Kitchen inspiration

We are nearing the end of our kitchen renovation. Hooray!!! I am excited to finally show pictures.  Once it's complete I will do before and after pictures.  We did a complete kitchen remodel.  We took out everything but the floors.  We moved into this house a little over a year ago and decided to live with it as it was and with the space before we made any changes.  You really get a feel for you use the space.  We had an island in the middle of the kitchen.  The footprint didn't really allow for an island, the kitchen just didn't function all that well.  Every appliance that we opened up opened to the island and the space felt cramped.  We opted to remove the island to create a more spacious room.  I'm so glad we waited to do the remodel because when we bought the house we LOVED the fact that it had an island. We had never had one before.  Now I am so happy that it is gone.

We are going for a rustic, cottage, transitional space.  One must have...it needs to be light, bright and airy.  Oh and I want a farm sink and subway tile.

The process has been fun.  I love picking out all of the finishes and creating my dream space.

Here are a few pictures that have been my inspiration.

Homebunch.com

Pinterest

bhg.com

Lonny.com

pinterest.com

Happy Friday!

A Beautiful Entry

I love decorating my own home but there are times that my husband and I have to compromise to create a style that we both love and the ideas aren't all my own style.  This blog is a creative outlet for all of the things that I love.  I love lots of different styles but mostly a refined rustic style with a touch of coastal chic.  I strive to decorate my home on a budget and these items are all pretty cost effective.

I love this entry.  A beautiful entry sets the mood for your home.  It lets guests know what they can expect to see throughout your home.  I love for my home to have a cohesive feel from room to room.  It, for me, is so much easier to decorate as I can move things from room to room and they still work.  

I love the wood work detail on the door, the wainscoting on the stairwell wall, the classic look of the stairwell and the beautiful hardwood floors.  What about that light fixture???  This is perfect. This picture from Benjamin Moore and the paint colors are spot on.  I prefer Benjamin Moore paints and love the quality and selection of colors. 

Go to www.benjaminmoore.com to see these and other paint color options.

Here are a few items that I found so that you can recreate the feel of this entry.  I would change out the rug to give a more coastal feel to the space. 

                                                                          entry pendant

I love this pendant light and really want it for my entry one day.

upholstered chair

I found this tufted chair on One Kings Lane for a fraction of the price of popular retailers.

Market Basket

You just can't go wrong with a great basket and this one is only $49.97 from Amazon.

stripe rug

For a costal feel without kitsch a stripe rug is a must have.

  

Thanks for stopping by.

Leslie

Something Fun

I am starting this blog to share a lifestyle perspective from a forty something year old.  I have been reading blogs for several years and even had a blog that I wrote for three years then stopped a few years ago.   I stopped because I didn't really know the direction the blog was going or my point of view.  Most of the blogs that I have read are written by twenty or thirty something year olds.  They are great and I enjoy reading them but needed something that I can relate to a bit more.

A few things about me…...
I love a great find.  I love that I decorate my home and buy my wardrobe, mostly, on a budget.  I might have the occasional splurge but for the most part I am frugal.  There are so many great budget friendly stores out there that you don't have to shop high end.  The deals are in good supply.  And, you don't have to look too hard.  I can't tell you how much shopping I do at Target.  I could probably do an entire blog about Target.  Seriously!  Oh, how sweet it is.  I also do a lot of shopping at TJ Maxx, Home Goods, Ikea, Old Navy, Loft, and when I do shop high end I mostly migrate to the clearance section.

I love interior design and have always dreamed of being a designer.  I love a casual, fun home.  I love vintage finds mixed in with contemporary pieces.  My overall style is pretty casual.  I'm a jeans and top kind of girl. I love the beach and casual dinners at home.  I am pretty low key and easy going.  I guess this will be a low key easy going lifestyle blog. I hope to share things that I love in interior design, as well as bargain hunting, flea market shopping, casual fashion, family life and fun experiences.

Stick with me, we'll have lots of fun.


Leslie