Fall Home Tour

I know it's been 90 degrees this week and still technically summer, but the cooler temps we had last week really got me thinking about Fall!  I think now that it is September, Pumpkin Spice is back at Starbucks (and everywhere else), and football has started, we can officially start talking all things Fall!

 With less than 2 weeks until our due date, every weekend is huge for us because we don't know if it will be our last weekend before we become parents or even the weekend we spend in the hospital having a baby!  We are soaking up and cherishing every last day we have of being just the 2 of us because we know how much our lives are about to change.  This past Labor Day weekend, I slept in on Saturday morning and didn't really want to get out of bed, knowing this could be my last Saturday to sleep in and just lay in bed.  Labor Day weekend for us was a great time to get some home projects done (organized the garage, outdoor projects, gardening) and time to just relax as we didn't have a lot of plans.  But one thing that was on my agenda for the weekend, was getting my home decorated for Fall!

Being so close to my due date, I knew it was now or never.  I didn't want to think about dragging out Fall decor with a brand new baby.  So I decided to take this long weekend as the perfect opportunity to get this completed.  After planting mums for our front porch and front of the house, I was really in the Fall spirit to decorate indoors.  (We always go with yellow mums for Notre Dame football!)

We moved into our new home in April of this year, so it was fun to think of new ways to decorate here.  And this is my first year to have a fireplace mantel to decorate for all of the holidays and seasons as well, which is very exciting!  Here are some ideas you can take from my home and incorporate into your home this Fall season!

The orange plaid pillow is from Joann Fabrics craft store this year and the "Our Nest" pillow was from Tuesday Morning, bought last year.  The fuzzy stool is from World Market.

The gourd on the mantel is actually artificial!  Bought from Michael's craft store.

When we moved into the house, I decided to swap out my old entry way table for this longer one from World Market, called the Everett Table.  It fits so much more decor, which I love! 

We intentionally had the builders paint the walls white and we haven't repainted anything yet (except the nursery) and I am actually really liking the bright white!  So, we will probably keep the walls white for a while.  I have ideas and plans to add wainscoting and shiplap around some places, so it may be smart to paint when we do those projects.

I recently painted this buffet table I had Mindful Gray by Sherwin Williams.  If you remember it used to be bright mustard yellow!

I like to layer things when decorating a long buffet table like this, with lots of different items and different heights.  All of the pumpkins you see here or in my Fall decorating, are all from Michael's craft store.  They have a great selection of artificial heirloom style pumpkins that are great for decorating.

This rather frightening photo to some holds lots of meaning to us.  This is actually a photo from the Chicago Tribune of my husband's great-grandfather who owned and operated a meat packing business in Chicago at the time.  So while it may be a bit disturbing to some, we think it is a really neat photo to have. 

All of the floral arrangements were put together with random stems of flowers, berries, or feathers that I already had.  There is no rule of thumb here, just throw whatever you have together. 

The wood tiered tray is from The Painted Fox Home online. 

I think this makes me officially ready for the baby to arrive.  We have less than 2 weeks until our due date and I think I am driving myself crazy with wondering everyday if today is the day!!!  We are just SO excited to meet him! 

Casual, Modern Basement Remodel {Client Design}

I am so excited to FINALLY be able to share a tour of this basement remodel!  It's been months of hard work, planning, and some amazing clients to work with!

After years of letting their 3 young boys take over the empty basement to run around and play sports in, the family decided it was time to reclaim the basement as a space for the entire family.  The goal was to make the basement a comfy, casual space for movie nights, entertaining family during the holidays, and still keeping a spot just for the kids to play!

Like most unfinished basements, they had one wide open basement with no walls, no separation, and no clear picture of space planning.  So, after lots of planning of the wide open space, we were able to make space for a full kitchen for lots of entertaining, a family space with a large sectional and fireplace, a guest room that doubles as a fitness room, a full bathroom, and a hangout space just for the kids.  Take a look at the complete tour of the once empty basement, transformed into a casual, modern family hangout space!

Additional window to the right of the fireplace for ample amount of natural light in the space. 

The white wood "d" is from Magnolia Market from the show Fixer Upper on HGTV.

The custom sliding barn doors were made from standard interior doors and painted in a dark gray to match the custom cabinetry next to the fireplace. 

 Custom ottoman from Kittle's

Arrow artwork by For the Love of Letters 

This metal "D" was nailed and hung onto a scrap piece of wood from the fireplace. 

Stripes were added onto one wall in the bathroom for a focal point and interest.

Words can't even describe the joy I have about how this project turned out!!  Every detail came together perfectly.  I couldn't have designed this space without the help of the amazing homeowners.  They were so excited about helping on this project and put so many hours into helping me plan and design the space.  It turned out perfectly and I know they are going to enjoy this space with their family for years and years to come!  

{all photos taken by Mimi Barry Photography}