads to the powder bath. The door to the guest bedroom would be to the right of the vanity (I'm standing in the shower). 



I absolutely love how these two spaces play off of each other, and I'm anxiously awaiting for all the pieces to come to fruition! 

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Trending Tuesday- Mixed Metals


It’s Tuesday, which means I can finally share this Trending Tuesday post that was conveniently written last Wednesday... 

This week we’re talking mixed metals, which has become a popular trend for the past couple of years, and I for one love it. Whether it’s my clothes or my home, I’m never into being perfectly matched, and I always like to add an element of surprise that creates contrast and interest. Gone are the days when you select one finish for an entire house or even just an entire room. Two finishes are a safe bet, but three can work as well when done in the right way. I’ve shared a some examples on how to utilize this trend in your own homes, along with a few helpful tips to get it right.

Appliances play a heavy role in all kitchen designs, but even more so in our own design below because there are not only the standard appliances present (range, fridge, dishwasher), but also a large range hood and an additonal beverage fridge and wine cooler. In a linear kitchen like this the stainless becomes a dominant finish. We repeated this finish with a stainless steel sink and satin nickel faucet. To break up all of the silver tones we added brass cabinet/drawer hardware and accent lighting. 


The next kitchen has a similar setup except for the addition of a copper faucet and accents. The warm tones of the brass and copper work well together in this light and airy kitchen. 

A good rule of thumb when selecting multiple finishes, especially in a smaller space, is to choose a dominant finish and an accent finish. In the bathroom below the dominant color is black, which is not only repeated on the faucet, light fixture and hardware, but is also used in the window frame and tile selection, which makes the brass accent really pop in this room. 

Another tip to making mixed metals successful in your space is to keep one finish per visual line. In the bathroom below the mirrors and lights are on the same plane and are in brass. In the middle plane, black is used on the faucets, clock and soap pumps, and then brass is repeated on the hardware in the bottom plane. The black shower door that expands all the planes and the small brass accents in the middle plane help to make everything feel connected. 

We used the same technique in this bathroom we designed. Brass for the fixtures and mirrors, brushed nickel for the towel rings and faucets and brass again for the hardware. We also added a brass tray as  an accent on the countertop, which intermixes the metals making the space feel cohesive. I also find that it works best to keep a consistent finish for the plumbing fixtures. In this case, brushed nickel for the faucets and shower features.






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Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Big Updates- Glen Arbor

How’s everyone’s week going? I sat down to write my post today, a Trending Tuesday post, and was starting to edit it when I realized today is Wednesday! Guess I missed the boat on that one! Ha!! On the bright side, I’m all set for next week now.

Sooooo instead of Trending Tuesday, I present to you Winging it Wednesday… fingers crossed this doesn't become a weekly occurrence over here! Since I am winging it on this post today I'll keep it short and sweet. I checked in at the Glen Arbor project at the beginning of the week and was blown away by what had all changed in just a few days. The driveway and sidewalk pads have been poured, the last of the countertops were being installed, and quite a few of the light fixtures have been hung. Every time it feels more and more like a home, and I just love being a part of this transformation. I cannot wait for the family to get to enjoy this space.

The very first thing that caught my attention were the pendant lights over the island- dying!!! They're still covered in plastic, but the brass band around the clear globes perfectly compliments the modern chandelier in the dining room. And how about that reclaimed wood beam?!? I love how a rustic accent instantly adds character and soul to a new home. You may have also noticed that the herringbone subway backsplash is starting to be installed, too.
Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Updates

Reclaimed wood shelves will be flanking the window that is over the kitchen sink, and the shiplap range hood will also have a wood strip on the bottom to help break up the white along the back kitchen wall. 
Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Updates

Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Updates

Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Updates

These next few pictures were taken while the kitchen countertops were still being installed and before the backsplash tile started to go up, but you can at least see how the soapstone and marble play off each other. The veining in the marble on the island is gorgeous. Unfortunately they have to cover these beauties back up until the project is finished so no more seeing them until the end. 
Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Updates

Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Updates

Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Updates

The large bent-arm sconces look fabulous over the fireplace built-ins. Anxiously awaiting for the reclaimed wood mantle and floating shelves to be installed, which will help make the light gray plaster on the fireplace standout more. It's hard to see in these dark iPhone pictures, but the herringbone pattern from the backsplash is also repeated in the firebox. While it's a subtle design choice, all those small things add up to a home that flows seamlessly throughout. 
Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Updates

As promised, I'm keeping it brief today. I'm planning to share the design plan for the joint powder and guest bath along with the progress pictures for those two spaces next week. Although, if Houston's weather gets crazy with Tropical Storm Cindy and I'm not able to get around to all of my appointments tomorrow, you just may luck out and get two posts this week!!! Now that would be crazy.... 
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Friday, June 16, 2017

Friday Favorites- Modern Bathroom Designs

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a Friday Favorites post. And by awhile I mean 5 months… I guess it’s time to round up another batch of my favorites, this time being my favorite modern bathroom designs.


Sometimes when people think of modern design, they think cold, hard or empty. That really isn’t the case. Modern designs can be warm and inviting when done in the right way. While they typically use cleaner, straighter lines they can easily be softened through the use of texture and pattern. Bathrooms are probably the space that I tend to lean a little more modern on because they feel clean and serene, and quite frankly, they just look cool. Below is my roundup of a few of my favorite modern bathroom designs.

First up is simple in design, but offers a big style impact. The floating vanity, the tile on both on the wall and the floor, wall-mounted faucets and a huge round mirror. Plus they mixed the metal finishes, which I'll be talking more about next week, for added visual interest. 
favorite modern bathroom design

How amazing is this floor tile?!? If you're going to have white walls and a simple black framed mirror, going bold on the floor is a huge bang for the buck. My general rule of thumb when doing a patterned tile is keeping the color scheme neutral so you're less likely to tire of the tile choice down the road. Black and white tile is always a winning choice. Also, I have to mention that waterfall countertop- gorgeous!
favorite modern bathroom design

Along the same lines, but with higher contrast is this bathroom. The floor still has a pattern but it's much more subtle, which makes the dark stacked tiles for the back wall and shower a great choice. I love the way the brass fixtures pop against the dark backdrop, too. 
favorite modern bathroom design

In one of my own designs, I took the dark walls a step further by also painting the vanity the same color but in a high gloss finish. The white countertop and subway tile shower provides a high contrast to the dark walls and vanity and the patterned tile floor creates visual interest. Brass fixtures add warmth to the space. 
modern bathroom designs

While this space is fairly simple, there are so many neat features that make it visually interesting. The midcentury style of the vanity (love those angled legs), the subtle tonal change in the floor pattern, the tile wall behind the long skinny mirrors, and that super cool light fixture hanging between them. It's sort of retro-mod at its best. 
favorite modern bathroom design

The previous bathrooms all had warmer wood featured, which really looks great against whites and grays. For an overall lighter vibe, the bathroom below is giving me all the heart eyes!! I absolutely love the bleached wood and the classic round vessel sink with a wall mounted faucet. It feels like you've just walked into a peaceful space. And the band of tiles below the mirror (which is also repeated on the floor) is something that I haven't seen time and time again, which is honestly a rarity now because of social media. It really is just a lovely space that I can guarantee does not suck to brush your teeth in! ;)  
favorite modern bathroom design

Black and white color schemes can go classic or modern based on the material selection and application, which is clearly demonstrated in the two images below. Both have dark framed showers and mirrors, but the first is a little more playful with the large hex tile on the wall and a sleek gray tile on the floor. The unique round mirror finishes out the space perfectly. The second bathroom has a more classic vibe with the white marble shower walls and countertop but brings the modern vibe with the white lacquered vanity and metal framed mirror with a single industrial-style light above it. 

favorite modern bathroom design

favorite modern bathroom design

And last, but not least, I had to share this space because it is one of the most unique tubs I have seen. The gorgeous use of concrete tiles mixed with marble is absolutely stunning. The black window and copper/rose gold plumbing are the perfect accent in this class meets modern bathroom. 
favorite modern bathroom design

All of you transitional and/or classic bathroom lovers out there, don't worry, I have you covered in the next installment! I'm signing out for the weekend, but I'll see you back here next week with more construction updates and hopefully sharing the start of a new project! Happy Friday!!!

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Paint + Tile- Glen Arbor

Big construction update today, guys (I only promised it about 3.5 weeks ago, so this seems like a good time- ha!). We are down to the final six weeks or so at Glen Arbor and it is all hands on deck to wrap this project up on time. The interior walls and woodwork have been primed and the final coats of color are being painted. We’ve only hit one little snag with color application, but we’re working on fixing that today. Speaking of snags, it’s not always fun to talk about issues that come up on jobsites, which are bound to happen, but I also don’t want to pretend like every project always runs according to plan and there are no last minute adjustments. While hiring a professional (like me!) definitely helps to cut down on the problems, or at the very least reduces the stress of the homeowner, it’s still inevitable that some issues will arise during any given project. A little off topic with that, but it’s important to mention because I never want it to seem like I’m only putting out the pretty side of construction, renovation and design.  

Enough of the Debbie Downer talk, let’s get to the good stuff- the pictures... starting with the kitchen!!! The soft white walls and the little brighter white on the cabinetry are offset with the prettiest shade of gray on the island for just the right amount of contrast. If you remember the kitchen plan, we selected a gorgeous slab of marble for the island and soapstone for the perimeter countertops- both will be stunning against this backdrop. 




Bringing in the modern farmhouse vibe are the shiplap accents in the entry and on the wall going up the stairs, which will be where the dining room table will go. 


Moving upstairs all three kids' rooms have been painted. Shades of gray for the first two bedrooms, which are connected with a Jack and Jill bathroom. Gray subway tile will be going up in the shower soon, which will compliment the hexagon and gray dot tile floor that's being finished up. Although it doesn't show well in the picture below, the soft turquoise on the vanity will create a little pop against all the gray and white of this space. 


 

The back bedroom has been painted a lovely shade of peach and will have an accent wall in one of my favorite wallpapers- Thibaut Tanzania in black and cream. I love the youthful feel of the wallpaper and it will nicely tie together with the black windows (you can see a little glimpse on the far right window), the black chandelier, and of course the adjoining bathroom which has the coolest mix of black and white. 




The master bathroom is also seeing lots of progress in the tile department. The large format subway tile is up in the shower and the fabulous gray hex floor has been laid. This is one of my favorite features and I cannot wait to see how the white oak vanity looks in this space; it's going to be great!!! This also leads us to the little color snag that I mentioned earlier. The color on the shiplap is sort of throwing us off against the bright white subway tile. However, the color on the built-in cabinet to the right of the tub seems to work well with it. Going to the job site this morning to figure out what happened since these are supposed to be the same color. Should be an easy fix. 



And a quick glimpse of the back of the house- how great are all those windows?! The brick still needs to be painted white, but the ceiling of the porch is getting a quick coat of a grayish-blue color, a modern take on the Southern tradition of painting your porch ceiling turquoise. The outdoor kitchen won't be far behind now. I have to be honest, the progress is happening faster than I can share it, but I'll do my best to keep you up to speed. I have so many new projects to share as well, including an out of state renovation that is wrapping. Lots of fun things coming up, but in the meantime I'm off to my first appointment. Hope you all have a great day!