powder room design board

hello again! after pouring over about a billion inspiration photos and doing an unhealthy amount of online shopping, i'm excited to introduce you to my powder room design board!

1 // wall paint // martha stewart ballet slipper pink // $28

2 // double sconce // restoration hardware metal filament, aged steel // $199

3 // mirror // ballard designs beaudry // $299

4 // faucet // restoration hardware vintage collection, polished chrome // $555

5 // floor tile // calacatta marble 1" hexagon // $16 per sq. ft.

6 // floor tile // black marble 1" hexagon // $16 per sq. ft.

7 // console sink // barclay milano // $649

8 // decorative plumbing kit // $290

9 // wall tile // calacatta gold marble subway tile // $18 per sq. ft.

10 // seat of honor // walnut wood toilet seat // $110

this was soo fun to put together. next challenge: find a way to bring this soaring budget down out of the rafters. if you're quick at math, you already know this design eclipses the $3000 mark. that's triple what we have to spend. 

so. now that i have a plan, it's time to get creative. i know there are going to be ways to achieve this look for less. i'll keep you posted!

powder room inspiration

i am getting so so ahead of myself in writing this post. i haven't yet caught you up on the fact that, within a month of moving in, we tore out the middle of our main floor. i haven't mentioned that the demolition took out our powder room, or that we've been living without one, or that my dreams about the mudroom project include putting a powder room back in. i have so many before and after pictures from that era to show you. but i can't help it. i'm too excited to move on to what's next.

we are gearing up to tackle a three-part remodel which will include an office, a mudroom, and a powder room.

as potty training looms in the next year or so for my youngest, i'm starting to think about all those trips upstairs to the bathroom, and how great it would be if i didn't have to do that.

i'm also thinking about tiny black and white parisian apartment bathrooms (thanks to elle decor), and how amazing hexagonal tile would look next to an elmo potty seat.

so, join me for a look at my powder room dreams and inspiration:
 
first up, the floor:

  {black & white marble via pinterest}

{hexagonal tile patterns from house beautiful 2007 kitchen of the year and quiltville}

i have always known i wanted white marble hex tile with black accents, but i wasn't sure what pattern until i saw this. from the hudson milliner bed & breakfast.

next, a little color:

 a touch of brass or copper looks amazing against black and white tile. i would love to work some in, perhaps in exposed plumbing under the sink.
{from remodelista}

 

ever since i bought the may 2007 issue of martha stewart living, i knew i wanted a pale pink bathroom. her paint color, ballet slipper pink, is just right.

as for wall tile:

i don't think you can go wrong with classic white subway tile. the bathroom above has tons of inspiration beyond that though, with the basketweave floor (a runner up for sure), combination chrome & brass plumbing, an elaborate mirror, and of course, black and white.

{via style me pretty}

speaking of an elaborate mirror:

 

 these are just right. they are ornate, but also have skinny distressed frames, so they're not too formal or too overpowering. i love how they look next to modern fixtures.
{from style me pretty}

 

more options for antique frames.

 

{via pinterest and pinterest}

these bathrooms have the overall feeling i'm looking for:

a classic space...

...and a dramatic jewel-box...

 

...with a good mix of old and new.

next time, i'll share the design board i'm working on as i spec out this room! until then, you can see more of my powder room inspiration on pinterest.

{update: the design board is posted...check it out!}

best of the magazines- part two

welcome to part two of "best of the magazines." in case you missed it, here is part one, where you can catch me rambling about the library again.

kudos to you, architectural digest, because you're the sole subject of part two. yes, there was so much good stuff in the march issue of AD that it warrants its own post. and, for reasons i can only assume are brilliant, they do not feature all of the articles from this issue on their website, meaning i had to dredge the internet to bring you some of the photos below, and when that failed, i snapped the actual pages with my phone. do i feel guilty? yes. no. because i am telling you: go check out the issue. consider this a trailer. the whole thing is a wonderful read and you will not be disappointed.

 architectural digest, march 2014
"AD visits..." issue







first up, the intoxicatingly lovely home of jeff klein and john goldwyn, featured in the article, "frames of reference."

the light-filled living room stays true to the home's 1950's roots, while being thoroughly modern and relaxed.

this galley kitchen is brilliant, with black doors striking a contrast against the white cabinets.

 more walls of windows and glossy floors in the dining area.

providing the view: lush gardens and a rectangular pool, complete with outdoor shower.

{update: i noticed today that designer paloma contreras was equally enamored with this home. her insightful commentary is worth a read. check out the article at la dolce vita.}

at the back of the magazine, from jane fonda's forked lightning ranch in new mexico, this master bathroom stood out:

can you imagine soaking in this tub, taking in those views and enjoying the fireplace? wow.

and lastly, i already mentioned how in love i am with sandy gallin, thanks to this issue of AD. here is more of his work that they featured in the article, "access hollywood."

this living room is from the home of deborah and allen grubman.

from sandy gallin's former bridgehampton, new york, estate:

 favorite things in this family room: wall of french doors and extra-wide plank glossy floors.

 i could not find any picture to do this kitchen justice. notice the wall of stacked wood at the back, and his signature brown and white contrast.

 another bedroom with a beamed ceiling, fireplace and fluffy bed.

i'm not usually a fan of north american homes trying to look like tuscany, but this really evokes the spirit, and not at all in a cheesy way.

stacked stone retaining wall and vine-covered pergola

the bridgehampton estate photos are via corcoran group real estate and luxist. for more, head to the library (or the newstand) and grab the march AD .  like i said, worth it.

best of the magazines- part one

last winter i found out that the library has magazines.

i know, duh, right? it's just that this is an institution i didn't visit at all between college (when i only went for some painful exercise, like studying), and when i had kids (when i only went for story time without even realizing there was a whole upstairs with stuff that is interesting to grown-ups). so when i found this out, and that you could even take the older issues home for free, i was both elated and furious. elated that i had access to all of these treasures, and furious that i had been shelling out $20 every road trip since forever to buy magazines i could have just borrowed. anyways, i have decided to petition ryan (sweet husband) to let me have a mental health morning one saturday a month, to go and sit and read them. so far, i got 20 minutes on my last birthday (11 months ago) and 45 minutes this month under the guise of "the blog."

so. i am starting a regular column called "best of the magazines" where i will highlight my absolute favorites from each month's mental health morning. it will be a win-win. you get some curated eye-candy, and i get a regular [excuse to] escape.

this month had so much good stuff, i will have to break this post into two parts. without further ado, here begins the best of the february/ march magazines.

traditional home february/march 2014
"before & after" issue

from " revived georgian home," design by suzanne kipp:

a show-stopping all-white kitchen

 from "casual california home," design by kelie grosso:

the black, white & gold living room

a pass-through to the kitchen surrounded by cabinetry, (a beautiful way to make it an architectural feature)

the dreamy dressing area with layered mirrors

from "updated atlanta classic," design by nicole metzheiser:

a relaxing sun porch with benjamin moore's 'bird's egg' on the ceiling

 house beautiful february 2014

"incredible makeovers!" issue

from modern country house, design by dana simpson and joan osofsky:

a neutral living room with bold art and bright pops of color

a rustic and refined dining space

elle decor, january/february 2014

"global chic" special issue

from "high style: a classic paris apartment," design by homeowners sylvie de chiree and philippe rapin:

a living room where modern clean-lined furniture meets elegant old parisian architecture

an incredible black & white bathroom with intricate tile and leaded glass windows that is inspiring a lot of powder room dreams and designs around here. 

country living, march 2014

"homes with heart" issue

from "peek inside a restored victorian cottage in arkansas," design by homeowner cathy collins:

an attic space converted to an ethereal writer's haven

now that i see all of these pictures in one place, it's as if we've toured one single (very beautiful) house. if put together, these rooms would flow seamlessly into one another as neutral colors and distressed elements were carried throughout. it would be a place i'd love to visit. 

for more from this month's magazines (well, magazine...) check out part two!

family room: winter color infusion

exciting news. my fabric store shopping spree and subsequent geek partying has an end result. my family room has color!

here is a shot of how it looked before:

 

and now...

that was a lot of pictures. i apologize. you know how sometimes you're not sure which one is best? (or if any of them are even good at all?)

here are some shots of the details:

 i stretched the fabric i bought to sew five pillows and reupholster one chair.

 i got rid of the tab tops on the drapes and gave them a bright band using fabric paint.

 i used my coffee table styling formula of books + flowers + tray + accessories.

 these layered dollar store mirrors served as a tray, and i made the gold spikey ball thing.

i started making these "art books" at shutterfly to showcase my kids artwork. they are some of my favorite things.

 for the step table, i pulled out a few favorites from my vintage book collection. the top two are college textbooks that belonged to my grandfather and my mom. i bought the bottom one at a used book store in high school, back when i thought the creepy stories of guy de maupassant were really cool.

 this painting is another hack i did of work by a real artist, emily jeffords, who is amazing.

my valentine's roses added perfect pops of color to the vintage tv trays behind the loveseat.

 i bought the tv trays- a set of four- at a garage sale for $2. amazing! 

 

 this darling table was another garage sale find i had hiding in the basement. i gave it a coat of hot pink paint, and painted some dollar store vases to go with it.

this chair was previously brown with a brown leather seat. i stole it from the office and gave it a very girly makeover. when i originally went shopping for fabric, i hadn't planned on reupholstering it, so i ended up about 20" short of fabric for my pillows. hence, piecing together the remains for a quilted cover.

so that's my february family room makeover. i think my color cravings have been satisfied! now we'll see how long i can live with it. i may not have mentioned this, but i'm actually a color-phobe (possibly a design committment-phobe at the root level), so my husband's money is on about three weeks. i'm already dreaming of painting the room white come spring...

but for now, one more look at the before and after:

what are you doing to curb your color cravings until spring arrives?