B&A: nursery

Hi all! Today I'm going to share the before&after of Melrose's other guest bedroom! As most of you know, this guest bedroom started off as a gender neutral room with two twin beds, and now it is officially a nursery for Baby Owens (due in 9 days by the way). If you missed it, here is the post of how the room took shape with the twin beds, sans the rest of the furniture, and my inspiration for the room. I knew it would eventually be a nursery so I wasn't in too big of a rush to finish it up. Along the way I updated my inspiration boards with the nursery additions and just recently shared a sneak peek of the room! Now, all the decor is in place and we are patiently awaiting Baby Owens' arrival to make the room complete! 

Here is a quick, not-so-great-quality before picture of the room so you can see the full transformation. The room was a pale yellow with a super fancy frog and bug fan (the previous owners loved silly, kid fans if you remember seeing the hot pink flower power one in the other guest bedroom!). 

The wall color didn't change too drastically, but I chose Benjamin Moore's Elephant Tusk for this room. I thought it was a nice, soft cream that would set the tone for a gender neutral room. We replaced the fan with a simple, white ceiling fan. 

And, here is how the room looks now! 

I decided to keep the gold task lamps and I am pretty happy with them now! They don't take up too much room and I like the directional lighting they provide - it saved me from having to take up more space in the corner with a reading lamp. 

One of my favorite additions - a sweet ultrasound picture of Baby Owens at 18 weeks. See his cute little legs all curled up!?

I decided to use a simple, sitting chair instead of a rocker or glider due to the amount of room in the corner and I think it is going to work out perfectly. We actually have a recliner in the den that we can use for rocking, if needed. I was immediately sold on this soft orange velvet chair and love the color it brings into the room. 

The mobile that kicked start all of my inspiration for the nursery! It is handmade by a super talented Etsy seller and I'm obsessed with all her hand knitted animal mobiles. She is definitely worth checking out!

The glass box on the shelf will be used to collect all of Baby Owens' special momentos. The brass shoe bookend is made from one of Brandon's first pairs of baby shoes! 

I love these black and white striped canvas bins from the container store! They helped me organize everything in our tiny closet and they even match the room decor. 

So, what do you think? I'm so happy to have it "ready" before his arrival, but now I am so anxious to meet our sweet baby boy! If you want to see all the sources from the nursery, check out my inspiration board or feel free to email me. Hope you all have a great rest of the week! 

B&A: guest bedroom

As I said, I have been slowly working on a reveal post for one of Melrose's guest bedrooms and I finally have all my pictures together! It really isn't that special, but I still wanted to show some before and after photos. Maybe you will think it is special! Here is the room when we first moved into Melrose ... very pink-i-licious, right!?

Can you believe I sold that fabulous fan in our yard sale for $15!?

And, here is the new room! Awhile back I hinted at a project using an ikat stencil, well, that project got vetoed once I saw these curtains. I had been eying them for awhile and they eventually went on sale - plus I received an awesome gift card from my SIL so I was sold! I think they really tie in the colors in my painting and the soft mauve on the walls. The antlers are from etsy and believe it or not, they are from Alabama!

I ordered the John Robshaw quilt and shams from One Kings Lane and paired it with a coverlet from Pottery Barn. Again, the gold bedding picks up the yellow tones in the painting above. I found this deep teal bolster pillow at World Market for a perfect accent pillow.

I love this pretty little dried arrangement from floresdelsol. It adds texture to the room, but is neutral enough to not overpower the bold, floral drapes. This etsy shop has a lot of great options and even some bright colors!

I don't even remember where I initially saw these rustic swing arm sconces, but I fell in love with them from the start. I knew they would be perfect for this room because the bedside tables are so small and don't leave much room for table lamps. Hanging them was very tricky, but they haven't fallen off the wall yet! If you are interested in purchasing some, search around on the web because I found a Nashville dealer that shipped them to me for an amazing price!

My revised work area where I create all my the good stuff designs! I love the gold picture light above my inspiration board and I hope to get a brass desk lamp to match. I posted a long time ago about this work area, but it has evolved since seeing other inspiring offices. I promise you, it doesn't stay nearly this tidy!

Some fun pictures of friends and family, calligraphy inspiration, beautiful design pieces, and my most recent project - the backyard design!

I am on the lookout for a rug to add and possibly 2 stools to sit under the large window. I feel like the window seems so empty and needs something, but maybe once I get a rug it will look more "complete". Any suggestions? Please share! 

BACKYARD PROJECT: before

Melrose's backyard project has just kicked off and before I show you updates along the way, I wanted to share some before pictures and our final inspiration for the makeover. I know I have posted several inspiration posts over the past year, but I have finally narrowed it down. Here is what I am aiming for:

Now that you know what I have slated for design, here are some pictures of our current backyard so you can put it all together. It will all make sense now!

This picture is taken from standing at the back door off of the kitchen. I am standing on a tiny platform with stairs leading down to the yard (you can see it in other pictures). See all that gravel? Apparently the previous owners used to pull through the side gate (on right) and park back here. We do not use it for parking so all this gravel is being removed and sod is being laid. Can you say bocee ball court?

Same view, but from standing on ground level. Those two existing patios are screaming for some company. The arbor with confederate jasmine will be covering the large, stone patio and the fireplace will sit on the small, concrete pad. I am planning on having a dining set on the left side and a "lounger" on the right side in front of the fireplace.

Standing at the back of the stone patio facing what will be the fireplace. The fireplace should conceal a lot of the neighbor's yard and chain link fence. And, we are planting tea olives along the rest of the fence to create privacy. We are replacing all the current grass with new sod so it will look consistent and hopefully grow in the bare spots. Brandon loves to work in the yard so he is going to have a lot to keep him busy!

There are two large flower beds that we have not done a single thing with since moving in. We just left them 'b' since they needed the soil tilled up and new top soil laid. Too much for me to do! The landscapers are re-aligning the stone walls, making them even along the width of the yard, fixing the stairs, and planting a variety of evergreens and perennials. I decided to plant gardenias along the back for their greenery and lovely smell, then peonies for the cut flowers, and alternating lamb's ear and hostas in the front. I'm excited to finally see some life back here! And between the gardenias, confederate jasmine, and tea olives - the back yard should smell amazing!

Well, that is it! What do you think? I will share an update post asap! And if you follow me on instagram, you have probably all ready seen a sneak peek of the fireplace. We have had a few days of bad weather lately so it has set the project back a day or two, but it is all ready looking great - I can't wait to share the progress with you!

B&A: the STUDY

This room has been "done" for awhile now, but I just haven't taken the time to post after pictures. So...here she is before:

This used to be Melrose's front porch and the previous owners closed it in to create more area. She still has brick floors and paneling on the walls. I think the brick really fits into the rustic theme of the house.

First, Brandon and I primed the walls - it took a few coats to cover up that green! 

Remember my stripe inspiration post? Well, it was put into use here! I wanted to use the white from the den and the beige from the dining room (the 2 rooms splitting the study) and paint 6" vertical stripes. Due to the uneven paneling grooves, I just had to ignore them and measure off the distances myself. This was pretty time consuming but well worth it. 

And here is the final...

[click on all pictures to elarge]

I wanted to point out the patterned texture on the ceiling because I really love it. Some people probably hate it and think it is odd and I not sure the goal of it, but it is so discreet you barely notice it, but when you do it is a nice little surprise. I like that the pattern is simple and conservative, nothing too ornate or floral. I wonder why the previous owners chose to put wallpaper on the ceiling? 

I am still not sure on how I want to decorate or furnish the study, but I am thinking a long bench under the double window and a ladder shelf in the corner between the 2 windows??? I am still trying to collect framed pieces for the collage above the desk. So far, all I have is my Auburn University diploma (Brandon has his hanging in his office). Any suggestions?

B&A: DEN

I am finally ready (or really, finally found time) to share some pictures of the den. Here are some before pictures.

[standing at the back of the room, close to the front door - straight ahead is the dining room)

[reverse location - bay windows open to the front yard]

Our first step was to paint. As you can tell, I love white and neutral palettes so that was definitely the direction for the den. I chose Benjamin Moore's white dove for the walls and decorator's white (oil semi-gloss)for the trim. I think Brandon was a little nervous about going all white (he still says the white walls give him headaches), but he trusted me, and it turned out great. White is so clean and fresh and allows you to use accents of any color of the rainbow.

Do you remember the industrial rolling cart project? And the framed print inspiration? Or the bargain shopping bookshelves? Well, here they all are in Melrose:

So, this is the basic overview of the room. I still need some "filler" items on the back shelves, but for the most part I think we have her under control. If you can tell, there is a hint of a nautical theme. Which just so happens to be the theme at Pottery Barn right now - great minds think alike! ;)

I purchased the sea life coral prints from One Kings Lane and framed them myself. After checking at Hobby Lobby and several places online, I found that I could buy the black frames individually, get the glass and backing cut, and assemble them for much cheaper. We actually had an "assembly party" one day at work during lunch over pizza. Thanks girls!

Brandon helped pick out the natural bound rug at Pottery Barn and many of the other items were found at antique shops. 

Since Brandon loves to deep sea fish and we have a nautical theme going, I thought a coastal map of the Gulf would be perfect. He helped me find the perfect one and voila! Paired with an old clock, ratty books with ship cast iron bookends, and a few blue mason jars - and you have yourself a decorated mantel! 

Remember the fireplace inspiration? Done! I was kindly given a trunk load of awesome firewood to strategically place in the fireplace and I love it.

Last, my favorite area: the painting corner. I actually purchased this gorgeous drafting easel at Scott's Antique Mall last Fall - before I even knew Melrose, but she fits perfectly in the bay window. I am on the search for an industrial stool, but so far they are all too expensive. 

I have my paints, brushes, fresh canvases, and old paintings all ready to go! I am also looking for metal locker baskets for the open shelves, but I am having a problem finding ones small enough. Also pictured, decorating books on the coffee table - Domino's Book of Decorating & New Farmhouse Style by Terry Woods. I have probably looked and sticky noted both of those books a million times! 

I will keep ya'll posted on more finds and future progress. Thanks for reading!

NO LONGER THE PARNAM'S

The weekend my parents were in town (Mother's Day) we accomplished a lot - worked in the yard, assembled my great grandmother's buffet, started on curtains for dining room, and replaced the old knocker. The old knocker was gold and engraved with the previous owner's last name: Parnam. Well, the owner has changed and so has the knocker. We replaced it with a rustic, ornate cast iron knocker. 

Notice the old, gold knocker above Brandon on the left and the new, iron knocker on the right. Dad was kind enough to replace the knocker, fill in the previous nail holes, replace the kick plate, and touch up the door with more red paint. Thanks Dad, it looks fantastic!

B&A: MASTER BATHROOM

This is the first before and after post and the only room completely done. I can't decide if that is because it is a smaller square footage than the other rooms, or because it needed the most work? Either way, I think it turned out great and I love it. I can tell Melrose is happier too.

The previous owners updated the bathroom by installing a new granite counter top vanity and new tile flooring, but left the red paisley wall paper and boxy medicine cabinet. At first the yellow tile really scared me, but all she needed was a face lift.

before

goodbye red paisley

I all ready had all the hardware picked out + the color scheme. I knew I wanted to play off of the bedroom colors so I expanded from there. I chose Benjamin Moore's Horizon for the paint color. Against the yellow tile and bright lighting it appears baby blue, but in other lighting it appears more gray.

[BM virtual fan deck]

thanks mom and dad for your help!

finished

I love mixing gold (glass jars) and silver (hardware) together. Something about the richness and contrast of both metals...throw in rose gold and you would really have a fabulous trio.

Since the bathroom leads into the bedroom, this is a small hint of the scheme for the master. Now, the yellow tile is not so bad - I actually really like it. All she needed was a new accent color.

[mirror. glass shelf. towel train rack. jars. rug. shower curtain.]