Guest Blogger: Ann & Hooper of Birds of a Feather Design

We are Ann and Hooper of Birds of a Feather Design. We are longtime friends, designers and moms. Our blog is about our projects, lives, and finding the humor in it all! One of our favorite daily doses of design comes from House of Turquoise so of course we are thrilled to be visiting today.
  BIG CONGRATS Erin & Chris on your new arrival! As your world has changed and  all things baby will potentially take over your house the need for a peaceful master retreat is right up there with sleep.   We were lucky enough to have one of our favorite master retreats featured in the October issue of HGTV magazine. You can see the rest of this mountain house by visiting our blog. Run out and grab a copy of one of our favorite design mags on stands now! (after you read this of course) 

Our client wanted blue so we decided to cover all shades of the color from pale aqua (ceiling) to saturated indigo (floor) and everything in between -- including turquoise, of course..... 



The bed is layered in texture and prints and a perfect spot for a new mommy or in this case busy mom of three to catch a few zzz's.

We wanted the client to own this bed and she wanted a canopy. This Noir "Ferret" bed comes as a four poster so our go-to carpenters at Soundside Carpentry converted it into a canopy.  The branchy fabric was the perfect way to add one more layer of pattern and create a modern take on a bed fit for a queen!

What are 2 designers to do when they can't find lamps they like for a space? How about buy 2 vases from HomeGoods and have them turned into lamps! These bedside vases beauties mimic the lines of the bed and were the perfect solution to our lighting dilemma. We added scalloped shades and brass bases to finish them off.

We found this little jewel at a local auction and had it lacquered in a creamy white. Of course we did not touch the hardware! It's a fun piece that fancies up the room a bit and perfect for storage.

We love a good deal and often search auctions, junk shops, CraigsList and Overstock for affordable pieces to mix in a space. We picked up these linen and driftwood chairs for less then $400 each from Overstock - Score! The simple fabric and low profile doesn't distract from the stunning mountain view.

We skirted an existing table and added a mirrored top to create a work space for this busy mom. 

The master bathroom integrates organic materials and carries the colors of gray, cream and pale aqua into a serene spa-like bath.

A master retreat is very important and at the end of the day you need a space where you can unwind. I am sure Erin and Chris have a lovely spot to unwind and we're guessing it's turquoise! 

We can't sign off this post with out a little advice for the new parents...

(because all new parents love advice)

 #1. Create a master retreat get away for just the 2 of you. Trust us, the kid will get the rest of the house..

 #2.The "5 second rule" is bogus... you have at least 5 minutes before the cheerio that hits the floor contracts anything really harmful and can't be eaten

#3. Never wake a sleeping baby or a sleeping dog

#4. Your babies feet aren't really cold, perhaps the older woman that stopped you to tell you your baby needs socks is just cold herself...

#5 When people say dumb things and you want to roll your eyes, just smile, mutter (to yourself) "what an idiot" followed by "bless her heart" and move on. Works for us in the South! 

But seriously... Thanks for having us and best of luck Chris, Erin and Wesley!

Stop by www.birdsofafeatherdesign.com and say "hello", we'd love to have you! 

Bye, bye birdie,

  

credit to HGTV, David Land, Matthew Gleason

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Guest Blogger: Amanda from Dixie Delights

Hello turquoise lovers – I’m Amanda from Dixie Delights and I’m *delighted* to entertain y’all this morning so that Erin can sneak loads of extra snuggles and kisses with precious baby Wesley! 

I grew up on one of Savannah’s barrier islands, and my husband and boys share my love for the marshes, rivers, and moss laden trees of my home town.  We’ve worked room by room on updating our forty-year year old house to reflect the interests and needs of our young and pretty non-stop family. Our living room is a great example of our Southern Coastal style.

 
Here's how the room looked on move in day...


 
And here's the after after:





The room is home to many treasured books, my Oysteria plate collection, and a hand turned wood bowl from an oak tree we lost last year made by family friend Matt Moulthrop. 








  
The far end of the room is home to a wall of bookshelves.  I literally squealed with delight when our armoire and two bookshelves from our last house fit perfectly between the two existing built-ins.  But over the last few years it started to feel extremely dark.  I hated to paint them (in case I ever wanted them not painted again) so, after much brainstorming and pondering, I wallpapered them with grass cloth!

 


The shelves are home to more precious family photos, corals, and my collection of replica Savannah homes.  I flipped my book jackets inside out to be all white.  Yes, it makes it impossible to know what’s on the shelf, but we generally don’t read the same book twice.



The arm chair is covered in the same linen fabric and has my custom monogram from Number Four Eleven in a tone on tone thread.

 

The inside of the armoire holds a little bar.  We don’t use it much, but we do need a place to store this stuff!

 
Sources:
Paint - wall color is Benjamin Moore Seaspray and the trim is in Alabaster
Floors - unstained white oak
Drapes - Design Legacy fabric, made by me
Settee - Ethan Allen; Pillows made by Mother
Sconces – Home Goods
Rug - Ballard Designs Indoor Outdoor Leopard
Coffee Table and Antique Desk - from local shoppes
Chairs - custom from Calico Corners, recovered in Robert Allen Linen Duck Natural
Side table, armoire and bookshelves – Rich's
Oyster plates – Oysteria
Oyster mirror & glass risers – Wisteria
Hand turned wood bowl - Matt Moulthrop
Monogrammed throw - Number Four Eleven
Lamp – Aiden Gray
Green glass vessel – Target
Candle sconces – Ballard Designs

The thing I love most about this space is that nothing in here is insignificant to me.  From my grandfather’s old movie reel to my grandmother’s Bible and memories of trips with friends and birthdays with family, everything has meaning.  To see more detailed shots hop on over to Dixie Delights, or click here to take a peek at our entire before & after home tour.

Thanks again, Erin, for having me today. It’s always a pleasure!!
Amanda

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Guest Blogger: Brit from House Updated

Hi there House of Turquoise friends!  I'm Brit from House Updated and I am ridiculously excited to be joining you today as a guest blogger while Erin is off being a new mom.  I'd say we are both winners in this exchange - she gets to cuddle a new cutie and I get to be part of her awesome blog.

My favorite part about this blog is all the amazing pictures and rooms you get to see.  Less talk, more pics - I like it.  So instead of spending too much time chattering on, I'll just give you the short backstory of our guest bedroom and then let the photos do the rest of the talking.

When we moved in, the room was very peachy-pink.  Not cute.  The room stayed that way for nearly three years until one day we tore everything out and got to work.  We tore out carpet, had our floors refinished, painted every other surface in the room, took a pair of old nightstands and painted them white with a peekaboo turquoise interior, styled things up with turquoise lamps and geometric art, built an upholstered headboard, and added a new duvet and pillows to tie all that turquoise and gray and white together.  And then it was done.  Phew.  Now onto the photos.















After finishing up this room, we also snuck some turquoise into the adjoining guest bathroom (which we renovated as well), in the form of palest turquoise walls and framed marbled paper art.

The rooms work together really well and it is so fun to spread the turquoise love throughout our house.

Thanks so much for checking out our guest bedroom (and the sneak peek of our guest bathroom).  Feel free to pop over to House Updated any time for more info on these rooms and all the other house updates we've got going on.  But be forewarned, I can be a little wordier over there...

Thanks again!

Brit

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Guest Blogger: Sita of Sita Montgomery Interiors

Hello, lovely House of Turquoise readers! I am Sita Montgomery of Sita Montgomery Interiors and from The Family Room Design Studio blog. I am absolutely thrilled to be here today to fill in for Erin as she spends this special time with her precious baby. There is nothing like those first few weeks spent loving on your new little one. I am so happy for Erin and her sweet family and I can't wait to hear more about their new addition!

House of Turquoise has long been one of favorite blogs. Like Erin, I am a lover of all shades of turquoise and aqua and I look forward to coming to HOT each day to see all the fabulous spaces featuring those colors! Erin's blog is not only a constant source of inspiration, but it has introduced me to so many talented designers, architects and photographers. It doesn't get any better than that!

I have been fortunate enough to have Erin share some my work with you in the past. Today, I want to share one of my local client projects with you. I designed this space for a local client that already had, and wanted to keep, many of her staple pieces of furniture, including a brown leather sofa and two brown leather chairs. Many people think they can't achieve a fresh and bright look for their spaces if they own darker pieces of furniture. I hope that after seeing these photos, they will feel differently!










A big "thank you" to Erin for having me here today and allowing me to share this project with you! I hope it inspires some of you to think twice before getting rid of those darker furniture pieces in your own homes! If you are interested in seeing more of my work, please stop by The Family Room Design Studio. I hope to see you there!

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Guest Blogger: Lesli from My Old Country House

Hi there! This is Lesli DeVito from My Old Country House Blog...I am pleased as punch to be a Guest Blogger during Erin's little maternity blogging break...By the way, THANK YOU to those of you who gave of your HEARTS to Erins VIRTUAL BABY SHOWER...and if missed out, you can still stop by and leave Erin and Chris your "GIFTS"

ERIN AND I....LIKE MANY OF YOU...BONDED OVER A COLOR. AQUA. I love COLOR. I LOVE AQUA. I Love it in my Paintings... I love it in my home. AQUA. There is something very comfortable about those BEACHY colors...faded from love...the cast offs that often furnish beach homes, used and faded pieces that have already established themselves...classics...inherently soothing.

BENJAMIN MOORE - "THE BEACH BLUES ": BIRDS EGG, CLEAR SKIES, GOSSAMER BLUE, ICEY MOON DROPS, OCEAN AIR, PALLADIAN BLUE, SEAFOAM, SERENITY, TRANQUIL BLUE.

When I was contemplating what color to paint our newly renovated master bathroom this past Spring...I hoped that one of these colors would work with our Grey Master Bedroom. One of the colors in particular, "PALLADIAN BLUE", has been on my radar for a while...and then, when I was in Los Angeles this SPRING, I fell in love with the wall color of A store called...

"HOLLYWOOD AT HOME" and guess what.....

It was painted "PALLADIAN BLUE"!!!

 
HOLLYWOOD AT HOME, LOS ANGELES CA

I COULD NOT WAIT TO GET HOME AND START PAINTING!!!

I THINK YOU WILL AGREE, THE COLOR WORKS!

New Bathroom..including new ceilings!

When doing any type of Renovation, especially in KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS.... a SURE FIRE way to save BIG BUCKS is to utilize the existing footprint. ...moving plumbing is WHEN THE DOLLARS CAN START OT ADD UP! So, In this case, I looked EVERYWHERE to find a High Quality, Good-Looking Corner Shower unit which would line up with our existing shower drain. AND I DID IT!!!! I DID A "HAPPY DANCE" when the drains matched PERFECTLY!!!

I ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY AM IN LOVE WITH OUR SHOWER!!!

Shower- VIGO 47" X 47" NEO ANGLE SHOWER from BELLACOR. This is an item worth price shopping for. VIGO makes great products . This "KIT" came complete with everything except the faucets and shower head, and it was a fraction of the cost of buying the base and having glass cut.

SHOWER FAUCET- Listen up. ALL NEWLY INSTALLED showers must be PRESSURE BALANCE ones. But, the pressure balance showers do not work well in Big old Country Houses. In addition, the part that goes inside the wall was fine and did not need to be replaced. What I found out the hard way was that the external hardware for the NEW showers, often does not fit the OLD internal hardware. BUT, I after buying and trying and returning about 5 trim kits, I finally found one!! The MARIELLE BY PFISTER...IT fitS my American Standard internal unit...and I actually did another little happy jig the day I found it!!!!

The SUBWAY tile - from LOWES. gives the shower a Custom appearance and elevates the look.The tile comes in boxes of 100 tiles for around $21 by the individual tile for .22 cents each. AND You can return any tiles you do not use.Even if you just have 5 left! The decorative tiles around the center were a last-minute addition, I ran to Lowes to get some more caulk and these decorative tiles were on sale for 75 cents a piece vs the original $2.75. I thought they would make a nice addition and dress the shower up a bit. I LOVE them.

COLOR PALETTE...

 

MASTER BATHROOM-

PALLADIAN BLUE, COVENTRY GRAY, CORAL GABLES, MOUNTAIN PEAK WHITE

 

VANITY - Imagine the happy JIG I did, when I went SHOPPING at my favorite used furniture store CIRCA fIN CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA F or a dresser to have made INTO a Bathroom Vanity and INSTEAD found A DRESSER ALREADY MADE INTO A VANITY!!! All I had to do was paint it, inside...'BENJAMIN MOORE "CORAL GABLES" AND THE EXTERIOR "COVENTRY GRAY".

KOHLER ARCHER SINK - This sink by Kohler is the largest drop in sink when it comes to coverage of your vanity top. I knew the top would be just the varnished top of the dresser so wanted as much overlap as possible. LOVE THIS SINK! Under $200 at Lowes.

 

KOHLER DEVONSHIRE TOILET- I have said it before and I will say it again, I think it is worth the few extra pennies to buy a snazzier looking toilet. Come on, it is the "Anchor" of the room...and this new Devonshire uses less water, less space and looks pretty to boot! Price shop - we got this one at Lowes for under $300

 

POP OF COLOR: Many people do not realize that you can do a POP of color...ON another color...you just need to be subtle and LESS IS MORE. I found this frame painted this awesome kind of tangerine-peach color...works perfectly with the Palladian blue.

The floor is Hexagon Tile from Home depot...Post here.

I agonized, (sorta sounds stupid now) but I spent hours trying to decide whether to go with Brass or Polished Chrome in the master Bathroom. I finally chose the Chrome. Both are timeless, and both would look great but I just did not think that over time the Brass would keep me as happy as the Chrome does. again...so silly. But it mattered at the time.

MEDICINE CHEST AND TABLE- The medicine chest is from Pottery Barn and the little Demi Table is from our new Homegoods! It was $59 and while I intended to paint it, it looks so nice with the cabinet I am leaving it alone.

LIGHTING

 

PRINCETON SOPHOMORE SCONCE FROM SCHOOLHOUSE ELECTRIC

I love standing at my new sink and looking out across the back yard...I can see the Cows next door and the kids and pets running around...It is so peaceful...

The Green Scalloped Mirror (pop of color #2, was a $15 Thrift store find that I spray painted Kelly Green. I LOVE this mirror!!!

IN CLOSING...You may or may not have notices that the Bathroom does not have a door....not usually the way things roll in a Bathroom. Did you know Doors use up 7 square feet of room space? It had always bothered me that our bathroom door had to be closed in order to stand at the sink and so WE decided to go with a barn door, which will slide across the wall next to the sink...we just have to hang that durn door and we are done!!!

Thank you for letting me share my THE MASTER BATHROOM!!!

I INVITE YOU VISIT MY OLD COUNTRY HOUSE...!  I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU THERE!!

PALLADIAN BLUE

...If you love color as much as I do...you will LOVE the "ROOM FOR COLOR 2013" contest currently on Apartment Therapy...and guess what...My room was selected! The number of "favorites" you get determines if you go to the finals..

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/leslis-phoebe-holiday-room-194123

If you have a moment "FAVORITE" MY ROOM!!! and Thank you so much!!!

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