Designing a Beach Bungalow Part 5: The Kitchen

So if you have been following along you have seen the other spaces that I have designed for the beach house I am dreaming up. Today's focus will be on the kitchen. It's the heart of the house, right? I envision that the kitchen be open to both the dining area and the family room. Because I think big open spaces are perfect for a vacation home. Here is an inspiration photo from the blog House of Turquoise that I found via Pinterest. It was designed by Kerry Hanson.

What I love about this kitchen, is the mix of white and gray cabinets, the stools, the light fixtures, the windows, and the backsplash. I really could envision something similar in a beach house. So I took inspiration from this photo, and I came up with this design.

I'll start with the wall color. I figured you would not see that much of it, by the time the cabinets and backsplash are in, but I like having a little hint of the aqua. 

I think the color Retiring Blue by Sherwin Williams would be nice.

The cabinets I would like to see painted white with no glaze, just clean and crisp. I would put these fun knobs from Anthropologie on all the doors. I may have to brush them with a little silver paint on the metal part. 

Then I would put cup pulls on all the drawers.

I would make sure to have some glass cabinet fronts. I think it's great to have a place to display pretty dishes and serving pieces.

I like the design of the kitchen island, I would probably put a really light quartzite on it. We have that on our island in our kitchen, and I love it. It looks like marble, but it does not stain, and holds up beautifully to all the day to day usage it gets. Here is an example of a slab I might choose.

I would opt for a farmhouse sink. I love my farmhouse sink. It is a classic addition to any kitchen.

The faucet I like has a vintage feel. I would select a chrome finish. You can shop local retailers for different faucet options. There are so many out there. My only advice is to not get something really cheap. Invest in a good brand like Kohler or Mohen, because you want something that is going to last a long time. Sometimes you get what you pay for. ;)

Love these glass dome light fixtures from Grandinroad. I think two of these over the gray island would be great.

Seriously, I think, my favorite part of the kitchen would be these stools from Serena and Lily. I actually am trying to convince my best friend that she needs them for her new kitchen. If you haven't noticed, I am really in to kelly green lately, I almost love it as much as aqua. And the two of them together is pure perfection.

I would use a simple white subway tile. I love how these have a beveled edge. They are clean, classic, and timeless.

The rug is from Urban Outfitters. They have a great selection of rugs at reasonable prices. 

I love the idea of having baskets in the kitchen too. They are not only resourceful to use for storage, but they add a pretty layer of texture to the space. So I have this idea to purchase some plan tight woven baskets and then painting them to look like these.

There you have it! I could probably write another post about all these dishes and accessories I would use. Of course I would have some vintage hobnail dishes on display in the glass cabinets, since I love collecting them.

Here is my mood board for the family room space, so that you can see how nicely the rooms compliment one another.

Hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend! Now I really wish this beach house I designed was real so that I could go spend the holiday weekend there. :)

Until next time.....

XO~Gretchen

Designing a Beach Bungalow Part 4 The Master Oasis

Have you been following along? Yay, if so. Well here is Part 4 in my blogging series. I have been sharing my inspiration and design ideas for a beach house. Today I'll be blogging about how I would design our master bedroom in our "pretend" beach house. First I would have my handy hubby or a local contractor add panel molding to the walls in the room, like the mood board photo below. Then I would paint the wall color, including the trim, a really chalky, pale coral. I think one of these colors from Sherwin Williams would work really well.

I really want the master bedroom to have a sophisticated feel, with a little whimsy, and of course be comfy. I love the soft color pallet of corals, mixed with blues and grays. And I am a big fan of the brass accents. What's old is new again, and yes brass is back! 

So here are the details on the bed. You can find this one at Ballard Design. You are able to custom design this bed, with a variety of fabrics, but I just chose a simple off white linen.

I would keep the bed linens simple, and just use an off white, duvet and pillows. Then I would accent with a few fun pillows like these. The first pillow is from Williams Sonoma, and I love the coral detail on it. I actually have similar pillows on our current master bed.

I found the fabric for these pillows at Hawthorne Threads. I love the navy, with the corals and aqua. It's an Amy Butler fabric, she is one of my favorite fabric designers. 

I chose a simple throw, that has a pillow ticking feel to it. Something about pillow ticking always reminds me of the beach. 

So there is the bed, and the bedding, pretty simple, yet comfy and inviting. Just what I would invasion for my master bedroom beach house.

Here are the details about the furnishings I chose for the space. I love this tall armoire from Ballard Design. They have a great collection of painted wood furniture, with lots of color options. I just happen to adore this bluish, aqua finish. This would be a perfect place to tuck away a TV, and have additional storage.

Next I found this long dresser, that I think would be nice. I do not like when furniture all matches, I think it great to have different colored finishes, and embrace the eclectic look. 

This piece is also from Ballard Design. 

The side tables are from Layla Grace. I love the X pattern on the front. I would add two of these, one on each side of the bed. 

Oh how I love this velvet chair. I looks comfy, vintage, and modern. I think it's the perfect combination. I don't need a new chair for our current home, but I sure do love this one. :) You can find it here.

Now for all the little details the make a room. I found this rug online at Wayfair. This rug has my favorite color combination. I think it's what pulls the color story together in this room.

Another great find from Ballard Design is this tall wooden mirror. It would be great to lean on a wall in the room, or place above the dresser. Every girl needs a full length mirror ;)

This Paris map can be found at Target. I love how it looks like an old vintage map, but does not cost a lot of money. You could frame it yourself, and save some money. I always have luck with large frames at Michael's Crafts or Hobby Lobby. 

Another great artwork piece I would use in this room is this painted wooden sign. A local boutique in town Dress and Dwell carries this Sugarboo line. I think it's always great to have a meaningful piece of art in your master bedroom. You could also create a piece like the one I made here.

Here is the piece that I made :)

This is another great art piece I found online at Target. It works well in a serene beach inspired space. 

Loving this fun and whimsical lamp by Layla Grace. I would put them on a bedside table. I may try to emulate this lamp shade. I think it would be easy to make by gluing pom poms on to an existing lamp shade. 

I would use this fun little modern print fabric for an accent pillow. You can find the fabric here. 

Lastly, I saw a similar piece to this one, at Target recently. I think it is a perfect little accessory to any room. Brass accessories are really on trend. 

So there you have it, how I would design a master suite for our beach bungalow. This has been a fun series for me, because I love design, and I really adore anything beach inspired. I always say that the stork did not drop me far enough south. I think I was meant to grow up near the beach. Someday we hope to own our own little piece of paradise. I have a couple more spaces that I plan on designing and sharing with you for this home. Stay tuned, and check back. You can see the other spaces that I designed here(boy's room), here(guest room), and here(family room). :)

Until next time..

XO~Gretchen

Designing a Beach Bungalow Part 3 Boys Haven

Hope you have been following along, this is part 3 of my series, where I have been designing spaces for a beach bungalow. This room is geared towards my boys. I wanted it to have a more masculine feel, but also be fun and whimsical. I feel like I accomplished this via my mood board. 

 I'll start with the wall color, which I would paint a pale gray. 

Here is a top pick I'd use..

So let's start with the bed. The headboard can be found at Urban Outfitters. I love that it has a modern ikat print on it. 

The bedding is also from Urban Outfitters. It's the perfect neutral back drop for all the fun pillows. 

Here are the anchor pillows I would plan on making. I found the fabric at fabric.com They have a huge selection of fabric, and I order from them often.

This whimsical whale pillow came from Etsy. I think it is a fun touch. 

This next pillow is also from Etsy, and I love the map and bright colors on it. :)

The anchor pillow was from Land of Nod, but the pillow sold out. However, I think you could get creative, and make one similar. You could cut out an anchor pattern, then paint on the anchor. Maybe I'll have to give that project a whirl this summer. 

This navy chair is from Overstock.com. It's not real big in scale, and I think would be perfect for a little nook in this room. I love the tufting and the nailhead detail on it.

Every chair needs a little foot stool, and I like the pop of color from this turquoise one. And it works out well for an additional little seat, if needed. It can be found at Urban Outfitters. 

The console table works well as an alternative to a dresser. You can put baskets on it, or fill it with books and games, that would be easy for the kids to access. You can find this piece at Lamps Plus, yes, they actually sell other items, not just lighting. 

Both the table lamp and the lamp shade can be found at Target. I like being able to buy pieces separate and create my own design. 

I also would love to add these sconces to the bed wall. I love that they have the rope detail on them. It gives them a nautical feel. They will provide additional lighting in the space, and make for a nice night light. I'd love to put them on a dimmer switch. They are from Layla Grace.

The room comes together via the artwork for the walls. I recently ordered a faux taxidermy rabbit head for our home, and I love it. I ordered it from a company on Etsy, and I think one of their faux deer heads would be perfect in this space. I love how the antlers are painted a fun color. :)

I kind of love this piece of artwork from The Land of Nod, it think the captain character is so fun. You can also get this piece personalized with a name on it. It would be perfect for a boys' space.

This last little piece of art is from Etsy. Did you know there are a ton of shops on Etsy that provide digital downloads? They will send you the file, and then you just print it yourself for a small fee. You can then print as many copies as you need. 

Lastly, I loved this little boat made from driftwood, that I placed on the shelf. You can find it from Etsy. I may try to make one myself. I actually collected some driftwood from our last trip to the beach. I just need some vintage map paper for the sail. :)

So there you have it, a fun, whimsical, masculine, guest room. I think my boys would really enjoy spending time in this space. Looking forward to designing more rooms for our "pretend" beach house. This has been a fun series. I think I'll work on the master bedroom next, so be sure to stop back by and see how it turns out. :) Until next time..

XO~Gretchen