A home makeover full of glamor and comfort!

FREE IMAGES This home has me hankering for a spa day! The luxuriousness of everything is so delicious, I could spend a whole weekend just going between the bath and the bed!

These spaces were designed by Marie Flanigan interiors, and the most fun part is seeing the HUGE difference between the before and afters! 

Of the project, Principal designer Marie Flanigan states '"this project is unique because we were able to transform their spaces without simply making them larger.  We kept our focus on architectural details, natural light, and creating cozy hideaways”. Functionality was improved, architectural beauty was enriched, and the entire home became a more fitting reflection of the chic couple that lives within. "'

The Master: 

"Adhering to our client’s desire to incorporate pre-existing antiques, many of their personal furniture pieces were preserved. Any new items were selected based on the unique charm they offered to the space. An over-scale antiqued French chandelier hangs at the end of the bed serving as both a distinctive focal point and a dramatic statement. The more contemporary items, such as the white animal hide bench, mirrored coffee table and gilded iron table lamps, offer modern lines that present an attractive contrast against the turn-of-the-century oak bedroom set. "- Marie Flanigan

One stressed out closed before...

One AHHMAZING closet after...

Master bath before:

After:

"Our designers created the impression of increased square footage by opening up the shower, lowering the bath tub and modifying the vanity." -Marie Flanigan

Before:

After:

A guest suite: 

The unique flooring is tricolored limestone mosaic

This guest suite below is my favorite, it's sooo pretty..

This before of this nook left me speechless:

The after (phew!)

Thanks to Marie Flanigan interiors for sharing this beautiful project with me!

Beachy Bathroom Reveal

FREE IMAGES Hey there, friends.  I am so super-duper excited to finally be revealing my master bathroom makeover to you.

I absolutely love it!  There are not many rooms in my home that I can say that I love because the decorator in me is always thinking I need to change this or that and being picky over some dumb little detail that no one else would even notice.  (I'm working on not being so hard on my decorating self.) But anyway... I really, truly love how our bathroom turned out and I'm so excited to share it with you!

I've gone beachy!

Cool and calm...

It's my new "happy place". :)

I've got so much to tell you about this bathroom makeover I don't even know where to start?!

How about the beginning so you can see just how far we've come...

We kept a tight budget by keeping the same cabinet/vanity and mirror and doing all of the work ourselves.  The vanity was painted Storm Cloud by Sherwin Williams and we made beachy looking pulls with spray paint and jute string. (tutorial to come). 

We also framed out our mirror using crown molding we picked up at the local box store.  We painted it to match the vanity.  A much cheaper option that buying a new mirror or buying a frame.

The cheap, little, white square tiles that surrounded the tub are now covered by beautiful beadboard and wide trim.

My amazingly talented hubby designed and made this beautiful one-of-a-kind light fixture.  The lamp fixtures remind us of a the kind you'd find on a beach boardwalk. Tutorial for how to make a beachy light fixture can be found here.

I almost didn't buy this amazing wreath made of real clam(?) shells.  SO glad I did!  I love the texture and color it adds to the mirror.

We made the towel hooks out of salvaged trim from an old building.  I picked the trim up for a few bucks each at a flea market.  And who can pass up these pretty blue glass fishing floats that are showing up all over in design.   Both from TJ Maxx for less than $9 each!

I made some natural, beachy-looking art from a clearance aisle driftwood bowl.  No, I didn't really "make it" as in assemble the driftwood into a oblong piece.  One of my biggest Chic on a Shoestring budget rules is to never make something if I can buy it for less than I can make it.  Smart, huh?  I kind of  "made it" into art by wrapping some jute rope around one of the sticks and hanging it on the wall.  It was a drift wood bowl type tray thing (I think?).  Now it's "driftwood art".  

I found this beachy tray thing at HomeGoods on Michigan Ave. in downtown Chicago.  Funny place to find such a coastal-inspired piece, I think not!  There is a beach just a few blocks away. ;)  I think it had been ignored for a while in the store because people didn't know what the heck it was.  It was one of those sad pieces stuffed down in the bottom shelf with random clearance junk on it.  I decided it would make the perfect wall hanging in my coastal inspired bath room.  I think it did.

 I love all of the gray and white-washed tones of the driftwood and the texture it adds to the wall.

Mr. Chic is not a fan of my "Charlie Brown towels" as he likes to call them.  I told him he doesn't know good chevron when he sees it.  These towels were my inspiration for the whole room!  I'm not sure how it looks on your computer screen but the towel blue/green color is just a few shades darker than the wall.  My computer is making the walls look a sage green tone and they are NOT sage... they are Sea Salt by Sherwin Williams, in case you wanted to know.

The sand and shells in the largest apothecary jar are from our favorite beach, Sanibel Island.  (except the starfish, bought that one)  If you've ever been to Sanibel Island you know that I could've easily filled all 3 of these jars overflowing with shells.  There are a freakishly large amount of shells on Sanibel.  They wash up in huge piles lining the shore.  Anyway, I probably broke several federal and state laws about taking sand with me but this is all the sand collected from inside our swimsuits, beach bags, cooler, beach towels, flip-flops and rental car.  Sand gets stuck everywhere! ;)

I had to buy these bad boys too, who knew that TJ Maxx would start selling bags of starfish right when I needed them.  Seriously, I bought these at TJ Maxx in the Midwest.  Crazy.

This cute little beachy burlap and rope basket was another TJ Maxx find.  It's great to stash my extra towels and bubble bath.  The cheezy fish picture frame is from our first beach trip together back in college to Sanibel Island.  Because I'm a pack rat sentimental, I saved it.

I picked the frame up back then at an equally cheezy beach store.  You know, one of those places that sells swimsuit cover-ups with cartoon bikini bodies on the front and inappropriate post cards with totally 80's beef cake guys with feathered hair and speedos.  This trip was the first of many that we went and stayed with my grandparents over Christmas break while we were dating.  Some of the most fun vacations ever... no real job, no mortgage, no kids, no responsibilities.  Just fun times.  PS:  Jean shirts are coming back in style, does that make me old or classically stylish? :)  

This beautiful canvas is the first thing you see when you walk in the bathroom.  It looks like it was taken at my favorite beach and I just love it.  It was photographed by my talented sponsor, Catherine McDonald.  . 

 

I love vintage Ball jars, especially in this blue color.  I added some bath salt and some fake candles (I live with little boys, safety first!)  and made some votive holders.  I like that I can put the lid on and enjoy the pretty patina of it.

I bought this valance at least 8 years ago.  8 years!!  Oh jeez, don't tell Mr. Chic.  I know I've had it that long because I bought it for my first born's nursery.  It ended up not working in there but I kept it because I thought it was really cute.  And it is.  And, it's totally beachy-looking and perfect for my bathroom.  I paid $3 for it.  Yeah, $3 whopping dollars.  And, it's Nautica, not some cheap off-brand junk.  (clearance at TJ's)  That's why I kept it for 8 years.  Now it's perfect.  Good thing I'm a pack rat saver!

 

We saw jute wrapped drawer pulls somewhere in blogland by some creative person who needed to cover her dated porcelain bead pulls. (tell me if you know and I'll link her up!)  We'll have a tutorial on these beachy cabinet handles.  I love the texture and color they add to our builder grade vanity.  

Cute beachy votive holders line the tub and give off a cozy glow.  

Another "why make it if you can buy it for less" Chic on a Shoestring moment with these lovely real shell shadow boxes, lined with linen looking fabric, from of all places... Kohls!  50% off and I had a 30% off coupon making them about $6 bucks each.... couldn't make 'em for that!

Love the pop of color these add.

So, do you want the skinny on my budget friendly beachy bathroom makeover?  I thought you might.  Some of these are repeats from above but this puts it all in one tidy list.

• Paint Color:  Sherwin Williams Sea Salt
• Cabinet Paint Color, DIY Mirror Frame and Towel Hooks:  Sherwin Williams Storm Clouds (tutorial to follow)
• Beadboard Paint Color: generic Lowe's glossy white for trim and doors.
• Chevron Towels:  Sonoma Brand from Kohls (but I think they are discontinued, I couldn't find them online anymore.) :(
• Clam(?) Shell Wreath:  TJ Maxx
• Driftwood Wall Art:  HomeGoods
• Reclaimed Wood Trim Pieces:  Antique flea market  Hooks:  Lowes  (tutorial to follow)
• Large & Small Star Fish: Large were purchased at a Florida beach side store but now both sizes available TJ Maxx.
• Vintage Style Glass Fishing Net Floats:  TJ Maxx   
• Glass Apothecary Jars:  TJ Maxx
• Mirror over tub:  TJ Maxx
• Mid Summer's Eve canvas by Catherine McDonald
• Curtain Valance:  Nautica brand from TJ Maxx
• Burlap-ish Waste Basket and Towel Basket:  TJ Maxx
• Sisal Rugs: TJ Maxx
• Light Fixture Lamps: Lowes,  they were clearanced out in our store for $12 a piece!  The price is much higher online. (tutorial to follow)
• Shell Shadow Boxes:  Kohls (not available online at this time)
• Glass Tea Light Holders:  Gordmans
• Cabinet Pulls:  Ebay (tutorial to follow)
• Beadboard and Trim: Lowes (tutorial to follow)

I hope you enjoyed my beachy bathroom reveal and it's many pictures.  I'll be sharing some tutorials in the near future so stay tuned.

What are you making over in your home?  It will be worth it, I promise! :)

Linking: Tatertots & Jello, Home Stories A to Z

31 Days of Decorating on a Shoestring Budget Day 15, Cabinet Hardware

FREE IMAGES

Hello there!  We've officially made it through the first half of my 31 day series of decorating on a shoestring budget!  It's going so fast just like this month.  I can't believe Halloween is coming up in in just 2 weeks.  I also can't believe that I saw a few Christmas commercials on TV this weekend!?   (I don't watch much TV either!)  Seriously, we're 2 weeks away from Halloween and Target and Kmart have both started running their Christmas ads!!  Are they for real?!?  They have no shame! 

Oh well, back to my 31 day series.  Miss a day?  Here's where you catch up:

• Day 1:  Take a risk
• Day 2:  Do it yourself (DIY)
• Day 3  Where to get cheap paint
• Day 4:  Use coupons
• Day 5:  Print your own art
• Day 6:  Painting brand new stuff
• Day 7:  Slipcovers
• Day 8:  Window Treatments
• Day 9:  The Dollar Store
• Day 10: Nature
• Day 11: Ebay
• Day 12: Have a Garage Sale
• Day 13:  Trade Services
• Day 14:  Craigslist

Day 15:  Changing Cabinet Hardware

Is your kitchen looking a little out of style but you can't spend a lot to fix it up?  One inexpensive change you can make that can have a pretty big impact it is to change your cabinet handles and/or knobs.

People seem to forget about this little detail that can really make such a difference for not a whole lot of cash.

We made the change a few months back and I'm so happy with the results.  Our cabinet pulls weren't out of style, they were completely fine, just a little boring... plain stainless steel knobs on everything.  I decided to put a more stylish cup pull on the drawers.  It would make a big difference for a small price.

Since I could easily match stainless steel knobs to new stainless steel cup pulls, I only had to buy new cup pulls for the drawers leaving the cabinet doors as is.  Consider doing this if your current hardware isn't too shabby.  This cut the cost by more that half because we have more cabinet doors than drawers.

I got mine from a wholesaler I work with but you can find some decent pulls at Target and even Wal-Mart.

I enlisted my favorite handy man Mr. Chic to do the labor for me because he's faster with the drill.  But really, this one is easy enough that someone who is a power tool rookie could handle it.

Here's a little picture of all the tools you need (which aren't very many).

Tools:

• Cordless drill
• Proper size drill bit
• New cabinet pulls (most come with the screws needed to attach them)
• Measure Pro Cabinet Hardware Installation Kit (or something similar)
• Marker or pen
• Small screwdriver

We didn't end up using the grips, we thought we'd have to use them to hold on our measuring tool but it ended up fitting over the top of the drawer.

Let's get started...

First, remove the old knobs (Duh).  Use the smallest screwdriver you've got, the screw head will be inside the drawer.  Having a short little screwdriver helps avoid taking everything out of the drawer to get to the screw.

Once you've got the old knob off it's time to mark the drill holes for the new pulls.

Mr. Chic found this handy-dandy and inexpensive "Measure Pro Cabinet Hardware Installation Kit" at Menards and it made this job foolproof!  

Since the center of the drawer was already marked by the old cabinet knob it was really easy to find, the new pulls had a 3 inch span so we found it on our measuring tool and made the marks for the new holes.  Make sure you check your new pull measurement before you drill!

This little Measure Pro thing-ma-jig makes sure that your new holes will be placed properly.  It takes all of the guess work out of it, highly recommended!  And no, they did not sponsor this post!

Now that you've got your new holes marked, it's time to drill!

This will make some major saw dust in your drawers so you may want to take everything out, especially if the drawer has any eating utensils in it.  It's a good excuse to give your drawers a good wipe down.  Once I got into mine, the were really kind of grosser than I expected... lots and lots of crumbs!

Now that the holes are drilled and the drawers are wiped out it's time to add your new cup pulls!  Simply stick the new screws through the new holes and screw them by hand into the handle, make sure you tighten them up with a screwdriver once they are attached.

Here is a bad "before" shot that was taken from the real estate listing of the previous owners, the one I took was accidentally deleted by one of my little helpers. :)

This shot is from the previous owners before we moved in!

I'm so happy with the results, what a difference!

Could your kitchen use some new cabinet handles or knobs?  It might make a bigger difference than you think!

Neutral Master Bedroom Reveal

FREE IMAGES Hello, lovely friends.  Do you ever have one of those projects that just drags on...

and on...

and on......

Yeah.  That's my master bedroom makeover.

It's been kind of done for a while and I've just been waiting until it's perfect to share it.  Dang you perfection... you're such a pain in my tookus!   

(Does anyone even say tookus anymore??  Whatever.  You know what I mean.)

I decided that it will never be "perfect" because I'm always tweaking and trying to make up my mind about switching something here or there but I've decided that it is done well enough to share.  If I wait until it's "perfect" I will never post it! 

One half of the room is "done", (nothing is ever really done when you have decorating OCD like me).  My accent wall with the stenciling and DIY upholstered headboard are complete (hooray!).I'm still working on the other side of the room, contemplating furniture painting, moving things around a little... so that will be revealed at a later date.

This makeover started many moons ago when I told you about how our new bed was starting to fall apart, luckily it was under warranty so I was able to return it.  We got our money back and I was able to talk Mr. Chic into helping me make an upholstered headboard for a fraction of what we paid for the old bed.  I'll be posting a tutorial for the upholstered headboard soon for those who want to know.

Around the same time Cutting Edge Stencils sent me a stencil of my choice which I decided to use on the accent wall of our master bedroom, behind our new upholstered headboard.  I wanted a very subtle look and I'm happy with how it turned out.  I'll be sharing a stenciling tutorial in the near future as well.

I decided to go for a monochromatic look because I think it's a nice relaxing look for a bedroom.  Also because I saw this monochromatic  master bedroom by Candice Olsen that I fell in love with (see it HERE).  I really love the natural linen fabric mixed with creams and whites so it was just kind of a no-brainer.  Plus, if I stayed in the neutral color palette it would also mean I'd only be stenciling and wouldn't have to paint the entire room.  We have a vaulted ceiling so it was a bonus to keep the color that we painted only 2 years ago.  Geesh, I'm just so practical... ;)

After all the work I am loving how it turned out.

Here is the before, not bad but I'm liking it SO much better and so is Mr. Chic!

Before

It's a very soft look...


Everyone needs a tray for flowers on their bed don't cha think?
 

 

This monogrammed pillow was a great deal from Ballard Designs, ($14.99 including monogram and down insert!)  I chose a fancier, scrolly type font but they messed it up and sent this all caps font instead, when I called to have it fixed they then sent me a burlap pillow cover with the correct font style.  I like burlap but it didn't match, and it's not what I ordered (again).

Ballard, seriously, what the heck are you doing?!   

When I called about that one being burlap they told me that the original color pillow that I wanted was sold out and discontinued (which matches my bedding perfect of course).  Awww man!!

  I decided to keep the first one because it matches so well.  The font is growing on me a little bit.  I really just like the size and color of the pillow too much for the font to matter. 

And, besides all the mess-ups I'm still a big Ballard fan... LOVE their style, and my pillow... even with the wrong font style.

  The light from the lamp really accentuates the Anna Damask stencil pattern from Cutting Edge Stencil.  I used a shimmery color similar to my wall color for a subtle look. 

I am still swooning over mercury glass and fell in love with these lamps from TJ Maxx.  They have the exact same lamps at a furniture store here in town for quadruple what I paid for them. 

*Note to self:  Never buy lamps at a furniture store!!

Yes, I staged our bedside tables. I figured you wouldn't want to see our ugly alarm clocks, phones, stacks of decorating magazines and catalogs and Mr. Chic's bottle of Tums. ;)

But we can just pretend it always looks like this, right?  Shhh, it'll be our little secret...

This ruffly throw adds some texture.

The shot below really lets you see how the light brings the stencil to life, it is a more subtle shimmer with just the natural lighting.

I decided to leave the transom window above the bed nekked.  I had tried some treatments up there and just really didn't like them at all.  Leaving the window open lets the nice natural light shine in and allows the stencil wall to stand out.  It makes for tricky picture taking though, hard to take pics shooting right at a window!

These mirrors were from TJ Maxx and were very inexpensive.  The 2 on each end are exactly like the small Bellesol Mirror from Ballard which are $39 a piece, I paid less than half.  I love it when that happens!!

This makeover was very inexpensive as I used gift cards and and many things that I already had.  

Here is a run-down of where things came from:

Lamps: TJ Maxx

Bedding Duvet cover with 3 Euro shams:  Free from Furniture Row, I received a free bedding set of my choice with my mattress purchase.   

Tray: Furniture Row

Throw: TJ Maxx

White Decorative Pillows:  Tuesday Mornings a long time ago, used them with my last bedding set.

Monogram Pillow: Ballard Designs

3 Circle Mirrors:  TJ Maxx

All of the stuff on our bedside tables were things I've had sitting around my house.  I will share paint color when I do my stenciling tutorial.  As I mentioned I will also do a tutorial on about our DIY upholstered headboard in another post. 

Well, I hope you liked my big half-room reveal.  What projects are dragging on and on for you??

PS:  Sign up for my current giveaway: $50 store credit to Lia Franchesca, beautiful hand-stamped jewelry HERE!    Expired

Linking: Thrifty Decor Chick, Savvy Southern Style, DIY by Design, Someday Crafts, Fireflies&Jellybeans, Blue Cricket Design, Shabby Creek Cottage, Somewhat Simple, I Heart Nap Time