Progress

Please excuse our mess, construction in progress! Finally - my cased opening between the living room and family room, and our new cabinet for our TV are underway! Stay tuned.

Weekend Projects

I opened my email this morning to find a wonderfully helpful email from Better Homes & Gardens that included 20 Winter Weekend Fix-Ups.  SUCH helpful ideas - I cannot even explain.  I plan to deploy some of these projects in my own home.  The first one I plan to undertake is:

#5 - Update Your Bookshelves

I have posted pics of my family room - with built-in bookshelves - before.  And I have been struggling with how to decorate them - not wanting to overclutter - but also not wanting to have a sparse feel to them.  Below are pics of their current state:

 

  

Can't wait to have a cabinet built to hide that TV equipment (in the next two weeks)!  Somehow I don't think BHG would be pleased!  There cannot be an easy way to make a cable box look chic!

Some of BHG's helpful hints for updating your bookshelves include:

- Alternate stacking books vertically and horizontally

- Use framed pictures as bookends

- Place figurines on horizontal books, and layer books behind

- Remove book jackets to tone down the various colors and patterns

- Less is more!  Arrange books here and there with pics and accessories in between.  

- When stacking books, arrange from tallest to shortest

- Vary heights by stacking books as base for accessories

- Paint your shelves a bold color so that they become the focal point as opposed to the disparate color and pattern of your books

Some great examples of these techniques are below:

                                                                

We are having work done in our family room in the next two weeks - that will end in these bookshelves and the mantle being painted a creamy white color. (as well as a large, cased opening to be created in an adjacent wall to open up the front family room to the back living room - so excited)  As soon as this work is completed, I plan to get to work arranging the shelves.  And, have no fear, the pics will be posted here first!

The other weekend fixer-ups that I'd like to undertake are:

#10 - Redo Your Mantle (in tandem with the bookshelves overhaul)

#18 - Big Impact with a Little Fabric (lampshades never looked this good!)

#20 - Create a Family Gallery

I will create one post for each project over the next few weeks/months.  

Some other projects that are not on my short-list - but are making me think twice are:

#16 - Put Your Scraps to Use

#14 - Make a New Headboard

#11 - Add or Upgrade Your Molding

Now you have a great way to spend these long, cold weekends we seem to be having lately! 

:)  Get creative!

Overstock Me!

I was reminded today of the fabulous deals one may find at Overstock.com!  I was casually perusing, when I stumbled upon this chair.  My sister has been searching for two matching chairs to put in her front living room - and EUREKA - these would be perfect!  I sent her the link - and she called two hours later to let me know she bought them.  A match made in heaven!

Slipper Chair O Vanilla

This is such a fantastic chair - and priced at $240 - it's the steal of the week!  And my next tasks for her room is to find a pedestal table for in between - two floor lamps for behind the chairs and a complementing area rug...and also to find a great color for the walls.  (the one in the pic above ain't bad!)  I'll be sure to post some before and after photos as the project comes along.

Some other favorites I found while reacquainting myself:

Lily Tawny Chaise Lounge

Prescott Creme Chair

There is something so classy about this chair.  Gosh - I wish I could find a spot in my house for this one...I'll look in to that!

Sand Phoenix Bench w/Nailheads

Mureno Contemporary Writing Desk

What a classy desk.  Don't look now, but based on my above pics you could say I might be in a "Neutral Phase" right now.  Not much color here - but there is something so classic and elegant about neutrals.  Can't get enough!

Baby Steps

My hopeful transition from "Corporate" to decidedly "Not Corporate" has had waves of progress. As of late - my audit gig has gotten in the way of the "Not Corporate" track. Well, in this New Year, I am proud to report progress has been made: If anyone is trying to reach me on a Thursday night in February - they will be out of luck. I will be in attendance of the Design Basics-I class in the Evening at Emory program. I'm am SUPER excited about this baby foot forward. I'll be sure to share all the fun and new things I learn. Some of the topics to be touched upon in this session are:

- Creating a home with continuity and flow
- Tips on how to choose flooring
- Space planning: furniture placemen and floor traffic
- Function, lifestyle & purpose of space
- Accessorizing, accessorizing, accessorizing!

One step down...how many more to go?

Rodney White

The toddler paraphenalia will have to remain for the moment in our basement - but that will not stop me from slapping Rodney White's vintage paintings all over the walls down there:

Advantage

Nothing But A Try

Sometimes Seeing Is Believing

Rodney White has a great story - he is a young artist that has turned his perspective in to some inspiring pieces that are often up for interpretation by the viewer.  Check out this video about him.  He is based out of New York - but grew up in Augusta, Georgia.  So he is homegrown!  I love him!

As the video presents, Rodney once read in a book that "if you really want to own something, you've got to draw it." Now I wish I were talented enough to draw (and have it look presentable).  I'm very envious of those that can turn their thoughts, memories and experiences into pictures.  Rodney White certainly does this well...he will be one that I continue to watch as his art evolves.

Extreme Makeover 2008: Basement

Just to prove to you all that I have not been quite the slacker that I seem to be - I would like to unveil to you my latest project that has taken all my time left over after being a wife, a mom & an auditor:  OUR BASEMENT.

You may remember some pics I posted shortly after the big move that showed the state of the basement - stained wood trim and old, stained, white berber carpet.  I refused to let my toddler down there w/out shoes - and you know I DEFINITELY did not set bare (or socked) foot onto that carpet.  Have I told you all about my thing with dirty carpet?  Kind of like other people's feet, it freaks me out.  Soooo...it is only natural that one of my first priorities would be to clean that place up a bit.  

BEFORE PICS (SHOCKED that I don't have better ones than these....):

AFTER PICS:

Stairway to Heaven...

  

Hallway to the bathroom...which is still under construction...

   

  

THE SPECS:

Wall Color:  Twilight Gold (Benjamin Moore)

Trim Color:  Cottage White (A Behr color...the ever popular Navajo White by BM was a little grey next to this color, and I needed warm warm warm colors with the caramel walls.)

Carpet:  Karastan - Modena, Color:  Plateau

As you can see - my toddler's things are back in their rightful positions.  But the above pic shows where our new TV will be placed.  (wall adjacent to the one with the windows)  And then, promptly (in 7 to 10 days) this new sofa will be directly opposite!

Mammoth Sofa in Mocha (ZGallerie)

In this pic it looks a little grey - but nope, it's mocha.  This is THE most comfortable sofa I have EVER sat in.  And my husband loved it so much he insisted we buy it.  I was a little more cautious - and asked to take a pillow home to see how the color looked with the caramel walls...it is very dramatic...it will be great!

More to come once all is in place...now, what to do with the walls?