book review: decorating for real life by wendy hyde

ok. a little disclaimer. my home is featured in this book, so it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to not love this book!

now....that being said, i am somewhat of a design book junkie. i have loads of design books, and like most of them for different reasons. some books are all about fantasy. you know the books i'm talking about. they feature homes and rooms that cost more than most of us will make in a lifetime. those books are fun to drool over, but it is rare that you can put down a book like that and be able to apply specific details and design elements into your own home. 

this book is different!

decorating for real life is all about  homes that are lived in by REAL FAMILIES. with real budgets. talk about refreshing! what a welcome addition to my design book library!






i not only loved the variety of homes that were featured, but also the inventive layout, and the warmth and clarity of the writing. the introduction has some informative content and basic decorating advice including finding your decor style, space and color planning, and adding details to make your rooms personal.





each home that is featured has its own "chapter" with a title that lets the reader know a bit about the home. some titles are "bright and beachy", "clean and contemporary", "simple and serene" and "fresh and fabulous".

(TA-daaa!! that is actually the title of MY chapter, which features my girls bathroom, as well as grady's bathroom. there are even some details captured in the book that aren't on my blog!)

















a special thank you to wendy for featuring my home in her book. she is as real and genuine as they come. if you read her blog (the shabby nest), or have met her in person, you know that she radiates warmth and kindness,  has a quick wit, and is incredibly intelligent. 
i stumbled into her by accident a couple of years ago, and had no idea who she was (or how incredibly popular her blog was! if i had known, i probably would have been so intimidated that i would hid under a rock and not talked to her!)....we bonded over confessing our love for insanely expensive fabrics and furniture -that - makes- you -go -weak -at - the- knees. it was "love at first sight",  design blogger style. 
i am glad i know her. 
(and NOT just cuz she wrote this book.)


i hope you liked the sneak peek inside the book!
you can order your copy here.

have a lovely weekend!

ORC, week 5: charlottes teen bedroom-only a few projects to go!

i will be honest. at the end of last week, i wasn't sure how many things on my TO DO list were actually gonna get DONE.
the good news is....
a lot has happened! (a LOT of painting, at least)
(even though the room has been a disaster for the last couple of weeks, i feel like humpty dumpty is finally getting put back together again.)

the biggest thing....the custom swinging bookcase was fabricated and installed.

it is "hidden" from the front....but when you remove a small dowel from the top shelf, it swings open to reveal a "secret" room. (sorry...i know these pictures are terrible!)



the bookcase was installed "raw", and was primed and painted. (and i was reminded of how much i detest priming and painting bookcases. UGH! i would way rather paint 4 rooms than a single bookcase! i am glad it is over.)

i painted the dresser. (still need to paint the stripes)

installed the new hardware. (the pulls just barely arrive yesterday!)



i sanded and painted the vintage char, and reattached the cushion.



i also nstalled some hardware on the ikea malm nightstand. i was considering adding some legs, but it was going to be too much of a project, and i decided my energy would be better used elsewhere.


i did some touch up and rub and buff on a thrift store mirror that i picked up a while back for $17!

the mirror and the bulletin board were hung.

i also settled on the DESK. it is from target, (i painted the drawers) and is a great size and i love that it has a couple of drawers.

i ordered some metal hairpin legs from etsy, and when they arrive, i will swap them out for the x frame base.





a look at the entire room:





still to do:
make and install the frame/support for the canopy
install canopy and back curtain
install the sconces
hang art
accessorize
swap out desk legs

yeeeee-haw! its going to be a busy weekend, but i will see you back here next week with the official AFTER!

ORC, week 4: teen bedroom updates

todays post is going to be super brief.
super.
heres what has been happening in charlottes room:

 got a bunch of boxes in the mail.

put this together. (and also a lack table.)

finally took these out of their boxes. (had them for months!)

got these back.

 

made this bulletin board. (tutorial coming.)


installed these.


got this back in record time!


more progress shots:

see you next week! 

this next week is gonna be a big one!

up next:

the bookcase is getting made. should be installed on saturday

painting the chair

making the headboard

painting the dresser

putting up the canopy 

putting the desk together

see more here:

week 1

week 2

week 3

before + after: e-design bathroom (the power of an hour)

SO.

this bathroom:

before:

its a beauty, huh?

actually, the original green tiles are pretty cool, but when mixed with the oak over -the- toilet- cabinet, the plain jane vanity, and the pink tub, it's all just a bit depressing.

this couple hired me to help them make some decisions for an upcoming remodel. (a previous client referred them to me!) they live in a townhouse in a large city, and have two small children. this bathroom is not only the bathroom that their kids use daily, but also functions as the main floor bathroom.

here is the design plan i came up with, after we talked on the phone:

what we discussed during our hour phone call to go over the pinterest board i created for them:

1. replacing the vinyl flooring with dark tile.

2. replacing the tub and tile around the tub with new 4 x 4 tiles, in an offset pattern, and taking the tiles all the way to the ceiling. (they were currently down about 10" from the ceiling)

3. removing the oak cabinet, and installing open shelving.

4. new lighting, toilet, faucet and mirror.

5. replacing the boring vanity with a wood one with some open shelving. adding decorative baskets for some pretty and functional storage.

6. adding bead board to the walls. (great when you have kids and/or a high traffic area!)

7. painting the walls a dark charcoal color for some drama.

after:

as you can see, a few small elements in the room were changed due to time and  budget constraints, but otherwise, the room is a pretty close match to our design plan!

my clients sent me updates as this project unfolded, and i was really excited to finally receive pictures of the finished room!

the bathroom went from dreary, dated, and dingy, to fresh, bright, and classic!

want to work together to make a space in your home more functional and fresh?

email me at autumnclemons@yahoo.com and lets get started!

you can read more about my services here:

http://mydesigndump.blogspot.com/p/services.html

ORC week 3. hardware + software

(this is week 3 of the one room challenge, hosted by linda at calling it home! this is the second time i have linked up, and i am grateful to have a deadline again!)

well, it may not look like much has happened, but things are getting done. promise.

the room is painted, the bed is put together, and pretty much everything that needs to get purchased has been bought.







so---hardware and software...?

the hardware in the room is literally the hardware, but also all of those items that are wood and, well...hard. the bed, nightstands, desk, bookcase and dresser.

software are the items that are soft.
pillows, bedding, the seat cushion, and the canopy.


hardware:
the daybed:
good news, the ikea brimnes daybed is put together. my two daughters and i did it ourselves, which is pretty much a miracle.


i am going to replace the existing boring wood hardware. you can see in the pictures that i was testing out one of the vintage crystal knobs...i didn't like the way they looked.
the distance between the holes is an odd measurement...something like 6 1/4". i am sure this is some nice, round normal number in millimeters, but in the metric system it equals "good luck trying to find hardware with this measurement".
i am sure that somewhere in sweden, someone is laughing.

my best (and possibly only?) option was to go with some adjustable hardware. there aren't too many options available in that genre, but i managed to find some i liked.
i opted to order these:

the dresser:
of course updating the dresser is going to involve some paint. but replacing the hardware is also going to help transform it!

i have a *small (ahem. ok, maybe its not all that small.) stash of hardware. i checked out what options i had on hand to see if any knobs would work with the dresser.
here are three that i tried:






charlotte liked this one the best. it was a clearance purchase from anthropologie a few years ago, and i am super happy that i am finally getting to use them!

i wanted something simple to pair the more ornate knobs with, so i decided on these:

that is, until they arrived in the mail, and i removed the old hardware and realized that there are TWO sets of holes....one set at 3", and another at 3.5".  why??!

NICE. *ugh.
keeping these knobs would require some serious filling and patching and sanding, and with all of the other projects i have to complete, i just decided my time would be better spent elsewhere.
so, i ordered these, which have a 3.5" center to center measurement, and should cover up the 3" holes as well:



the desk:

oh boy.
i have been around and around in my head about the desk. i wanted something that was small, and had some storage. ideally, i would want something that has this vibe:

at first i was going to have something made, but i need to be careful with my time and money, so what i think i am going to do is order this console table:

the proportions are perfect for what i want, and it is cheap!


and possibly replace the legs with these?

still pondering this....


software:
these pillows have been ordered for the bed:

 i am having 3 pillows similar to these made, but with a peach colored grosgrain that coordinates with the linen that i will be using on the canopy.

the canopy:
i am using this picture for inspiration for the canopy:

my canopy with have box pleating at the top, and the side panels will be a little more full.

i drew up a sketch and dropped off the trim and the peach linen to the fabricators yesterday.

hopefully next week, i will have at least one of my projects completed so that i can share.
i swear, the time goes so quickly during this challenge! how is it already week 3?

for more:
week 1

week 2