What's Old Is New Again

Hello there, avid home decorator, designer, DIYer, contractor extraordinaire. Welcome to our first blog post of Inspired Home with Jason and Gretchen. A new blog series we are writing for WLKY. We are a husband and wife team who build and design locally in the Louisville area. Both Bellarmine grads, and parents to three terrific sons, we have literally built a life that we both enjoy and love. Jason is a local registered homebuilder and co-owns Artisan Signature Homes with his business partner Jimmy King. I'm a small business owner that runs a local boutique in Norton Commons, called Lulubelles, with my cousin Natalie Gerlack. I also work as a freelance interior stylist. Jason and I have worked together on many houses over the years, including building six of our own personal homes we've designed together. We also love to travel throughout the South together, searching for that southern inspiration to bring back to our clients. With that experience comes lots of access to the latest and greatest in home design and building. So with our new blog series The Inspired Home we will be sharing with you design and building tips to help inspire you with your latest projects. 

Today's post is about brass. Yes, brass is back in a big way in home design. The finishes of brass have changed dramatically over the last several decades. I am finding that it's not that 80's brass, that appeared really yellow and shiny. In contrast it's a beautiful brass that has a brushed finished, and a really beautiful gold tone. The good news is, oil rubbed bronze, brushed nickel, and chrome are all still very much in style, it's just that brass has got a new look and an update. So don't feel like you have to go out and change all your fixtures and door knobs immediately, but I am going to give you some ideas on how to incorporate this beautiful finish into your home. 

Let's start where it may be easiest to incorporate brass, home accessories.  Here are a few items that I think you could easily add without spending a lot of time or money.

Did you know that the pineapple symbolizes "welcome" in the south? So this pineapple tray serves as double duty, you can use it to introduce brass into your home, and also make your guest feel welcome. We actually have these available at our Lulubelles boutique located in Norton Commons.

Do you love to go antiquing like I do? Or maybe you inherited an old set of brass candlesticks like these...

These would be great in a dining room, or fireplace mantel.

I recently picked up these pineapple candlesticks at Anthropologie, and I have them sitting in our kitchen. Clearly I have a love for pineapples. :)

 And I collected both of these brass pineapples while out antiquing. They are currently gracing our fireplace mantel, stacked on some vintage books. 

So maybe you are looking to update the handles in your kitchen. You have two options, you can either replace them with new hardware, note to self, make sure you measure your current hardware to be sure you get new hardware that matches the drilled holes exactly. Or you can use spray paint to recoat your existing hardware. There are some really great finishes in brass tones at your local craft stores. 

Here is the brass hardware we have in our kitchen, and I love that it's a classic style and shape, with the timeless brass feel. 

I have seen very similar looks and finishes to these in the special order section at Lowes and Home Depot, so check with your local hardware store if you are up for the investment of switching out your cabinet hardware.  

Another great way to introduce brass into your home is by installing new light fixtures, or repainting existing ones. Many times over the years I have ordered a light fixture and not loved the finish. So I grab my sponge brush and change the finish with some craft paint in a color that I feel suits the space better. Don't be afraid to give it a try. When all else fails, and the budget allows, you can update with new light fixtures. We have a selection of pretty brass fixtures, like this one at Lulubelles.

Bathrooms are an elegant way to bring brass into your home. Maybe start with updating a powder room? You can find this pretty toilet paper holder at Anthropologie.

 There are lots of great options for brass fixtures. Places that we use locally for homes that Jason and I are building/designing together are Winnelson and Willis Klein. Both places have a lot of beautiful options.

photo from VanDykes

One of my favorite features from a recent project are these beautiful brass egg knobs. I feel like I'm stepping back in time, yet they have a modern feel to them. They are available locally at Willis Klein.

I hope that you feel inspired to bring a little brass into your home. It really is a beautiful finish, all the while being timeless and elegant. And if you would like to see projects that Jason and I are working on you can follow along with our Instagram feeds. We are both really active with our accounts, and love posting projects we are working on. :) You can follow me here, and Jason here 

Thanksgiving Table Setting

So when you think of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner table setting, what do you think of? Maybe pumpkins, mums, plates with turkeys on them, maybe some burlap? Well I wanted to design a table setting with a different twist on those themes. So I set out to design a table with eclectic elements that I already had, with the theme, "You mean the world to me." Thanksgiving is about getting together with those you love. It shouldn't be a stressful time spent looking everywhere for the perfect plates, or table cloth, how about instead you look around and use what you have, and make it special. I admit, I do have an issue collecting plates, but I generally choose ones that can be used any time of the year. I buy them in groups of six or eight. I can't always find more than six, and that's ok because I don't mind mixing from time to time. Here is my table setting, all I need are my guest. Hope you feel inspired to create an eclectic table setting, and have family and friends over to celebrate during this holiday season. Details throughout the post.

 I found the table runner fabric at Hobby Lobby. I love the wood grain design on the fabric. I think it's perfect for this time of the year, because it makes me think of stacks of wood and our fireplace. I simply glued the pom poms on the end of the table runner, and it finished it off. You can create your own table runner by simply measuring the length of your table, then getting that amount of fabric. I folded the fabric in half, long ways, sewed it up the side, then added the trim on each end. Super easy and cost effective. This is a great way to really customize your table setting.

I found the place cards in the Holiday section at Target. They are meant to be chalkboard place cards, so you can use chalk to customize them, but I chose to use a pretty gold pen instead, since I have a reoccurring gold them throughout.

The bird dishes were found at Homegoods, I was bummed that I could only find four of them. The bee dishes and tea cups are from Anthropologie. They both have a great selection of dishes and cups, and check the sale room, sometimes you can get a great deal.

The napkins were made from fabric I picked up from Hobby Lobby. I loved the design and the mustard color. I feel like they also help to make the table setting feel more autumnal. 

My cousin Natalie painted on the globe, and I love that it says "You are my whole world." I think that phrase sets the tone for your dinner. I added vintage vases, tins, and books to add a little fun and whimsy to the table. 

 You can find paper straws just about anywhere now. These gold and white ones are from Target.

There you have it. I hope you feel inspired to host a gathering at your nest for the ones that mean the most in your life. Look inside those cabinets, think outside of the box, and know that what is most important is spending time with loved ones. 

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

Beach Bungalow Design Part 2 The Guest bedroom

Welcome to part 2 of my blogging series. I am blogging about designing a "pretend" beach bungalow that we have purchased, and I would get to design. One day we hope to purchase a little piece of paradise by the beach, but until then, a girl can dream and design. :) Part one to the series can be found here.

So first I designed the family room, now I am designing one of the guest rooms. I want the entire vibe of this house to be fresh, bright, cheery, a little vintage, collected, and a little modern. I would paint the walls in this room white. Ideally I would love the entire room to be wood paneled, and then painted a glossy white. Here are some white ideas that I think would work.

Let's start with the fabulous bed. It really is the fun, sunny centerpiece of the room. This bed can be found at Anthropologie Honestly if you go thrifting or to flea markets, I bet you can find a similar bed, and then paint it.

The bedding is from Anthropologie, and I love that it has a map on it, with renderings of the ocean.

You could also keep the bedding neutral, and add lots of pops of color with pillows and a throw.

I love the use of various pillows throughout the space. I thought this pillow with "Hello Sunshine" was so fun for a guest room near the beach. These pillows would be really easy to make. All you would need to do is sew a pillow, I would use a light weight canvas material, and stencil on the pillow using fabric paint. You can make your own saying and design. 

This "Love" pillow is from Layla Grace I added it to the space because the word "Love" is my one little word for 2014, and it is also nice for your guest to feel loved. 

This rug is so fun and bright, and I adore the combo of coral and aqua. You can find the rug at Wayfair. 

The coral chair is from Urban Outfitters. This chair also comes in a couple of other colors. It looks vintage to me. I think it is nice to have a comfy chair for your guest to sit in, so they can relax and read a good book. 

This great aqua storage chest is also from Urban Outfitters. I love that it has little compartments, perfect for flip flops, bathing suits, and cover-ups. :)

The lamp and lamp shade are both sold separately and can be found at Target. I love the way they work together, and that Target gives you the option of buying pieces separate. 

The drapes are so fun and whimsical. I love the pom pom detail on them. You can find them at Anthropologie. If you are really ambitious you can make them yourself, by sewing rows of pom pom trim on to some cotton white drapes.

There are several companies that manufacture sea shell chandeliers, however I would encourage you to create your own. I have made one myself, and unfortunately left it for the new owners at our last home. I really loved it. All you will need to do is find an old brass chandelier, then order sea shells online. I glued the shells over the brass parts of the chandelier and it worked out great. Just need a little time, patience and a low heat glue gun. :)

The anchor artwork is from Urban Outfitters, again, you don't want your room to have too much of a theme, but it is nice to incorporate some beach and nautical elements. 

The map is vintage. I think it would be lovely to have an old vintage map hanging on the wall. I think I will be looking for one this spring and summer when I go antiquing for our current guest room that I am working on. This map is swoon worthy.

I think I would have my hubby help me build this little side table box. I love how just the inside of it is painted a pale pinkish coral. Seems like it would be pretty easy to build your own version of it. 

I styled this one with a pretty white piece of coral.

There you have it, my lovely, little, quaint guest room. I would probably have to stay a night in there, just because I love it so much. Thanks for playing along for part 2 in my little blog series. I hope you feel inspired to bring some of these elements into your own home. I'm thinking I have a few new projects for my hubby to help with after writing this post. Maybe I'll make another chandelier, or some fun painted storage boxes for my boys.

Check back again, because I will be blogging about other spaces in our "pretend" beach bungalow. 

XO~Gretchen