How to Create a Beautiful and Functional Kitchen

If you are thinking about renovating your kitchen, you will want to read this post. It could save you a lot of money and frustration in the long run. As an interior designer, I've seen a lot of badly designed kitchens.



Kitchen design takes careful planning. Did you know there are recommended linear feet of shelving that depend on the size of your home and household?

Steel and Glass Home in a Mesquite Bosque {Tour}

We waited too long. Over the last few years, we've been trying to figure out where we want to live when we retire. We love Arizona -- it's where we met and fell in love and married. Now, thirty plus years later, our kids are raised and are starting families of their own. Retirement is on the horizon.

Last year, we traveled to Arizona to see some properties near Tucson.

An Arts and Crafts Limestone

At this time, last year, we were in the process of making some big life decisions. Do we stay in the Pacific Northwest? Go back to Colorado? Stay in the same job? Take a job in Colorado? Take a new job in the Pacific Northwest?  We traveled back to Colorado, where I met with my old boss from the design firm where I'd worked, and where we touched base with many dear friends. We visited our oldest son, who had just opened a new business, and spent a little time hanging out with two of my husband's sisters, who also lived in Colorado. We knew our daughter's husband was soon to be transferred to Colorado, as well. While we were in our old hometown, we discovered "The Lion House" was for sale.

A five thousand square foot limestone, the hundred plus year old Lion House is a local landmark. We made a quick call to our real estate agent, and toured the property.

Working on the Beach House Path

It's been quite a while since I posted any beach house updates. We continue to plug along with projects, but we try to balance work weekends with resting weekends and entertaining weekends.

Each year we improve the beach path a little bit more. When we first bought the house, the path was only inches wide, and full of holes and random hidden driftwood logs to trip us up. I think I spent as much time face down in the dune grass, as I did walking down the path!

DIY Patchwork Rugs for Cheap!

We own some boat slips in our condo marina. Along with the slips, there is a condominium clubhouse in the adjacent building that is jointly owned by all the moorage owners.

It's basically just a giant concrete room. A few years ago, a sump pump that serviced the residential portion of the building malfunctioned and flooded the entire space. The carpets and portions of the gypsum board needed to be removed. It was ugly.

How to Weave a Pretty Seat

I popped into a Goodwill the other day and found the cutest little bench -- that is, it could have been cute. If it had a seat.

My husband has a running joke about my love affair with "broken chairs". We've moved broken chairs half-way across the country and back again.

What to Expect When Attending SNAP Blog Conference

It's that time of year again! Bloggers everywhere are making plans to attend their favorite blog conferences. Last year I finally decided to join in the fun, and I have to tell you, it really was fun!

I decided to attend the SNAP Conference in Salt Lake City, since it's only a short flight away, and I tend to wilt on long plane trips. Getting to the hotel from the airport was a breeze -- there is a light rail stop about a block from the conference. It's pretty much guaranteed that you will meet new blogger friends on the train ride!

How to Decorate When You're Broke

We've all been there. We want to freshen up our homes, but our home decor budget is non-existent. Here are some ideas that you can use to decorate your home when you're broke.

11 Easy Art Projects Anyone Can Do

Do you ever look at art and think "I could never do that"?  I promise, the ability to do art is not exclusive to people with fancy degrees or exceptional talent. Sometimes all you need is to just. get. started. You don't need fancy or expensive supplies, either. My favorite set of oil pastels came from the $1.50 store!

My tiny travel watercolor set is a child's set. I use Crayola markers and colored pencils in my art journals. Creating art is relaxing and healing, and it's a great way to bridge generations.

Decorate and Organize With Repurposed Trunks

This post first appeared on House Revivals in January of 2014.

I think I will never get tired of dusty old trunks and chests. They all have stories hidden away inside. As a kid, I loved looking at the old newspapers that had been used to line some old trunks that my mother had. I used to have a hump-backed trunk that was lined with lovely old wallpaper.  I used it to store vintage linens. Another trunk was used as a bedside table. We no longer have the hump-backed trunk -- it was a victim of a cross-country move years ago, but the other trunk still serves as storage. These days we use it to store Christmas ornaments.

That's the wonderful thing about trunks. They can live so many lives.  They start out going on grand adventures, and later retire to life as an end table or are tucked away in an attic, storing treasured items. 

Creative Blog Business Card Tutorial

A few weeks ago I was able to attend Snap Conference for bloggers. It was tons of fun -- there were lots of conference sponsors who gave out lots of swag, and let us try out lots of new products!

I ordered a new set of blog business cards for the conference, but when they arrived, I realized the fronts of the cards were off-center. It bugged me.

What Your Collections Say About Your Decorating Style

I'm a collector. I'll bet you are too. We all collect different things, things that speak to us. We all collect for different reasons, reasons that say something about who we are.

You may collect scarves, or lipsticks, or china, or fibers, or rocks, or shells, or recipes, or quilts, or paintings, or crazy friends, or shoes, or books, or office supplies.

This Beach House is Getting Curb Appeal

Our beach house renovation is starting to move forward again!

Last year we renovated the last of a half-dozen decks.

Because this deck is ocean facing and subject to harsh elements, we bit the bullet and had custom stainless steel hangers and stainless screws installed.

Why I Destroy Books to Create Art

This is a question that has come up time and again over the years. The House Revivals blog is known for altering books, and tearing pages out of books all in the name of creativity.

Woven Star Tutorials

I often get comments, on the blog, or other social media, and even in person, suggesting that it is nothing short of sacrilege to destroy a book. I get it. As a bibliophile, and staunch First Amendment supporter, I truly understand the power of the written word. How fortunate we are to live in a time and place where we are free to speak or write or read anything we want. It hasn't always been that way, and in parts of the world, it still isn't.

How to Decorate with Reds and Yellows

This time of year I really do miss living in a house with a garden. Curling up with a seed catalog on a snowy March day was a favorite pastime in our Colorado days. It was fun to sketch out the flower beds and think about what I wanted to add, come springtime, to create the best combination of colors.

I have always been captivated by the play of colors against each other. When people ask me what is my favorite color I always want to tell them what my favorite color combinations are. One of my all time favorite combinations is yellow with pinks or reds. I still remember the first time I was struck by the combination -- I was a young mom, digging through my mother's fabric trunk for fabric to make a dress for my daughter. I found the prettiest vintage calico with tiny pink rosebuds on a bright yellow background. I was smitten. That fabric found its way into a sweet toddler dress, but I saved every tiny scrap!

Of course, pink and yellow combinations are certainly not new! As I type, the sunset is reflecting off the snow topped Cascade Mountain Range, creating the loveliest pink light against the warmer yellow light reflected from the clouds.

When looking for a particular color combination, look to nature -- she gets it right every time! I love the varying shades of pink against the yellow filaments of the mutabilis rose from Heirloom Roses. So lovely!

Professional designers often pull their color inspiration from nature, or from a nature inspired textile or piece of art.

The Old White Cupboard

I found this Etsy listing for depression era fabric. It looks like it would  be right at home in one of my grandmother's quilts -- or in the same quilt with the lovely vintage calico from my daughter's dress.

Bushwick Couture

I love the exuberance of this 1960s era fabric!  When decorating a pink and yellow color scheme, you can draw inspiration from anywhere -- nature, a piece of fabric, a rug, a piece of art, a statement piece of furniture, and so on. Either of the vintage fabrics shown here would be a great jumping off point for a cheery, youthful looking space.

Sometimes your inspiration may come from a couple of different places, and that is perfectly fine!

For instance, this table from 1st Dibs (which I shared in my post about decorating with zinc) already has some rosy staining to the patina of the drawer. The lovely rose I shared above, and the vintage work table look like they were meant to live together!

In this photo, from Country Living, the pinks, reds, and yellows live together beautifully, and the floral arrangements in the space reinforce the color scheme.

In this guest room, from Kelly Wearstlers's home, featured in her book, Hue, the color scheme "grows up". The combination of modern forms and blocks of color make for a beautifully sophisticated space!

Kendall Wilkinson designed this formal living area, using a strong goldenrod color on the walls, with raspberry seating. The bold color choices are echoed in the sofa pillows. The use of neutral colors on some of the larger elements helps keep the color scheme from getting out of control.

Are pinks and yellows colors you would use? It is such a versatile combination -- perfectly at home on a rose, a toddler dress, or in a sophisticated modern space.

I was looking through some old photos and found the still life, above, where I placed an arrangement in a vintage metal file box. I also found this photo, where I shared how to make plant markers from vintage silverware.  The crocheted vintage trivet was a thrift store find!

If you enjoyed this post, please let me know in the comments! Be sure to subscribe to House Revivals, so you own't miss any of the great articles and tutorials we have planned.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

How to Decorate With Zinc

Don't you just love an old-fashioned kitchen work table with a zinc top? Zinc can feel charming or industrial -- or even a little bit of both!

You may feel like zinc is out of your price range, but you can add zinc accents to your space on any budget.

For a big splurge, you might use this vintage architect's table as a kitchen island. This table would be equally at home in a farmhouse kitchen or an industrial urban loft.

factory20

Anything with chippy goldenrod paint makes me giddy, but add a zinc top and I am in love.

1stdibs

If you can't find just the right vintage piece for your space, SDS Designs builds custom zinc topped tables!

You can even use zinc for you countertop material. The zinc countertops in this kitchen, from Country Living, are simply gorgeous.

Country Living

Zinc countertops and tables may not be within your budget, and that's okay. You can add just a touch of zinc, with this boot tray, from Crate and Barrel.

You can organize your desk in style, with this zinc wire basket.

(affiliate link)Zinc Austin 3-Tier Paper Tray - World Market

Keep track of incoming papers with this beautiful zinc-finished tray. I love that it has a surface on top to put a pen holder and a few office supplies. I'm pretty sure I NEED this!

(affiliate link) St. Laurent Paper Tray - World Market

I am a big fan of mail sorting baskets, and these are no exception. This first sorter would be perfect in the mudroom for school papers.

(affiliate link) Urban Trends Metal Mail Organizer with 3 Shelves, Galvanized Zinc

(affiliate link)Urban Trends Metal Mail Organizer with 2 Shelves, Galvanized Zinc

craigslist

For an even smaller budget, I found these vintage Ball jars on Craigslist yesterday. I LOVE Craigslist. You can find vintage ball jars and Mason jars, with their original zinc lids in antique stores, on EBay, on Craigslist, and even at garage sales. They are a wonderful way to add storage to a kitchen or craft room.

Do you love zinc? Zinc lends such a warm patina to a space. I would seriously LOVE to have that chippy yellow table as my kitchen island, with lots of blue Ball jars for storage.

If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to House Revivals. We have lots of projects and tutorials planned for 2015.

Thanks for stopping by!

Getting Shelves In the Studio Attic!

We've been hard at work on the Attic of Shame. My husband and I spent an entire weekend assembling shelves, then we did it again last weekend.

For each shelving unit, I had to go into the attic and clear the space for that unit, so all the heavy things were lifted and moved from the taller side of the room to the short side of the room, a bit at a time. Then, when it was time to put up shelves on the short side of the room, all the heavy things were moved back to the taller side of the room.

Why You Need to Shop Architectural Salvage Stores

If you've been reading House Revivals for very long, you will know about my love affair with reused, reclaimed, and re-purposed items.  After all, why buy new, when you can buy used, right?

I adore architectural salvage. As an interior designer, I love the idea of giving a design project "soul" by including items that have a story to tell.

How to Furnish Your Bedroom For FREE!

Recently, my son pulled up roots and moved half-way across the country, carrying with him only what would fit in his pick-up and a small trailer.

He's been furnishing his new home from craigslist and has really inspired me with the quality of items he is finding!

Remember When We Got That Energy Audit?

Last year we had an energy audit done at the beach house. Best. Idea. Ever! Around that same time we were buying another property and renovating it and dealing with the sudden loss of my husband's mother, so I didn't share too much about the improvements we made afterward. While I shared a little about the audit here...