Memories: our fireplace.

When we first looked at our current house, we were horrified by the fireplace. It stuck out like a sore thumb and certainly did not jive with the feel of the rest of the house. Not deterred by a renovation project, Justin was willing to take on the task of redoing it.

Here it is when we first bought the house:

During the tear-down phase . . .

I was very impressed that Justin knew how to put up drywall (evidently he learned how on a mission trip when he was a freshman in high school):

Here we are testing out the granite with the mantel we ordered online:

Here's the final product:

Much better if you ask me!

Kitchen Lighting.

I love our kitchen, but I think it could be even better with some new lighting. I am pretty sure the guy before us removed the light fixture above the breakfast room area. (He decided to change the fireplace too.) Neither renovation was a positive, if you ask me.

After several weeks of looking at decorpad, I finally was inspired to get some new lighting for our kitchen. It just so happened that Restoration Hardware is also currently having their annual lighting sale. Here are all of the pictures I saved as inspiration. All photos are from decorpad.






This last picture really sealed the deal for me. If you are really paying attention, you would recognize this kitchen from my dream home:

We decided to go with two 8" clemson pendants for over the island, one 14" pendant for over the table, and one 12" schoolhouse semi-flushmount for over the sink.

I can't wait to get them and see them in our kitchen. We found the 14" clemson pendant on ebay brand new for a great price and it shipped yesterday!

Houston Home Crush.

Remember this fabulous Houston home that I was still am slightly obsessed with?  Well, I recently came across another amazing Houston home, via the Newlywed Diaries, which was featured in Lonny last year.  Like the previous house, this one is also a perfect example of mixing traditional and modern.

I just want to sit down in the perfectly worn leather chair and read a book (or just admire the space).

The pops of pink work beautifully in this room! 

 
See that gorgeous antique secretary back there?  They repurposed it as a bar!  Genius!  I love that the stemware is displayed behind the glass.  And I spy gray and white stripey straws! 

How stunning is the dining room?  What an unexpected color, but it works so well with the white.  The table and chairs are lovely.  I am totally digging that chandelier. 

What a fabulous view looking back into the living room.  I would always want to sit on that side of the table!  How fun are the rug and the lamp globe in the entry way?  Everything works together so seamlessly.   

Of course, the kitchen is great too.  Love the open shelving and all of the natural light.  And check out the floor!

The bedroom is just fabulous.  The bedding is so pretty with the scalloped edging.  I'm also loving the gallery wall above the bed.

Who doesn't want a fireplace in the bedroom?  This one is styled just beautifully.

The wallpaper just screams glamorous!  And the glossy black door is a showstopper.  

One thing I noticed in nearly every room were well-styled vignettes (and fantastic gallery walls).  How pretty are these?
 

(photos: lonny)

It is so fun to get to peak inside some local homes that are absolutely gorgeous.  This house makes me want to put up several gallery walls, as well as scour craigslist and thrift stores for some antiques! 
 

House Tour: Living Room.

How was your weekend?  I worked for a good part of the weekend (boo), but we got away today to go to some open houses.  Nothing we loved, but at least got a feel for some things that are out there.  

In the last installment of the home tour, I shared our kitchen.  Next up is the living room, which will round out the rooms on the second floor (besides the powder room, which I am guessing you don't mind skipping over).

This is the view to the right as you come up the stairs.  Our living room is open to the dining room.    

You can read the details of the wallpapered bookshelves here.  I didn't really think about it when we first bought the house, but I really love having the built-ins.  Accessorizing them is a constant work in progress, but it's fun.  

We completely redid the fireplace when we first moved in.  It was seriously awful.  Looking at it now, you would never know that at one point it was covered with ugly brown tile.  And the ottomans are the solsta footstools (now on sale for $14.99) from Ikea that my mother-in-law recovered for us.  You can read about that transformation here.

The color of the walls is Behr Country Club.  As you can see, it totally changes color depending on the light.   

You can see better shots of my Cocoa & Hearts painting in this post.  I also recently got these Dwell Studio pillows from Joss & Main for the couch.  Riley is helping me model them . . . such a ham. 

I used to have a fabric covered canvas over on the wall where the frames are now, but I was in the mood for a little something different and thought it was a good opportunity to display some art that's been sitting in the closet.  And speaking of hams, look at Zoey over there on the stairs. 

Most of the art came from etsy, but a couple of them came from Homegoods and a local resale shop.

Next up will be the third floor!  Hope y'all have a wonderful Monday!

Houston Home.

I saw this amazing house that's for sale in Houston on La Dolce Vita and had to share it.  It's 5,000 square feet and can be yours for almost $1.4 million.  The outside is nice, but it's really the inside I am loving.

Check out those floor to ceiling windows, the gorgeous floor, and the amazing light fixture.  And the paint color is perfect.

This is the butler's pantry.  What's not to love?  Wine fridge, sink, glass front cabinets.  The chandelier may be my favorite part -- love it! 

I am totally digging this room.  The light fixture is just amazing.  Love the fireplace and all the windows letting in the natural light.  It's perfection.

The kitchen doesn't disappoint either.  I love the counter tops, subway tile, pot filler faucet, hardware, and the pendant lights over the breakfast bar.

This is the master bedroom.  The light fixture is great, but I really don't know what I would do without a ceiling fan in Houston.  You can also get a peek into the bathroom -- check out the light fixture and the tub.    

The bathroom is my favorite room of the house.  Check out the pattern of the tile surround.  It's so interesting.  And those sconces are lovely.  If I moved in, I would consider adding a little color to the walls, but something still light and calming. 

Again, the light fixture in this room is awesome.  I would love to meet the person who selected the lighting -- they are speaking my language!

(all photos: har)

A girl can dream . . .

Houston House Envy.

I have been anxiously awaiting the premier issue of High Gloss magazine, and today was the day!  I have seen some great images today around the blog world and am excited for all the awesomeness High Gloss has to offer!  I can't wait to sit down and pore over the details. 

But first, I had to dive right into a Houston home in a neighborhood that I love.  Houston blogger (and fellow attorney), Averill Conn from Odi et Amo, wrote the article about a very inspiring home that is right up my alley.  Frankly, I would love to track down the homeowners, show up at their doorstep, and ask for a tour (and if I can be their new best friend).  Let's check out the home (for bigger pictures, which I am sure you will want to checkout, go to the mag's website). 

I am a big fan of mixing the older with the new, and this (I am guessing) entry way is the perfect example.  The antique piece of furniture with the modern wallpaper, which I love, is lovely.  I am also digging that gorgeous lamp.

The glass-top coffee table is so different, but it works so well with the space.  And how great are those upholstered cane chairs?  The fabric on them rocks.  If you look closely, you can see a bar cart peeking out in the corner.  Those pieces above the fireplace are awesome, and I feel like they could be a DIY project.

This next room makes me swoon.  Um, the pillow in the couch . . . fab-u-lous.  I love the styling of the shelves -- silhouettes are a favorite of mine.  (You can check out one of the ones I have displayed on our bookshelf here of my grandparents.)  Did you notice the lucite coffee table and the fun fabric on the pillows under the coffee table?  I am not sure what the other room is to the right.  But the schoolhouse pendant (similar one here at Restoration Hardware) and the leopard print rug are the bomb dot com (that's right, I said it).   

In case the homeowners, are looking to change things up, I will take the dining table and chairs. :)  I am loving the mix of the white and black.  And the pink fabric on the chairs . . . love it.

I am also a big fan of white subway tiles -- they are so simple and classic.  The kitchen just looks fresh and clean, and the rug is just the right amount of pop.

How fun is the office?  Love the chippendale chair and the pops of color against the dark wall.

Tufted headboard, amazing lamps, fab artwork, gorgeous nightstands, and cloth-bound Penguin classics.  Check, check, check, check, and check.  The combo makes for a stunning, but not overdone in the least bit bedroom.  

(photos: high gloss mag)

Seeing all of these pictures makes me want to paint every room in my house a shade of gray.  There are very few rooms I see where I love all of the elements.  But every room featured from this house is simply perfection.  I will be saving these images and using them as inspiration around our home.  I also can't wait to check out the design resources around Houston the article mentions!