Master Bedroom Refresh (Florida Home)

 

My master bedroom was in need of a refresh after six years in my new Florida home.  I didn’t dislike the room, but just wanted to bring the metal elements together after the addition of a pretty large barn door and its black hardware.  

By adding more modern black knobs to my perfectly fine dressers, the look was totally changed and updated. The white ceiling fan was also changed for a black, three blade, up to date style and the curtain hardware was easily changed from silver to black with a can of spray paint.

The biggest expense was a new black, taller and sleek iron headboard to replace the dated silver one with its more traditional elements.

The new quilt kept the same coastal blue and green colors and the space overall kept its cool, calming feel, but with a modern twist.  When you are happy with a room, but it has become dated in certain areas, small changes, without spending a lot of money, can make the decor fresh and new again. 

Happy Tuesday!

Guest Room Update - Beach Vibes

 

Sometimes it is the smallest inspiration that can lead you in decor decisions.  When doing an update on one of our guest rooms, I knew I wanted a beachy feel, so our guests would immediately know they had arrived in Florida.  Some things I already had on the walls, but wanted to tie it all together and the little surfboard sign with “beach vibes” written on it felt like what I was going for.

I like to mix all shades of blues and greens, just like the Gulf of Mexico.  It’s also a calm and cool palate after a day in the sun.  The queen bed is new (Pottery Barn) and has four storage drawers underneath, allowing me to not have a large dresser in a not so big room.  The light blue quilt and shams (Pottery Barn) have a subtle wave pattern and are quite lightweight, so more comfortable in our year around hot weather.  The end tables (Wayfair) have a coastal feel and have storage as well.  To tie all the colors and beach vibe theme together, I found the surfboard print (Minted for Pottery Barn) to hang above the bed.

I’m happy with the finished product and the overall feel of the room. Now, who will be the first guests to enjoy it?

Other sources, but old: lamps - Pier One, painted surfboard - Etsy, basket - Homegoods, Florida custom prints - Etsy

Florida House - Kitchen Update

 

I mentioned in a previous post that we were planning to update the island countertop in our four year old kitchen, but while that seems crazy, when building, we had limited time at the builder’s design center and felt it was time for something with a little more interest.  We switched from white Corian (I wanted an all white kitchen) to white quartz with subtle veining and a white surface to match the other counters.  I like having the island different and it makes it a focal point.

Most tones at the showroom were reading gray, but I was able to find a slab with more tan/greige tones to match the rest of my open floor plan home.  We are very happy with the finished product and the installation process.  We also switched the double sink to a larger, inset, and more modern one compartment stainless sink with a custom insert to cut down on scratches.

I love it all.

Life Lately

 

It’s the time of year in Florida where the season of visitors and snowbirds is coming to a close and we will be saying goodbye to friends until late fall.  It’s also the time of year where the heat begins to crank up and everything slows down a bit with less crowds and definitely a different pace for those of us who live here year around.  I have to admit, I enjoy the summer for that reason.  

Here is what I have been doing to finish out April.

My neighborhood golf group that I organize, held an end of season scramble on Tuesday and it turned out great.  There was a committee that handled the prizes and other details, so all I had to do was show up and golf.  My team tied for 2nd and had a lot of fun on the course.  The group will still golf all summer, but the numbers will be small and we will switch to mornings because of the heat.

One of our favorite things to do is head to the beach for happy hour.  All we do is grab chairs and a cooler and meet friends in a designated spot.  It’s casual and because we live so close to the beach, it can be spur of the moment.  Always fun and always beautiful.

Lastly, I haven’t shared some of the updates we have made to our Florida home.  It’s crazy that soon we will have the 4th anniversary of our move here.  Can you tell I love it more every year?

The two biggest updates are the custom barn door we added to the master bedroom/master bath and two new chairs to the living room to add more coastal color.  They also fit the space a bit better. We also added some custom tile work to the guest bath shower and had the vanity mirror framed in the master bath. It’s impossible to get good bathroom photos, but both add great finishing touches.

And, I found this arty glass and wood fish to place on top of my kitchen cabinets for another fun coastal focal point.

Happy Thursday!

What’s New (Coastal Decor)

 

I realized that it had been quite some time since I did a house update.  We passed our third anniversary in our new Florida home at the beginning of June and it has been a process of finding just the right pieces.  Also, we have made a few changes after living with things for a bit. Anyone who has built a home knows what a whirlwind process it can be when you are picking things out and it’s really hard to get everything exactly right. Of course the biggest change was putting in a pool, but this post is about that coastal decor with pops of color that I so love.

We hated the carpet in the bedrooms, even though we upgraded from builders grade, so recently we put tile in the master bedroom and the bedroom we use as a den/guest room.  The master has the same tile as the main areas of the house (large neutral squares and on the diagonal) and the guest bedroom/den has tile that looks like wood flooring.  We love both choices and added fun, colorful rugs as well.

The pendant lights we had in the kitchen were never a favorite, because they were too small for the space.  This was an easy change and I love the shape and the coastal look they bring.

Finally, we replaced a piece of furniture that was from our Michigan home and never looked quite right here in Florida.  Dark wood in the north fits, but not so much in a coastal home.  There is a furniture store we love in Sarasota that has custom painted pieces like sideboards and cabinets and we chose an eclectic painted cabinet for a nook area in our hallway.  I had a lot of fun filling the shelves with both purchased and found seashells.

Next up is redoing the other guest room and switching from twin beds to a queen.  

Happy Monday!

Florida House Tour - Some Changes

My philosophy in my new home has been to take my time and not add things just to fill the space, but to make sure it’s the right piece that fits. It’s about creating a calming place through minimalism. That means I resist going to Home Goods or looking at Wayfair, because of course I want all the things, but recently, I have made a few changes or completed a few rooms.  It’s a process, but for the most part, it is looking like I envisioned.

First, we ordered a comfortable chair that matches the couch in the living room, which gives us three chairs instead of two and is much better for entertaining.

A decorating dilemma has been that our master bath is directly off the master bedroom with no door separating the two spaces.  I like the openness, but I knew it needed something to add interest and some presence to the space. We put up crown molding and it turned out beautifully. I also brought in some coastal texture and style with a tall wicker basket, glass bottles, seashells and a palm leaf print.

Lastly, the guest room was the first room I finished when we moved in and I used a pin from Pinterest as my inspiration.  Recently, I have added some art from Etsy (Florida watercolor prints) and some comfy throws at the end of the twin beds to add a bit more coastal color.

My next project will be decorating the greatly expanded lanai surrounding the new pool with plants and accessories.  We think construction will start today and it will be a long process, but I’ll share as we go.

Happy Wednesday!

Coastal Decor Updates - Florida House Tour

We are approaching 2 years in our new home, and have been very deliberate in adding decor.  We went with a neutral palate and have added pops of color, texture and a variety materials to give warmth and interest, all the while sticking to a coastal (not tropical) feel.  There is decor made of wood, glass and rope, as well as many natural elements like seashells and driftwood.  The colors are the many colors of the Gulf of Mexico; blue, green, aqua and turquoise.

I took photos yesterday of some of the additions since my last series of posts, right after we moved in.  (To see these posts, look under the Florida House Tour label).  The additions include a wicker side table for the sunny part of the lanai, a reclaimed wood shelf with a seashell inspired vignette, a rope inspired poof that lends so much texture, as well as being practical, a new large clock for the dining room, brightly colored wood buoys on top of the kitchen cabinets, new bedside lamps in the master bedroom and native plants including a magnolia tree, a snake plant and a bromeliad.

It's easy to keep adding, because in addition to Home Goods, there are many, many great shops with coastal decor and art fairs to browse almost every weekend.  But, slow and steady will keep our home simple and somewhat minimalist.  It's also very different from our Michigan home; light, bright and definately no doubt you are near the coast.

The next project is happening soon (crown molding in the master bath) and I will post photos when the room is complete.  Happy Thursday!

Florida Decor - Lanai

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A tour of our Florida home, would not be complete, without my favorite spot in the whole house; our lanai. When we were deciding on what we wanted in a Florida home, my number one necessity was an outdoor, screened space. I envisioned spending a lot of time outside, taking advantage of year around warm weather. We were lucky to get a fantastic lot, right on the water and it has been everything I hoped. There is Florida wildlife galore; mostly tropical birds, but resident alligators too. At first it was a little startling to see one, but now we take them in stride as part and parcel of living near the water in Florida.

We chose not to have a pool since we have a beautiful clubhouse pool, just down the street. But we did upgrade to an extended lanai, so we have a covered and shaded space, as well as a sunny area. To keep things cool, we also have a ceiling fan. The furniture is casual, comfortable and like the rest of our home, neutral, with pops of coastal color; aqua, green and blue. We installed a television on the wall and it's a perfect spot for entertaining, having a cocktail and watching the sunset.

A big part of the decor, are the tropical plants. I am enjoying learning how to take care of them, finding new varieties to try and filling colorful pots with plants that compliment our Florida style.

It's all about outdoor living here and we are definately set up to take advantage of that.

Happy Tuesday!