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One Room Challenge Spring 2016 :: Kick-Off

April 6, 2016 · Comments { 23 }

As some of you know, I moved last year to a house that needs a ton of work. It’s a 1940s traditional colonial style home and last fall I redesigned the foyer and staircase for the One Room Challenge (ORC). As an interior designer, I enjoyed the process from inspiration to completion – but of course I’m my toughest client, so it wasn’t always easy, breezy!

Recently, Linda of Calling it Home invited me back to participate in her One Room Challenge this spring. For those who may not know, the ORC is a collection of 20 bloggers that document the transformation of a room over the course of six weeks. Although the tight timeline adds a lot of pressure, I jumped at the chance to be part of this fabulous series again.

Even though our house has seemingly endless makeover needs including the kitchen, bathrooms and backyard patio, the room choice for the ORC was quite obvious – our master bathroom & walk-in closet. We selected the space mainly because we were battling several leaky faucets that couldn’t be repaired (too old) and our closets needed some serious organizational help. It’s a big undertaking for such a short amount of time, but I was up for the challenge!

Over the course of the next few weeks, I will be sharing my design process from inspiration to finishing touches. Each Wednesday, there will be a new blog post revealing the progress and you can also get sneak peeks via Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. I hope you will follow my journey!

Here’s a look at the space before – starting with the master bath (which includes my closets) and leading to the walk-in closet for my hubby.

I’m thrilled and honored to be among the following bloggers chosen for the One Room Challenge this spring. Be sure to check the other blogger in the series to see what rooms they have selected for their challenge!

Read full story By Cristin on April 6, 2016 in Bathroom, bathrooms, Closets, interior design, Interiors, Organization, simplified bee portfolio, tile, Uncategorized, vintage, wallpaper

Book Review :: Patina Farm

March 8, 2016 · Comments { 5 }

When I started blogging back in 2009, there were a few hundred decor bloggers out there. Now there are thousands and it’s been really hard to keep up with all my favorites because the list just gets longer and longer. One blog that I’ve followed from the very beginning is Velvet & Linen by interior decorator, Brooke Giannetti. We quickly bonded on interior design, being moms and raising backyard chickens. At the time, Brooke and her world-renown architect husband, Steve were living in a lovely home in suburban Santa Monica, California. I’ll never forget her decision (which she shared on her blog) to leave the bustling, star-studded Los Angeles community for the quite, serene oasis of Ojai Valley – situated just south of Santa Barbara. I was inspired by her bravery to move her school aged children, build her dream home and follow her heart to spend her free time in nature.

Over the course of the last few years, I’ve watched Brooke and Steve’s dream unfold and was thrilled to hear that they were going to give us a tour in their just released book, Patina Farm . Through 150 stunning images and beautiful sketches by Steve, the book delivers a detailed account of inspirations, architectural elements, and various influences the designing couple encountered throughout the process. I found it interesting that the number one influence in their home’s footprint was sunlight. To achieve their goal of maximizing sunlight in and outside the home, they situated the house so that the back faces south. They also balanced the light in rooms by adding windows to two or three sides allowing for natural light for greater lengths of time. The connection of the indoor and outdoor spaces just flows in this house – allowing the family to reach their goal of of being surrounded by nature.

The mix of materials used throughout Patina Farm was heavily influenced by French, Spanish and Belgium design and included galvanized steel, terra-cotta roof tiles, limestone, glass steel doors, and reclaimed barn doors to name a few. The Giannettis wanted their home to feel as it was built over time this mix helps them achieve that look. The result is a home that’s stunning from every angle. It’s superbly elegant, yet inviting and unpretentious. Brooke and Steve make it look effortless.

One of the main reasons we built Patina Farm was to show our children the power of a dream. – Steve & Brooke Giannetti, Patina Farm

This one of the loveliest decor books I’ve read and I’m amazed at how intimate it is. From the first page, Brooke and Steve welcome you into their home in the most down-to-earth, personal way. I highly recommend taking a tour of Patina Farm for yourself!

*photographs by Lisa Romerein from Patina Farm by Brooke Giannetti and Steve Giannetti, reprinted by permission of Gibbs Smith

**this post contains affiliate links

Read full story By Cristin on March 8, 2016 in Bathroom, Bedroom, book, book review, Features, Garden, interior design, Interiors, Kitchen, Living Room, outdoor living, Uncategorized

Color Crush :: Pale Pink

January 18, 2016 · Comments { 2 }

Known to represent kindness and remind us of those sweet flamingos, the color pink comes in many shades. Although I love them all, lately I’ve most drawn to the hue’s pale, pink side that is often featured in a baby girl’s nursery like the one by Caitlin Creer above. The fresh and cool shade of pink is also popping up in other areas of the home as a primary or accent color. Pale pink takes on a modern, sophistication when paired with a darker hues like black, navy and green.

image sources: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6

Read full story By Cristin on January 18, 2016 in baby and children, baby nursery room, Bathroom, Bedroom, bedrooms, color, dining rooms, Girl, interior design, Interiors, mid-century modern, Uncategorized

My Favorite Posts 2015

December 28, 2015 · Comments { 1 }

2015. It’s almost history and boy was it a year of change (at least for me). The biggest of course was my family moving from the bustle of the San Francisco Peninsula to the slower paced Sierra Nevada high dessert. I’ll be honest, it took me a few months to adjust (missing our California friends the most), but I love our new lifestyle. I’m also enjoying renovating our 1940s home (no small task – so lets see how I feel about it next year!). I’ve already tackled the foyer, thanks to a nudge from the One Room Challenge and will be sure to share other projects we are undertaking in the upcoming months.

Wishing you a very happy, healthy 2016!

Here’s a look at some of my favorite posts of 2015: