Bring It On Basement.

{source}

In our new home we were fortunate enough to have a basement! It is very raw and far from finished but that's ok because it's even more of a blank canvas to work with. It's not a full basement, but covers about half of the house. Right now we use it as storage space, laundry room, and a doggy playroom. I also have my desk and craft stuff down there too but since it's not heated and cooled it's  not the most enjoyable space to work in. There are two windows so it actually gets a fair amount of natural light. I'm down there ALL the time doing laundry and I can't help but think of how much more enjoyable this space could be (and will be!). My husband's not ready to jump into another huge project and I can't blame him. We have barely finished our move-in projects plus we have a little baby now but I can still dream and draw and plan!

The planning phase has officially begun. Hopefully soon I'll take measurements and draw up a floorplan to start some space planning but for now I'm working on some inspiration.  

Here are some elements I'd love to include in the renovation whenever that may occur :).

{source

I love this wood slat treatment to the stairs. Right now our stairs leading down are completely enclosed so I think it would be nice to open it up. (Also, I'm loving the polished concrete floors but more on that later).

{source}

I really like the introduction of wood to this space. So fresh and simple. But what I like most about the space above is the ceiling. At first I wanted to finish out the ceiling, but after seeing so many great exposed rafter ceilings I'm starting to change my tune.

{source}

I've always loved these big, sliding barn doors. They've never worked for any space in our homes but could definitely work in our basement.

{source}

I love built-insand under the stairs is a great opportunity for doing something special. A little reading nook like the one above would be perfect.

{source}

{source}

I've also always loved these built in bunk beds and think they are so fun and such a great use of space. It wouldn't work under our stairs but possibly on a wall somewhere down there. I know they would come in use for sleepovers and house guests.

{source}

My family teases me for having (and using!) so many different light sources. But you use some for different needs and times of the day. I love the options and I love light! Lighting up the steps is awesome especially for little ones (and big clumsy ones) in the night.

{source}

Usually I am always about clean, simplified and modern design but I appreciate (almost) all genres. I do love earthy, reclaimed, raw elements... and I'm loving the idea of a wooden wall with reclaimed wood, old fence posts, wooden floor slats, or maybe even pallets. It adds texture and interest. Very cool.

{source}

And last but not least... we have the flooring. The floor is already concrete of course, but I'm ok with keeping it that way. We might stain and or polish it and I think that will add another great layer of texture and interest. Just add lots of cute rugs. :)

After my digging around through pinterest for all these elements that I'd like to see in our future basement renovation I then stumbled upon this great space. It too is a renovated basement, however it includes almost all the elements I am looking for and even the same types of spaces. So cool! It's a great precedent study for what works and what might not. But this whole space is just lovely. Check it out here.

 But here are most of the images for your viewing pleasure:

Hopefully I'll be able to update you soon... at least with some "before's" and some plans. I've got to space my projects out a bit to give my husband (and family) a break. :)

Candi D: Young Girl's Clothing Line

I was able to work on a new project over the past few weeks for a local client. I was so excited when she contacted me because her concept was so unique! She is starting a clothing line for young girls and while it is fashion, I loved that it wasn't geared toward only girly girls. She wanted a fun, fresh logo that was simple yet reflected the brand name. After many different renditions, process work, and back and forth emails, we settled on this design and color scheme. I really love it.  What do you think?

My 1950's Ranch: Foyer | Living Room | Dining Room MAKEOVER

This is my second "Makeover Post" for my 1950's Ranch. (If you missed the first, it was on our hall bath and you can check it out here.) I grouped three spaces into this post because they all somewhat lead in to one another so bear with me on the length. It's mainly pictures because that's what we really want to see. 

The entire home was pretty much as it was when it was built. Stained wood trim on both the ceiling and bases through out every room as well as all the doors. So we painted and we painted and we painted, and then we painted some more. (When I say 

"we" I mean my awesome husband, family, a friend who is pretty much a painting professional {thank goodness} and my {at the time } very pregnant self. I think that took the most time out of anything we did. (except for the Kitchen...but that's another story!)

So here are some "before's"...

 

 And now for the "After's"

So as you can see, the paint really brightens up the space. We also added another light fixture in the hallway so that helps too. A geometric runner in the hall also matches the rug in the foyer.

I used a bright turquoise blue in the foyer. The one wall that remains white will get a special treatment later on.  I chose black for the door's coat of paint and we replaced the stain glass with clear panes to give the door a fresh look. A vintage table greets you when you enter in... it was passed down from my husband's mother.  I thrifted the geometric mirror and painted it a mustard hue. The lamp was also thrifted and I covered the shade with a Dwell Studio geometric fabric that I had used on a chair in the adjoining space. The oversized "W" is a hollow cardboard letter that I spray painted with some silver metallic paint.

The living room is a mix of new and old. Some pieces are thrifted, some are retail, some I made, some I rescued and revamped, but my favorite pieces here are the Italian marble mid century end tables and coffee table that were my grandparents from when they got married. The art on the walls are prints of downtown Memphis that hung in my Papou's restaurant downtown for over 30 years. The bench in the corner now has a new home in the den, but that was a piece I designed and built while I was in design school.

Here are some process pictures...

The black shelf was made by my Mom and Dad as a Christmas gift for me years ago.

These chairs were Habitat finds (even the amazing faux tweed fabric was thrifted!) which I had recovered. The turquoise credenza was a craigslist find that I painted.

The Living Room and Dining Room are pretty open to each other, but the dark navy walls in the dining room  create a visible separation while allowing for the spaces to still be open.

The dining table was another piece passed down from my Grandparents, while the credenza was a thrifted rehab piece. 

 
(click on image to view larger)

Artsy gallery wall. The ferris wheel photograph was a picture I took during a summer visit to Santa Monica on the pier. The painting was a collaborative effort between my step daughter and I. My mom and dad made and painted the chevron frame that holds a picture of my step daughter Karmyn. I got the faux antlers at Hobby Lobby and spray painted them white. The gold artichokes are from design school. I used an artichoke as my concept for a project in second year and so I went out and bough the vegetable, cut it in half and set int on my desk to study its layers and to inspire my process. It actually didi not rot but dried out nicely, so I spray painted it and have displayed it on m walls ever since. The stippling drawing in the middle was one of my mom's art pieces from high school. The graphic print is a piece I created from a favorite quote that serves as a nice daily reminder.  It's a picture of downtown Memphis and features a some shops, one of which is a jewelry shop that years later would be where my Dad bought her engagement ring.

And that's the end of these spaces make over. Stay tuned for the next space!

Trash to Treasure

This past summer, while house hunting around town, I found something even greater than a potential house candidate. (Ok I might be exaggerating a bit, but this find was free.) This beauty had been neglected and thrown to the curb! And I was there to jump right in and grab it up. My husband thought I was crazy of course, (and told me I didn't need another chair... but you can never have too many chairs!) I had to have and I knew I'd find a place for it somewhere. Obviously the upholstery would need to be stripped away, but I would do that anyways with a curb find. The wood was in pretty good shape, just a few scratches. My dad helped me sand down the arms and legs and then add a few coats of tung oil to the wood. I had bought this dwell studio for Robert Allen fabric about a year ago and thought it would look great on this piece.

 So I took it to a local upholsterer in town and a week later I was the proud owner of this beauty!

They ripped off all the old fabric, foam, and batting and basically made it a new chair. It looks great and is really comfortable. It still has it's squeaking character but I think that gives it some charm. It's actually more than just a chair, it's a tilt back rocker... so I spend a lot of time rocking the baby here during the day.

So overall, I think this was a great project. I never turn away a great chair, especially if it is free! It just needed a little love and attention. I would take a unique, quality made vintage piece that has been revamped over a new production any day.