Just In Case You Forgot

Just in case you forgot what the bedroom looked like when we found it... darker walls, darker floors, ugly closet doors...

 We weren't even sure a bed would fit in here!



A Warm White Bedroom

Who says white has to be sterile and cold?  By layering textures and using personal accessories, white can be very warm and cozy.  My goals for this space:  1) make it actually function well for two people as a non-traditional "master" bedroom (aka tiny)   2) maintain a calm, uncluttered, orderly space (edit carefully!) and exhale   3) try to use things we already had without having to buy new.  The only things I actually had to purchase to pull this together were the clothes hamper and the bedside lamps.  Although mostly repurposed from other areas of the last house, everything else....we already had :)

Come on in to the "master" bedroom...  Keeping the color scheme a simple white helps quiet and expand the space.  A large floor mirror strategically placed as you enter the room also helps expand the space borrowing from the hallway and helping to bounce light around the room. The refinished pine floors provide warmth and texture.

Since the bed takes up the largest portion of the room white is the way to go. A rustic quilt bought several years ago on clearance at Pottery Barn gives it a light summer season look.

One large dresser (from Ikea) corals a lot of clothing and packs it into a condensed space.  (Note:  you'll never see a tv on a bedroom dresser in a designer room... but c'mon this is real life.  We would eventually like to mount a slightly larger one on the wall above the dresser... banish the thought!)

The queen bed frame provides some visual interest yet maintains a light and airy feel. (Ikea again)

A small nightstand (previously a shade of light blue from my husband's childhood bedroom in a former life) provides additional quiet storage. A simple fishing basket on top repeats the warm floor tones and provides more storage. (hint: a great way to hide your husband's clutter!)

The other nightstand (still just $20 from Ikea and intentionally non-matching) gives plenty of bedside surface yet allows the tight space to remain visually open. A wooden cutlery box corals remotes, chargers, water bottles, etc.

Go vertical:  another way to pack in storage and repeat the warmth with baskets. The bedroom door actually opens out into the hall.  Although unusual, we kept it that way so as not to steal any valuable space from the tiny room.

Even a utilitarian laundry hamper can still have style.  After several unsuccessful tries, this one from The Container Store worked better here than in the laundry room and still sorts lights & darks.

Simple, inexpensive window treatments (found at Blinds.com) provide textural interest and control light and privacy. The woven white wood is backed with privacy liners and can be opened from top down or bottom up.  A great feature for a front bedroom allowing light while maintaining privacy. Drapey curtains would be in the way in this condense space.

Contrary to what you might think, a high bed works wonders in a small space. This space under the bed is valuable when two people are sharing one dresser and a small closet!

Accessories need maintain a simple, clean feel but add a dash of color.  This Christopher Burkett photo is much loved as it belonged to a dear friend.  Wall sconces mounted beside the bed provide additional lighting without taking up valuable space on the nightstands. These industrial style lamps from West Elm are simple and clean and very versatile.
 

More nature inspired photography on the opposite wall is by photographer Lin Isler.  We discovered these while vacationing in Charleston, South Carolina and had to have them. Her husband was actually working the shop when we purchased it.  She is based in South Carolina, her work is very affordable and can still be found online. (http://web.me.com/lilycharleston/linisler/Welcome.html )  Although the subject matter is different on each side of the bedroom, the simple white frames with wide white mats unite the photographs as well as the nature theme.

Accessories are kept simple and multi-functional when possible. A picture frame and a decorative box (discovered on a trip to Hong Kong) double as jewelry storage.

Silver accessories clustered together for effect.  No need to keep the silver perfectly polished... the tarnish gives it a more rustic feel and makes it feel more real and usable.  Family treasures and wedding photo provide sentimental value as well.

Located on the nightstand lower shelf (just below the shell photos) a glass jar filled with shells provides interest and repeats the photos.

Giving the bed more of a fall feel by changing out the quilt to a down comforter and adding creamy accents and textures. The shams are cream velveteen and the linen pillow features textured crewel embroidery.  A rough textured throw adds coziness.

Okay, one more purchase... Loved this little pillow discovered last weekend at The Country Living Fair!

The swiss cross or red cross symbol is simply brushed onto rough wool.


Just in case you forgot what the bedroom looked like when we found it... darker walls, darker floors, ugly closet doors...

We weren't even sure a bed would fit in here!

Wake Up the Neighborhood

"Alligator Alley" was the final color selection. (definately was not the color choice for the faint of heart!) New white paint trim on the steps and porch give it a clean vibe.

The outdoor battery candles are a nice (and automatic!) greeting each evening.

The old porch furniture and lime cushions find new life here.

New plantings out front.  My first attempt did not go well (more below).  These are a new variety of hydrangea called "Phantom" which are supposed to have these huge ball flowers late summer that go from lime green to white and in between is an interesting variety of evergreen.  (I forgot the name of it!) This area is definately for "shade" plants, only a little morning sun.

 These are the original "Pee Wee Oak Leaf" hydrangeas that I planted out front-- relocated to the back yard where they get more sun.

 Yes, believe it or not... you can't believe everything the expert at the nursery tells you.  After a few weeks and looking worse by the day, I couldn't figure out where I went wrong with these guys.  I pulled out the tag and was shocked to see that they like "full sun".  So I dug them up (there was nothing to lose at that point) and moved them to the back.  They have made a great recovery and even survived the hottest July on record.  Moral of the story, no matter what they tell you... read the tag and believe it!

 The infant stage of our future driveway hedge.  We were looking for an evergreen that didn't look piney.  Apparently in our climate, this is probably the only choice:  Prague Viburnum.  36 plants later....

We like them a lot.  With as many as we needed, we couldn't go very large.  So they will be getting regular doses of Miracle Gro!  The good news is they have already doubled or tripled in size after a month.

Screen Porch Season

Long time, no blog... (well, it is our busy season.) 

Here's an update on what's been happening at the homestead lately.

The screen porch got a fresh coat of white paint, inside and out.

Our favorite view from the inside.

Yes, this is our theme for this space... "Eat, Drink and be Merry!"

The room was actually designed around this table.  It once lived in a school library (evidenced by all the chewing gum I once scraped off the bottom). It's been re-refinished (yes that's twice by me) with a coat of liming wax (ala white tint) followed by a coat of clear wax.  We know the elements will weather it more, but we're going with it. It's too good to leave in storage and it didn't fit in the kitchen.  So we'll just enjoy!

  

Comfy chairs were a must for this multi-purpose space.  Here they are decked out in their newly covered cushions.

I took apart the old cushions to make patterns for the new ones.  A bit tedious, but the easy fit made it worth the effort.

Slightly worn, distressed furniture is perfect for this space.  A little more weathering won't hurt this $35 garage sale find.  We were told it was a barber stand in a former life.

These inexpensive ($30) lights from Lowes are perfect for the look and the budget. Even though they are outdoor rated the reviews were a little suspect.  They should be fine under cover.

 Unused accessories from indoors work fine out here.

 An old milk jug from the family farm works well and helps camo the satellite dish.

Simple Ball canning jars make great outdoor candles.  The sand gives it natural look with the added bonus of making it easy to replace the melted candles.  (hint: don't try using a butter knife to scrape out old wax... the jar won't survive--ooops)

Rustic Chandelier

An interesting idea...

We needed a chandelier for our favorite room in the house. 

I liked the $2500 wine barrel chandelier from Restoration Hardware, but...

I came up with this idea for a dyi budget friendly version that fits our rustic setting.  Pretty pleased with the results.

 A night-time viewing

Great ambiance...

Took an old wooden ladder and suspended it from the rafters with rope.  Hung patio umbrella lights leaving a few ends dangling.

And for a much more reasonable price, we have the perfect light for our setting!

Just incase you're interested here are the details:

Wooden Ladders available with paint splatters and in about any length you need can be found online from "A Rustic Garden" (arusticgarden.com)  This one was about 48" long and cost $29.  Lucky you if you happen to have one of these laying around, I didn't.

Shooting Star Umbrella Lights $20 (Home Depot) Umbrella light set has 20 ends coming out of center ring all on a brown cord

50' of 1/4" Manilla Rope $6 (Home Depot)

This Week's Hot Projects

And I do mean HOT!  Whew, thank goodness most of this project was in the shade...

 Planted a row of hydrangea bushes across front porch.  Seriously tough digging!  We decided to go with the large pine bark nuggets figuring that would be the least maintenance next to pea gravel and hoping that we don't have to replenish as often as the fine stuff.  It wasn't very fun crawling under the porch on my side to spread it!  Minimal and low maintenance is the theme for landscaping this property.  The days of spending hours watering all the lush landscape are over.

 These little gems have been on my wish list for a few years now.  Oak Leaf Hydrangea (Pee Wee variety will only get about 3 ft tall and 3 ft wide)  White flowers that fade to pink and leaves turn burgundy in fall.  Ooooh la la.

Our existing porch furniture worked out fine on the front porch.  Probably wouldn't have selected this fabric for here but since I completely redid this furniture just 2 years ago, we'll go with it for a couple more years.

Finally hung the first picture!

It's an original Clyde Butcher photograph.  He's a big time Florida photographer and the picture belonged to my dear friend Molly.  It's fitting that it's the first picture we've hung.  I have a few others from Molly's collection that will soon find the right place.