Fall With Serena & Lily

hi there! i'm super excited for today's post! a few weeks ago serena & lily reached out to ask if i wanted to join their fall campaign. i didn't spend any time at all thinking about my answer. duh! everything that they're releasing for fall is so pretty but i was really drawn to the bedding and pillows.

we don't typically buy bedding that's too nice for our bed since we have a 70 pound four legged child who likes to cuddle in the mornings. ikea has been our go-to for a duvet! but since the pup doesn't get on the boys' beds, i've splurged more on their bedding with serena & lily sheets, quilts, and duvets so i know how soft S&L's bedding is (i know this sounds totally backwards!). i was pretty excited to finally dress up our bed!

i chose the cayman sheets in fog and the boardwalk duvet and shams in fog (both to be released soon!) and they did NOT disappoint.

of course this pillow hoarder couldn't resist the pretty new pillows for fall and this oversized check in wool is perfect for when the cooler temps start. it seriously would work anywhere - on a sofa, chair, bed - i couldn't resist pairing it here with some leather!

i pulled in the bench from the upstairs hall which i actually ended up loving at the foot of our bed.

hopefully this got you excited for the new fall collection but in no way am i trying to wish away summer! i cling to these summer months so hard.

sources

sheets | sheets II | plaid pillow | bench| bed (similar, ours is custom)

lamps | side tables (similar) | leather pillows | candle

Spring Home Tour: Basement Bedroom

hi! hope you're having a fab memorial day weekend! i'm so excited that we finally wrapped up our basement bedroom that i thought i'd give all of the details on this room redo asap. and bonus - so many of the items from this room are on sale this weekend.  here's what we were working with BEFORE:

i made a design board to give some focus to the project because i knew i'd need to execute it pretty quickly.

here's the after!

photo by kate renyi

photo by kate renyi

so here's the breakdown...what stayed: the wing chair, woven shades, and headboard (20% off). then i recycled some things from around the house that i already had like the vase and palm leaf, the navy pillows, and the white lamp. i added the wallpaper (20% off), dresser (also here), mirror, rug, nightstands, quilt (homegoods score!), duvet cover (15% off), flushmount light (size large), and of course the basket pendants. that flushmount is seriously one of my favorite things - we replaced the old builder nipple light and a small change made a huge impact.

the nightstands came with different hardware so i swapped out the knobs for matte gold ones which is an easy, inexpensive change that, again, has a big impact!

photo by kate renyi

the swimsuit art is by dorothy shain who is so talented. follow her on instagram if you don't already!

now let's talk about these pendants! in my original design board i included those gorgeous jeffrey alan marks pendants that go for $500 a pop. i'm in love with them but that wasn't in the budget. so one day i randomly came across rope wrapped electrical cord and a light went off (pun intended). i've had old ikea hardwire basket pendants (sadly no long available) sitting in storage forever - over 5 years - and if i could string the rope cord through them, then i would have exactly what i wanted. they were wired so i just removed the wire and socket.

the pendants were a light wood tone, similar to the mirror in this room, but i knew that wouldn't work with the rope. so down to the hardware store for a couple of cans of krylon matte white spray paint and voila, they're white! but stringing the cord through was much easier said than done and i couldn't even get the plug to fit through. so i started hacking away with a saw (i don't diy, this was the only tool i have!) to try to create a wider opening. it didn't work. at all. but then another light bulb - have the hardware store shave down the plug so it would fit! perfect, done, that worked. however not end of story because the rope had a knot at the end wouldn't fit through the hole. i mean come on!! so i texted my pal Jen from @chroniclesofhome and she, in about 7 seconds, fished the rope through and we were in business. it was more than slightly embarrassing.

then they sat for two weeks :) (please tell me i'm not the only one that happens to!) and finally yesterday mr. r hung them. that event has more detail than you would ever care to know but suffice it to say, we ended up using brass curtain rings to hold the rope up. actually worked like a charm and for about $75 i have the pendants that i really wanted.

shop the post: headboard (20% off) | palm leaf | navy pillows | white lamp | wallpaper (20% off) 

dresser (also here) | mirror (10% off) | rug | nightstands | quilt (homegoods score!) | 

duvet cover (15% off) | flushmount light (size large) | rope electrical cord

Bunk Bed Obsession

i have this weird habit of saving every cute bunk/built in bed set up i see. i really don't have too much interest in having bunk beds because i'm lazy and changing the top sheets sounds like no fun. but on the other hand, how can anyone resist these rooms?!

jennifer palumbo

bailey mccarthy

anderson custom homes

paige snell

chelsea k designs

blackband design

Feminine Bedroom

what a fun and crazy weekend! when the weather is warm i'm so much more motivated to get outside and make the most of it. definitely need to use today to catch up! anyway, i'm working with a client right now who wants to focus on her bedroom which i think is just so awesome. i've talked about it before, but bedrooms are so often a neglected space but they shouldn't be. my client wants a pretty and feminine bedroom and that is what she shall have. :)

the rug in the design is one she already owns and is a keeper. she also has a dresser and nightstands in dark wood tones that are staying. the rest is fair game. currently the room feels a little dark and has lots of mid to dark grays. she mentioned that she likes the idea of a floral and would like ceramic lamps. so here's what i came up with!

you can read some of my notes but i'm a firm believer in pattern mixing. a floral sham, check pillow, striped blanket and solid duvet creates an electic mix. plus the geometric pattern of the rug keeps it interesting on the floor too. i chose this floral because dark background fabric makes a statement without being overbearing. and the good part here is that if she gets tired of the shams down the road, it's such an easy, inexpensive thing to switch out! the curve of the headboard feels soft and pretty and relates to that gorgeous bone inlay mirror as well as the ceiling fixture. i'm sure there will be tweaks to the design but the basic ideas will still apply.

and now that i read back through this post, i think i got a little preachy - sorry! - but there you have my thought process of how this came together. hope you have a good start to the week!

Project Update: Master Bedroom

next up in the home updates - our master bedroom! you've been seeing snippets of this room for a while but never the full picture (ha no pun intended ;). it's a funny thing about master bedrooms. they are often the last room to be "done" or even thought about, especially for those of us with young kiddos. and we have been no different until now. i always made an effort to have it look nice but it was never great. previously our room was a mishmash of furniture from different houses/apartments that had been replaced in a totally piecemeal way or not replaced at all. until about 2 months ago, you would have looked at our dresser and seriously questioned my design sense. it was from my first apartment after college and it had been moved approximately 800 times. it was this terrible orange-wood tone but it was fine and we had no real reason to replace it.

the orange dresser and other randomness had finally begun to bug me enough that i decided to make our room a focus and give it the same attention that i have given to other rooms. another big part was that we had planned on adding storage in there and i knew it would drive me crazy if we spent a good chunk of change on new built ins and the rest of the room still looked just meh.

the hardest part was getting my wonderful husband on board but i promised him no more bright aqua walls (a paint mistake i would rather forget than talk about!). the concept for the space was calm and peaceful with a touch of california cool. here's where we ended up!

*all photos by kate renyi of ker photography*

i chose classic gray by benjamin moore for the walls which created the most soothing backdrop.

the built ins have made such a huge difference not only in terms of storage but also coziness. they are painted dove white by benjamin moore. hardware is from schoolhouse electric, one of my very faves.

we added sconces above each dresser and put them on a dimmer so they give off great ambient light.

i used the same linen for the bench seat cushion as for the bed and had the seamstress do a french seam for a less tailored look. i love how it came out!

across from the built ins we created a seating area with these awesome banana leaf chairs, serena & lily pillows, and beach photography by artist christine flynn who i found on one king's lane.

i love how the bed and nightstands came together. the bed i wanted was from restoration hardware but even the lowest headboard height was too high for the window above. covering it up seemed awkward so i opted for the custom route. i found this guy, jordan, in arizona who make exact replicas of the RH beds (and any other one you might want) in custom sizes. score! the company is called custom beds and headboards, straight forward enough! ;) honestly his pricing is fantastic - no more than buying it from RH including shipping and tax. so i quickly scooped up some greige linen fabric and sent it to him to do his magic.

the tufting is well done and the thing is sturdy. i also had a giant 4 foot lumbar pillow made from boho pillow on etsy. the shades and duvet cover were pretty much the only things left over from the old room.

the side tables are from wisteria (as well as the bench) and the lamps are from one king's lane. okl actually featured a snap of mine on instagram of this lamp and our bed and it got just shy of 3,500 likes!!

so there you have it! and because i like to keep it real and i'm not perfect...things i would have done differently and/or things left to do:

1. i should have made the bench seat at the window deeper. it's tough to sit there. but i realized too late and decided to live with it as opposed to ripping out what was already installed.

2. the room needs more art. i kind of love how simple and uncluttered it is but it may be too bare.

3. i have a white duvet from west elm that i totally forgot to put on the bed for this photoshoot. we don't use it because stanley our dog likes to cuddle in bed in the mornings and i don't care what happens to the old duvet. but man i wish i had remembered for the pics!!

4. oh and the rug is nothing exciting but in the end there wasn't to budget to swap it out.

thanks so much for following along! this was a long one. have the best weekend!!

Girlie Room

i would design kids bedrooms all day if i could!! and if i was four years old, i think i could be very happy in this room. plus that rug - is there anything cuter?!

part of designing a kids room is making sure that the big investment pieces can grow along with your kiddo. i think a 14 year old would still like this bed and the nightstands. the dresser knobs could be changed out (hard to see but they are pink) and with different art, you could have a fun teenage room!

p.s. the pendant and acrylic chair are for a little built in desk area - seems random if you don't know about that piece!

Lucky Me!

monday, monday you snuck up on me! people, when it rains it pours. i was fortunate enough to have four new clients reach out over a three day period last week which makes for a lot of projects and a lot of busy. it's so great and i'm both proud and very grateful. but when i look at the next few weeks coming up i'm already like whoa!! if i look back to a year ago, this is exactly what i wished would happen. :)

also if anyone read last monday's post then you must have been like what the what??? i should really read what i write in my drafts before i publish them live. i wrote like one sentence and then jumped to something else. please tell me next time lol!

so one of my new clients is someone who already has an amazing house with amazing design. then what i am doing you wonder? i'm helping them (her - it's always the wife ;) finish off the last details. and also the kids rooms could use a little jazzing up so we're focusing there as well. i am personally so excited because i rarely get to work on a little girl's room and there is going to be an adorable one in this project! here are a few rooms i've pinned for inspiration.

amber interiors

studio mcgee

(the former) owens and davis

house of jade interiors

amber interiors

Beds And Windows

oh hey hey hey (watching pharrell on the voice right now!). it's been bussssy over here with client projects and i am not complaining! but i ran out of time to blog over the weekend. let's get going on today's topic...one of the things i'm often telling clients is "don't be afraid to put a bed in front of a window!" not every room has the perfect set up or the perfect wall space and sometimes the window makes the most sense.

example a: my little charlie's room.

photo credit: kate renyi ker photography

but there are so many more examples :)

i think it can actually be better to put a bed (or crib!) in front of a window because it gives the bed a frame. it's also so much more inviting to walk into a room where the bed is facing you instead of away from you.

More Bedroom Dreaming!

ok friends, i'm back at it. i basically spent the weekend on polyvore, my new best friend. it's so easy - i can't believe i ever thought it was hard! i read parts of this awesome tutorial to get me started and even the posts were written in 2012, most of it still applies.

so today i'm back to dreaming about our master bedroom. i made one board a while ago that was frankly just so so. but this one. this one i'm dying over. it's so calm and peaceful and i want to dive in that bed right now!

it's kind of amazing sometimes how much my tastes have changed over the years and how much i now crave calming spaces. anyway! i keep making these boards and my hubby keeps shaking his head. so obviously my thought process is - if i make enough of them, then by the laws of {statistics? attraction? physics? ha} he's bound to like one. and we already own the wallpaper so i mean it's kind of a slam dunk, no?

Designer Crush: Jenny Wolf

i'm pretty sure these images have been all over the blogosphere and pinterest but i just have to chime in too. this beach house is unreal and designer jenny wolf hit it out. of. the. park. read the whole feature at lonny and see all the pics here.

my favorite room is the guest room. quadrille wallpapered ceiling with lavender walls and fig leaf fabric.

a little vignette from the master bedroom. i fall for that serena & lily wallpaper every time.

another favorite room for me was the boy's room done in yellow, white, and gray.

this bathroom and those tiles on the floor.

there are so many more amazing spaces so definitely go look at the whole thing!