BABY ITS COLD OUTSIDE

Happy New Years my friends! Today is the first Monday back and I am sure we can all agree we are over today already. New Years is a time we set goals for ourselves and become more hopeful as we don’t know what the New Year will have in store for us.

I have made a few goals that I hope to accomplish. One, I would like to learn Spanish. About 6 months ago I purchased Rosetta Stone and tried it for a few weeks and then stopped. So I just need to get back into the swing of things. Secondly, I want need to work with Milo more. I am the mom that lets Milo do whatever. On a daily basis I hear from my mom, “Laura, who is in control?” Obviously not me as Milo is jumping from couch to couch with mud all over his paws. Once I work with Milo for a few months I would then like to find out more information on dog competitions and possibly enter Milo into one. The thing I love about German Shepherds is they really do love to learn. So when I do work with Milo I know he enjoys it. Lastly, I am doing the classic New Years resolution of eating better.

COZY UP BY A FIRE

What sounds better than to start the New Year off with coffee, Netflix, and a fire. Steve Hawkins is known for his stone fireplaces. Walk into any spec or model home and your eyes will go straight to the stone fireplace. Most customers tend to bring the exterior stone inside. I think it is great. My personal favorite is just the simple white mantle fireplace.

ACCESSORIZE

When building your fireplace think ahead and figure out if you will be hanging your TV/clock/lights or anything with a plug above it. If so, you will need to tell your electrician so they can wire a plug for you. Once your fireplace is built it is pricey to go back in and rewire for a plug. So it is best to know from the start.

People also love to accessorize their fireplaces with barn beams. I absolutely adore these. This makes your fireplace have a rustic feel to it. Whether the beam is dark brown or light brown, it will look great.

Raised mantles are also an option. People choose this type of fireplace so they can sit close to the fire. This type of fireplace is great for Christmas as you can literally sit next to a fire. However, this year Christmas was a little warm so sitting by a fire would of been miserable. That is Texas weather for you though. Happy winter days to you all!

INSIDE A KITCHEN OF A NEW TREND ALERT:

I am swooning over this new trend. For years people have been choosing grout colors to match the tile perfectly. Now people are being bold and here you can see a dark grout matched with a white subway tile. Not only is this making your backsplash have a dramatic look but the brown grout is tying in the brown from the hardware on the kitchen cabinets.

BENEFITS OF DARK GROUT:

People always say their are certain brides who are “Bridezilla” meaning they are absolutely crazy and hard to please. I will say I will not be a Bridezilla, however, I will be “Homezilla” aka I will be crazy and will never make a decision when it comes to custom building my home. I will want to see all my options [Pinterest and Houzz has ruined us], I will want different pricing on everything, and then finally I will make my final decision after complaining that they are over charging me and are taking to long.

One thing I will be good at is when I hear the words “this option is easier to clean and stays clean for the long run” my eyes will light up and I will say “I do”. The darker the grout the better. Lighter grouts show dirt more quickly. Especially in high traffic areas if you have a light grout you will end up seeing different shades of grout everywhere [which will drive a person like me nuts]. Dark grout is also less likely to change in color over the long run.

LIGHT TO EVEN LIGHTER:

When you are wanting to create a look that portrays full of bright light and sleekness you are most likely going to pick a white tile or a tile that is light colored. Something I learned recently is that if you are wanting white to look even whiter, put something dark next to it. Choosing a grout color that is dark laid next to a white subway tile will make that white seem even whiter, never creating a washed out look.

Overall, some people think tile is the biggest concern when maybe after all it is the grout to consider. Choosing a dark grout laid next to a light tile will make the tile appear more bold, helps conceal dirt, will make your whites whiter, and will even make the shape of your tile pop.

THINKING LIKE A DESIGNER:

Just like paint, tile is capable of transforming a bathroom to be colorful, chic, and all the way up to a dream spa. To make your shower feel all of these, choose a marble look. Right now marble is the new black. Even at Target you can buy marble candles, marble lamps, marble dish wear, anything you can think of, you can purchase in marble. If you know me, you know I love chips, and I am just waiting for Doritos to come out with a marble Doritos bag just to make Doritos seem more chic. Marble looks so perfect that I recently bought a cutting board that looks like marble and I never use it. However, it does make my kitchen countertops look prettier. The photo above shows a SHCH marble look shower. You see the white tile with the grey streaks running through the tile, giving you that marble feel. The best part of this shower is the matching tile flooring but the tile is cut into 2×1 versus the walls which are 12×12 tiles.

SIMPLE WHITE:

The other photo below shows you just a simple all white shower. You see the 3×6 subway tile laid on the walls. You can see just from photos how white makes your shower seem sleek/clean. Some people are afraid to make their shower floors white just incase the dirt shows more easily. (When I hear this from customers I think, “how dirty are you?” but then again this will be me later in life as I am OCD). If this is the case for you as well than the first photo will be a better choice as their are streaks of grey running through the white floors, which will be able to hide dirt better than just an all white tile. If you still don’t like that option you are in luck because white goes with everything. You can do the 3×6 white subway tiles on the walls and choose any floor coloring tile you please and it will work.

STAINLESS STEAL:

In a previous post I  discussed stainless steal appliances and why I think they are the best for a kitchen. Stainless steal is also great for bathrooms. The photo below proves just that. You can see how stainless steal fixtures give you that dreamy spa feel. The other great thing about this is they make stainless steal fixtures expensive affordable.

CATCHING THAT NATURAL LIGHT:

I have now reached what they call “writers block” and I am reiterating how important sunlight is from a previous post I did two weeks ago. Nothing makes a room more beautiful than to see all natural sunlight come into a room. But most likely you designed your bathrooms to be where strangers cannot see in, leaving your bathrooms with minimal windows. To catch as much available natural light as you can use mirrors or chandeliers to help catch that natural light.

All White Everything:

Hi there! The Texas heat has finally said good bye and my favorite season is so close that everyday when I wake up I instantly think, “is it cold yet?” and put my UGG slippers on just in case.

Simply White:

To me the color of the year 2016 will be white. Throughout this week I have mentioned ways on how to design the perfect kitchen. I discussed how lighter colors will make not only your kitchen appear bigger but also more clean. I put this photo together to show you different options of lighter colors.

This photo shows you a lighter granite paired with a 3×6 white subway tile for your backsplash. This flooring is actually a ceramic tile that is a wood-look-tile. Match that tile with white cabinets and your on your way for your kitchen to be shot in a Vogue Home Decor Magazine.

Stainless Steel:

Some people try to steer away from stainless steel appliances. I say love them. Oddly the name “stainless” is misleading as people say they constantly have marks on them. However, I have stainless steel appliances and once you wipe them they are clean and look perfect. Stainless steel is a popular choice item and looks great with all color schemes. And on the plus side they make stainless steel sinks and faucets affordable. Perfect, clean, and affordable? Sign me up please.

How To Design The Perfect Kitchen Part II:

Hi there you! Yesterday, we discussed the beginning steps of designing your kitchen and figuring out the functionality of your kitchen area. Now we need to discuss how to cover your kitchen with your personality.

Pop Of Color:

Whether your pop of color comes from your wall paint, your countertop accessories, or painting your cabinets, you need some sort of eye-catching scheme. Those who know me, know I am a very OCD person [I think it runs in the family, minus my mom and Julie], so to start, do not choose dark colors. Darker colors disguise dust when the light shines. So you will end up going through Windex weekly by trying to keep everything clean.

Great colors to choose: white, greys, golds, and light blues. Once you have chosen a great pop of color, stick to it. Choosing an array of colors just gives a overwhelming vibe and makes everything feel cluttered.

Where To Place The Color:

When you are an OCD, type A person, you will grow to love storage. So my pop of color will end up on my favorite necessity, the cabinets. Most people do not consider a pop of color to be white. However, anything that stands out will make all the difference. Right now people are loving the island cabinetry to be stained a light brown and the outer cabinetry be painted either white or a light grey. These two photos are my favorite. The first one of the white cabinets is a Steve Hawkins home, while the light grey photo is from Pinterest. Once you have picked a cabinet color like white or grey then throw those colors elsewhere to make your kitchen flow.