Seaside Cottage Bedroom

Well!!!!!

We are now finished with the first floor of Connie's beach side home!

Let's go to her bedroom.....

Traditional Home Magazine 2007

I lucked out with the rug choice of The Previous Designer (TPD).

It was one of my favorites from Stark.

I never had a chance to work with it before, so I grabbed the opportunity and ran with it.....

Some of the other bedroom choices by TPD weren't so great.....

BUT BEING THE FABULOUS DESIGNER THAT I IS.....

I fixed them.... 

Let me start by complaining about the bed.....

I love me a high bed!

It is very romantic!

It looks good too....

A lot of new beds are too low, although with the thickness of the newer mattresses and box-springs, this is somewhat alleviated.

I often use something called a bedrizer to raise the mattress height.

Older beds are higher.

They just look gooder.

I wanted Connie's bed to look gooder too.

So it was raised.

Only problem was.....

the headboard was too low.

TPD had gotten it from a catalog.

The shape was nice.....

sooooo.....

We added blocks to the legs to make it taller, 

and of course we painted it white,

and then I recovered it in a fun dotted swiss fabric.

(notice how I edited out the electrical cords.....

when I tried to get rid of them where they run over the baseboard, it just wasn't working.....so I gave up.)

(Now it looks like the wires are coming out of the wall....)

(That's 'cuz I removed them from the wallpaper and floor)

(I can only do so much with photo editing)

(oy)

I really loved this spotted fabric, it's from Brunshwig & Fils, probably has been discontinued, just like everything else I like.

I used it on the draperies and the dust ruffle.

It's a sheer.

It makes up into a really pretty window treatment.

I had Drape It, (my workroom) create a smocked header

 for the top of the valence.

When I use a sheer for a drapery valence, I like to have a contrast trim along the bottom.

This way the side panels are visually separated from the top.

I chose a striae paper in grass green for the walls.

I don't know why.....

but a paper creates a cozier feeling than a painted finish, 

even if the look is the same.

Go figure!!!!

Across from the foot of the bed is a wicker sofa and chair.....

To keep the beachy feel, I had them covered in a green awning stripe.

The view out the window 

is to die for!!!!!!!

Connie falls asleep to the sound of the waves!!!!!

Across from the side of the bed, is the chest of drawers.....

The one TPD chose we placed in Connie's closet.

So, that's it for today.....

For the next few posts.....

I am going to show more of this room and the fun things that Connie and I found to give it some character and punch!!!!!

Now....

I have to get back to teaching myself how to use Photoshop Elements 11.

I just bought it along with Photoshop Elements 11 for Dummies, 

and

Photoshop Elements 11 The Missing Manual.

We will see if this dog can learn any new tricks.....

I also just bought 

Digital Photography for Dummies.....

some of this better rub off!!!!!!

On that note....

Latah, Gatah

Whimsical Powder Room

Before I get to today's decorating post, I just want to share with the class 

just how smahrt I am!!!!!

Ya know how, when you're going through your morning activities and you have little burps in your mouth and you get to enjoy the taste of you last cup of coffee?????

(yes, that was a run on sentence.....)

Welllll.....

This past week,

I've been tasting 

peppermint!!!

And I've been stumped as to just 

why that was!!??!!

WELLL!!!!!

I have figured it out!!!!

It's not some weird medical condition....

no, no, no.....

I opened a new pack of dental floss, and it's peppermint flavored!!!!

So, 

now you should all be impressed, that I floss every morning.

My family thinks I have no filter....

I think filters are highly overrated....

Just,

into my brain....

and out onto the keyboard!!!!!

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On another note.....

I turned off the word verification on my comments section.

I know you guys hate it.

So, this morning I counted how many spam comments I had to delete....

68!!!!! in a little over 24 hours.

There has to be a better way.....

Can anyone help poor old me?????

OH KAY,

now on to the decorating,,,

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Let's continue with Connie's beach house.

We've done the whole downstairs except for the powder room.....

In all my running around and shooting pictures,

I didn't do one of the vanity,

Which is very pretty, but now you won't be able to see it, because I am 

NOT IN FLERIDA NO MORE!!!!!

But....

here's a shot of the toilet.

We found that dog head clock, 

and we just had to buy it.

(Well, Connie bought it.....I just pointed and jumped up and down....)

Connie had that beach sign that needed to be hung over the dog....

That's not really the direction of the beach, but I couldn't figure out how to make it point straight ahead.

I found a really fun calypso type wallpaper for this little room.

(I think it was a Clarence House, but I can't remember)

Connie didn't want any "typical" Florida type wallpapers.

This one had a tropical feel, but was funky and whimsical.

Sort of a cubist interpretation of the tropics.

I can't quite figure out what it's supposed to be.....

There are pyramids, guys that look like solders, Chinesey looking guys,

Spanish looking buildings, Mexican looking pots.

I DON'T KNOW!!!!!

But it's fun.

Along with the clock dog theme,

we found this lithograph of a man and his best friend.

Just a little humor, while washing up,

or what ever else you would do in this space. 

The next post is going to be on Connie's bedroom.....

just a little teaser!!!!!

See you tomorrow, or Friday,

depending on whether or not I keep having problems with the software of my blog.

I think Sarah fixed it, but I'm holding my breathe. 

This techno stuff is a mystery.....

Latah, Gatah

Beach House Guest Room

Arggghhhhh!!!!!!!

My blog is acting up!!!!!

The titles aren't showing on the side bar and on the main post.....

For two days the text didn't show up on ipads.....

this is driving me nuts!!!!!

Tomorrow I am getting help from Sarah who runs tech support for bloggers.

Her ad is in my sidebar.

just a little plug.

She doesn't even pay me for the ad,

 but I want to spread the wealth and let other folks know,

 that if your blog or computer starts acting like your enemy, 

laughing in your face while you scream at the keyboard....

She's the one to call for help!!!!!

Now.....

let's get back to decorating.....

We've gone over all of my buddy, Connie's, living area 

in her beach bungalow.

Sooooo.....

Let's move on to her guestroom.

It's off the hall area by the stairs, creating a nice separate space for Connie's company.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

But wait!!!!!

I just got my new order of underwear from Fruit of the Loom delivered!!!!!

I am such a ding a ling, that after I washed them,

I arranged them by color,

like a rainbow!!!!!

SOOOOOO.....

because I am such a wack a doodle, 

I took pictures to share with you guys!!!!!!!

I really need to find some other stuff to fill up my time.....

Knowing that I have an audience is doing strange things to my brain.....

But.....

let me show you all the cool different colors of white that they come in!!!!!

Just like Benjamin Moore paints!!!!

There's: Betsy White, Morning White, Night-time White, Bathroom White, Laundry White, Blogger's White, I'm sitting too long at my computer White, This joke is getting old White.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Take a breath..... 

OK!!!!

Back to decorating!!!!!

In Connie's guest room, I inherited the yellow shell themed fabric from 

The Previous Designer (TPD), along with the bed, nightstands, wicker chair  and chest of drawers.

I wasn't crazy about this fabric, but Connie likes it, and she has been pushing me to give her credit on my blog.

So this fabric was her choice with TPD.

Being the brilliant designer that I am.....

I was able to make it work!!!!!

So there! Connie!!!!

I found a cheerful yellow wallpaper with blue dots, that pulled in the pillow fabric nicely.

And then I was able to find a nice soft yellow and white fabric for the draperies.

The bed that Connie chose with TPD I love!!!!

See, Connie????

I gave you credit!!!!!

But.....

The night stands were a disaster, so they had to be reselected.

The ones that TPD had specified were 

way

too short for the bed, at just 24" high.

I like a night stand to be at least as high as the mattress.

Sooooo,

these little white tables came from Maine Cottage Furniture.

Connie and I fell in love with the fun fish prints, and I hung them all over the guest suite.

Connie chose this pretty scalloped coverlet,

I had

absolutely nothing to do with it!!!!!

SHE DA BOMB!!!!

(Connie, let me know when you've gotten enough credit....)

I think this room is really inviting now, 

although guest rooms are problematic, because then you sometimes get guests.....

Here'r some more shots,

I took time to edit them,

so now you have to look at them.

Across from the foot of the bed is the chest of drawers.

TPD had ordered this in a waxed pine finish that looked really cheap to me.

Soooooo.....

I handled it like I do every thing that has a finish I don't like.....

I had it painted white.

Connie and I found those fun life guard chair lamps at a local gift shop.

I think they are the perfect note for this whimsical room, and just happened to have lamp shades in a blue that matches the room!

Behind the door leading to the living room, is the circuit breaker box which had an ugly grey door on it....as they are wont to do.

Charlie, the contractor, took the door home and painted it to match the wallpaper!!!!!

Here's a closer shot....

What a hoot!

Off the bedroom is the en suite bath with an antique dresser converted to a vanity.

TPD did this, so I have to give her credit.

(oy)

I covered the walls in the same wallpaper.

I like it when the bath and bedroom have the same wall treatment, 

it creates the feeling of a suite.

There is a window in the bathtub/shower, which can be problematic.

The window gets wet, and people can see in.

Sooooo....

I had Sunbrella  fabric window curtains made that can be pulled close when someone is taking a shower, thus protecting the window and hiding peeping eyes.

Sooooo.....

That's it for Connie's guest room.

No, you can't go there for a visit.

She doesn't know who the hell you are!!!!!

On that charming note....

Latah, Gatah

A Cottage Hallway

Let's get back to looking at my friend Connie's beach house.....

I want to go over what I did in the entry hall and stairs.

Then we'll be done with the main living area of this house, 

and move on to the bedrooms.

I know, I know....

how exciting is this #$% anyway?????

I've shown you this picture before, 

but

I want to set up in your tiny minds where the other shots were taken.....

Across from the table is this gallery wall.

I can't seem to get away from gallery walls,

they follow me around.....

This is how it started out....

this was before we crumbled and added wallpaper to cozy up the house.

There just didn't seem to be 

enough stuff on the walls!!!!!

Connie had gotten this mirror from The Previous Designer she had been working with.

So I was stuck working with happy to fit this into my design!!!!

I started by adding these two shell prints on both sides of the mirror, 

but it just didn't feel like enough.

Sooooooo.....

We went to the Boston Design Center, and found these fun collages in an art gallery there.

They worked in wonderfully with the shell theme I had goin' on!!!!

I trolled ebay for the shell plates.

They aren't old, but do the job!

(But they are second hand!!!!! We do like used stuff!!!!!)

Going up the stairs, I had a custom runner made to match the coral color of the living area.

I really like the beachy feel of the striped cotton rug, and the way it works with the downstairs....

For the walls going up the stairs, 

of course I wanted to do another collection.....

but I wanted something in the same naturalistic vein as the rest of the house, 

but still a new theme,

if you knows what I means......

Soooooo.....

I chose what any sane designer would choose!!!!!

FROGS!!!!!

This is the way the wall looked before the wallpaper.

It's always amazing to me,

what a difference wallpaper makes!!!!!

Sooooo.....

let me show you some closeups of the frogs....

Aren't they great?????

Then, in the upstairs hallway, I needed some more,

but we had run out of frog prints,

so we just did one in the middle, and the traveler palm prints on either side.

Wellllll.....

believe it or not, 

now I've run out of things to say.....

while everybody is silent in amazement, 

I'll sign off.....

Latah, Gatah

Tweaking Kris's Gallery Wall

Before I continue with my friend Connie's Florida home.....

I need to jump back over to my buddy Kris's living room.

This is the way my mind works.....

over here 

and over there

and back around againnnnn.......

OY OY OY...

You may remember Kris's home from last month.....

Here's a reminder shot.....

Wellllll.....

We hadn't finished the wall over the sofa.

It had a couple of square inches of bare sheet-rock showing!!!!!

We hate a void!!!!

IT MUST BE FILLED!!!!!

This was the wall over the sofa before Thursday.....

(I thought it was done, but Kris claims that I told her to buy more dog paintings......)

These were the paintings waiting to still be hung.....

Kris emailed me at the beginning of last week, 

and asked if I could help her hang these on Thursday.

Since she is my ride to and from the airport.....

I figured I better put a good face on it, 

and sweetly tell her.....

"Of course.....I would LOVE

 to hang some more @#$ on your walls!!!"

Here we are starting our project.....

(Welllll.....actually, that's Kris.....)

We had to do a lot of mountain climbing sofa hopping....

do get this accomplished.

Lots of pictures to hang....

OY!

So, we starting rebuilding the arrangement....

But first we had to pull the sofa away from the wall, so we could get a step stool in there, since our geriatric frames couldn't balance on the back of the sofa.

When we pulled the sofa away from the wall.....

Kris found the leaves to her dining table!!!!!

(They had been put in a safe place, that no one remembered.....)

Moral of this story....

go around your house and look behind and under stuff....

you could find gold!!!!!

We (I) wanted to leave the picture of the three terriers in the center over the couch.

but the rest of the paintings had to be reworked.

We were able to hide a lot of the nail holes, but not all of them.....

But there's so much @#@$ stuff on the wall that you really don't notice them!!!!!

 I first hung the Boston Terrier.

Then Kris rehung the trio back on its existing hook.

Then I didn't bother to take any more pictures 

BECAUSE

this was absolutely 

exhausting!!!!!

We had to rehang the brackets that hold the pair of Staffordshire dogs.

Raising the pair of water colors over them.

Then I added a painting behind the lamp on the right, 

one that Kris didn't like so much, so it doesn't matter that it's hidden,

but it got rid of some of the

dreaded bare wall!!!!

We added some plates, moved some stuff, added some dogs, removed some dogs,

took some rests.....

took some more rests.....

and congratulated ourselves on a job well done!!!!

Gallery walls are hard to do.

Gallery walls are hard to do.

Gallery walls are hard to do!!!!!!!

Here are some before and afters.....

I realize this isn't everyone's cup of tea....

But this is Kris's house,

and she

LOVES it!!!!!

So, that makes me happy.

See you on Tuesday...

Latah, Gatah