dark moody bathroom on a whim

On my 2014 To-Do List I mentioned I wanted to paint something black, like a room. :)

 On a whim I went for it today, and shared a peek of our bathroom, you may have seen

 it if you follow me on Instagram. I didn't have a plan to paint the bathroom, but I started

 thinking a moody, cozy space would be perfect for fall and winter. Before I knew it it was

 2:00 and I hadn't changed out of my pjs that I wore to the bus stop at 6:30 but my

 bathroom was looking nice and moody. I chose Behr Mined Coal because that's what I

 had in my stash, it's a dark charcoal. I'll share next week, I still have another coat to go!

My talented friends have a love for dark and moody too, and I'm so excited to share

 their beautiful dining rooms are both in the running for

  Apartment Therapy's Color Contest 2014 in the Dark category!

It's fun to check out the other categories as well, and vote for your favorites here. 

 I've featured both of their rooms on my blog and LOVE the different vibe of each one.  

 Dana @ Make them Wonder

Cassie @ Primitive & Proper    

Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

formica calacatta marble review

Formica has come a long way!
I revealed our Formica 180fx Calacatta Marble counter top back in May, along with
my One Room Challenge Kitchen Reveal. I had intended to do a follow up post on
the counter top right away, but decided to live with it for a few months before giving
 my opinion. After four months here's what I think: I could not LOVE it more!!
Everyone that's seen it comments how realistic it appears and then proceeds to feels it.

If you're not familiar with Formica's 180fx product you're in for a surprise. Technology
 and nature merged to create the first laminate with large scale patterns that replicates the
depth and realism of stone at an affordable price. The effect is achieved by digitally
 photographing the highest quality pieces of stone.

 

Our island is 11' x 5' at the longest and widest points and there is NO seam!
 That was a huge selling point for me, the sheets of laminate are 12' x 5'.

What sealed the deal was the availability of the IdealEdge. It mimics the decorative Ogee and Bullnose profiles found on more expensive stones,
 and eliminates the brown seams previously associated with laminate counters.
 I chose the Bullnose edge to coordinate with the profile on the existing granite in the
 rest of my kitchen.
 

It has lived up to the durable, easy to maintain, stain and impact resistant claims.
We've spilled red wine, mustard, BBQ sauce, red sauce, paint - nothing has left a trace of a
stain. I'm just not careful with it, if I want to bust out a messy project, I do. I've used it for
large projects with glue smeared all over it and everything has come right up. I've used the
magic eraser and abrasive scratch pad. Short of actually cutting on it (which you can't do)
I feel like we've given it a very good test.

I was hesitant about one item, there are little tiny divots in the laminate and I wasn't sure
 about them when I first looked at the sample. Different lighting highlighted them, and they
 gave off a shine. I made all my design savvy friends check them out and we all agreed they
 would be ok. I'm so glad I didn't let that hold me back. I don't even notice them at all, you'd
 have to be looking for them in a certain specific light to pick up on it. Also, they were less
 noticeable in the older, used sample I checked out from Lowes.

The Price??
The real deal would have been about $6,000 for our island,
the Formica Calacatta Marble was approximately $1,300.
Of course, prices will vary depending on fabricators in your area and the specifics
of your project.

I couldn't be happier with it, it truly is a great representation of a real marble pattern
 without the worry of maintenance and at an incredible price!

a pretty peach wedding...

Hey everyone, I'm sorry for the sporadic posting lately, life has been extra busy.

If you remember I helped with the decor for my nephew's wedding this past Sunday,

 and I have a few wedding photos for you, although not as many as  I was hoping for. :( 

When I wasn't busy decorating and taking care of inevitable little details, I was eating,

 drinking, dancing, crying at the toasts, waving sparklers and enjoying the special day

 with our families...getting caught up in all the fun and not focusing on taking blog photos.

 I'm so sorry, but I promise to share some of the pretty professional photos with you.

Until then...

It was beautiful setting with an open pasture just beyond this gazebo

where the ceremony took place.

The bride chose varying colors of peach and coral, with black and white.

I did lots of simple diy decor to help them keep it budget friendly. I used black

Ikea lanterns I had at the end of the rows. The baby's breath was ordered in bulk from

 Costco. (They offer several varieties of flowers). Down the center aisle we did bundles 

tied onto the chairs with long peach ribbons. Here is a close up of the lanterns when I

 was putting them together.

 

If you're a long time reader you may recognize those columns and urns from my dining

 room a few years ago. More recently they were outside in our garden.  

The waterworks are about to begin...again. :)

 The reception....we had a florist do the large spheres of baby's breath on the

oversized gold and silver candlesticks and I did the black and white stripe runners

 with Ikea fabric. We borrowed several of the glass hurricanes from a friend of mine. 

 The bride liked the watercolor table numbers, a super easy diy. I used watercolor

paper and watered down acrylic craft paint. 

     

We kept the theme and used the watercolors for a few other signs as well.

A large canvas on an easel directed guests when they arrived. 

This framed sign at the Memory table, along with a collection of 

special photos. 

And, outside on a table with sparklers.

I found these cute patterned boxes a year ago on a clearance rack at Michael's 

and thought they'd be perfect for favors, but we didn't decide what to put in them

until about a week before the wedding. It ended up being a pretty addition to the

table setting and so cost effective, around .65 for each favor. I bought the flowers

 in four packs from Home Depot and planted them in the boxes the day before. We

also painted the white plastic handles gold to make them look more high end. 

The photographer was taking a fun shot of the wedding party and I was watching

from behind.  

They were blessed with a gorgeous day, and an intimate group of family

and friends who love them and the opportunity to share in such a special day!

Congratulations Dustin & Megan! 

  

no electrician needed...swing arm lamp

I have a thing for swing arm lamps, in fact I have two in the bathroom, and two in 

our bedroom and now this one in the kitchen! They're a classic and in my book you can't 

go wrong including one or five in your mix. I knew I wanted to incorporate one in our recent

kitchen makeover, but the only spot available was the side of this cabinet I use as a desk

area. Since I was working on a budget and didn't want to hire an electrician I figured I could

 use a plug-in lamp and weave the cord through the cabinet down to the outlet 

(my cabinet has an electrical outlet inside) and save myself some $$ for something more

 fun like a stone planter head. :) 

I found the Beragamo Black Shade Plug-In Swing Arm Wall Lamp at

Lamps Plus. I couldn't love it more, high quality, beautiful weathered brass finish,

the wide range of motion and one of my favorite features, a dimmer.

Here's how I accomplished it...

First, we need to remove the electrical cord from the lamp itself. 

 The two ivory electrical wires need to be disconnected (cut) from the lamp guts

 (sorry I don't know the technical name for those two wires below #1 & #2).

 Before cutting the wires be sure to mark them with tape so you're able to easily reattach

 them to the correct wire.

This allows you to slip the ivory wires out of the hole on the bottom of the brass plate. 

Align the back plate where you'd like your lamp placed on the wall/cabinet,

and mark the center hole for drilling. 

Drill a small hold through the cabinet. 

You're going to work your way down to the outlet drilling small holes through the

 shelves, your configuration may be different, but the basic idea is the same. 

Plug your cord into the outlet, and working backwards thread the opposite end of the cord

through the drilled holes until you reach the first hole you drilled through the cabinet.

 To keep my cord neat I tacked it down along the way.

 Now you're ready to re-connect the wiring.

It's as simple as matching up your taped wires  #1 with #1 and #2 with #2.

Fasten the wires together with twist on plastic wire connectors. (Orange cap)

Secure the brass plate per manufacturer's insturctions, all that was needed for this lamp 

was one screw on each side. 

I love that it's not your typical lamp found in a kitchen and the ambiance

when the kitchen is cleaned up and closed for the night...I wish.  

The kitchen never closes with a teenager!

I'll see you here tomorrow for Best of the Nest!
Can't wait to see what you've been working on! 

my next project...a wedding

Hey everyone, hope you had a wonderful weekend!

I had a great Mother's Day despite the S-N-O-W, seriously it's snowing in Denver

again and more is forecast for today! I thought I'd share a fun project I'll be working on

(along with my usual DIYs and clients) for the next month.

If you remember on my 2014 To-Do List   I mentioned I'd be helping with the

 decor for my nephew's wedding in June. 

A few of the details...

 It's taking place outside at the beautiful Highland's Ranch Mansion. 

  

The all-time sweetest bride :) has chosen

 black, white and various shades of coral and peach as her colors. 

Black and white striped runners, we purchased the fabric at Ikea,

 it will be simple and inexpensive yet make a pretty bold statement in the room. 

Tall baby's breath centerpieces at each round table.

Watercolor table #'s, similar to these.

A collection of lanterns down the aisle.

More deets to come as it gets closer... :)

one room challenge...kitchen reveal

The day we've all been waiting for! 

Thank you all so much for following along being such a great support during the

 last six weeks, all of your kind comments truly keep me going!!   

As always, a huge thank you to the mastermind behind the One Room Challenge,

Linda @ Calling it Home,

 I like to think of her and the ORC as motivator extraordinaire! 

I know you just want pictures today!!!

I'll be back with follow up posts next week, I have lots of details and DIYs to share! 

If you remember back at Week One I set out to give our kitchen a facelift, transforming

 the Tuscan look from eight years ago into a more modern space. All on a budget - meaning

 I'd be working with what I had and getting my DIY mojo on! 

Never underestimate the power of paint!!

I painted everything you can imagine - cabinets, hardware, tile, hood, chandeliers!

BEFORE

BEFORE

Calacatta Marble was my choice for our island countertop...it's Formica!

I know what you're thinking, but look at it, Formica has come a long way!

I love it and can't wait to share the details with you.

I was so tempted to ditch our huge 4' x 5' chalkboard in an effort to be more cutting edge,

but when a friend said, 'We love coming over and checking out what's on the chalkboard,

 it's so you.' I knew keeping it was right. It's fun to make people feel special by a simple

 message.You all know Linda, but Lori is my dear friend that gave moral support and

 manual labor during the challenge. :) 

I'll be sharing the scoop on this beautiful plug-in swing arm lamp from Lamps Plus

and how you can avoid using an electrician.

One of my favorite styles to mix is modern with traditional, the abstract artwork from

  Minted paired with blue and white ginger jars in my lighted cabinet is a pretty statement.

Three framed needlepoint florals from Mr. Simple's grandma fit perfectly here.

DIYs for the hood and super easy valances to come.

It's been such an honor to be included with these talented ladies,

I knew from day one they would all rock this challenge, let's go see! 

Abby M. Interiors 

Because it’s Awesome 

Bijou & Boheme 

Calling It Home 

Chez V 

Chinoiserie Chic 

Copy Cat Chic 

The Decorista 

Design Crisis 

Design Indulgence 

Design Manifest 

The English Room

The Glam Pad 

Little Black Door 

Mimosa Lane 

My Notting Hill 

The Pink Pagoda 

My Sweet Savannah 

Verandah House

Thank you to these awesome One Room Challenge Sponsors:
Lamps Plus
Minted
Sherwin Williams 
and to HomeRight for providing me the Finish Max Pro Sprayer,
and Formica for providing material.