Michele's 2018 Design Goal

Recently, Leah and Sonia shared their design goals for 2018. This week, I'll be sharing one of the rooms from my home that I’ve been wanting to makeover for quite some time--the laundry room! Isn’t it funny how a room we use almost every day doing one of the most dreaded chores gets pushed aside to the bottom of our wishlist? This year, I'm finally taking control and making this a room that makes me want to do multiple loads of laundry and iron like nobody’s business!

While I'm thankful to have an actual room for our laundry near the kitchen, it is a room that guests walk by and see when they use our powder room right next to it. If we are having company over, I need to make sure there’s not a mound of laundry on the floor, undergarments drying on a rack, or shoes piling up from the garage entrance also off this room. Luckily, there's a pocket door for emergencies (smart thinking of the previous owners of our home).  However, the laundry room also has a window that gives off a lot of natural light into the otherwise dark hallway so closing the pocket door is not always ideal.

Along with the clutter, there is also a not-so-pretty wire shelving unit that is visible on the way to the powder room that is really not necessary since there are plenty of cabinets above and beside the washer/dryer on the opposite wall.  My goal is to replace the wire shelving unit with a long open counter top for folding clothes with a couple of rolling laundry carts underneath and some type of concealed shelving for extra shoes. A nice light fixture and a fresh coat of paint on the walls and cabinets would really transform this room and make it a place I look forward to using every day (and not embarrassed by from all the clutter when guests walk by).

Here are some inspirational laundry rooms that I could spend all day washing, folding, and ironing in...

SOURCE: twelve on main

I love the turned legs and butcher block countertop along with some simple white subway tile to go along with the rest of the farmhouse style in my home.

Source: Studio McGee

What’s better than white shiplap to add some texture to an accent wall? I love the gray tiled floor in this pattern in this room too!

source: Bre purposed

I am thinking of painting the existing white cabinets a beautiful shade of navy or gray to add some contrast and interest to my mostly neutral home. Love how darker paint colors can make such a statement against so much white!

Hope to have some updates for you later in 2018!        

-Michele

Pilgrim Project Dining Room Reveal - Part 1

Another reveal for you this week! WE LOVE REVEALS!!! It's weeks and weeks of our hard work all rolled into a few images which capture our final vision, they are so much fun! And for this project we actually installed it before Christmas. You may have caught some sneak peaks on Instagram and Facebook. It's a bit excruciating to complete a project and then wait to reveal the finished design. It's like finally buying a pair of ridiculously perfect boots you've been eyeing forever and then putting them in your closet and not wearing them for months on end! Like we said, excruciating. To make matters worse, today's reveal is only Part 1 of 2. This project, our beloved Pilgrim Dining Room Project, has a lot to cover, so we're serving it up in portions. 

The project as a whole is in the transitional family (similar to our Homestead Project). But, here we incorporated a lot more natural textures and neutral tones with black accents and pops of green, our favorite. Our client was so trusting as we designed not only a beautiful, but a functional room, for her young, amazing family in the 1920's home that she grew up in. For today's post we're focusing on the dining table and console table.

Before we get too deep into the completed space, let's look back at a before photo.

And a side-by-side.

The dining table and chandelier are two changes with huge impact. 

We chose a round, pedestal table for a couple reasons. First, it partners well with an open concept space. We all love open concept spaces because they feel so airy and connected, and a round table lends to this feeling - it's visually soft and fluid and allows for your gaze to continue to move around a room. A round table also makes for seamless traffic flow, which is ideal for a large family with fast-moving, traffic-making kiddos. The pedestal base is great for cramming in a few extra chairs when hosting guests. 

These awesome dining chairs bring the texture. And we LOVE texture. Texture makes you feel cozy and makes a space feel livable and lived in - like home. These chairs are also surprisingly comfortable and sturdy. Can't overlook practicality when the primary users of a space aren't old enough for a PG-13 movie!

For the table centerpiece, we kept it simple and modern. This green vase is from the Hearth and Hand collection at Target (beautiful and budget-friendly) and these "flowers" are actually in the cabbage family. Seriously!

Finally we make our way to the chandelier. The previous space didn't have any existing lighting above the table. We knew bringing in just the right light fixture would serve both function and design appeal. It's a favorite element for us. It is traditional in its profile, which works so well in this older home. But, the thin, elongated arms and simple lines are wonderfully modern. It's elegant and cool at the same time. 

And here's the console table. Doesn't it fit perfectly into this nook? Nooks can be challenging because you need to be especially thoughtful about proportion - are you filling the nook with the appropriate sized piece? But, nooks are also built-in (literally) charm. So, take your time and find the right sized furniture, believe us it is worth it.

Check out a photos of this space before we got our hands on it.

You know how much we love all things green these days (remember the velvet green chair from our Mayberry Project?!!! SO GOOD). Well, for the Pilgrim Project, we brought our love to the next level with some green on green action - fresh cut stems in green vases. And the basket full of birch logs isn't too bad either. 

{Design Tip} If your accessories budget is minimal, you'll need to prioritize. Storage and plants should be 1 and 2 on your list. They bring function and mood. And they are beautiful. 

Stay tuned for Part 2 of the Pilgrim Dining Room Project reveal, the seating area! 

Dining table

Dining chairs

Green vase (medium) 

Green vase (small)

Console table

White planter (for Boston fern - left side of console table)

Black wire basket

Wood box ("The Local Bakery") 

Wire and rope basket

Predictions for What's Hot This Year

With February almost upon us, it's now or never to make some predictions for what is gonna be HOT this year. But before we dive into our thoughts on what should be on everyone's radar, we asked a few of our fellow designers to share their worthy opinions. Like...

STUDIO MCGEE

You read that extra large print correctly - Shea McGee of Studio McGee! We asked Shea if she would share her 2018 predictions with us, and she was kind enough to give us her thoughts on what interior design trends to pay attention to in the coming months. So, get out a pen, pencil, crayon, sharpie, whatever...here's what she had to say: 

"This year, I'm hoping that we'll continue to see more refined rustic aesthetic coming in finishes, furnishings, and even accessories. I love the warmth that raw textures brings. Also, whether it's in wood form or painted, I love the dimension that vertical paneling gives a space." - Shea McGee

You know how much we love texture and we totally agree that natural and raw finishes are a current, yet timeless way to bring them into your home. Here are a couple visuals to demonstrate Shea's insight (they both come from Studio McGee's Park City Canyons Remodel). The raw wood stools and floating shelves are giving that "refined rustic aesthetic" and the skinny, vertical, black paneling is a fresh twist on all that horizontal shiplap we've been seening for the past few years.

CC AND MIKE CREATIVE

We were also lucky enough to get some predictions from CC and Mike Creative. You may have read the awesome interview they gave us last month (click here to read it). CC also gave us her predictions for 2018 trends, we just saved this wise nugget until now:

"I am in love with the green tones and recently painted our dining room Benjamin Moore’s Dark Harbor and couldn’t be more pleased with the results. I also painted our pool bathroom Benjamin Moore Newburg green. I think the navy and jewel tone trends will continue into 2018. I also predict that we will continue to see more and more return to natural wood cabinetry in kitchens and bathrooms. I love the return to natural wood, especially paired with patterned tile floors!" - Carissa of CC and Mike Creative

Well, you know how much we LOVE green these days, so we were so pleased to hear that CC is on board with our current obsession. Also really interesting to hear similar thoughts to Shea McGee when it comes to natural wood. 

This is CC's dining room in Dark Harbor. Completely and utterly stunning.

BRIA HAMMEL INTERIORS

And the fun continues with a prediction from the insanely talented Bria Hammel of Bria Hammel Interiors. Here is what she told us about the 2018 trends she's predicting (and loving): 

"We are so excited for the new shift towards traditional styles. I never really got on the mid-century bandwagon but so happy to see more brands and designers embracing this updated traditional look coming on. Finally people aren’t afraid to use pink and florals, but in a really fresh cool way. We have never had so many male clients open to us adding a soft feminine color to their rooms as they are now! Bring on the classic pinstripe fabrics and floral wallpaper!" - Bria Hammel

We couldn't agree more. While we do love mid-century furnishings and stylings, nothing is more timeless than traditional. And if there's anyone who hasn't gotten on board with pink yet, even after the millennial pink craze, it's officially time.  

This gorgeous living room is from Bria Hammel Interior's Mendota Heights Townhome project. You can see where she's going with this pink, floral, traditional prediction - subtle and soft and completely inviting. PS - keep your eye out for a full blown interview with Bria next month. She had so much design wisdom to share with us and we are excited to pay it forward!

GRAY OAK STUDIO

And, last but not least, us. What are OUR design predictions for this glorious new year? We think cozy is the name of the game this year.

Everyone wants to live in a space that is beautiful, but, more than anything, feels like home. Hence the absolute rage of modern farmhouse style (Thanks Chip and JoJo, we all owe you). While we don't think modern farmhouse is going away just yet, but we do think that it's taking a more streamlined turn. A little more minimalist, a little more traditional. We think neutral palettes will rule, and not just gray, but all neutrals. From white to beige to taupe to tan to...alright, fine, gray.

Natural wood and natural fibers are part of this neutral trend. Like Shea and CC, we think that raw woods are just at the beginning of their climb to HOT HOT HOT. And with that, we'll see a lot of mixing of wood tones. You don't have to buy everything in "walnut stain" anymore. Just like you can mix and match throw pillows, you can mix and match wood finishes, you just need to find the right balance. Finally, pops of deeply saturated color (black, caliente red, blue and, of course, green) will provide the whimsy and fun that every space needs to give it some personality and interest.

And there you have it. Documented predictions ready to be affirmed...or WAY OFF (Swim? Swammi? Slippy? Slappy? Swenson? Swanson?)

- Leah, Michele & Sonia