While my house looks great, I do notice things here and there that I want to change 5 years into owning it and have started that process. A good example is the stairwell walls, which I just wallpapered in a bold Schumacher striped ikat that I LOOOOOOOVE. I was worried initially it would be too much pattern with the mural in my dining room, but now I am SO happy I took the risk and did it. It feels perfect.

Spurred on by this improvement, I have walked through my house and made some notes on what I wish I had done, and will comment on what I am going to change/ swap/ add! Starting with the dining room:

I just touched up the trim in here when we moved in- and with the paper it’s a bit yellowed because it was oil, so I wish I had redone it in White Dove like the rest of the house. I would LOOOOOVE a high gloss ceiling in here in white, not sure that will ever be in my budget though. The drapes- I do wish I had done chartreuse silk in here for a punch of color. But that would require reupholstering the chairs (UGH- everything is a set of dominos). These grey wool drapes are amazing quality, and they do look lovely…. I’m torn.

In the formal living room, an easy add is the ceiling paint. The drapes I cannot change unless I sell these gorgeous trimmed panels- which I do love- so this requires a bit more of a think. A change also depends on what I do in the family room- I don’t want patterned drapes in both rooms. I may also swap the pillows someday too…

I chose not to do roman valances because I did not want to block more light, as this room is pretty dark despite the ample windows. But it feels a bit unfinished now.

This room is the most pressing- my sectional fabric, despite being indoor/outdoor, has not held up. Between the dog and kids and myself- it’s so dirty and stained. Such a bummer, as reupholstering a sectional is expensive, but I need to do a deeper color or a small pattern. And that depends on the drapes- I pulled this fabric for a client and have become OBSESSED with the idea of using it here- but I also love a good skinny stripe sectional for hiding stains. Choosing is the hardest part for me, clearly.

The mudroom is a little more of a functional issue- the bench portion of the cubbies has been chipping, as painted millwork does with heavy use, so I wish I had done stained walnut there. I also wish I had done real brick floors in a warmer tone instead of settling for this grey faux brick. Painting the ceiling is easy, as would be a window treatment- but since this is Beans’ preferred spot to lie it would probably get ruined.

Why I did not put a disposal in here in the butlers pantry, I do not know. I’m so annoyed I didn’t.

In the primary I actually have pulled the trigger on some additions! I wanted to do a half-tester in here originally but never did. It’s being made right now to match the drapes. I also am doing a new bed in a blush velvet with a fab trim and a slightly lower headboard (I’ll be selling this one, which is great- custom designed in a Holly Hunt outdoor grade boucle, if you are interested!) I’m toying with doing the ceiling in the palest shade of blush too.

Why I never did a pink room for my only daughter in our old house (remember her nursery???) or this house I don’t know, but girlfriend now has OPINIONS and has decided she hates her room and wants a PINK room. Pray for me- I fear this child is going to give me a run for my money, literally. I love her room, and this paper was so pricey, so I am very hard pressed to lean into what I am sure are whims that will change as soon as next year possibly!

Henry has asked for a little update, which he is due, as he has had the same stuff in his room since he was teeny. I basically replicated his room in this house from the last house but changed the wallpaper, which I was never happy with (you can barely see it). He has a fab new bed, but I may change out some items in his room this year since he’s turning 11 (HOW???) Still red and blue but maybe a little more preppy/ masculine.

We added this full bath to basement in 2021 and I can tell :) I went a little more “mod” here and I wish I hadn’t fully done that. Especially the floor. I still love the green shower, and I’m not changing anything here as it’s the least used bath in the house and I have other fish to fry, but just sharing for a “stick to classic” lesson learned story.

So there you have it, all the little tweaks that may or may not happen over time. I see my house as an evolving laboratory as I grow and change as a designer, so stay tuned always- I’ll be selling some great pieces and trying out new things!

There isn’t much to say beyond thank you, to everyone who has pre-ordered, bought previous books, followed along on Instagram, hired us to design their homes, worked alongside me for years to create these gorgeous spaces, photograph them, edit my first drafts, plan my tour and and especially those who cheered me on when I thought I couldn’t do it. None of this was or is done alone – far, far from it, in fact. I started this business from my one bedroom apartment in 2007 and now here we are, three books, countless homes, several product lines, a new house and two kids! Who would have thunk!

So in celebration, here are some of my personal favorite shots from the book – of the 417 images, these are some that really make my heart sing.

You can get the book at any of these retailers or in person (hopefully) at your local bookstore! And in case you missed the previous two and want the whole set get book one and two here as well! Or come see me on tour – all the dates are listed HERE!

Images: Kirsten Francis, Michael J. Lee.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

You asked, I plan to answer! Lots of great suggestions from you guys on IG about things you are looking for sources for and advice on and since it was the most requested topic I’ll start with outdoor furniture. I just finished my patio renovation, and my new furniture is on it’s way and I will share images once everything is in (I previously shared some ideas here)

When choosing outdoor furniture I try to avoid sets, as I do within the home as well. It just can look cheap when everything matches. Sometimes I’m ok with a set when it’s metal (as I don’t love mixing the more delicate metal pieces with chunkier wood or woven items) and you are able to mix up the cushion fabrics (say a solid on the sofa and stripe on the chairs). I do however love mixing rattans/woven and wood pieces (keeping all the wood the same finish). Basically pick your sofa/ sectional and then work off that. If it’s made of wood/ teak, maybe your chairs or chaises are woven. If the sofa is woven, your chairs and any other wood items should be a coordinating teak. You can change up materials with the coffee table or side tables- but try to stick to one additional material like a resin, concrete or metal.

When it comes to the cushions, just know that white will get filthy. Even though it’s indoor/ outdoor leaves and grass can stain or discolor and dirt will collect, especially if you forget to cover them like I do. I am terrible about remembering to cover my furniture in the summer when storms roll in, and it really does a number on the cushions. I have these covers from Amazon and they are easy and affordable and I keep them in my barn when not in use, but a lot of people will get a storage bin (this or this) to keep them handy.

Here are some favorite lines for lounge furniture by material. Click images for links except the * items which are here: sofa // chair and ottoman. I’ll do dining and outdoor pillows/ accessories soon too!

The one truth about outdoor furniture is it’s expensive. If it’s not, it’s not going to last (in my experience). So but well once instead of terribly two or three times. And cover your cushions, people! :)

As I mentioned before, we looked into adding a pool as well and the cost was SO high we immediately had to scrap that idea until another time (or not). Maybe a plunge pool someday, but not anytime soon. As it turns out, patios are pretty damn expensive too when done well! We initially had an outdoor kitchen down here as well as the firepit and then because of budget, had to scrap that too- we will have our grill down here near the dining table, but that’s it.

We worked with New View, Inc. after finding them through clients and Ryan was so helpful with us cutting back to a budget we were comfortable with. He also really helped me select the materials and plantings that would best work with our yard, sunlight and desired aesthetics (of note: I paid in full, this is not a sponsored thing- I just love to recommend great small business vendors to you locals!)

All I wanted out of this patio is a large area for seating and lounging in front of a gas firepit, and a separate space for dining for 8. I wanted to delineate the patio from the yard with a stone wall that’s about the same height as our chairs, so that when we’re entertaining, we can also use that wall for additional seating. Our yard is NOT flat by any stretch of the imagination, so Ryan had to make sure our grading was perfect and really think through drainage, run off and angles so that the transitions are nice and the patio is functional. I love the look of bluestone, but was warned against how hot it can get in the summer. I looked at all kinds of granites but could not get past how uniform they looked – I like a little more variation. Ryan ended up finding this material the stone yard called “Premium Light Bluestone” – but he said it’s not really bluestone (it does not behave the way bluestone does when cut – much cleaner edges and less chipping). One of the downsides of bluestone is the flaking and the orange iron spots that show over time – especially now that a lot of bluestone is sourced in China and not Pennsylvania as it used to be, so this is a great upside to this mystery material. I am also am hoping it doesn’t get as hot, but in our yard, which has both shade and sun, I don’t think it will be as much of an issue.

The stone wall is all hand stacked, not veneer, so that was a big part of the budget, but it looks SO nice. We looked at both natural gas lines and buried propane lines for the firepit and went with propane as it was less of a disturbance construction-wise and 1/4 of the cost. The tanks are 30 feet away behind a fence and I think will be great as they have meters on them that alert the propane company when we need more. I CANNOT wait to sit by the fire with my kiddos this summer. We are still working on the plantings, which I wanted to keep simple – grasses, limelight hydrangeas, climbing hydrangeas, hostas and boxwoods. We moved a lot of existing healthy plants around too to save money and be mindful of what we are using vs. throwing away.

Since we changed the shape and size of the patio we needed more furniture (and different sizes). In our scary rental house we lived in last year while renovating we had an outdoor sectional and we all LOVED it. So we decided that given the scale and shape of the patio, that would work perfectly here. I have a longstanding fantastic relationship with Frontgate going back many years, and they offered me some new pieces to mix with my current patio furniture I have from them, which is amazing. Existing pieces are the dining table and chairs, wood side tables, umbrella and umbrella table, and the planters. New will be the sectional, chaises and lounge chair. I’m making custom pillows for everything, because well – I can. :)

Click for links:

Stay tuned for the final patio pics, install of the furniture and a photoshoot this summer of the whole shebang (am thinking a birthday dinner party here in August is a must!). And Instagram for more updates and pics!

As you may have seen on Instagram, I’m kicking off a patio renovation next week so it’s ready for summer, and we are SO excited. We LIVE outside in the summer, and our old brick patio desperately needs to be replaced, as well as the plantings around it. We’ve sketched out an idea of what we want for our contractor, including a large space with built in gas fire put and a short stone wall dividing the patio from the yard. This will give us room for dining, sofas/a sectional and a couple chaises.

We initially wanted to add a gunite pool down behind our barn – which has two lower bays that would have easily been made into a pool house – but the quote was astronomical, as they have been lately in this area. Adding to the cost of labor is the cost of the retaining walls we would need to build to create a level pool, of course made of fieldstone, and the patio deck itself, also stone. Plus 6′ high fencing around the property, running water and gas, new landscaping… it was basically the cost of another house, to be honest, so we abandoned those plans, and instead focused just on the patio for now.

And yes, many of you sent me messages about Soake Pools, and we did consider one up by the patio. We may add one, but the costs are already pretty high so I’m not sure it’s in the cards, as much as I’d like it to be! We have friends who have these and LOVE them, and our kids would be thrilled and we’d probably use it a lot, but being financially responsible is one of those annoying qualities I have and this adds on another 80k so… sorry kids. Inflatable pool it is for you :)

Anyways, I’m firming up the plans and drawings, which I will share, but right now I’m trying to envision it done and what I’ll use to dress it up :). This is the fun stage before any equipment digs up the yard! Here are two slightly different looks I’m toying with – one a little more contemporary/sleek and another more traditional.

The patio itself will most likely be done in Silver Ridge granite or Blue Mist granite. We of course wanted Bluestone but have been advised by a few people that it conducts SO much heat it can be unbearable to walk on in the summer (and this patio will get direct sun). So these stone looks a bit like Bluestone but are a bit cooler and more durable. Below, Silver Ridge top and Blue Mist bottom.

Click images for links!

I do love a good outdoor sectional, so this fits the bill. Also, being someone who is terrible about taking cushions in or covering furniture, these mesh chaises are actually great (and keep you cooler in the summer).

This version leans ever so slightly more English Garden with the black metal additions and painted wood planters. Not quite as “comfy” feeling, but very pretty and polished. Same dining set in both options as I already have those chairs and they are great!

Which do you prefer? Any tips from your own patio renovations you think I should hear? Share away!

Now that my kitchen is done, one of the features I get the most questions about is my brass hood. We do tons of custom metal hoods for clients and I knew I wanted a brass hood to complement my La Cornue range in my new kitchen. I worked with Classic Custom Metal Works in Florida to create my dream hood from scratch – and the process was SO easy and creatively fulfilling, so I wanted to share a bit about it since they ship nationwide and are a great resource.

Their very thorough process starts with a great form they have you fill out about the size of the hood you want, cabinetry details and what style you are looking for. It’s very detailed, which makes a designer like me feel confident they will get it right! From there they presented me with various options for the hood in these fabulous renderings:

I decided on hood #3 but in the colors of hood #4 – I wanted it to be two different tones of brass, one brushed and one lacquered, since my range had lacquered brass on it. They sent a bunch of samples for me to play around with as they worked on the final drawings:

They presented me a final set of drawings (along with CAD drawings for the builder to review as well).

And a final watercolor of the range wall – this really helps visualize how it will all look together, especially the scale of everything.

They chose the right size blower insert to work with my size range and included it with the hood. It shipped very quickly for custom and came with clear installation instructions for my builder (and a person to call with questions). It was such an easy process and I could not be more thrilled with my hood! It’s a total show stopper!

We loved working with them so much we used them to create another hood for a client in the Hamptons who needed one (an in-process pic, but you can still tell this one will be amazing too!):

I’m really happy to share resources when they are this amazing (and a real pleasure to work with). I feel like customer service is a dying art, and these guys are old school in their approach – in the best way! I used a suction cup to hang a wreath on my hood at Christmas, and it left a mark. They tested ways to remove it on samples in their office and then sent me step by step instructions on how to remove it. Truly above and beyond.

I think custom made items for your home can be incredibly intimidating to undertake if you are not working with a designer and these guys really do make it easy.

I’ve had many partnerships over the years, and the long term partnerships that I value most are genuinely organic and bring me joy. Williams-Sonoma is one of those – not only because they have believed in me from the beginning, but because I buy and use all their goods constantly (no surprise there) regardless of any partnerships we have together. Getting ready for this shoot of my house was an undertaking, and I realized as I walked around the spaces and propped it out how much of the accents in the kitchen, as well as other parts of the house (including my all time favorite picture frames, for example) are from them.

I rounded up the items you’ll see throughout my home from Williams-Sonoma here – I get asked a lot about my floral glassware, what pans fit in my smaller French ovens and where to get a great fake orchid – so here ya go!

There is a little tour of our *almost* complete spaces and the kitchen pre-install on Instagram now if you are curious to see some sneak peeks. On the first floor, one of the best things I did get is a new sectional in the family room. As you may recall, I originally had a sectional that Andrew thought was too low and he wanted two sofas – which I got and then sold, because I much preferred the sectional – so we got this beauty from Charles Stewart, made to my exact dimensions and in a Perennials fabric (Rough N’ Rowdy in Parchment) which stands up to kids really well but still feels nice on the skin. Adding a couple more pillows and a coffee table (if it ever comes in – delayed twice already – grrrr).

Our new little Maiden Home chair is also shown here – it’s smaller in scale than I thought, but still fabulous. They continue to be my favorite consumer-facing upholstered furniture brand – really high quality for the price!

Other links you have asked for from the tour: sleeper sofa // counter stools (to the trade)

Paint Colors:

Primary Bedroom: Benjamin Moore Fairview Taupe

Main Level: Benjamin Moore Winds Breath

Playroom: Benjamin Moore Waters Edge

Mudroom: Benjamin Moore Rooftop Garden

As for the rest of the year, the major focus is getting my book completed and turned in by spring. It’s been a long road with this one, but I do think it’ll be the best one yet. A little less writing, a lot more imagery. Not that I don’t like the writing aspect, in fact, I want to get back to writing MORE in 2024. And I plan to speak in detail about renovating from a designer’s perspective, lessons learned, best practices and advice etc, but I want this book to be more image driven than the prior two. The work speaks for itself in most cases. It’s amazing to look back at book 1 and see how far I’ve come a designer.

I have a lot I want to accomplish this year, some exciting new product lines coming out, projects to photograph and continue working on. Once this book is wrapped I have new goals to pursue outside publishing as well (and maybe alternative publishing ideas too…) It’s overwhelming but also exciting to feel inspired by what’s to come as well as what has passed.

Hoping to share more soon with you all, but just wanted to say thanks for hanging in there with me this year as I ebbed and flowed with blogging and social media while trying to find a balance that works for me. Stay tuned as the kitchen comes together!

XOXO,
Erin

The LAST room I have to design is our new primary bedroom – I’ve been mulling it over for a while and I decided I wanted it to be warm, cozy, a little modern, a little traditional and VERY soothing. And while it’s no surprise the base is neutrals, the warm blush/faded russet color accent is very NOT typical me. I’ve ben saying how I’m feeling warmer tones this year, and the way I’d use them here is a way that would be very easy to swap out someday if I decide I want a different vibe. So here’s the board! Links and comments on each choice below:

Drapery Fabric- I have always loved this Jasper Michael Smith pattern and the all neutral tones and white background will pop on the darker walls.

Woven Woods– I always layer woven woods under drapes for a light filtering/ privacy option.

Art– I want the art to be modern, neutral and somewhat quiet. I love this piece by Chelsea Sommerfeld.

Wall Color– I loved this color in Andrew’s office so I plan to re-use it- Fairview Taupe by Benjamin Moore. A brown with a hint of grey/ chalky hint to it.

Ceiling Fixture- I looooove this fixtures by Julie Neill for Visual Comfort. Sparkly without being “crystal”.

Bed Fabric, Bed Pillow & Bedding- Of course I’m going to use my Ripple bedding from Kassatex in here, I love it so much. The bed fabric is a tonal boucle with some good texture and the bed pillow is another Jasper fabric I’ve liked for ages.

The Bed- I am having one custom made by LivenUp in the style of this one, but adding feet to it with the base in a walnut tone.

Bedside Lighting- I am going to do both small brass reading lights AND table lamps– I like having the option for either.

Nightstands– in a walnut wood, or perhaps these (a STEAL)- TBD!

Rug– I love a good vintage Turkish rug

Bench– A foot of the bed bench in a faded russet/ rose tone vintage velvet. Pretttttty snazzy.

Closet/ Bathroom Hallway- this patterned grasscloth is just awesome, either in neutral or blush. The double doors we JUST added last week to the plans will have these cute lever knobs.

Dressers– a matching pair of dressers, ideally in this creamy faux shagreen.

Mirror- This is from my soon-to-launch mirror line! Above the other dresser will be a Frame TV. Not that we ever get to watch TV anymore.

I’m really excited about this space (and the bathroom!) I think it’s going to be perfect for us and give us a lovely space to relax in. I miss our house so much, but know doing all this work is worth it!

I was inspired a lot by one of my OWN projects actually, that we did in the South End with Brookes & Hill. This pass through bar is SO beautiful- between the glossy trim and cabinetry to the papered ceiling and strip LED lights under each shelf.

The bar as it stood before- perfectly lovely but we needed the space to function a bit different.

Here’s the the plan- I’m hoping to make this tiny space special with reeded cabinetry in either a medium greige or really deep green. We’ll use a remnant of whatever we use in the kitchen for the countertop. I’ll do a floor to ceiling gallery wall on the wall across from the cabinetry so it feels a little like an old, classic bar. Since it’s so tiny, the antique mirror will bounce light around and make it feel bigger as well as add a little sexy vibe to it. I always like to go all out in teeny spaces- don’t overlook them! The can be a great spot to try out something you are too nervous to do in a bigger room.

The good news is the framers are back in action after the delay due to structural beam configuration planning, and we are gonna start seeing some real progress!

A pocket door will access this space from the top of the stairs and SOMEDAY we’ll turn the window in the laundry room to a glass door out onto a roof deck, as it overlooks a flat roof that we want to utilize in the future as a place to relax and look at the trees (and maybe hide from our kids).

The elevations have changed slightly since we drew this- there will be no cabinetry over the washer dryer, just a long drying rod (I hang a lot to dry) and wallpaper behind there, not tile.

For style, I’m hoping to do these paneled cabinet doors and since I have neutral or green everywhere else, I’m trying to go blue in here. But there is a version of this that is all neutral as well so we’ll just have to wait and see how I feel… Honestly, I’m still designing this room, but I’m pretty confident in the limestone herringbone floors and the cabinetry – which are the decisions that have to come right away!

Stay tuned on our IG @eostagsale as I sell some good stuff as we prepare to move out! Washer/dryer, Emma’s AMAZING custom nursery curtains, some furniture and more!

I am realizing I REALLY need to get my act together on the finishing selections for my renovation, which starts in 4 WEEKS!!! Gah! As a reminder, here is what the layout looks like now. We are enclosing and pushing out most of the side porch area to create a mudroom and changing what is a window now into the cased opening from the mudroom into the family room. The current mudroom then becomes a little butler’s pantry where we will have our wall oven and microwave, coffee bar and food storage as well as a second dishwasher and prep sink.

In this space I plan on re-using the honed Jurassic Grey granite counters I installed during my kitchen facelift in this space to reduce waste (also reusing the ceiling light from the upstairs laundry vestibule in here). I’m adding some nicer details that would be too pricey to include in the main kitchen, like the brass mesh grille doors on the larger upper cabinet doors. I also am creating a little coffee bar behind retractable doors with a dedicated water line for the coffee machine.

For this space I plan to keep in simple, with cabinetry and millwork that will match the kitchen (I was entertaining wood cabinetry here to match the kitchen island but I’m planning on adding wood floors in here and it feels like too much wood to me given my floor color being a smidge on the warmer side). The prep faucet matches the one I am reusing in the kitchen and the sink will be undermount, but we’ll add a stone front apron to make it look like a slate sink.

I am so excited to get a mudroom with a dedicated cubby for each family member! Our mudroom is not very functional as is, and this will help us from having crap everywhere (I see you mittens and boots and hats, and I’m coming for you!) I love the finishes I did for my current mudroom facelift, so I plan on repeating the paper and flooring, but the millwork will be a green/grey to complement the paper. I’ll reuse the light from Andrew’s office here and add a little window seat cushion and cafe curtain for privacy.

OK, now to nail down the laundry room, primary bedroom and primary closet details and I’m ready!

photo by Jessica Delaney

As you may know if you’ve been following along, when we bought our house I did a facelift on my kitchen as it stood (you can see before shots HERE and HERE). Perfectly good cherry cabinets from 2002 were painted Ben Moore Edgecomb Gray, counters were swapped for honed granite, new simple subway was put it and new fixtures were added. We kept the appliances and cabinets knowing that in time we would fully renovate. Well, those appliances are dying (fridge was ripped out and currently have a dinged up floor model sitting in the open hole where it was), the cabinet paint is chipping and we are now redoing the whole kitchen! I plan to reuse a lot of the items we installed in late 2020 before we moved in – the faucet, lighting and hopefully re-using the honed granite countertops in the butler’s pantry (plans to come, there). We did this facelift because we had no idea when we would be able to do the full gut, and I knew I had a book to photograph the house for so I wanted to make it look good. In hindsight, perhaps I should have just waited, but I think it’s such a great example of how big an impact you can make in an existing kitchen, without gutting it. C’est la vie!

So here is the layout as it is now:

And here is what we are doing. We’re turning the current mudroom into a butler’s pantry with a wall oven, second sink and small second dishwasher (and lots of storage), we are enclosing most of the side porch and expanding it a bit to make a bigger mudroom, and we are opening up the wall in the kitchen with the current pass through in the middle so the space really flows into the family room. We spend 90% of our time in these two spaces. I’d always pictured looking from the family room into the kitchen at the range, so we are moving it (and going induction, but with the style of a classic French range). We’re getting a 24″ column freezer and 36″ fridge to flank the opening into the butlers pantry (we desperately need more fridge and freezer space) and the sink is going in the island. Utilizing the almost 11 foot ceilings we have, we are taking the cabinets UP all the way, and therefore installing a brass rail around the kitchen with a ladder we can use to reach stuff up high (it will hang on the blank wall to the right of the range when not needed to keep out of the way).

Here are some elevations of the kitchen and island. I think this whole configuration will work for our family for the rest of our lives here – so we’re doing this once and doing it right. :)

Here is the concept of the look I’m going for – still TBD on the marble as this one might be cost prohibitive, but something dramatic and with warmth to it. I’m using real marble because I simply do not care about “patina” or staining. Nothing beats the look and feel of real marble, even though it may be more vulnerable, it’s the only way to go for me. We’ll do inset shaker and flat panel cabinetry in a warm neutral, a wood island to coordinate with the floors – some shade of lighter walnut – and a pretty brass hood. I want it to look classic and timeless and yet, a tiny bit modern.

Sources: La Cornue range // hood (similar) // sink // faucet // pendants // runner // art // stool // cabinet hardware 

Stay tuned for the plans for the butlers pantry, mudroom, laundry room and primary bedroom soon!

Other posts you may like:

Timeless Cabinetry Colors

Pics of Our House When We Bought It

Initial Renovation Details

New Primary Bathroom Plans

Time is moving VERY fast these days – and my renovation kick off date is QUICKLY approaching (omg, omg, omg). We actually ended up being able to rent a house across the street from us for 5 months while the bulk of the work is getting done by my team at Cambridgeport Construction, whom we just finished a large job with and really enjoyed working with. I’ve ordered my appliances and the drawings are all pretty much done – I just have to finish up some details and get stuff ordered ASAP! As is the case with most professions, I am my own worst client.

I’m planning to document the whole process here on the blog – first with plans for each space that we’re renovating, and then with progress updates, and of course, final reveals.

For the primary bath I want it to be classic, but still interesting. I’m skewing a little warmer than I went when I renovated my current primary bath (which will now be the guest bedroom bath), and making a BIG choice of doing an aged brass tub. I’ve never had a primary bathroom with a tub before so I am going all out in my excitement. I’ve done this tub a few times in a pewter/silver finish but I wanted to mix it up a little. The vanities will be a walnut wood and either a more modern reeded style or made to look like an older chest. Jury is still out on that one. Unlacquered brass plumbing, a warm veined marble and vinyl grasscloth walls with painted trim and lower paneling round things out.

tub // plumbing fixtures // ceiling fixture // toilet room paper // medicine cabinets (similar) // sconces // vinyl grasscloth

You know I love a classic checkerboard floor, so I’m trying to source this wood grain marble to pair with whatever marble tile I go with for the shower and countertops.

Here’s the layout of the space. Basically we’re taking Andrew’s office, the current laundry and the current guest room and bath to make this larger primary suite.

Here’s the vanity wall elevation – very excited to have separate vanities and a tub overlooking our pretty back yard!

Up next – the kitchen!!!! I’m struggling a little with some items left to pick, but will update you all soon!

Here is wat we want to do:

Two things that bring me great joy imagining: a big tub in front of a big window and his and hers SEPARATE vanities! Also, a toilet room with a door. Ahem.

Like, I cannot convey the giddiness this elevation creates in me.

The shower isn’t huge but we don’t NEED a huge shower.

And here is my vision- it’s A LOT of look (and money) to use Calacatta Viola marble, so I may back off and use Breccia Capraia instead (which is what I used for my fireplace surround in my formal living room- it’s a little subtler).

medicine cabinets // sconces // ceiling light // tub // all plumbing // toilet room paper

This is all preliminary as we start the bidding process to figure out how much this will cost ( spoiler alert: a lot). I may have to walk some of this back, but for now a gal can dream. :)