Exciting Photo Shoot News!!!

Today I am happy to share some exciting news! I just received confirmation that my new family room built-ins will be included in Storage Magazine, a Better Homes and Garden’s special interest publication.

The photo shoot will be produced by Donna Talley, Regional Editor and Producer for Meredith publications and photographed by John Bessler. I am so thrilled to be hosting both of them in my home. You may remember they were the creative team behind my basement remodeling story which appeared in Better Homes and Gardens a few years ago.

Better Homes and Gardens / Donna Talley - Regional Producer and Editor for Meredith Publications

Photographer - John Bessler

And to add a cherry to the top – Donna and John will also be using my house as a location back drop for a story Donna is creating for Flea Market Storage Magazine.

Better Homes and Gardens / Donna Talley - Regional Producer and Editor for Meredith Publications

Photographer - John Bessler

Needless to say I am giddy! The shoots will take place at the end of March, but at this point I am unsure as to when they will appear in print. I will be sure to keep you updated with a few sneak peeks.

Thanks for sharing in my excitement!

More Marble – Kitchen Corner Redo Completed!

As far back as I can remember, I have always been smitten with marble. I love its classic look and am particularly fond of pieces which are white with grey veining. Since redoing countertops in my house is out of the question, I have slowly added marble to my decor in a few simpler and smaller ways.

For example, not too long ago I purchased the quirky marble top table (shown below) for my den.

I updated an inexpensive table in my daughter’s bedroom by pairing it with a cast-off marble top I found at a local antique store.

When we finished our basement bathroom, we choose hexagon shaped marble tiles for the floor.

Real-Life Kitchen and Baths / Photographer - Bryan McCay

Stylist - Donna Talley, Regional Editor and Producer for Meredith Publications

My latest marble addition comes in the form of a custom cut slab for the vintage grain bin in my kitchen eating area.

After the mirror received a chalk paint makeover, I decided to finish the redesign of this little corner by topping the grain bin with marble.

I had a local granite dealer cut a piece of Carrera marble slightly larger than the size of the cabinet top. It was finished on three sides with a simple edge and then placed directly on the cabinet – no glue required. Although I would not consider this an inexpensive project, I was able to save money by waiting for a remnant (left over piece) to become available and by transporting the marble myself.

Below is how this area looked before.

This is how it looks today.

I have to say I love it! The marble lightens up the space, adds a new texture to the kitchen and tones down all the wood in this area.

So is this the end of the marble in my house? Probably not as I can’t see my love of marble ending any time soon!

Rerun of a Rerun

My basement entrance is back in print again!

Better homes and Gardens recently republished their special interest publication “100 Decorating Ideas – Big Style for Small Rooms.” So in case you missed it the first time around in August of 2010, here it is again.

My basement entrance is idea number eighty-six.

Photographer - John Bessler

Stylist - Donna Talley, Regional editor and producer for Meredith Publications

The original story (shown below) about my basement remodel appeared in the July 2009 edition of Better Homes and Gardens – although the entrance picture included me in the photo. This article also featured pictures of the sitting area, play area and small space under the steps.

Photographer - John Bessler

Stylist - Donna Talley, Regional editor and producer for Meredith Publications

Photographer - John Bessler

Stylist - Donna Talley, Regional editor and producer for Meredith Publications

Photographer - John Bessler

Stylist - Donna Talley, Regional editor and producer for Meredith Publications

Photographer - John Bessler

Stylist - Donna Talley, Regional editor and producer for Meredith Publications

So I guess you can call this a rerun of a rerun! Hope you didn’t mind seeing it again.

Your Basement Bookcase and Bench Questions Answered

Better Homes and Gardens / Photographer – John Bessler 

Stylist - Donna Talley, Regional Editor and Producer for Meredith Publications

As part of our basement remodel, our contractor constructed this pretty bookcase (above) and bench (below). It was originally shown in the July 2009 edition of Better Homes and Gardens and has since been republished in several BH&G publications including 100 Decorating Ideas – Big Style for Small Rooms, Remodel, and 100 Ideas – Real Rooms.

100 Decorating Ideas Big Style for Small Rooms / Photographer – John Bessler

Stylist - Donna Talley, Regional Editor and Producer for Meredith Publications

It has now reappeared in the January 2011 edition of BH&G’s Remodel.

Better Homes and Gardens Remodel / Photographer – John Bessler

Stylist - Donna Talley, Regional Editor and Producer for Meredith Publications

As a result, I have received many emails and phone calls asking for additional information. Many of you asked if we built it ourselves and what are the overall dimensions of the entire unit. I am very flattered by all the interest and am so happy to help.

No, we did not build the bookcase and bench. We worked closely with our contractor to design something which would fit the space visually, add storage and display areas, and make the basement entrance more functional. Needless to say, we are thrilled with how it turned out.

As far as the measurements are concerned, much of what we did was dictated by the height of the adjoining wall. You will notice from the pictures this built-in unit is attached to a half wall with windows. The length was determined by the placement of the columns. Here are the dimensions we used:

100 Decorating Ideas Real Rooms / Photographer – John Bessler

Stylist - Donna Talley, Regional Editor and Producer for Meredith Publications

100 Decorating Ideas Big Style for Small Rooms / Photographer – John Bessler

Stylist - Donna Talley, Regional Editor and Producer for Meredith Publications 

If you have any other questions please let me know. Also, if you have used these pictures as inspiration for your own project I would love to see photos and hear from you!

Basement Bathroom

I received a nice surprise yesterday. A friend called to tell me she had seen my basement bathroom in Real-Life Kitchen and Baths – a special interest magazine by Meredith publications.

Real-Life Kitchen and Baths / Photographer - Bryan McCay
Stylist - Donna Talley, Regional Editor and Producer for Meredith Publications

For those of you who have been followers for a while, you might recognize this story as a rerun of an article which appeared in the winter 2009 edition of Better Homes and Gardens’ Kitchen and Bath Makeovers.

Real-Life Kitchen and Baths

Real-Life Kitchen and Baths / Photographer - Bryan McCay
Stylist - Donna Talley, Regional Editor and Producer for Meredith Publications

This bathroom was part of an overall basement remodel which also included a sitting area, bedroom and storage.

Better Homes and Gardens / Photographer - John Bessler
Stylist - Donna Talley, Regional Editor and Producer for Meredith Publications

Better Homes and Gardens /  Photographer - John Bessler

Stylist - Donna Talley, Regional Editor and Producer for Meredith Publications

We wanted a space which would be suitable for guests as well as serve the needs of our family. Although this bathroom is a fairly small space, we took our time planning out every detail. We began by listing everything we wanted, regardless of cost.

Real-Life Kitchen and Baths

Real-Life Kitchen and Baths / Photographer - Bryan McCay
Stylist - Donna Talley, Regional Editor and Producer for Meredith Publications

This helped us decide what was most important and where we could save money. One of the compromises we made was the shower. Our first choice was a tiled shower, complete with glass doors. Because this is a guest bathroom, we opted instead for a shower insert surrounded by tile and a shower curtain I made from Amy Butler fabric and quilting fabric.

Real-Life Kitchen and Baths

Real-Life Kitchen and Baths

We also stayed on budget by purchasing the hexagon marble floor tiles from Ebay and the towel bar, faucet, and medicine cabinet on sale from Restoration Hardware.

Real-Life Kitchen and Baths / Photographer - Bryan McCay
Stylist - Donna Talley - Regional Editor and Producer for Meredith Publications

Real-Life Kitchen and Baths / Photographer - Bryan McCay
Stylist - Donna Talley, Regional Editor and Producer for Meredith Publications

Overall, we have remained very pleased with our choices. Our family and friends seem to always ask if they can stay longer the next time they come. I guess this means all our patience and planning were well worth the effort!

Metal Top Table Redo

My most recent project in the painting department is this metal top coffee table.

A friend no longer had use for it and asked me if I wanted it. The answer took about negative 2 seconds – yes!

After bringing the table home and cleaning it up a bit I went back and forth between painting and leaving it unfinished. I tend to like a mix of finishes (paint and wood) in my house and liked the rustic nature of the table. In the end, however, the painting won out because of the space I planned to use it in.

After sanding, scraping, and cleaning, I taped up the top and the casters and got to work. I used my normal heirloom white spray paint and then finished with a glaze. The entire process took only a few hours.

Here is the finished table in its new home.  Love it!

Note: You may recognize this space as my recently finished basement.  The coffee table shown in the magazine photos (here and here) is really from upstairs in my living room. It was moved to the basement for the photo shoot. I am very happy to now have a table for the basement too!

linking up to these parties

No Man Cave Here!

I was at the bookstore today flipping through magazines (a favorite hobby of mine) and came across a picture of my basement sitting area in the Spring/Summer 2010 edition of Better Homes and Gardens 100 Ideas – Real Rooms.

There have been several pictures of this space - which was originally shown back in the July 2009 edition of Better Homes and Gardens – in various BH&G publications (here and here). My basement was chosen this time as an example of “Finishing Points.”

100 Ideas Real Rooms / Photographer - John Bessler

Stylist - Donna Talley, Regional Editor and Producer for Meredith Publications

The caption reads - “Forget the traditional man cave filled with plump leather furniture – a basement can look light, feminine, and tailored. Here, bead-board walls, fresh window trim, and columns hiding unsightly steel posts create a crisp backdrop that’s teeming with architectural character.”