Pink & Marble Bathroom

 

If you're ever our guest this precious pink bathroom will be yours.  You'll be sharing it with our precious Vivian but she's little and quite the helper when it comes to beautifying in the mornings.

This bathroom was actually complete nearly a year ago except for painting the vanity cabinets white.  I've been avoiding it because, well, it's the worst! And wasn't a big enough project to hire out.

When school started I bit the bullet and along with some good music took these cabinets from dark to light and I can honestly say it was worth it!

Our upstairs guest bathroom was simply dated and just needed a refresh. It is actually quite large and has a very unique vanity. The floor, porcelain tub, and toilet were original to our home's 1963 construction.  There was a update to the fixtures and vanity around it's midlife but even it was in dire need of retirement.

 I wanted this bathroom to be light, bright and classic.  I chose large porcelain tiles to complement the higher square footage, a matching quartz countertop and shiny chrome fixtures since I was keeping some that were existing. Also, Ryan won't let me cover the entire house in shiny brass, sigh. 

Note: While marble is beautiful it's expensive and super fragile. This bathroom 'looks' like marble but is far more practical.

BEFORE

AFTER

I found these vintage hand towels & holder at an antique shop

I absolutely LOVE the large window!

But I do know that the kids that were raised here prior escaped out of it

We kept the bead-board ceiling - I would have never done it but I think it's pretty.

I swapped out the light globes for clear modern ones.

Countertops | Flooring | Faucets | Vanity Light Globes | Shower Curtain | Pink Ribbon Paint 50% |

Cabinet Paint | Cabinet Lacquer |

Dress Your Bathroom Bright & Beautifully 

XOXO Sarah-Louise

Conservatory Sunroom

Welcome to our sunny space. Walking to the back of our home you'll find what we like to call, our little piece of paradise. Our first home and now our second and forever, are both mid-century traditional designs having enclosed sunrooms off the back. It's our favorite architectural element and room. 

This room allows abundant sunlight in and beautiful landscape views all while providing comforts of the indoors.  It is such a happy place to enjoy the sunrise with a cup of coffee, curl up with a good book, fellowship with friends, play games with Vivian and even a sweet date night.

This room didn't look like the classic conservatory that it is now when we purchased this home. Now it doesn't have a glass ceiling like a European conservatory but it does have lots of windows to make it bright. I brought the traditional design elements of a conservatory in with a black and white diamond patterned marble floor, dark palm printed fabrics and all my special plants.

I completed this room in December and here's a look at the transformation ...

I love that our late sweet Scragley is in this picture. It was his favorite room too.

We removed the door leading into our home once he passed.

I started by white washing the brick wall that's a part of our home's exterior.  

I prefer this over painting as it allows for the texture and various colors of the brick to remain.

Then I painted over the concrete mosaic floor.

While this truly lightened the room this was not practical.  This is the room we enter and exit our home through and it could not withstand the traffic. And it showed every single spec of dirt and dust. 

By adding porcelain tile and new fabric the room is complete!

I chose this porcelain floor that resembles marble for durability.

I kept the classic rattan furniture and just replaced the covers.

This room allows me to prepare meals in the kitchen and other tasks inside while providing clear views of Vivian playing out on our patio. 

My plants bring me great joy! The palm is over 30 years old, a gift from my Mamma, the fig 6 and Lilly nearly 5. 

Dress a Sunny Space in Your Home Beautifully

XOXO Sarah-Louise

Grand Entryway

 Welcome! Come on in! 

Our entryway is one of my most favorite spaces in our home. It's the first thing not only your guests see when they enter but you as well. So make it good! 

Our home is a midcentury Georgian Colonial design so it has traditional defined spaces with lots of beautiful character, like the custom dental molding throughout the interior and surrounding our exterior. This allows for me to add distinct decor and design choices, like wallpaper! 

I want our home to reflect us, the people that live here. Soft colors and prints in classic patterns does just that. Carolina blue is Ryan's favorite color so it's a must.

When we first purchased this home the walls were tan with a faux marble texture.  We were not a fan but knew that it just needed my magic touch. 

SO. MUCH. BROWN!

First we painted and added furniture. I wanted a cool white on all the walls throughout and chose Benjamin Moore Classic Gray. I only wish it had a different name because it's not gray at all.

Note: I HATE, with a passion, the color gray - even the word itself makes me sad. Its gloomy and gives me prison vibes. Sorry gals, I know it's all the rage when it comes to neutrals but I've never been one to follow the crowd.

We added a foyer table that displays decor, functions as a landing place and holds party pieces when we host. Vivian used to play on the bottom shelf with her toys and sometimes I find a collection of dinosaurs on display and it always make me smile :)

This grand mirror reflects light making the space appear larger.  It's also serves as a quick check of your makeup, hair and outfit before heading out the door. I purchased it at an estate sale with a dear friend who's no longer with us so it's extra special to me!

Light Fixture - lighting is the jewelry of the home. While they illuminate, they also add style.  They're not something you change often so I'm simple and classic in my choices, especially in the common areas.

I also hung our first family portrait from when Vivian was a mere 9 days old.

It represents the purpose of our home, to love one another during our time here.

While this certainly freshened up our entryway it was still rather plain.

This beautiful wallpaper by Schumacher 'Hydrangea drape' in blue was just what it needed. Choosing wallpaper can be overwhelming, but not for me.  I had already established our color palette of soft blues and pinks based upon the heirloom rug in our formal living room. The vertical pattern creates height making our standard ceilings feel a bit more grand.  The hydrangeas are special, as they are my youngest sister's favorite.  She plays such an important role in our lives. It's heartwarming to have something that represents her incorporated in our daily lives.

Fun Fact: This paper was up the staircase in the movie Gone with the Wind

I spy a sneak peek at our dining room wallpaper - post to come soon!

By just hanging the paper on the walls surrounding our front door and foyer it doesn't overwhelm but rather adds life and the right amount of pizazz! 

Dress Your Entryway Beautifully

XOXO Sarah-Louise

Great Room Renovation

I've been waiting a long time to share this transformation with you gals! Earlier in the year we made the decision to renovate our home to make it more functional for us - and to give us more space since our family is growing.

The house was beautiful when we bought it. It's a traditional mid century ranch home that had been completely updated.  I loved the brick exterior (a must have for us both), original hardwoods throughout (I DETEST carpet) and beautiful crown moldings and details (pocket doors!).  It also had a gorgeous sun room through french doors of the family room with slate flooring and large windows; our favorite spot for coffee dates at home.

One typical element of mid century homes is that they often are designed with a formal living space and a den/family room of a more casual nature.  While I liked the idea of having a fancy room for socials, Mr thought it was a waste of space and made the home choppy.  He was right - we never used the formal room other than hosting ladies bible studies and the occasional shower or dinner with friends.  It was a true dust collector.

The family room housed our fireplace and tv so that's where we spent most of our time. 

So after owning our home for 2 years we pulled the trigger on removing the 16' wall that separated the two rooms to create one big great room! 

Disclaimer: Load bearing walls are expensive and not as simple to remove as HGTV depicts!  Joanna Gaines from 'Fixer Upper' does it all the time but she says very little about the structural engineer required and the enormous costs and contractors needed to bring to fruition.  You just can't believe everything you see on tv.

So here it is gals, our great room!  Just in time for hosting both our families for Thanksgiving!

No renovation reveal is justified without the 'Before' pics.

Below is the Den/Family Room ...

Truth:  I hate hate hate the color grey in home design/decor. And I'm pretty sure I'm the only gal that has these feelings as it is the 'IT' color in all interior design these days.  I find it so sad and refuse to have it in my home so needless to say I was thrilled to have this grey room go! I also found it a challenge when looking for nursery inspiration - I just can't understand grey for such a bundle of joy.

Here is our previous Formal Living Room ...

And just like that the wall came down to big open spaces ...

*I spy Mr Kitty

We had the great room and both the entryway and hallway painted the same color, ordered two matching large sofas, and added recessed lighting.  We kept the trim color cream which isn't common these days but it's all throughout our home and in our plantation shutters so I'm keeping with the traditional color. It's also a softer look for our older home rather than the stark white you see in new construction.

Last year I purchased a custom 18' carpet runner for our hallway and used the remainder carpet from the bolt as the rug for our new great room. It creates a cohesive flow.

I love that with the new tv mounting all the cords and boxes are hidden behind the wall in our coat closet.

Paint color: Sherwin Williams

Couches: Ethan Allen

Rug: Stark Carpet

Dress Your Home Beautifully

XOXO Sarah Louise