the laurel hedge

life in the little village of stirling (in the hills above adelaide in south australia) is just about as good as it gets, and millie of the laurel hedge has no problem rubbing it in our faces! the blogger extraordinaire/mother of five/renovating master, and her husband have been restoring their 1972 fixer upper since they purchased it in june 2006, all the while sharing their quips and quibbles on the laurel hedge. today we’re featuring the redesign of millie’s guest room, living room and bathroom. besides their fantastically light, bright and airy after appearances, my favorite part of millie’s transformations are her descriptions of them. for example when the bathroom was complete this is how she announced it, i am delighted to reveal the end results of almost 2 years blood, sweat & tears converting the bathroom-from-hell into the bathroom-from-heaven! the guest room renovation had a similar unveiling, this house is slowly but surely emerging from its cloak of '70's dark brown glumness. best of all was millie’s sentiment in an email she sent to me, if you can't have a laugh amongst the mess & rubble of a renovation, then i reckon you should chuck it in! thank you millie for your advice, inspiration, and comedic relief!

i'd especially like to thank millie for granting me the permission to feature the laurel hedge and her photos!

ames ingham's living room

y’all know how much i love it when designers submit before and afters of their own home, there’s that added personal touch that simply wows me; and the redesign of ames ingham’s living room is no exception. the born and bred new yorker/los angeles transplant is known for her colorfully eclectic aesthetic. featuring the pantone color of the year, honeysuckle, ingham’s living room received a modern makeover. midcentury furnishings, refinished floors, white trim and black brick all contribute to the new fresh feel!

i'd especially like to thank ames ingham for sharing her living room transformation with us! ingham’s designs can also be found at scalamandre where her lighting line is beautifully highlighted.

driftwood island

our kitchen is a galley so even when our bank account decides that we can finally renovate it we can't have an island. i didn't think an island-less cookery was a big deal until james madson of madson design sent over his recent los altos, california reconstruction and i fell head over heels in love with a center island. the home's owner, originally from nova scotia, wanted to bring a little of the rugged canadian coast to her new california home; she found a large chunk of driftwood and had it planed down for countertop appropriateness while retaining its rough, natural edge. shaker-style cabinetry, brilliant white subway tile and olive green walls complete the canadian scene all while complimenting the natural wood tones of my dream island.

i'd once again like to thank james madson of madson design for submitting transformations from his san francisco firm. the spot-on construction was executed by gerry labeck of sierra cascade builders.

AB chao is back!

way back in december 2009 i featured transformations from legendary blogger, AB chao’s, louisiana home. since then i have continued to track its progress, follow her tweets and even meet her at alt summit (where we both commented on each others accents, she has an extreme southern drawl and i’m from jersey where i participate in cawfee tawk every morning). AB has just quit her corporate america job and will now be styling interiors and blogging full time! she’s amped and so am i because it means she’ll be providing us with a plethora of jazzy before + afters, like today’s, her first hometown redesign!

technically her client was a charming chemistry loving tween, but we all know that tweens don’t pay bills so she worked closely with her mama. inspired by the black polka dot bedspread, AB painted the walls gray and accessorized with pops of red, green and rainbow. glass beakers, a lava lamp and the midcentury desk chair all contribute to the vintage vibe. congratulations on your corporate freedom, AB, keep the transformations coming!

i'd especially like to thank AB for granting me the permission to feature her redesign and photos! she scooped the room’s goods from the following sources: little miss matched zany black bedspread, target owl lamps, overstock jute rug, pbteen petite bedside tables and benjamin moore gray owl wall paint.

atelier KS

most girls pine after celebrity couples with the hopes of someday building a relationship like brangelina; i on the other hand have my sights set on a partnership like that of seth pare-mayer and kelli franz, the husband and wife duo behind san francisco’s design studio, atelier KS. working together in a perpetual state of exploration, seth and kelli aim to balance practical solutions with innovative modern designs. their recent project in the mission district of san fran does just that.

a new galley kitchen and bathroom are integrated into their client’s 1930s edwardian flat. the renovation rearranges the existing circulation and light quality within the flat to suit the owner's lifestyle. by connecting the kitchen and the dining room with a new bar area, and creating a back pantry area with floor to ceiling oak cabinetry, the residence’s square footage appears to have significantly increased. watch out brangelina, sethlli is the next it couple.

i'd especially like to thank seth pare-mayer and kelli franz of atelier KS for sharing their project with us! all cabinetry for the project was fabricated by cwa studios.

eden lang's home

after attending alt summit this january i made the personal goal of composing my posts with a bit more honesty and a little less panache. fixing up our house is overwhelmingly satisfying but it isn’t all puppy dogs and rainbows, i need to get real, and lasso you all into the realness while i’m at it. if my inspiration from alt for writing more personally isn’t enough, the musings of eden lang are. she is the most poignantly candid blogger i have ever read. not only are her composition skills out of this world, but she’s a talented photographer, mother and home renovator.
the canadian rock-star and her family have done a sensational job fixing up their calgary, alberta homestead. without hiring a contractor they have made over their entrance hall, kitchen and playroom. her husband daylan puts the term handyman to shame. wool carpet, tiger wood flooring, custom railings, ikea cabinetry and richlite countertops are only a few of the glamorous materials gracing their transformed home. feast your eyes on the lang family’s renovated residence below and then go directly to eden's fantastic blog and website to soak in the amazingness of her.

i'd especially like to thank eden for granting me the permission to feature her home and photos!

for japan with love

the world needs more folks like lydia, henny, and lucia; this wedding blogging trio have teamed up and launched a blogger initiative and fundraiser to raise awareness and send much needed aide to japan during these difficult times. tomorrow, 18 march 2011, i will be participating in their bloggers day of silence, for japan with love. all of the proceeds of for japan with love will go to shelter box and provide emergency refuge and lifesaving supplies for families affected by the tragedy in japan.
this weekend my bestest girlfriends and female family members and i are shacking up at a bed in breakfast in new hope, pennsylvania to celebrate my final months as a bachelorette. it’s times like this that i’m able to sit back and reflect on how overwhelmingly fortunate i am. if natural disasters teach us anything it’s that love makes the world go round. without it ever ours and utterly engaged wouldn’t have created such an honorable fundraiser and girls weekends full of wining and dining wouldn’t be the silver lining of life.

a sham-rockin kitchen transformation

top o' the morning to ya! i’ve poured over raenovate’s archives to bring you a sham-rockin green transformation for st. patty’s day. originally featured in december 2009, this kitchen was created thanks to the interior design firm, laura britt design, and the construction wizards texas construction company. a crisp palette of bright white mixed with penny round tiles in various shades of irish green commands your attention the moment you enter the home. the snow white counter-tops and budget friendly high-gloss ikea cabinets span the length of the kitchen and gracefully frame the centrally located island. what's best is the office area that was seamlessly incorporated into the space. talk about an organization station! this space is perfect for a romantic dinner for two or a house full of guests or leprechauns!

i'd especially like to thank diane purcell, owner of through the lens management for sharing this project with us! the team of talented professionals responsible for this breathtaking makeover includes, the texas construction company, interior designer laura britt, and photographer coles hairston.