Monday, June 13, 2011

A work in Progress.....Basement Rec Room updates



While going through some old pictures the other day, I came across some pics of our basement Rec Room from first when we moved into our house, about 7 years ago. At that time the space had horrible industrial brown carpet and exposed ductwork. It became a makeshift playroom and dumping ground for our old "hand me down" furniture from the first years we were married.



Here are a couple of "before" shots...



            
Boy....this space has come a long way! Below are some shots of how it currently looks....

Come along and I'll show you some of the updates we've completed on a small budget.....






When we replaced our upstairs family room sofas, we new that the old leather set would be right at home in our rec room area. I'd call this the "man cave" of our home, so we wanted it to have a warm masculine feel. The dark brown leather is a perfect fit here. A few new throw pillows in a golden hue complement the rich brown tones perfectly. A couple of years ago we did update the old industrial carpet with this diamond patterned loop carpet. It really helped to brighten up the space!



                 I used a large apothecary jar as a perfect place to showcase my husbands golf ball collection.



                     This large ceramic bowl was one of my Homesense clearance finds. At $5, I couldn't go wrong :)  I found these mini globes at Walmart...they add interest to the coffee table and really go great with the feel of the space.



This leather box that I already had, is the PERFECT size to store all those pesky remote controls...




The window treatments here are actually the old panels I made and used to have in my family room upstairs. I simply folded them and hung them on clips with the stripes showing horizontally to give them a whole new look! I added some inexpensive bamboo blinds to add texture and warmth to the window...




We replaced the old, ugly light fixtures with these beauties from Home Depot. We love how they have a slightly nautical feel (they remind me of a porthole) and love the warm amber glow they add to the space...



I put some woven placemats under the glass top of the desk. I just LOVE the texture they add and the fact that they hide fingerprints on the glass is an extra perk ;)



We decided to position the office area in the corner ...it defines the area while still flowing well with the rest of the room....


Of course, there are still some changes we would like to make down the road....wall mount the TV, get a new entertainment console and maybe some hardwood flooring......but  I think we are definitely headed in the right direction  :)

~Katrina


Wednesday, June 8, 2011

The heart of the home....Kitchens!



Here's an kitchen idea book I recently complied at Houzz.com .....enjoy!
These days, kitchens are definitely the heart of most of our homes. They are a mission control of sorts, where we organize our busy lives. We cook, eat, entertain, use the computer, hang out and even do homework in this hardworking space. Since we spend so much of out waking hours there, it's all the more reason to create a space we truly adore!

Here are some kitchen beauties which should give us plenty of inspiration for our own homes....    
traditional kitchen by Dillard Design Group, LLC
If you have the luxury of high ceilings, a coffered treatment can really add some wow to your space....
by Dillard Design Group, LLC  
contemporary home office by Veranda Estate Homes & Interiors
A built in desk area is an amazing addition that will help you keep things organized....
by Veranda Estate Homes & Interiors
traditional kitchen by The Lettered Cottage
When paired with pale walls and trimwork, these black cabinets add some drama to the space.
by The Lettered Cottage
traditional kitchen by Logan's Hammer Building & Renovation
Panels to cover appliances such as the refrigerator give a nice finished feel.
by Logan's Hammer Building & Renovation
traditional kitchen White & Black Kitchen
The contrast of white and dark cabinetry can bring a rich ,warm feeling to your kitchen.
modern kitchen by Harrell Remodeling
A built in buffet is the perfect place to store glassware and dishes.
by Harrell Remodeling
traditional kitchen by Dwellings
Covering barstools in a beautiful fabric brings some warmth and interest....
by Dwellings
traditional kitchen by Blount Architectual and Interior Design
A kitchen is a great place for displaying wall words.
by Blount Architectual and Interior Design
traditional kitchen Bistro Style Kitchen
Love the finishing touches, especially that striped valance!
traditional kitchen by Darren Morgan
When purchasing new cabinets, make sure to use every inch of cabinet space.
by Darren Morgan  

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Welcome Summer! Must have accessories for the season....updated

Last year I shared a few of my favourite Summer accessories......here's a repost with a few new additions, in case you missed it the first time around :)  


 Now, if only our weather would start to cooperate so I could really get in the summer spirit....there's only so many days of RDF {that's rain, drizzle and fog for those who aren't familiar with the term ;)}  a person can take...lol!  Hope it's nicer where you are!




Here's my must have list......




Nothing says summer more than a glass hurricane or vase filled with seaside memorabilia- some sand, seashells, rocks, wood, combined with a candle, bring the beach to your home....couldn't be simpler!

 

A simple seagrass tray adds texture, function and interest to just about any space in your home. What a wonderful way to welcome company in a guest room!


A wonderful glass pitcher is such a versatile summer piece....it can go from holding fresh flowers to holding some refreshing lemonade on a hot day....





Lanterns, like this one from Pottery Barn, work well indoors or out! What a great way to cast a warm summer glow on any space....




Summer casual accessories such as Straw Hats and Bags add a light and airy feel to an entry way....






Beautiful outdoor lights like these string ones from Pottery Barn are a must. They will adds lots of twinkle to your summer entertaining...


Isn't this just dreamy??



So....what is your must have accessory for summer?? We'd love to know....just leave a comment below :)

Friday, June 3, 2011

Coastal Kitchen and Family Room Updates :)





Recently, we've been making a few updates to the most used space in our home.  I just wanted to give you a peek at the changes.....can you guess what they are?  Come on in and I'll show you what we've been up to ;)



This is the view of our dining room/kitchen area....the biggest change here is one I've been waiting for a while.....new stainless steel appliances...yay! I just love the sparkle and shine they add to the space :



I found these morrocan nautical inspired, printed pillows at Burlington Coat Factory while on  vacation. At $6 each, I just HAD to fit them in my suitcase....much to my hubby's chagrin....LOL!  I also decided to change out the curtains, which is one of my favourite ways to affordably update a space. We also changed out our old bamboo roll up blinds with these white wooden blinds. The white really brightens up the space and also adds so much more light control/privacy.
 

                               A few pops of blue give a summer feel to the space.....



You can never have too many starfish!! :)


I found this gorgeous fabric to correspond with my Moroccan pillow and framed it in my existing frames for a burst of blue....



Some new smaller scaled bar stools and nautical striped chair pillows work well at the breakfast bar....





A starfish dish holds the liquid soap and dishcloth....pretty and functional!


                                
     A chicken wire basket is a great place to corral kitchen necessities like spices and oil....





Love my new country inspired faucet!

As the kids often like to work on homework on the breakfast bar, I decided to use these jars to hold all the study necessities....





                                  A new rug, found at Ross stores, makes doing
                                         the dishes a little more comfy!







               























                      And to finish off the tour, here's the view from the dining area into the family room.....we just love this room...hope you've enjoyed it too :)


Have a wonderful weekend!!
                                            ~Katrina