Monday, December 16, 2013

Classic Christmas

We usually wait until Guadete Sunday, the third Sunday of advent, to decorate outside. But this year, a stomach bug and a big project install is making us run behind a bit. Christmas brings out the classic in me. And with our very classic colonial, it's hard to beat white lights and boxwood wreaths...




Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Hello World!

Long absences usually deserve long explanations, but the long and the short is that life has been too busy and too fun, and family and work have taken center stage....

in progress projects awaiting rugs and window treatments....


In between all the projects, summer came....

 and lingered.....


and turned to cozy fall....
and now it's onto the next adventure......
I wish could stand still for just a little longer (that's the reason I love photography so much...relishing)....

Friday, May 31, 2013

Spring drive by

The DC heat today is reminding me that spring barely came this year. It went from cold to summer, then back to winter, and now full force hot...but even so we managed to sneak in some springish activities in between all the work projects. Spring is the best time for.....

Beach camping...it's cold and fresh, no bugs, sun enough to explore but not to be content just lounging (that's saved for summer :) it's so invigorating...
birthdays! We had a whole string of them...2 years for our baby, 6 for our middle, and 30 whole yearsfor Rich and me! Woohoo!

...and the only time for May crowning. Growing up, my school always had a May procession honoring Mary...all the kids would bring flowers, and one girl would be chosen to crown her with flowers. It was always beautiful! This year my kindergartner's class carried on the tradition. Gorgeous, peaceful, prayerful, and full of spirit...
and the very best for flower weed picking and wild bouquets. I remember begging my mom for a tidy little store bought bouquet to bring in for May crowning, and her telling me to go outside and pick some. I didn't realize how much better that was at the time...but now my preference, especially in spring, is wild bouquets that look natural and carefree. Even weeds...







Hello Summer!


Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Change of view: a before and after client house flip



For the last couple of months I've been working with a very talented builder, (Paul Kuzma of Kuzma Construction) to transform one of the cutest houses. He and his wife are an awesome team... I went to college with one of their daughters and another daughter is one of our favorite babysitters...so I've known and admired them for quite awhile, but it's been awesome getting to know them in a different capacity. Plus, their work is fabulous because Paul notices and invests in every detail. The whole process has been refreshing because nothing is put in haphazardly or just "because it was cheap" which is often the case in house flips. Paul's background is in carpentry, so details matter, and he knows how to execute them beautifully! The house is now on the market, so email me if your interested in more details.

There are so many things I love about this house...the perfect proportions, the mix of old details that add character and new details that add function, beautiful outdoor areas, gorgeous neighborhood, the light, etc X infinity!

 I have to go back and take real pictures (when I'm not trying to juggle kids and a camera at the same time :) but here's an in progress peek...

The original house was cute cute to begin with if you had a really good imagination....

 But it's looking a little better these days :)))

BEFORE: Mudroom into great room (that framed box on the far side became a fireplace)
 AFTER (in progress):
and from the other direction (IN PROGRESS):

I love that we improved upon the original quirky details, making them functional and charming...
BEFORE:
 AFTER:
BEFORE:

AFTER:
 BEFORE
(the dining room into the kitchen...you can see the boarded over window that's now above the kitchen sink)
 AFTER (the lighting looks awful in this photo):

 BEFORE:
 IN PROGRESS:
 AFTER:
 Dining room BEFORE:
IN PROGRESS:
BEFORE:
AFTER:

 There are a million more things to share in this house, so I will be sneaking back there soon to take more after photos. I love everything about it!

Monday, April 8, 2013

A small changes before & after

I've showed you in progress glimpses of this client project before, but here's a before and after. I love the quirkiness of the floors, the baseboards that stop and start, the wonky plaster, and the overall feeling of cozy imperfection.
 Some of the apartment dates back to the 1700s! But the new kitchen, functional though it is, detracted from the historic charm. There is a lot more that could be done, but I think even just changing out the lighting and hardware made all the difference.
 BEFORE:

 AFTER:


BEFORE:


 AFTER:


BEFORE:

AFTER:
 
those floors kill me




 And my lovely interns posing :)... but you have to use your imagination with this photo and pretend the mirrors are hanging, ok?:

Friday, April 5, 2013

State of Affairs

I really really hope to share some client pictures soon. The past few months have been packed with fantastic projects. Each totally different! I really feel blessed to have an awesome group of clients right now.

And the rest of life....it's looked kind of like this....


Happy, with a lot of singing and a little bit of blur :)

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

A Before & After Peaceful Bedroom Makeover

I've been wanting to share this bedroom makeover for months, because it was for one of the loveliest couples I've met. Their house feels fresh and happy as soon as you walk in the front door. 
And the structure of the master bedroom was awesome--high ceilings, a little loft area, and great light. 

But the window placement was tricky, and the dark furniture made the room feel heavy and choppy. Plus, they wanted to move from a queen to a king bed, without making the room feel cramped. We also wanted to distract from the off center windows....so we placed ivory linen drapes across the entire length of the bed wall, and chose a light upholstered bed, with some curve, and some light colored side tables...

 BEFORE:

AFTER:


Facing the bed, there's a 3/4 height wall that needed something lighter, but with just as much storage as this big guy:

BEFORE:

I liked the idea of this french Wisteria chest, but the dimensions weren't quite right, and it would have killed the budget....


So I searched around a bit, and came across this awesome chest from Old Lucketts for less than a third of the Wisteria one--cha-ching. The color was fine, but not airy enough, and the hardware looked chintzy in person

So I painted the insets of the top drawers, and created faux insets on the remainder, and added some hardware similar to the those of the nightstands...

AFTER:
I like that the mirror creates a nice backdrop for my clients collection of silver frames and old family photos, and also picks up in the nailhead of the bed.


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