Patio Project - Part 1

We started our first big project here at the new house last weekend - our backyard patio makeover! We have been in this house for almost 6 months and while we have done little things here and there, it feels really good to find ourselves with motivation and creative juices that are flowing again. Last year was a whirlwind to say the least. We did a lot of projects at our first house in preparation of the Junior League Tour of Kitchens, right after that we found out I was pregnant and then right after that we began the process of selling that first house and buying this one. Needless to say when we made the big move in October we were TIRED and that tiredness did not subside with the addition of Croix in December. BUT we are BACK and excited to tackle this new project! So excited in fact that one minute doodles were happening on a napkin in a restaurant and the next minute we were literally ripping our current patio apart.

Before we get into the nitty gritty, let me show you what we started with...AKA the before photos.

The backyard is long, so there are several views of this space, here is a shot standing in the grassy area looking at the patio/deck:

This patio came with few quirky yet cool features like this brick fireplace/grill you see in this shot. 

And this fire pit...

Here is a shot of the small deck leading onto the patio from the den:

And here is the view of the patio standing on the deck:

On the opposite side of the back yard, past the grassy area is this fence that is covering the air conditioning units + a door to our crawl space:

The backyard as a whole was one of the elements that really excited us about this house. We loved that it had a fence for Luke and loads of potential for us to create a fun area to entertain and relax. It's been used and abused and really needs a refresh, but beyond that we really want to make this outdoor space the best it can be so the plans we have dreamed up include: an outdoor kitchen complete with a pizza oven, a hot tub, a TV and a clean and tranquil vibe. Oh, and a shed of some kind to store outdoor equipment and tools. 

We are still working out a lot of the details but there were a few things we needed to do demo wise to get the ball rolling. First up,  we ripped up off the deck.

We decided the deck needed to go, because there was no real need for it. The backyard is only a few steps down from the den and the deck was making the space feel unnecessarily crowded and choppy. 

Next, we began tearing up the brick pavers:

We don't plan to keep the existing foot print of the patio, plus a lot of the pavers were in pretty bad shape so we decided to rip them out to create a clean slate. Interestingly, the pavers were just sitting atop concrete, so they came up pretty easily.

We made a lot of progress last weekend and as of now our backyard looks like a complete disaster zone; however, we all know sometimes it has to get uglier before it can get better!

All photos are my own. 

A Drool Worthy Kitchen Remodel

I don't like to play favorites with my projects, but every now and then a project comes together in such a way I can't help but want to put it in a tiny bottle and hang it around my neck so I can look at it whenever I want. Of course I realize this concept is totally unrealistic as no one kitchen is going to go with all of my outfits, so instead I write blog posts about them for all to enjoy.

In all seriousness I really have a treat for you guys today! I truly feel like kitchens like this are the reason why people (including myself) just can't resist a white kitchen. Elegant, classic, bright, happy.....so many adjectives, so little time. Let's dig in...

I first met this kitchen in the summer of 2014. The homeowner has great taste and the entire house and property is just beautiful, but the kitchen had never been touched. I so wish I had a before picture of this space, but I don't....Architecturally speaking the kitchen has really great bones with the beams and the skylights, but it was time for a more refined and updated look for this family.

This kitchen is unique in that every wall of this space is a focal in and of itself. There are four entrances into the kitchen from other parts of the house, so it was important to give each side of this kitchen it's own dose of personality, balance and beauty so regardless of which way you enter the room, something pretty is in your line of sight. The kitchen is separated from the family room by a two-way stone fireplace. You can see the mantle poking out in the picture below.

While the fireplace acts somewhat as a boundary line I love the fact that you can see around and through the fireplace into the family room or vice versa, into the kitchen, making this space feel like one big room. Cabinetry speaking, there really are two strong focal points in the actual kitchen space of this big room - the hood wall and the window wall. Luckily the size of each wall allowed for the cabinetry to have great balance. 

Here is a shot of the window wall. This is the view you would have entering the kitchen from the dining room and front hallway. 

The original window was removed and replaced with this much larger window. I love the natural light that pours into the kitchen, both from this window as well as the skylights above. The sink was centered on the window and we designed wall cabinets down to the countertop and a wooden valance to frame in the window on all four sides. The homeowner picked out some pretty sconce lights that coordinated with the large pendant lights that hang over the island. The lights were installed on the side of each wall cabinet which really helped accentuate the beautiful window and sink.

The custom hood was centered on the back wall over the 48" range. 

As I said, because of the dimensions of this wall, the cabinetry flanking the range was not only functional but symmetrical. Spice and crock pullouts as well as large pot drawers were designed to go  on each side of the range. And wall cabinets with custom brackets were designed to hang on each side of the hood. Symmetry really is a kitchens best friend. 

Across from the window wall sits the refrigerator wall. 

A refrigerator column and freezer column were centered on the wall. While the units themselves are only 84" high we made the wood appliance panels much higher to create a cool visual. The space above the refrigerator was covered with a finished panel so when you open the door to either unit, everything is nice and finished inside. Tricks like this make the appliances feel more like a piece of furniture. We kept all cabinetry on this wall tall so as to provide more storage. The microwave sits on a shelf inside the far right tall unit, so it's within reach when needed without being an eye sore. 

Each and every cabinet was considered. From rollouts and two trash cabinets to a LeMans blind corner cabinet and spice and crock pullouts, we made the most of every piece of storage. All cabinetry is inset bead from Bell Kitchen & Bath Studios Signature collection. And while this space looked beautiful once we did our part the homeowner really brought everything to life with her tasteful styling and elegant touches. As soon as you step into this space you feel happy and that my friends is what a successful kitchen remodel is all about. 

Photography by Galina Coada for Bell Kitchen & Bath Studios. 

About.com - February Recap

Hi peeps! Every time I do one of these About.com recap posts I am reminded just how fast time goes by! It is hard to believe we are already 13 days into March...wasn't it just Christmas? Didn't I just have a baby? It will be summer before we know it! Anyways, last month I got back into my writing groove and posted 6 new articles and updated 5 posts over on my About.com Kitchens page and there are some pretty good topics if I do say so myself #sohumble

First up...

1. Cookbook Storage

The topic of cookbook storage almost always comes up in design meetings with my clients. Regardless of how good you cook, often you cook or what you cook...if you have cookbooks you want them readily available in or around the kitchen, otherwise it is highly unlikely they will be reached for. 

2. Highlighting Windows in the Kitchen

I love a window or windows in the kitchen. Not only is natural light the best light, but there is a lot you can do design wise to really play up the windows in your space instead of simply working around them.  

3. Should Cabinets Go to the Ceiling?

Now THIS, this is a question or a conversation I feel like I have regularly with clients. Should the kitchen cabinets go to the ceiling or not? Of course the answer depends on several factors, but at the end of the day the biggest influencer is going to be your ceiling height. In this article I discuss the options or best practices if your ceilings are 8 foot, 9 foot, 10 foot and beyond. 

4. Modern Touches

There is something refreshing and relevant about modern design right now, but so many of us prefer to admire this look from the sidelines instead of incorporating it into our own homes. In this article I discuss a few ways you can integrate modern accents into your space in way that will enhance your vibe, not confuse it. 

5. When is Aesthetic Repetition Effective? 

Your eyeballs love repetition. Did you know that? It's true, the eye is naturally drawn to repetition in all things and the kitchen is no exception. This article is full of ideas for playing with repetition in your space. 

6. Blush Tones in the Kitchen

Blush is everywhere right now! Here I talk about a few ways to add this hot color to your kitchen. 

Updated Articles:

1. Particleboard versus Plywood Cabinet Box Construction 

2. The Changing Look of Quartz | Spotlight on Cambria

3. Sink Trend - Low Divide Sinks

4. The Changing Look of Quartz | Spotlight on Ceasarstone

5. Dekton, The Bomb Proof Counter Surface

Back in the Saddle

I started back to work this week. 

It blows my mind how quickly my maternity leave flew by and how accustomed I got to my new Mom routine. It feels strange leaving the house each day without my little pal Croix in tow. While I would love to just buy a tiny hard hat and strap him to my back as I get back to my projects, I feel that would be frowned upon by OSHA. So, instead Croix stays with a nanny and a little girl who will be two in April...his first friend (awww!) and I go to work, looking at his little smiley face on my phone 3432423432 times a day and looking forward to picking him up each afternoon. 

On the work front, ready or not I dove back into the real world head first this week, as a project I designed last Fall installed Sunday night at Phipps Plaza. That's right, myself and Bell Kitchen and Bath Studios (the company I work for) have designed the kitchen for Atlanta Homes and Lifestyle's Luxury Living Show again this year. This is the kitchen that sits in the middle of the mall. Bell has done this kitchen seven times and of those seven times,  this is my fourth year being involved and my third year as the lead designer.

You may remember my first kitchen...the blue kitchen...

Photo from Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles

and then last year's Southern Modern design:

Photo from Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles

This year I really wanted to go for something a bit fancier. Not stuffy, just elegant with classic Atlanta style and grace, plus a little unexpected flair. I had to get the wheels turning on this bad boy early since I knew I wouldn't be designing the first two months of the year. So, last fall I sat at my kitchen table and doodled up my vision: 

Our crew went to work installing the kitchen Sunday and Monday night. Because the kitchen is in the mall, they have to work through the night when the mall is closed (best crew ever!). Tuesday the finishing touches were added and the magazine did their photo-shoot and last night was the opening party.

Here is a photo I snapped on my phone of the finished product yesterday:

The kitchen will be on display in Phipps Plaza for the month of March. There will be several events hosted at and around the kitchen over the next four weeks including the Design Bloggers Conference and an NKBA (National Kitchen and Bath Association) event where I will be speaking on a panel...eek! We are having the kitchen photographed tomorrow so I will be back soon with a post full of pictures of the kitchen, more behind the scenes design details and the list of all of the collaborators that come together to make this beast come to life. Until then, you can see a few more sneak peeks over on my instagram!

Unless otherwise noted all photos are my own. 

DIY Hot Air Balloons

Croix's room is my favorite room in the house. Yes, it is our only finished space, but beyond that it is just a really happy room to be in and I can tell he likes it. He lays in his crib and just looks around, sometimes for 20 minutes or more!  It's hard to believe this room came together over a weekend...literally. We moved into our new house with the red crib and a few shelves/brackets from Ikea. That was it. As the weeks drew closer to my due date we knew we had to get rolling on this nursery, but we were not 100% sure of the visual direction of the space. We tossed around a  ton of thoughts and even went to several stores, trying to get the creative wheels turning. Finally, after talking and talking about it we decided to write the Dr. Seuss quote "Oh The Places You'll Go" and surround the words with hot air balloons. We looked for hot air balloons on sites like Etsy and Amazon but couldn't find exactly what we were looking for, so we decided to make the pieces ourselves. 

We gathered our supplies from several different stores. We bought a lot more than we needed but we were not sure exactly what materials we would use together so we just bought what we liked and planned to take back what we didn't use. 

Here is a shot of our supplies.....

• 3 half sphere styrofoam balls, each a different size (Michaels)
• Fabric (JoAnn's Fabric)
• Several rolls of yarn (Michaels)
• Several spools of ribbon (Michaels)
• Rope, thick and thin (Michaels)
• 3 Tiny Baskets (Michaels)
• 3 Animals (Target)
• Hot Glue Gun
• Staple Gun

We did one balloon at a time and kind of let them come to life organically. The details, both big and small varied with each balloon. The large red balloon was the first up, so I will take you through the process of bringing this one to life.  We started by stapling the red fabric onto the styrofoam sphere. 

Next we hot glued large rope to the front of the "balloon". 

We went around the edge, down the front and horizontally at the bottom with the rope. The vertical rope was left long at the time so we would have more options as we went to attach the basket.

Next, we removed the little handles that came on the baskets and then Brent drilled holes into the sides. 

The excess rope was then strung through the holes....

We played with the basket, adjusting it up and down the rope, until we felt like it hung in the right position. 

Then, Brent simply tied knots in each piece of rope and then chopped off the excess. The final touch was the little animals; we found them at Target and I believe they were actually ornaments as it was Christmas time when we did this project. But they fit perfectly into the baskets. 

It was fun creating each balloon and I love how each one is different and special in it's own way. 

Once all three balloons were created we hung them on the wall. Easy-peasy. 

These little creations bring such fun layer of interest and dimension to the wall and the room! This project was pretty easy and in expensive to make, which is always a plus especially for our family as I predict it is only a matter of time before a Ninja Turtle or Iron Man make their appearance on these walls....it is Brent's son we are are talking about after all...:)

All photos are my own. 

About.com - January Recap

So,  I have good news and bad news. The good news -About.com isn't sick of me yet as my contract was just renewed - yay! The bad news - I only wrote 4 new articles in January - womp, womp. HOWEVER, I will say I really love these 4 topics and the pretty pictures that accompany them!

1. Statement Rugs in the Kitchen

Rugs are a great way to add warmth and interest to your kitchen. The sizes, colors and price points are endless, so regardless of your budget or space a rug can be an easy way to liven up your room.

2. Cows in the Kitchen

Yep, I wrote a whole article about integrating cow decor into your kitchen. Could there be a better topic? In all seriousness you  may be surprised at how pretty some of these spaces are. It appears the rest of the world has finally caught on to just how classy a cow can be. :)

3. Colorful Appliances in the Kitchen

Appliances can be a fun and unexpected way to add some color to your space. I especially love this orange smeg refrigerator....I want one!!

4. Leather Accents in the Kitchen

I'm a big fan of leather. Leather shoes, leather jacket, leather chair....and after a little investigating I found there are several ways you can bring leather, and the coolness that comes with it, into the kitchen as well!

And finally, I updated the 5 articles below, 4 of them mine! Some of you have asked why articles have to be updated, so I thought I would explain.... There are a few reasons an article might need to be updated, but more times than not about.com just wants to ensure the information in these articles is as up to date as possible. Because things change so quickly they want to make sure information that was written 6 months ago still applies today. In any case it gives you guys a chance to check out an article you may of missed in the past. 

Updated Articles:

1. 5 Easy Ways to Give the Standard Subway Tile Backsplash New Life

2. New Kitchen Must Haves

3. 6 Elegant Ways to Cheap Out On Countertops

4. Walk-in Pantry vs. Cabinetry Pantry

5. Cabinetry Construction Styles

The Story of Croix - Intro

Hi Friends, I have a little someone I want to introduce you to.....

Meet

Croix Glenn Shearer

Croix was born on Sunday, December 27th at 10:26 a.m. He weighed 7 pounds 10 ounces and was 21 1/4" long. Much like my entire pregnancy my labor and delivery was drama free. No joy ride, mind you, but a pretty straight forward experience - thank God!

Photo by Zack Moye Photography

From the moment we found out my due date was December 22nd I prayed/hoped this baby would not be born on Christmas. I'm a freak about dates and birthdays and I really, really wanted our baby to have his own special day. As I mentioned in my Christmas House Tour post we hosted all Christmas festivities at our house this year. Over the course of 5 days we had up to 19 people in our house at any given time.

Christmas Eve...

Photo by Lori Foster

Christmas Day...

Photo by Lori Foster

It was so much fun and just the distraction/excuse my body needed to keep Croix inside for a few more days. The day after Christmas everyone left and Brent and I literally just relaxed all day. It was one of those perfect lazy Saturdays where you stay in your comfy clothes and lay on the couch watching shows. I left the house twice, once to get a mani/pedi and then for dinner at the Mexican Restaurant down the street. Once home from dinner we resumed our lazy day until around 10:00 p.m.  For days I had been experiencing a little cramping, but nothing too bad, that night I noticed the cramping was not just in my lower back, but was moving into my front as well. I'd never had a contraction before so I thought, hmhm.....maybe this is something and began timing the cramps when they came.  Around that time Brent came upstairs and I filled him in on my status, so he joined in on the timing as well. The cramps, or what I now know to be contractions were about 7 minutes apart and Brent suggested I go ahead and get a shower. He suggested this because I told him I was not going to be one of those people who rushes to the hospital prematurely, plus I wanted to try and look half way decent when I met my child so a shower was something I had always planned. What I did not plan was for this whole experience to happen at night. No, my ideal plan was to wake up around 6:00 a.m. take my shower and then head into the hospital around 8:00. I'm definitely more of a morning person and was not all about being up half the night having a baby. Welllllllll, we don't always get what we want do we? While I was in the shower the contractions got stronger, so much so that Brent had to help me dry my hair and that's when we were pretty sure this was it. We ended up heading to the hospital around midnight.

By the time I got into my room for them to check me, I was dilated 5 cm and the contractions were really strong. Life was pretty tough UNTIL my favorite person, the anesthesiologist, came in and gave me my epidural. It's so funny, typically I freak out over getting my finger pricked, but I have literally never been so happy to have someone shove a needle into my spine. Relief came almost immediately, it was awesome. After that, the nurses let Brent and me sleep for awhile, and around 8:00 a.m. they checked me and I was at 10 cm, but I had a slight fever so they had to give me some antibiotics before I could deliver. By 9:30 I was ready to go and by 10:26 Croix was born! The moment was especially exciting because we had no idea if we were having a boy or a girl until the moment he entered the world! The doctors and nurses were all super excited that we didn't know, so there was such a fun energy when the doctor said, "What is it Dad?" and Brent announced...."IT'S A BOY!!" It was so surreal and cool.

Meanwhile our families were in the waiting room anxiously awaiting the news. Brent and I had bought foam light sticks in both blue and pink as a fun way to announce the gender at the hospital. After Croix was born, the nurses were nice enough to let our whole crew come back into the delivery room for the big introduction. Each person got a light stick as they entered the room and on the count of three turned them on to see if they lit up blue or pink. For the past 9 months everyone had their opinions and guesses as to what the baby was, so it was so fun to watch them find out once and for all and as you can see they were all very excited!

**P.S. the God awful fluorescents in the hospital room make the light sticks look pink or purple, but I swear...we had a boy...they were blue!

Life since that day has never been the same. Croix is a good baby and even though it's only been a little over 5 weeks, I feel like he has changed and grown so much! Being responsible for a tiny human who depends on you 100% is a lot of work and it has definitely been a transition, but he is so stinkin' cute and we love him so much. I think we will let him stay...:)

Photo by Zack Moye Photography

Oh, and just in case you were wondering, Luke and Croix became fast friends. 

Unless otherwise noted all photography is my own.