how to sew a cafe curtain

Take the classic cafe curtain. Hung at a window's midpoint, this simple drapery allows the sun to fill a room while providing privacy and filtered light to the diners inside it. The cafe curtain shown here, is made out of linen but you can use a vintage tea towel, achieves the same romantic effect with little sewing. You can follow the 3 easy steps here on Martha Stewart. 

powder room tour

before-

my gripes: handicap tub in our downstairs powder room? Friends suggested that it was the perfect 'keg tub', umm... No! The kids thought that it was a cool hot tub.  

the potential: Hey, there's a powder room! But, it's very large

after-

We had a custom vanity made by Old Barn Star out of reclaimed wood to give us the country look. Painted the walls with Bone White to give the room a soft feel.

I made a cafe curtain to dress the window. I used off-white linen fabric and sewed the pom-pom trim. The cafe curtain allows the light to come in, but keeps the privacy.

I added an antique mirror that I painted white and distressed.  On both sides of the mirror is a barn style light fixture. 

The square sink is deep and gives the vanity a modern twist.  I kept the faucet simple matching the hardware in the bathroom.

The octagon tile I picked out to give the bathroom interest.  I love the fact that the charcoal grey grout really makes a statement and hides dirt.

I picked up the hand towels and storage basket from Marshalls. I sewed the left over pop-pom trim from the curtain to give some detail.  The storage basket below holds all my magazines and extra supplies.

On the long wall I added bead board to give it some interest.  The black and white frames with pictures are a personal touch and it keeps it simple.

As you can see the scary bathroom turned into a master piece.

*Thanks to our friend and contractor Kevin Brown for all his hard work with this bathroom
*Photo Credits by Dougherty Photo Designs

paint your doors black

They add drama and sophistication to any room.  Black doors instantly update any space and they look oh-so chic... Did I mention they hide hand prints?

Thanks to the great inspiration from Like Me Some found on Pinterest!

*Photo Credits to Dougherty Photo Designs

hand painted candle votives

On my mantel are 4 hand painted glass candle votives.You can purchase the plain glass vases and acrylic metallic paint at AC Moores and make fun pieces for less then $5 ea.

how to paint a perfect line

I wanted to paint my boring stair case.  It is the focal point of my foyer and it needed something special.  It has carpet with an oak banister and spindles, blah...blah.. blah..  I wanted hardwood floors, but that is not happening anytime soon. 

before-

I decided to give it a facelift.  I painted the spindles with white gloss oil paint. Why oil paint?  I wanted it to last.  I first primed with an oil paint of course!  Remember I have 3 kids, and there is no way I am doing this again.

after-

I thought why not step it up a notch and make it more interesting.  And after I saw How to Paint the Perfect Line turtorial by Ask Anna, I did it in a couple of hours!

How to make roman shades using old vertical blinds

This is a great idea to update your windows for $10 a yard!  I had cheap vinyl mini blinds on every window in the house. So I found a great tutorial on Pinterest on how to make custom roman shade and it turned out great!  Thank You Strawberry Chic you can see the step by step instructions here. 

foyer tour

It is the first impression of your house. My stairs are two tiered, therefore the focal point of the entrance, and it needed something special.  

before-

my gripes: tan carpet; oak banisters and spindles 

the potential: two story foyer; and hardwood floor entry

after-

I decided to give it a facelift. I painted the spindles with a white gloss oil paint. Why oil paint?  I wanted it to last.  I first primed with an oil paint of course!  Remember, I have 3 kids, and there is no way I am doing this again.

I thought why not step it up a notch and make it more interesting.  And after I saw How to Paint the Perfect Line tutorial in Pinterest, I finished it in a couple of hours!

This shows another project I completed, painting all your interior doors black.  It looks great and hides dirt!

What's a new foyer with out a new light?

The color on the walls is called 'The Perfect Greige'. It's not Beige or Grey, but can be either one depending on the light.

*Photo Credits to Dougherty Photo Designs

family room tour

Are you ready for my first Before and After room tour?  The family room is where we spend all of our time, so it seems to be appropriate to start there.  

before-

my gripes: mantel had a country feel (and not in a good way); the brass fireplace screen had to go; carpet is not conducive to 3 kids and 2 dogs; and the TV did not belong in the corner.

the potential: killer view of the lake; triple glass door; open floor plan to the kitchen; and a great size

after-

Finally, let there be light! The brown walls are gone, and they were painted with a med grey 'Zepplin' ICI Deluxe paint. It gives it a fresh look contrasting with the bright white trim.

Goodbye carpets and hello new red oak 4 1/2 in plank wood floors.

The sunburst mirror brings brass back into the room, but with a modern touch. I added my favorite colors with navy, white, orange, and hot pink throw pillows. It adds a pop of color off of the grey velvet couches.

You can see the fire place detail that our friend and contractor Kevin Brown installed to hide the ugly mantel. The candle motives I made and you can find the out more about them here.

I like the organic feel of the stone against the sophistication of the white mantel. Did you notice the brass fireplace gone? The new black screen gives it a simple update. 

What family room is complete with out a family portrait?  It can be done in a modern way, by adding a wrapped canvas print. The navy and emerald green colors bring another touch of color into my room. Thanks to Dougherty Photo Designs for taking the picture and doing 5 head swaps (including the dog's)!

Who doesn't love pouf's?  I scored these at Tuesday Mornings for $25ea.

A leather chair to read next to the fire.  The fur throw and grey velvet drapes bring texture and warmth to the room.

New DIY roman shades for under $10.  These keep the windows bright and fresh. You can see the step by step tutorial here.

* Photo Credits by Dougherty Photo Designs