Design Show House: Adventure Awaits Reading Nook

Hello there and thanks for following along as I write about the experience of submitting for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's 40th Annual Show House.  You can see previous posts about it here and here.

The second room I felt inspired to design was a small nook on the 3rd floor.  It was barely large enough to stand up but perfect for a small boy and his dog to get away for hours plotting great adventures together. I imagined the boy reading aloud to his dog, scoping out the stars, and dreaming of exotic far away places that only pirates can find.

The nook is the 1/2 circle window at the very top of the house.

Here is an image of the nook (it was hard to get a good image because of the size):

Isn't that huge window dreamy?

Below is the design board I submitted:

1. World Map Wall Mural, 2. SW Paint Color, 3. Telescope, 4. Lego Head 5. Light Fixture, 6. BB-8 Pillow, 7. Bike Pillow, 8. Dot Desk, 9. Floor Cushion, 10. Sailcloth Storage, 11. Sign

I have to admit, I felt inspired by my 6 year old son when designing this room.  Some of the items in the design board above are his favorites.  The letterpress box is an antique and holds all his little treasures from lego men, sea shells found on the beach, to that random robins egg found on a walk. He loves his adventures!

Design Show House: Sophisticated Bathroom Design Board

The BSO allows each designer to submit design boards for up to 3 rooms. I decided to submit for a bathroom and a small nook on the 3rd floor.  If you look at the picture from the last post of the front of the house, the nook is the semi-circle window at the top.  It's a perfect hideout for a small boy and his dog to daydream about all the adventures they will take together (more about that coming soon).

My first design submission was a small blue-tiled bathroom. The moment I entered this room I had an idea to transform it from it's current condition to something with a bit more wow-factor. The challenge in this space is that the designer is not permitted to change the tile wall or the floor.  I found a way to incorporate them into the design.

The view of the bathroom from our first visit to the Mayfair House:

Here is my design board showing the concept:

1. Light, 2. SW Paint Color, 3. Mirror, 4. Shelf, 5. Kohler Purist Widespread Faucet, 6. Radiator Cover, 7. Succulent, 8. Fabric , 9. Mornings Away Art Print, 10. Towels

This space was envisioned as the spot where a sophisticated woman gets ready in the morning and wants to start her day inspired by her surroundings. Updating this bathroom with a dark wall color above the blue tile along with modern French gold fixtures and accessories melds perfectly with the painting, titled Mornings Away.  A fabric roman shade and matching shower curtain would be added to bring diverse texture to the space. 

I am excited for the opportunity to work on this project. Wish me luck!

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Design Show House

Two years ago I toured the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's Design Show House compliments of Sherwin Williams and loved every minute of it.  As I was touring, I noticed several of the designers had used fabric I have chosen for projects, paint colors that I have in my own home, and many accessories that I own or have admired from afar (let's face it some of them are pricey).  This gave me a boost in confidence that maybe I do have what it takes to take my love of design and put it out there for the world.

The Guildford House I toured in 2015

This year, I have decided to try my talents and submit designs for this year's BSO Design House, Mayfair.  When the opportunity presented itself, I jumped on it, touring the bare house with my dear friend and partner in crime, Sarah.

This year's Show House: Mayfair

On our way in to check it out

The grand staircase from the Foyer

My plans are due later this week.  I will be sure to share a sampling of what I put together for the three rooms I chose.

Agate: A Little Slice of Heaven

Something about naturally occurring sparkle that makes it seem refined and elegant enough to use in home decor. So imagine my excitement in coming across Freckles Chick’s blog post about how she created art from agate coasters she bought at West Elm.  I can totally do this!! I l was hoping to find some slices that were larger than the 4 inch coasters  so I set out to find a seller where I could find slightly larger pieces in the color I wanted.  That is where I found Light Accents by Linda. She shipped 3 pieces of 6-7 inches.  I purchased some Gold Rub n Buff and set off to create.  It was surprisingly easy and not messy at all.  (The smell is pretty intense though.) 

My frames are from West Elm I scooped them up during a 20% off sale. I didn't need to use any adhesive to attach the slices because they were thick enough to rest between the glass and the back of the frame. I love the way they look with the couch and the creamy color of the walls.  What do you think?

New Cooktop at Casa~Pena

We finally did it!  We said sionora to the ceramic cooktop.  Having a ceramic cook top seems like a good idea but I am here to tell you it is not.  This stove collected so much dust, dirt, spots, etc.  I spent more time cleaning it than I ever did cooking on it.  Not to mention all of our appliances are stainless so it made more sense to match the rest of the kitchen.

We chose to stick with the same brand (Whirlpool) because the space cut out of the counter was the same exact dimensions. Can you see all the little particles and spots that collect on the surface:

It was a fairly simple process of disconnecting the gas, unplugging the cooktop, and lifting it out.  My husband cleaned the counter around the opening and put down new foam tape to seal the edges.  We placed the new cooktop in the opening.

Doesn't it look so much nicer?  It matches the rest of the kitchen and gives me a flat surface to place pans when I take them out of the oven.  I am one happy cook today!

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