liam's lair

my son's room got an overhaul. this change was precipitated by the removal of french doors. now, if you are new to the chalet here are some details - we have 8 doors and until this remodel we had 5 sets of french doors. built in 1924  the chalet was a summer get away - tons of doors and windows for breezes and nary a bit of insulation. (hand hitting head emoji)  anyway after the galerie to porch switcheroo the door removal was the next big item on my husband's never ending #ToDoList for this 94 year old gem!

project morning: Steven snapped this of Liam and I as we headed out to a friends birthday party - leaving him on the balcony 3 stories up - happily working in solitude.

this is the view from the bedroom. it was always nerve-racking having an old set of glass doors in a childs room. 

here it is -  a nutshell from the day. Steven's first hurdle the storm doors he caulked shut so well it took him 2 hours to get them open. after that the process was a repeat of the porch - build the wall and install the windows.

he actually finished the outside this past weekend.

we looked for a while for paint - we considered a bunch of dark and light blues and greys, but with how dark our bedrooms are in the chalet due to the wide eaves we decided white was really the best option.

i wasn't prepared for how much i would love the crispness. i quickly realized i wanted to go more navy with some pops of green in the design. hey - my designs are never set in stone. there were plenty of items that were returned to stores; a lamp, rug and other accessories. i washed and put his orange quilt away. i think i will get a navy one when the weather changes but, for now, Liam loves his blue blanket.

moving his bed to the other side of the room has made it feel larger. we always had an extra plug in radiator in that outside corner - when the weather changes in October i'm not sure where it will go but, we'll figure it out.

all the art we took down did not go back up. i moved a few pieces to the basement - some into storage and we hung one in the play area.

for the first time in my life i am going to let this space and these walls evolve!

i rehung the skeleton over the storage cubbies. i love these units they hold toys, books and display Legos on top!

i was thrilled he let me frame his Star Wars poster! there was talk of scotch tape on his walls.

i am in love love love with the navy leather tray with cross stitching details i found at Home Sense.

how stylish is his lamp? this is one of a set of vintage gold tone lamps that were in my Aunt's living room. some spray paint and voila! 

here's a few images of the painting process.

above is the fresh updated corner and here the same space last winter.

this image at left is from 2014. his bed in it's original place.

and finally i thought i'd share my original design of Liam's room from when i was pregnant. i never wanted anything cutesy. i found the bedding - i still think the modern square design is timeless. the rug is from Home Depot. we received gifted furnishings, my old dresser was converted into a changing table and the crib was bought sight unseen from Target.com. my biggest splurge was the art from Art.com and framing.

i'm hoping this redo will carry our son through a couple of years. we know he could use a larger bed - he's tall and he's only getting bigger! he's 4 ft 5-1/2 inches tall and 70 lbs. i do already have a scheme in my head complete with a loveseat and trunk coffee table - because he must have the most comfortable place to hang.

til next time.

one simple change

one change can make a world of difference. 

that's exactly what happened to this powder room. 

here's the final result!

it's a study in traditional minimalism. nothing fussy or contrived.

the only element changed was the flooring and it was done in just one day! 

here is the old more rustic diamond pattern. it was very nice - nothing wrong with it - but, it didn't suit the homeowner's taste any longer.

all the other pieces remained the same.

is there one thing you've changed in a space that made this level of impact?

til next time.

indigo dreams

blue: the pure color of a clear sky; the primary color between green and violet in the visible spectrum...

over the last few years i have incorporated more and more of the color blue into the chalet design. there was a starting point and it was this shower curtain. i love stripes - man do i - i have more than a few Boden Breton t-shirts.

i remember working on a piece like this in my high school art class. the pattern the color - it conveys so much in it's simplicity of form.

my childhood bedroom which i originally shared with my older sister was yellow for years; it had - green curtains and pair of kelly green bedspreads with a small white floral pattern; then in my Laura Ashley phase the walls became white - accented with blue and pink patterned bedding and lastly it was this lovely blue. i was looking through albums and i'm bummed there aren't more images of the room i called home for more than half my life.

you can see i had a bit of art and had already started my @saynotoemptywalls obsession - two of these pieces are hanging upstairs in the chalet and the smallest is my treasured pen and ink of Edinburgh mom brought back for me from her trip. oh look at the plants -  i miss those wide English Tudor window sills.

these scrumptious Hedgehouse headboard cushions were the catalyst for introducing blue in the master. these pillows are life-changing. i can't tell you how much like royalty they make you feel. the marvelous linen fabric is dreamy and the down feathers extremely heavy and dense - they are amazingly supportive and the tassel ... so fun!!! you need these in your life!

then i started in the livingroom. the couch and carpets give off a taupe vibe, (ok very taupe) but i do love them and i'm not sure what i'd do if i could scrap them - which i can not currently.... a blue couch? maybe... different rugs maybe? in my piece style love you saw a pattern: the designer's spaces i'm loving have an airy quality usually light colored accented with blue. not exactly the same sort of feeling as the chalet. but, that is exactly why i really like them... it's the opposite of the what i live with. i have this mid-century modern all white walls and dark sectional thing floating around in my head for the basement re-do (whenever that happens). this Target striped blanket was a fun addition. it's 100% cotton with fringe. i spy it so often all over IG and in the blogosphere.

this image... the corner of the mantel from last spring. this was when the blue light-bulb really clicked for me - i gathered images from Jane at Home, The Pink Clutch, Sue De Chiara and Pencil and Paper Co. and used their inspiration to pull this together.

i let my blue flag fly on the porch just look at it all!

i love it!

don't you adore the faux fur footstool i picked up recently at Home Goods. it was just what the porch needed a bit of whimsy - and honestly i have been sitting on it working on my puzzle - it's comfy too!

yes, i am an orange enthusiast, but give me navy all day long!

my recent trip to Home Goods yielded all these goodies!  the new throw has found a home on the back of the beige velvet chair in the livingroom and for the first time in the kitchen i swapped out my regular orange dishtowels for some blue love. not sure why i waited so long.

my current obsession is this vintage chinese vase. i just started using it for flowers. isn't it great!

sometimes it's not just about what we live with in our homes, but seeing the color around us and finding joy - that's why i titled this piece indigo dreams.

the rose window in the Basilica of the Scared Heart in Newark NJ - stunning.

what is your favorite color? do you incorporate it into your decor?

til next time.