Adore this...

I just adore these images form the new Kohler ad featuring the Tresham Collection. It is so fun and fresh, and the floors, well, we all know how obsessed I am with chevron hardwood floors.

And speaking of bathrooms, chevron, and hardwood here are a couple of pics of our bathroom progress. The rest of the flooring was finally delivered so our installers could wrap up the remainder of the hardwood. Let me just say I may never leave my bathroom once we move in.

 Hope your day is a good one, I have a list as long as the Great Wall of China, hoping I survive and have the energy to hit yoga with a dear friend this evening. Mel xo

Knock Knock - The Hamptons

I really don't need to say anything, OK, one thing. Can I borrow $7,495,000 so I can buy this home in Sagaponack? I promise to let you stay whenever you want and I will cook for you, and do your laundry, and rub your feet. Promise. See, It even comes with the adorable pool house below, and I am a sucker for oval windows.

 So we might be fighting to be in this kitchen, I'll take dinner and you can prep lunch.

 With the multiple seating arrangements in the large room we will be able to hang with the little ones while sipping some wine and reflect on our day by the pool.

 Notice the built-in window seat, perfect spot for a nap.

Quiet a nice quest room right? I think anyone would be comfortable here.

 And your bathroom, the vintage feel with the sink & light...heart it.

So remember how I told you I would do your laundry? Well, could you blame me with this as the laundry room?!

 Hello pretty.

HERE

So just let me know if you are good for the loan, or gift, I won't argue and will accpet it graciously. Maybe I should be buying lotto tickets? Hope your week is going well!! Mel xo

Our clubhouse...

Wouldn't it be fun to have a hide away like one of these? A special 'clubhouse' and a space to get your creativity on? Maybe a place for all of us bloggers to meet up and have wine?? Hummm...I like that last one!

via Flicker

 via nowthatsnifty | via Sunsurfer

via Livejournal

I wonder if I can convince the Hubs to build one of these in the new backyard? Or maybe I should let him focus on just finishing the house first. Mel xo

So...I changed my mind, again

Have I mentioned before that I am my  WORST CLIENT EVER ? If I could fire myself I would, but I can not. The latest battle I had with myself was over my main color, tears, anxiety, and a scream or two. Remember last week when I thought I had made my decision HERE? 

Yeah, so come to find out I didn't like what I had selected when I walked into the home with the morning sun cascading in. Do I typically go this crazy? No, but this is the color that will be on all of our cabinets, wainscoting, and most likely the walls throughout the main section of the home...I NEED to like LOVE it. So a trip to Benjamin Moore, 6 new paint pots in hand and foam brushes I started doing patches here and there.

*You know what is crazy, I had the painters prime our walls with P&L Lambswool, this was the color of all of our cabinetry and trim in our last home, you can never be too afraid to go with a deep option.

What did I decide on (and the painters have ordered the lacquer so there is no going back now)? Benjamin Moore Seapearl OC-19.

It has warmth and depth and it goes with the Statuario marble that is throughout the kitchen perfectly. So lets check this off my 'list' of to do's. 

Just please tell me I am NOT the only designer out there that has all of the confidence in the world when it comes to doing things for others but for myself I lack the decision making skills that are needed. Happy Monday and hope the Easter Bunny was good to you! Mel xo

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone!! I hope that you are surrounded with wonderful people, great food, and that you can take a moment to be thankful for all you are blessed with. Mel xo

I committed, finally...

I committed to the main color for our new home...it was not easy, there was a lot of second guessing, but in the end I am so happy with the selection and excited to see it go up. Let me introduce you to my new BFF, White Down by Benjamin Moore...

**I have mentioned I do not like to use color swatches on the net, this is what I pulled, but it so doesn't match my chip, uggg.

This will be the color that all of the cabinets, casings, baseboards, closet shelves, and the wainscoting that is throughout the main level of the home will be painted in (possibly the main level walls as well). I put up numerous large samples of colors from P&L & BM, kept them up for a couple of days in the home so I could see how the color was affected by the natural light that comes into the home. 

 

This color was it, it works so well with all of the marble I have selected, there is no yellow, a tinge of gray that will play off of the chrome & antique nickle fixtures, yet it is warm.

 

And as a reminder, today is Earth Day, take care of the only real home that we all share. Mel xo

Project Updates...

Project updates for this week, needless to say there are A LOT of them!
 
 WEXFORD II

Lets start off with Wexford II, our spec home in a community located in the Signal Hill area of Calgary. This is the home that I wanted to do use a gray stain...it turned out to be my arch nemeses. Endless samples that were off, then I walked in last week and all of the cabinetry was BLUE...it looked like a blueberry had diarrhea, I cried. Our wonderful painters were not finished, and the end result when they were done was quiet fab if I do say so myself and it matched my 839th sample I had made perfectly.

 The hardwood was being sanded and stained yesterday, anxious to go and take a look at it on Friday! Granite is being fabricated, and then the backsplash can be installed. It is all coming together.

 The mud room 'lockers' are awaiting hooks and lids and the passage doors on the left, we went dark, a soft black. We have done this in a few homes over the past few years and it works so well for a home with a modern feel like this one.

The office is on the left with a large custom built-in to accommodate the needs that so many of our clients have. Stairs on the left, once the railing is finished we will be listing this house on the market, but safety first!

 

Lynx Ridge

We had the final electrical walk through with the clients yesterday, so let the messy job of insulation and drywall begin. Lots of images to come!

Our Home

OK, so we have been a little busy here. The kitchen is underway with all of the base cabinets in place and my narrowed down paint chips on the wall...have I mentioned how much I hate picking a white? Oh yes, I have here.

 The Hubs built the mantle for the fireplace out of a 10" x 10" timber. It was a lot of work and VERY heavy, but once it is stained and the stone is on the fireplace surround it will be perfection.

 I am a bit giddy about these spaces, the 'His' (on the right) and 'Hers' (on the left) closets. I am thinking I need something funky for the walls...and fabrics for the seat under my oval window.

 OK, excited about these 2 areas as well. A view on the left of the hallway that leads to the closets and my work space at the end, lovin' the desk and can't wait to get inspired there. And on the right, the sides of the shower are now in place, oh so pretty.

 Laundry room on the left, the cabinets are done and we are just waiting for the marble to come in for the floor. And ever wonder how to curve a rail perfectly to the stairs, the image on the left shows you how they do it.

 Two of the built-ins that are in the secondary bedrooms, a window seat in the guest bedroom and a desk for M in his.

 Welcome to the Hubs space. The bar & wine room that was to be smaller than what we had before, yet it is over twice the side. All of the mill-work in the lower level is alder so we could keep it masculine nd warm. The wine room will be separated from the bar area by a wall of 10mm frame-less glass so it showcases everything that is in there (if there is any inventory left by the time we move in that is).

 The rec room built-in on the left, tons of open shelving and the TV in the center. The tile is started in the lower level bathroom, happy with the progress and look of this, I will be sure to share some more detailed images once it is completed.

My list of things to do over the next week is endless it seems, with all of these jobs at critical points I feel the need to be on site at each home daily (with 2 boys in tow, fun times). It will pay off in the end and I am so excited with the way that all of the jobs are coming along. Hope you enjoyed this looong post, I just had so much I wanted to share with you!! Mel xo