time to freshen up!

I have a little white ranch house with faded burgundy shutters and door.  Sounds awesome, right?  It's been that way for 4 years and it is time for a change!!!  I just can't decide what I want to do, though.  I love houses that have bold dramatic colors but the practical side of me shies away from them for my own home.  With a huge driveway repair coming up I need to leave the house white and just pick a paint color for the shutters and door.  Sounds simple.  Only....it's not!

Here is my house as it currently stands- in need of fresh paint on the shutters and a good pressure washing.  What I know for certain is that I don't want another dark color on the door.  I want it to be welcoming and cheerful!

Here are some of my favorite options.

---White with green shutters-

Country Living

mitziscollectible

---Blue shutters---

apartmenttherapy

source

country living

source

---yellow shutters---

source


I also like white with grey shutters!


Yeah, I know this is an interior but I really love the grey against the white!


what to do what to do???  Any brilliant suggestions?

Like flies to honey

2 1/2 years ago a fun, fabulous couple asked me to pick colors for their new home that was ALL off-white.  They were drawn to earthy colors but not afraid be bold.  I chose a color palette with calming greens, grey blues, a beige as our neutral, deep browns and a fabulous burnt orange.  The house looked amazing and once they moved in their furniture and accessories, the house was stylish and inviting!
Recently they decided to downsize and our initial planning and hard work paid off!  There was a bidding war and the house sold in under 3 weeks.  Making the right decisions early on makes a huge difference when you want to sell your house later!

I suggested that they paint gallery squares on the wall to bring the height of the room lower and make it cozy and inviting.  They did just that and it turned out great!

  Everyone who went through the house raved and raved about the colors.  Like flies to honey!  Can't wait to help them with their new house!

Sweetly simple

I recently had the opportunity to create a special room for 2 little girls (big sis is 14 months and little sis will arrive in June).  We started with a tiny nursery......

and a spare room that was just quietly waiting for its moment to shine.

Since 2 little girls would be sharing the room it was crucial to have furniture that offered excellent storage for current organizational needs and that would be just as practical in 5 years.   Take out the toddler bed and crib and you've got plenty of room for bunk beds and plenty of room to grow!

 The Dottie bedding from the Company Store was the perfect starting point!  It set the tone for the whole room and it was such a joy to obsess over this room for the past few weeks.  I love the Morgan bookcase and bench from Pottery Barn.  Durable, practical and pretty- what more could a girl want?  

 I opted to remove the closet door and paint the closet a complementary color so the fun didn't have to end.  Toys are housed in the closet right now but as the girls get older and need more room for clothes they can transition the toys into the bins on the bookcase.

Right now the bins on the bookcase are full of burp cloths, receiving blankets, washcloths, towels and bedding.  Two plastic bins on the top shelf hold shoes.   It is organized but still flexible to accommodate changing needs.

Precious pictures over the crib just make me smile.  That little girl is too cute!

Simple shelves over the dresser provide easy access to diapers, wipes, ointments and meds.  Easy for mom and dad to reach but out of reach of little ones.  

Two of my favorite details in the room are the ruffles on the curtains (sewn by yours truly, amazingly enough!) and the chandelier!  The little things have the chance to take center stage when the bones of the room are in perfect balance and fade into the background... smiling smugly to themselves because they know that there would be no center stage without the stage.  

 I think she likes it!  

Do you have a decorating dilemma that you would rather not spend valuable brain space on?  Let me help!  I love obsessing over organizing and decorating and would be more than thrilled to save you the mental energy.