Gulf Shores Beach Condo Project

I've been working long into the night hours trying to prep for a trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama.  I will be painting, furnishing, and decorating a client's beach condo there.   Not only is there a lot of preparation that goes into designing a space 13 hours away, but there is a lot of work getting all of my clients here in Indiana organized until I return.

The challenge and pressures of this project will be that I am heading to Alabama with only my paint brushes and tool box and designing and furnishing a space sight unseen!  (photos are all that I have seen)  I am a little nervous, but very optimistic and excited for this project.

So here are the details.....

I will be designing the living room and dining room of a 1 bedroom, 1 bath condominium on the Gulf Shores.  After a recent kitchen remodel, this client is ready to update the main living area of their beach getaway.  I will be purchasing all new furnishings for the spaces, decorating the walls and accessorizing, and painting the entire main living areas -- with the help of my mom and sister who LOVE to do this kind of work as well!  Thank god for them!  It will be a fun girls trip, and since we are driving, a fun road trip!

Without seeing the space in person, it is challenging for me to have a clear design vision of what I will do with the space.  So I am just leaving it up to the shopping, and going to see what we come up with.  Once I find some of the larger, key pieces for the room, I will know what direction to take the design and be able to keep this project within budget.  Of course, I do want to keep a fun beach vibe going in the condo, so here are some ideas I have so far!

The owners already have a great, fairly new navy and white area rug that we are going to keep and work with.  So, the color palette is really going to come from that.  I want to keep the space beachy classic with white and navy throughout most of the space, with a fun pop of orange and turquoise for added interest.

I would love to add some stripes to one of the walls for some added drama without spending a lot of money.  This will add a lot of bang for the buck to the space!  And hopefully make the condo stand out among all of the other condos.  I haven't decided on paint colors, though I have a few in mind.  I am going to wait to see the space in person to decide.

I love the idea of adding in some rustic, antique pieces.  I think that always looks great and adds character to a beach space.  But who knows what we will find!

We might have to get creative and make some of our own artwork for the walls to stay on budget.  I think photos of the beach or town would be great to add to the space.

Check out my Pinterest board for all of my Gulf Shores Beach House inspiration!

To see all of the fun photos along the way of the trip, follow me on Instagram @jessicastoutdesign as I am sure I will be over posting about everything from DIY projects to nights sipping wine on the beach with my mom and sister!!!

Wish us luck!!!

 

Hi-Lo Fall Layering Top

It's not very often that Eleventh Avenue sells products with FREE SHIPPING!  But today these must have Fall layering tops are only $9.99 and FREE SHIPPING, so I am spreading the word!

 

During Fall, I seem to throw on these types of shirts almost everyday -- with a colorful scarf, under a vest, under a sweater, or under a flannel.

Lucy & Lyla is one of my favorite shops featured on Eleventh Avenue.  They always have the trendiest items, great quality, and the best prices.

I picked up a couple different colors of this shirt today -- one for each of my favorite football teams, college and pro.  And in black of course!

Only 2 more days left to purchase this great deal!!  See all of the deals available at Eleventh Avenue and Lucy & Lyla! 

Masculine Bathroom

The last couple of months have been a whirlwind for me, to say the least!  I am doing a lot more remodeling projects with a fantastic Indianapolis based company that is really keeping me on my toes.  Multiple bath and kitchen remodels, entire house renovations, decorating finished projects.  It has been amazing and a blessing to keep so busy.  I have a trip to Alabama for some design work coming up next week.  (more on that later!)  Last week, Summer ended and Fall arrived!  :(  I have a love/hate relationship with Fall.  Did you notice I changed the look of my blog?!?! Woohoo!  Thanks Dinosaur Stew for designing my new site!  So many fun things going on right now!!

Staying busy means really staying on my game!  It's different everyday.  Decisions need to be made quick.  Designs are strategially put together, with no second guessing in between.  I am more organized than ever!  And my nights are usually filled with design inspiration and research on Pinterest and Houzz!

This bathroom remodel is in a gorgeous home, with a not-so gorgeous basement bathroom for their son.  They had such a clear vision of what they wanted and the mood they wanted to capture, that it was just up to me to help them pull it all together for them.

INSPIRATION

image via Apartment Therapy

What I love about this bathroom is the sophisticated, masculinity it has.  The industrial touches, moody colors, mixed materials, all give it a manly feel.  

We will replicate the mood and colors of this space, but not copy it.  These are the design details and plan for the bathroom.

Vanity - Custom Cabinets // Mirror - Pottery Barn // Industrial Vanity Light - Shades of Light // Plumbing, Faucet - Brizo Odin Collection // Towels - West Elm // Towel Hook - Anthropologie

I chose Eider White from Sherwin Williams for the wall color because it looks great next to the subway tile, and being a small basement bathroom, it will brighten the space and make it feel larger.  It is a very light gray color.  Elements of Style used and the same paint color in her bathroom renovation, and it looks great with her subway tile on the shower walls.

Not all of the walls will be subway tile like the inspiration photo, but we wanted to incorporate more subway tile in the space than just the shower walls.

So, I designed the space to have subway tile behind the vanity sink and toilet.  It is a great design element and functional as well because it is easy to clean.

I had to find the perfect, modern and simple mirror for the space because that was going to be a big focal point in this small bathroom.  I wanted something industrial and vintage looking with just a simple black frame.

After seeing this image on Pinterest, I loved the look of the round mirror.  So, I searched for something similar and found the perfect mirror with just the right dimensions from Pottery Barn.

I chose the Odin Collection from Brizo for all of the plumbing fixtures because it is modern, masculine, and industrial with the matte black finish. 

It was important for the client to have a fun, quirky towel hook for hand towels next to the vanity.  I love this aged brass finish of the antler hook, but I also gave the client a couple of other options too.  Think outside the box when it comes to towel hooks.  There are a lot of things that can work as a hook that aren't necessarily sold for that purpose.

This masculine, industrial bathroom remodel was designed to stand the test of time.  It is a classic design that will work for their son for many years to come.  And will also be a great guest room bathroom in the future.  Can't wait to see it all come together and be completed.

Home-A-Rama 2015

The 2015 Home-A-Rama begins this week!

Beginning this Thursday, Home-A-Rama 2015 is located in Noblesville' Sagamore Neighborhood.  The show begins September 17 and runs through October 4, every Thursday through Sunday, from noon to 8pm.

This year, five custom-built homes are showcasing fully decorated and landscaped homes.  These show homes will feature the latest design trends in design, decorating, technology, outdoor living and landscaping.  I am especially excited to see the home built by one of my favorite local builders Old Town Design Group.  Their in-house designer, who is very talented, also designed my favorite home from Home-A-Rama 2014 with Heartwood Custom Homes.

See my complete review of last year's Home-A-Rama here.  

For tickets and show information visit www.bagi.com

To see more details about the five homes built and an overview of each floor plan visit www.wthr.com/home-a-rama


I haven't decided which day to go visit the homes yet, or maybe I'll just go check it out multiple times...but you can definitely expect another full review when I do!

See you at the show!