South Meets Lake- Cottage Tour- Part 1
Today I'm sharing part one of the #VWSouthMeetsLake Cottage Tour. Built in the 90's, this cozy cottage (less than 2,000 sf) was in need of some very budget-friendly updates to make it a place a young family of four could enjoy. I've been working on the updates to this home, slowly, for the last year. Located just walking distance from the shores of Lake Erie, it was designed with the traditional cottage front porch that everyone loves. However, some of the interiors felt dark and closed off from the other areas.
I took inspiration from the nature all around Lake Erie, and tried to tie in fun color and pattern representative of a young, fun family. A big goal for this design was to make the interiors feel stylish enough for the adults, but not too precious that the young children couldn't enjoy it.
Before, the dining and entryway were pretty closed off and dark. Separating the dining room from the rest of the house left it feeling more like an office than a dining room.
Dining Before
I had the wall between the entry and dining room opened up and installed a new, wooden door with glass to let in more light. Painting the back wall of the dining room and placing a curio cabinet on each side helps to create a more dramatic backdrop verse the pass through that it was before.
Dining Before
The powder bath is as small as you can get and still be functional. I just wanted to keep it simple with a white wall on top and black shiplap under the chair rail.
The kitchen before had so much floor space that you could literally dance across the room, but there was a lot of wasted space. When it came to cooking there was barely any prep area and not much storage.
Kitchen Before
Kitchen Before
I designed an island that fit a couple bar stools in the center of the kitchen. I also had the wall of cabinets moved to the laundry area of the basement. In its place, I installed a wall of floor-to-ceiling cabinets. These cabinets now hold the microwave, toaster oven, hooks for coats, and drawers for shoes.
The laminate counter top was replaced with soapstone, and a marble back splash, in a fun pattern, replaced the 4 inch laminate ledge.
Closing out the tour for today, the hallway at the top of the staircase which can be seen from the front door. This hallway leads to the kid's rooms, so I decided to use the small area to display the family's collection of colorful art; including art done by the kids.
I hope you enjoyed part 1 of the tour. Part 2 will be posted in February, so stay tuned! For more inspiration follow me on pinterest and instagram!
Nikki
2017 Trend Predictions
A new year is always an exciting time to freshen things up around your home. I love looking for trends in design, and trying to use them in a way that makes them more classic and less "trend". Design trends typically follow trends from other areas, like the runway. Unlike the runway, these "trends" can last years. Here are my predictions for 2017: Green
Over the past year deep greens, sages, and emeralds have been popping up more and more. Then, Pantone picked Greenery for their 2017 color of the year and that was all I needed to know that green will be a big part of 2017. It can be a subdued sage, a pop of chartreuse, a moody, deep green, or a bold emerald.
I've seen walls, cabinets, and accessories that all incorporate green effortlessly. It’s a pretty easy color to integrate into your home with accessories; especially with the blues that have been popular in recent years. I love chartreuse against navy. Green also looks amazing against the bright whites that were color’s of the year, in 2016. If you’re wanting a change from the blue bathrooms that have been popular, try a subtle shade of green on the walls or an emerald vanity with white walls for a change. In a nursery or kid’s room, it is a fantastic gender neutral color.
Bringing Nature Indoors
Having indoor plants is nothing new, however, with the popularity of succulents that need little water (and some with little light) I’ve seen indoor plants in every room of the house. They are fantastic for softening a space and cleaning the air. There’s also something about plants that lift your mood.
You don’t need to bring an actual plant into a room to bring in nature. Floral prints, butterflies, and landscape art and murals are also ways I'm seeing nature being incorporated. If you don’t have a green thumb, you can always use art and accessories, wallpaper, or window treatments to incorporate nature.
Texture, Texture, Texture
Whether you love neutrals or color, texture adds interest and gives your space a layered look. Faux fur accessories and hide rugs add the layer of cozy during the cold, winter months. Jute and sisal rugs remain pretty neutral while adding interest with a large area of texture. Marble and velvet are textures that can add a bit of glam to the space. Try combining several textures so your space can feel as good as it looks.
When it comes to built-ins, after years of having painted cabinets as the finish of choice, natural wood cabinets are making a huge comeback. If you feel like you just painted your cabinets white, try white cabinets with natural wood island (or table as an island). In a kitchen, the combination of wood and white cabinets will always look classic.
For the walls, shiplap is still a great look and painted brick is gaining popularity, again. In fact, subway tile back-splashes are going a step further by adding texture with pavers and clay tiles. Both are a great way to add texture while maintaining the monochromatic color palate.
Well-Crafted
After years of DIY popularity, people understand more of what it takes to make something really well and are treasuring their pieces that are truly “art”. There is something to be said of a piece that has been handcrafted, carefully thought about, and made well. There has long been an appreciation of antiques for this reason, but local artists, builders, and crafters are also gaining more and more respect. This “trend” is also a push away from the spec and mass produced, and a need for people to have their home and surroundings tell their unique story. You can see this trend become apparent in hand paintings and murals, custom furniture and built-ins, pottery, hand-made and vintage rugs, and industrial style with more detail and sculptural elements (almost steampunk).
To find more design inspiration, you can follow me on pinterest.
Nikki
7 Tips To Create An Inviting Entryway
Curb appeal is the first thing a guest notices, quickly followed by your entryway, so when guests start filing in for holiday parties you want it to look and function as best as it can.
Front Door
Take some time to think about how your front door is working for your entry. This may sound silly, but the front door in our home was a solid black, metal door. From a far the curb appeal looked great, but we have a small entryway with very little light so having a door that blocked all natural light wasn’t doing us any favors. I noticed when we first looked at the house that everyone went in the side door and quickly passed through the small, dark entryway. We recently installed a wooden front door with a half-height window, so the light filters in and visually expands the space. Whether you do a black, wood, or colorful front door make sure it goes with the style of your house, attracts the visitor to come in, and lends itself to the look of your entryway.
Seating
I am not a clean freak by any means, so I never make anyone remove their shoes, however, I have noticed that most guests feel like they should (especially in winter, with snow). A small chair, stool, or bench is all that is necessary. Depending on the amount of space you have you can do a long, beautiful bench or even have an adjacent area where guests can go to sit.
A Place For Belongings
This can range from a place to set keys, to coat and purse hooks, to a basket for bags, to a coat closet nearby. Giving a guest a place to set their things make them feel like their belongings won’t always be in the way.
Rug
A rug is a great way to make a statement and add warmth to the typically hard entryway floor. You can use a round rug, runner, or large rectangular rug depending on the size and shape of your entry.
Plants
There’s just something about greenery and colorful flowers that say “welcome”. Not only that, but in the colder months, having greenery around your house boosts your mood.
Show your personality
Whether you do colorful art and prints, natural textures, or sleek candles and mirrors your entryway will begin to tell your home’s story. Also, speaking of mirrors, they are a great place for guests to quickly take a glance in or out the door, and will create the illusion of a larger space so they are great for small entryways.
Lighting
No matter what height your ceiling is or your budget, you can still have some fun with your entry lighting. Again, show your home’s style and make sure the light is mounted high enough to not get in the way of the door.
To find more entry inspiration, you can follow me on pinterest. Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!
Nikki
Julip's Toddler Room Inspiration
I have been scheming about the kid's rooms since we moved in. They are huge; Julip's is the biggest room in the house! We put our guest bed in there, so it has to serve as two spaces in one. That means the bedding and furniture need to coordinate in some way. 
before pic from previous owners
Her room in our old house was still pretty new and I still love the idea of make believe. There will be some new and old pieces. I'll be adding some southern charm to this new room; you know we have to represent up here. ;) I've also been working on a painting for above her crib. It's so southern and so meaningful to me...I can't wait to get it up.
Matt's making me keep the walls gender neutral since there is always a possibility that Abram could end up sharing the space with her. He says we paint too much. WHAT!? He's always my toughest client. I'm adding some "girly" colors with the accessories and things easily replaceable. I just love the way green/blue colors work with pinks.
I threw a quick inspiration board together to get the ideas on paper; hope you like!
Need help creating a home where your family can flourish? Check out our design services.
xo,
Nikki
Take Me To The Water
I know I know, everyone posting and talking about going back to school and the coming of fall while I'm still talking about water. I can't help it...I just love the water. Plus, living next to it in a milder climate has made me want summer to last forever. Yup, southerners, I am now one of those people. I promise to post something about pumpkins or apples soon, but for now I'm soaking up all that summer has left to offer. Growing up on the Gulf Coast Matt and I loved spending time on the water; whenever I'm stressed it is the first place I want to be to calm myself. I had been crushing heavily on Gray Malin's beach photography last spring, but with an eminent move I held off. Then, we moved to a smaller house and I read, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up (great read if you need to clear your house). After reading that book I knew I wanted some water/beach/boating artwork to help bring me peace and brighten my spirits at home.
I absolutely love when these prints are done on a large scale, but even smaller they can have a great impact.
Below, I've posted some of my favorite prints (high and low) to bring the water to a room near you.
1 - 2 (purchase through mini magnolia) - 3 - 4 - 5 (purchase through mini magnolia) - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10
Toddler Lake Bedroom | Storyboard
We are truckin' along on the small renovations and styling of our "lake" house. My goal was to have both kid's rooms complete, by fall, and the kitchen well under way. Well, it has been hard to get the rooms painted with little fingers everywhere, so we are making more progress on our kitchen than anything right now. First up on the blog chopping block is Abram's room. I had started transforming his room into a toddler room at our first house, and decided to go a bit further in this house. The "lake life" was a huge jumping-off point; he loves anything that moves and getting dirty outside. I am keeping the bed we bought to replace his crib, his teepee, and some of the art and decor (he still loves the planes over his bed). We are moving his shelves into Julip's room, and his dresser was always a cheap "stand-in" until we could afford a dresser that the drawers weren't falling out of.
The ceilings are only 8' so finding an appropriate light will be a challenge. I love the idea of a trunk for all of his random toys/train tracks, etc. The carpet in the room is blue...BLUE! At first I flipped out, then I decided to work with it (it was the inspiration). I have started painting the walls Benjamin Moore's White Dove to freshen everything up, and will add a mixture of pattern and color to break up the nautical vibe and keep the room toddler appropriate.
There is a dormer window in both kid's rooms. I initially thought I would add an easy window seat to both to shorten the length and give the kids a place to sit and read. Unfortunately, there are ac vents at the base trim under both windows. In Abram's room I'm now thinking about some type of floating window seat, and either a rope shelf or industrial shelf, depending on how lazy we get when it comes to building something.
xo, Nikki
Out of respect to my clients I only post some sources on the blog.
Bed | Wall Lamp | Dresser | Chandelier | Sheets
Need help creating a home where your family can flourish? Check out our design services.
Our First House | A look back
The house in Houston was our first house together. I graduated with my master's, we got married, and had two children while living in that house. I thought it would be a lot harder to leave it, but after months and months of moving delays we were ready to get the show on the road. Still, it is awesome to look back on that house and see everything we did to it with a VERY small budget.
Before: the view of the house was completely blocked with overgrown oak trees and rows of tall bushes. The shutters were aged and you couldn't even see the ones on the left side.
After: we trimmed the oak trees, moved and removed some bushes, and planted some more color and texture. We also repainted the shutters and replaced the front door with a a rod-iron style.
Before: There was one flower bed in the back yard. It was in the back corner and had two mexican palms, a row of holly bushes, and a row of box woods. The mexican palms always look like they're struggling because of the way they grow and they got tall extremely fast, making it hard to keep trimming them. The row of hedges was also hard to keep up. The holly attracted wasps like crazy in the spring and would grow so fast that it was hard to keep the "hedge" look. As soon as some parts would start to grow it would look horrible, and I would get chased by wasps when I tried to clean it up. I was so sick of that flower bed.
After: We raised the beds a bit and added texas ash and river birch trees to provide shade when they got a little bigger. I kept one holly and trimmed it to make a small tree. I planted a mixture of flowering bushes to cover the electric box (they grew in more before we moved), oleander, and other tropical plants in groupings. We also planted a small magnolia tree and added a bed with azaleas right outside of the master bedroom windows.
Before: The cabinets and floors were all the matching, stained orange oak of the 90's.
After: We repainted and antiqued the kitchen cabinets, and then added the hardware. I added trim around the stove hood to make it look a little more "finished"; it always felt like it was missing something before. We also repainted the entire downstairs because the paint was a flat white color with a pinkish hue.
Grey Chairs | Driftwood Mirror (from TJ Maxx)-similar here
There was no light in the living room, so we added the ceiling fan with a light...it made a huge difference.
Before: the powder bath was so gaudy, and the fixtures and mirror all matched the walls.
After: I sanded all of the faux texture off and repainted. I did a stencil on the main wall you see when you walk in. I repainted the mirror and light, and changed out the faucet.
Before: the game room was a sea of beige. I not opposed to beige, but for some reason the colors used made the room feel small, dark, and the ceiling felt very low.
After: Repainting the walls with white at the top really opened up the room. The ceilings instantly felt taller. We also replaced the carpet and added a dividing shelf to change up the space plan a bit and make the room more functional.
Before: This was our junk room. It was where stuff collected and no one was allowed inside.
After: Abram's nursery and big boy room. New paint, lighting, carpet, and curtains to make the window feel larger.
Before: Spare bedroom (photo taken after I started unloading the shelf). It wasn't bad, but wasn't great.
After: It felt much bigger with a lighter color, and was a fun nursery for Julip. We repainted, got new carpet, and a new fan.
Both of the main bathrooms started out a pink-white with un-framed builder mirrors and the long, shiny brass vanity lighting of the 90's. I can't find the before pics I took.
After: I painted the walls and changed out the light fixtures and sink faucets. We also added the mirror frames using a combination of tutorials. In the kids bathroom I took off the towel rod that was hanging off the wall, and installed towel hooks from World Market. It was much more useful when we had multiple guests coming for the weekends.
The master bedroom was dark before (again, missing the picture), so my main goal was to brighten it up with paint and new carpet.
This house will always hold special memories as a place where our family grew. It is also proof of what can be done with a small, starter/student budget. I little bit can make a big impact. The current owners are continuing the upgrades, and I love it all. That house is so perfect for a family! I'm currently transforming our "lake" house and can't wait to take you along for the ride.
xo,
Nikki
The Ginger Mule Progress
If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen me post about The Ginger Mule. Late last year a friend, Robert, who owns Rogue Design Build contacted me about helping him with some of the interior of The Ginger Mule, a new whiskey bar and restaurant opening up in Sugar Land, Texas. Knowing this friend well from design school; I knew he would bring amazing creativity and craftsmanship to the project so I jumped at the opportunity to help, even if it only meant lending a creative ear when he needs it at times. We treated this project as a very fluid process; often completing one step before making decisions about the others. Sometimes we would sit together and just scheme up ideas that may or may not work. All he knew was that he wanted to reflect all that is great in America and a general idea about the menu.
This is a small space, and Robert has unique ideas about the bar and how he wants conversation to take place. We started with the idea of an eclectic, hunting lodge feel. We added vintage lighting over the tables and bar to give that milk-glass glow and a little bit of sparkle. The last details are still being put in place; be sure to check back for another update.
--Nikki
