ShellyinMSP's Profile

Double sink. Left side of counter for dirty dishes; right side of counter for clean dishes. No counter dish rack necessarily -- lay down dish towels on the counter and let the dishes air dry. Left side of sink for washing and right side of sink for rinsing. Rubber gloves a must. Cooper scrubbie sometimes necessary. A window view to day dream is essential. Always always always clean as you cook. Anyone can make a mess of a bunch of pots. Cleaning while you go is the sign of a true virtuoso, capable of keeping all that kitchen chaos in control, just like a real chef.

High gloss orange for the bamboo dresser. Ohhhh yeeaaaaahhhhhh.....

Shauntelle: your cat is getting hit on in these posts. Lots of folks feeling the love for your feline.

The brown wall color is actually really nice; I don't find it too dark at all. The couch -- and it's dark brown color -- is what's creating the dissonance. Somehow figure out how to tone down that couch with a luxurious throw, more pillows, something to diffuse the competing browns.

I like the look and function of a sectional but don't like the limitations of a sectional. My preference is the Crate and Barrel Clark "sectional" which is actually a full sofa and an armless loveseat. Paired together, they become a tony sectional and the armless loveseat can be positioned left or right. Separately, they can be used in the same space as a classic sofa and loveseat, or used in separate spaces with the armless sofa serving a role as a foyer bench, dining seating, bedroom seating. It's the best of all possible worlds.

It will work as long as the rug has a bigger footprint than the table AND the chairs when they are in use. If the rug is too small it will look off -- it will look off even if you had a round table. To achieve this, you'll need at least an 8 foot diameter rug for a standard 4 foot square table; 6 foot rug will be too small. Make sure there are other curvlinear elements in your dining vignette and that you don't overdo it with straight lines. Chairs can have curvlinear elements as well as whatever you choose to put on top of the table.

leave the room white. The ceiling timbers are fantastic. Paint that brown dresser white. Get a rich red morroccan textile to cover the bed something with a bit of heft. There's your color. Get a headboard in a vibe that works with the ceiling timbers. Declutter. Don't paint the walls and ceiling gray regardless of how popular that color is.

Although the granite is visually dominating, painting the cabinets will make a huge difference to bringing that kitchen into a vintage vibe. The arched doors are a problem -- get them redone in a more traditional look. Sherwin Williams Dover White is a good color choice. The tile floor has to go: extend the wooden floor into the kitchen or lay down black and white squares (lino will do). Accessorize with vintage. Is that backsplash a big slab of granite? I would recommend that you get rid of it and put in subway tile.
You can add vintage with accessories: a new vintage-looking faucet, vintage looking lighting, vintage tea kettle, kitchen accessories, dishware displayed behind the glass doors, mixing bowls, etc. There's tons of vintage kitchenware that you can access to accessorize that kitchen. Most everything you currently have on your kitchen counters can be converted to vintage. Fiestaware collection/Russell Wright Collection/Lustre Ware Collection/Transferware -- it's really up to you. You have to fill that kitchen up.

Agree completely with Sally305. I, too, was underwhelmed by the house tour. The apartment space is lovely with the brick and wood elements. But the over done Design Within Reach furnishings were prosaic and to quote Sally305 "Cliched and uninspired." Totally. Ciddyguy got it right when he suggested a marriage of old and new elements. Also, what's with the two spheres and the vase on the mantel? Was that some kind of a vignette?

share your blog address. Your house is fabulous. I'm not a big fan of tradtional but really liked your interpretation. There are lots of elements in all of the rooms that I adore. You have done a really great job blending your style with southern traditional. Share your blog address please.