Archive for May, 2008

Coffee (Table) Talk

Always one to spice it up around the house, I wasted no time giving our living room’s $30-thrift-store-find-of-a-coffee-table a lighter look for the warmer weather. Here’s the old bookish, low-profile version:

And here’s the new lighter, more reflective version:

I like exposing more of the glass tabletop for a simpler (and easier to dust) silhouette. And two stacks of books on the bottom shelf really balance the oversized vase that might otherwise look too big for the table. For a finishing touch, the sculptural white shell ball and antler candlestick add some interesting lines without overwhelming.

And I even got to have some fun with a knife to pull the whole thing together…

When I realized I didn’t have a pillar candle around the house I took a regular old kitchen knife to a much wider 4 inch votive candle and after a little slicing I was left with the perfect little pillar to top off the tablescape. Just call me MacGyver. Anyway, whaddya think?

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Gimme S’more

This is the most amazingly easy way to add a little fun to your yard (no matter how small) and spruce up your space in mere minutes. Two chairs + a metal firepit = the best seats in the house. Check out our new set-up.

And you don’t even need to have grass. You can set ‘em down on pavers, concrete, a deck, a patio, or even a clearing in the woods. So carve out a corner and surround a firepit with as many chairs as you’d like. Firepits have never been more affordable- take home this basic version for $69.99 or adopt this copper beauty on sale for $119.

Then it’s time for a marshmallow run.

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Rachel’s Design Dilemma

It’s time to solve another kitchen conundrum, this time in a 100-year-old farmhouse. Here’s Rachel’s letter:

I have been a lurker on your website for a while. I love seeing what you have done with your home and I love your decorating style! My husband and I bought a two story, 100-year-old farmhouse that needed lots of work-especially in our dated kitchen. We’ve already replaced all of the appliances and the countertop. We’ve also purchased a creamy neutral colored linoleum for the floor, but we haven’t installed it yet. We need to do something with the backsplash and yes, the cupboards are just that frilly-looking. We’d love to modernize this kitchen to match the rest of our home, but we have one problem. I am expecting our 2nd child in four weeks -we also have a two year old!! We are nearly out of time, out of funds, out of energy, and out of inspiration! Any ideas you could give us to get our kitchen updated would be greatly appreciated!! – Rachel

This big kitchen actually gets lots of light and has some major potential- especially with the new countertops and appliances. So without further ado, here’s our mood board:

RusticKitchenRoomMakeoverMoodboard 1

Here’s the mood board breakdown.

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