Living It Up

Whether it's dinner, a movie, or kicked-back conversations over a few bottles of wine, having company over is one of my favorite ways to enjoy our home. In the short time Chris and I have lived in Hampton Court, we have already celebrated several birthdays, engagements, weddings, and babies! There is nothing like having friends and family come together to make your place feel truly like a home.

When it came to designing our living and dining rooms, I focused on decorating for happy times. My goal was to create an easy space that could accommodate intimate gatherings as well as larger occasions. It had to look pulled together and polished, but also needed to be functional and practical so that we are not afraid to live in it and use it.

Everyone loves a good ol’ Before-and-After, so here are some listing photos for your reference:

And, voilà! Our new living room!

The furniture arrangement is a casual spin on a formal setup. I designated a traditional dining space that is separate from the living area while keeping the entire room open for bigger groups and conversations.

Oh, remember my ridiculous DIY brick wall project? It was a true labor of love, and it was completely worth it! The brick accent wall helps to bridge the two seating areas together. It also offers a good amount of soundproofing, which is great because our gatherings tend to get a little rowdy!

With most of our budget dedicated to renos, my goal was to design around all the pieces we already had. I am happy to say that with the exception of a media console (our old one from Target started sagging in the middle) we did not have to purchase any new furniture for this room!

Our sofa was the first piece of furniture Chris and I purchased together as a couple, and it holds a ton of sentimental value. It is such a welcoming spot to snuggle up for a movie, a book, or a good heart-to-heart, and you'd be surprised how many of our friends have fallen asleep on it! :) The shag rug is also super comfy and offers additional casual seating, but it sheds like a mofo.

I recently threw in a few new throw pillows to give our sofa a pretty update. A fur throw also elevates the cozy factor on a chilly night!

Speaking of cozy...

Chris brings home flowers every Friday after work. It is incredibly sweet and romantic, and I just love having fresh flowers in our home!

This mirrored chest keeps all our DVDs and video games organized and out of sight.

Our elephant family, collected from all around the world.

Sweet mementos.

A few of my favorite coffee table books.

Our new media console was a true investment piece. It is humongous and did not fit in our elevator, and two very kind delivery men carried it up to our 4th floor apartment. Needless to say, it is staying put for a while! It stylishly houses electronics, favorite books, board games, and sentimental objects.

The sectional subtly separates the living and dining areas while allowing both to remain open and inviting.

Lighting is a vital part of setting the mood for any occasion. We installed this orb chandelier in order to illuminate the room and define the dining area as a separate space. I love the way the openwork iron sphere plays off the rustic feel of our brick wall while the sparkling inner chandelier provides a nice dose of glam. It casts the coolest shadows on the walls.

A bar conveys good old-fashioned hospitality. It readily offers refreshments and also doubles up as an additional surface to serve food and hold extra dinnerware.

An antique Turkish kilim rug accentuates the dining area. This fun unexpected pop of pink shakes up our overall neutral palette, and its pattern is busy enough to forgive food stains. Because life happens!

I love the view from our living room window, especially around this time of year. Just look at those colors!

With the holidays right around the corner, I am really looking forward to hosting some very special get-togethers with our loved ones! Hope to see you guys soon!

Office Ours

A relaxing weekend for me doesn't necessarily involve sleeping in and lounging around all day. It's more about spending time completely immersed in something I truly love.

I'd been feeling a bit run-down lately and was in dire need of some downtime to unwind. So, this past Saturday, I shut myself in a room and just painted to my heart's desire! For fifteen hours straight. By the time I was finished, I felt absolutely refreshed, revitalized, and happy.

It is wonderful and very important to have somewhere to go and just get lost doing something you are passionate about. Our office is my favorite place to catch my breath and let my mind loose. Here's a peek inside!

As you can see from these listing photos, our second bedroom was previously an adorable little boy's room. Since we don't have any kids yet, Chris and I decided to utilize this space as a home office. This serves as a practical space for managing all our household affairs, but I like to think of it more as a studio…  a laboratory for exploring and experimenting with ideas.

This is where we come to make things happen. I love coming in here with a cup of coffee - it's always a good time. The serene atmosphere fosters a wealth of creativity and productivity.

The office is connected to the living room, so I decided to replace the original solid door with a glass paned one. This allows us to spend time alone in here without feeling completely isolated from each other. It also lets Wonka peek in when I am working on messier projects that he isn’t allowed to sniff around. After surviving the move, my pinboard is starting fresh – a blank canvas for new inspiration and mementos (and parking tickets).

This room has the best view in the apartment. All you see is trees when you look out the windows. With such splendid scenery, it is very hard not to feel inspired. What a lovely place to read, write, sew, paint, draw, sing, and pay bills! :)

With all the foliage surrounding this room, it only felt right to bring some of that green inside. This sunny corner makes a happy home for our fiddle leaf fig tree. The bench is a comfy place to hang out and read a book, and it is one of Wonka's favorite napping spots.

This is where I hoard my arsenal of crafting tools and supplies. Practical storage solutions play a vital role in keeping everything organized and Chris’ sanity in check!

And here is my finished painting! It makes me smile :) I am really looking forward to working on many more projects in this happy space.

What's Cookin', Good Lookin'?

One of my favorite memories of Florence was the time Chris and I spent sitting outside a tiny bistro café, chatting, people watching, and sipping cappuccinos. It was so relaxing and romantic!

Since our existing kitchen already had an Old-World-European motif going on, I decided to take it and run with it. My goal was to adapt the same look and feel of that café into the workings of a functional kitchen. Here are the traditional and modern elements I married up to create a timeless space that we can enjoy for years to come:

Brass Hardware - Rather than changing the color of our cabinets, I sprung for some new hardware instead. Swapping in new knobs, handles, and pulls is an easy and affordable way to update cabinetry. Hardware is like jewelry for furniture, and you'd be surprised what a difference a tiny change can make! I opted for brass hardware, which develops a lovely patina over time and will beautifully compliment the cherry wood as it ages.

Pendant Lighting - Pendant lighting provides an industrial quality that is often present in classic bistros. My handsome Hicks pendant delivers a solid punch of masculinity in an otherwise elegant space.

Marble Backsplash - I've got a slightly unhealthy obsession with marble and have been searching for a practical way to incorporate it into our home. Marble is a highly porous stone and it stains easily, which makes it a high-maintenance choice for countertops. It also comes with a fancypants price tag, which made it no-go for tiling the bathroom. Our backsplash, on the other hand, only required a minimal amount of square footage. It was the perfect opportunity to pounce!

I went with a polished Carrara Bianco, which has a greyer base and more veining than Carrara Venato, which is a whiter stone with less veining. The cool marble gracefully harmonizes with the warmth of our cabinets and lends a rich gourmet feel to the room. Totally worth the splurge!

Gray walls - Benjamin Moore's Chelsea Gray is a deep, sophisticated gray with a hint of brown. Combined with a fresh coat of white paint on the ceiling, this new color sets the tone of a very fresh and cozy atmosphere.

I also have a bucket of chalkboard paint that I'll be using to create a chalkboard wall later on. I dare you to find a bistro without a chalkboard! Not only are they extremely useful, they are just so much fun.

Get a load of this spice drawer! This drawer was part of the original kitchen design, and I get a little giddy every time I pull it open.

Wine fridge. 'Nuff said.

The sink and faucet are staying put for now, until I find an ideal replacement. (I'm thinking farmhouse!) Still working on styling those glass cabinets...

This sunny spot on our window sill would make a great home for some kitchen herbs! Even though my two current victims include a lonely cactus and a basil plant, I hope to gradually expand. Maybe some cilantro for guacamole... or perhaps mint for mojitos?? :)

Black & White Floors - I did not touch our floors because they were already the shizz. Black and white octagon tiles are the quintessential example of pre-war aesthetic, and I love how their vintage New York vibe balances out the modern sheen of our stainless steel appliances.

And there you have it! A simple, yet powerful transformation. ("Befores" here) This room feels much more personal now, and it actually inspires me to step up my culinary game. And you know what? I am really, really glad I gave those cabinets a chance :) More later!