Home Office Makeover

My friend Lucy recently asked if I'd help her redesign her home office before she starts her new job.  As ya'll know, I'm not a trained designer by profession but I jumped at the opportunity to design a room on someone else's dime!  Miss Lucy started with an Earth tone palette and wanted something a bit cheerier.  I have earned a bit of a reputation for being "color loving" and so when someone wants to add a pop of color to their space, I'm the person for the job!  (Samples of my color lovin in my own home...turquoise sunroom, Kelly green mudroom, ocean blue office, yellow and pink master ). 

This week, we have tackled the painting of the office so I thought I'd share that progress.
Here's where we started.  The room was a dark dusty blue with wood molding.  Definitely needed a primer. 

 

 

And here are the photos after our day 1 of painting.  We painted the room HGTV's Sherwin William's Lauren's Surprise in Flat.   We used a prime white satin finish on the baseboards and molding.  The paint alone immediately transformed the room into a cheerier and happier place. 

Here are the after photos. 

The floral oil painting is a 1970's vintage that Lucy's parents purchased in the Hamptons.  I spotted it hiding in her basement and immediately fell in love with it!  I'm not sure if there will be a place for it in the finished office but I'm sure going to try to factor it in.  I love it! 

We're using my ultimate favorite design crush as our inspiration for this room remodel, the Portuguese designer Ms. Maria Barros.  It's going to be hard to top Maria's designs but she is the inspiration.  Regular followers will also notice Jennifer's artwork from The Pink Pagoda...yes, hoping for a place in the room for her fabulous artwork (more can be found on etsy here).  Here's my mood board for the room. 




I'll be sharing more updates as we progress on the room.  We've got the rug in the room already (from Overstock.com).   The X Writing Desk is on it's way!  The Hot Pink Pom Pom Throw is from One King's Lane and will be a great pop of color for an accessory.   This room also acts as an occasional guest bedroom so there is a twin bed in here.  We're looking for bedding and coordinating chevrons. 

This is so much fun.

And remember the guest bedroom that I started painting in HGTV's Sherwin William's Loyalty Blue?  Yes, I've still got that iron in the fire...The room is 95% complete.  I just have some trim work to finish and then I'll post update photos of that room.  The smurfiness has toned down a bit and I am loving the deep jewel tone. 


Don't forget about the Baby Cafe giveaway, ya'll!   Enter HERE

Babyletto Hudson Crib Giveaway ($500 Value)

Ok ya'll...are you ready to start winning some awesome baby items? 

The Baby Cafe Giveaway series is starting today and Elisa of Fancy Free Me has styled the Babyletto Hudson Crib in Grey.  It's worth ($500!!!) and it's super modern and hip! 



This Week!  Enter to Win the Babyletto Hudson Crib

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Details about the giveaway here. 

BabyCafe Giveaway

I'm thrilled to share with you some exciting news today.  Ya'll remember that I was a style contributor for Simply Baby's Nursery Styling Blog Party (recall here).    Well Simply Baby is celebrating a fabulous new brand launch and they are now Baby Cafe!  They have asked Vivid Hue Home to become a design expert for them.  And, the best news of all...

As part of this new Baby Cafe blog launch, ya'll will have an opportunity to win over $3,500 worth of prizes over the next several weeks!!!!  What?  Huh?  That's right!? 

BabyCafe

BabyCafe has partnered with Premium Baby Manufacturers to donate some fabulous baby products over the next five weeks.  You'll be able to enter to win amazing prizes from Babyletto, Bonavita, Storkcraft and DaVinci.


Each week, a BabyCafe Design Expert will feature a giveaway on their blog.  There are five of us, including Vivid Hue Home!  Don't worry!  I'll share the scoop with ya'll when the other designers are hosting their give aways so you have a chance to head on over to their sites and enter their giveaways too! 

If you're having a baby, thinking about having a baby, have a kid, know someone with a kid, have ever seen a kid, are an aunt, an uncle, a grandmother, a babysitter or a friend of a friend with a kid....this giveaway series is for you! 

The first giveaway begins on WEDNESDAY June 26th and continues every week through July, with theGrand Prize Winner announced on July 30th.   So consider this plenty of advanced warning for this fabulous giveaway!

I'm over the moon to be a part of this series.  (Just a head's up, my give away item will be a kick arse DaVinci crib and you'll have to check back to see how I style it, which product it is and tips I give for nurseries). 

Monkey See Monkey Do!

Monkey See Monkey Do
What's that saying?  Copy cats are the best form of flattery? 
I have a serious girl crush on Emily Henderson's style.  And I have fallen in love with her master bedroom colors.  So much so, that I'm stealing them for myself. 

My wanna-be-bff' Em, used the Sherwin Williams' SW6510 Loyal Blue color for her office because it matched the headboard from her master bedroom (and the sofa from her living room...). 

 



Courtesy Emily Henderson

I love the jewel tone of the blue so much so I have decided to paint our guest bedroom in the same color.   I'm going use the Emily Henderson Master Bedroom as my inspiration...I got the paint on Sunday and I've managed to get half the room painted.  The paint is so dark that it's going to need a good two coats.  Right now, it's a bright Smurf blue....it'll need another soaking before those nice deep blue jeweled tones start showing through.  Here's where I am right now...



Color Palatte, Photo by Vivid Hue Home

During my selection in the paint store I acted like there was a decision to make here but really I went in there on a mission to purchase exactly the SW 6510 Loyal Blue in Flat. 



Vivid Hue Home

Smurf-tastic room after coat number one.  The color will saturate a bit more after coat number two. 
I have been brainstorming my makeover for this room for quite awhile.  I wanted a blue and white theme of some sort.  I envisioned navy walls with white accessory side table accents. 

Recently, I found a turquoise and lime green chenille bedspread at  Antiques on the Farmington for $45 bucks.   I fell in love with it immediately and it was in great shape so I knew I had to use it somewhere in my home, just wasn't certain where.  I didn't originally intend to share these rough iPhone photos with the world...but here are some of my initial thoughts for this room. 

I could see this chenille with hot pinks, ikat, navy blue and kelly green against the SW6510 Loyal Blue backdrop.  Yes.  Always lots of colors.   My mind is like a bad skittles night mare.  (Ignore the lack of styling in this photo!)

Here's the other direction I considered taking for this room.  A nice Ikat white and navy.  I had wanted to use this AND the chenille throw but when I put the two together, it was just entirely too much.  Now the walls are smurf blue and that would just be over the top.  I think the chenille green and blue will win out in this room.  Specially with the Emily Henderson inspiration. 


Here are the Emily bedroom photos that are driving my madness.  I am not suggesting my room will look anything like hers when this project is complete but I love the colors she's used.  The electric plush pink is over the top.  It melts my heart every time I see it:

 

Emily Henderson Bedroom Photos Courtesy of Apartment Therapy

I've got a long way to go on this little project but thought I'd start keeping you posted. 

Also, remember that little mudroom makeover?  It's still in progress too...I like to start multiple things all at once and finish none of them (kidding).  I do appreciate all of the feedback on the nail head ribbon trim...

I measured the room to order the ribbon the other day and I came up with some whacked out calculations that would have required me to order 666.6 yards of trim.  I don't know if I was more scared by the COST that that amount of trim would have set me back or the fact that the sign of the devil was trying to indicate this was a failure of a project but I backed off from the order immediately!  Then recalculated and figured out I was WAY off.  I decided to try my numbers again for another day and so I STILL have to order that trim (and started to paint the guest bedroom in the meantime). 

Can you believe school is still not out here in Connecticut?  One more week! 

PS- Thanks to Bridget Otto at The Oregonian for featuring "Jack's Room" | Vivid Hue Home in her Color Monday feature on June 10 2013 (along with Emily Henderson's Living Room Reveal).

Wanted: Faux Bamboo Chandlier

I am absolutely insanely obsessed with bamboo chandeliers.  Call them what you want:  Pagoda, Chinoiserie, Hollywood Regency, Faux Bamboo Lanterns.  I. Want. One. 

 

I have been obsessively searching every consignment and thrift store in Connecticut in search for a deal.  These babies offer quite the range in price.  For example, 1st dibs, has sold a Red Pagoda Chandelier by Pieces for $1750.  Meanwhile, Shades of Light offers a 6 light lantern for $495 and a 4 light lantern for $189.

 

Even better, if you're lucky enough to score one at a consignment shop, you can sometimes get them for even less.  But you need to be at the right place at the right time...and if you ever see one and don't want it for yourself, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! 

 

My gal Elizabeth from The Little Black Door found hers at a thrift store and painted it cherry red.  (Photo below and also here). 

 

And Ms. Jennifer from The Pink Pagoda found her amazing chandelier at a consignment shop and had a professional painter add a faux bamboo finish to it.  The outcome is just incredible.  Hard to imagine it's not original bamboo.   (Photo below and read more about it here and here). 

 

One thing's for sure, these are a hot commodity.  Here are some of my favorite:

  



Red Pagoda 1st Dibs | Pieces $1750

Shades of Light 4 Light Lantern $189



Photo Grey Crawford

Bamboo Tower Chandelier 6 Light

The Little Black Door

Chinoiserie Chic

 



Shades of Light $495
 



Meg Braff Interiors

Pink Pagoda



 

Vintage Hollywood Regency Faux

 

Peacock Feathers

Circa Who

Gus and Lula

 

Matters of Style

 

What are your thoughts?

 

Do you have a favorite chandelier?  Have you found a bargain on your own?  Does anyone have a spare you're willing to ship to Connecticut? 

 

 

Twinkle Toes and Parties

This is a big weekend in our house.  The Vivster has her ballet recital and the entire fam is coming in to watch the show.  Vivi and her other four year old partners in crime have been practicing all year long for this monumental event.

In other big news, today is the last day of the Simply Baby blog party!  Elisa of Fancy Me Free is hosting as Style Contributor and you'll droll over her fabulous nursery and great advice for how to style a great baby nursery.  Click here for more. 

Wish me luck as I'm sitting through four hours of dance recitals to get to my lil one's two minutes of fame this weekend! 

Kitchen Decked Out in Chevron

Our kitchen went bold this week.  Now, there's no stylin going on with this table, ya'll, but this post is not about the table.  It's about the rug.  In fact, I didn't even wipe off the morning juices from breakfast (my lil mama would be be mortified).   We've been living with this Restoration sisal for a few years.  It's had oatmeal jammed into its crevices and yogurt mushed into its rows.  And well, when I received my Ballard Designs catalog last week, I made a quick change.   

It's time to go chevron...yes, I know it's overdone.  It's cliche'.  It's expected and all of those other things.  But I don't care.  It's a pattern and it adds character to the kitchen.  It blends with the tones in my living room which is just two feet away.  And it's indoor/outdoor so it will withstand the dumping that the kids will give it. 

I decided to introduce this on the blog before EG arrives home.  We were on the phone last week when I 'asked his permission' to buy the rug   casually snuck into conversation that I was purchasing the rug at a really good price.  I said 'Ok?' at the end, to which I *think* he replied, 'ok.'  (That counts as a blessing, right?)  Later I informed him that our new rug was to arrive any day now..."remember?? that rug you said we could get last week???!"

Some may say I'm sneaky, but EG knows me well enough by now to know I have great taste (haha) and he knows I would never steer him wrong.  I know he's gonna love the new rug. 

What do you think?  Do you like the Chevron or are you diggin the solid color?

View other parts of the house here.


Sources: Ballard Designer: Chevron Stripe Rug Grey with Sand 7'10" x 10'10" $229 with 15% coupon ($195).  Chairs- Restoration Madeleine Side Chair in Weathered Oak $99 each; Table- Crate and Barrel 99' Dakota Dining Table $1699