Harper Valley

Master Bathroom Makeover

If you read my last post, you saw a guest bathroom remodel that I finished up over the holidays. 

That same client also wanted to refresh her master bath.  So we did!

The homeowner is really drawn to warm colors, so we started with a multi-colored shower curtain full of gold, burgandy, green, and brown.  The custom valance on top was easily created from an extra shower curtain that we purchased and had sewn to fit.

Several other pieces in the bathroom were updated, including the mirror.  The one on the wall was in perfect shape, so I brought in a special frame that was custom made.  If you're looking to spruce up your bathroom, a new frame around a plain mirror makes a significant impact! 

Here's a close-up of the mirror frame.  It's a lovely bronze wave pattern with brushed gold.

We didn't initially plan to replace the floors, but since the door was widened to accommodate a walker, some of the original tile was lost.  It was near impossible to match up since it was a much older style.  So... new floors went in.  

And that's a good lesson to mention here.  Home improvement projects will always cost more than you've budgeted.  Always.  The rule of thumb is to add 20-30% to your total budget for unexpected costs and errors.

But not to fret because there are usually ways to save money too. 

In this case, my client was happy with her cabinet, marble counter top, and toilet.. which were all fairly new.  So instead of tossing them in the dumpster, we updated them.  Antique bronze drawer pulls and knobs along with a matching faucet breathe new life into the cabinet.

 

 

If your bathroom needs some love, I can help you create a fantastic new space.  I'd love to talk with you. 

Next time, we'll be discussing Pantone's 2012 color of the year!

Guest Bathroom Makoever

The client for this makeover wanted to update her guest bathroom with a fresh look.  So first, we chose a new color palette of green, coral, and white. 

The space is grounded with a new custom cabinet in black.  The cabinet is about 4-5 inches taller than the old version with three deep drawers on the right instead of a laundry hamper that they no longer used.

To brighten up the space and bring balance to the room, I chose feminine light fixtures in antique pewter with frosted glass shades and dainty optic crystal petals.  I carried that look throughout the bathroom with glass drawer pulls and handles, along with brushed nickel accessories. 

My favorite thing in this bathroom is the countertop.  Y'all, this countertop! 

The color is Polar Cap from the ECO line by Cosentino (the folks who make Silestone).  It's made mainly from recycled mirrors, so it has teeny tiny flecks of silver sparkle.  It is simply STUNNING.  Photos don't do it justice. 

The white floors tiles were in perfect condition, so we left those since they worked with the  color palette.  And the tub/shower was in great shape, so we left that in tact, and just replaced the shower door.  

There's a white shutter being installed over the glass block window in a few weeks.

And there you have it.  A fresh new space for the homeowners and their company!

Here's one more before and after...

Family Room Makeover

Hey y'all!  Did you miss me?  After a long winter sabbatical, I am back. 

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I took a road trip to North Carolina. My oldest niece, Avery, joined me for the trip.  She was a superfun travel companion, and her presence made the trip much more enjoyable.

The purpose of our road trip was to visit my oldest friends.  They recently moved from Florida to the Western NC mountains.  We grew up together, but haven't spent a ton of time together as adults.  Since they're pretty much like family, hanging out with them was just like old times.  Isn't it grand to have friends with whom you can pick up where you left off? 

One morning, we did a quick makeover in their living/family room area. 

They have two little pugs who are a big part of the family, but sometimes they need to be contained in a fenced-off play area.  So.. we moved the doggie area to the attached enclosed porch.  The sliding glass doors can easily be left open, so they're still close by.  That freed up room for the chairs and furniture to breathe a bit more.

 

Here's a shot from a different angle...

 

My favorite thing about this room is the former visible pipe turned bird house.  Did you catch that  in the first set of photos? 

What do you do when there's an unsightly, unmovable pipe on your living room wall?   Create a replica of the famous Rock City birdhouse!  Fantastically clever idea. (seerockcity.com)

 

Avery and I totally enjoyed our time in the mountains.  It was so refreshing to get away, unplug, and soak in the cool mountain air.

I hope your 2012 is off to a great start!  See you soon. 

Pumpkin Pie Martini

It's that time of year.  Time for all things pumpkin, including the world's best pumpkin pie martini.

This has nothing to do with decorating your house for fall.  But I think every home needs a little punkin 'tini right now.  It will totally complement your fall decor. 

A crash course about this cocktail:

It's sweet. It's strong. If it's too much of either, add a bit more heavy cream or Half-n-Half.  If you want to get fancy, add a cinnamon sugar rim.  You can also make a large batch in a pitcher so you have them ready to go for guests.

Here's the part where you might get mad at me.

The pumpkin spice liqueur is hard to find.  Most stores don't buy tons of it because it's a seasonal item.

However.... if you live in Orlando, I got your back.  I'm here for you. 

I called Total Wine at Colonial Plaza and they have some left.  This probably means other Total Wine locations have it too.  I also spoke with ABC a while back and they're supposed to get some this year.  You can even check the smaller mom and pop shops, which is where I bought mine last year.

And you can order it online from a place like 67Wine. 

 

I made these for a Halloween party last year, and they were a hit. If you can't find everything before Halloween, no reason to fret.  These taste great in November too.

PUMPKIN PIE MARTINI

1 part Hiram Walker Pumpkin Spice Liqueur

1/2 part Kahlua

1/2 part heavy cream or Half-n-Half

1/2 part vanilla vodka

1/2 part Butterscotch Schnapps

Pour into martini shaker over ice.

Shake and serve.

Paper Street Market in St. Pete

Hey everyone!  Just doing a quick post to tell you about Paper Street Market in downtown St. Pete.  My sister  and I were there last weekend.  We fell in love with this neato store!  Think antiques with a hip spin.

The shop is full of quirky collectibles like old medical x-ray slides and bedpans. They also have traditional antiques, vintage jewelry, signs, letters.  Lots of letters.  I bought an 'L' for myself, ya know, since my name is Lisa.  No clue where to put it though.. it's homeless for now.

Here are a few camera phone shots from around the store.  If you're in the area, check it out. The gentleman running the shop that day had his dog, Annie, with him.  She stole our hearts.. she barely left our sides. I got a little verklempt when we had to leave.  *teardrop*

Paper Street has a Facebook page and website so you can keep up with the latest inventory.  Happy hunting!

Jewelry Storage Ideas

It's no secret that I'm a lover of jewelry.  It's a problem, y'all.  

I have a waist-high jewelry chest in my closet.  It's an awesome piece from Pier 1 and I have no regrets about buying it. But I never felt like my jewelry was truly organized because some of the drawers are deep, so my necklaces and bracelets were just piled up in the drawers, tangled and mangled.  It looked like a jewelry landfill.

Because of its placement in my closet, the rod over the chest can't be used to hang clothes.  So it finally occurred to me that I could use that empty rod space to hang necklaces.  Light bulb!

And... here is the finished product.  I also screwed a few cup hooks into the wall for additional storage of longer necklaces.

The collection is under control now because I can actually see my jewelry.  I think that's the key to jewelry storage -- keeping it where you can easily see it.  Otherwise, the bangles and bobbles get buried and you could go five years without seeing your favorite bling.

In the long run, spending a little money on storage will actually save you money because you won't buy duplicates or similar items. 

I found some fun jewelry storage ideas online.  There are oodles of options out there.  You can buy something that's already made for storage.. or you can go the DIY route with screens, lace, or radiator grills attached to frames. 

A few of my friends store their jewelry simply and affordably with IKEA rails attached to the wall. 

Click on images to enlarge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jewelry is pretty, and the possibilities to display it are endless.  So get those jewels out of hiding and stay out of the JA 12-step program.  It worked for me!

Powertex Creations: Make Your Own Art

Groupons!  Who loves 'em?  I sure do.  Me and some artsy friends scoop up every art/craft/creative Groupon that comes along.  We recently bought one for a sculpture class with Powertex Creations. Powertex is a fabric hardener that can be used to create sculptures, canvases, and all kinds of art.

It just so happened that one of the sculpture classes landed on my birthday last weekend.  What a fantastic way to celebrate!

Our sculptures started out with a few pieces of wire that we twisted into a semi-human body shape.  Then we built up the body with aluminum foil.  Then we covered it with masking tape.  And then we dipped strips of fabric in the Powertex and wrapped it on our sculpture. 

Here's the evolution of my piece...

 
I'm making it sound easy because essentially, the concept is simple.  But there are some tricks and  tips to making it look really good.  It seemed like everyone else's were smooth, and mine was lumpy  and bumpy.. but that's okay.  I still like her anyway. 

There were nine people in the class, and nine completely different sculptures.  Some of them had clothes... some of them were nekkid (like mine, teehee).  Some were bronze, one was gunmetal, and few were ivory.  You have the freedom to create yours standing, sitting or flying.  Hair or no hair.  Hat, turban, shawl, scarf, whatever.  Your piece of art is whatever your imagination wants it to be.

After our class, we got down on some grub at Yellow Dog Eats.  If you've never been there, you must go!  It's a quirky little place nestled in the heart of Gotha, so you'll miss it if you blink. 

They have killer sandwiches (I recommend the Johnny Rocket).  You can wash them down with wine in a mason jar, complete with a decorative glass stem.  And on your way out, you can wave to the roosters in the backyard.

Oh, and I got some fabulous birthday gifts this year.  A book filled with fun home decor projects, a few bottles of wine, my fave pumpkin beer, a kindle, cold hard cash, and a gorgeous hand-knit shawl/scarf. 

What a grand birthday! 

If you're attending the Orlando Southern Women's Show on October 13-16, stop by the Powertex booth in the CHA Craft Pavilion.  They're doing mini workshops, but you need to make a reservation and pay in advance if you'd like to participate.  You can find more details at their website: powertexcreations.com.

 

Fancy Pumpkins

Happy fall, y'all!  I heard we might get a little fallish weather in Central Florida this weekend,  and it's all over the news.  People are freaking out with excitement, including me.  We need this low-to-mid 80s weekend, like, stat. 

I'm usually not in the mood for fall stuff until it really cools off in November.  But when you live in a warm climate, sometimes you just have to force yourself into fall or it'll pass you by.  I suppose fall is a state of mind.

So I made it fall at my place.  I picked up some mini styro pumpkins at Joann last weekend, and fancied them up with a bunch of stuff I had on hand.  I was determined not to buy any new stuff for the pumpkins.  I have a redunkulous amount of scrapbook and craft supplies, so there was no reason for me to spend more moolah.

I displayed the fancy pumpkins on a small glass cake stand.  Oh, and I did buy some reindeer moss to tuck underneath to add a little contrast and a natural element.  Which, btw.. have you ever used reindeer moss? This was my first time, and I liked it, but it's a little odd.  And it has a peculiar smell.  Nothing I can't live with though.

Here's a close-up of the pumpkins so you can see what I used to decorate them.  Actually, one of the glittered pieces is a gourd. It kinda looks like a shimmery turkey leg, don't you think?

 

I used Tacky Glue to adhere the ribbon, glitter, and paper flowers.  The rhinestone stickers already had adhesive on the back... and that's literally it.  Easy as pie. 

I used faux pumpkins for this project, but you could replicate these ideas on real pumpkins or gourds too.

What are you doing to fall-ify your place this year?

Guest Suite Makeover: Part 2 - Bedroom

Happy Thursday, everyone!  As promised, here are the before and after pictures of my recent guest suite makeover. 

In case you missed the first post, this was an emergency update of the guest suite at my client's lake house.  She had an urgent request from a potential renter who wanted to move in right away.

We tackled the living room/kitchen area first.  Then we got to work on the bedroom. 

And here it is...

(click on images to enlarge)

  

 

We purchased a new comforter, accent pillows, lampshades, and curtains.  Everything else was already in the home and rarely being used. 

Do you notice how much more modern the room looks with black lampshades?  They were my client's idea, and they just look fantastic.  Good call! 

Black lampshades are an affordable way to add instant sophistication to your home.  So if you're looking for a quick update, try ebony on your lamps.  I know it can be scary, but you can do it!  Every room can use a splash of black. 

Here's the room from another angle...

 

 

Recognize that desk?  Its former home was in the living room.  If you missed the living room/kitchen post, scroll down below or click here for the full story.

Have a wonderful weekend, and let me know if you try black lampshades!

Guest Suite Makeover: Part 1 - Living Room & Kitchenette

This weekend, I received a call from a client who needed my help immediately.  She had a potential renter for the guest suite at her lake house, but the suite was nowhere close to being ready.  And the renter needed a short-term furnished space within 24 hours.  Yikes!

The homeowner had lots of fantastic ideas about how she wanted the suite to look, but desired some guidance on how to make it all come together. 

So, armed with tools and furniture sliders, we got to work right away.  And here's what we did....

(click on images to enlarge)

We removed every piece of furniture except the couch.  Then we brought in a chair, chest/coffee table, TV with stand, lamp, island with stools, small

appliances and artwork.  All of these things  were in the main house, and rarely being used. We only added a few new items: curtains, cable cord, and a tray for the coffee table.

With the couch positioned this way, it's much easier to enjoy the gorgeous lake view through that big window.  And what a view it is!  This shot is from the backyard at sunset.

Are you wondering where the refrigerator and sink are?  They're in the garage, which is attached to the suite.  So until the homeowners can remodel and add a small kitchen, this totally works!

 Isn't this kitchen area just adorbs?  When a tenant is ready to eat, they can bring the two-burner hot plate up to the counter, and cook away.

Like this homeowner, maybe you have some wonderful ideas for your space, but need support in your decorating decisions.  Perhaps you'd really enjoy working alongside me and being involved in the process.  This is totally okay!  That's exactly what we did in this makeover.  I'm always open and flexible to do whatever makes you comfortable.

My next post will include pictures of the bedroom side of the guest suite.  So until then, here's another view of the room...