ON THE BOARDS: THE REDWOOD RETREAT BATHROOM ADDITION

To say I’m excited about this project is BEYOND an understatement. When all is said and done we will be adding a guest suite, wine closet, upgrading the kitchen, and hopefully updating the master bathroom as well (someday). This project had been an absolute joy to undertake. Nestled in the redwoods and vineyards north of San Jose, this is the dream forever home - not to mention the dream jobsite visit. I flew just over a week ago to make final selections in person - we’re on a tight timeline from start-to-finish, the contractor says once demo starts he thinks he will be done in 5 weeks! We spent three days picking tile, plumbing, the vanity, the lighting - all while the contractor was ripping the original room apart, fixing plumbing and insulation and foundation issues - so we are swinging right along!

The homeowner rode hunter-jumper when she was younger and maintains a passion for all things equestrian still. When I visited in early August, about 3 months after they purchased the home, we walked over to the neighboring property and fed the horses pastured there. Will you LOOK at these sweet faces?

And yes, it IS that gorgeous out there. This is what we started with: the house is a 3 bed/two bath with a large, open-to -the-entrance space that was added to the house by converting one bay of the garage into an indoor, carpeted, office/catch-all. I proposed breaking it up into a fourth bedroom, a secondary guest bath that doubles as a powder room, and (most importantly haha) a wine closet.

You can see from the pictures above that we had one big room with a large cased opening to the entry and a tray ceiling with a HUGE brass chandelier. Closing this off will make the entrance feel more defined instead of a rambling, open space. The only items staying in the room will likely be the pull out sofa and the coffee table. We’ll find a smaller less obtrusive desk and hide away all paperwork in the new closet. I digress though because this is about the bathroom. Design wise we stuck to elevated, warm neutrals that pull from the surrounding landscape and keep with the modern-rustic feel of the house. But then we found this stunner of a leather-wrapped mirror at Arteriors and everything came to life.

1. Wall color: Benjamin Moore Classic Gray, Trim Color: Sherwin Williams Snowbound 2. Studio McGee Gray Dipped Vase 3. Horse head hook (similar) 4. Wall Tile: Chloe 2.5x8; Floor Tile: Clive 2” Hex, 12”x24” 5. Circa Bryant Bathroom Sconce 6. Arteriors Powell Large Mirror 7. Target Hearth & Hand Grey Stripe Towel; Studio McGee Abby Stripe Hand Towel 8. Hearth & Hand Orange and Amber Hand Soap 9. Kohler Devonshire Faucet & Accessories 10. Fairmont River View 48” Vanity 11. Parachute Home Waffle Robe

Check back here in a month or so and we’ll hopefully have some gorgeous “after” shots for you to peruse!

A NATURAL & NEUTRAL HOLIDAY PORCH

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Its the Monday after Thanksgiving and hopefully your turkey and stuffing hangover is but a distant memory. Holiday decorating is in full swing in our household and now that we have a porch I’m excited to take the warm and welcoming spirit of the holidays outside. Our previous apartment’s outdoor decor maxed out at a little wreath on the door but now I have so much more room for activities! I’ve rounded up the items in my cart and included links below to create the perfect modern-meets-traditional vibe. If you’re quick you might even get in on some of those cyber-monday deals (I know I did!).

S H O P T H I S P O S T

WREATH | I love the look of this asymmetrical wreath from Target. Draped with these brass bells and a big buffalo check bow it’s the perfect updated and festive door adornment

MODERN CHAIRS | Again with Target - they can really do no wrong. I’m looking to upgrade from our inexpensive, lightweight tan adirondack chairs to something a little more substantial. The color and shape of these black, modern adirondacks is just so good, and I love the wide arms as a secure place for setting my cup of coffee (or glass of wine!)

WELCOME MAT | Unfortunately target doesn’t make this particular plaid mat anymore, this plaid natural fiber mat from wayfair fits the bill perfectly!

OUTDOOR RUG | Layering doormats is a simple way to add texture or color to your doorstep and helps a simple doormat feel even more welcoming. This black and white stripe outdoor rug is a best seller for a reason.

PAINT COLORS | This may be a long shot but if I get the chance (and a sunny weekend) I’m hoping to do some permanent updating to my porch as well. Currently we have a not-terrible-but-not-ideal brown colored porch paint and I think this grey deck paint, paired with Benjamin Moore’s Super White trim and Pratt and Lambert’s Pale Cadet Blue on the porch ceilings will freshen things up juuuust right. If youre looking for other great porch ceiling blues I did a round up here.

PRE LIT GARLAND | It seems like every Christmas there are even better and more beautifully realistic garlands on the market. To get the most bang for your buck save the spendy, realistic stuff for inside where you’ll be seeing it up close - your mantle, around your front door (McGee and Co and Ballard have great options).

PILLOWS | To keep things cozy and bring in a dash of color and pattern pillows are always a great choice. I love buffalo check during the holidays, it’s such a good fall and winter pattern that you could leave these pillows out from September to March and it would still be cute. And that lumbar from Pottery Barn is my favorite plaid of all time (why yes I do have the matching monogrammed mugs for my hot cocoa - and yes they DO make a great gift for everyone).

PLANTERS | Vintage stoneware makes the perfect pot for a mini tree. The one shown is from…of course….Target, but I plan on picking up a live 3-foot-tall tree from one of my local shops. Etsy has some beautiful options for similar stoneware crocks - search “Ten Gallon Vintage Stoneware Crock” - and make sure to check that the size works for the space you have. I love these little galvanized planters to add in another relaxed element - empty or with a few sprigs of greenery!

I hope this gives you some ideas and inspiration as you’re hauling out all your holiday decorations! I know I can’t wait to get everything up - these cold nights always feel warmer with the twinkle of mini-lights! If you think you need more than just inspiration for decorating this holiday season, don’t hesitate to reach out - I have a few spots open for some hands-on holiday decorating help!

ROUND UP: HEARTH AND HAND’S FIRST COLLECTION

UPDATE: This post was originally written at the launch of Hearth and Hand for Target. Many of the items are no longer available but head to my pinterest for more of my favorite items for the home!

I'll admit I was hesitant the check out Hearth and Hand - the new collection from Chip and Joanna Gaines' that launched at Target earlier this week. I don't really need anything and our tiny apartment is SO overcrowded as is, but then oops I was in Target making a return, I clearly blacked out, and woke up with 3 ceramic houses in my cart. We've all been there. So, why not share some of my favorite pieces from the collection so you can make the same wonderful mistakes I did? Now, I've heard some complaints about the monochromatic feel of the collection but isn't that so inline with Joanna's signature style? This collection is edited, simple, and just the essentials. The handmade, natural feel is completely on trend and no one but Joanna could have created a successful, budget friendly version of the California-cool minimalism that has taken instagram and pinterest by storm.

What I'm Loving:

I think the entire dinnerware collection is magical - I love the organic hand-moulded look of these pieces. The incorporation of black throughout the collection is refreshing; with the overabundance of bright white interiors these days a few moments of black help to anchor a space. The vases are all amazing, particularly the metal boxes that include a grate on the inside to help support the florals (which are now sold out, boo), making arranging a breeze. Now, I've seen the smoked glassware trend a few places this season and these pretty glass vases are spot on. These oversized glass vases would be gorgeous used as hurricanes with a big pillar candle (or a couple) inside on a front stoop or on your patio! (IRL NOTE : I tried to put candles inside the vases at Target today: the openings are too small! You would need skinnier-than-normal pillars - I still think it would be really pretty so if you DO try this let me know.) I wish I had wood floors because this tree skirt is fabulous (just not on my beige carpet, sigh, one day). I should have put those pot holders on my "I'm going to buy" list because the more I look at them the more I need them in my kitchen. Striped? Leather details? Yes and yes. Finally this log storage house is hands down my favorite piece in the collection. I wish I had more reasons to keep firewood around the house here in Southern Texas. 

What I'm Buying:

This sweet little black house budvase will live on my desk at work. Same with this handmade-look mug for pens and such (any excuse to buy a new mug). I may really need this tote. This sweet little brass bell door hanger was the very first thing I bought - it makes the prettiest sound (and I've hung a similar-to-this looking wreath from a past Threshold Christmas collection on it. And yes I already hung up my Christmas wreath. What?) Oh and those salt and pepper shakers somehow jumped into my cart too. They'd make a perfect little stocking stuffer or hostess gift.

I know I left out almost all the Christmas stuff. That part of the collection just didn't do it for me, but that may have been because I already have way too much Christmas decor. If I was starting from scratch I might be more inclined to buy some. The bags and wrapping are fun but in the end skewed too rustic for me. Overall the collection is very Pottery Barn-esque, but at a far better price point. Now it's your turn! What are your favorite pieces? What are you CRUSHED already sold out?