If you follow me on twitter then you have heard me going on and on {and on} about a dream project I have been working on. Now I can finally reveal what it is.
It all started with an email {after some slight stalking on my part, hi Nadine} asking if I would like come into the Today's Parent offices to discuss working on an organization feature in the magazine. My immediate reaction was: YES YES YES! But *I think* I played it cool when I responded to set up a time. The meeting was amazing and I left {literally floating to my car} with a plan to redesign three rooms in my home to make them more functional, and a whole lot prettier.
I worked with some amazing companies, including IKEA, Home Depot, Tonic Living, Switch Studio, Garnet Hill, Rugs USA and My Back Shed to completely transform our entranceway, the basement family room, and my youngest son's bedroom. Stay tuned for some posts about these amazing decor resources.....because sharing is caring.
To make a long story {kinda} short....my husband and I moved home seven years ago after living in the UK for two years, with very little furniture. Since then, we have bought a house, planned our wedding, had two children, and started new careers. Not a lot of time left for decorating in there. We had to start from scratch so our home has been {and still is} a work in progress. This is why I have not shared too many home pics. But now I can say/squeal that these three rooms work so well for our family. They are beautiful and functional.
Here are some sneak peeks of the rooms I worked on:
Pick up the September issue of Today's Parent magazine to see five pages {!} of the ugly befores, the pretty darn fantastic afters and lots of tips for decorating with kids. And, of course, to check out all of the amazing content Today's Parent produces every month. Also, how cute is that little boy on the cover?! Adorable!
Make sure to visit the Today's Parent website in the coming weeks for more ideas and DIY projects froms yours truly, including a how-to video for stenciling a rug.
Thank you again so much to everyone I worked with at Today's Parent for such an amazing experience. I loved the entire process and I learned so much.
I have just finished working on huge super exciting project. It has involved a lot of painting. I mean a lot...walls, furniture, and accessories. Now that is it over {stay tuned for more info VERY soon} I feel like I need a new creative outlet. I think I know just what to choose: my dining room.
I want to paint the walls and all of the furniture. I settled for a black table and chairs because I could not find what I wanted in white when we moved in several years ago. I have regretted that choice ever since. I also hate that the buffet and hutch are so matchy matchy. I plan on ditching the hutch and painting or replacing the buffet.
Here is the sad, dark, boring before:
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And here is the plan:
I want to paint the walls white...I can't tell you how crazy this is for me....and maybe add large stripes or a stencil to the wall behind the buffet. Did I mention that I am not usually a fan of accent walls? Breaking all the rules with this one! The table will be painted in white as well, the buffet in a light shade of gray {I think}, and the chairs in a pretty, pretty minty or blue colour.
The boring beige window treatments which my hubby hung wrong, twice, will be replaced with some Tonic Living goodness that will fill the wall space on either side of the sliding glass doors. One of my biggest pet peeves is too small window treatments.
Then it will be time for art. I am going to try to create my first abstract art piece on canvas....we'll see how that goes. I am undecided about what I want to put over the buffet, but I think a mirror would add some much needed light to the space and act as a great backdrop for my pitcher collection. The only hesitation I have with that is styling and taking pics can be a total pain when dealing with mirrors.
I want a lantern style light fixture that I am also thinking of painting....maybe even pink. Finally, I would love a rug, like this Pottery Barn one, but that may have to wait until my kids start to eat more than they drop.
Stay tuned! I am going to crack open the primer this week!
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