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Sunday, April 24, 2016

Open House Sunday

 built 1937
This house in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Oklahoma City.
I was in this home maybe 10 years ago and my it has changed.
 It has all new finishes throughout. It had good bones when I saw it before but super terrible finishes.
 Now I wouldn't have necessarily made all these choices but it's very nice.
Lots and lots of gray so hold on.....including a giant gray zebra!
 
 I kind of love all the shutters in this home. Something I normally don't really like.
But in this home they work.
Wing chairs are usually a good choice for host and hostess chairs in the dining room 
but these are too large and the side chairs too small.
 The kitchen turned out really pretty. I really like the nook the range top is sitting in.
I wish there was a full on stove in that nook, though. But then I prefer stoves to cook tops.
 That looks like black stainless on the wall oven. That's the newest color in appliances.
I still prefer white or regular stainless. I just think these appliances are too dark for this kitchen.
But then I can't really think of a situation where I'd like any kind of black appliance.
 Love that this room opens up to the backyard pool.
 Will I ever tire of white marble? I don't think so.
I would tire of all the gray in this room...and those black mirror frames.
 Big fan of this room. In this room I really like all the gray and like that there is a door outside.
 Precious little room in the attic. This is where I'd want to sleep.
 Fun kids room.
 I believe this is the upstairs bath.
 basement
 Backyard pool


See the full listing here.

Friday, April 22, 2016

Obsession

Pea Gravel
 I'm more than a little obsessed with pea gravel patios.
I've wanted to do one for quite awhile to the side of my deck along the back of the house.
 They sound super easy to accomplish although the work may be back breaking.
 I've been thinking about doing one for the last couple of years.
 A couple of weeks ago, one of the other designers at work created one
in his backyard and he said it was super cheap and not that hard.
 Yes, it did involve much shoveling and back and forth with a wheel barrow.
But in two weekends he had a new pea gravel patio.
I've seen a photo but next week he's having a garden party so everyone 
can see how well it turned out. 
I'll be sure to take photos to share!

All these photos are from my folder called Pea Gravel on Pinterest.

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Open House Sunday!!!!!

 
built 1934
 Yes it's been a long time since I did an Open House Sunday....and it's about time I got back to it. 
This house sits catty corner from me in my neighborhood. 
I love the clinker brick on this house - the timber details and large rock around the porch entry.
There is no other house in the neighborhood like it!
The photos on this listing were taken before all the green came out this spring...it's much prettier surrounded by green trees. This home was built in 1934 which is surprising because the details 
on it are more like houses you see from the late 20's than from the 30's.
 Nice big front porch and patio. I'd love to get my hands on this house to furnish and accessorize it properly.
 Just look at the shape of the ceiling in the living room! And the detail of the arch doors too.
Just lovely architecture. I love that you step down into the room too.
It's really a grand room with much potential. It just needs the right furniture and accessories.
 Yep this furniture is all the wrong shape for the room. 
But I imagine there are young
kids living in this house and this furniture would work for that.
 The beauty extends to the dining room. This room is furnished much more seriously.
Some upholstered host and hostess chairs at the dining table would relax and cozy up the room real fast.
 Such potential. The back wall of the dining room has been removed which opens this room up to what is the center hallway in the house...making for a much more open space.
 I like that little sitting area just beyond - sans recliners.

 Here is where it all goes wrong. This kitchen has major potential without much work.
I love blue but I don't love this blue everywhere - especially the ceiling.
First thing I'd do is paint this room and add some hardware to the cabinets.
I do love that little built in display cabinet there on the left.
 This kitchen has great bones. Just imagine with hardware on the cabinets. 
Add some major crown molding to the tops of them too
 Oh...now I see the counter tops are tile. 
That I'd want to change right away but I love it that the back splash is subway tile.
Very pretty master.
Oh...how I love that it has a garden door. This is what I want for my own house.
 Kind of an odd bathroom...but I could make it work with a few changes.

 Ah...the kids room. Pretty cute room for a boy.
 I always love an an original tiled bathroom. The layout is kind of funky but I don't care.
I love it right down to the heater in the wall.
 Here is a shot of the basement. This could be a great media room.
 Here we see the clinker brick again as seen on the outside of the home.
Oh...I love the way that back stoop is done with layers of stone slab. 
I'm going to file that idea away in my brain.

see the full listing here

Have a Happy Sunday!

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

A Little Spring in My Life

 How is your spring going? 
All I can say is I wish I had more time to smell the roses or tulips for that matter.
That photo and the one at the bottom are from my Pinterest folder entitled "Spring"
Today I was off from work but went to a client's house to help 
her freshen up her french country home.
Something that is right up my alley.
We hit it off when we met last week and I knew we were on the same wave length
when I was greeted at the door by a very similar concrete statue 
to the one I have at my own door.
A large dog with a flower basket in his mouth.

truly a classic
 
The rest of the week I'll be busy coming up with a plan to freshen up her home.

That is the best part of my job as an interior designer...all the nice people I meet
and when I go to someone's home and discover I love the same sort of things they do and 
I can help them give it that little extra it needs.

That said I truly enjoy doing rooms that are totally not something I would live
in either. That is what is fun about the job...I get to live vicariously through others...at least
design wise.
 
We are having a big sale at the store right now - 60% off all floor models and 50% off all special orders. It's cause we are getting ready to redecorate the store and get lots of new things in.
Sale runs till the end of April.
Come in and see me! Or email if there is something you are looking for or if you 
need my help pulling together a room or your whole house!

So that little loveseat above? I designed it for the floor. But it sold super fast!
Can't wait to do something similar again. Of course if you need one like it...I can order
for you.
  I love that white china cabinet in this photo.
The table is already sold but the chairs are still available and so is the cabinet.
All can still be ordered too.
 
Here you can see that the loveseat was in the same room on display.
That's certainly enough about work...
I'm currently trying to get my yard in shape.
I hired a new yard guy who is someone I worked with who went out on his own
with his own landscaping company.
Need a great guy to do your lawn?...email me and I'll share his name.
He's very easy to work with and does a great job!
Last year when Franklin hurt his back...my back slider door fell off it's track and could not
be fixed.
I went without a door for about 2 months. Thankfully, the weather was mild the whole time.
But I never showed you the garden doors I got to replace the slider.
This photo was taken the day they were installed.
Mom snapped it. The deck is a mess...cause things were just pushed aside.
But it was an immediate improvement to the house.
I am loving them...but now really really want a matching pair on the back bedroom too.
The dogs are happy going in and out.
And speaking of dogs. Here is a current video taken last week of Franklin in the yard.


Very, very proud of this boy. He was totally paralyzed last August and now look at him!
He's a very happy boy again. 
I'm hushing Harvey in this video because my neighbors have complained about his barking.
Although this is about all he barks and it's for like two minutes a day.
I could go on and on about my interactions with these neighbors.
They think dogs should never bark. I asked my neighbors on the other side
if they had a problem with my dogs making too much noise and they said..
"What? We can't hear your's - our's bark all the time!"
Their dogs do bark but it doesn't bother me at all. 
It's not a mean bark...it's a saying hello to the world bark. 
Same as mine.
Anyway...we are on pins and needles here trying not to bother my neighbors on one side.
Closing with another pretty photo of spring tulips.
All I managed to plant this spring so far is some bright pink phlox.
I've always admired it when it comes out in spring around the neighborhood and this year...
I finally got a little in the ground.
Hopefully, next year it will look like this.

Happy Spring!