design. simplified.
ONE. So many styles done so well in this design firm’s portfolio of work.
TWO. A colorful powder room renovation.
THREE. An amazing IKEA makeover.
FOUR. Clean, casual in this design portfolio.
FIVE. Evolution of a designer’s living room–and the difference a rug and art can make.
SIX. Recent Fall tops I’ve added to my Amazon list. I have this one and it’s a great length for leggings.
Of all the pretty things I see online, it’s funny that this picture of a scribbled-on kids’ table made me really stop. My first thought was “how sweet.” My second thought was “but I’d be ticked if this happened in my house.” Why is that? There’s something about not being right in the middle of the situation that makes you appreciate it. Why can our homes not look like kids live there? Trying to tuck their stuff away all of the time, after all, is a losing battle. I looked up the rest of Reath Designs’ work, and it looks like they fully embrace the idea of displaying all of the messy sweetness that comes with kids. Nothing is too staged or too fussy. Most of the photos look like real families have just stepped out of the rooms.
See more of Reath Design’s portfolio here.
And, thanks to USAToday for interviewing me for a recent article on decorating with kids. You can read it here.
Converting part of our attic space to an office is on our dream list of to-do projects, so when I saw designer Brooke Chamblee post a shot of her converted attic on Instagram a few weeks ago, I immediately emailed to ask for more pictures. She was gracious to share before and after shots of the finished design studio and more details. . . (All images by Laura Rowe Photography @casualrevivalhome.)
The previous homeowners had already run the electrical and covered the walls in tongue and groove. Brooke had painters tape the window off and then spray everything in Benjamin Moore’s White Dove. All walls, cabinets, ceiling, and trim were sprayed at the same time, making it easier and cheaper to have painted.
Since there’s only one window, I asked her if lighting had been a problem. She installed a statement chandelier and changed the existing three can lights to LED, which made the biggest difference. One other thing to consider in a converted attic space: heating and cooling. Since her workspace is across from the remainder of their usable attic, she did mention that it gets plenty warm in the Summer and cool in the Winter. (If I could have an upstairs getaway like this, I’d be happy to bring in the fan or a coat, depending on the season. 😊)
I like how she didn’t try too hard to coordinate all of the storage. Mixed textures on the baskets and functional plastic bins for fabric samples make the space clean and workable. Natural wall-to-wall carpeting ties it all together.
See more of Brooke’s interior design work here.