Yummmm Chocolate......

Yes, chocolate what could be better?

....maybe not death by chocolate but at least an indulgent delicious chocolate dream

 This was the inspiration for our master bedroom. Chocolate, dark/milk/white/truffle/bar any kind and shape of yummy chocolate, I don't discriminate.

Here is a picture looking into the master bedroom into the guestroom

Inside the master but only 3/4 down the wall shot, but we do see the original irreplaceable wood floors :)

There is not much else missing in the image, to the right is my "walk in"/"hit your head in the knee wall" closet.  Both of the rooms upstairs are about 12'x11', not too luxurious but just the right size for us now. In addition, there is a half bath between the two rooms that has yet to be updated or touched by my "magic wand".

Back to chocolate................my walls became a milk chocolate who spent some time in the sun

Benjamin Moore French Press

And melted white ( off white ) chocolate was the inspiration for the furniture, bedding and other accessories.

There is this small used/re-finished furniture shop in Portsmouth NH called Cottage Chic, where I found my white chocolate romantic bedroom set. 

http://cottagechicbymargie.blogspot.com/ 

The bed and dresser are dated around 1910 and have been painted a distressed Linen White

I'm thinking of getting this piece too....

but as you will see in a later post, the space isn't too big and might not be able to handle another piece of furniture.  We modified the bed to fit a queen mattress and box spring, while adding 12" to the legs of the headboard to showcase the beautiful carvings and details.

I then chose dupioni silk puddling curtains, which are actually just a poly blend made by Walmart to look like dupioni silk........I just bought a house remember :) 

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Canopy-Faux-Silk-Lined-Energy-Efficient-Curtain-Panel-Aloe-Green/10326418

 The bedding was also inspired by melted white silky chocolate, which became an affordable option to silk bedding.  My initial choice was this beautiful Barbara Barry set at Amazon.com, which I purchased then returned after reality set in that I just foolishly spent 650 on bedding.

So I chose a gorgeous alternative at Homegoods (one of my favorite home decor stores :) which retails at 50....... but was free for me because of a housewarming gift card from my Sarah Ann!

Our lighting is again an affordable option to a crystal chandelier, yes there seems to be a pattern here. Buying a house = no money to furnish the house.   But that did not mean I could give up the design and overall ambiance.

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202184534/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

There is also small linen white candle stick table painted in the same "chabby chic" distressed treatment.  Which was a lucky find aka; labeled "free" on the sidewalk when I was walking home one trash day living in Boston. This sits next to an understated Louis XVI settee which I painted and reupholstered in the linen white and creamy silk fabric ( yes quite the experience, which I will share on a later post )

As for art work or wall accessories I have a gold Victorian mirror and not much else, I know a bit disappointing, but I'm working on it! 

As for our guest bedroom, we brought back the Benjamin Moore Roycroft Red

As for furniture, another amazing find at a second hand furniture store. A traditional yellow French Provincial set, bed, dresser and chest all for around 150!

Again, I must say how amazing my father is because he sanded and painted the set.  We chose a linen white for the base and kept the original detailing by reapplying the gold where it wore off from sanding.  Please don't, judge because I said gold......you need to see it.  
The bedding I chose was a duvet I purchased previously that has a gold/champagne hue with creamy off white details.  And the window treatment was also something I had previously; deep red velvet with gold criss cross basket weave pattern. 

That just about wraps up the second floor bedrooms and the design decisions, we are almost prepped fr the big reveal :)

Decisions....decisions...

So this is it........after all the waiting and searching we settled upon a 1930's craftsman style cape.  Complete with 1 1/2 bathrooms, 2 bedrooms, detached garage, sun room, porch and home office.  The house exudes charm throughout with original architectural details with which you can not help but fall in love. This arch alone make my heart skip a beat...   

 

and this one......

oh this one too...

let's not forget about this one....

and yes, I even love the arches above the sink and on the cabinets.

Honestly, there isn't much I don't like about the house....weeeeeeeeeell the flooring in the bathroom is wood, there isn't enough counter space in the kitchen or bathroom, the backyard isn't fenced in, the lighting is terrible in the kitchen, I can not see inside my pantry, there isn't enough storage downstairs or closet space upstairs BUT other than that it's perfect! 

I was beyond excited to make changes to the house the moment we moved in, but the question was "what to tackle first"?  I wanted to renovate the kitchen, update the bathroom, put up a fence, paint interior & exterior elements, and replace the windows....just to name a few line items.  We decided to first paint the interior, a quick and inexpensive way to make this house OUR home.  The existing paint was not terrible, in fact it was typical paint for the era of the home.......

http://www.sherwin-williams.com/pdf/color_themes/int_streamlined.pdf

 However, creamsicle just did not work splashed all over the house, especially with the existing wood tones

I researched authentic arts and crafts colors for inspiration, and chose the best compliments.

http://www.sherwin-williams.com/pdf/color_themes/int_arts.pdf

The largest obstacle I was first confronted with was the original wood doors and trim.  

To paint or not to paint, to strip or not to strip? It had been beautifully maintained for the last 80 years, could I so easily sand it and paint it white? Well the answer was......after some convincing and soul searching......no.  It would have been a ridiculous task if we attempted it anyway....but truthfully I am very happy we kept the original wood doors and trim exposed.  The other architectural element that had to be considered when specifying the color scheme was the blue/green tile surrounding the fireplace. 

The living room and dining room are one large room separated by an archway (first archway image I posted)

so whichever color I chose for the living room had to work well with the dining room....as well as accentuate the fireplace tile.  Branching off the arts and crafts suggested colors I ended up with the following color scheme:

                                            Accent Color - Sherwin Williams Still Water SW6223

Neutral - Beacon Hill Damask HC-2

The front door and vestibule became Sherwin Williams Roycroft Red

To finish the first floor.......the study is also Still Water, the sun room is Beacon Hill Damask, and the kitchen is yet to be painted but I chose a color similar to B.H.Damask but brighter and with a bit more yellow.  I needed to keep in mind that the rooms flowed openly into each other and the colors were seen from one room into the next.  It was important that the color scheme was simple but dramatic.    

Once the colors were chosen, we went to work

 but it wouldn't have been possible without the best dad in the world

It's probably not fair to talk about the color scheme without showing you the final product riiiiiight?  Well, I'm going to make you wait for the final reveal after I talk about the color scheme on the second floor next week......until then :)

Happy New Year.....New Blog

Well this is it, the first blog of the new year..........let's be honest its actually my first blog and my first post to date.  Some people say that the first post is the most difficult and most important, but of course no pressure. As I contemplate what to write as my "opening" post I cant help but think about the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011.  All the things I did and all the things I wish I did.  One of which was buying a house with my husband.  It was one of the best and worse experiences of my life.  Nothing is more rewarding than purchasing your own property and going home every night to a place that is yours.  As an interior designer the experience was very exciting, imagining how I can transform these houses into homes.  However, as a future homeowner reality was like stepping outside on a beautiful sunny day only to turn the corner smack into the face of a monsoon.  All the paper work and hoops we had to jump through to get a mortgage was exhausting and caused a handful of sobbing breakdowns.  Not to mention the cost of implementing the changes.....move that wall here/add a window there...isn't as simple or easy on your wallet as waving my magic wand (as my brother-in-law a general contractor would say).  In the end the house we chose didn't need as much fairy dust as Pee Wee's Playhouse, but just enough where I could make it our own.  Of course there are always changes that can be made but we are taking it one day, one month at a time.  I have long term goals, in my career and in our home renovation but I have to keep telling myself....Rome was not built in a day.