My First Floor Is Getting A Facelift

After five years of living in our home, P and I have finally started the renovation on our first floor!  This is the longest we have lived at the same address and think that it is about time to change out the flooring, tackle the kitchen, and create a new entrance to our family room.  I am taking advantage of P's mad home improvement skills, and the contractors I work with.  It has been chaotic because year end is very busy for both of us, but we just crave chaos!!  Here is the progress so far since Thanksgiving:

 P tore out the carpet quickly.  Then the hallway wood floor.

Princess of Darkness napped during the hauling out process and when she woke up she was confused about where the carpet went. Don't worry cat, flooring came back, but in the form of beautiful five inch plank hand scraped engineered birch with a warm chestnut stain.

Next, we tackled the kitchen.  This is what it looked like. We are saying 'adios' to the linoleum flooring, cabinet finish and hardware, black appliances, and this small island 'situation'.

We are also giving a big farewell kiss to the long pony wall (aka 'the balance beam' because my daughter would walk across it all the time) separating our family room from the kitchen. 

 We had our long pony wall removed, and created a smaller version on the left side of the room.  This will open up our kitchen access, and allow more light in because our furniture will be moved away from the window in the family room.  Thanks Trevor!

 We moved the island and appliances out of the way to make room for the new flooring.  'Push P, push!'

 Next came more of the new wood flooring. 

 A quick sketch from me for the new columns and Steve, the wood master, built them.

 'Ok, who put the frig doors in the family room?' Ha ha...not funny.

 We are working on painting the columns now, and I need to get moving on the wall paint palette.

New appliances came in and this past weekend we had our cabinets painted a soft tan gray (Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore).  Thanks Jim!  It is super important to let the cabinets breathe for as long as possible so the doors will be off for a week.

Next up is to get the doors back, add our new hardware, and work on the island -add more storage, seating, a new counter top and moldings.  I still have to figure out wall paint colors, and furniture placement, but that will be after the new year.  

Stay tuned!!!

P.S. The Designs By Shoshana Studio will be closed December 21 thru January 4, 2012.  

Happy Holidays and A Healthy New Year Friends!!!

Bits and Pieces of Designer Love From Last Week

It is Friday night and I am in my work out clothes contemplating getting on my treadmill (have been thinking it over for an hour).  I am so lame because I just shut my client folder at midnight.  Has been a great week though and, so much to catch up on.  Then to bed I go because I am checking out an antique show tomorrow morning at the Ice House in Bethlehem; so fun.  

I just want to share some cool things I am digging from this past week.  They are pieces of design projects I am working on, and well just fun stuff.  First and foremost is Sara Jane, who has begun working with me.  Welcome to the LYR team Sara Jana.  I will blog about her soon so you can get to know her.

I love it when a plan comes together (go A-Team), and this design plan for Michael and Christine in Saucon Valley, is looking great!  I checked on their window treatments and had to share with you two of the drapes because I am in love with the patterns, colors and textures!  

Next, I saw this blingy mouse and ear phones at Staples and had to buy them.  I did it for my daughter (yeah right)!  She was very impressed with me.

Also, I recently finished a design plan for a client looking to add some fresh whimsy to her family room.  Love these fabrics we chose for her new sectional; so yummy (like bubble gum!), and an ottoman in burgundy (so soft).  

Took a trip to IKEA and I really want to use these red chairs some where, maybe my basement......

And I was so excited to see this frame gallery at a clients' because each frame is tiny but together they look large and in charge!  We painted the walls a soft blue and added a chair rail and vertical trim.  She had all of these small hand painted works of art kept in a box.  They were so beautifully detailed and had meaning to my client so we made a tight pattern on the wall and she nailed them up.

She also had this amazing metal art piece in her home.  We placed it up front and center over the sofa.  Large works of art look great over a sofa because they balance each other out.  Don't mind the tape strips on the sofa arms, she is actually doing a genius thing-they are special tape strips used to get your cat or dog to stop trying to scratch or sit on the furniture.  And she says they are working so the strips will go soon.  She bought the strips at her local pet store.

OK, so I was called to help a client move into a brand new town home quickly; to paint and furnish it ASAP- so we did it! But when it came to finding a window treatment for her bathroom, she wanted a window treatment that allowed as much light to come thru as possible and needed it that day, so Speedy Gonzales style, I grabbed one silver grommet drape from Target, a tension rod... 

I laid the drape out then cut it four inches longer than I wanted it hang in the window.

I folded the extra four inches in, used stitch witchery to hem it (you know that I don't know how to use a sewing machine right?), and hung it up!

Took less than an hour!

And lastly, I am slowly working on P's office (hubby)........

I blogged about the changes so far (CLICK HERE).  I am adding a memory wall using all the memorable photos and awards I can get my hands on.  I really love this idea and will show you how it all looks soon!  It is a great way to take all those mismatched framed items you have in boxes, and put them together to cause a great dramatic statement.  So eclectic!


Well time to get on the treadmill, or have a glass of wine!

A Man's Master Bedroom Re-design

I was hired to re-design a master bedroom for a gentleman in Allentown PA.  This was the first man's bedroom I had done and I did not want it to be overly monochromatic, and NO BROWN! I asked him "What inspires you?"  and he mentioned the Scottish painter Jack Vettriano.  Perfect jumping off board.  The great contemporary artist Vettriano (born Jack Hoggan) is also an inspiration to me for the romance he creates in his work, and for his belief in himself and his art.  He chose art; it didn't choose him.  

Jack Vettriano left school at sixteen to become a mining engineer. For his twenty-first birthday, a girlfriend gave him a set of water color paints and, from then on, he spent much of his spare time teaching himself to paint. He put his artwork out there, and it paid off!!

-For those who dream of taking a different path in life, think of Vettriano and go for it!

MY DESIGN PLAN AND FLAWS:

I didn't let the traditionally mission style furniture he already had stop our plan for a contemporary feel. We 'contempo'd' it up with steel grey walls, lots of chrome, including three new framed Vettriano's, deep 'manly' eggplant window treatments, and of course a bit of zebra and mink.  I also added a wall tattoo to cut the squareness of all the hard edges and add 'whimsy' and interest (the decal was bigger than me).  

When I presented my ideas to my manly client, he said 'Shosh, that's not eggplant, it is purple."  I said 'eggplant is the new purple'.  Then he said "Shosh, animal print?" I said "Grrrr...don't get me mad."  And he shook his head and rolled his eyes when I showed him the decal idea.  Design should be fun; there is no right or wrong-just opinions.  He gave me the green light and I went to work.

Here is the before and after:

BEFORE

AFTER

These drapery rods were a splurge but so worth it!!  To bring the budget back down I found the pillows on sale.  Changing the doors and door hardware made a HUGE difference.

BEFORE

Bye bye blue walls and doily sheers.....

AFTER

BEFORE

"Is that the sun rising from that faux stucco sconce?

AFTER

 

A sleek Zylinder satin black with chrome wall sconce fits in like a long lost friend.

 BEFORE

This dresser was actually against the closet wall first. I recommend placing a high piece of furniture under a high window to conceal the awkwardness, then ditch the doily window treatments!  Also what you can't see is an unorganized closet that we quickly addressed. And are those doors or shutters?

AFTER

Roman shades are more functional on a high window.  And for this long and narrow window, they add height and fullness.

Bring on more glitz with this mirror and chair from Pier 1.

I found this decal at www.walltat.com and thought it was beautiful.  It is called‘Graphic Floral 3-Wall Decal’ and is 63" x 40".  I played with the positioning of it using painters tape, and I have to say, it was easy to put up (just took an hour to make sure I didn't rip it and to get all the bubbles out).

So how is my manly client enjoying his bedroom?  He chuckles and nods which is his way of saying 'he digs his new 'diggs'.  Actually we just made changes to his upstairs bathroom and he was all for more purple-

My Week On The Road

"The dog ate my homework" is my excuse for not blogging at all last week.  I love 'frying up some blog' but this week I was on the road so much that my bottom is numb.  So to get me back in the groove I thought this entry would be all about my week on the road, what I saw, what I laughed at, and what made my heart go 'boom boom'.  

The doggie in the  photo above is Moe.  His mommy and daddy, Jane and Al, are clients of mine and own a pretty popular tile store in Allentown called Creative Tile.  For some reason Moe loves to hang around me.  He followed me every where last week as I looked for bathroom tile, so I hired him as my assistant.  He is very cheap labor and has very good taste.

Next I went to the first of a number of window installations for my client Deena in Nazareth. Creating a design plan is just the beginning, the fun part begins when the 'pretty' stuff like the window treatments are ready to be installed.  This was a great first step with much more to come. 

We added a beauty of a swag held up by large knobs above the kitchen sink (there was so much light coming through that these pics are not very clear-sorry).  Hanging window treatments from a medallion knob in place of a curtain rod is a very unique look-I have been using them quite a bit. For this type of swag, it was amazing to see how the genius sewer created the swag to make sure it would lay correctly.  They are very heavy.  The swag is actually two pieces sewn together; She used special loops you can't see that could be loosened and tightened.  

Check out this fearless installer willing to go to great lengths to get the job done.  The team I work with take their work seriously, as do I , so with pom poms in hand, I cheered 'go team' then jumped into a split mid air -ouch!

It's the little details that can make a room feel designer, like upholstering the counter stools in the fabric you are using for the windows or a complimentary one.

I also started a few more projects, including one for Patricia in Easton.  She made my day by showing me some love with a big hug on my way out.  I was at her place so long she must have warmed up my coffee four times.  I look forward to sharing this project with you because it is a fun one.  Her atrium alone has 12' high and 30' wide windows. 

On my home I passed some horses and stopped to get a closer look at a colt I saw.

 Well that was no colt.  A donkey! Actually 2 donkeys! Then I read the sign (see below).

Perfect pet for Housewives on Bravo!

Next stop was presenting my design plan to Francine and Butch in Jim Thorpe.  This is a large reno for me with various contractors doing everything from the flooring to the ceiling.  My contractor Mike B (aka Mike B Right because I always tell him he better be right) and I hit the road for an hour drive through a mountain to get to Francine and Butch's home; I had coffee coming out my nose from all the humor on our trip.

This was part of my visual for the overall feel of the spaces.  I talked my clients through the plan as Mike B Right stuck his hands and head up into the drop down ceiling and walls.  I didn't get a hug from this client BUT Butch handed me a yellow rose on my way out.  It matched perfectly with my yellow Boho bag and yellow coat.  

I stopped by another clients home, Mike and Christine, in Saucon Valley, to check on the progress of their project and fell in love with Mike B Right's carpentry.  This fireplace looked like this before.  

Now it is smokin'!  I can't wait to share the project with you detailing the before and after.  There are many creative touches you will love!  And I adore Mike and Christine.  They are young and hip, and were up for a purple dining room!  We also designed their living room around a framed Hermes scarf!

I am also doing my seal claps because someone finally shared with me a pic using my trick of visualizing the length of a light over a counter top.  Thank you thank you for sharing this with me Jen!!!!!!!!!  I would love to share the AFTER so send me the photos!

Friday, I made a pit stop at Applebees to meet a possibly GREAT new employee for LYR.  Her name is Sara Jane and we get along like a match to a flame!  We met over drinks and she wasted no time coming up with great ideas and wrote them down.  I am a true believer in carrying a notepad with you at all times to jot down all your brilliant thoughts because our minds can only hold so much before they pop!

Lastly, I want to show you my 'yes, it is the weekend' dance!  Here goes.....wasn't that great!  I loved the back flip part.  Have a great day friends!!