Mood Board Monday: Wisteria Dresser

I came across Sarah's blog recently, and saw that she has a semi-regular party making mood boards! How fun! I signed right up, and today I'm showing you an imaginary room featuring this marvelous dresser from Wisteria.

I decided to design an imaginary dining room, that would be small and intimate, but still very elegant. This dresser turned buffet wouldn't fit in just anywhere! The palette (1)is really rich and layered, but still laidback, so that the dresser is still the focus of the room. The wall color would be Smoky Charcoal by Glidden. The aged silver of the dresser is repeated in the chandelier, mirror and napkin rings. The rest of the colors from the room are pulled from this painting (3) with lots of warm neutrals, light and dark green and smoky blue grays.

I'd hang this painting (3) over the dresser, opposite the large windows across my imaginary dining nook. The windows would be framed in ivory silk duponi drapes (4) and this beautiful and eclectic chandelier (5) would hang in the middle of the room. Beneath it, this blue gray rug (6) would add a bit of modern pattern, and provide a cozy cover for this classic white pedestal table (7). This room would be a place to settle in and enjoy a lazy morning or a long evening, so these upholstered chairs (8), in sage linen, would provide plenty of comfort.

This pewter mirror (9) would reflect even more light, as well as the view of the pretty chandelier. The topiaries (10) would sit on the dresser/buffet, and I'd finish off the room with a lovely table setting (11) of this beautiful china with a great pattern, some cream colored napkins with silver rings and sparkling crystal.

So there you have it. A beautiful imaginary dining room with loads of color and comfort, and lots of glam. Sources are below. Hope you enjoy!

Dresser - Wisteria

Curtains - Pottery Barn

Mirror - Overstock

Art - Allposters.com

Rug - Target

Chandelier - Shades of Light

Table - One Way Furniture

Chairs - Ballard Designs in sage linen

Table Setting - Waterford, and Bed Bath & Beyond, Bed Bath & Beyond

Topiaries - Ballard Designs

Linked to Mood Board Monday @ Pewter + Sage

Mood Board Monday: Wisteria Dresser

I came across Sarah's blog recently, and saw that she has a semi-regular party making mood boards! How fun! I signed right up, and today I'm showing you an imaginary room featuring this marvelous dresser from Wisteria.

I decided to design an imaginary dining room, that would be small and intimate, but still very elegant. This dresser turned buffet wouldn't fit in just anywhere! The palette (1)is really rich and layered, but still laidback, so that the dresser is still the focus of the room. The wall color would be Smoky Charcoal by Glidden. The aged silver of the dresser is repeated in the chandelier, mirror and napkin rings. The rest of the colors from the room are pulled from this painting (3) with lots of warm neutrals, light and dark green and smoky blue grays.

I'd hang this painting (3) over the dresser, opposite the large windows across my imaginary dining nook. The windows would be framed in ivory silk duponi drapes (4) and this beautiful and eclectic chandelier (5) would hang in the middle of the room. Beneath it, this blue gray rug (6) would add a bit of modern pattern, and provide a cozy cover for this classic white pedestal table (7). This room would be a place to settle in and enjoy a lazy morning or a long evening, so these upholstered chairs (8), in sage linen, would provide plenty of comfort.

This pewter mirror (9) would reflect even more light, as well as the view of the pretty chandelier. The topiaries (10) would sit on the dresser/buffet, and I'd finish off the room with a lovely table setting (11) of this beautiful china with a great pattern, some cream colored napkins with silver rings and sparkling crystal.

So there you have it. A beautiful imaginary dining room with loads of color and comfort, and lots of glam. Sources are below. Hope you enjoy!

Dresser - Wisteria

Curtains - Pottery Barn

Mirror - Overstock

Art - Allposters.com

Rug - Target

Chandelier - Shades of Light

Table - One Way Furniture

Chairs - Ballard Designs in sage linen

Table Setting - Waterford, and Bed Bath & Beyond, Bed Bath & Beyond

Topiaries - Ballard Designs

Linked to Mood Board Monday @ Pewter + Sage

Project Curb Appeal

Summer is finally here, and it will be gone before we know it, especially in this cloudy quaint town we call home. We're lucky if we get two good months of hot weather and sun, so there's not a moment to lose!

Project Curb Appeal is well on its way this summer at Wendhurst Castle. While the castle currently looks like this,


We've brainstormed up a lovely makeover on a dime that will really make our castle stand tall with pride. (Ok, so we're already the tallest house on the street. Sheesh, let me dream a little, will ya?)

Anyways, after playing around in Photoshop the other day, I came up with this mockup of our redone exterior.



The Plan:

• Have the stucco professionally powerwashed to get rid of muck, dirt and mold. Eww!
• Paint the door, windowsills and gables in a soft forest-y green to coordinate with the yellow stucco. (No more orange, hurrah!) Paint the front porch floor too.
• Replace the porch light fixture
• Replace the old, broken down, mostly dead evergreen bushes.
• Repair the concrete stairs.
• Add some nice landscaping to the front.

The Players:

• Obviously, a pro powerwasher. We considered trying to do this ourselves, but given the fact that our house is 27 feet tall, we put out the white flag and called in the pros.
• Some nice exterior paint in greens and tans.
• A shiny new light fixture (preferably one that is kind of old looking, actually)
• A plethora of bright green boxwoods, to replace the yucky old evergreeens.
• Concrete and water to make new stairs that are not a hazard.
• Purple petunias and salvia, yellow marigolds and daylilies, and some showy clematis to liven things up in front.

So what do you think? Have we left anything out? Think we can get all this done by the end of the summer? :-D

Project Curb Appeal

Summer is finally here, and it will be gone before we know it, especially in this cloudy quaint town we call home. We're lucky if we get two good months of hot weather and sun, so there's not a moment to lose!

Project Curb Appeal is well on its way this summer at Wendhurst Castle. While the castle currently looks like this,


We've brainstormed up a lovely makeover on a dime that will really make our castle stand tall with pride. (Ok, so we're already the tallest house on the street. Sheesh, let me dream a little, will ya?)

Anyways, after playing around in Photoshop the other day, I came up with this mockup of our redone exterior.



The Plan:

• Have the stucco professionally powerwashed to get rid of muck, dirt and mold. Eww!
• Paint the door, windowsills and gables in a soft forest-y green to coordinate with the yellow stucco. (No more orange, hurrah!) Paint the front porch floor too.
• Replace the porch light fixture
• Replace the old, broken down, mostly dead evergreen bushes.
• Repair the concrete stairs.
• Add some nice landscaping to the front.

The Players:

• Obviously, a pro powerwasher. We considered trying to do this ourselves, but given the fact that our house is 27 feet tall, we put out the white flag and called in the pros.
• Some nice exterior paint in greens and tans.
• A shiny new light fixture (preferably one that is kind of old looking, actually)
• A plethora of bright green boxwoods, to replace the yucky old evergreeens.
• Concrete and water to make new stairs that are not a hazard.
• Purple petunias and salvia, yellow marigolds and daylilies, and some showy clematis to liven things up in front.

So what do you think? Have we left anything out? Think we can get all this done by the end of the summer? :-D

Ideas for the office

I've been playing with ideas for the office, and have already made one previous "idea board." I know that I want to do an asian themed room, but the last board I did hadn't really captured the look I was going for in the room. I want the office to be relaxing and simple, so that it is easy to work in. Here are some pics of the office currently, so you can get an idea of where everything will go. We'll be taking down some of the paneling, replacing some of the drywall, and obviously painting over that hideous blue.  

And here is the idea board. 

1. First off, the color scheme is very simple. Black for some of the furnishings, and the built in desk/cabinet/file drawers will be painted white. The walls will be a nice gray, and the trim around windows, etc will be a crisp white. Red will be brought in to cheer up the room in plenty of accents. 

2. This great rug from Target brings all of those colors together. It's definitely out of the price range, but it gives an idea of the color, and the design that would really work. I am not a fan of abstract in general, but I love it in rugs. As far as size, the bigger the better, as the floor in the office is really beatup. 

3. This ebony desk is from Penneys, but it's not what we would use. We want to use our old front door, and convert it into a desk. I think we would either paint it black or white, and build legs and storage underneath it.  A little plexiglass for the top and, presto, a lovely desk with lots of history. As far as placement in the room, I'm thinking on the wall across from the closet, as long as there is enough light. 

4. Instead of your average, boring (and pricey!) office chair, I would want to go with something like this red leather parsons chair from Pier 1. Definitely red, for accenting, and I like the formality a dining room chair brings in. It keeps the office from feeling too cubicle-y. I also love the added texture that leather would bring in. This one's $50, but I'm sure I can find something better priced, especially if it's a DIY project. 

5. All three of these lamps are from Pier 1 as well. I love the clean, simple lines, the simple shades in the coordinating colors. I'm thinking the red one(s) on the desk, and the white one on the built in desk, in one of the corners. The paper lantern is an idea for where you see the fridge on the wall, I think it would look cool to hang a couple of these (staggered) in that corner for more light. 

6. This is the inspiration for the room. It's a glazed ceramic asian horse from Target. It's currently on clearance, and I might just pick it up. In spite of the fact that it is insanely popular right now.  However, what I like about it is that it is simple and clean while still embodying lots of style. It's asian without screaming "I'm asian! See all the color and embroidery!"

7. This photo collage would look great on the wall opposite the built in desk. I'm thinking matching black frames, wide white mats, and black and white photographs taken by moi! 

8. Once again from Pier 1, these vases could go above the built in desk, on the door desk, or on any book shelves that may happen to make their way into the room. I love the white ones with the touch of metallic shine, and the red bamboo ones have a great texture to them. I'll be watching for the red ones to go on clearance!

9. Although I am not sure where a pillow would be needed in the office, :0) I liked the color and pattern of this pillow. The contrast between the red and white is stellar, and the pattern is subtly reminiscent of the Far East. 

10. Lastly, this little wall decoration is cute and attractive at the same time. It ties in with the asian flair, and it's cool too. :-) 

So there you have it, the inspiration for our office. Some of this is definitely just ideas, but some I'll actually be looking for in the stores! Hope you enjoyed!

Ideas for the office

I've been playing with ideas for the office, and have already made one previous "idea board." I know that I want to do an asian themed room, but the last board I did hadn't really captured the look I was going for in the room. I want the office to be relaxing and simple, so that it is easy to work in. Here are some pics of the office currently, so you can get an idea of where everything will go. We'll be taking down some of the paneling, replacing some of the drywall, and obviously painting over that hideous blue.  

And here is the idea board. 

1. First off, the color scheme is very simple. Black for some of the furnishings, and the built in desk/cabinet/file drawers will be painted white. The walls will be a nice gray, and the trim around windows, etc will be a crisp white. Red will be brought in to cheer up the room in plenty of accents. 

2. This great rug from Target brings all of those colors together. It's definitely out of the price range, but it gives an idea of the color, and the design that would really work. I am not a fan of abstract in general, but I love it in rugs. As far as size, the bigger the better, as the floor in the office is really beatup. 

3. This ebony desk is from Penneys, but it's not what we would use. We want to use our old front door, and convert it into a desk. I think we would either paint it black or white, and build legs and storage underneath it.  A little plexiglass for the top and, presto, a lovely desk with lots of history. As far as placement in the room, I'm thinking on the wall across from the closet, as long as there is enough light. 

4. Instead of your average, boring (and pricey!) office chair, I would want to go with something like this red leather parsons chair from Pier 1. Definitely red, for accenting, and I like the formality a dining room chair brings in. It keeps the office from feeling too cubicle-y. I also love the added texture that leather would bring in. This one's $50, but I'm sure I can find something better priced, especially if it's a DIY project. 

5. All three of these lamps are from Pier 1 as well. I love the clean, simple lines, the simple shades in the coordinating colors. I'm thinking the red one(s) on the desk, and the white one on the built in desk, in one of the corners. The paper lantern is an idea for where you see the fridge on the wall, I think it would look cool to hang a couple of these (staggered) in that corner for more light. 

6. This is the inspiration for the room. It's a glazed ceramic asian horse from Target. It's currently on clearance, and I might just pick it up. In spite of the fact that it is insanely popular right now.  However, what I like about it is that it is simple and clean while still embodying lots of style. It's asian without screaming "I'm asian! See all the color and embroidery!"

7. This photo collage would look great on the wall opposite the built in desk. I'm thinking matching black frames, wide white mats, and black and white photographs taken by moi! 

8. Once again from Pier 1, these vases could go above the built in desk, on the door desk, or on any book shelves that may happen to make their way into the room. I love the white ones with the touch of metallic shine, and the red bamboo ones have a great texture to them. I'll be watching for the red ones to go on clearance!

9. Although I am not sure where a pillow would be needed in the office, :0) I liked the color and pattern of this pillow. The contrast between the red and white is stellar, and the pattern is subtly reminiscent of the Far East. 

10. Lastly, this little wall decoration is cute and attractive at the same time. It ties in with the asian flair, and it's cool too. :-) 

So there you have it, the inspiration for our office. Some of this is definitely just ideas, but some I'll actually be looking for in the stores! Hope you enjoyed!