Guest Blogger: Helen of Seaside Interiors

Hello House of Turquoise Readers, I'm Helen.

I am the lucky lady who gets to do a guest post today!

I am also the lady who has been bugging her husband and friends about how excited I am to have the chance to do this again, so thanks Erin for having me back!

What are my guest blogger qualifications you might ask?

 Well first, I stalk visit House of Turquoise on a daily basis for my inspiration kick!

And Second, I love the color turquoise and use it a lot when decorating.

Those are the two most important qualifications, right?  ;-)

Umm, let's see, I created my blog A Brit of Happiness  over a year ago and I took the plunge this past year and started up my interior decorating business  Seaside Interiors.  Since I started, I have had a blast creating Online Design Boards and decorating homes for my clients.

Today I want to share with you one of the room installations that I recently created for a client. I think my favorite type of install is the ones where I go in and complete an entire room start to finish in one go.  There is something about that type of process that I really enjoy. 

My clients wanted a slightly formal living room with a contemporary vibe. Some touches of green and shades of blue and turquoise.  They wanted something that was Relaxing and playful!  Which pretty much describes their family.

We will start backwards and work our way to the beginning, which pretty much describes me ;-)

Here is the formal/contemporary/casual living room I created...

I brought the room together using a design board that I created for the clients.

These are the design boards that I create for my online and local clients.  Creating a design board for a room always helps to see how everything comes together. 

 P.S. Don't be scared of the green on the Design Board, it sorta showed up just a SMIDGEN brighter online than I was expecting.

WANNA SEE MORE?  Oh K!!!

Yummy gorgeous curtains!!  I went with a really pretty steal blue top and a caramel colored bottom.  I made sure to measure exactly from floor to sill for where I wanted the caramel color to reach.  Notice how the rod extends further past the window so the curtains don't cover the window and it actually makes the window feel much larger.

 A perfect spot to just curl up on the couch! 

Working with the client's budget, I knew we would be able to splurge on a few key pieces and then have to find deals on the rest.  I say splurge where it counts.  Accent pieces are easy to pick up here and there for a bargain.   Put the bulk of your money on bigger items such as furniture.  Since the clients already had the brown couch, I was able to spend a bit more on other items such as the creamy linen club chairs and the fabric. 

Even though the coffee table and side table are different, they still have enough of the same elements to bring them together without having them match exactly.  Kind of like a couple on a first date.  Both are two toned and both are metal and wood.  The tables, not the couple, lol. So they go together well.

This is one of the two linen club chairs I brought into the room.  It is a great spot to sit and relax and it gives more seating options for having family and friends over for a visit.

When I am working with a darker piece of furniture such as the deep brown couch, I try to work in a lot of lighter touches like the pillows and artwork. 

Bringing in the shiny hammered based lamps adds another layer to the room.  Without them, the room would feel very flat.  I also add in at least one other shiny element so that the lamps don't stand on their own.  They need a little company.  For the other shimmery piece, I added the really pretty mirror above the unit to connect both pieces.

Here is the glass bowl I found to go on the coffee table.  This is my artsy fartsy way of taking a picture.  I figured all of the amazing photographers take cool close ups, so I better take one too.  One day I will hire a professional photographer to come in and take some real artsy fartsy shots.  For now, I will keep dreamin.

To go underneath the mirror, I chose this blue gray glass front cabinet.  It fits the space really well by filling up this smaller angled wall.

 

Just a few goodies to go in the cabinet to bring more texture to the room.

 I fell in love with this fabric!   I used it as my base to pick other items in the room such as the wall color.  A little touch of turquoise in the pillows finishes it off.

Now you know what the end result looks like, let's take a look at how we got started yesterday.

When we arrived, all we had to do was remove the existing brown couch while we painted.  So we were left with a complete blank slate.

Let's take a quick pause.  This is my hubby Dustin a.k.a. The Very Meticulous Wall Sander.  He has his own paint business and he is just as much of a perfectionist as I am when it comes to a job.  We also work really well together on projects so I love having him around.

Ok, we can unpause now ;-)

Once the couch was out of the room, we got to work on painting. 

One of the first steps was to sand the walls down just to smooth your surface out before you begin painting.

While Dustin sanded, I got the frog tape and taped off all of the trim work.  

 After he was done sanding, he got the paint ready.  The color I chose for the walls is Requisite Gray by Sherwin Williams.

 Here is a closer shot of Requisite Gray, which doesn't really look like that once it is dry on the walls.  I'll show you shortly. 

While Dustin was painting the ceiling a flat white, I utilized the client's dining room to bring in all of my décor for the living room.

Getting everything together in one room allows me to pick and choose how I want it to go into the room and if I need to add anything or take anything away.  I also do this same add and take away deal when I complete the room. 

Once all the accessories where gathered, I headed back in to assist with the first coat of paint.

Dustin worked on the top while I took care of the bottom trim.

Extreme close up of Dustin's expert lines ;-)  That's why I stay to the bottom where the frog tape is!

 In comes the rolling of the first coat.

Once you are done with the first coat, let it dry for a bit.  Go grab some lunch and come back and then comes the fun part.  Do the SAME EXACT THING all over again.  Yay!

After the second coat of paint is dry, we started putting the room together...

Time for some furniture.

  I love the detail work on the end tables!  It has a pretty quatrefoil pattern with a sort of green patina finish.

Here I am having a special moment with the lamp!  You don't talk to your furniture and accessories?  No me either ;-)

 Here is the end result one more time...

I hope you liked the start to finish or finish to start of the room transformation!

I love getting comments and feedback, so if you get a chance, I'd love to hear what you think of the makeover.

Thanks for taking the time to read my post and thanks again Erin for allowing me to be a guest blogger!!

(P.S. Visit Helen over at her blog here!)

Love turquoise? Visit my shopping blog Everything Turquoise...updated several times throughout the day! Check out Decor by Color for even more color-themed shopping!

You have read this article Guest Blogger / Living Room / Turquoise and Gray / Turquoise and Green with the title . You can bookmark this page URL https://kmn-radio.blogspot.com/2013/05/guest-blogger-helen-of-seaside-interiors.html. Thanks!

Guest Blogger: Kim of Kim Hoegger Home

Hello friends,

Hope this blog post finds you all doing well and taking a few minutes to relax and spend some quality "me" time with House of Turquoise. I know for me, House of Turquoise always does the trick when I need a little R&R and inspiration.

I am Kim Hoegger of Kim Hoegger Home, a wife to a wonderful man, a mother of four young adults, a designer, blogger and antique collector. I am crazy busy keeping up with my hubby and my kids most of the time but when I find some down time I love designing gorgeous, family centered homes for my clients, teaching DIY workshops at my studio, blogging about design, glorious food and all things vintage.(I know...I am crazy busy and I love it!)

As you can imagine, when Erin asked if I would be a guest blogger on House of Turquoise,  I was thrilled and could hardly wait to get started on a post for all of you! A BIG HUG and thank you to Erin for this wonderful opportunity to share with all of you a little piece of my world at Kim Hoegger Home.

Erin and I met a year ago at Blogfest NYC in the cafe at the Flatiron Hotel. We were both ordering bagels and awaiting our exciting day to begin with Blogfest. We had a great visit and so much fun talking about blogging and the world of interior design and the bagels were amazing! Thanks to that chance meeting, we have been great friends ever since and I always look forward to the beautiful images she shares everyday on House of Turquoise.

Today, I hope to inspire you and take you away for a few minutes to my lake house which has recently been completed. My hubby and I had so much fun working on it (still working on it, lol) and are loving the way the rooms are coming together. Hope you enjoy the images!

Custom made driftwood sculpture(love it!) and a Ralph Lauren Home settee...LOVE!

The Sunroom...a perfect view, serenity at it's best. Prior to drapery :) always a work in progress!

Custom twin loveseats, Pottery Barn pillows.

My amazing kitchen! Built for many cooks, the kitchen houses two farmhouse sinks and a separate beverage station. Very large family :)

As you can imagine...this is the favorite gathering place in the house! And these barstools make it the most comfortable place in the house.

Dining room seats fourteen and most of the time we need more seating; thank goodness for outdoor dining! Custom dining chairs available through Kim Hoegger Home.

Sunrise to Sunset views from every seat in the house!

A sunny loft area at the top of the stairs...perfect for reading or a nap. I was all over the place with the linens...Restoration Hardware & Pottery Barn pillows, quilt from HomeGoods, Pottery Barn day bed also. Beauty doesn't have to be expensive.

The Master Bedroom...not quite finished but getting there. Pottery Barn linens for extra easy care and French Side chests. So far, so good!

My daughter's favorite guest room probably because her favorite color is apple green.

Don't you just LOVE the shabby French shutters? An absolutely amazing color of blue!

Hope you have enjoyed the tour of my lake house, it's really a special place that we share with family and friends throughout the year. The house will be featured this month Lakeside Living Magazine, in the Fall in Kansas City House & Garden and then next Spring/Summer in a national shelter magazine which shall remain nameless for now. Looking forward to coming back again to share the new images with you.

Have a wonderful day!

Kim


(P.S. Visit Kim over at her blog here!)


Love turquoise? Visit my shopping blog Everything Turquoise...updated several times throughout the day! Check out Decor by Color for even more color-themed shopping!

You have read this article Bedroom / Dining Room / Guest Blogger / Kitchen / Living Room with the title . You can bookmark this page URL https://kmn-radio.blogspot.com/2013/05/guest-blogger-kim-of-kim-hoegger-home.html. Thanks!

Guest Blogger: Jana of Jana Hunter Interiors

There is nothing like sitting outside on a cool, crisp spring morning, sipping a cup of coffee, listening to the birds singing while the fountain is dripping!  I used to only dream of this until two years ago when we added our screened-in porch...best decision ever!  As many cities are enduring the pollen season, Little Rock is no different, but with a little elbow grease the porch is ready, so come on in...

Our family uses this porch throughout the day...coffee in the mornings, lunch, after school snacks, dinner, and an after dinner drink!

This lovely porch swing, found at an antique mall, was the inspiration piece for the porch!  The size, character (nicks and all), and most of all color, were perfect!  I wanted the porch to reflect the outdoors using calm, comfortable hues to create a tranquil place for relaxation with just a hint of color! 

I admired old farm tables from afar having no room inside our home, so the screened-in porch was the perfect opportunity to seize the moment!  (She desperately needs a lemon oil bath once the pollen completely subsides!)  The terracotta planter is used as a "trivet" during dinner time!

The chairs, seat cushions, and rug are all for outdoor use! 

Originally, a black wrought iron chandelier was purchased for the porch; however, when I saw this French metal basket chandelier, it was a no brainer...filling the basket throughout the seasons is a definite joy!

This hutch houses a collection of turquoise! 

Jana Hunter Interiors believes a home should tell a story!  Every piece on this hutch does just that...my favorites would have to be the turquoise tole tray and the bunny statue!  Both were found in Connecticut during a three generation trip to visit the incredible interior designer, Bunny Williams!  Read about our trip HERE!

The bonsai dish from the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis (a true treat if you haven't been!) holds a bird's nest filled with stone hearts from a friend!

More turquoise treasures!

And speaking of treasures, a collection of "odds and ends" adds texture!

The porch is divided into two "rooms," one for dining and the other for sitting!  This wicker chair was literally waiting to sit on a porch one day as she sat in the attic!  My husband, a.k.a "Handyman Husband," enjoys this chair immensely!  And of course, I love my "Arkansas" pillow!

The black, bamboo chairs were also in the attic!  

This striped fabric was just added to these chairs providing a layer of softness to the porch!

The outdoor bar is fun for dirty martinis or any signature drink that may be concocted!  The "ice bucket" is an old copper coal bucket sitting inside a bird bath (which is great for collecting excess ice)!

Natural elements tickle my fancy!  I adore the light blue lichen on the branch along with the honeycomb, crystal, and moss!

This metal table serves as a buffet during dinner or for parties!  The two "X back" wooden blue chairs provide extra seating.  And this vignette of bird prints dates to the early 1900's!  

It was a true joy sharing our screened-in porch with you!  Thank you to my dear friend, Erin, for asking me to guest blog for her while she and Chris enjoy a well-deserved "babymoon!"  Check back soon as Jana Hunter Interiors will be featuring Erin during my "Please Meet" series!!!

  

Enjoy the day!

Jana

(P.S. You can visit Jana over at her blog here!) 

Love turquoise? Visit my shopping blog Everything Turquoise...updated several times throughout the day! Check out Decor by Color for even more color-themed shopping!

You have read this article Guest Blogger / Porches with the title . You can bookmark this page URL https://kmn-radio.blogspot.com/2013/05/guest-blogger-jana-of-jana-hunter.html. Thanks!