Photo shoot for Better Homes and Gardens

Last Monday Better Homes and Gardens came to my house for a photo shoot!  It was so much fun watching the stylist Annette Joseph  http://www.ajphotostylist.net/  and the photographer Sarah Doiro  http://www.sarahdorio.com/   work their magic.  They came at 8:30 AM and did not leave until 6:30 PM.  I don't know what issue it will be in but I will let you know as soon as I do!!!
Here are a few pictures....

This is Sarah working her magic!!!
Annette and Sarah
Sarah....she was so cute!
One little shot of the coffee table took over an hour!
They move everything around...I probably won't even recognize my own room!
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New Bathroom!

So I got a wild hair one day to demolish a small guest bath in my home.  I really had NO plan of action, just that it was really bugging me.  It was actually the only room in our home that had never gotten a full makeover.  When we moved in we had the tile painted and put in a new sink and toilet.  The shower was SO small, about 27 by 27!  If you dropped the soap, you practically had to kick it out to bend down and retrieve it!  This was  originally the master bath.  The tile was set in concrete 3 inches thick and the floors were 6 inches thick.  Just by removing all of the tile, and taking it down to the studs, we gained 2 inches on two sides of the shower.  The last 8 inches were gained buy stealing from a very deep [24"] linen closet.
Here are some before pictures.
This is the pedestal sink we added before we had the yellow tile painted.

 The small shower area.  I believe that these pictures were taken the day they were getting it ready to paint.  The blue you are seeing is the filler for the cracks.
That was the window fan that was there!  Yea...like that will keep you cool in "steamy" Atlanta!
Looks like they had started painting.
Don't you just love that shower curtain!
Gutted!!!
OK...it is about to start looking a little better!
"Oyster Bay" 8 by 16 gray limestone.  After it was put down, I panicked.  It looked so PINK to me!  Seriously, I almost ripped it out that night.
Small 1 by 1 for the floor of the same product.  After the grout dried, I started feeling a little better about the color.
OK...so here is the same sink.  I almost replaced it but because of budget constraints, I decided to keep it.  When the faucet was installed, I couldn't believe how good it looked.  SO glad that I kept it!
It was a better idea to spend the $$ on the frameless shower door.  They are expensive buy oh so pretty!
I did get a new toilet, not expensive, but it flushes SO much better!!!  Also, you can see how the horizontal wood turned out!
I did add a little feature on the back of the shower.  In hindsight, I wish I had not done this.  I was so afraid it would look too plain, but then I remembered that I like plain!  I could have saved the money and spent it on something else.  I used a gray grout instead of white on the 3 by 6 subway tile.  I do love that decision!
Closeup of the window treatment!  Burlap, plumbing pipe, and I forget what these things are called....but they worked perfect for rings and gave it a sort of industrial feel.
Just another view of the window.
I painted the whole room, wood, ceiling and trim Ben Moore White Dove.  Love that white!
2.95@ yd for white burlap...gotta love it!!!
Last picture!
Whoops, one more!  This was an old picture frame which I painted and then took the glass from a mirror that I had and inserted it.
I am so happy with the way it turned out.
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OK...time for some after pictures!

OK....I have been "in the weeds" as they say in the restaurant business!!  New floors in the bedroom, renovating a small guest bath and getting my home ready for a Better Homes and Gardens shoot!  My plate has been full, and on top of that working on projects for my clients.  I have been scolded by a few for neglecting them!!!  But...all is well and now it is all over and back to normal.
First we will talk about the bedroom.  I already did a previous post on my floors.  I had wall to wall seagrass since we had moved in to our home in 1993.  We ran out of money during the renovation and left them concrete.  I was going to carpet but that is when seagrass was just hitting the ground.  I have to say [I think I am repeating myself here!] that seagrass was incredible.  Really,until the last few years, it out performed any carpet I could have ever put down.  But.....the time had come to either replace it or do something else.  After pricing out hardwoods and new seagrass, It was only about a 1000.00 more to do the hardwoods.  That sounds like a lot but I was not going to let 1000.00 stand in the way of greatness!!!  At least that is how I always explain it to my clients......So everything came out of the bedroom and closet.  Whew...it made me anxious living that way for a week, but it really gave me a chance to purge and clean.
So following are the pictures of the after.  My master, which I also spiffed up with a little paint and some new pillows.....I just couldn't help it!
Lot's of white.  I used Benjamin Moore Dove White
And...the new pillows!
Old mahogany  chest that I painted white.  Nothing is safe from being painted at my house!
I found this old door and the mirror was already in it....sweet!
OK...now this was a find!  Ballards Backroom.  It is one of Suzanne Kasler's pieces.  And the best part was that it of course was reduced but then all wall decor was an extra 30% off!  Yippee!  But...I wanted it a little lighter so I put some liming wax on it.  I think it looks better.  You can look in the Ballards Catalog to see the color it comes in.
My ceiling was cypress but I was ready to lighten it up...so I painted it.  I made the chandelier out of an old iron basket.  I have seen this very one for about 2000.00 but mine was about 200.00.
Pillows!  I LOVE pillows!
I never sit in her but it looks cozy to me.  It is all about the "vignette"!!
So there it is!  My beach room in the city!  I really love the floors and do not want to put any carpet down.  But...with 2 big dogs, I feel that it will be necessary to keep the floors looking good....:(
Next up pictures of the bath renovation!

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Wall Texture


There are many ways to add texture to walls.  Brick, wallpaper, bead-board, or fabric are some that I have used.  I am renovating a small guest bath in my home and I am trying to add interest without breaking the bank!  Which I could easily do.......!  As I have previously posted, I LOVE the beach, and the casual light feeling that goes along with coastal design.  I am thinking about adding wood to the walls and running it horizontally.  Here are some examples of how that looks....
 I can't decide if I want to paint or just stain it a light color.  Here is a picture of a bath that started all this deciding....
Another way to run it is vertical....I like this look also, but I already have bead-board run that way in one of my baths.
Here are some other pictures with wood on the walls that I like.
I have always loved this kitchen.....

And....this look really saves this small attic room from looking like an after thought...
Another hallway...love the large mirror
Here is one more example of a less expensive way to do it.  Just take a 1 x 2 or 1 x 3 and run it on top of drywall.  After it is painted you have a great look without spending so much $$$$$
I will post pictures of my bath soon....they are installing the wood tomorrow!
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Floors

OK...here are pictures of floors that I liked and wanted.  They are much wider than I could afford!!  You know that whole "budget" word that we all hate SO much!  Anyway, I opted for 4" white oak, much more budget friendly.  I really agonized over the stain because I did not want any yellow.  So I took half white paint and half water and they painted them and wiped it off.  I do wish they were a little whiter but I had to work that day [to pay for the darn floors] so I could not be there to approve.

 After the paint treatment, we put three coats of a matte water based poly to seal.  I love how light they are and wish I had them through out my house!!!
Now, I am getting my bedroom and closet painted tomorrow.  I also have cypress on my ceiling that I am having painted out white.  More pictures of that soon........
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