It’s hard to believe we’re three years into designing our moody modern traditional home. Sometimes people will ask me, “What are you gonna do when you’re done?” I can’t think about that yet — I’m not even close! While I feel great about so many rooms in the house, some are still on the “to tackle” list. Some of them are just in phase one with a coat of paint and dramatic drapes. But I have more up my sleeve, it’s just a matter of prioritizing rooms, acknowledging the time they take. I wanted to share photos of rooms that are still in the “before” or ‘”in-process” stage, and let you in on my plans for what they *could* be.
Primary Bathroom
This is our really big project of the year. We started planning for this one last year, and I could just never commit to the layout we selected. We kept putting off placing the order with our bathroom design company…it’s a whole story I outlined in this blog post. But now that we have a new plan in place, I’m really excited to get this one going. I envision a spacious room with color, beautiful tile, built-in wardrobes. It will be an incredible transformation!
Greta’s Bedroom
Shop Greta’s Room
This is a room we’d like to tackle this year. Her room still has a boob light in it! We’ve really just painted and hung curtains. Greta is due for some new furniture: a new bed, a new art area. I asked her if she wanted bookcases because she’s always reading and she said no, but we’ll see! I think she’s at the hardest age to design for — she’s 14. In the next 10 years she’s going to change drastically, so I’m really only focusing on what she likes for the next four years. I’m not thinking of a forever scenario. She actually did pick out a wallpaper that she liked (I think Polly’s room and Faye’s room inspired her). She has a really great room for built-ins so I want to do something with those. And she has asked for a bulletin board, so we’ll make sure we include one.
The (Hidden) Storage Room
Ninja CREAMi | Striped Scout Tote Bag | Primrose Mirror | Globe Pendant in Hallway
People ask about this space all the time because one time I said this was going to be the playroom. It used to be part of a really large room that we cut in half to make the laundry room. Our storage room still has the original carpet in it — we never even put hardwood floors in there. It is currently just a room where decor goes to die. But now that we have our attic organized, there’s really no reason why that stuff is there. It actually causes confusion because we can’t remember if something is in the attic or in the storage room! My dream is to make this a really great craft room — it’s beautifully lit. I’ve always wanted to have a place for wrapping paper, ribbons, paint supplies, markers and scissors, so I’m thinking of doing Semihandmade cabinets to create storage. It’s actually good we didn’t do the hardwoods there, because I’m envisioning tile floors. The real kicker is that I need to do this room before my kids get too old! I’m going to ask for this room for my birthday, and if it’s not this year then it’s gotta be next year. This room is something I’m dying to do.
The Entry
Credenza | Wall Sconce | Terracotta Bowl | Checkmate Candle | Ceramic Vase | Framed Drawing
I would love to do the entry this year. That would completely wrap up the first floor which would feel really nice. I’m so anxious to get a new front door and add some trim work and paint to the entry. The credenza that we brought with us is way too wide for that entry. In our last house we had a huge open area for an entry, so a bigger thicker credenza made sense. This house has a narrow hallway that becomes more narrow when we have a credenza in it. So we definitely need some furniture changes in the entry.
Upstairs Landing
Club Chairs | Lamp | Side Table (similar) | Rug (vintage) | Faux Tree | Coffee Table Books | Record Player | Cloth Paper Drawers
I need to rework this tiny little room — it’s going to be the music room. We have our piano in it now, and it has some built-ins that were there when we moved in. But the way they designed the built-ins makes the arch off-centered, and it drives me absolutely bonkers. We’re not going to have doors — it’ll have an encased opening and maybe some punchy wallpaper. Velvet will be in here somewhere. I think it could be nice to have some sort of curtain system where you can close the curtains to disguise the Juliet balcony and the door. The girls love to do shows up there, so that would make it a little more theatrical.
Living Room
Technically we haven’t done anything to our living room except paint it, much like Greta’s room! It doesn’t have any new furniture in it except for the coffee table. The new black interior window trim has also made such a difference, but I have more ideas in mind. I’d like to add a lot more trim and possibly do two paint colors in here instead of just the one. I’m envisioning built-in bookcases in the living room with library lights above them. I want to frame in the art on that wall with those bookcases. We’ve talked about adding skylights in there and beams as well. So phase two is on the horizon!
The Playroom
Rattan Side Table (similar) | CLJ x Lola Raisin Blanket | Basketball Hoop | CLJ x Loloi Chris Natural/Sage Rug | CLJ x Loloi Pillows | Semi Flush Lights | Globe Pendant Lights | Teepee
My sister Andi told me the other day that the most off-brand thing about me is that I have a double-shot basketball game in my house. It’s large and there’s no getting around it. Sometimes I can’t believe I have that in my house either! It lives in the playroom, so this room is going to be a design challenge. But the bones of the room are so good — there’s so much potential. I’d like to highlight all of the wonderful things about it, making it a fun place for the kids, because that’s what it’s about. I still have all their toys in there, but we’re kind of moving out of the toys phase. I’m keeping a mental note of the last time they played with this play kitchen or that tent. (It feels like just yesterday the IKEA kitchen was their favorite – tears!) As far as design, I really want to do wood-clad walls somewhere my house. I’ve thought about it for the playroom, but there’s not a definite plan there yet. I don’t see us getting to the playroom this year as much as I want to — it kills me that it’s sitting in the state that it’s in.
The Guest House
I wrote about this in a past blog post, but we want to consolidate the guest house with the gym and make it one real guest house that has a bedroom with a door on it, a living area, a little kitchenette and bathroom and laundry room. I might include a little gym area somewhere in the guest house still. But we put in the gym when it was COVID-era here, and we weren’t going out to the gym. Is that lockdown ever going to come back around? Hopefully not, and I’m definitely going to keep some of the exercise equipment but I don’t think I need a full set of dumbbells anymore. The plan is to have the guest house bathroom accessible to the outdoor living area. It will be a huge undertaking, and I’m really excited for it. This is probably a next-year project too.
I love my home and every space it gives me with my family. We’ve put so much into the house over the last three years, and it’s exciting to see the possibilities as well!