Kay Ellen

Design on a Dime

Have you ever watched the TV show... Design on a Dime? I received a call from a client that wanted a design make over for their daughter's bedroom. This was going to be a very quick job because they were leaving on vacation in just a few short days! I needed to help them right away to transform the space while they were gone.

A quick re-do, small budget for a sweet girl turning ten years old. I spent a little time with the birthday girl before she left on her trip and she requested...butterfly's and lots of purple!

Paint and bedding were on the top of the priority list to make a fresh new look. The bed frame and dresser were still in great shape so they were staying in the room... that was a big savings!  

  

Bedding (Amalfi) was purchased from Bed, Bath & Beyond and the fun pillows we purchased their too!

I re-used existing wood drapery rods from the room and spray painted them vintage white. The side panels my client had tucked away in a cabinet from their last home. A good pressing and the panels looked like new! I found the cute little butterfly clips at Micheal's in the dollar bin to dress up the top of the draperies.

The bulletin boards were purchased from Pottery Barn (Tropical Garden Pin Boards) "Teen" section. These boards were a great solution for a collage of photos the ten year old wanted to show off in her room.

The pegboard effect was placed 12 inches down from the ceiling.  The white area above the pegboard helped to break up the lavender paint on all four walls. Currently looking for fun paper lanterns to swag on a few of the pegs. 

The large white butterfly was perfect for this birthday girls room. I had an artist and sweet friend paint it on the back wall... you can see it right away when you walk into the room. Thank you Martina for helping me out on such short notice you are the best!!

A lot of clean up took place, putting away stuffed animals and I just selected a handful of animals to leave out on the dresser. I also purchased a small cabinet for the closet to store toys, hats and jewerly which helped with taking the clutter out of the room.

I joined in the fun of painting up on the ladder..adding shades of lavendar on the smaller dragonflies and butterflies to coordinate the colors in the room.  

A whimsical fun project and I kept the budget low and affordable. 

Design on a Dime!

A little blurry, but you can see that sweet smile on the birthday girls face... Ahhhh she loved her surprise and she was wearing purple for the big reveal...too cute!

:))

:Kay Ellen

What A Nice Surprise

I was shopping at Target over the weekend looking for Easter goodies and found the latest issue of Romantic Homes on the shelf.

Tickeled to see my blog and photos featured from my little shop at Forget-Me-Not Antiques!

Thank you so much Beth Livesay for your lovely article and photos you featured and Jaccqueline deMontravel editor and cheif of Romantic Homes for including my blog this month.

Truly a blessing to share artful creativity in this beautiful magazine. 

Blushing,

:Kay Ellen

Button, Button who's got the button?

This quote has been stuck in my head for quite awhile! Ha-Ha

I bought this pretty pillow at a flea market a few months ago and the button went missing right away.

Now a new hunt was on to find a replacement button for the pillow. I looked in button jars I had on hand and kept my eyes open while shopping but I couldn't find anything I liked.

Last night while helping my Mom get ready for her next trade show it hit me...

Forget the button, my Mom has a big stack of miniature doilies! 

A fun and creative idea I wanted to share with you all today.  

I stacked three treasured books and added a blue book on the bottom to draw your eye towards the sofa.

A little pop of color in the purple glass door knob and pretty pink blooming primroses combined add a simple artful change to the setting.

Here's an instragram photo below of what I was designing last night for Jodees Inc 

Whimsical burlap sling bags using Sealah no sew adhesive tape.

Finding creativity in the details...

Have a wonderful week, 

:Kay Ellen

 

Connecting with blogging friends Here:

 

Pretty things for you!

Oopsey daisy wow-zers 

Honey at Potpourri Friday's

Beverly ~~~ Pink Saturday's!!

Stephanie Lynn's Sunday Showcase

Seasonal Sunday's with the Tablescaper

Adding Holiday Decor

All dressed up for the Holiday's...

A peek into a lovely home that I did all the interior design work in....

It is hard to believe we finished this remodel project two years ago. Where did the time go? 

I enjoy coming back each year to add Christmas decor and check in with my wonderful clients. 

Thank you for stopping by,

:Kay Ellen

Designing, Before & After

What an amazing transformation looking back at the beginning photos...

  

Across the room is the remodeled family room.

Just a few weeks ago we were covering up the old brick fireplace with stacked rock and removing the blue carpet.

It was my extreme pleasure selecting the interior design elements for this charming kitchen and family room remodel. 

I am thrilled for my clients and their new space!

We still have the backsplash to install and a few more furnishings to select but I couldn't wait any longer to share with you all in blogland:)    

Thank you for stopping by,

:Kay Ellen  

Joining in White Wednesday Here

and

 Here

In the Middle

Hi friends,

I hope you are enjoying the last few days of September.

I am in the middle of a kitchen remodel and here is a "BEFORE" photo to show you.

This kitchen is about sixteen years old and my clients growing family was ready for a few new changes and extra storage.

The original cabinets maybe a little dated in their appearance but are still in pretty good condition.

My customer hoped to re-cycle them for a family member's kitchen that recently sustained water damaged. The contractor was very careful in removing each cabinet and he was successful in re-using every single cabinet for a family in need, I thought it was so great that we were able to re-use the old cabinets.     

Here is a photo of the re-model in progress that I shot today. The installation of the new cherry-wood custom cabinets look terrific.

What a difference a few days can make!

Did you notice? We eliminated the soffit above the old cabinet installation and extended the upper cabinets to the ceiling. We were able to add a lot of storage with this simple change.

I had the contractor remove the small island, and added a breakfast bar which made this kitchen open and much more functional. 

Next on the agenda is the installation of the new granite countertops. We had a fun filled day searching for the perfect granite slabs for this new kitchen.

Here is a sneak peek photo of the granite selected for the counters and you can also see the versailles patterned tile that we ordered for the floor. 

I will update this posting as more elements are completed.

Update! Granite installed 

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I had a little accident last week while treasure hunting at a flea market...I spied a tall metal industrial cabinet that looked like a cool piece to purchase for my shop... I thought the cabinet door above me was secure and I peeked in...I found out very quickly it wasn't secure and it slammed down and hit me in the head :(  The doctor said I have a mild concussion and strained neck. I didn't know treasure hunting could be dangerous! Oh well~~~I guess I will keep a hard hat in the truck for future shopping adventures! haha

A big thank you to all my Facebook friends for your prayers and hugs to my son and husband that have been chauffeuring me around town for the last few days...

I am grateful to be on the mend!

See you soon,

:Kay Ellen  

Bistro Update

Do you remember this photo I posted a few weeks ago? 

So sorry for the delay but I am finally sharing a few photos of the finished install.  

What an amazing journey to work with the owners of this building. The construction of course was very messy and took a lot of time...but as each element was installed you could see the space come alive with character and warmth. The first time I saw the bistro completed I seriously teared up! I had visualized the space completed but until the last brush stroke was painted and the last nail was hammered...I was overcome with joy to see the space finished.  

This new bistro will serve as a charming place for a vibrant companies staff to meet for lunch, host events or stop in for a quick cup of jo. Speaking of coffee~~~the shutter cabinet you see in this last photo is where the coffee bar and drink station will be located. 

More photos to come as this beautiful space is accessorized and furnished.

Tables and chairs are next on the "To Do List"

I am having trouble with my internet connection this week...so if you would like more information or details about any of the elements that were chosen for the bistro please feel free to leave a comment or drop me an email. 

Back to work!

Thank you for stopping by,

:Kay Ellen 

Creative Camera Display

I started collecting vintage cameras a few years ago for my husband...but as time passed I started realizing I loved old cameras just as much as he does.

Our collection is growing between the two of us...

Old crates can work great to display treasures on. I stumbled upon this double decker crate at a flea market and couldn't wait to take it home and give it try! 

I am very happy with this artful solution.

Keep your eyes open if you need to display a collection and remember my old crate filled with vintage cameras! 

Joining sweet Sue for Rednesday with my red side panels surrounding the cameras:)

HERE

:Kay Ellen

Prime Time

A quick post and shot of my clients kitchen cabinets installed and primed.

Over the weekend the painters started the glazing process... I am very excited to go by the house later today and see how they are progressing. 

Next up for this beautiful kitchen remodel will be the installation of the granite countertops, followed by the wood flooring.

We are getting close to completion!

Switching gears this morning~~~I am headed off to order flowers for a special wedding.

I have a lot of work ahead of me with bouquets to design and all the flowers to get ready for the ceremony and reception for this coming Friday! 

I would loooove extra prays for all the details of this week to run smooth. 

and more coffee please :)

:Kay Ellen

Joining in White Wednesday HERE

Messy~~~ but making Progress

Hi friends,

Here are a few photos of a renovation in progress!

Construction is always a messy business ... but progress is being made in a quite a few areas of this client's home.

One of the biggest transformations will happen in the kitchen.

Opening up the ceiling; wider and longer was on the top of the list. 

The kitchen sits directly below the master bathroom, so I couldn't have the entire ceiling raised, but I'm very happy with what we were able to accomplish. 

The new ceiling is completed and the old cabinets are pulled out and donated to Habitat for Humanity. If you click on the photo you can see a larger version.

The transformation is beginning to take shape.

The electrician has put in all the new wiring, the new texture is completed on the ceiling and just a little more painting needs to be done before cabinets are installed! 

The countertops will be a beautiful granite. Here is a photo of the slab we chose ... it's called "Typhoon Bordeaux".  

The kitchen cabinet color will be a creamy white with an antique glazed applied. We have a few back-splashes picked, but have decided to keep the back-splash formal and a bit understated because the granite countertops are very elegant with beautiful movement and filled with color. 

Both the living room and family room fireplaces are receiving a little facelift too:)

We are installing right over the old used brick on both fireplaces...

This photo shows the FAMILY ROOM fireplace in progress, I selected natural stone with a great color variation to add an element of further interest to this cozy room.

The blue carpet will be replaced by a warm hardwood floor.

In the LIVING ROOM the second fireplace is progressing nicely.

The stone selected for this formal room will be a polished travertine cut into planks. I ordered 6" x 24" planks of stone and had the installer cut them down to fit the space, it is turning out quite lovely if I do say so myself. 

 

Did I forget mention remodeling can be very noisy?

The old ceramic tiles have been pulled up and now this crazy-loud, industrial, sander is smoothing out all the rough edges, removing the old adhesive, and leveling out all the high areas in the ENTRY.

Once the surface is smooth and level, the new flooring for will also be a 12"x24" plank style polished travertine, nicely complimenting the LIVING ROOM fireplace. I can't wait for it to be installed!

Good bye blue carpet and old ceramic tiles! 

More photos to come on this project.

Let me know what you think of this project and my color choices.

Now, back to work.

:KayEllen