Thursday, October 24, 2013

Bachelor Pad - Stepping Outdoors


This outdoor space is now the space Mr. Bachelor gets to enjoy on these very balmy Miami nights; a space where he sips a bottle of beer and soaks in views of the city he loves so much. It once looked like this:
 
 
A space to step outside and enjoy a stunning view of the city but nothing more. When I first saw the condo, I knew immediately we needed to embrace the patio as an extension of the home, which is always a critical thing to do when you have a small space. Every square foot counts. 
 
 
We scored the chairs on our shopping trip to Modani. Once we had those anchor pieces everything else fell into place. We sourced the Ottoman and ceramic stools which double as end tables, at Overstock. The rug was a steal from the clearance rack at Pier One, while the throw pillows and planters are from Target and low maintenance plants from Home Depot. He's hardly home so we needed plants he could water once a week at the most. 


I wanted low planters to block the not so sexy views of neighborhood rooftops, without losing the more pleasant views of the Miami skyline. We also chose green accent to emphasize the outdoors, a color we also pulled into the living room with the use of green throw pillows on the sofa.


The two spaces are now connected and he can now entertain at least five people seated outdoors, and even more standing. 
Whether you rent, own a small condo or home, remember to always factor in the outdoor space in your design plans, especially in warmer parts of the country where you can sit outdoors all year. I guarantee you'll enjoy spending some time outside, breathing in some much needed fresh air.
This is the last reveal until we finish the master bedroom in a few weeks. The bed has been delayed for a few weeks (aaarghhh) but I promise it'll be worth the wait. Thanks for all the love you've shown our bachelor - and his pad. It's been a blast. What's been your favorite area of the transformation so far?
P.S. I'm over on Houzz this week sharing tips on how clients and designers can best work together.    






Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Bachelor Pad - Part Two Kitchen

So what do you think happened once we transformed our bachelor's living room from frumpy to swanky? 
The kitchen, with it's all white everything - walls, ceiling, cabinets and appliances - became a glaring eye sore. Our original plan was to wait a few months to tackle this space but Mr. Bachelor had been bitten by the design bug. No, no, no, he said, let's just tackle it now. Alrighty then sir. Let's do this I said. This is where we started: 

 
There was no budget for a major gut job, and as much as I love to rip things out to renovate kitchens, there was no need for that here. The white cabinets were in great shape and just needed some sexier companions. 
The existing cabinet handles were too small, so new handles were a quick fix.  Since he's rarely home, it means he rarely cooks and so there were some empty cabinets that we decided to convert into wine racks.


Because seriously people, propping a wine rack atop a random table in your living room does not a bar cart make. We clearly needed a solution and thank goodness we found one.

  

The fabulous Shaggy again worked his magic as he did here for our bachelorette Jina - hmm, should these two meet? We removed the cabinet doors on either side of the microwave, and installed wine lattice to create the racks, which now fits over 30 bottles. Partyyyyy...To further soften up all the white, we painted the ceiling in this color and replaced that pesky white light fixture with six recessed lights - on dimmers of course. Lighting my peeps, is the key to great design. Always, always splurge a little, if you can, to upgrade your lights and place them on dimmers to control the mood.

Hello eating area. Thanks to the mammoth loveseat that once suffocated this area, Mr. Bachelor had never once eaten a meal at this area. It had simply become a place to stash mail and other chotskies but no more. Let the fine dining begin, while seated atop these new white leather bar stools

With a new place to sit, eat and entertain, the sink and leaky faucet became another eye sore. *Sidenote: why do I always forgot to remove my purse/suitcase from these before pictures??? Lord help me.

We updated the sink and faucet with a modern double sink and a very sleek faucet.



Before this transformation, he had no idea what a backsplash was. He's now a huge fan of this simple upgrade of a glass tile backsplash. We did splurge a bit on these new appliances and included a double oven (I love these new options) since the smaller oven was a great way to prepare a quick meal aka a pizza, and free up much needed space on the counter top for the important things like a Keurig coffee maker.

 That's all folks. A somewhat brand new kitchen for our favorite bachelor.


Thursday we'll step outside and check out to his new balcony, which is now kind of a fab space to chill and enjoy these cool Miami nights.  


Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Bachelor Pad Makeover - Part 1

One of the most fun projects we've done this year, has been the bachelor pad makeover for our amazing client, Al. More than any other makeover, this one has developed quite an Instagram fan club. I cannot tell you how may IG messages, emails and texts I get each week about the status of this reveal. Hmmm, I wonder if it has something to do with his bachelor status?
Anyway, back to the lesson at hand.
I met Al last year when I redesigned his office. He was so impressed that he promised to call when it was time to revamp his condo.
We finally caught up over the summer and he decided it was time to take the plunge to make his home as swanky as his office. And boy was it a doozy.
Al is a client who has become a dear friend, so our conversations are pretty frank and I think I said something along these lines when I first saw the condo: "No sir. No respectable Miami attorney should be living like this."
He'd purchased the condo a few years ago and then did what most bachelors do - went shopping and just purchased a bunch of furniture - good pieces though from Pottery Barn - without any rhyme or reason.

As you can see, the pieces were too bulky for this small space and did nothing to reflect his personality - his love of New York, Beirut, London, tennis and most important, Jay-Z.
We started with this design inspiration. 

I knew a sectional was the best way to utilize the space and to create maximum seating, while allowing for easier access to the bar/breakfast area, something he couldn't even access thanks to the bulky sofa.


This sectional, from Crate and Barrel, was the first one we tested on our shopping excursion and it was so comfy, that every other sectional paled in comparison. Notice that it is not leather. There is an assumption that men need or prefer leather seating and that was definitely was not the case for our bachelor.  
I also wanted to use wallpaper on the focal wall. This bold, yet smoky grey striped paper from Graham and Brown, reminded me of a man's suit so I was happy when he agreed to it. I've been smitten with the HGTV collection of paints from Sherwin Williams and though Al doubtful that the colors I suggested were too dark and would make the space feel small, he trusted my instincts and gave the go ahead to use two colors throughout the main areas - Mink and Expressive Plum.
The artwork was selected to reflect his heritage and favorite cities. Al was born in England (center photo of the famous cathedral in Exeter), to a British mom, his dad is from Beirut (photos above that amazing floor lamp from Modani, similar lamp here) and he loves New York so much we had to have two photos. 

 

Although we had pitched some rustic elements in the initial presentation - i.e. the coffee table and bar stools, we decided to go for a completely contemporary look and settled on a much some sleeker coffee table and bar stools.
When designing a small space, I always look for ways to maximize storage and seating. This coffee table came with an ottoman that he can rest his feet on as he watches tennis or his new favorite addiction, Flipping Out. It can also be pulled out completely and used as seating for extra guests. The white end tables are also stools and again, can be used as extra seating when he entertains.
If you're followed me for a while, you may have noticed that I love to layer my table tops with trays as they serve as functional pieces for eating, and as a place to anchor a cluster of decorative items. I settled on the pattern play of the rug, scored at Overstock and mix of pillows from West Elm and CB2 because they reminded me of the fun pieces who could pair with a stylish suit aka our striped wallpaper.
The media unit and television area were a mess of wires, a TV hung way too low, speakers jutting out from the wall and dumb bells - because every single guy thinks dumb bells are decorative items.



No man's castle is complete without a well functioning and organized media center and television. We removed the unsightly speakers, and instead purchased smaller speakers that give off so much sound you'd think you're at the movies. How small? You can barely see them atop this console. This is a small wall just 60 inches, and it wasn't easy to find a low media console to fit the space. I eventually found one at Antonini Modern Living and loved it because the wooden portion can slide out to make it even larger should he one day move to larger space. In lieu of a plant, I added a bit of greenery with a collection of his tennis balls.  But the thing he the loves the most about this area, is that image of Jay-Z. The personalized hand-drawn image was made by this Etsy artist, who used the lyrics of two of his favorite Jay-Z songs, "Empire State of Mind" and "Forever Young". Nothing beats a personal touch in a space, and that was by far one of our favorite finds for this projects.
With no formal entryway, or space for a console table for keys, mail and nicknacks, a floating shelf was the best solution for both style and function. We topped it off with a duo of mirrors with leather straps from Target, for that masculine touch and capped it off with a mantra from who else? Jay-Z.


Photos as always, by Circle Ten Media
There you have it. The space he now calls home. I have received some of the most expressive emails of gratitude I've ever received from a client, from Al, who remains in awe every time he returns from a long business trip and steps inside his once unassuming condo. This photo gives a hint that there were some changes made to the balcony, and the kitchen and I'll reveal those changes in later posts, including some details on all the lighting upgrades we made - there were no lights at all in his living room or master bedroom. Stay tuned. 
Thanks as always to the team who rocked this one out. Thanks too to all the Instagram followers who made this one a fun project to share each day.
Apologies that you had to wait so long for the reveal, but there are often delivery delays and so many other behind the scenes stuff at play - like remembering all these details/anecdotes for a blog post- that a reveal can take some time. I hope, it was worth the wait. Holla back. Do you have a favorite area/item?   

Friday, October 11, 2013

Leaping Off the Edge, To Follow My Dreams

 

 Today is my last day working full-time for a business that's not my own. 
And no, I certainly won't be doing this even though I gotta admit that was a heck of a way to say deuces to a corporate gig.
Mine will be a much more demure exit, stage left if you will.
The truth is, juggling a full-time job, and a full load of design projects, while trying to spend quality time with the hubs and Xavier, has simply gotten to be too much for this little Jamaican mama to handle.
I've also been playing around in the kiddie pool of the design business for 10 years and I think it's finally time to finally take the leap of faith, dive in, figure out how to freaking tread water and take my business to the next level. It's about damn time.
To be clear, it's never an easy decision to say goodbye to a steady paycheck with some pretty good benefits (I also did this once before and ran right smack into a pesky thing called the recession).
I learned a lot from that first leap. Older and much wiser this time around, I've learned to fully understand the business of being a business. It ain't just all about the pretty fabrics and paint colors. There is a whole machinery at play behind the scenes, and I'm much better at driving that machine.
So, brace yourselves because I'll be busy cranking out a backlog of projects and blogging a whole lot more than my sad once a week appearance.I'll be also be putting that journalism degree of mine to good use and writing more design features over at Houzz and other publications.
And since I didn't do the kiss-my-booty-I-quit video, I'll also remain on the freelance payroll at the day job while they search for my replacement.
Thanks to all of you for reading and cheering me along as I shared the behind the scenes details of all these projects. Thanks too to my amazing clients for their tremendous support, and for really looking me in the eye this year and challenging me to live my dream. 
So here we are today. Me, just a girl following her dreams.       





Wednesday, October 9, 2013

A Southern Fall. Yes, Yes, We Have Us Some Fall

Okay, okay, we'll join in all this fall chatter. Sure we're dealing with ridiculous monsoon-style rains, and we ain't got no leaves turning brown, but who says we can't have us some fall fun? Around here, we're definitely loving us some cobalt blue, definitely dusting off our ankle boots, long sleeve shirts and sweaters, and rocking a stylish umbrella or two, because hey, anything below 90 degrees is fall to us here in Miami people. We take it anyway we can, and don't you dare judge us. 
What are my peeps in Texas, California, Arizona and other warm parts of the world rocking this fall?

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Pink Meets Purple in Our Kids Room Reveal



One of the most challenging projects we tackled this year, was designing a bedroom for two little girls. WTH you say? I know. How hard can it be to design a room for two little girls? Well my lovelies, this was the mother of awkward rooms. The culprit? These windows.



Sure, someone thought they were a fun architectural detail when they built this home, but those weird angles would prove quite a challenge. The main issue? I needed to fit two twin beds with two headboards. The likely choice would have been this wall, the only one without a window or a closet.



But this wall also happens to be the one into which the bedroom door opens, and, listen closely my lovelies, walking right smack into a bed when you enter a room should never, ever be an option.
The only space the beds could fit comfortably was under the window. But having two custom headboards there would also mean we could not install curtains - the headboards would be affixed to the wall. After many, many, weeks of back and forth with my client, we decided to embrace the windows and highlight them with a custom valance and wooden blinds. 
Here we are with the end result:  



The little ladies wanted all things pink and purple and by golly, their wish was my command. 
Designing around twin beds, will often mean a shared nightstand which is just fine. These two get to share this cute one and an equally fun lamp.


Both girls not only have their own beds, they also have a cozy place to sit and read under that awkward window. 



Since storage is always a key factor to consider when designing a kid's space, the window bench also has storage baskets, there's loads of storage in the Ikea Expedit shelving system that does double duty as a dresser.



There's more storage/seating in the ottomans at the foot of both beds. 
Those ottomans were a bargain find at Target, but we customized the covers with the pink fabric we used for the headboard buttons, and throw pillows.
And of course, what little girl's room would be complete without a sparkling chandelier?


Not only was my client sick of seeing toys everywhere in the main home, she also wanted to be sure the girls would have a space in their room to do homework and arts and crafts. With this layout, we had enough room just left of the new window seat, for a desk long enough to fit two little learners.



The desk, shelving and storage buckets are from Ikea.
 
 

The ghost chairs were a perfect pairing for just a little bit of grown up glam. I added custom decals with their initials so they always know which chair is theirs - if ya have kids, you know how much that word "mine" gets tossed around. 




The artwork are original pieces done by the girls and are quite possibly my favorite element in this room. Such a personal touch and something they'll be able to look at for years to come.
Okay, whoa, let's talk about these closet doors........



My client has a special disdain for bi-fold doors and this meant these doors would have to go. To again maximize every inch of space and surface, we settled on sliding wooden doors which we customized with magnetic, chalkboard and whiteboard paint. If you follow me on Instagram, I think you know that Shaggy and I have since sworn off doing these paint applications! Those doors needed a few zillion coats of paint. It was a beast. But the girls now have another surface to safely scribble and draw away to their hearts content.





Last but not least, a growth chart. This was a must do request, so I'm just happy we could find an untouched surface to apply it to. I think it's safe to say we used every inch of space in this room.

As always, all photos were taken by Shaggy of Circle Ten Media. 
That's all folks. Not a surface under-utilized! And still some room to play. Would love to hear your thoughts and how you/if you've ever talked little girls into using other paint colors - besides pinks and purples- in their rooms. I lose that battle. Always.
PS. So freaking excited about tonight's return of Scandal aka my network television crack addiction! Gonna need lots of wine to make it through this nail-biter of a show. 
PPS. If Scandal is my TV crack, then the One Room Challenge is my online design series crack. Linda's makeover challenge returned this week with lots of new twists and turns. Go forth and see who's playing. This season, anyone can link up their projects as well. Loves me some ORC.  









Shopping Source Guide

Headboard/Custom valance and bed skirt: Titan Decor
Fabric for all custom pieces: Designer Discount Fabric
Expedit shelving system, shelves, desk, picture frames: Ikea 
Chandelier: Nicole White Designs Store
Growth Chart: Etsy 
Storage Ottoman (discontinued but here's a similar option): Target
Window seating: Overstock
Nightstand: Overstock
Lucite Chairs: Lexington Modern
Customized decals on chairs: Etsy 
Lamp Base: Target 
Lamp Shade: HomeGoods 





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