Inexpensive Wood Floor Alternative

Wood floors are great, right? They certainly are but they also come with a hefty price tag. You can expect to pay anywhere from $7/sq ft. to $10/sq ft. That adds up super quick. Well, thanks to a new client, I've learned of a great alternative...vinyl wood planks.

Maybe I've been sleeping under a rock, but I wasn't familiar with this product. When I arrived for the consultation, my client asked me what I thought of this option. I had to be honest and tell her I was clueless. I did a little research, i.e. called my flooring source, and told him I needed a crash course in vinyl floors. 

My client loved the look of hardwoods but knew they weren't intending to stay in their house long and just couldn't stomach spending that kind of money on something they wouldn't be around long enough to enjoy. And, that's exactly why this was the perfect solution for them!

I was pleasantly surprised after the install. They far exceeded my expectations and my client loved them so much that she added on an additional room to the plans. At a mere $3.94/sq ft, which included supplies and installation, they completely transformed their home for a fraction of the cost of hardwoods.

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This product comes in a variety of finishes and is extremely durable. It's soft underfoot and water resistant. Scared to put hardwoods in your kitchen due to potential water damage? Here's your answer!

My client had her's installed, but I've noticed they also come in a peel and stick option...hello, easy DIY project!

Stay tuned for pictures of the "wood" tile option I shared several weeks ago in that beautiful herringbone pattern. You're going to die!

Thanks to those of you who have asked about our housing situation/move. Here's the latest: It's been a roller coaster of news and emotions. We've lived day by day wondering if we were going to get the house. We're still not living in the house and won't be until mid to late July. We've started over with a new lender and had to beg, beg, beg the sellers to give us yet another extension. This even involved another letter on my part, explaining the situation and promising that we still really, really wanted to purchase their house. This has been a faith building experience like no other. We're praying our way through it. My daily devotionals have been smacking me in the face as I'm reminded to "thank God for my trials." It's hard to thank God when you're miserable...have you tried it? I've learned, by doing this, that He gifts you with even the smallest nuggets of hope and joy, you just have to be looking for them!

Midcentury Sitting Room and an update

Well hello, Monday, how did you get here so fast? Maybe it's because summer days are running together and I'm having trouble wrapping my brain around the fact that June is on its' last week.

I thought I'd mix in a little midcentury love along with a life update today. I'm just itching to get designing again. Living in the in between is stifling my creativity. Aaggghhh!

Here are a few finds that partnered together could make for a very fun and interesting seating area. 

Want sources? Here they are:

Rug Collective Brown accent chair: Overstock

Baxton Studio Velda Brown Modern accent chair: Overstock

Modern Amber Bubble Chandelier: Shades of Light

Parquetry Coffee Table: Property

Moving on to our life update: We're currently playing the waiting game. Waiting on a phone call from the lender. The same phone call we expected to receive last Friday. Our belongings found a home in a storage unit in Austin while my family landed at my parents. The sellers gave us an extension until Thursday. Time will tell...

Moving update (or lack thereof)

Well, friends, life's been a bit unexpected around here lately. We were all set to move this time last week but things got pushed back. And, today, I'll be greeting the movers at our front door to pack up all our belongings but instead of sending them to our new address, they'll be taking our junk precious commodities to storage. 

The bank and the appraiser are having difficulty seeing eye to eye. And, our contract which has been granted a week extension already, expires tomorrow. We're holding our breath today that this only means a handful more days until closing, but the sad reality is that the sellers could very easily tell us their done and ready to wash their hands of us. Or, the bank will decide they don't want to agree with the appraiser and deny the loan. Our lender said he's "NEVER seen this type of situation."

Thankfully, John and I are at peace. If this falls through, it'll be extremely sad, but we have to see it as God's will. We were so convinced this house was a gift from Him, and maybe it still is. But, the circumstances of the last week have been extremely odd and very much out of our control. 

We'll continue to pray our way through this and seek His guidance. It's a very surreal feeling to be leaving our house with a month's worth of clothes and nothing else! 

Client Dining room

Now that you've had time to peek at the colorful mix of goodness going on in my clients' living room, I thought I'd share a few pictures from their formal dining room. We went for a more refined look here and stayed with a very neutral color palette. Is there a better palette than black, grey, metallics and white? Okay, I know there are some of you out there who'll quickly disagree, but I have to say my roots long for neutral and natural.

We added contemporary art and accessories to bring their existing traditional furniture up a notch and make for a very eclectic mix.

Isn't the art great? I'm really loving acrylic framing right now. It's breaks the norm and draws you right in as you try to figure out how that amazing painting is just floating there.

If you're new to my blog or you missed the post revealing that gorgeous mirror wall peeking out from behind the chairs, click here to see it in its entirety. It's stunning! I added candles to my client's shopping list of final touches, but you get the idea.

If you jump back up to the first picture you'll notice that the office is right across the hall. This shot will give you an idea of how the spaces flow together visually. I don't think I ever posted pictures of this finished space. Didn't it turn out great with the clocks and plaques?

When I began working with my clients, one of our primary goals was to make the house feel less traditional despite its traditional bones. I think it's safe to say we accomplished our goal!

Client Living Room Pics

Deja vu? Well, kind of. This probably seems familiar from this post. Then again from this post. Do you remember my client wasn't sold on the art we picked? Then, they decided they didn't want to use their existing chairs. These two decisions sent us shopping and now we have a new chair and lots of new accessories!

I'm glad they changed their minds about the chairs because this one is oh so pretty. And those pillows...the perfect punch of color that the Mister's been craving.

We found these glass globes that are killer. They're much larger than they appear. Think giant marbles! I love how it allows their mantle to be simple and not overdone. Sorry for the tight shot, the background is a huge blank canvas waiting to be turned into a work of art by the entire family. They've been patiently waiting on the accessories to be purchased so they'd know what colors to use. I've asked them to send pictures when it's complete. Can't wait!

Great graphic goodness. Found this lamp and cute little box at Homegoods. 

I love this stool. I want this stool. It's one of those finds that I was hoping they didn't like so it could come live with me. I've felt that way about lots of things in their house! They always say the best gifts are the ones you want yourself. I guess that's true with designing someone else's home, too.

Punch of color...oh yeah...how 'bout the big, bold, beautiful teal ottoman that takes center stage in this room. It's huge and it's become a favorite landing spot for their boys.

Please take a minute to appreciate the nailhead trim. Nice, huh?!

We crammed in all we could in one day, but a few things still need to happen before we can call it finished. A throw or two need to be purchased, art needs to be painted and wonderfully long drapes need to be sewn. So close!

I bought a new...

dining table this weekend. Here's a little clue as to what it looks like...

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Are you catching that live edge action?! Yummy.

So, here's the story. There's always a story, right? Our current dining table is too large for the house we're attempting to buy. Before we leave Austin, I felt it was a must to stop in my favorite store, Four Hands Furniture Outlet. Last week I measured a table but sadly learned it was the exact same length as our existing table. No dice. 

This weekend we were out and about and I asked John if we could stop in 4Hands so I could ask if the table even came in a shorter length. Lo and behold, when we walked in guess what was sitting there waiting on us? The exact same table in a shorter length. Yay!

But wait, we haven't exactly secured our next house yet and things are going slower than they should with our closing, so what if we buy this table and the house falls through?

I decided to ask the sales guy if there were any more in the back so I'd have peace of mind that I could wait on it and not make a dumb mistake. I explained that we haven't closed on our house yet and I didn't want to jinx anything.

He looked me straight in the eye and this is what he said, I kid you not..."Someone sure is letting the enemy get ahold of them and make them doubt, now aren't they?" I stood there dumbfounded. Had this complete stranger just called me out?! Yep. And, he was right, I've let satan rob my joy this last week. I went from proclaiming a miracle, to letting a few set backs during the closing process cause me to allow stress and worry creep back in. Man, what a shame.

I had a quick confession session with the 4Hands salesman then made my way to the cash register. ;) Can't wait to see our new table in the house God's preparing for us!

Art Niche Before and Afters

Since the clock is ticking before our move, I'm trying to wrap up a few projects that have been in the works. I had so much fun yesterday painting, shopping and accessorizing with my sweet client. She's such a pleasure to be around and we really feed off of each other creatively, so that's an added bonus.

It was almost a year ago that they moved into their house and called me to help with a "few" things. Those "few" things quickly grew into almost their entire house. When I look back at all we've accomplished, it's pretty amazing. This house has definitely seen a major transformation as it's grown into a space they feel truly represents them, a place they feel comfortable calling home.

So, ready for the most recent before and after shots? Here's a shot of their entry/hallway right as you enter their front door. This was taken right after they took possession of the house.

BEFORE 

AFTER

We decided to think outside the box a little when it came to filling their art niches. We didn't let ourselves be confined to simply filling the niches, but rather decided to add a piece hanging in the center to marry the two spaces.

The photo is a killer shot taken in Berlin on a family vacation. Mr. Client has an artsy eye and is great with the camera. He snapped this shot of bear statues. I love the structure and color it brings to the space.

The diamonds are a DIY project that Mrs. Client and I undertook yesterday as we transformed plain wooden frames, custom ordered off etsy, to a beautiful ombre piece that perfectly compliments Mr. Client's photo.

So, with a little creative thinking we were able to turn a space that's often a pain in the rear-end space to fill to a one-of-a-kind space that speaks to a special memory shared with their family.

New (Almost) house Pics

Well, we're out of our option period and the count down is on until we can officially say this is our new house. We traveled up for one more visit on Sunday to make sure this was "the one" before we were 100% committed and the option period was over.

I have this really bad trait of liking things the first time I see them then not being so excited the second time. John even said, "I'm kind of scared you're not going to like this house when we go back!" Honestly, I was thinking the same thing. BUT, I'm happy to report that I didn't feel that way at all.

So, did you catch the part in Bryn's letter about the pond? And, do you remember from previous posts how much I love, love trees? Well, there's no shortage of trees here!!! So many trees that you can't even see the house from this shot!

When I saw the pond in the listing pictures I almost started crying. It truly was a moment of realizing that God will bless you beyond your imagination if you're striving to follow his will. The pond is the single thing that turned Bryn and Reed's attitudes from dreading the move to looking forward to it with great anticipation.

We let Reed bring his fishing pole while we checked out the house. He was just a tad excited when he reeled this sucker in. He was even more excited to proclaim that he had spotted another fish that was even bigger than this one.

Moving on...prepare yourself for greatness. I told you here about the bathroom that left John feeling "violated." Well, feast your eyes on this mirrored goodness...

So you can fully appreciate the complete experience of how it feels to use the restroom in such a setting, here's a shot of me sitting on the toilet (never thought I'd post anything like this!). 

You can literally watch yourself pee from all angles. I have a sneaky suspicion this bathroom will make us the talk of the town. Did I mention that the ceiling is black with red and silver glitter?! We're so leaving it as is for a little while...I kind of like the shock factor!