home decor

The Studio Furniture Dilemma

1 · Aug 13, 2019 ·

I fall into this trap when I look at other businesses, the trap of thinking that if they go silent on social media, they aren’t constantly bombarding us with emails and information overload, then they must be stagnant. They must not be doing anything. If my friends aren’t posting status updates that not much must be happening in life. Things are boring.

This is such a ridiculous assumption on my part. Because I first hand know how completely untrue this is. When you’re quiet, that’s often when the greatest leaps are being made. That’s when the busy is happening and so much life is going on around us – we’re soaking in so many sweet moments – that there just isn’t time for a status update. Our position is growing, it’s golden and definitely worth sharing but I have a desire to keep it all to myself. Treasure it in my heart.

Basically that was just two paragraphs worth of jumble to say that I’m still here. I know I have not been active much on Instagram and I haven’t shared a journal update in months but we’re having an amazing summer. And I’ve been spending my spare moments wisely, escaping to the beach or savoring moments with friends on the front porch.

Lots of work has been happening too. We’re in the middle of wedding season. And the studio renovation. Those two things weren’t necessarily supposed to be happening hand in hand, but the timeline got a little messy and here we are. I’m flowering around dust and ladders. This finish line is near though…. So near.

Remember what seemed not so long ago when I shared my last studio space inspiration? I never even completed it to its fullest potential before we moved. I reupholstered furniture, bought new things and organized myself – all to just pack it up again. On a positive note, this studio that I now have is bigger and way better than the last, so upgrading feels good. But it’s also brought on its own set of challenges and workload.

We’re finally to the pretty part though. The part where I’ve picked light figures (they’re installed!) found a massive oversized mirror (we’re supposed to get it next week!) and am now picking out the perfect furnishings (because it would have been way too easy if the furniture from my last place would have fit perfectly into my new space – oh well).

This is where my head turns to mush. I cannot decide what direction to go. I love country French items, I love shabby and chippy antiques and I love ornate, gold gilded and hand carved pieces. But lately, I’ve been really drawn to the some of the cleaner lines of the mid-century inspired pieces. I think maybe I want have something bold that might pop in the space but then I crawl back to safety realizing that I get tired of things easy, so perhaps neutral is better because I can easily add a pop of color with a pillow or funky wall paint. And I’m just not sure that some of the mid-century pieces will stand the test of time in my mind. I really want something that feel subdued, relaxing and organic and won’t clash with every flower order I get in the space. See the dilemma?

Here’s the overall color palette that I have in mind. Mostly soft tones, again because I can’t have colors clashing with flower orders because that just reads confusion in my head when I’m trying to put together a wedding design.

I’ve narrowed it down to basically 3 different options. The rug, lights and mirrors are all purchased, paid for and staying. The cabinets are painted the olive, grey/green color in the swatch (Rare Grey) and the walls will remain white (Rare Grey and Silvermist by Sherwin Williams are the studio cabinet & door accent colors – the two square randomly floating in the pictures). So without further ado, here are my options:

1. Buffalo Check Chairs

Buffalo check always catches my eye. I found a pair of small chairs at Homegoods and envision pairing them with a classic loveseat.

Buffalo Check Chairs | Chesterfield Love Seat | Maia Coffee Table

pieces I already own: Marble side tables | Rug | Chandeliers | there’s not a shopable link for the mirror but it was purchase at HomeWorks Interiors in Traverse City, Mi

2. Modern Cane Back Chairs

I keep coming back to these chairs. They’re been in my cart for over a month. I’m still a little hung up on a chesterfield style sofa with this look, just to balance the moderness of the chairs. Overall I need chairs that don’t take up too large of a footprint and these might just fit that bill.

Cane Back Chairs | Haiden Chesterfield Loveseat | Maia Coffee Table

3. Velvet Settee and French Country Chairs

I’m slightly obsessed with velvet. I’m not totally sure how practical it is for a floral studio – but this is just the client meeting area, so it should kind of stay somewhat clean. These chairs, they are completely French Country and hit the mark. But they’re taller backs than the other so I’m concened they could visually take up too much space. But I do love them.

Huffington Velvet Settee | McKenna Accent Chair | Rustic Oak Coffee Table

4. Modern Velvet Settee

I lied, I have one more idea. This one is ultra modern and a little out of my comfort zone. But I love the color and again, it’s velvet.

Seafoam Velvet Settee | Cane Back Chairs | Maia Coffee Table

If you need more clarification on the exact look I’m going for – check out The Linen Rabbit on Instagram – her entire feed is so dreamy and perfect, the soft and timeless vibe I want for my life. Or DeVOL Kitchens. I know, I’m not decorating a kitchen but I love their use of color without it feeling overwhelming. Plus that European vibe is perfect. So imagine either of those spaces, mixed with a little garden shed and buckets of beautiful blooms. And that my friends is that’s my dream studio space.

Do you have a favorite? Or would you mix something up with the proposed pieces?

Shoppable links are for your benefit but not actually affiliates, just pieces that I’ve found and loved.

Our Real Easter

0 · Apr 3, 2018 ·

I’m still soaking in the weekend vibes. It know its Tuesday already, but Gretta doesn’t have school on Mondays which makes it all too easy to make it a weekend bonus day. Today feels like my Monday, but in a really good way. I think it’s so cliché when people say my “heart is so full” but honestly right now I can’t think of another way to put it. Easter has always been a really important holiday in my world, but this year it just hit me differently – the magnitude of what we’re really celebrating, how lucky I am to have the family I have in my life and again back to the fact that if Easter didn’t exist, nothing in this life would really matter. We’d be hopeless.

When talking about missions, I once had a pastor who shared the importance of kindness and serving others, planning mission trips and helping the needy, etc. But he said if we’re not also sharing the word of God, then we’re just sending them to hell with a full stomach.

As much as I love entertaining and decorating my life, if I’m not sharing the mission and heart behind it, perhaps I’m just sending people to hell with a bouquet of pretty blooms in their hands – figuratively speaking of course. Perhaps dramatic, it’s a thought that I circle back to every now and then as his words seem to echo back to me from time to time.

Last week I shared a table inspiration that I put together for the Easter holiday. On Sunday, there were 11 of us gathered in our space. While it was a relatively small gathering, 11 people can’t always sit around one table and I always wonder what other designers “real” life tables really look like. Its easy to stage a space but how does that actually translate into real life? There are kids spilling, jelly bean stains mismatched chairs and extra card tables all around my house. We were frantically trying to get primped and curled Sunday morning, hustling out the door and barely pausing the snap a quick picture. Upon return home, there were dinners to prepare and Easter eggs to hunt for. You can’t possibly make this all glamorous, right?

It may not be glamorous, but it’s real. This is life and it’s the same for all of us. There’s no such thing as perfection, to achive it, one must shift their point of view, making all the perfectly imperfect moments perfection.

You know what’s not pictured around this table? The people. The people and the smiles and the love that sat around this table. I didn’t pull out my camera as we cut into our homemade cinnamon rolls or as my dad ate his 7^th deviled egg because sometimes you just need to live in the moment and soak it all in.

Easter Tablescape

1 · Mar 29, 2018 ·

It’s holy week – the week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. We’re preparing for a home full of company and I took the opportunity to play with a mock Easter tablescape. This was done a couple weeks ago, in preparation for the real deal – which will undoubtedly be filled with a few less frills (think kids throwing Easter eggs on the floor, dad’s getting grumpy because there are sticks on the table and candles that need to be replaced by platters of food). But it was still designed to bring inspiration and I will use pieces from it when Easter Sunday rolls around.

When I think of Easter, I like to imagine spring colors, seersucker dresses, white hats and daffodils blooming in the yard. Today, there is still snow in the grass. It’s forecasted to be a balmy 29 degrees on Sunday and so the visions are quickly swiped away, welcome to Michigan. However, that’s not going to stop me for sourcing local product for my designs, and if you follow me on Instagram (we can be friends HERE), you’ll remember my adventures of foraging pussy willows and dried grapevine all while dodging the swamp (word to the wise – foraging can be dangerous!). The pussy willow was really my starting point as it was the perfect way to bring the outdoors in, remain seasonally true and bridge the gap between spring and winter. They’re a sign of hope after a long winter and hope is what Easter is all about.

From there, I created some clusters of wax flower, which I love for their delicate white blooms and their foliage almost looks like that of an evergreen, which is the only green outside my window at the moment. This look could easily be created with baby’s breathe, blooming spring branches or even artificial blooms depending upon your location and resources. Simply soak a little wet floral foam in water and pop the blooms in place. Mine are simply sitting on clear plastic plates as I used very few fancy mechanics in this design.

For me, the art of hospitality includes sharing things that you love. Good food, good conversation and surroundings that make your guests feel special. I pulled out my grandma’s vintage silverware and designed with pussy willows, which other’s may not know the significance of but for me there’s a since of nostalgia that these bring from a happy childhood memory. It’s my subtle way of sharing something special with those who grace my home.

Grapevines were strung to the wall, with a few real and artificial blooms wove between their branches. If planning on using real flowers to create something like this, I suggest finding something that dries beautifully over time, like eucalyptus or add a little dash of white with the baby’s breath. I created this from scratch but I also love the idea of purchasing a premade garland and elegantly extending it across the wall (this one from Target would be gorgeous and you could even add in a few twigs and grapevine for extra dimension and texture).

On Sunday, homemade cinnamon rolls will be our dessert of choice. But I’ve been told that a good housewife always keeps dessert in the fridge, just in case unexpected guests should arrive. In my case, I happen to have a lovely white cake in the freezer which I pulled out for this project, but I’m not sure I would actually serve it to any of my guests, as it’s almost a year old, but it sure photographed pretty. My friend Kellie (who took these beautiful pictures for me) laughed as I told her that I just happened to have a cake on hand, but it’s really is just the sort of crazy thing that I might have laying around my house. Perks of being a wedding planner.

These little eggs placed on each napkins, they’d be adorable placecards. I can imagine beautiful gold calligraphy here (however, my skills are lacking).

I wish you all a very happy Easter, I would love to hear about your decorating ideas and how you celebrate this holy holiday!

6 of My Favorite Ceramic Finds

0 · Jan 31, 2018 ·

I used to do nearly all of my shopping in person. I like to touch and feel and I like the experience of actually visiting a store. Places like TJ Maxx, Homegoods and my favorite thrift and antique stores are my most shopped places – all places where online shopping isn’t really a possibility.

However, our recent relocation has changed a lot of that. Amazon Prime is my best friend and I rely so much more on the advice of other shoppers, instagramers and bloggers to find hidden online treasures. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely take advantage of any time I get to make an actual, real life Homegoods or Target run but those trips are few and far between.

I wanted to share a few of the home décor items I’ve been crushing on, via the internet and shopping vicariously through other people. While if I had to top choice of décor styles and were to start redecorating my life all over again, I would say that French Country is probably my favorite and at the top of my stylistic list. But that being said, I’m very picky and I believe that it has to be done “right” and I really only like it in the perfect setting – a quaint little French style home in the country. That does not even come close to describing my house.

I also love all of the farmhouse and cottage décor that seems to be all the rage at the moment. But again, sometimes I struggle with seeing farmhouse décor in a non-farmhouse setting. That’s not a blanket statement to say that anyone living in the city cannot pull off that style, but it’s tricky. I like things to feel authentic and as if they belong.

All that being said, we do live in the country and so I feel like I have the right to incorporate some rustic and country inspired finds. I also am loving so much of the minimalistic style choices that I’ve seen lately and love things that are crafted by an artists’ own two hands. My goal in our current home is to combine the items that I love, in a style that fits our home and family, decorating while also keeping thing functional and not overly cluttered but still layered an inviting and cozy. That all makes sense, right?

Continuing on with the purpose of this post was to share a few of my favorite finds lately. And lately my crush has been on pottery and ceramics. I’m trying to get more of my brides to incorporate them into their centerpieces, but without much avail. However, I’m still going to pursue this and at least share the ones that I think you should add to your home. From big box stores to handmade pieces, these are some of my favorite finds – which also go with so many décor styles – farmhouse, modern and minimalistic, boho and even more traditional vibes.

1.The White Hearth

I follow their work on Instagram and I’m so in love with the simplicity and the mark of a true artist. Admittedly, I have not held any of their pieces in my hands but I would absolutely love to. Pottery always reminds my of my grandma, she loved chunky, blue and green pottery and stoneware pieces and often we shopped for it together. So perhaps I love this so much because of the since of nostalgia it brings but somehow I don’t think that it. I mean just look at this butter dish, the perfectly imperfect blue green vase or this adorable gold rimmed ring dish. How can you not love it all??

Image via The White Hearth Instagram

2. Rico Terre

Maybe it’s just because I love flowers and have a little obsession with flower frogs, but I think everyone should have these little bowls in their homes. For some reason, I envision the little worm from Sesame Street (you know, Oscar’s little pet) making a home in one of these little holes and weaving himself through, head and tale popping out opposite sides. I also love their sleek terra cotta taper candle holders, which are each handmade on a potter’s wheel, and would absolutely love to own a set.

Image via Rico Terra

3. Pottery Barn Bowls

Yes, I’m skipping along to a big box store. But who doesn’t love Pottery Barn??? That is one of my centerpieces pictured below in a Pottery Barn bowl, because I will and do think outside of the box and am certainly not opposed to putting flowers in a cereal bowl. I’ve been watching for them to go on sale because I want to buy more and recreate this look again. And as I happen to be writing this post and looking up this particular product, they just happen to be $10 off. Temptation, tempation…

Photography: Samantha James Photography

4. World Market Budvases

They’re lumpy and quirky and I have lots of them which I’ll be using this summer wedding season. I am smitten with these vases. I used them in my personal winter decor with simple sprigs of evergreen or lunaria poking out and cannot wait to use them over and over again. They come in several sizes, pair the mini ones together perfectly or cluster them all together in a larger group.

Image via World Market

5. Crate and Barrel Candle Holders

These caught my attention because of the versitility of use. They hold either a pillar candle or a taper and the tray is also wide enough to accomodate a glass hurricane or super pretty left alone, if you’re comfortable with having an open flame. This have been added to my rental collection and I cannot wait to use them in my first wedding of the season, and I’m sure they’ll make an appearance in my home decor as well.

Image via Crate & Barrel

6. D:Ceramics

I was introduced to these beauties when I was at the Tinge Floral Workshop last spring and they’ve been stuck in my mind ever since. In a word, they’re striking. The color is subtle yet statement worthy and they’re gorgeous in an arrangement or on their own. I loved the silky and luxurious, matte finish. There are so many shapes and sizes to choose from. You should probably check out their website and stocklist so you can add some hand crafted pieces to your collection.

Photography by Ciara Richardson Photography from Color Theory Workshop Park City

What other ceramic pieces are you loving right now? I’m always intersted in finding new art to add into both my home and event decor.

Paint Brushes in the Fridge

0 · Oct 11, 2017 ·

Autumn is the time of year for gearing up and slowing down, all at the same time. I find myself unwinding from summer’s busy wedding season and trips to the beach, I finally unpacked our suitcases and feel like I can sit back and take in a deep breath of cool crisp air. But on the other hand, suddenly we’re found on a schedule with school, dance classes, work and my self-imposed ridiculously long to-do list that I put off all summer, plus the holidays are right around the corner.

March 2016, we moved into this house and have now lived here a year and a half. I promised myself that I’d complete projects in a timelier manor than in our last house. I thought we’d live in our last house for at least 10 years or so, which mentally made me feel like I had all the time in the world to make our house a home, and get everything just how I envisioned it being. But I hated constantly feeling like I needed to explain myself when guests walked through the door and saw our kitchen’s mauve wallpaper and the bathroom’s Berber carpets. We had bought the house from an elderly lady that had lived there for 40 plus years, and in many ways, that showed. I never wanted people to think that I was settling with the house the way it was and had zero taste in home décor. I constantly felt judged due to our unfinished projects, and I realize in reality there was probably not a soul out there who thought anything of our less than perfect home but it still seemed that way in my over thinking mind.

So when we moved here, I loved that it already felt fresh. We didn’t purchase with the intensions of having to do extensive renovations and I thought it would be a quicker process of making this house ours. Within a week, I had painted Gretta’s bedroom a soft shade of blush. Within three weeks’ time, we were celebrating Willa June’s first birthday, so naturally I decided to paint the entire living room and kitchen a softened shade of alabaster and finished that at midnight the day before her party.

Every room in our house was painted the exact same shade of khaki and it’s not to my liking. While it all matches the tile and floors and it all flows together really nice, it feels a little too much like a mud hut for my preference. I love a very collected feeling home. I love layers of richness and warmth, lots of texture and I love vintage treasures. So touches like modern espresso cabinets and their sleek hardware have been a little difficult for me to adjust to but I’m coming around and learning how to make it all my own.

My goal, however, is while I understand that design is a constant evolution, I want to feel by the end of the winter that I’m living in a space that truly represents our style and works for our family and not in a house of unfinished “someday projects”. Right now, I’m mentally sorting all of this out and have several paint brushes in the fridge, because I’ve got a couple pots on the stove already. Perhaps I should focus on one at a time, but I go as far as I can on my own until I need my hubby’s expertise with the power tools, and then I move on to the next. And I think the most annoying part of any project is getting the supplies out and then cleaning them up again, hence the paint brushes in the fridge.

For anyone curious, here’s what I’m hoping (fingers crossed!) I will accomplish in our home this winter:

Update Willa June’s Bedroom

We haven’t done anything to it since moving in, and she’s about ready to switch from a crib to a big girl bed, so we’re going to do a little shuffling of the girls’ bedroom and make them sweet spaces that they will love to sleep and play in with a little woodland creature and floral theme – I can’t wait!

Finish Our Bedroom

Last winter we turned an extra living space into a master bedroom (You can read more about that here). It’s a really awesome room and it’s almost there but it’s just needed a little something extra to really bringing it home which has taken some living in it to really recognize what’s missing. I did do a little extra painting in there last night so we’ll see how that brings the progress along in the daylight hours.

Finish My Studio/Basement

I started describing this project here. This one has been tricky, we thought it would be finished months ago but halfway through we had to stop and focus on our master bedroom and progress has just been slow and hindered. However, I can happily say that I’ve seen much improvement in the last couple weeks. I have fully painted the back half, floors are finished and I’m ready for shelving and so much organization. I’ve almost made decisions on finishing touches for the front half of the space and I’m giving myself a Christmas deadline to have this completed, wish me luck.

There are more ideas floating in my mind, but for now, that’s where my focus lies. For those of you who haven’t yet caught on, I did start another Instagram account for more of these home décor type projects and more of the lifestyle behind being a work from home mom and entrepreneur. Follow along those updates here.

Fall Tabletop | The Day's Design

Here’s a little glimpse into our home and a table scape I designed last fall. Happy October!

Our Master Bedroom Retreat

0 · Jan 31, 2017 ·

The onset of slightly slower winter months means we’re finally getting around to a few home projects that have been pushed to the backburner since we moved in. While the list will inevitably go on forever and ever, I’m glad to say that we’re finally seeing signs of progress in our master bedroom.

I shared a couple quick behind the scenes in my Instagram stories over the weekend but I think I should probably explain exactly what this project entails – it goes a bit beyond a new comforter and a little paint. We moved into a three bedroom house, which is seemingly pretty perfect for a family our size. However, one of the bedrooms is in our basement, which I’m not totally thrilled about. Now it’s a really nice, finished basement and not a concrete, creepy space like so many others I’ve toured. But just the same, it separates our family and functionally just doesn’t work for us.

Sometime during our home’s 70 years of life, an addition was added to the backside. It’s sort of a sunroom/bonus room, with tons of windows and great light. It overlooks our beautiful back yard and has a ton of potential. But the long of the short is, it’s a really long long awkward room that I’ve never really found a purpose for. Until now.

We moved our bed into this gigantic room last spring, just to test out my hypothesis – which was that it would make an amazing bedroom. I finally got my husband on board and all we need to do was add in a wall to give the space some definition and that would also provide a place for a closet. After nine months of throwing my clothing on the floor, I am excited to say that I finally have a framed closet and a bedroom with a door.

And as another bonus, my husband also finally gave into my pleas to hang a chandelier over the bed, he bought me the most amazing gold and crystal chandelier for my birthday earlier this month and it just got installed this weekend as well. I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves, add a little paint to the dismal brown shade and have the most perfectly serene master bedroom that I’ve always dreamed of.

Antique Chandelier | Master Bedroom Makeover | The Day's Design

Fingers crossed I’ll have final results to share soon, but until then, here’s a glimpse at my Pinterest board which is full of my bedroom inspirations.

My Holiday Living Room Tour

0 · Dec 28, 2016 ·

I know many of you are moving full steam ahead into the new year. But I’m not there yet. I’m holding onto Christmas for a bit longer. I don’t like the idea of rushing to tear my decorations down and discard my beautiful tree. I like Christmas to linger on as long as possible.

I also find this time between Christmas and New Year incredibly peaceful. The frantic search for the perfect present and the never ending battle of wrapping is behind us. I can just sit and relax, finish up a few winter tasks and watch the girls play with their new treasures.

Decorating this year for Christmas was fun. I had a new living room which gave me a new blank canvas to create in. I have a back yard filled with an unending supply of evergreens. And finally I had a mantle of my very own, which is something I’ve been dreaming about for a long time.

I use the same Christmas ornaments for my tree every year. I love pulling each bobble out and thinking of the memory that it represents. Some belonged to relatives that have left us years ago. Some are a reminder of fun shopping trips with my mom. I have those that symbolize the years that my girls were born. And a couple that date back to a time when my husband didn’t realize what he was getting himself into and bought me a couple ornaments back when we were dating. The tree is always the center of my holiday décor.

This year I resurrected a few pieces from my Snow Village. I used to setup up an entire scene complete with mountains of snow. I’m not ready to recreate the entire Department 56 in my house like I used to, but many of this pieces were gifted to me by my grandma and it’s fun to get them out.

And when it comes to greenery, I’m always a fan. I love how adding a couple sprigs can add just the slightest touch of holiday charm to your existing décor.

I’m more than happy to share sources for anything shown in this post however there are too many items collected throughout the years to list them all here, comment below or email me at hello@eventsbythedaysdesign.com if you have any questions.

Hope your Christmas was fabulous!

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A Thanksgiving Tabletop :: The 2016 Edition

0 · Nov 23, 2016 ·

I really wanted to host Thanksgiving this year. There’s something about welcoming guests into your home that really calls to me. I love to decorate, light all my favorite holiday scented candles and then eat a fancy meal, all while never having to put on socks or shoes.

But alas, that was not in the stars for this year. However, that didn’t stop me from scheming about what my holiday tabletop would have looked like. I had a few garden roses spending the last moments of their life in my cooler, I dusted off my autumn tableware and collected a few random items that I had laying around.

Growing up, we used to start our Christmas decorating on Thanksgiving morning. Each year, I would help my dad string the lights on the house. I would unpack and set up my snow village while my sister’s watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade and then we would all sit down to dinner during half time of the Lion’s game.

Now that I’ve grown, I still have this mindset that Thanksgiving should be decorated with pumpkins and various shades of candy corn, however reality reminds me that half the world has already started decorating for Christmas and I channel back to our partially decorated home from my youth. It’s for this reason that I like to incorporate a little from both seasons into my designs. This year I used a couple white pumpkins and a few sprigs of cedar (both in my centerpiece arrangement and in the napkin decor) – it just seems to balance everything out and make November end on a perfect note of harmony.

Thanksgiving Centerpiece | The Day's Design

Have a very happy Thanksgiving!!

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Autumn Mantle Decor

0 · Nov 3, 2016 ·

I almost began this post with fall is underway… but quickly realized that it’ November 3rd and fall is almost over. We’ve already seen an inch of snow here in Big Rapids, winter will be here at any moment. In Michigan, we see lots of “transition” months – month’s that aren’t sure what season they truly belong too and November is one of those. Some years, it’s more like winter – bitter, blustery and cold – while other months it stays mild, bidding autumn to stick around a little longer.

But regardless of the weather, I start getting into the holiday spirit around this time each year. I hold back on my urges to rush out and buy a Christmas tree but it’s time to kick the jack-o-lanterns and black cats to the curb.

The next major holiday gathering is Thanksgiving so I’m starting to mentally think of how décor should seamlessly flow from autumn to December. And I finally have a mantle of my own and it seems like the perfect place to start.

So I went into the woods and started gathering. I have loved the abundance of autumn olive around our property this year and the silvery green color is the perfect complement to my living room. I had some leftover plumes grasses hanging out from an October wedding and then grabbed some crumpled autumn leaves. I threw together a quick arrangement that would not only add a little interest to my fireplace but also stand up to the threat of kids and cats (translation: I won’t be heartbroken if something should happen to it since it’s just a bundle of gathered ingredients from my yard). I can easily keep this base if I chose when December rolls around, replacing the leaves with some cedar and various other evergreens.

Happy November!!

Why I Purchased a House that Wasn’t My Style

0 · Oct 19, 2016 ·

When we started looking for houses in Big Rapids we quickly found what we were sure was the perfect house. It needed some updating and wallpaper removal, but it wasn’t too overwhelming and there was a ton of charm hiding just beneath the surface. I was certain with a little sweat and creativity this could become our dream home.

Then we did a little number crunching and realized how much equity it was going to take to make this fantasy a reality. And once you added that to the asking price, we realized that it just didn’t make sound financial sense. We’d most likely never recoup that money upon selling and the current owners wouldn’t budge. We walked away.

Months and months of more searching. Winter was quickly approaching and very few new houses were being added to the realestate market. In my perfect world, there was a two story old farmhouse with handcarved woodwork, crown moldings, original hardwood floors, an old claw foot tub, a grand staircase and woodburning fireplace, on a couple acres of land. It would be rustic yet charming and was just sitting there waiting for someone like me to come along and wipe off the dust. I am drawn to anything cottage style, farmhouse chic, I find craftsman style very appealing and I could even see myself in something from the Victorian era. But as reality was calling, I would settle for anything built prior to 1960 and was even considering some 70s options. This elusive country home simply didn’t exist.

In all our searching, I never saw a single home with with my dreamy white painted cabinets . It was only an hour away from our other house but it felt like a whole different world. The amenities being bragged about in home listings were things that made me shutter when walking into a house. The term “updated” took on a whole different meaning and it almost felt like I was in a time warp. Things like granite countertops seemed like a pipe dream. And I fear that no one cherished anything original from an early 1900s home.

We wanted to embrace country life but it was seeming more and more like we were going to move into a modular home to do so or compromise by settling for a historic downtown home in a college town. There were some 70s chalets and a couple options in between but nothing felt like home.

For five months my husband commuted an hour each way to and from work and I began feeling like a single mom. Blizzards and long days meant he would often stay in Big Rapids for days at a time and it was a pretty dismal period of time. Not to mention that our house sold within 48 hours of being placed on the market, so much faster than we ever anticipated and the pressure was on.

I realize that last sentence could be interpreted as though we settled. And maybe there’s a small part of us that did. But when purchasing a house there’s more to consider than just dream qualities and aesthetic features. There’s availibity on the market, money, location and if you don’t act quickly enough, you will miss out. I get knots in my stomach just thinking about it. Not only did we need to consider the ultra picky tastes desired by a designer (ugh, me), we also had to consider the function and design for our family – number of bedrooms, play space, kitchen (I’m married to a chef after all), storage, the property and the list goes on and on.

So when this house popped onto the market, it had potential. My sister’s reaction really hit the nail on the head, “it’s really nice, but it doesn’t look like Shelby.” She was so right. I’m not an espresso cabinet and tile floor type of of girl. I like soft lines and airy colors. But I know how to paint a wall and everything in this 1950s ranch was brand spanking new and the idea of not having to completely gut a bathroom or kitchen to make it liveable was extremely appealing. The previous owners did a really great job of remodeling and put a ton of care into the space, I just wish they would have consulted with me on a few of the finishing details 😉.

Family Photos in Ada Park | The Day's Design | Katie Grace Photography

So here we are. I’m learning to love this home. I do love the property and little by little I’m adding my mark and customizing little pieces along the way.

Picture from last fall, by Katie Grace Photography. I promise to share a few pictures of our new home in the near future, but if you need a refresh of my “style” you can see our previous home tour here here and here.

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5 Months in a New Town

0 · Jul 28, 2016 ·

I think I was a bit delusional during the moving process last spring. I had it in my mind that I would have plenty of time to unpack, organize our lives and even decorate prior to the pending wedding season. I even had visions of having my studio being set and ready to go. Life is always more work than anticipated, then throw in two little girls and its game over.

#thebigmovetoBigRapids has disappeared from my feed. Life is messy right now. But in the name of progress, here’s where we stand since our relocation.

The House

A 1950s ranch located on 6 acres of woods, fields and within walking distance to a small lake. It’s quiet, dirt road living. I love the location and the serenity.

The house was completely gutted and remodeled by the previous owners. They bought it as a foreclosure and spent the next year of their lives redoing everything. They pride themselves in nothing original being left of the 1950s shack. I, however, find this really sad. From past pictures, I understand that much needed to be improved upon but I would have liked to retain a bit more history and preserved some of the home’s original integrity.

I’ve also found very few people in this area share my passion for white cabinets, light walls and cottage chic décor. There’s a lot of brown in this town. I’m on a mission to infuse a bit more of my style into this home without making it clash with the brand new pieces that have been so carefully selected, such as the deep espresso cabinets, the chocolate bathroom vanity and rusty gold tones of the travertine fireplace surround. The one project I have been able to tackle so far is painting all the walls in my living room and kitchen white (naturally, I tackled that project the night befor Willa June’s first birthday). It’s a step in the right direction, even if I’m not completely sold on the chosen paint color.

The Studio

Our house has a fully finished, walk out basement. It’s very homey and not at all your typical dingy, damp basement space. This is be a space where I can work, design and meet with clients. Half will be designated as a “work zone”, with shelving, counter height tables and – fingers crossed – a sink. The other half will be more of a cozy, meet and greet space. I have an antique sofa that’s just waiting to be reupholstered and I’m looking for a few other cute pieces in my travels. I love any excuse to purchase new furniture. I’m even hoping to include a small play area. And the best part is there will be a door between the two halves, so when the studio side gets a little messy, we can close it off to the living area and hopefully keep the floral disaster contained.

As far as progress goes on this space, we’ve ripped out half of the carpeting since I can’t really work with flowers on carpet. But other than that, there’s been a lot of dreaming about potential. I’m hoping to select a paint color before we lay new floors but I’m stuck on what color. It’s all dependent upon what color I want as a backdrop for my flowers to be Instagrammed against. So sad, but so true.

The Gardens

This is another big dream area. We simply didn’t have time to plant anything this year and I really wanted a summer to see what grew naturally on our property. So far we’ve found wild raspberries, mock orange (or something that looks a lot like it), apple trees, irises, lots of autumn olive, sweet peas, more ferns than you could possibly imagine, chokeberries, grapes, daffodils and oodles of things I cannot possibly name.

I very much want to plant and grow some things to add to my floral designs and am looking forward to that sense of accomplishment. However, I’m a little scared. I don’t exactly have a green thumb and I think this might be a huge, frustrating challenge ahead of me.

There you have it, the last five months, in a nutshell. Living here feels so natural, I can hardly believe it’s only been four and a half months. I’m excited for the autumn and dreading the winter a touch, but I definitely have enough things in mind to keep me busy all year through.

Cat in Highchair | Vintage Aqua Highchair | The Day's Deisgn

Photography: Justine Simmonds

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Finding “The One”

0 · Jan 29, 2016 ·

Shelby | The Day's Design | Hetler Photography

Photography: Hetler Photography

I’ve had quite an adventurous week. I jetted off to NYC and experienced the wrath of winter storm Jonas. I ran through the airport like a mad woman being chased by angry bees and plowed through the airport, nearly missing my flight. I made it home to only to leave a mere 8 hours later to continue our quest for the perfect new home. I’ve been up to my elbows in emails and ridiculously gorgeous linen swatches, invitation samples and room layouts. And my quince, which I bought for a project two weeks ago, finally decided to bloom and is displaying the most exquisite, dainty little white blossoms. Yes, I’d say it’s been a pretty good week.

Most notable on that list, or at least on the forefront of my mind, is the continued housing search. It’s all I can think about. We found another house we like. The number of houses that we have even come close to considering has been slim pickings. This is #2 in the past 4 months of looking. But is it truly “the one”?

I am that person who finds value in old things. When I see an older home being torn down, it’s all I can do to stop myself from knocking on the door and pitching a fit, throwing myself in front of the crane and wondering why in the world someone would rather throw a treasured piece of history away than try to breathe new life into space and return it to its former glory. If we continue on this path, one day there won’t be any history left and no one will know the ornate detail of a hand carved mantle, the allure of coved ceilings or recognize the creak of an old wooden staircase. So to purchase a house without these things feels untrue to myself and hypocritical. I want an old house. I want to know what the walls would say if they could talk. I want to think of what is was like when Mr. & Mrs. 19^th Century walked through the doors of their brand new house for the very first time. It makes me sick to my stomach to consider purchasing otherwise.

Other thoughts that keep me awake at night include the nightmares of remodeling a room, or worse – an entire house, again. It took months of living in filth, having furniture chaotically spewed about and not being able to cook in an oven, sit at a kitchen table or use certain rooms. Painting takes hours. Shopping is time consuming. And now we have two little girls who would be shuffled in the midst of it all. It took us 5 years to get our house to its current décor state and my to-do list isn’t even finished.

On the other hand, if we purchases something that is “move in ready” I won’t get the pleasure of making it my own. I can’t take pride in the design or know that I have truly found the very best chandelier to display proudly over my dining room table. I’m really picky about the finishing touches (in case you couldn’t tell by now) and often when I think I can deal with something and live with a space as is, later down the road realize that I can’t and these quirky little things drive me bananas. I despise modern touches like vaulted ceilings, can lighting and other nuances that seem to be perks to other buyers and heavily advertised in home listings. That’s not to say I won’t or haven’t ever lived in a space with these items, their simply not what I would choose for myself and they definitely don’t add value from my standpoint. I’d rather head to the flea market and find a rusty little gem to spray paint and pop on the ceiling. I love the idea of designing a space from scratch.

So have we found “the one”? Heavens to Betsy, I don’t know. It’s a nice blend of old and new. It sparkles and has lots of land. But there’s always the nagging thought in the back of my mind that perhaps I should loosen my purse strings and purchase the 1875 farmhouse that we originally put an offer in on. We could polish her up and make her shine again. Or we can just keep on looking, we’re not being kicked out of our current home, yet. Or perhaps the best option out there has yet to be listed. Value can be measured in many ways, I’m just trying to figure out which increment we’re going to use.

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A Leaky Update :: Kicked Out

10 · Dec 10, 2014 ·

I’m not one to sit back and stay uninvolved in a project, but that’s just what I’m being forced to do. Last Thursday Gretta, Polly and I packed our bags and hit the road on our way to Nina’s house, where we are still taking residence until the construction is finished at the end of this week (hopefully!!)

I’ve never been so detached from a project. However, since I work from home it wasn’t really going to be very effective for me to go on with business as usual in the midst of window removal, dust, sanding, patching, painting etc. Especially with an extra set of little hands and our four footed barking machine in the way. So I prepared, left specific instructions and now it’s all in the hands of the construction workers and the hubby.

Attempting to stay calm as I receive the progress reports is not easy. So far day 1 of construction starting with the workers being over 2 hours late, since then the wrong windows have been delivered, the ceiling couldn’t be repaired as planned, the crew decided to take another whole day off completely and I’m wondering if there’s any way in the world they’ll possibly done on time. Supposedly the floors will be done tomorrow and that should complete their work list.

In the meantime, here’s a little of what’s going on in the space with existing elements and a few new pops of fun, just to shake things up a bit.

1. I’m finally loosing the putrid green color on my living room walls in favor of a more neutral tone. Eider White from Sherwin Williams is the winning paint swatch, which is a soft grey-ish oatmeal color. It will also carrying down the hallway and into the entryway, since all the walls are basically connected. However, despite the fact that I checked and double checked the color and even painted a couple sections of my wall before leaving home, I still received a phone call Saturday evening that my hallway looked purple. I’m so nervous about this! I know greys can have a tendency to pull out some purple tones, but I didn’t even see a hint of it previously. Fingers crossed it just a fluke and the space will look great once it’s all put together!

2. We have 2 sets of floors that are being refinished. First off our dining room which has wide pine plank flooring and need some major love. Secondly, the floors throughout our living room and down the hallways and entryway. These floors are the original hardwoods to the house, so circa 1950 something. They’re red oak and in pretty decent condition, we’re just going to enhance their beauty a touch.

3. This is not my house but it’s really lovely and it’s kind of what I imagine my room might look like once it’s painted and the floors are retouched. I only wish I had a fireplace and modelings this lovely. (Original image found here.)

4. We’re keeping all the same furniture, we just couldn’t seem to stretch the budget that far, ha! We have a nice solid green, traditional style sofa and my two vintage walnut chairs are recovered in this fun green and white damask pattern from Waverly. The rest of the furniture is a mix of a few painted shabby pieces, vintage finds and a little barn wood. it’s a bit of a hodge podge, but I like it.

5. Lastly, this is the fabric I have picked for new drapes. It’s actually more grey and green than the picture suggests. Our main picture window is being replaced with 4 smaller windows – which when they came in where actually larger than what was ordered so they just went ahead knocked out more of my living room wall, so stressful.

It’s going to be like coming home to a brand new home. Here’s to hoping they get it done in time for me to still put up a Christmas tree. I’ll be so sad without one this year.

DIY Striped Placemats

0 · Jan 24, 2014 ·

It occurred to me this morning that I have not left my house all week. The last time I stepped out my front door was on Sunday, heading to church. This cold winter weather has me all cooped up and I start going a little stir crazy. If you’re like me, it’s this time of year that you start looking for pretty projects to work on and ways to add some easy glam to your home.

Back in November I created quite a few DIY items for Gretta’s first birthday party (you can see the whole thing here), these fun striped place mats were just one little piece of the celebration.

The gorgeous photos above are from Hetler Photography… the DIY portion of this post will be snaps shots capture by yours truly and they’re not pretty, but they get the point across! So here we go:

You will need:

12 x 18 inch foam sheets
Painter’s tape
Spray paint

Step 1:

Add lines of painter’s tape in a vertical direction over the foam. Remember, any area covered with painter’s tape will remain white. For thicker stripes, add use thicker tape or multiple pieces until desired thickness is achieved.

Continue adding tape until you have created your desired number of stripes. Here’s a little tip to make sure spacing stays consistent and lines of tape are straight: find a piece of furniture or object with straight lines and use it as your guide. I like to take advantage of my hardwood floors and use the lines as a guide keeping the stripes the same width as the slats on my floor and also making sure the tape stays alined with the floors on either side of the foam.

Step 2:

Spray paint. Any color works, make it match your house or party decor! No rules there 🙂

Step 3:

Remove painter’s tape once paint is dry. The paint dries pretty quickly on the foam, it took about a 1/2 hour for me, but could vary depending on the day and drying conditions. The lines might not be perfectly crisp, but that gives them a little character.

And ta-da, instant glam to your table!

A couple of other notes about this project:

I used 3 mm thick foam, the thinner pieces seemed to flimsy to be place mats in my opinion. I purchased mine at Hobby Lobby but JoAnn Fabrics carries it as well. They were $1.00 each.
The spray paint color is used is Krylon’s Raspberry
And I also wish my pictures were are pretty as Kellie’s! Let’s pretend, shall we?

Stay warm friends!

home decor

1. Buffalo Check Chairs

2. Modern Cane Back Chairs

3. Velvet Settee and French Country Chairs

4. Modern Velvet Settee

1.The White Hearth

2. Rico Terre

3. Pottery Barn Bowls

4. World Market Budvases

5. Crate and Barrel Candle Holders

6. D:Ceramics

The House

The Studio

The Gardens

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