St. Marys Master Bath

We did it! We finally finished the master bath in our home on St. Marys Ct! Our project took a lot longer than expected (I should have expected this...), we were without a master bath & closet for about 6 months! But, we finished it and love it! Take a look at the before photos. Before....Ugly cabinets, ugly floors, ugly wallpaper

(a "good try" goes to my husband in his bachelor days.)

Ummmm, needs work....

and what is up with that mirror over the tub?

And the shower.....ewwww! I wanted a shower more like this......

But first, demolition! My husband and his dad did most of the work, although we hired out the labor to build the shower and make sure it was done right (no leaks please and thank you).

Here are the demolition photos....

What lovely layers and layers and layers......of wallpaper we found.....we ended up taking out all the walls and re-drywalled the entire room (FYI, this is MESSY!). Its hard to tell from the before photos, but our closet was tiny...so we took a wall out, deleted the shower, and put the new shower in the tub location......and now my closet is big! (see after photos). By the way, To my father-in-law, this one's for you....Nice knee pads.... We decided to keep the vanity cabinet, but it needed some work. So we relocated it to the garage where I refinished it myself (see after photos).

Our closet was also relocated....to the middle of our bedroom. It was made by using 2x4's, pvc piping, rope, and a lotta love...(so glad to get rid of this contraption)...

So , after all that, 6 months later, here it is.... Finished product.....well almost, close enough..... We are installing a stained frame around the mirror. And we'll put in crown molding as well.....

Same cabinet, better color (Minwax mixture of Dark Walnut & Red Mahogany)..... The walls are a calm grey/blue.

Diagonal floor tile inlaid with brown glass mosaics....

Glass mosaics in a row on the shower walls....just like I imagined & designed.....2 tile shelves for shampoos & a bench....I have a bench in my shower!

I highly recommend a handshower in addition to your main shower head....this shower is a breeze to clean!

Look, now my closet is .....IN my closet.....and its sooooooo big!

The colors (brown & grey/blue) were chosen in the bathroom....

1) because they are neutral tones perfect for re-sale.....

and 2) because they compliment our master bedroom.....

Next project....the powder room....or the upstairs guest room, or my office.....the kitchen, too......it never ends!

A Model Master Suite....

I once posted about a model home in Windstone, "Dining in Gold", click here to read it again. Remember the beautiful spiral staircase across from the dining room?Well, at the top of that staircase, you'll find the master suite.....

Here are photos before I furnished & accessorized.

This is looking into the suite from the stair case....You'll enter in through the tiny alcove... The bedroom already has sconces to flank the bed...the grey-blue paint color is soothing.... The master bath is finished with harlequin and mosaic tiles, dark wood cabinets, and marble counters.Lets go in.... The alcove was furnished with a bow front chest & art....I used Restoration Hardware bedding and that beautiful Silver Sage color to compliment the soothing walls.

I had the window treatments custom made with stripes of silver-sage & brown fabric to perfectly frame the french doors.I absolutely LOVE this antique mirror! Just leaning in the corner makes a huge statement. In the bathroom, I added accessories, towels, and a bench, bringing life to the room Wish this was my home! Its fun spending other people's money! :)

the Fowler's Family room

Over the summer, I've had a few "design irons" in the fire. One fire put out that I can now share with you is the Fowler's Family Room. They wanted a make-over and I was glad to help. The above photo shows the plan I laid out...

Updated finishes, fabrics, and colors. New window treatments, new lighting, new furniture, and a new cozy feel.

Here are a few before photos.

Notice the outdated fan & light....

& the TV is way too large for its cabinet....

a boring builder beige wall color...

& mixmatched furniture (and the sofa was too long).....

& uh, we need something here...too much clutter in this nook.... So I put the plan to work and I'm happy to say my clients loved the outcome!

I used a larger console, at a much better scale for the TV, with a rich dark wood tone. The back wall was painted a gray-green to punch up the character in the room. I accented with the gray-green again in the window panels to pull everything together.

Remember the red leather sofa & recliner? They were switched out with an updated rich brown leather recliner & a cozy linen sofa.

The homeowners have great taste in art and were able to pick up the leafy prints on their cruise this summer...

A brown stripe in the window treatments helped tie in the new brown leather in the room for a more cohesive design...A new linen sofa fit the space better. And new throw pillows accented in brown, again, tie it all together... I love the small faceted mirrored table from West Elm. Its perfect for a small area, but still gives you a surface for drinks while relaxing. I wasn't sure Mrs. Fowler would go for it, but said she especially loved the table once installed! Success!

And remember the cluttered desk and brass shelving in the akward nook? I sketched the design for built-in shelving so that it looks as if it were always there. The wood was painted white to match the room's existing trim, and we used the same gray-green color on the back wall of the unit. The space now has a much cleaner look. An overall photo.... Hope to share more summer projects soon!

Mosaic Monday.....Texture.

Be sure to check out the Little Red House's Mosaic Monday to see other lovely mosaics!

Dining in Iron and Gold....

In Brentwood, TN, there is a lovely new neighborhood called Windstone that sits tucked away in a valley of nearly 200 acres. In this model home there, the foyer and its winding IRON stair case set the stage for the entrance. But the dining room off the foyer needed a little finessing...

It also has touches of IRON (in the chandelier) and it has touches of GOLD with the paint color on the walls.The furniture (high back uphosltered chairs and an antique-like wooden pedestal table) I found at a little known furniture store in Franklin, TN called JJ Ashleys. I thought a round table would work well in this room.....now everyone can see each other while dining around it....

I had the window treatments professionally made for the arched window....taupe sheers with GOLDEN flowers stiched in to play off the wall color....and IRON hardware to hook and hold....

(p.s. I loved the sheer fabric so much that I purchased more of it a few years later for my personal home....to see my own dining room re-design with these sheers, CLICK HERE....) Go see Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday posts!