A Bohemian Girl’s Bedroom {To Grow With}

5 Aug

We wrapped up this sweet and stylish girl’s bedroom last week, and I’m so excited to be sharing the reveal with you guys!

When my client and I first discussed the project, she told me she’d be transitioning her daughter out of her crib soon, and wanted me to create a space that would be sweet enough for her daughter’s current, adorable toddler self, but also stylish enough to transition into her teen years. Smart mama! Those days really do come up on you quickly!

My oldest has been begging for a more sophisticated bedroom, and we’re going to get that on our to-do list soon, even though I feel like we just painted and decorated it yesterday. The last ten years flew!

But I digress. Back to this adorable reveal.

My client already had the bed frame, fur bean bag chair, dresser, and had recently painted the room, so those four elements all needed to stay.

I decided on a pair of large scale dahlia prints to anchor the room with just the right dose of color and energy, and set a fun, cheerful vibe right off the bat.

I went with neutral bedding, to keep the earthy, cali-girl vibe (as my client put it) going. But I also made sure that I included playful touches that added just the right amount of sweet. PS that comforter is as soft and fluffy in real life as it looks in the photo!

I can’t even with the little peacock vase. I picked it up at World Market when I was shopping for accessories, and now I wish I had bought the rest of them because there were only 2 left, and they’re no longer in stock online. Sigh.

The whole room is a gentle play on textures and soft colors, and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.

/Users/michaelhamburg/Desktop/Sylish Girl's Bohemian Bedroom Reveal.png

My client texted me her daughter’s reaction, and it was the. cutest. thing. to see her come into her new room for the first time. All the heart eyes.

And that’s about it, folks! Isn’t it just the sweetest space?!

Don’t forget to follow along on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, so you don’t miss what’s happening around here! Happy Weekend!

XO, Laura

PS The gorgeous prints are from Juniper Print Shop but I’m unable to link them in my look books. The bean bag chair was from Pottery Barn, but isn’t sold anymore. Dresser is IKEA, and wall color is Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray!

{Gluten Free} Banana Bread

1 Apr

It’s time for a spring recipe post, and I’m excited to be joining some amazing bloggers for another week of The Happy Housie’s Seasonal Simplicity Series! We’re all sharing some of our favorite spring recipes this week. Don’t forget to check out all of the delicious-ness everyone is sharing below!

Hey Guys! I have to say, we’ve been doing a lot of baking and recipe making the last few weeks, with everyone being home alllll of the time. The girls have been LOVING all of the extra time here, because it’s meant they have endless hours to do the things that they love most.

We raise chicks to add to our flock pretty much every year, and taking care of them is essentially the girls’ favorite thing in the spring. We first raised chicks when my oldest was a toddler, and every time my husband and I had another toddler running around the house (for those of you who are new here, we have 4 daughters), we felt like it wasn’t fair to not give them the chick raising experience too. And here we are, ten years later, still adding chickens to our flock!

We also bought the girls a few bunnies this year, and they are completely enamored with them. And I have to say, I am too! They are the sweetest, calmest, little creatures. I’m not going to lie- I go outside just to hold them whenever I can. They’re like adorable, floppy earred puppies that never grow up. I keep calling them my therapy animals, lol! #covid-19

But anyway, I digress. Baking!

We have been baking so much lately. I’ve made banana bread three times in the last two weeks, and I thought I’d share one of my favorite recipes with you guys. I’ve actually shared another banana bread recipe in the past- my ‘healthier’ version. This one isn’t healthy (can banana bread actually ever be, though?) but it is pretty much the moistest, most amazing banana bread recipe out there, in my opinion!

A couple of years ago, I accidentally over baked my banana bread. It wasn’t burned, but I was pretty sure it wasn’t going to be really luscious and moist either. So, I decided to make a quick, banana simple syrup to pour over the top, to see if I could salvage it. Well, it ended up being the best banana bread I’d ever made, and I’ve been doing it ever since, minus the over baking part. It’s SO FREAKING GOOD.

One little caveat, though. This recipe is super delicious and moist without the simple syrup (so long as you don’t over bake it like me, lol), and if you’re going to eat the banana bread hot out of the oven, adding the syrup and eating it right away won’t work. It needs at least an hour to cool and absorb the liquid. So, if you don’t want to wait, don’t do the syrup. This bread is still amazing without it, BUT the simple syrup just brings it over the top, and I highly recommend! Let me know what you think if you try it!

Super Moist Gluten Free Banana Bread Recipe

Super Moist {Gluten Free} Banana Bread

Yield: 1 Loaf

Batter Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 2/3 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups King Arthur All-Purpose Gluten Free Baking Mix*

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

1/2 teaspoon salt

Demerara sugar, for sprinkling

Cooking spray

Banana Simple Syrup Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1 banana, roughly chopped

How to Make It

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°.

Step 2: Combine sugar and butter in bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment until well blended. Add banana, milk, vanilla, sour cream, and eggs; beat until combined, and set aside.

Step 3: Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt; stir well. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture, beating until just blended.

Step 4: Spoon batter into 9 x 5 loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Step 5: Simmer sugar, water, and chopped banana in a sauce pan for 5 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved. Strain through a mesh sieve into a measuring cup. Set aside.

Step 6: Once banana bread is baked, place on cooling rack on a cookie sheet (for easier clean up). Drizzle banana bread with simple syrup until top is saturated. Let cool 2 minutes, loosen edges with knife and turn out onto cooling rack. Sprinkle top with Demerara sugar for a little sparkle and crunch. Let cool completely on wire racks and enjoy!

Let me know what you think if you try this, and don’t forget to check out the amazing recipes my blogging friends are sharing below!

XO,

Laura

This week I’m joined by some of my talented blogging friends who are also sharing their spring recipes with you. Be sure to see what they are sharing by clinking the links below the images.

Keto Raspberry Lemon Bars at The Happy Housie
Gorgeous Springtime Desserts at Craftberry Bush
Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake at Two Twenty One
Lightened Up Lemon Poundcake at My Sweet Savannah

Gluten Free Lemon Glazed Blueberry Donuts at Cassie Bustamante
Easy Food Processor Scones at Life is a Party
Lemoniest Lemon Pound Cake at Maison de Cinq
Easy Fruit Salad with Fruit Dip at She Gave it a Go

Mom’s Classic Green Chili Egg Casserole at Tatertots and Jello
Spring Chicken Pesto Pasta at Inspiration for Moms
Devilled Eggs Three Ways at Finding Silver Pennies
Easy Egg Salad Recipe at This is Our Bliss

Classic Belgian Waffles at Nick & Alicia
How to Make Homemade Lemon Curd at Jenna Kate at Home
Raspberry Coconut Chia Breakfast Pudding at Satori Design for Living
Super Moist Gluten Free Banana Bread at Willow Street Interiors
Classic Tea Scones at Life is Better at Home

Spring Home Tour {Corona Virus Style}

20 Mar

Today, I’m sharing lots of beautiful spring decorating ideas, as part of the The Happy Housie’s Seasonal Simplicity Series! Don’t forget to check some of my blogging friends’ beautiful home tours being shared down below as well!

Hey Guys! I’m coming to you from Massachusetts, where most everything is closed due to the Coronavirus outbreak. The Governor activated the National Guard tonight, which certainly isn’t a sign that normalcy is on the horizon either.

To be perfectly honest, I’ve been a little torn as to how to go about sharing this post. Talking about decorating at a time like this feels kind of frivolous. But at the same time, with all of the uncertainties plaguing us right now, I think a little escapism might be just what we all need. And honestly, organizing and sprucing up, long untouched corners, and making things feel cozy has kept me sane these last few days. So I’m hoping this post, and all of the beautiful tours you’ll see below, will do that for all of you too. We’re all certainly spending more time than usual at home right now.

By the way, I’m actually going to be sharing some of my favorite images from my previous tours in this post. I was SO EXCITED to share some of the changes that we’ve made around here, but with all of the unexpected closings and craziness that unfolded last week, I wasn’t able to get the last few things that I needed. And then I found out that our coffee table, that was due to arrive last Friday, wasn’t coming either. So, I’ve decided to do this instead. But I promise that as soon as things get back to normal, I’ll share this year’s tour, so check back!

Until then, I’m wishing you all health, safety, and a peace that passes understanding.

Seasonal Simplicity Spring Mantel Decorating Idea

Friday

Home Made Lovely
Willow Street Interiors
Sincerely, Marie Designs
Rooms FOR Rent

House by Hoff
The Tattered Pew
Summer Adams

Sharing the rest of this week…

Seasonal Simplicity Series {Spring Mantel}

11 Mar

Hey Everyone! We had such a quiet, *almost* snow free, winter this year – it was so odd! To be honest, these kinds of winters kind of bum me out. I love to watch the landscape change at the start of each new season, especially winter. We fill up our bird feeders with seed, and watch winter birds flit in a snowy frenzy outside our windows.

The world is different when it’s blanketed in snow- somehow calm, and foreboding all at once. Mother Nature’s way of giving permission to hunker down indoors and rest. Which is probably part of the reason that I love it so much- permission to be lazy once in awhile!

But I am completely ready for longer days and open windows, and I’m excited to be sharing my first spring blog post of the season today, as part of The Happy Housie’s Seasonal Simplicity Series! I shared a sneak peek of this post in stories on Facebook and Instagram this week, and I’ll be sharing bits and pieces of my full tour next week too, so stay tuned. If you missed my little preview a few days ago, this week is all about how we’ve styled our mantels for spring.

Make sure you check out the beautiful mantel styling ideas my blogging friends are sharing down below too! They are all completely stunning!

I’ve been slowly lightening the decor around here, bringing a little bit of spring inside, before it’s time to head out and start the yard clean up.

Here is our mantel, freshened up for spring!

I honestly didn’t change all that much, since I last shared this area over Christmas, but it’s amazing what a few swap outs can do. I’m loving the fresh, sunny vibe! Bring on the sunshine and flowers!

Don’t forget to check out all of the gorgeous mantels below too!

Today I’m joined by some of my talented blogging friends who are also sharing their Spring Mantel (or vignettes) with you. Be sure to see what they are sharing by clinking the links below the images.

Simple Pink Spring Mantel Decor (with free printables) at The Happy Housie
How to Style Kitchen Shelves for Spring at Cassie Bustamante
Propagating Pothos as Simple Spring Mantel Decor at Grace in My Space
Spring Mantel Decor Trends at Hallstrom Home
Spring Bulb Centrepieces at Craftberry Bush

Early Spring Mantel at Finding Silver Pennies
How to Decorate Your Mantel for Spring at Modern Glam
Simple Spring Flower Mantel at Tatertots and Jello
A Traditional Spring Table Vignette at Sincerely, Marie Designs
Farmhouse Style Decor Idea for Spring at She Gave it a Go

Minimalist Spring Mantel Decor at Cherished Bliss
Neutral Spring Mantel at Two Twenty One
Serene Living Room and Mantel at House by Hoff
Seasonal Simplicity Spring Mantel at Willow Street Interiors
Butterfly Spring Mantel at Life is a Party

Spring Vignettes & a Hyacinth Printable at Deeply Southern Home
Free Spring Coffee Bar Printable at My Sweet Savannah
How to Decorate for Spring for Free at This is Our Bliss
Easy Spring Decorating in the Living Room at Maison de Cinq
Spring Mantel with Large Floral Art at Place of My Taste

Neutral Spring Mantel at Taryn Whiteaker Designs
Light and Neutral Spring Mantel at Life is Better at Home
Spring Mantel at Rooms FOR Rent

XO, Laura

Home Office Oasis Reveal

21 Feb

I had the pleasure of wrapping up a home office/sitting room for the sweetest family this week, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. If you’re following me on Facebook or Instagram, then you’ve seen quite a few sneak peeks of this space this week, because I just couldn’t resist sharing a few as I went through the photos. It was such a beautiful transformation!

When my client first got in touch with me, she said that she’d recently started working from home and was in need of an office space, that would also function part time as a guest room/adult hang out spot.

She’d already purchased a small, sleeper sofa and desk for the space that she wanted to incorporate. Thankfully, both of the pieces were really pretty, but the fact that the room is quite small presented a challenge – how to create the feminine, study-like vibe that I was envisioning, with so little space left to work with?

After playing around with the floor plan a bit, I decided that a wall of shallow, glass display cabinets would give us the perfect dose of study-esque ambiance, while taking up precious little floor space.

And I have to say, they did just that!

I chose the adorable, rattan stools to live in front of the glass front cabinets because they were scaled perfectly for the room, and also because I adore the texture and warmth that they add.

It truly is the best feeling in the world to see a project go from an onscreen concept, to completion in real life, and this project was no exception.

Every little detail – from the concrete coffee table, to the fabulous artwork, to the sweet, little olive tree, have a big, and yet somehow understated, impact. I am so smitten with this room, Guys.

But enough of all of the talking, let’s get on to these photos!

Actually, no, one more thing. Ha!

I’ve added in a 3D rendering of my client’s desk area, because I didn’t want to disrupt her work space when I came to style. She was going to be jumping back into work, and I didn’t want to be responsible for ruining her day! So, because I didn’t photograph that area, I’m using the 3D rendering instead! You’ll see it down below.

Before Photos

Home Office/Restful Retreat Design Reveal

New Floor Plan to the Rescue!

After!

https://www.instagram.com/laura_willowstreetinteriors/

3D Rendering of Desk Area

Isn’t the rendering so realistic?! I work with such an amazing team of people. If you’re someone who’s contemplated hiring a designer, but feel a little bit nervous about loving the end result, these renderings can be added on to any of my design packages, and they really take all of the guess work out!

Well, that’s about it. I’m closing out Friday with homemade Margherita pizza, wine, and a movie night with my love, and I couldn’t be more excited. It’s been a week! Happy Weekend, Everyone!

XO, Laura

eDesign Redesign Shared Playroom Reveal

17 Jan

Hey Guys! I hope you all had a great week! I’m popping on today to share a few photos of this sweet project that I finished up recently.

It’s an adorable shared playroom, and if you’ve been following along for awhile, it may look familiar to you!

This is actually the same playroom that I designed back in 2015. It looked like this, when I finished it up, back then…

You can see the rest of the previous version of this space here.

The original design was whimsical and super girly, since the space was only being used by one, tutu and glitter obsessed, sweetie pie, at the time. This family has since added a boy to the mix, and my task was to bring in some fun, masculine details, and a new color scheme that felt inviting to both kiddos, without breaking the bank.

I couldn’t be happier with the results! I added in a new rug, paint color, artwork, and bins, and it completely transformed the room.

We also strung up some globe lights around the patio door and I think the room looked even cuter when it started to get dark outside. Single source overhead lighting can be pretty harsh and unsoothing, which isn’t ideal in any space, but definitely not a playroom. The ambient light from the string lights feel magical, and I’m obsessed!

This is going to be such a perfect homework corner in a couple of years, but for now, it’s a great, tucked away, spot for Mom to check her email. The desk is no longer sold, but I’ll link a similar one!

I was obsessed with this cute birch branch/shelf idea that I came up with for the original room. It was a DIY, because nothing like it was made back then! It’s simple IKEA shelving with birch branches from Michael’s cut to fit. But if DIY isn’t your thing, you’re in luck because Pottery Barn Kids now makes something pretty similar.

And that’s about it, Guys! Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

XO, Laura

New Year’s Eve Tablescape Idea

19 Dec

Happy Thursday, Everyone! I’m thrilled to be joining lots of talented bloggers to share New Year’s Eve Tablescape ideas with you today! The series is hosted by Bre from Rooms for Rent, who just so happens to be a master of setting incredibly beautiful tables. If you haven’t bought her book yet – do!

It’s chock full of insanely beautiful table setting ideas, and you definitely want it as part of your beautiful design book repertoire.

I adore setting a pretty table. It’s kind of like a mini room design, but on a much smaller surface and minus the furniture. I mean, think about it. A beautiful table involves most of the same elements that a pretty room does.

Texture, color, pattern, mixed finishes like woods and metallics…

And putting it all together is so much less work, too!

I took this photo with my cell phone last week, just as the last full moon of 2019 started to rise in the sky.

I actually had no idea about that at the time – someone shared it on Facebook hours later, but I thought it was pretty special.

Is there anything better than looking out at the beauty of freshly fallen snow, while you’re cozy and warm, and surrounded by twinkle lights, inside?

I think it’s a pretty magical way to ring in the New Year, too.

This year, I kept my Christmas decor casual and earthy, which left me craving a little more glitter and sparkle for New Year’s.

So, I used the same centerpiece that I used in my Christmas tour for this tablescape, too. I just popped the flowers into a smaller vase, and then took the eucalyptus garland that I had draped along the windows, and used it as a runner for the table.

For sparkle, I used some icicle garland from last year’s Christmas tree, and wove it through the eucalyptus and flowers.

I typically like to juxtapose casual/elegant elements when I’m decorating, and I think the eucalyptus and botanical placemats are the perfect earthy accompaniment to the sparkle of the icicles and candlelight.

I also made a fig, prosciutto, and goat cheese pizza with balsamic drizzle the day I set this table, and I thought it would be the perfect NYE menu idea to go along with this table too (if you’re not a fan of goat cheese, you can sub in fresh mozzarella). Slightly elegant, but also perfectly rustic and simple to throw together.

We obviously don’t set fancy tables here all of the time, but we do a little more often in the winter than we do at other times of the year, because I think it’s just a simple way to make the long, New England winter a little more magical.

So, surprise your friends this NYE with the soft glow of a pretty table like this…

Or try it out with your family on a random Tuesday this winter! It’s such and easy way to show people you care…

And to set the tone for a cozy and relaxed winter’s night in.

Happy NYE, Guys! Don’t forget to check out all of the beautiful posts that my blogging friends are sharing today, too!

Rooms for Rent | Willow Street Interiors | Nick + Alicia | Nina Hendrick

Ella Claire & Co. | Zevy Joy | Just Destiny | Shades of Blue Interiors

Modern Glam | The Happy Housie | Wildflower Home

XO, Laura

Seasonal Simplicity Christmas Tour

5 Dec

Hey Guys! Merry Christmas! I’m so excited to be joining Krista from The Happy Housie and 34 other incredibly talented bloggers for this year’s Seasonal Simplicity Christmas Tour.

If you’re coming over from Simply Marie Designs, welcome! Amanda and Josh’s home is so beautiful and I always adore taking their tour every year.

I can’t believe that Christmas is only 3 weeks away! I swear time goes by more and more quickly every single year.

I finally finished up my Christmas decorating this week. It was the project that just never seemed to end. Not because of laziness or distraction – it was just a reeeeally busy month.

If you’re following along on Facebook or Instagram, you may remember me saying that I took quite the fall down our icy, front steps last month. It was crazy, you guys. I’ve never fallen so quickly, or landed so hard, in my life. One second, I was walking out my front door, and the next, I was airborne above our front steps. I completely knocked the wind out of myself when I landed and thought, for a second, that there was no way I was getting back up after that. But, somehow, I managed to get off relatively unscathed – for a couple of weeks.

And then, two weeks later, the soreness turned into a dislocated joint in my hip, that left me unable to walk for days! And just when the pain from that started to ease up, I got sick.

Ugh.

I’m choosing to put it all behind me though, because, well…

CHRISTMAS IS COMING!

If you’re picturing me saying that with ridiculously enthusiastic, Will Ferrell-esque excitement – that’s accurate.

Christmas is the best.

Twinkle lights, too much hot cocoa, SNOW!

Look at this photo I took after a storm we just had here.

Christmas, winter, all of it – it’s magical.

We didn’t have a lot of ‘things’ growing up. We didn’t typically get the latest, trendy toys for Christmas because my parents couldn’t afford them, but you know what? Even if we had, I doubt I’d remember them now, anyway. The things that I remember most about Christmas as a child, the things that meant the most to me, and that I still carry with me today, are memories.

Being in the Christmas pageant at church. The way the house smelled when my mom simmered her homemade apple cinnamon ‘potpourri’ on the stovetop. Visiting my grandma, and singing Christmas carols with our entire extended family crammed into her living room, on Christmas Eve. The 12 Days of Christmas was always wildly entertaining.

Back then, I didn’t know that we were making memories, or starting traditions. I was just a kid, enjoying Christmas.

I’m always trying to recapture those feelings, that sense of togetherness, and magic, hope, joy, love – in the experiences we give our kiddos at this time of year, and in the way that I decorate. I want the house feel like a warm hug every morning that the girls come down the stairs for the next few weeks.

Will that hug involve cheerios stuck to their feet sometimes? Most likely.

But that’s ok. Because we live here, and it’s not always picture perfect. But I hope that, more so than opening presents on Christmas morning, it’s the memories that we make within these walls that are the ones that stick with our girls when they’re grown.

So now, how do you make your house feel like a warm hug?

Twinkle lights. Mostly twinkle lights. But I also chose a soft palette of blues, greens, whites, and blush – stuff that I already had out anyway. And then I just sprinkled in a few Christmas/wintery touches.

…And lots of twinkle lights.

Oh, and because I ended up getting our decorations up so late this year, we were able to do something we’d wanted to do for awhile now, but couldn’t. I usually put our tree up two weeks earlier than I did this year because that’s just what home decor bloggers do to fit it all in. But that’s also always meant that a real tree would be long gone by Christmas.

This year, because of all of the mayhem these last few weeks, I was late decorating, and we could finally do a real tree.

So, we actually cut down one of our own trees from our back field! It’s totally imperfect, and a little crazy looking, but it was so much fun getting to see the girls haul that thing back to the house with my hubby last week.

What do you think? It’s imperfect in an endearing kind of way, isn’t it?

Ok, guys, enough typing! Grab your coffee and a cozy throw, and let’s really get into this little Christmas tour!

“And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 9:6

Merry Christmas, you guys! I hope you found some inspiration to take back with you and use in your own home this year. Don’t forget to check out Jen’s from Tatertots and Jello’s Christmas tour tomorrow morning, and there’s lots more inspiration being shared down below as well. Don’t miss it!

XO, Laura

Sharing today with me are….

Thursday

Grace In My Space ** Rooms For Rent ** Modern Glam
Happy Happy Nester ** Town and Country Living

Two Twenty One** Place of My Taste ** Life is a Party
Sincerely, Marie Designs ** Willow Street Interiors

And sharing the rest of this week…

Monday

The Happy Housie ** Shabbyfufu ** Jenna Kate at Home
Inspiration for Moms ** We’re the Joneses

Rambling Renovators ** Home Made Lovely ** My 100 Year Old Home
Maison de Cinq ** Nick + Alicia

Tuesday

House by Hoff ** The Tattered Pew ** Clean & Scentsible
The Turquoise Home ** Rain on a Tin Roof

Stacy Risenmay ** This is Our Bliss ** Southern State of Mind
Styled with Lace ** Life is Better At Home

Wednesday

Taryn Whiteaker Designs ** Just a Girl and Her Blog ** Cherished Bliss
So Much Better With Age ** Cassie Bustamante

Lemon Thistle ** The DIY Mommy ** Love Create Celebrate
The Handmade Home ** Craftberry Bush

Friday

Tatertots and Jello ** A Pretty Life in the Suburbs ** Maison de Pax
She Gave it a Go ** Summer Adams

Amber Tysl ** All Things With Purpose ** Cuter Tudor
Chrissy Marie Blog ** The Happy Housie

Highland Farm Project Reveal

12 Nov

Hey Guys! I’m sitting here at my desk, and guess what? It’s snowing! I’m one of those weirdos who actually loves the snow, and the cold.

Except when you fall on the ice, and your life, momentarily, flashes before your eyes.

Which actually happened last week, but I won’t get into that now.

Back to me being a weirdo who loves the snow: I actually just love seasons, in general. I love the way each season forces you to change slightly from your ordinary routine; the small, seasonal rituals that make life feel steady and predictable. Picking apples in the fall, splitting and stacking wood before the snow comes, sledding, sitting by the wood stove with the lights dim, making maple syrup in the early spring, when the ground is covered in snow, but the sun has no trouble warming your face.

There’s an old German saying that goes, there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing, and I find that mantra to be so accurate. Because seriously, seasons are magical. I love the way the world gets muffled under a blanket of snow in the winter, and icicles hang from the trees like jewelry. The whole necessity of needing to match socks for our family of 6 at this time of year, is another story though. That, I could do without!

But I’m officially going off on a tangent, so let’s get back to this reveal.

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, then you’ve already had a few sneak peeks of the results of this project – and you were also probably expecting to see this post up two days ago – sorry! I was planning to finish it up on Sunday, but completely forgot that I had a new field hockey league starting up that night. So, here I am, two days later, finally getting a chance to sit down and work on it.

Let’s start off with a before and after, shall we?

Living Room BEFORES…

These are clearly terrible cell phone shots, taken on a cloudy day, which never makes for a great photo, but you can still see what a transformation this space has undergone. It’s night and day, isn’t it?

Living Room AFTERS!

When I first met with my client, she told me she wanted her home to feel approachable and cozy, and most importantly, functional and cohesive. So, I added a console behind the sectional, along with a set of cubbies, for plenty of functional toy storage for her daughter, that’s anything but an eyesore.

Bird imagery and botanicals also hold a special place in my client’s heart, and I made sure to consider that when selecting artwork and accessories. The botanical is easy, but did you spot the birds?

Dining Nook BEFORE…

My mission in the dining nook, was to create a little alcove that felt like its own separate space, of course, but that also flowed with the rest of the great room. The original chandelier was pretty, but it felt like a barrier to the window seat. I opted for a delicate, round chandelier to open and soften this pretty corner, and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. Pro Tip : If you were looking to change your light fixtures, or upgrade any appliance, make sure you have the wiring of your house and the electric panel checked by expert service providers similar to SALT Light & Electric, who could inspect your house for any electrical (wiring and panel) damage. After this, you would be safe to go ahead with all your necessary electrical upgrades.

Dining Nook AFTER!

Mudroom Refresh

Kitchen Command Center Refresh

Bedroom Redesign

In the bedroom, my client wanted a cozy, pulled together, and cohesive space without breaking the bank. My task was to achieve that by pulling in a few new pieces, along with some accessories, while still incorporating lots of items that she already owned or had already purchased for the space. The transformation in here was dramatic!

BEFORE…

AFTER!

BEFORE…

AFTER!

BEFORE…

AFTER!

I had so much fun working on this project, you guys. And I’m so happy for this beautiful family, who’ll make loads of wonderful memories here.

More project reveals are on the way, so stay tuned.

XO, Laura

SALT Light & Electric

A Fall Brunch Tablescape {And How to Enjoy Your Own Party}

5 Sep

Hola, Everyone! I can’t believe fall is already in full swing. How did that even happen? We had a very full, but lovely and restful summer. Lots of fun little day and weekend trips; but no major traveling, which was just what we all needed this year. Time, at home, to catch up with a few projects and just reset.

And here we are, at the cusp of fall. September tends to be an in-between month in New England; one where the weather still feels like summer most of the time, but every now and then, a tree peaks through the dense, summer foliage, showing off the beginning of it’s glorious transition from green to a vibrant assortment of reds, burnt orange, and yellow. I adore this time of year.

Today, I’m so excited to kick off the season with Bre from Rooms for Rent (holy talented!), and loads of other incredible ladies to share some fall soiree and tablescape ideas with you all!

I decided on a palette of blues and plums/pinks this year. It does tend to be one of my favorite color combos (you can see a few different ways that I’ve used the combo in the past here, here, and here). But it’s also a decision made for practicality’s sake – I just have a lot of stuff this color!

Oh, and P.S. we got a new dining table and set of chairs last spring, and I never got a chance to share them with you! My father-in-law was here from Germany for a few weeks, which made us realize that our family of 6 had outgrown our old table set up.

The new table has given us so much more space to spread out, and I absolutely love the look.

I thought it would be fun to come up with a brunch inspired tablescape this year. There’s something about brunching that just kind of feels like a mini vacation, and I think we can all use as many mini vacations as we can get these days. Quiet, little moments to unwind and be present, I think, is more important now than ever before.

My husband and I each own and run our own businesses, which essentially means we don’t ever work 9 to 5. It’s a huge blessing that also feels like a curse at times – we burn our fair share of midnight oil. So, working hard and playing hard is a motto we cling to, and our lifestyle and schedule has made us masters of turning ordinary moments into special events and mini vacations.

And brunch is exactly that for me. Transforming a typically, ordinary meal into one that feels special and uber relaxed.

So call your friends, and send the kids off to a matinee with Grandma and Grandpa this weekend. This table, and this menu, is just what your worn out, back-to-school weary soul needs right now.

Rustic quiche, plum coffee cake, cider mimosas, yogurt and granola, a pretty table to sit around, and friends and family to share it all with.

And maybe a few of you are saying, that just sounds like more work to me! And I guess, it could be. But let me start by saying, setting tables and entertaining relaxes me. It’s an excuse to be creative and anything creative counts as a mental break for me – but not if I’m running around doing it at the last minute – that is definitely not relaxing.

So here are my tips for getting a table like this set, and a brunch prepared, while still getting to enjoy the party.

Do (almost) everything the day, or night, before.

Turn on your favorite playlist, make the quiche, and coffee cake, and set the table.

I literally made and baked the quiche the night before, and warmed it in a 300 degree oven the next day. I’d never actually completely pre-made one before – I typically keep the crust and filling separate until I’m ready to bake it – but it worked perfectly!

The day of, get the fruit and yogurt ready, make the mimosas and coffee, and you’ll be good to go!

Wishing you all a happy and restful start to fall! Don’t forget to check out all of the beautiful fall tables that my blogging friends are sharing too!