Gray + Gold Bathroom Design Board

Bathrooms are SO much fun for me to design!  I love them because there are so many details that go into such a small space and great design is really all about the details.  There is a lot more to designing a bathroom than one might think.  Basically, you have just as many elements and design planning as a kitchen design, but just on a much smaller scale.

This bathroom design is for a basement remodel I am working on.  Overall, the basement is going to be a modern, rustic space, but for the bathroom, I wanted to create something really different than any other bathroom that I have designed and do something really fun for all the guests they will be entertaining in their new basement.

First order of business was pulling together some inspiration photos for the client to see.  Normally, I have all of my ideas in my head, but the clients like to "see" what I have in mind, so the easiest way to do that is to scour the internet for inspiration photos.

from ELEMENTS OF STYLE

I am pretty much in love, obsessed, with this space!  From the floors to the gray cabinets to the GOLD!  It is perfection.  And this image really portrayed exactly what I want to give the clients in their bathroom.  This is the main bathroom in the basement, as well as the bathroom next to the guest room in the basement, so I thought, why not give their guests a really amazing, showstopping bathroom that they will leave talking about! 

from FIXER UPPER

Originally, this was our inspiration for the basement bathroom.  A little more modern, rustic to match the rest of the decor of the basement, mainly because we all LOVED the floors in this photo.  It is a tile that looks like wood and laid in a herringbone pattern.  The main objective for our bathroom was to get this herringbone pattern on the floor.  However, after looking at the tile options and the space we had in the bathroom, the floor space just wasn't big enough to get the herringbone pattern we wanted in a larger tile such as this.

from TILEBAR.COM

So, the compromise was to choose a smaller tile that can still be laid in herringbone pattern.  But with a smaller tile, you will be able to see the pattern much better in a smaller space and the pattern won't get lost as it would have done in a larger tile.  Now, the floors for the bathroom will look much more like these photos with a smaller marble tile.  (Which I kind of love even more than the wood tile!)

from CONTRACTORTALK.COM

Some other inspiration photos for the space.....

source unknown

from COPY CAT CHIC

I have been eyeing that mirror from West Elm for a while, so I was so happy to see what it looked like in this bathroom.  And that little vintage looking towel holder from Urban Outfitters is perfect for layering in some different textures.  I love mixing new with old (looking) items.

from Elements of Style

Ultimately, after looking at lots of plumbing options in gold, we have decided to go with the Kohler Purist Collection.  It looks amazing here in Erin's Master Bathroom, shown above.  I am so excited to see all the pieces together in the space. 

from AMBER INTERIORS

from AMBER INTERIORS

Here is how I envision our space to come together.  All of the cabinetry in the basement will be custom made, so luckily, I can choose any gray paint color for the cabinets, which is still undecided -- light or dark?

I haven't decided on a mirror yet, but I still really like the look of this West Elm herringbone bone inlay mirror.  

But for now, we just have a blank slate.............

Can't WAIT to see it all come together!!!!  

Navy & Green Room to Grow {After}

A few months ago, a mom from Georgia contacted me to help her design her growing son's bedroom.  She was looking to redecorate his "little boy" space into a room he could grow into and enjoy until he was in high school.  E-Design's are perfect for projects like this, where the client feels capable of doing the shopping and decorating themselves, they just have a hard time knowing where to start and how to coordinate all of the new furnishings to create a beautiful bedroom.  Check out the original blog post here to see how we started the project with Mood Boards and a furniture layout.  

Out of the three options I gave them, this is the floor plan I suggested, which was different than the space's original layout.  Sometimes it is nice to move the furniture around to create a different feel to the space you are trying to change.

BEFORE

This is how the bed was placed in the corner, BEFORE.

AFTER

And this is what the bed now looks like with the new furniture layout I suggested.  Taking that bed out of the corner and placing the headboard against that wall creates a more grown up bedroom space for this guy.

BEFORE

 This is the "desk" area BEFORE.  It was really just wasted space.  There were a couple of "kiddish" book shelves that weren't helping with the new grown-up space, so those had to go.  We brought in this industrial style book shelf for books, toys, and trophies for a more grown-up, manly look.

AFTER

The biggest improvement of this little niche was creating a work space for homework and actually utilizing this area.

BEFORE

AFTER

This boy now has some fun art that will grow with him through the years, but since he is still only 10, it also fits with his age now.  Those awesome wire baskets are great for books and keeping the space organized.

BEFORE

Before, his dresser was covered with trophies and all those little things kids seem to have.  So I wanted to create a space for his trophies that made them feel more special and important.

I suggested floating shelves for this wall because it gives those trophies more importance by having their own area.  And it is a great way to display special items and artwork.

BEFORE

AFTER

Even though there are a few items that are slightly different than what I chose for them, I love how they incorporated all of my ideas and ran with it.  They really created a great space once I led them to the key pieces needed to bring this space together.  It didn't take a lot to create such a huge impact for a growing little boy's bedroom.

The great thing about E-Design is that they are open to interpretation.  So you don't have to furnish the room exactly like I am suggesting, but they are merely suggestions.  You can finish the room as you feel fit for the space and for your budget.  Most of the time, I will always add in a few ideas you didn't ask for, such as an additional night stand in this case, so that you can always add to the space in the future if you want.

And it is always so sweet and humbling to hear such fantastic feedback from a client I have never even met!  She has no idea how much these sweet words mean to me.

"I cannot recommend Jessica's E-design service enough.  I have been following her blog for about a year now and I love her taste and work.  I was very excited when I saw that she offered online design services.  It only took a few emails and pictures to convey what I was looking for and Jessica blew me away with what she came up with.  She provided a detailed source list using vendors I had said that I would prefer to use.  I was able to pull the room together on my own very quickly and efficiently right at what I wanted to spend.  I never would have been able to turn this room into what I wanted without her services.  I look forward to working with her again very soon."   --Beth, from Georgia

And that, my friends, is why I love what I do, and why my job is SO rewarding to me!  Contact me today if you are looking for help with any of your spaces or interested in an E-design.

Vacation for the Soul

It is nice to get away for a couple of days to clear the mind, de-stress, eat good food, drink some crafted cocktails, and laugh a lot with family and friends!  It is just good for the soul!  It is a great way to recharge, and refresh yourself.  For me, there is no better place to do that than in Charleston, South Carolina.  We like to take the quick 12 hour drive to visit our family that lives there when we can.  Even though we come home a bit exhausted from all the hustle and bustle of traveling, really we come home relaxed and full of energy for life.  A few days in Charleston gets me so inspired for projects, work, and life.  After 7 years of traveling there now, we are getting the know the city so well after all of our trips, it is amazing to see all the new restaurants and things to do each time we go.  There is so much to do in Charleston, that we are always trying new places and new things.

This trip was even more special because my husband's sister graduated from College of Charleston.  We are so proud of her for her hard work in the Historic Preservation department with the college.  I know she is going to do amazing things with historic preservation wherever she goes.

"Let's Savor this day, the beauty of the world God made, the richness of family and friendship, the good gifts of creativity and work.  All these things are worth savoring."

Now that I have that vacation out of my system...I will be back to blogging! :)