It’s hard to believe we spent three years designing our moody, modern, traditional home. Sometimes people ask me: “What are you going to do when you’re done?” I can’t think about that yet – I’m not even close! Even though I’m fine with having too many rooms in the house, some are still on my “deal with” list. Some are in the first stage with a coat of paint and dramatic curtains. But I have more on my plate, it’s just a matter of prioritizing rooms, and recognizing how much time it takes. I wanted to share photos of the rooms that are still in the “before” or “in progress” stage, and let you know my plans for what they *could* be.
Basic bathroom
This is our really big project for the year. We started planning this last year, and I was never able to stick to the layout we chose. We kept putting off placing the order with our bathroom design company…it’s a whole story I’ve laid out in this blog post. But now that we have a new plan, I’m so excited to get started. I envision a spacious room with beautiful colors and tiles and built-in cabinets. It will be an incredible transformation!
Greta’s bedroom
Shop Greta’s Room
This is the room we would like to tackle this year. Her room still has a boob light! We have already painted and hung the curtains. Greta is scheduled to get some new furniture: a new bed and a new art area. I asked her if she wanted bookcases because she’s always reading and she said no, but we’ll see! I think she’s at the hardest age to design for – she’s 14. And in the next 10 years it’s going to change radically, so I’m really just focusing on what you love for the next four years. I don’t think about a forever scenario. She actually picked out wallpaper she liked (I think she was inspired by Polly’s room and Faye’s room). It has a really nice room for built-ins so I want to do something with it. You requested a bulletin board, so we’ll be sure to include one.
Storage room (hidden).
Ninja Creamy | Striped Boy Scout Tote Bag | Primrose Mirror | Globe pendant in the hallway
People ask about this space all the time because I once said this would be the playroom. It was part of a really large room that we cut in half to create the laundry room. Our storage room still has the original carpet – we never put hardwood floors in it. It’s currently just a room where the decor is dying. But now that we’ve organized our attic, there’s really no reason for these things to exist. It actually causes confusion because we can’t remember if something was in the attic or in the storage room! My dream is to make this room really cool – beautifully lit. I’ve always wanted a place to store paper, tape, paint supplies, markers and scissors, so I’m thinking of creating semi-handy cabinets to create storage space. It’s a good thing we didn’t do hardwood there, because I envision tile floors. The real thing is I need to do this room before my kids grow up! I will be ordering this room for my birthday, and if not this year, then next year. This room is something I’m dying to do.
Access
credenza | Wall Sconce | Terracotta Bowl | Checkmate candle | Ceramic Vase | Framed drawing
I would love to make an entry this year. This would wrap up the entire first floor which would be really nice. I’m very keen to get a new front door and add some trim and paint to the entryway. The confidence we brought with us is too broad for this entry. In our last house we had a large open space to enter, so it made sense to have a larger, thicker space. This house has a narrow hallway which becomes even more cramped when we have a room in it. So we definitely need some changes in the furniture in the hallway.
Upstairs landing
Club Chairs | lamp | Side table (similar) | Rug (antique) | faux tree | Coffee Table Books | Record player | Cloth paper drawers
I need to rework this little room – it will be the music room. We have our own piano now, and it has some extra components that were there when we moved in. But the way they designed the built-ins makes the arch off-center, and it drives me absolutely crazy. We won’t have doors, it will have a covered opening and maybe some perforated wallpaper. Velvet will be here somewhere. I think it might be a good idea to have some sort of curtain system where you could close the curtains to hide the Juliet balcony and the door. The girls love to perform there, which makes it even more theatrical.
Living room
Living room resources
Technically, we didn’t do anything to our living room except paint it, just like Greta’s room! It doesn’t have any new furniture except the coffee table. The new black interior window trim has also made a big difference, but I have more ideas in mind. I would like to add more pieces and maybe use two colors of paint here instead of just one. I envision built-in bookcases in the living room with library lights above them. I want to frame art on this wall with those bookcases. We talked about adding skylights there and beams as well. So phase two is on the horizon!
Play room
Rattan Side Table (Similar) | CLJ x Lola Raisin Blanket | Hoop Basketball | CLJ x Loloi Chris Natural/Sage Rug | CLJ x Loloi Pillows | Semi-flush lights | Globe Pendant Lights | Tippy
My sister Andy told me one day that the most unique thing about my brand is that I get to play a doubles basketball game at my house. It’s big and you can’t get around it. Sometimes I can’t believe I have that in my house too! She lives in the playroom, so this room will be a design challenge. But the bones of the room are so good, there’s a lot of potential. I want to highlight all the great things about it, and make it a fun place for kids, because that’s what it’s all about. I still have all their toys there, but we’re kind of moving on from the gaming phase. I keep a mental note of the last time they played with that play kitchen or that tent. (It seems like only yesterday that IKEA was their favorite kitchen – tears!) In terms of design, I really want to do wood-clad walls somewhere in my house. I’ve thought about it for the playroom, but no concrete plan there yet. I don’t see us getting into the playroom this year as much as I’d like – it’s killing me that it’s sitting in the state it is in.
The guest house
Guest House Resources
I wrote about this in a previous blog post, but we want to combine the guest house with the gym and make it a real guest house with a bedroom with a door, a living area, a small kitchen, a bathroom and a laundry room. I may include a small gym area somewhere in the guest house. But we got into the gym when the coronavirus era was here, and we weren’t going out to the gym. Will this lockdown ever return? Hopefully that won’t be the case, I will definitely keep some exercise equipment but I don’t think I need a full set of dumbbells anymore. The plan is to make the guest house’s bathroom accessible to the outdoor living area. It’s going to be a huge undertaking, and I’m very excited about it. Maybe this will be a project for next year as well.
I love my home and every space it provides for me with my family. We’ve invested a lot in the house over the past three years, and it’s exciting to see the possibilities too!
