Great Storage Solution For a Small Space.

Living in the city definitely has its perks, but one of the drawbacks is definitely a lack of storage space.  In our home, we have plenty of space for us, but for all our stuff?  Well, that can sometimes be a different story.  As much as I try to limit what we buy, and purge often, I still sometimes find myself overrun by our possessions, and there is no where more in need of storage than in our kitchen.  Our kitchen is an open concept, and it's small.  Really what that means is that we have just about as many cabinets as you possibly can have, and what we have is no where near enough for food, dishes, glasses, and all the "kid stuff."  (Those of you with kids know exactly what I'm talking about.) A few years ago, we purchased sideboard, and that was a game changer... finally our stemware, my grandmother's china and silver, and the kids board games had a home (lucky on opposite sides) and that worked great until the new kitchen countertops were put in.  In short, there is just no way I'm storing anything on them.  No cookbooks, no bowls, no toasters, no crap.  I keep my Nespresso machine out and a sweet little woven bowl I picked up in Costa Rica and that is it!  I know, I know, what great idea to get countertops that you actually want to see, when you are already lacking storage, but c'est la vie, I love them and I want to see them.  After cleaning out as much as I could from the existing cabinets, I realized what was left over really wasn't that much,  and I had a great little space by the kitchen that would be perfect for some shelves.  Originally, I wanted wood but I figured with all the butcher block and the wood sideboard, that would be too much.  I didn't want to spend bucks on this after just re-doing the kitchen so when I stumbled upon these inexpensive little shelves from CB2, I knew I was in business.  

Yes, that is faux brass and marble and yes, they are awesome.  I picked these guys up during some Christmas sale, and I pretty much squealed with delight after they were installed yesterday.  (They may be faux, but they sure are heavy as real marble so I had them professionally installed.)

 Now, all my favorite cookbooks and bowls have a place of their own, leaving the countertop clear and clutter free.  This is the first time EVER that has happened and let me tell you, I won't be turning back anytime soon.  I absolutely adore these shelves and think they would be perfect in a kitchen, home office, bathroom, or side by side in a living room, with leaning photos on top.  They look like the real deal, and even my husband didn't believe me when I told him they were only $50 dollars each.  If you are looking for a simple storage solution, this is it! 

Kitchen down, now if I could only get the clutter out from under the bathroom cabinets (just say no to free samples!!!) 

... to be continued. 

Patterned Tile... I'm Sold.

Lately, I feel like I've been seeing the same design over and over... and over when it comes to bathrooms and kitchens.  You know, white subway tile, dark grout, white marble counters, brass hardware, etc...  I get it, I do.  This scheme is gorgeous, functional, and subway tile won't break the bank.  Honestly, if we were starting from scratch, it is exactly what I would do in our bonus bathrooms, and would definitely consider something similar for a kitchen or bar area.  It just makes sense on all levels.  The thing is, nowadays it just seems like everyone has the same house.  It's like the great Tuscan takeover of 2000.  While these spaces are beautiful and enviable, for me it feels like they just feel like they can be lacking in personality and I have to wonder how dated these "modern" kitchens will soon feel, once they are in every model home in the country.

Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while know that a few years back I decided to jazz up our kitchen a little with some patterned tile, and I have to say that to this day it is the best design decision I've ever made.  It just added so much oomph to our home and it is the one thing that everyone still comments on when they come in our home.  The mini renovation that we did recently, only enhances how great the tile is, and I can honestly say that I've never been more excited to cook in my life.  I really do love being in that space!

I will do a full kitchen reveal soon, but until then, here is what our kitchen currently looks like, once all the construction dust settled.  As you can see the tile is most definitely the star of the room, and while it probably isn't everyone's style, it is so univocally me.  Like, if I were tile, I would be this tile and I would want to surround myself in navy, brass, neon pink, and butcher block.  Oh look, someone already did that ;).  You get what I'm saying though, when we put the backsplash in, it wasn't a budget buster, and it totally changed the whole personality of the room. I find myself constantly amazed when looking through blogs or magazines just how much impact can come from adding a little bit of patterned tile.  Below you can see my roundup of my all time favorite tiles, and each just goes to show how just adding a little bit of pattern can make a big difference.

Our kitchen. Man, I love her. 

I am obsessed with this fireplace, mostly because we have the same tile, but also because it's just so damn pretty.  I am absolutely copying this if and when we move!

Now THIS is a stairway to heaven! Tile on the stairs is never a bad idea. 

Never. 

Patterned tile in a more traditional kitchen... Yeah, I could live with that!

Some moroccan tile inspiration.  I swear I could look at this all day. 

The tile used here adds so much visual impact to what is a pretty neutral space.  Without it there would be no personality, but that backslash makes it a show stopper!

I love how this tile takes the plain subway to a whole new level.  That bathtub?  Well, I cry.  Someday. 

Again, subway and pattered tile... a killer combination.  A claw foot tub obviously doesn't hurt anything.  

This is probably my favorite tile of all time, and is perfect on the floor (below) or on the wall.  Talk about some serious impact. 

Wall to floor... clearly I need to meet this person, I'm pretty sure we'd be best friends. 

In my next home my one luxury item I'm demanding is an island and I love the idea of a white kitchen with a tiled island similar to this bar.  Throw in some black lower cabinets and you had me at hello!

Here there is some mixing of tiles, and I am not mad at it at all.  I also love the tile on the side of the tub!  This would be perfect if you had an old tub that you were looking to camouflage. 

What do you think?  Are you like me, do you love a pattern in a room, or is it something you shy away from? 

YM Gift Guide 2014: For The Home.

After taking a quick glance at my list of favorite house and home gifts to give this year, I finally accepted that yes, I am most definitely am drawn to things that are 1) navy, 2) gold/ brass, and 3) leather.  As much as I try to find things in other color palettes, I always seem to go back to these three things, and you know what?  This suits me just fine.  I'm a girl who knows what I like, and everything on this list I like... I like a lot.  For those of you out there looking for a little something to spruce up your home this holiday season, here are a few of my favorite things.  The beauty of buying for the home this time of year, is that you can get your every day items for a song.  It's what I like to call the real magic of the season!

No spoiler here, since she already knows, this is what I'm getting my sister this year.  I've seen this amazing bar cart on pretty much every blog out there, but it was only when I picked it up that I realized just how awesome it is.  Made of brass and wood, it's stylish, functional, and impressively sturdy.  Cheers to that! ($130)

I am obsessed with this gold basket.  Like, I want one in every room.  I could see using this for holding blankets, towels, toys, even as a waste basket in the bathroom or office. So, so good. ($20)

Brass + Planter, is there anything more I need to say? ($50-65)

This is my favorite candle on the planet.  Initially, I bought one for our guest room, but very quickly decided that I needed to see it every day, and put it out front and center in our living room.  It smells incredible, and is large enough to use as a planter when it burns down.  You know I'm all over that. ($88 with 25% off with code GIVEGLAM)

These coasters are on the tip top of my wish list right now.  So simple, and so beautiful. Oh, and they are also navy. Sold! ($48)

Even though these sheets are technically made for kids, we have them in our guest room, and I get so many compliments on them.  The gold dots add just the right amount of whimsy, and these would be great for a holiday inspired room paired with a red plaid throw. (From $79)

The one and only thing I wish we had in our home is a fireplace.  Mark my words, if we do ever move, that is going to be on the top of my list.  For those of you who are lucky enough to have one, I'm loving this personalized canvas/ leather bag for storing wood by the fire.  ($99)

This leather magazine rack is so elegant and would be great for those of you who live with a magazine hoarder, and may also sometimes exhibit hoarder tendencies as referenced by her extensive Cookie collection that will forever live with her shoes.  I'm not naming any names here. ;) ($138)

The single greatest item we have ever bought for our home was the Nespresso machine I gifted myself last year.  We use it multiple times a day, and it still works as good as it did the day we took her out of the box.  While aesthetically I wasn't sold on this one, I took my salesperson's advice that this was the easiest and best machine they have.  Almond milk lattes are my jam, and with one push of a button, and about 1 minute of waiting, I have the most perfect one in my hand while running out the door for school.  The milk can stay in the container which is refrigerated, and then the whole piece can be put in the dishwasher.  Never ever having to wait in line at Starbucks again... game changer. ($399 with 100 dollar club credit)

I absolutely love every single piece from Heather Taylor, but if I had to choose, this pillow is my favorite.  Simple and beautiful, exactly what I want my home to be.  Her tablecloths are equally as awesome. ($112)

Just when I thought I couldn't get any more Navy in to my home, a girlfriend of mine turned me on to this new line available at Macy's.  Love, love, love.  (Prices vary)

Finally, how great is this copper tray which comes with free monogramming?  So great for those holiday parties, this also would make a great gift for those on your list who love to entertain.  I'm filing this one away for future wedding gifts! ($175)

Sadly, this is the end of the gift guides this year.  I hope you found them helpful, I also have a great time making them! Happy Friday!

One Last Thing.

You know, I'm a firm believer that if you don't like something in your home, just paint it.  It's the easiest and by far the cheapest way to bring new life in to a space and if you are willing to do the work yourself, you can essentially change an entire room for less than 100 dollars.

Which brings me to my next, and final project in the house.  After going back and forth, my husband has finally agreed that it's time to have our kitchen cabinets painted.  This one actually pains me because when we bought our home, it was a demolished space and we could have done anything in here.  At the time I had no idea what I was doing, and basically copied what I saw in every model home around the country.  The standard, cherry cabinets, gray marble, cherry floors.  Totally and completely beautiful, but 7 years later, now that I've actually found my style, our kitchen sticks out like a sore thumb when combined with the rest of the house, which is anything but traditional.   If I could do it all over again, I would absolutely go with navy cabinets, white marble and brass hardware, but since you can't go back in time,  I've figured that the least expensive way to breathe new life into our space is a fresh coat of paint on the cabinets, coupled with some fantastic new hardware.

The question then becomes what color?  Of course, I would love to do navy, but I don't think it would look that great with our backsplash (which I still love with ever fiber in my body) and the dark counter.  Originally, I planed to just match the blueish turquoise in the tile, but now I'm thinking the way to go is something more dramatic. Way more dramatic.

 Black.

But not quite black.

Black with dark blue undertones.

Inky Black.

 After a lot of thought, I  think it will be the best way to mask the counter that I'm not in love with, and will also add so much drama to the space, especially paired with the brass hardware.  The more I think about it, the more excited I get! The black also will make the kitchen so much more modern, which will blend so much better with the rest of the house.

I've looked it to it a little bit, and I was surprised at how affordable it can be to have your cabinets professionally sprayed. Because these are newer, And without and damage, the whole thing can be done rather affordably and quickly! 

Okay, I'm sold. 

This is not something I'm planning on tackling before the holidays, but you can bet by the time Summer rolls around our kitchen will be looking shiny and new!  Here is the current state of the space.  Again, it's totally, perfectly fine...it just down't really go with the rest of the house. 

I am absolutely keeping this tile backsplash, and will probably have this somewhere in every house I live in for the rest of my life.  

The inspiration. This is exactly the color I'm looking for. 

Right now, these are the top three color contenders. They look much lighter on the screen than in person. In person they are dark, dark, dark. 

F&B Pitch Black

F&B Off Black

FB Blue Black (the frontrunner.)

The hardware is pretty much my favorite part of the plan, and I'm absolutely going with these babies from Schoolhouse Electric. 

Can you guys see it?  I think it's going to be really fantastic.  I'm not going to lie, I'll probably paint one or two cabinets myself just to make sure this is the right choice (versus going with the obvious creme) and will make sure to let you know how it turns out! 

Out of everything that we've done with the place, I have to say this is the one I'm most excited about!!!!

To be continued...

Master Bedroom Makeunder.

 Okay, so remember here, here, and here when I said I was totally "done" with my master bedroom.  It turns out that actually wasn't true, because our master bedroom has once again undergone some minor changes, and this time I swear it's finished for real.  I know, I know, boy who cried wolf, yada yada, but seriously, after 6 years I finally, finally LOVE the way our bedroom looks, and since it's the room I spend the most time in, this is a good thing.  As you'll see in the final pictures, there aren't any  major changes, just the bedding, art, and lights, and I think that's important to point out.  As I always tell my sister, make sure you love the (pricier) big pieces of furniture you buy, which in this case is the bed, dresser, and chair, and the rest don't go crazy on, because in a few years you may be completely tired of it. Or in my case, 6 months, but really, who's counting?

Here's the thing about our bedroom, from the beginning I just wan't sure what I wanted it to be.  At first I wanted it to be spa and zen like, so going to bed felt like a retreat, but after about a year of that I realized that it just wasn't my style and I like color, and drama, and well, that's about the opposite of zen, so out went this room. 

Then, we had the big basement flood, which required a repainting of the whole room, and once I went dark, that was a whole new ballgame. I wanted color to pop against the dark walls, so I basically went as bright as I could. 

... and then a few months later even brighter. 

 This was great for a while, especially while the rest of the house was still being worked on, but over the past year I found myself longing for a calm and neutral space, one that really blended in with the darkness of the room, without trying to compete with it.  A few months back, I ordered a new duvet (although that orange and white one above will definitely still be in rotation in the warmer months) and found a simple piece of art that popped against the dark walls, and some much needed sconces for reading at night.  Most of the accessories were moved around, and the previous bedding found some new homes.  I have to say, I absolutely love the finished product, and this is one room that I won't be changing for a very long time to come. Seriously.

Here are a few pictures from our bedroom makeunder. 

The whole room is kind of dark and moody, which normally isn't my style, but I have to say I love how great it is for sleeping.  These pictures don't really do the room justice, but in person the space looks very simple, but layered.  There isn't too much clutter, and most everything in this room serves a purpose. I still have my little pops of color, but the majority of the furnishings are gray and I think the whole room really flows together well.  I keep telling my hubby that in our next house I'm probably going to rebel and make everything white after living with so much gray, but for now dark is where it's at... and where it's going to stay. 

Oh, and yes I lost a little drama when the skateboards over our bed were moved to the hallway, but don't worry, they were replaced with something equally as awesome in our master bathroom. 

I'm not going to lie, I made a pitch to put Kate over my bed, but my husband thought that was a little weird, so now she watches us from the other room, which is luckily still visible from my bed, #smokingkills #but90ssupermodelsneverdie

So there you have it, the final makeover of our home. I'm hoping to get some "real" pictures to share with you all in the next few months, but for now these will have to do.  I have to say I'm at a loss, without any more little "projects" to do, but I'm also really looking forward to living in this space, rather than planning on how to change it.  Designing a home is a tricky thing, your first instinct is to get it all done, to make it presentable, but I feel like a person's taste and style grows so much over time, that there really is something to be said about waiting to find something that you absolutely love.  I feel like the way our house is now, is such a true reflection of our family, and myself, and I really couldn't be happier to call this space my home.