Re-Entry - who needs it?

Read and I have returned from celebrating our 12th wedding anniversary in Parrot Cay. When I tell you I have the best husband clients in the world, I mean it. One client (who shall remain nameless) traded us a dream vacation at Parrot Cay for some design time on her latest project. Thank you husband dream client for the best vacation a couple could ask for!

Many of you have asked for photos from our get away. It was just too good not to share -- especially since I was blown away by the decor.  Welcome to Parrot Cay.

 Here is a shot of Read and I enjoying some time on the beach. Just kidding. Do you REALLY think I had on a bikini? Much less, posted it on my blog? 

The airy Indonesian vibe accented every single space. Everything was natural wood, white and Turquoise (only from the sea). 
Aside from a couple of minor mishaps like watching Read realizing his passport expired 4 days before the trip... watching Read struggle to lift heavy weights in yoga inspired "zen" gym next to Bruce Willis while blaring some type of very loud music on speakers in zen gym... way under-budgeting for alcohol and crying upon departure, it was a perfect vacation. Now I am rocking a savage tan and am so relaxed that I almost forgot to take kids to school this morning. Re-entry. Who needs it? bye bye birdie, -h

(Not) My Farmhouse....

 Jeff was out of town this weekend so I kept it low key... My sister was here from Chicago, we had 3 all star soccer games Saturday morning and I hosted a beach party Saturday night. Did I say low key? What I meant to say was Jeff was out of town and I needed lots of crack coffee to keep up.

 

But we made it and he got back just in time for us to hit a Sunday afternoon party at a friend's farmhouse 30 minutes outside of Wilmington. I had never been there before and when we pulled up my heart began racing.

 

 

 

 

 

I was so confused... why was my friend living in a house that was clearly supposed to be mine? Do you see the double house window panes in that middle window upstairs? Swoon...

 

The blue chairs on her porch did used to mine. My sister in law picked them up on the side of the road one day. That was the day she officially became one of us. My brother was beaming when he found out she had brought home someone else's trash... Anyhoo, they didn't work on her porch or mine so Amy ended up with them. She loved on them and painted them and they truly belong!

An easel sits by the front door with a stitched picture about guest. The original picture hung in her parents house and one of her sisters got it and is now making one for all the siblings to have. (Did I mention there are 13 of them?)

The inside is as lovely as the outside and they have spent countless hours bringing this beautiful old home back to life. The details are gorgeous. I loved this built in bookcase stuffed to the gills off of the foyer.

The house has 5 bedrooms (see?... would be perfect for our family!) each with beautiful light and layered details. Wonder if the dog sleeps on the dog bed or chaise?

Painted floors, bead board on the walls and ceilings, and sweet details made this my room of choice.

The surrounding yard is full of mature plants and little treasures everywhere. All the trees are have hanging lanterns and at night when lit, I have heard it is breathtaking. Unfortunately, we had to get the kids in bed and left before dark. (Also after a coke, cream soda and an orange crush, Addie was buzzin' and no longer making eye contact so we thought we better leave before asked to!)

A little table set up with a "green fairy drink" certainly got a lot of attention though I was not brave enough to try it. 110 proof? Yeah, no thanks... I'm not much of a drinker and I feared one of those and I'd either be telling everyone my life story or think I was really funny.

I loved the details around every corner and especially loved the legend of the Spanish moss. I had never heard that before but you better believe that is going somewhere in my house!

 

Obviously my weekend wasn't low key after all but we did have so much fun spending it with family and then friends. I am not rested  as a busy week awaits me but I am truly inspired and thrilled I got to spend time with A&G and all their friends at my their beautiful farmhouse...-A

 

(don't worry... I'll show you more later!)

   Happy Monday! Bye, bye Birdie,

Wash and Wear Condo ready to rent...

Seems to be condo season around here... Hooper did an amazing condo reno here. And I just finished giving this oceanfront beauty an overhaul. The catch... I  had 3 weeks to do it. So if you have seen me in the last 3 weeks, I apologize for the crazed look and dreads. Hair brushing seemed to have taken a back seat to this project. Anyhow, now it's done and I am very pleased. Take a look...

 

Before:

While this was a gem in it's day, the furniture and french country vibe had become outdated.

After:

Considering budget, I kept the art, coffee table (LOVED!) and furniture. Beach friendly slipcovers did wonders. I kept the colors surf and sand on the sophisticated side.  I painted the entire condo the same color so it wouldnt feel choppy or broken up by color.

 Because this is a rental, the rug stayed small.  I wanted a pop of pattern and texture without maintenance. the hardwood floors are perfect for sweeping up sand at the end of a beach day.

A smaller console replaced the big TV armoire. But seriously... who's watching T.V. with this view?

Stay tuned Friday to learn more about the coral art on the wall...

 

Check out the dining room before:

 

Heavy ornate furniture no longer fit the bill for a rental. So... I took it down a notch with a comfortable casual feel.

After:

A simple drum shade is high enough to not block the view from the kitchen. Do you know how many kids you can pile on a bench? The bench will offer more seating then 2 more chairs.

 

The kitchen got a fresh coat of paint on the cabinets and wall  as well as an updated light... that did wonders. Subway tile is next on the list. We stayed minimal in here since the homeowner is considering a major reno in 5 years.

 

The bedrooms got attention as well as all new um..er..everything!...

 Master Before:

 After:

 

Blackout drapes are a nice alternative to heavy blinds. Both bedrooms got new carpet. I choose a taupe color in hopes to hide stains should they occur. (remember... it's a rental)

 

 Guest Room Before:

After:

Since this was a 2 bedroom condo, the 2nd bedroom needed a queen and twin bed. New matching headboards and simple bedding keep the room light and open.

The bathrooms needed serious attention...

Before & After:                                                                                         

 

The master bath has a new double vanity, new floor tile in the tub area, & new recessed lighting. (Apparently when the condo was built overhead florescent take me to your leader lights were all the rage). The saloon style  medicine cabinet had to go as well.

 

But... my favorite detail was turning an unused nook near the front door into a functioning space...

Before this was just a nook with a small table and lamp. Now you have a basket for flip flops, a seat and hooks for beach bags. Another Soundside Carpentry job well done.

 

The goal was beachy without being too beachy... hmmm... Color & details did the trick:

Now it is rental ready! Too bad we're not moving in!...-Ann

 

Happy Wednesday!

Bye, bye Birdie,

Thank you JJJ &  AJ for the opportunity and all the help!

Mom..mom..mom...mom..mom..mom..mom..mom..mom..mom..mom..mom..mom..mom...

To all of you that are Mothers... I hope yesterday was wonderful. In fact I hope your children floated out of their rooms on clouds. I hope you heard silence and no bickering all day. (nobody breathed on anybody, touched them, sat on their side of the car , etc....)   I also hope you got an orange paperclip, foam flower, sticker, U.F.O. landing pad necklace as cool as mine and you rocked it out.    Yes... I hope this for all of you. Yesterday was wonderful.  We hung out at the beach, pool, and ended the day at my favorite restaurant with a quick ice cream shop stop to follow... My rings don't fit on my fingers today but yesterday was wonderful.     We have shared before about our precious friends cute Jen and Hal from Fotojenik and their adoption journey. See here. As they get closer to their goal they continue their desire to help others fund their adoptions. I love their hearts and can not wait to see Jen celebrate her first Mother's day with a baby on her hip!     I rocked my KIN bracelet along with my necklace. I wear the bracelet everyday! So treat yourself to a very cool hip bracelet and cause.... See here. and... Happy Monday! Bye,bye Birdie, A

My House Paint Color Reveal

As many of your know, I have been agonizing over what to paint the exterior of my house. Previously it was PINK. Many of you weighed in and heavily (thank you) on your opinion on whether to stay pink or go with something different. Remember my house before? I loved it this color -- a "shell pink" if you will and was hesitant to change something I loved... but I do love change and COLOR so...

I went with "Winter's Day" by Behr. Ann found it at Home Depot (she gets ALLLLL of the credit). She said she wanted to move on with her life and she couldn't until I stopped nagging her about my paint decision. Aww. How sweet. I didn't like the contrast at first, because Winter's Day is a little light so I darkened it 50%. (Not giving her credit for that part).

 Regardless, I am thrilled. I wanted to show it to you sooner, but with the monsoons and darkness, it was hard to get a good shot. Today is our first sunny Spring Day. I was starting to think I had cursed it by choosing a paint color called "Winter's Day". It has a little blue and a little green mixed into a medium gray. That's good because I just couldn't decide. This blends them all! 

 The porch ceiling is Benjamin Moore "Palladian Blue" -- it is so bright out here, you can't even tell, but it's there. All of the new plants were added for a hush hush photo shoot that took place last week. Can't wait until I can tell you more. 

 I kept my front door the natural wood that it was before and repainted my bench and side doors in a bright coral. 

 The trim is "Simply White" by Benjamin Moore. It's a great go-to white if you ever need one! 

It screams "Welcome", don't ya think? I'm happy with the choice. Hope you like it!

bye bye birdie...

-Hooper