What Do You Think...

Live Beautifully got a pretty little makeover :-)

I love love love the fresh new look! I worked with the talented and extremely professional Carolyn V., whom I found through my lovely friend Alli. I highly recommend Carolyn!!! I can't say enough nice things about how talented she is and how quickly she executed our ideas.

In other news... I finally caved in and officially joined Pinterest. I've been avoiding it like the plague because I know how highly addictive it is from the many times that it has ensnared me...but alas, I am now pinning :-) I've also got a shiny new Pinterest button over in the sidebar if you wish to follow.

I hope you're getting a great start to the week!

Adding a Little Character

This completed project is a lovely home just outside of Dallas that was just needing a little TLC. The home was built almost 15 years ago and the finishes and color palette reflected that.  Our main goals for this kitchen were to brighten and update the space. 

In the 'before' image below you can see the space was dark and dated with it's terra cotta faux finished walls (which at the time this home was built was all the rage).  There were some generic 12x12 beige tiles on the floor and the windows had never been properly treated, except for the basic 'builder' blinds.  Please excuse the orange blob in the middle of the kitchen...I photoshopped the homeowner out of a borrowed photo :-)

 Update and brighten we did!

You'll notice that we salvaged the beautiful granite, which happened to work well with our new color palette and in turn helped our budget out.  We replaced the non-descript tiles with gorgeous new tiles laid in a brick pattern from Walker Zanger.

We freshened up the paint which, in my opinion, does more for the space than anything else!  If we had only repainted the room it still would have been a dramatic change!  I added one of my favorite lanterns in place of the 'builder lighting package' light that previously hung over the table.  Lighting has a ton of impact on interiors...so don't cheap-out on your lighting!!!

I treated the window with a new motorized roller shade that looks like woven wood.  The motorization allows the client to just flip a switch on the side of that cabinet, instead of climbing all over the banquette in order to open and close the blinds.  Wonderful little conveniences!

There is a lighted bar inside of that stunning cabinet...so fun!

In this before/mid-progress photo you can see how dark the paint made the space.  You can also see how the height of the ceiling gets lost in the darkness without anything to draw your eye up.
The drapery panels and new light fixtures treat that open space with visual interest.

Another budget friendly tactic that we implemented was utilizing the original cabinetry. I kept the base cabinetry but had new doors made.  We made the doors a little smaller than the original full overlay doors, so that they would fit inside of the existing opening.  This gives the appearance of a custom, flush, inset door without the pricetag of completely remaking all of the cabinetry.
In the 'before' image below you can see what the original cabinetry looked like.  It was a dated honey red oak and the upper cabinets were too short in the scale of the space.

I had a row of cabinets made that were built right on top of the old cabinetry.  This accomplished two things.  It added more storage while aesthetically treating the awkward emptiness above the previous cabinets. 
Do you spy the new, fun glass tile backsplash from Walker Zanger?  And the shiny new stainless appliances?

The new industrial pendants.

The comfortable new nook with some simple succulents on the table.

The details...

The new space is fresh, bright and updated and we couldn't be happier! 

A special thank you to the Nichols family for trusting me with the design of your home :-)  You are lovely and sweet and I've been so blessed to have the opportunity to work with you for so many years!
Things are going well on the homefront :-) My sweet baby is already pulling up and has recently started cruising around some furniture.  This seems too soon to me!  She is only 7 1/2 months old!  Ahh, where is the time going?!?!  My husband bought a birdfeeder for our back patio so that Alice could watch the birds.  All three of us sat out there the other evening with the ipad and looked up the birds that flew in to eat.  It was nerdy and actually really fun :-)  Alice points at the birds which I think is just precious!  We love her so!
I hope that you are having a great week!
*due to client contracts, I am unable to share sources*

Before & After | A Beautiful Kitchen

Remember this project sneak peek from a month ago?

Well, here she is in all her glory...and glorious she is, in my humble opinion.
Take a look at what this kitchen looked like before.
The before kitchen was actually very nice, it just needed a little updating.

This home is very old and is located in a very old, charming neighborhood in San Antonio, however the existing kitchen was part of an addition that was added sometime in the early 90s I believe. We wanted our updates to feel vintage and respect the integrity of the era of the home.

We kept most of the layout the same but made it a little more functional for this large family. They have 5 teenage kiddos!!! One of the main requests was to increase the size of the island to make it more functional for not only the large family but also their kid's sports and church functions that they often host.
You can see in this before image, below, that the cooktop and bar sink compromised most of the island, which made the usable counter space very limited.

Well, not anymore! Take a look at the size of that island! That is one single slab of soapstone too!
Another update, that you will notice, is the cabinets were taken all the way up to the ceiling. I do this on every project that I am able too. It draws your eyes up and takes advantage of the ceiling height with even the lowest of ceilings. It also maximizes storage by filling in the awkward furdown space that ultimately will need decorating, and dusting of said decor, if left open.

The kitchen appears larger because it actually is. In the before image above and below you can see a wall (with windows) to the right. This was an awkward sun room type area that separated the old home from the new 90's addition. The windows looked into a bricked-in room, which was kind of strange. We opened that space up and made it part of the new kitchen with a beautiful cased opening into the old dining room, that they didn't have access to from this space before.

In the image below, you can see where we took the little room out and made it part of the kitchen.
Notice the pretty, new chandy in the dining room. I can't show you that space yet because it isn't complete :-)

Isn't the soapstone yummy?!
In this before image below, you can see the old sun room space to the left and the nook straight ahead.

We removed much of the colonial detailing as it didn't really fit the style of the home anyway, and replaced it with cleaner lined millwork.
We opened up the wall to the right as well, which made a bar area that is open to the family room, with a lighted bridge of cabinetry overhead. The removal of these walls was dramatic to the space and helped it not feel so compartmentalized. Now, when you are in the kitchen, you won't feel disconnected from whatever is going on in the family room.

Here's the new Wolf range and vent.
We used calcutta gold on the backsplash and installed a herringbone detail over the range.

The pretty eating nook.

If you haven't already noticed, take note of our hardware placement. We wanted the bin pulls to actually look like they were on bins, so we positioned the hardware on the top rail, just like a vintage bin would be.

The client and I wanted the pantry to feel like a mini general store, complete with beadboard backing on the shelves. We hung a vintage inspired schoolhouse fixture in there to complete the aesthetic. I love this little space!

It's all in the details...

I don't think I could be more obsessed than I am with the fixture over the island by Visual Comfort!

And just to fill your design tummy a little more...

Here is a little sneak peek of the family room.

This is the before image below.

All that I can show you right now is the fireplace makeover because this space isn't complete yet either, but isn't this lovely?!

I completely redesigned the millwork and removed the colonial details and dated, shiny brass. We brought the calcutta gold marble to the surround, which establishes continuity with the kitchen, since these spaces now interact with one another.

This color palette makes me very, very happy!

I hope you've enjoyed seeing this lovely remodel as much as I did working on it!

I would like to give a special thanks to the Peoples family. You are gracious, funny and kind. You were absolutely delightful to work with!!!

I would also like to thank Shelly Home Company for another successful project collaboration!

I hope you're having a great start to the week!

*due to client contracts, I am unable to share sources*

Bunny

Her nickname has affectionately become Bunny...long before Easter...but how fun to put cute little bunny ears on my cute little Bunny. She is a true joy and I just can't believe how blessed we are!

We took Bunny to church for her first Easter Sunday...

Our sweet little Miss was blowing raspberries as loud as she possibly could. After several chuckles around us, we decided to give everyone who was trying to hear what the pastor was saying a break. We ended up sitting in a room all by ourselves and listening (half-listening/ half-wrangling) to the sermon by overhead speaker. It was actually kind of nice, just our little family, having our own little church :-) After church, we had a beautiful lunch at Frank's parent's home (Gram & Papa's). My mother-in-law always makes holiday meals beautifully presented and special. I absolutely love it!!!

We had a truly lovely Easter, celebrating the resurrection of our Savior and being with our loved ones. It's so easy to get caught up in the baskets and chocolate eggs and pretty clothes (hence the photos above ;-) but always remember the true reason for the holiday.
Read this for a little bring-you-back-to-what-matters inspiration.

I hope that you had a delightful Easter as well!

R&R at The Ranch

We took a little time off last week and headed out to the ranch for some R&R.
The ranch was covered in tiny yellow flowers and bluebonnets. I don't think I've ever seen it so beautiful. No cellphones, TVs, or computers...just fresh air, Texas wild flowers, and campfires. It was just what we needed to recharge.
Here are some of my favorites from our little jaunt :-)

Had to throw that rattlesnake one in there...isn't my brother-in-law crazy for catching that thing?!!!
I wish we could have stayed out there longer. I truly love it!
I hope you're getting a great start to the week.