8 months already

Wow, the time really flies by with the second child.  Zoe is already 8 months old and sporting two teeth.  She has been eating solid foods since 4 1/2 months and loves fresh fruit and avocados.  She is a super easy, very relaxed and laid back child.  She goes to bed at 7:45 and wakes up after 7am.  She loves her big sister and can't wait until she's able to play with her.  So far she's not interested in crawling, she's content to just sit and play.  She's a mamas girl for sure and this week "mama" was her first word!

Inspiration

When I design a space, I like to find something to start with as my inspiration.  Whether it's a piece of art, a fabric, a color scheme, something.  Then I build from there. 

Franz's mom was an artist.  She painted.  We got to see lots of her pieces when we took a trip back east before we were married.  Each of the relatives has something she painted.  We are lucky enough to have this gorgeous peacock piece:

It's about 14" wide by 48" high and painted in deep saturated shades of cobalt, turquoise, aqua and yellow on a piece of dark wood.  I love the texture and depth that it gives the piece.  We have it hanging in the entry, it's one of the first things you see when you come inside our house.  There is a wall sconce above it and at night when the light shines on it, the colors become really vibrant.  Designing a space around something that has so much personal sentiment and history behind it, makes it so much more meaningful.

Now that I have my inspiration piece, I can start looking at the rest of the room.  Franz and I both prefer a cool color palette over a warm one.  We really like blues and greens, and we both love the beach and ocean.  Another reason to keep our existing drapes, carpet and wall color- they remind us of a warm sandy beach and provide a good neutral background so I can integrate some bold blues and greens into the room.

Here are some pictures of rooms that I've ripped out of magazines because I loved them so much.  With this first picture, I love the chunky wood table.  The wood grain is amazing, the large colored vases, the natural elements (bamboo curtain rods, linen looking drapes, twigs in the vase, large clam shell bowl).  


Better Homes and Garden August 2010

 In this kitchen I love the walnut floating shelves against the white walls. 

Coastal Living June 2011

This house.  Oh my, where do I begin.  There's so much I love.  The vaulted wood paneled ceilings in bright white, the capiz chandelier, the cushy sofa, the bright pillows, that rug, the celadon kitchen tile, the VIEW. 

Coastal Living, not sure what month or year

Sigh....how I love this last house.  It was designed by Heidi Bonesteel and Michele Trout from the design firm, Bonesteel Trout Hall.  There are more images from this house on their website and they're all droolworthy.  In the past year, twice I've found myself flipping through a magazine staring at the images of the interiors in awe.  Both times when I re-read the articles more closely, I discovered the homes were designed by Bonesteel Trout Hall.  This home is absolutely beautiful.  It doesn't hurt that it's more than 5000 square feet and located in the hills of Laguna Beach and has a view that's to die for.  I could move in tomorrow and feel right at home.

Okay, back to reality.  Here's the floorplan:

The sofa needs to stay where it is.  We actually have a great view out the sliding doors.  This year we simultaneously watched four different fireworks shows across town from our patio.  The dining table will stay where it is as well.

The major project I would like to accomplish is the tv wall.  As a reminder, here's what it currently looks like:

Aaaaack!  I can't believe this is my living room.  Franz and I had to do some serious baby proofing when Avery started crawling- she was into everything.  Most All of our personal items got packed into boxes and put in storage.  We don't have anywhere to put picture frames, vases, books, etc.  So I would love to find a way for us to bring some of our "stuff" back into the house, yet away from little hands.  Here's idea #1:

I'd like to find some kind of credenza for concealed toy storage.  I'd also like to add some floating shelves- perfect for displaying some of the things mentioned above.

Idea #2:

Again, some kind of concealed storage below the tv and a wall of picture frames and objects surrounding the tv.  I originally got this idea from this magazine picture:

Family Circle January 2011

I love, love, love how the tv blends in with the artwork.  This could be fun and a lot easier to do than hanging those floating shelves.  I also love the low credenza, but I'm looking for CONCEALED toy storage.

I've spent the weekend stalking Craigslist for some kind of credenza but didn't have much luck.  I think I may have found some dining chairs though...I'll keep you posted. 

For those of you with kids, do you have concealed toy storage in the living room?  Does it help reduce the clutter?  Which do you like better for our space- option #1 with the shelves, or option #2 with the picture gallery?  Either way, I'm just really excited and looking forward to making this a space that all four of us can enjoy.

The Living Room

As I sit here typing this post, looking at my living room, my eyes hurt from all the primary colors taking up residence in every inch of space.  The toys are overwhelming.  The Ikea Expedit is overflowing.  In the meantime, I know the bookshelves in Avery's room are currently totally empty...I think I see the problem.

As a designer, I'm embarrassed by our living room.  It's awful.  It's crying out for some love and attention.  Kids just have a way of making you give up and throw in the towel when it comes to keeping anything looking relatively organized.  I love a good design challenge, so I think I'm ready to tackle this space.  Want to see it in it's current state?   

Zoe's face says it all...."do something quick mom."

Why is Avery's hamper in the living room?  And where are all the dirty clothes that were in it?

Dining area with carpet + kids = not priceless.

{{{{Shivers}}}}

I'm going to work with some existing things, and incorporate a few new things as needed.

Things to keep:    
~Chocolate brown microsuede sofa and chaise.  Custom made and has held up beautifully for five years. Cleans really easily which is mandatory with young kids. 
~Curtains and rod.  We like privacy at night since there are houses below us that can see in.  I'll be re-working these and losing the tab tops.  The style is Lenda in light beige.  They look like linen and have a subtle stripe. 
~Paint.  It's called Sailcloth by Dunn Edwards and reminds me of warm sandy beaches.
~TV location.  I'm lazy and do not want to have to patch the million holes we drilled trying to find studs.
~Carpet.  With Zoe getting ready to start crawling and walking, it's softer on the knees.  The color also reminds me of sandy beaches.
~Dining Table.  Maybe. 
~Dining chairs.  Maybe.  We'll see.

Next post I'll share the piece of artwork that will be my inspiration. 

Still Here

Yep, still here, haven't fallen off the face of the earth.  June is always a very busy month for our family, and this one was no exception.  Just to give you an idea, we celebrate my birthday on the 17th, my dad and grandma celebrate their birthdays on the 19th, and of course Father's Day is in there as well.  This year was a little more exciting because my grandma turned 100.  Yes, you read that right, 100 years old.


Grandma, my sister and Paige, Zoe and me, my mom and Avery



Avery loves cupcakes!

 Oh my gosh this next picture cracks me up!  I think her eyes are going to pop right out of her head!

My grandma getting a birthday kiss from Kate!

I didn't have much time this month for sewing or home projects.  Truth be told, we've been entertaining the idea of moving.  With the interest rates being so low and with home prices dropping left and right, it makes sense.  We're keeping our eyes out for the right opportunity, but who knows when that will come along. 

So in the meantime, I think the next project I'll tackle is our living/dining room.  It's pretty much been the same since we got married almost five years ago.  But the kids toys have completely taken over, my once beautiful custom made dining chairs have been ruined by sticky fingers, and the space feels sad to me.  It's time for an update.  Check back for a post with the before pictures (scary!) and some ideas and inspiration pictures as well.

Hope everyone is enjoying the long holiday weekend!