My Birthday PRIZE POST!!!

It's my birthday! OK- Actually - not my birthday. You can send gifts for that in December. It is Design With Christine's birthday! I have been blogging for one year! I thought I should have a give away! I am going to give away this set of four "balls." The balls are from The Import Company. I like using these together in a bowl, or individually on bookcases, an etagere, or anywhere I need a little something. To enter- just leave a comment telling me how you would use them. I will announce the winner this weekend. To enter you must live in the continental US. (I appreciate the rest of you- just don't want to pay the shipping to Brazil :) Happy Birthday to ME!

I had a dream....

A few nights ago I had a dream about Kim's re-model. I have dreamt about clients' homes many times before- but this was my first dream about a "blog client's" home. In my dream I was trying to convince Kim to use two settees in her fireplace area. The settees in my dream had a black fabric with elephants on it. It was a cool fabric- but Kim was too timid to use it :) (In Kim's defence- I have never met her- and she might be very bold in her design- I really don't know :) The settees above are from Patina. They make beautiful hand painted furniture. The Settee below is from Wisteria- one of my favorite sources. In my dream, I used two "see through" tables like the one above from Wisteria. Kim- if I dreamt it- you should do it. I think it is a sign :) Tell Kim which settee you like the best- from top to bottom -

they are #1, #2, and #3.

To catch up with Kim check here, here, and here. This is not the fabric- there were no circus tents- but it is actually pretty similar to the fabric in my dream :) Kim- I am NOT recommending you use this- I just wanted to see if I could find the fabric from my dream- dreams are funny things-

maybe it was a fabric that I had already seen ....

Cool New Find

Peruse this website to see some BEAUTIFUL hardwood floors. In the 1960's Dale Carlisle was building homes reminiscent of the homes he remembered from his childhood in New Hampshire. He wanted to use beautiful wide plank floors - this was the beginning of the Carlisle family business.

My List of Cool Things to Conisder

I found this photo in an old Southern Living magazine. It made me think of Kim's sitting room. The room is far from the kitchen, but that doesn't mean that it can't have a table. I am going to make a list for you entitled "Cool Things About this Room." :)

1. The ceiling. I just love that weathered gray wood plank. And to make it even better- what a fabulous hand painted ceiling beam. You can get away with white walls when your floor and ceiling look like this.
2. The floor. I love saltio tiles. Why? First of all- they are the ONLY tile that never goes out of style. I remember seeing Cary Grant in an old movie- he went to visit this grandmother- that lived near the ocean somewhere... OK- so I don't really remember the movie- but I remember the Grandmother's flooring- it was beautiful distressed saltio tiles. (Does anyone know what movie that is?- was it An Affair to Remember?- I looked up images of An Affair to Remember- but only found more prominent sceens and pics of Monica and Clinton) Anyway- in style in the 1950's- still in style today. How many other tiles (not natural stone- but clay or ceramic tiles-) have had such longevity in style. None. And yet you can purchase this material for as little as $1/ sf. If I had ugly carpet- and a small budget- Saltio tiles would be such a great option.
3. The chandelier. Can you picture this room with a ceiling fan? No comparison to this beautiful chandelier.
4. The use of bold bright pattern. The material on the chairs is perfect. So many times when I suggest bright bold patterns for clients- they are too "scared." Worried they would tire of it... concerned that it is "too much." It is not for every room- but in some rooms- like this one- there is no replacement.
5. Wallpaper. The far wall with the two console tables has a subtle patterned wallpaper.

Have a great weekend! Go make your house beautiful!

Three Focal Points

Kim is in the midst of an L- shape home addition.
Yesterday I discussed the fireplace. Today I want to discuss space planning.

The floorplan calls the addition a "family room" and a "great room." As I mentioned yesterday, the great room is too large/ long to be just one area. I broke it into what you would call a "media room" a "gathering room" and a "sitting room." Each "room" will have it's own focal point. The three focal points are: the entertainment wall, the fireplace, and the wall of windows. For the Entertainment wall you can purchase a unit, like the one above from Hooker Furniture, or you can make a wall unit. With flat screen TV's- I am not a big "entertainment center" fan. They might as well have a thick TV in them. What if you made the wall an aged brick: (remove the stuff in the photo- imagine just the brick)- Build small walls to the right and the left- to have brick just in the media area- creating natural barriers.
And then added some reclaimed beams- (take this idea below- but make it more shabby chic :)
Does anyone else have any ideas for flat screen TV walls? Have you seen any entertainment centers that you like? Any Built-ins? What do you think? Give Kim some ideas!

Kim's Home Addition

Kim had lots of questions- so I will break them up. She has a home addition that needs help with. The photo above I found on her blog- she said that she loved this feel. My words will be in blue.



Dear Christine,

I think I need an architect more than a designer but I'm sure you are good with architecture too. I was trying to lay out the furniture to make sure that the building design would be functional and pleasing. I'm trying to get the plans nailed down so we can get bids and not be apt to make expensive changes once we start building.I'm worried about what type/size of windows to use, and where to place them. The north wall has windows up high so that we have lots of wall space for my husband's photographs, which also need to be incorporated into the design.

From your kitchen, from your library, from your family room, you have a view of the north wall. I would put your fireplace on that wall. Frank Lloyd Wright said, and I have to agree, that the fireplace is the focal point of the room. This is a prominent wall becasue of it's location, and I think it is the perfect place for a fireplace. The great room, where the north wall is that you are referring to, is 30 feet in length. Adding the fireplace to that wall will also help to break up a very long wall. Break that room into two areas. You should never have a sitting area where seats are more than 12 feet from each other.

Where do I put the gas fireplace, what type of fireplace?


Well- I guess I just told you the where- what type? I discussed some of the different options in this post ,this post ,and this post. The fireplace in the picture that you liked so well is stone, concrete, or cast stone. That would be a great option in your place- or you could shop for an antique. A beautiful recalimed fireplace could also add a lot of character to your room. Make sure the fireplace is an appropriate scale. (not too small.)



Do I reuse my current mantel or update/paint? If I paint it, what color? How far do I build it out from the wall? I would replace it. The scale seems too small to me- and it doesn't have that "focal point" feel to it. I would have the fireplace as flush to the wall as you can- have the depth of the firebox poke out the back of the house- not inside your room. (fireplace photo from Old World Stoneworks) Do I plan a raised hearth? If you think you might want it for additional seating- a raised hearth is nice- and you have pleanty of square footage in the room to add it. As a mother of small children, I like a raised hearth as it adds some distance to the fire. I would select the exact furniture you want first- to make sure you have pleanty of room. (from your dimmensions- I think you do.)

Do I build the wall out all the way to the ceiling (like a chimney) or have it end at the mantel? (The gas fireplace doesn't need a chimney.) If you have to have the firebox inside the room- build the wall out to the ceiling. A little dimension - change in the elevation of the wall is nice, to break up the wall- but not the entire depth of the fireplace.


What type of window design to put on each side of the fireplace. I would keep two of your high windows on the other side of the 30 foot wall- for room for your photo gallery.




This is my advice IF you are having a flat ceiling in the great room. If, on the other hand, you are having a pitched ceiling with beams, I think you almost HAVE to have the fireplace on the end of the long room. You mentioned that you wanted a wall of windows on the far end- so I put the fireplace on the other end. In which case the lack of symmetry is less than ideal- do you need that door there? Or can we have symmetrical windows?

I will tackle more of your questions another day, thanks for writing in Kim. Let us know about your celing.

Christine

Wallpaper Wednesday- Dawna Eddition

While Dawna is off sink shopping- (see yesterday's post) I wanted to select some wallpaper for her. She mentioned that her master bedroom has green bedding that she likes a lot. She lives in southern California, near the ocean. I think that Master Bathrooms and Master Bedrooms should coordinate in color and style. There should be one pallet that you are working with. I have not seen Dawna's bedding- so I am including several different green ideas for her.

I wanted to bring in that San Diego ocean feel.- Who better to do that than Tommy Bahama- his paper is at the top of the post- What a great feel for Dawna- dark woods, high texture and interest. I like the woven bamboo style frame- maybe Dawna can incorporate such a look. Here are some other options...I like this paper- as it brings in the cream color also- I can see a cream stone on the counters and wet surfaces- dark woods, and green and cream accessories. I can imagine the swirl of the paper above- pulling out the dark wood tones, and creating a relaxing spa atmosphere. A soft damask would also add a beautiful feel to your Master Bath. So what are your favorites? Dawna would like some feedback.

Papers from York- Tommy Bahama, Decorative Finishes, Milleseme and Mariposa

Dawna!

Hi Chris,

It’s your long lost college pal, Dawna. I found your blog a few months ago and I love it! Your advice is always so on target! I just had to throw a question your way because as you can see, we are in need of some serious help with our master bathroom.

We had a roof leak that required us to demo most of it and since we never liked any of it to begin with, we are gutting the rest of it and starting over. So here’s the deal. I hate grout! I would like the shower walls and the vanity counter top to be solid surface. I have to say that I am not in love with most granite. I prefer marble instead of a busy pattern. (We have black quartz countertops in our kitchen).

As for the rest, we want a darker wood cabinet and white sinks to go with our white tub and toilet. Will a white shower be too stark?

For the flooring, I am okay with just having tile immediately in front of the shower area and in the toilet room. I don’t like standing on tile when I am getting ready.

As for the carpet, it is difficult to tell where the bathroom begins and the bedroom ends. The wall corners don’t match up to make a clear line and there is no door. We will be replacing the carpet in the bedroom anyway. The carpet will extend outside the master bedroom and down the stairs and so it needs to be neutral.

The paint is a grayish taupe and it’s okay, but not my favorite. My bedding is currently soft greens/ beach inspired colors, which I like. I don’t want it to be so neutral that it is boring. I need help coordinating tile and paint colors etc… Anyway, any help would be wonderful !

Thanks,
Dawna

DAWNA!!!

Hey everyone- this is my old friend from college- with whom I have totally lost contact with!!! I need your address for my Christmas cards!

You are gutting your bathroom! I am so happy for you! Let me start with your sinks. I like the idea of the sinks standing separately- not attached to the tub. It is not an "always" kinds of rule- but in your bathroom, it would look much better. I like sinks with legs- it makes your bathroom look larger. I like the "furniture style". With your sink choices- you have a couple of options. It is not wrong- to have them attached- like below-

1. Custom. You can have it built by a cabinet maker. This is nice because you get to choose exactly the wood species, stain, specific marble top, sink style, etc. This tends to be more expensive than some options- that is the down side.

2. Pre-made- but top sold separately. Many times the sinks are sold without the top- so you choose your own sinks, marble and faucets.

3. Totally pre-made- sold complete. This gives you fewer choices, but generally the whole sink comes from China- and you can get the set for a great price. The sink above is from Costco. It includes the granite top and vessel sinks- for only $899.- BUT- it has granite- and you mentioned that you would prefer marble- see- good price- fewer options. Below are some others to choose from that one of my reps just e-mailed me for a client.

4. You can also find a cool piece of furniture that you like and have it made into a sink. (the piece below is from Guildmaster.)

I say to start here- because if you find a pre-made sink that you like, that dictates your sink surface which will make a difference in what I would recommend for the other areas. So- go sink shopping- let me know what kind of sink you like- and we will go from there :) Good to hear from you!

Christine

SALE

Garnet Hill has these pleated linen pillow covers

on sale for $9!!!! - click here

And- they have these fabulous

silk pillow covers

(available in three colors) for $24- click here.

My Master Bath Floor

My Bathroom Floor

When we moved into our home- about a year and half ago- the bathroom floor was NASTY- And although I would have liked to have gutted the entire room- (and still plan to one day)- we were just going to replace the floor right away. (My DH did the job!)

Not wanting to "lock myself in" to anything, I wanted to put in a floor that would go well with a lot of different stones -so that when I do replace the tile in the shower and bath and counters- I would have a lot of options.

I also have a pile of tile in my master closet- for when we replace the counters with some that have legs. I wanted a floor that would look alright with my current California tract home oak cabinets and cream tile- while waiting for the re-model which might not happen for years. I chose a 16 x 16 limestone, had it set on the diagonal- and made a grid with a mosaic travertine. This pulls in a lot of colors- including warm tones and cream for my existing materials- while still giving me numerous options for the future. I like how the mosaic also makes the floor not too slippery when wet.

Here you get a peek at my Masland carpets. I chose the highest thickest nicest carpet that Masland carries. Stores use different names- so I am guessing- but I think it is the Shangri-La- the carpet that I just told Jill to not use- because it made too boring a rug. (although it might be Espresso) You can see the looped piece- that is being utilized as a mat during the flooring installation- that carpet is a sample of the Masland carpet I put in my children's bedrooms and office. Super durable- fabulous- I have loved them both. I like dark colors in carpet. I think they are just as beautiful as light carpet- but hide more. I also wanted colors that would not be limiting- as I like to "re-decorate."

Off Topic Saturday Post

I just bought summer clothes for my girls at 40% off! 40% off in March... How cool is that?- I am so excited- that I thought I would share. Pumpkin Patch is having a great sale- how cute is this skirt? (only $14.99!) I can't wait till it arrives :)

I just found out two days ago that Rascal Flatts is going to be in Oakland today. I am so bummed. I checked a few months ago to see if they were coming to my area this year- but I wasn't checking for Oakland- (it's a little bit of a drive). So- anyway- I am in mourning. I would have loved to have gone...

Perplexing Portico

Christine,

I added this portico and walkway to the front of my house. It needs to be painted in the spring. Would you paint the pillars white to match and leave it all white
or paint the whole thing (not the inside ceiling) a color, maybe a color a shade darker than the cream siding?
Thanks for your time.
Kim

Hi Kim,

I grew up in the east, and I have to say that I really miss the architecture. Where I currently live , you have to go for a drive to see classic architecture, a drive past a lot of cookie cutter California tract homes. I like to participate in the annual Run to Feed the Hungry in Sacramento. The run is always enjoyable as I just check out the charming homes.

Your question was an easy one for me- I would paint the whole portico white. Like the classic homes below- it will be beautiful. Look at the homes with a small amount of white trim beneath the windows. I would suggest you paint your window trim white also. (leave your shutters and door black.) I found a few pictures to help you see how it will look.

Thanks,
Christine