room by room :: master bathroom

For the master bathroom, I utilized several of the same elements that were used in the downstairs bathroom. The freestanding vanities from Ikea worked perfectly as did the wall color, floor and wall tile. The layout is quite a bit different but as for the design, I only switched out the accent tile and how it was applied.

After searching through endless accent tile options and balancing style with budget, I found a fabulous mini brick marble mosaic at Home Depot. I used in as a border and in the inset. To add a little more dimension to the border, I sandwiched it with two bands of white beveled subway tiles.

 

Another element I used in the master bath to elevate it a little was marble sill found in the flooring department at Lowe's. I used it as baseboard, to cap the shower curb and to cap the narrow ledge I designed to run the length of one of the shower walls.

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 :: little girl's bedroom

For this little girls' bedroom, which will also serve as a guest bedroom, my goal was to design a cheery space that was young, but not so juvenile that an adult would feel like they were trapped in a Disney cartoon. And although the color scheme would deviate somewhat from the rest of the house, I still wanted to maintain a blend of traditional, vintage & modern elements.

Breeze Blue Sky by P. Kaufmann :: Melinda's

I found this fun print at a small, but very well stocked fabric store called Melinda's in Brookhaven, MS. It's a modern take on an old-school paisley print and has a variety of colors to work with in fresh, current shades like lime, citrine & raspberry. And at only $24.99/yard, it wouldn't cripple my budget. I had already designed and made the bubble chandelier, which I thought was whimsical and modern at the same time.

DIY Bubble Chandelier :: Lemongrass Interiors

I also had my eye on several vintage-style beds, including a really awesome peacock rattan and this super fun Jenny Lind in the same raspberry color found in my fabric -- (I love it when a design starts coming together!).

Jenny Lind Bed in Raspberry $799/queen :: Land of Nod

Sure the color was perfect and the style was a classic...but the price was a deal breaker. So I  went on the hunt and found an antique bed with turned posts for $50 bucks!! It was originally a full, but since I need to make new rails and repaint the whole thing, I can convert it to a queen with no problems. I'll be sure to post the DIY on that soon. Despite a few sceptical, raised eyebrows,I've chosen Benjamin Moore Italiano Rose for the bed. Online it looks a little rosy, but the actual color is much punchier.

With the inspiration fabric and statement furniture piece set, I decided to go with a pale yellow on the walls. As anyone will tell you (even design veterans), yellow can be tricky! I pulled out my Ben Moore fan deck, tacked up larger samples and painted swatches on the wall diligently checking them at different times of the day. I finally settled on Lemon Sorbet...sounds fun right?

Holy Ray Bans! Though I tried to warm up to it...this color was nearly blinding. After a week, I repainted the room in a tried and true standby...Hawthorne Yellow. Safe, calm...

...and muddy. I didn't even give this one a week. Late one afternoon after I had walked in and out of this room maybe a dozen times, I dumped the remaining Lemon Sorbet in with the remaining Hawthorne Yellow and kept adding white until I reached what I felt was the perfect shade.

Now of course there's no formula for recreating this color, but I was able to take a sample to my paint guy and have a full gallon mixed that (thank goodness!!) was a perfect match. Here's a shot of the new, lovely, makes-me-happy-when-I-see-it color going over the Hawthorne:

yessss!

At this point, the design could use a little white, so I'm planning to repaint a vintage nightstand we already have and I'm on the hunt for a dresser. I'll also be looking for an ornate, carved vintage mirror that I may paint to match the bed. For the finishing touches, I have this Robert Abbey Double Gourd Lamp in Apple Green in my stash...

Apple Green Double Gourd Ceramic Lamp by Robert Abbey $190.91 :: Lamps Plus

...and I found a great source for affordable, original art at Scoutmob. This watercolor has a sweet old fashioned vibe that I love and is only $30.

Modern Floral Watercolor by Kiana Mosley $30 :: Scoutmob (sold out)

For the bedding, I plan to use a plain white duvet set from Target and have my friend "The Monogram Queen" at Persnickey in Port St Joe, FL add a large, classic monogram to the shams a la Leontine Linens. I'm kind of digging the blue color of this monogram, which is also found in the Kaufmann fabric.

I'll top it with a "bed scarf" sewn from the inspiration fabric and maybe one accent pillow. I am forever in love with all things Quadrille, but the China Seas prints are fabric perfection! I think the graphic nature of Aga reverse (as shown on this adorable stool) would be spot on.

Aga Reverse in Watermelon on Tint by China Seas :: To the Trade

Finally, I'm looking for something fun on the floor. Every room can use a little stripe and I'm a big fan of Dash & Albert rugs for their simplicity, functionality & value.

Tiki Stripe by Dash & Albert $225 6X9:: Joseph's Cottage

Tiki Stripe is one fun option and I like the wide, bold swaths of color. I also found this adorable (and cushy) DIY option on the british blog "Conversation Pieces". 

DIY Felt Rug :: Conversation Pieces

I'm not sure if I can get my hands on the same smaller rugs she found, but I'll have fun trying!

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