room by room :: kitchen

I love to cook! I love to bake! And when we have a full house, I do a lot of both (plus all of the cleanup that follows). It was very important for me to have a very well thought out kitchen design that would function efficiently and of course, be beautiful. Ours is an open floor plan, so the elements of the kitchen had to flow with the adjacent dining and living rooms. The kitchen design actually dictated how much of the remaining floor plan played out. From the initial concept, I began taking notes and gathering inspiration photos of kitchens I loved. This is the first kitchen I pinned. I instantly fell in love with these huge to-the-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows.

Marsh Residence Rustic Kitchen :: Dungan Nequette Residential Design

I also liked the way these three narrower windows were framed and trimmed together. This option seemed like a more practical way to achieve a bank of windows since our kitchen is on the first floor.

This unique design has always been one of my favorite kitchens and probably sparked my preference for open shelving in lieu of upper cabinetry.

RiverCamps Idea House :: Southern Living

The other thing I was sure of was that I wanted a white kitchen. I love the fresh, crisp look and since we had decided to use tongue and groove pine on all of the great room walls, stained cabinets would have been way too much wood. I liked the simple design of this galley kitchen with open shelving flanking the window.

I also liked the way this kitchen blended crisp white with natural wood elements and the fact that it doesn't necessarily look like a "kitchen" straight on.

I started like I always do with sketches of several configurations. Each had one constant: the coveted bank of windows. Here's one of the designs where I considered twin banks of tall cabinetry. Can you tell I'm really attracted to symmetry?

Preliminary North Wall Design :: Lemongrass Interiors

For several reasons, practical and aesthetic, we decided on cabinets from Ikea. Other than their excellent value, they are well-designed and have tons of smart components like soft closing hinges, full-extension drawers and interior organizers. Ikea has also nailed the whole "modern meets country" thing -- exactly the concept behind the barn house. After the layout was set, I used Ikea's handy kitchen design tool.

North Wall Design in Progress

In this design, I was still toying with the idea of cabinets to flank the windows which would completely fill the large blank space. For the refrigerator wall, I wanted to recess about half of the depth of it into the wall and flank it with cabinets with glass doors. 

West Wall Design in Progress

To get the right configuration, I decided on 12" deep wall cabinets for the uppers and lowers. Then we planned to build a custom surround, mounting the Ikea cabinets on either side -- hoping to achieve a seamless built-in look. In the end, we decided on the Adel Off-white fronts and lots and lots of drawers.

Akurum Base Cabinet with Adel Off-white Front :: Ikea

I also decided against any upper cabinetry on the back wall and instead chose six (three on each side) white Ekby Jarpen shelves with Bjarnum brackets.

Ekby Jarpen Shelf with Ekby Bjarnum Bracket $24.99 :: Ikea

I also fell in love with Ikea's Domsjo double bowl, apron front sink. Its huge, beautifully designed and an awesome price! Anyone who's shopped for an apron front sink has no doubt experienced sticker shock. But at $312.98 (!!!) the Domsjo is a no-brainer. 

Domsjo Double Bowl Sink $312.98 :: Ikea

We decided on several other items from Ikea including the Ringskar faucet with pullout function which was a steal at $159, as well as their side-by-side refrigerator and dishwasher both in stainless steel. And after considering alternate options like zinc and concrete (so over granite!) for the countertops, we chose white laminate. I love the look and practicality of it and at that particular stage in construction, it was the best choice. Honestly, we were exhausted and had a long punch-list. The idea of forming and welding zinc or pouring our own concrete countertops was just too much. We reasoned that if we tire of these or they don't hold up the way we hope, we've only spent like $300 so...

Just 10 days after moving in, we hosted Thanksgiving for 35 family members! I put the kitchen right to work and it functioned perfectly. I can't wait to share the finished design with you! 

room by room :: guest/kids bathroom

While I'm putting the finishing touches on the boys' bedroom, I thought I'd share the design plan for the downstairs guest bath that is primarily used by the kiddos. Keeping that in mind, I wanted the bathroom to be #1 functional and easy to clean, #2 simple and classic and #3 gender neutral. One of our first choices was this vanity and sink combo from Ikea.

Hemnes + Rattviken Sink Cabinet $379 :: Ikea

We spotted these vanities on a "idea gathering" trip early in construction and, individually, picked them out. Then when we were showing each other what we liked...we realized we'd chosen the same ones making these an easy choice. I was inspired by the color scheme and stripe design in this bathroom by Sarah Richardson (one of my favorite designers).

Classic Ensuite :: Sarah 101

In this design, she blended off-the-shelf tiles in white, cream and gray - a combo that I felt was neutral but not too boring and would give me flexibility with wall paint and accessories through the years. Now, to interpret that inspiration for our bath. First I chose the floor tile and grout color (which I also planned to use in the master bath).

American Olean 12X12 White on White Hexagonal Tile $2.57/sf:: Lowe's

Polyblend Sanded Grout in Delorean Gray :: Home Depot

The photo of this grout is quite a bit darker than the actual product when it's dry. I thought the gray was a nice contrast to all of the classic white tile. I had already I painted the walls a very pretty light gray. 

We installed a white tub, deciding on ceramic tile for the shower surround. For this, I wanted a rectangular field (main) tile, but large rectangle tiles are muy expensive! So I searched and searched, configured and reconfigured...I finally settled on this 6X8 tile from Home Depot. In the end, the size turned out just right and the price was awesome!

U.S. Ceramics 6X8 Tile in Bright Snow $2.25 ft :: Home Depot

But of course, I wouldn't be happy with a plain white shower stall. So I broke out my trusty graph paper and designed a stripe pattern that would add some style, but hopefully not be too busy for the space. I found a gray 2X6 trim tile and penny rounds in an almond color.

Daltile Semi Gloss 6X2 Bullnose Ceramice Tile in Ice Gray $0.98/each :: Home Depot

Merola Tile Cosmo Penny Round in Almond (12X12 sheets) $6.97/each :: Home Depot

I decided on two accent stripes that consisted of a 4" band of the almond penny rounds sandwiched between two bands of the gray bullnose. I ordered the accent tiles without getting samples first, but when they arrived, I couldn't have been happier. The gray is almost a perfect match to the wall color and the penny rounds have several shades of cream and almond that give it really nice dimension.

**A little side note of serendipity here: When I was shopping for the gray ceramic tile, I took a chance and ordered the bullnose tiles which were less than a dollar each as opposed to $2.05 for the 1/2X6" flat liner (too thin anyway) or $1.98 for the 2X6" field tile. That was a huge savings! As it turns out, the thickness of the ceramic field & accent tiles is slightly more than the thickness of the penny rounds. So when installed, the curve of the bullnose rounded perfectly to the penny rounds. I'd like to say I planned that all out, but I just got super lucky!

I'm framing the last art prints now and installing a few accents. I'll post shots of the completed room soon!

BTdubbs...Only a week till Christmas Eve!! Heading out now for some last minute shopping, which is honestly, my favorite kind. I love working on a tight deadline! LOL 

Merry Christmas Peeps!

room by room :: boys' bedroom

Before we even broke ground, I started gathering ideas and created a design board for each room. Often, my inspiration is sparked by a fabric that I find (or have in my stash). For the boys' bedroom, I started with an awesome orange slubby linen that I had left over from a previous job, some art and accessories gathered over time and this very cool bed that I found on Pinterest.

The style of this bed was perfect for the "streamlined rustic" look I was trying to achieve. I knew it was a DIY project I could easily tackle and I loved the idea that each boy would have his own reading light.

I had about 3 yards of this slubby linen in a great orange color that I used as the jumping off point for the accent color used throughout the room.

After deciding on the accent color, I pulled the rest of the color scheme together with neutrals that were a variation of the basic khaki and black. I wanted the walls and bed color to have an olive tone and the black to be a softer iron color, kind of charcoal. I chose Benjamin Moore's Camouflage for the walls, Creekside Green for the beds and Raccoon Fur for the chest of drawers & nightstands. Then for painted items in the accent color, I used Orange Blossom.

Both boys love hunting and fishing so I ran with that. Some of the accents I planned to use were a vintage Winchester poster, a group of fish prints in simple frames, a couple of unfinished wooden boat oars that I found at a local marine supply store for $19 each and this "warehouse" style pendant from Home Depot that was a great bargain!

Hampton Bay 1-Light Warehouse Pendant $29.88 :: Home Depot

While I loved the style, the brushed nickel finish didn't quite jive with the rest of the room. So I broke out every DIYer's best friend...spray paint. A quick once-over with steel wool to rough up the surface and a couple of coats of Rust-Oleum's Soft Iron spray paint and it was perfect.

Furniture for the room consisted of the beds (I constructed two queens for this room), a nightstand that just needed a color change, a desk and two Tarva chests from Ikea for just $99 each! These have clean lines, are solid pine and are so versatile (there are tons of hacks all over the web). They were also the perfect size for the space and made it possible for each boy to have his own.

Tarva Chest with 5 Drawers $99 each :: Ikea

 As for bedding, I found these great blankets at Target from their Threshold line in a gray pickstick.

Queen Threshold Organic Blanket in Gray Pickstitch $38.99 each :: Target

I had also previously scored a clearance deal on two striped throws from West Elm. I think I bought them before we even had walls, but a deal is a deal... and they had the exact colors and feel that I wanted for the room. For the window treatments, I've sewn simple roman shades in white cotton duck fabric with the soft iron color as an accent. 

In my next post, I'll show you the completed room and how its all come together...

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interior inspiration

For this project, we found tons of inspiration. From the natural surroundings and nearby barn structures, to our affinity for a clean, crisp aesthetic. I started almost right away creating a board on Pinterest (what a ingenious and addicting invention!!). Follow the link below to take a look at our initial design ideas:

:: barn house inspiration ::

I loved the triple bank of windows

We loved the open stair design and exposed pole support

This was the inspiration for the tongue & groove pine stain color downstairs

next steps :: siding + insulation + sheetrock

We really wanted to stay true to the classic barn design, so after considering several options for siding, we chose red metal siding for the exterior and white trim. For the inside of the barn bays, which is the exterior wall of some of the living space, we went with a board & batten design using Hardie siding.

Exterior Siding in Progress

Shortly after, the insulation was installed followed by the sheetrock. While we were capable of tackling much of the work ourselves, insulation is a miserable job if you're not properly equipped, plus we decided on foam insulation for the roof areas. 

For the sheetrock, I was adamant that we have a smooth finish. I'm sure there is a place for all of the alternate sheetrock finishes like orange peel, knockdown, Spanish lace,etc.... but not for a project with my name on it! We ended up with an awesome drywall installer who did an excellent job on the finish.

Entry & Stairwell

Kitchen & Pantry Entrance

Living Room

You'll notice in these photos that in the living, entry & kitchen, only the ceilings are drywalled. For this area, we chose tongue and groove pine and installed it horizontally.

Installing the first tongue & groove pine board

...and the (mostly) finished room

Laundry/Pantry

Downstairs Bathroom

Bedroom 1

Bedroom 2

Office

Upstairs Hall & Stairwell

Master Bathroom

Master Bedroom

Now all of the "fun" decisions begin. I've had the design scheme pulled together for a while, so now its time to see it all come together!

first phase :: site prep + framing

After all plans were final and permits were pulled, the site prep began. Add in several tons of dirt plus many hours of skillful grading with the dozer and we were ready to set the poles for the barn portion of the structure. A few days later, the plumbers had done their rough-in; then during the last couple of days in March, the cement slab was poured. Fast forward through several weeks of framing and we have a "dried in" barnhouse!

We were very lucky to have worked with some great subs. Our cement foundation turned out wonderfully. We're planning on staining the concrete floors, so it was important to get the slab just right -- and our concrete man and his crew did an awesome job.

Our framers were meticulous in their portion of the job and, though we did our best to minimize any mid-stream changes, were very patient and accommodating when they did arise.

initial concept

This project started in late 2012 with an idea of creating a super functional structure that combined a basic living space with a classic barn to house heavy equipment and all things motorized. My client (a.k.a my soon-to-be fiance) was inspired by a friend's structure which was essentially a barn with a small, one bedroom apartment. They had lived in this apartment for a year or two while they built their permanent home. It now serves as overflow accommodations for guests, work and storage space and basically "man-cave" for watching games and hanging out. It is a very cool barn and after seeing it, my imagination went wild.

Our needs required that we design a structure with more living space to accommodate more of a five+ year living plan. I started with sketches of a classic barn structure and a 1,400 square foot, three bedroom apartment with a great room. Then, we tweaked the plan...added a home office...expanded the living space...and the pantry/laundry room...and the closets........you can probably see where this is going! And, just like one of those magic animal growing capsules, we had designed a 52' by 68' barn with 2,400 of heated and cooled living space. It now has all of the living space we (may ever) need and covered equipment/workshop bays that are nearly 25' deep.

First Floor Living :: Rough Sketch

Second Floor Living :: Rough Sketch

Front Elevation :: Rough Sketch

East Elevation :: Rough Sketch

Though there were several renditions, these are copies of my original hand-drawn sketches. And below, the final CAD drawings produced by my friends at F&B Builders, Inc.

Floor Plan :: Final Drawings

Front & Rear Elevations :: Final Drawings

East & West Elevations :: Final Drawings