Transitional Southlake Kitchen Remodel

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It is always such a wonderful feeling to complete a remodel.  I always feels so bad for the clients that have to live in the space while the chaos is going on.

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 This kitchen got a total transformation. Originally it had 2 islands which really was not very functional.  The cabinets were too busy and they needed a lift with a fresh color.  The pickled "pink wood" is no longer in as we all know.

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before and after

 As you can see, we left all the appliances.  We made one large island,  extended the cabinets to the ceiling and added glass cabinets with lighting.  We refaced the cabinet doors so they weren't so fussy, added undercounter lighting, took out the desk area and made it into a mini bar with a wine refrigerator.

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New backsplash, granite and hardware.  The lighting in the shelving really makes the accessories look beautiful.  I really love the rain glass for cabinets.  Allows you to see the items but hides the dust.

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 Don't you just love the tile wall behind the shelves?  The hardware on the cabinets is fab too.

Ruthie Tip:  If you want to do a quick update to your kitchen, hardware is a great way to revamp it instantly.

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New recessed lighting.  We also moved all the plugs down so that they aren't in the middle of our beautiful backsplash!

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 The island is the star in this kitchen.  The pendant light is from "Restoration Hardware."  I LOVE IT!

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We added a pull out garbage drawer and some extra storage.  We painted the island a different color than the cabinets, it really makes it feel rich.

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Gorgeous granite!

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 We made the pantry door taller to match the other doorways in the home.  Amazing the difference that made!

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Added accessories and it was a wrap!

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Don't you just love the glass backsplash all the way around the windows?

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New hardwood floors throughout the entire downstairs really makes this kitchen so warm!

Now it's the perfect kitchen for entertaining!

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Thanks to Debbie for allowing me to make her home beautiful and to T. Lamar Photography for doing such a great job with the photo shoot!

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Colorful Ranch Style Home

First I want to start by saying that I'm incredibly sad that I haven't had time to post anything lately.  We have been so extremely busy with so many projects that time has gotten away from me.  I do apologize.

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 I just completed a project for a client last week that we really enjoyed!  My client decided that they didn't want to be in their home while all the renovations were taking place.  They moved out for a month and rented a home for that duration.  I'd say they are smart clients!

BEFORE

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We remodeled both of their bathrooms, replaced the flooring, and painted every square inch of the space, including those beams.  Our goal was to make their home feel more modern by using fresh updated colors  along with bold colors which my client absolutely loves.

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This painting was created by a local artist with all the colors my client wanted to incorporate in her newly decorated home.

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We found this rug that was exactly the colors the client and I had in mind for the living room.  My client found the leather couch herself and we had 2 custom chairs made to go along with it.  She also had the painting and really wanted us to incorporate it into the space.  We purposely placed some other "Texas" items throughout the home at her request and it really added a fun flair.

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I'm in love with this rug.

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My workroom made this fabulous coffee table.  I showed them a picture of what I wanted and they got to work and created this lovely piece.  It adds that rustic flair that makes every room have a relaxed feel to it.   The mantel was also redone and painted.  Don't you love the painted brick?  It really makes the room feel more modern and sophisticated.

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I did some antique shopping and found some fun treasures to place along with the new accessories.

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The eclectic mix of pillows really brought the room together.

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This amazing pillow was imported from Turkey.  It's incredibly soft and the design is so amazing with the touches of blue in the rug.  Don't you just love the curves of the chairs?

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We added a little reading corner.  We moved her antique desk from one of the other rooms and placed a round mirror above it.  Her vintage clock was moved from the mantel to the desk and they make a great pair. This nubby pouf from India serves as a great foot stool.

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On the opposite wall, we did the same thing with a buffet the client already had.  The desk and the buffet look great together on each side of the doorway.  You can see the newly painted beams in this picture.  We added recessed lighting to the room as well and that made it extremely light and bright.

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These blown glass lamps are stunning and are yet another wonderful texture in the space. The client had the lion statue that I incorporated into the vignette. The glass twisty balls add a touch of whimsy.

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The bathrooms turned out beautifully too.  We replace the bathtub, tile, countertops and fixtures.  Painted the cabinets, added hardware and then changed out the old  hardware for brand new fabulous ones.

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Hardware is the jewelry in a bathroom.  It's also a really great way to do a quick update even if you don't repaint.

The office got a makover as well.  We used all the furniture they had, added a rug and created a gallery wall for them, using the artwork she had created herself.

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Here are a few before and after shots of the space.

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New drapes, new pillows and a few accessories really finished this room off.

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Hope your year has started off well.  I'm working on a great home right now and it is going to be about a 3 month project.  We are just now starting with the demo and will be renovating the entire home from top to bottom.  We will end with decorating the entire home with everything from a washer and dryer to knives and forks.

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We have a photo shoot this week for this fabulous kitchen renovation above.  Stay tuned for those shots, it is one of my favorite kitchens yet.

South Africa and High Tea Surprise

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Family truly makes your heart full!

I just returned from South Africa where we surprised my Aunt for her 70th Birthday!

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I was born and raised in South Africa so it was so much fun to be back visiting again.  My mom and I went together and we showed up at my aunt's family birthday lunch with 70 roses.   They hid us in the kitchen and we walked up behind her sitting at the table.   The expression on her face below explains how surprised she was!  The three sisters were so happy to be reunited and I had such a great time with my 6 cousins and their families.

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Her kids planned a High Tea for their mom to celebrate.  I arrived just in time to help with all the decorating and setup.  My cousins did so much preparation ahead of time.

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We were able to use my grandmother's china which would have made her so proud.

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 Her "Royal Albert" pattern is so lovely!

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Of course with hot tea, we needed water to drink.  I loved the color the fruit added to the water.  It was summer there so it was pretty warm!  The strawberry, lemon and cucumber water was a huge hit.

There was so much excitement in the air and loads of goodies to eat.

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The guests were asked to wear their  Sunday best and a hat or fascinator.  It was a huge success and we had gorgeous sunny weather!

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The rest of the week was spent hanging with my cousins and aunts and uncles.   The picture above is me with my wonderful mom.

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The girl cousins above.

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and all my boy cousins!

They took me to animal parks and we had long leisurely lunches and diners together.

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One of the days we ate at a resort and the zebra's came right up to where we were eating and starting drinking from the pool (salt water).

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Crazy huh? The giraffes were also roaming about and are such gorgeous animals.

They are fascinating to watch.

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I even got to play with the baby lions!

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It was kinda scary!  Their teeth are so strong!

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You can see here, I was a bit frightened.

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They are so adorable!

It was a quick trip but totally worth it.

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I returned to Dallas on Thanksgiving day and immediately spent the day with the Staalsen family.

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Above are all the Staalsen cousins.  Such a blessing for my kids to  be raised with family close by!

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There is a bond that cousins share that can't be replaced by anyone. They know you so well and the bond never changes even across oceans.

  My soul is FULL and THANKFUL for the time I had with my family in South Africa!

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving with your family!

Las Colinas High Rise Makeover

It has been an exciting week as we finished decorating a Dining Room for a "Tour of Homes" in a Las Colinas High Rise.

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I created a design plan for my client where I presented all my ideas for fabrics, accessories, lighting, etc. for the space. She wanted a total transformation!!  She loved my ideas and we tweaked and adjusted and confirmed everything and immediately started the process.  Some things changed along the way but most of it turned out just as expected.

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We  first added a new chandelier and 2 wall sconces.  Of course,the sconce I originally proposed was on backorder so I found these for "in the meantime" and we actually think we like them better.  I just couldn't see having an "Open House" with 2 holes in the wall.  Nope, no way, not happening, are you kidding me?  We had to have a backup plan.

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We then had the wallpaper installed and Lester did a fabulous job! The pyramid nail heads were then added to frame the wallpaper edge.  I love how it turned out and it really made the niche look finished out.

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My client and her hubby found this painting Downtown Grapevine one Saturday afternoon.  The colors work beautifully with her  living room and her kitchen as well as with all the new fabrics we chose.  You will see below!

We purchased a new table and 2  gorgeous painted bamboo captain chairs for each end of the table.  The mirror was added to the other niche.  It was really tricky finding the right size for that space because of the light switches in the way.

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 I then designed the rest of the chairs and had my workroom make them for me.  To me a custom chair is the way to go.  I got to watch the process and decide every detail.  The rounded chairs give shape to this very square room.

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The front side is a faux leather so that when her grandkids come to visit, they can be wiped off.  You can see the wonderful newly painted blue wall in the background.

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They are comfy and oh so stylish.  The table extends so they can seat 8.  The chandelier came with those shades but we didn't care for the pleats they had.  My workroom reupholstered them for us and now they look perfect!

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Because we were preparing for a Tour of Homes, we set the table beautifully for her!  We layered napkins, used table runners, placemats, chargers and then finished the napkins off with a beaded bracelet which works great as a napkin ring.

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  Arranging the flowers is always my favorite part of the install.  They can really make all the colors pop!

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I especially loved how these flowers were so similar to the painting.

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We had pillows made for the bamboo chairs.  Don't you love the elephants?

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We added this GORGEOUS tall cabinet to her entry.  It is stunning!

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 You can see why she loved the painting.  It couldn't be more perfect with her blown glass pendant lights in her kitchen.

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I also made sure that all the napkins and placemats coordinate with her daily china (see above) as well.  That way she can mix and match and not have to worry about whether they go with each other.

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The adjacent family room got some sprucing up as well.  We added bolster pillows to her chaise lounge.  It was kinda blah before.  Now it looks like it belongs in the room.

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We painted her fireplace wall a gorgeous dark blue to make it more of a feature wall.  Her existing couch also got some new pillows to spruce it up a bit.

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We added this fun colorful geod rug too!

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She collects porcelain ring boxes and she has them displayed on her coffee table.  Each one has a story which is so cool.  This couple has traveled all over the world so they have some fabulous treasures.

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What a fun day it was! She was so excited and we kept hugging each other because we were so happy with how everything turned out.

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Even my installer had a good time!  It takes LOTS of coordination and lots of hands to make a day like yesterday come together.  Needless to say, I slept well last night!

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Hope it was a great Halloween weekend!