Stylish Storage Baskets

It's the end of the first month of the year, which means that a lot of us are decluttering, tossing things out, and watching a whole lot of Tiding Up to get inspired by Marie Kondo ;) I haven't watched an episode yet, sheerly because I'm scared that if I do, I'll be on a mission to throw everything away that we own! If you have watched, let me know how you like her methods and what you've done to your house since in the comments. I'm so interested! One of the ways you can get a handle on your clutter is by finding stylish storage solutions. These would be things like benches or ottomans that double as hidden storage, bookcases or builtins with some closed storage, filing cabinets, or baskets. If you don't have a ton of money or space to work with, baskets are your friends. You can add them to the bottom of your bookshelves, in your bathroom cupboards to assist with giving everything a place, put one next to your sofa or nightstand...they can go pretty much anywhere!  Baskets can hold anything from dog toys (just us?!), blankets, pillows, kids toys that you want out of sight when people come over, mail, TV remotes and more. Here are some of my favorite baskets-- all really beautiful and functional!

SHOP: target natural + white stripe / oval basket / oval basket with fringe /  round basket fringe / square basket with white stripes / set of 3 pom pom baskets / rectangle basket / low rectangular basket / braided rectangular basket / 

A couple of the baskets in Target caught my eye last week while wondering the store (something that seems to happen at least once a week...)  target natural + white stripe 

 oval basket with fringe

 round basket fringe

Have you tidied up in January yet? I always try to do a little of this while putting away Christmas decorations and with us moving in a couple months, I SHOULD probably watch some Marie Kondo to get prepared ;) Happy Tuesday! xoxo interior design website / services / portfolio

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Client Reveal: Light & Airy Michigan Family Room & Kitchen

Hi friends. Phew! I got knocked out with the flu (aka my worst nightmare) on Monday and then was down again all Tuesday from body aches and sheer exhaustion. So thankful this happened on two severe snow days here in Michigan, because appointments were already canceled. 

Anyways, I'm so excited to be sharing this client design reveal with you today! I love all of my clients (really, I do!) but this one has such a special place in my heart. We met through our dogs and I feel like she's become my Michigan mom of sorts, which is really special since my own mom is in California! She's so kind, always checks in on me and I know she'd be there for me in a heartbeat if something ever happened. 

This reveal of their family room, dining, and kitchen seriously makes me so happy! She came to me asking for help with her house, after another interior designer helped them redo their kitchen, except it wasn't anything like what she wanted. This just makes me so sad! My main goal as a designer is to have my client's LOVE their home. This client told me she wanted "a light, bright, and airy home just like I see on your instagram" (so sweet!) We went to work!

Problem #1 was that the paint color was way too dark for their house and because of their several skylights, the paint color though it was technically a gray, always looked green. We found the perfect color in Stonginton Gray (but toned down to 75%) to achieve this airy look. Because it has an undertone of blue, on their walls with the skylights, it appeared a solid, neutral gray. Hooray! We also replaced the carpet for LVP (luxury vinyl planking) throughout the whole main living area which made it look so much larger. We got lots of new furniture, but still kept some of their current pieces, too! 

Ready to see the before?!

And now the AFTER!

Their beautiful new rug took a while to find, but once we landed on it, it brought so much clarity to the space! Her husband didn't want something too light, and since they have dogs, we agreed it couldn't be a loop rug or anything solid. This has just the right amount of pattern and color. We pulled some blues from the rug into the sofa pillows, the lamps and other elements in the kitchen.

Now for the before of the fireplace wall. My client didn't like her stone selection at all because it felt too dark. I told her to trust me-- once we found a better paint for the walls and paint the mantel white, remove the hearth tile, she'd like it better. And if not, we could always replace the stone after.

No need to do that, because she loves it now! And I do too. It actually helps to bring warmth and texture to the room. I pulled up some of the warmer tones into the candlesticks on either side of the mantel and added a touch of green to keep things fresh. 

One thing that's important to note is that because they have such tall ceilings, we needed to bring height from the ground up, not just hang things on the wall. So in addition to the large mirror over the sectional, I also brought in a taller plant, used a lamp they already had that worked with the space to help them save some cost, and immediately, the room started looking more proportionate. 

This arm chair was sourced by the previous designer, and since it was costly, we kept it and made it work. In their previous room, it felt dark and drab, but now it's really sweet and seems a lot brighter!

We got some custom pillows made for her sofa to coordinate with the rug colors and I LOVE them! It's a whimsical and fresh floral, perfect for the room.

I love the nailhead detailing on the sofa!

What's a room without a fiddle leaf tree?!

Curtains hung higher over the windows is a sure way to draw the eye up and give height to the room. It's also such a nice, soft finishing touch!

In the entryway we added a console table with a pair of lamps for ambient lighting, a basket for dog treat and leash storage, and two poufs for extra seating. It's come in really handy!

The wall between the kitchen and living room got some much needed art, adding colors seen throughout the rest of the spaces.

We kept the old recliner and it looks just fine now sitting next to one of my favorite pair of nesting tables. They work in almost every space! 

Okay, now onto the kitchen reveal...

When someone says bright and airy kitchen, I can't believe that this small, dark glass tile is the first thing you think of?! Ha! No judgement, but I think I had a bit better idea of what she wanted :)

We painted the cabinets white, changed the tile out for a beveled subway tile and light gray grout, installed new quartz countertops and a new sink. We also got new cabinet knobs and pulls, making it feel like a totally new kitchen!

The dining space got a new table and chairs, but we did keep the buffet and it looks so much better now!

I walked into a local store and found this piece of art that I knew would be perfect for their dining room. It tied in all the colors so well! A couple accessories and we were all set.

A few sources for you: 

Paint: Stonington Gray at 75%

Coffee Table

Mirror

Nesting Tables

Rug

Lamps on console table

Pitcher on buffet

Marble cutting board

I hope you've enjoyed this reveal! It really shows the power of paint, doesn't it?! The best part for me is knowing my clients absolutely love their new space. She tells me all the time how much more it feels like home to them, which is so sweet. 

Happy Wednesday, all! xoxo
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How & Why You Need to Exfoliate

Oh, winter. How I loathe you for so many reasons! Ha ;) Top of the list is dry winter skin (can't.get.enough.lotion), static all day every day and the obvious COLD that makes everything that much harder (ie. driving, taking the dog outside...) End rant. Especially in the winter, it's important you have a skincare routine that works for you. So I'm giving you the 411 today.
Here's the truth: if you don't do this ONE thing in your skincare lineup, then everything else you do won't have lasting impact or effect. That one thing is exfoliating. If you’re not exfoliating at least once every 5 days, you are not getting the full benefit of ANY creams, serums or oils? Your products will not be able to penetrate the top layer of dead skin.  This is why it's so key! You can't have moisturization (just made that word up ;)) without exfoliation. The two go hand-in-hand.
IF YOUR SKIN IS:
Dry: You should be exfoliating at least 2 times a week
Combination Dry & Oily: 3 to 4 times a week
Oily: 5 to 6 times a week

There are TWO ways to exfoliate:

Nourishing Cream Exfoliator: gentle scrub with non-abrasive jojoba beads
Balancing + Charcoal Mask: kaolin clay purifies, charcoal draws out impurities & salicylic acid stimulates exfoliation.

This botanically derived acid peel is amazing for your skin in exfoliating as well. I use it twice a week in the winter and it brightens my skin, while making it softer and I swear I wake up and feel like my skin is glowing!

Another great way to exfoliate is to get a facial from a highly trained esthetician. Chemical peels are one of the best ways to get clearer, softer skin while exfoliating and giving way to moisturizers sinking into and nourishing your skin. I try to get one every quarter and you can even ask them to use their most clean/safe products on you.


Hope this helps your winter (and beyond!) skin :) Check out my past beauty posts here.  xoxo

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Client Reveal: Modern Farmhouse Master Bed & Bathroom

Hope you are having a great week! I've been itching to show you this client reveal for MONTHS...I'm really not sure why it's taken me this long. This master bathroom is one of my favorite rooms I've ever designed and I know you'll love it, too! You can see more of this client's home by clicking here. It's always so fun to hear the vision of the client and then direct them to choose beautiful finishes that all work well together...then to see it all come together is like magic!

I hope you enjoy the tour of this modern farmhouse master bedroom and bathroom:

This bathroom is SO gorgeous...I still need to find a way to have a spa day in here ;)

We did shiplap on the main wall all the way up, then continued that around the bathroom halfway up the wall. We used Stonington Gray for the walls above the shiplap (one of my favorite grays with a blue undertone!) The cabinets are a pretty blue/gray that coordinates so well with the little detail on the tile floor.

The walk in shower is all tiled with large subway tile then the inset has the same tile as the floor, to tie it all in.

Builder: Steve Visser Builder // Photography: Ashley Slater Photography Details:  Cabinet Color: Jubilee Sherwin Williams Walls: Stonginton Gray Benjamin Moore Flowers: Modern Day Floral Cabinets: Starlite Kitchens Mirror: Pottery Barn  Dreamy, right?!  xoxo interior design website / services / portfolio

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