Bright White Home Series Archives - Summer Adams

Bright White Guest Bathroom – Transitional & Elegant

Summer — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 19:20:30 +0000

For today’s edition of my “Bright White Home Series” I’m sharing my very own Guest Bathroom with all of you. If you haven’t already taken a tour of the other rooms I’ve revealed so far, make sure to click on Home Resources (also at the top of my website), and click on each room.

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience.
Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

I really love how this bathroom has turned out so far. We still have the backsplash to do in the spring and maybe a countertop change but still thinking on it.

It was hard to photograph, being that it has not windows, so I relied in natural light coming from the guest bedroom and family room and then turned on the lights for some photos.

I was so thrilled to collaborate and partner with Birch Lane, one of my favorite home decor brands, on this guest bathroom. I knew I wanted to have brass fixtures and hardware in this bathroom, as I do in the entire downstairs of the house, but I didn’t have any other real inspiration or starting point.

But then I came across their Caprice Cotton Shower Curtain and my jaw-dropped. I have major heart eyes for this gorgeous, elegant curtain. And there was my inspiration that I needed! I wanted this bathroom to be a very feminine and elegant space but also transitional in style, so I had to balance it out with more contemporary pieces with clean lines.

That led me to finding a light for above my round mirror. I didn’t want anything too fancy or ornate but with simple and just stunning to look at. That was this piece.

The Newsoms 3-Light Vanity Light stopped me in my tracks, just as I knew it had to be. It had a textured gold finish with iced glass and that contemporary glam feel.

I knew it would perfectly compliment the elegant shower curtain and also hang beautifully above the round mirror. I didn’t even bother looking at any others. This was the look I wanted. When you know, you know! I really love this rug I found as well.

I added pretty white and silver damask towels and this beautiful print from Oliver by Oliver Gal. The warm brass towel bar and shower curtain rod adds a more contemporary touch, making it the perfect transitional style.

This other Oliver Gal art of the angel wings was such a perfect find for this bathroom.

I kept this contemporary tray simple with faux florals and bathroom toiletries.

This Poopouri gets a laugh but trust me….you guests and visitors will appreciate this and so will you, ha!

We didn’t switch out the sink yet but we did choose warm brass accents like the towel ring and…

…and also chose this gorgeous acrylic and brass hardware. It’s also affordable (shopping links below) so I really loved finding these! Btw…this rug doesn’t match the other one but the other one is STILL on backorder! This was a random one I found at HomeGoods.

Also, not pictured is the toilet paper holder that I love and we just installed.
It matches the rest of the bars also.

This elegant bathroom will be perfect for my mom, who comes up a lot from California (sometimes with my dad), but is so feminine and I just know she’ll especially love and appreciate this space. Also, my sisters and friends will just love it, I’m sure! I really thought of them in this design.

A HUGE THANK YOU to my friends at Birch Lane for collaborating with me! Their light fixture and shower curtain really gave my guest bathroom the gorgeous transitional and elegant style that I wanted. It’s so crisp and clean and the visitors we have already had just love the feeling of the bathroom! Ok, just WAIT till you see the coordinating guest bedroom I’ve designed and am putting together right now. A little hint…it will be bright white but have a really fun pop of color!

For your shopping convenience, I’m adding some of these links, or similar, below!

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xoxo,

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Bright White Entry – Coastal Glam Style

Summer — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 11:00:09 +0000

It’s been just over 2 months now since we’ve moved into our new home that we built here on “Tall Trees Lane”, as we like to call it. I’ve shared our Living Room and Kitchen with you so far and now that Christmas is over and all put away, I’m sharing with you our bright white entry with coastal glam style. Welcome to our home and come on in!

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience.
Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

I partnered with Lamps Plus for my exterior lights and chose these Arrington High Mystic Lanterns. While looking for lights, and I looked at many, I saw these and knew they’d be perfect! They’re perfect for that contemporary craftsman-style home that we have. I first revealed them when sharing our Christmas entry HERE. Here’s a look at it below at Christmas and I’ll update this post when I get my planters.

I just put away our Christmas tree topiaries that were in front of our home and I haven’t replaced them yet but I know exactly what I’m getting for all year-round. I can’t wait to show them to you.

Here’s another look at them during Christmas. I love that these lanterns have the same shape as my white columns.

I’ll share more pics when all my planters are here and when I write a post on the exterior of our home and the paint colors. Ok, let’s go inside!

Bright White Entry – Coastal Glam Style

It’s bright and white, indeed! All those cloudy Pacific Northwest days of winter have actually been pretty sunny the last few days. So I had a LOT of sun coming in while taking these pictures.

In my Elegant Christmas Entry tour, I introduced the front half of my entry that includes this gorgeous piece. I partnered with Perigold and they sent me this gorgeous transitional-style Havana Dresser that I wanted to use in my entry. I needed a bold white piece to combat the cloudy days and a dim entry, as this can be with just shorter windows.

It’s the perfect piece that is not only high-end and beautifully built, but it gives me that extra storage that I wanted for “this and that” and we use the top drawer to throw our keys in. I also really love the drawer pulls.

I found this lamp at Home Goods last year but I’ll link other options in my “shop the post” section at the end.

I also found the round brass mirror at Home Goods a couple of months ago but I’ll also link several similar ones below.

Just past the entry, I found 3 gold-framed mirrors to lead into the Living Room. I like the way they reflect light back and forth to each space.

In the corner of my stairwell I have the prettiest fur settee. If you saw my Christmas entry post, you recognize it. I’m still looking for art to go above it but I’ve been looking for 2 months and nothing has seemed like the right fist.

I’ll definitely be updating this post and letting you know when I do find it but if there’s something you should never rush, it is finding the perfect art for your home!

As shared in my Christmas entry post, I partnered with a company that was new to me called My Chic Home. As I scrolled through their pages of furniture on their site, my jaw hit the floor when I saw all of the low prices. I could hardly believe it. You’ll definitely need to look through and find furniture you love and have it shipped to you.

I chose this Emilia Contemporary Faux Fur Settee and they sent it to me. All I had to do was screw on the gorgeous acrylic legs. Aren’t they sexy?! Acrylic furniture and home accents are so popular right now, as is faux fur. The two combined is perfection. Use the promo code “SUMMERCHIC” for 20% off your purchase at MyChicHome.com.

Many people have come over and sat on it. It’s sturdy and not wobbly and very high-quality. I’m absolutely obsessed with it! Isn’t it fabulous?! It brought that perfect touch of glam to this entry.

The pillows were from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and I love the way they look on this gorgeous settee. Nordstrom still carries them HERE.

On the other side of the entry, I have this lovely wood and linen storage bench. It’s perfect for taking shoes off and on, especially as we wear rain boots here often.

For now, and since it’s winter, I have a snow white velvet pillow and a faux fur pillow. I often grab this pom blanket and run out the door to drive the kids to the bus stop around the corner.

Now, for the moment we’ve all been waiting for…..

…THE CHANDELIER!

If you follow along with me on Instagram and have been watching my stories, I’ve been sharing my light-less entry for months and have been looking for the perfect chandelier. From the moment I first ascended the staircase during construction to moving in….I shared with you my desperate search as I spent hours and hours, looking at thousands of chandeliers. It had to be large, as this was a tall 2-story entry, and it had to reflect that coastal glam feel that I wanted.

I looked more closely on Bellacor’s website, as I love their lighting and so many other pieces, and saw this chandelier. It was the one! I remember that exact moment. I’m so grateful that they wanted to collaborate with me and send me this chandelier for my entry. It’s called the “Corinna Chandelier“, manufactured by Gabby Home, one of my favorite brands.

The gorgeous mother of pearl shell brings in that oceanic and coastal element that I wanted. And with its gorgeous iridescent sheen, accompanied with the champagne gold/silver finish of the metal, it was as glamorous as I could have wished for.

I absolutely adore the gorgeous painted wooden beads, also giving it that coastal vibe I wanted.

The 3 together is the most perfect combination. And at nearly 46″ high and 41″ across, it’s the perfect size and was large enough for my entry.

I keep telling people that it was made for my entry but in truth, my entry was made for that chandelier!

With 3 sets of short windows in the stairwell and entry, the light reflects so beautifully off of the mother of pearl and shines through the chandelier.

There’s nothing like waking up and walking downstairs and looking at this beauty! And it’s such a grand statement when we open the door to visitors. I always love seeing their reactions.

It’s so fun that people love it and appreciate pretty chandeliers like I do! Thanks again to my friends at Bellacor and Gabby Home! Please make sure to shop Bellacor for the most fabulous lighting, furniture, decor and more! They have been absolutely amazing to work with and I can’t wait to collaborate with them again!

On my weekly Home Goods run this last week, I found those gorgeous gold sconces and were exactly what I wanted for the sides of my front door. I’ll link similar ones below. All the tag said was “Made In India”. There was no brand or I would’ve scoured the internet looking for a link for all of you.

I loved the gold leaf finish and the distressed mirror accents. They were perfect. I paired them with sparkly battery-operated candles.

When it’s not raining, I throw the plain grey entry rug in the garage and bring out this prettier one.

It’s by Dynamic Rugs and I really loved the ornate design. (That is the exact one linked and again at end of post.)

At the top of the stairs, I’m still looking for artwork and I know what I want now. But until then, I found this lovely textured floral canvas art at Home Goods and I love the metallic gold paint that shimmers off each petal. I may just bring it down stairs and hang it above the faux fur settee once I find the other art for this spot.

***funny story***

Now, if you’re wondering why I chose carpet instead of the matching laminate, here’s a condensed version. I chose my laminate flooring and immediately saw it and loved it. I knew it was the flooring I wanted. My husband asked for only one thing in this house. While we have a ton of nieces and nephews (4 which were just born this last year and there are more to come since I’m the oldest of 6 kids and they’re all still having babies) and we know they’ll all be visiting, he asked if we could please do carpet on the stairs. He could envision those crawling babies or even toddlers trying to get up the stairs OR the older cousins running up and down the stairs and having Nerf gun wars and someone slipping and falling. Our kids may or may not have done that a time or two and it’s been scary. And that was on carpeted stairs. He couldn’t imagine laminate-wood stairs. I agreed.

But then he agreed “it doesn’t photograph as well” haha! Sure, the carpet is not as aesthetically pleasing as the alternative would be. We would just make sure the kids were extra careful. So I called the flooring rep and guess what? That flooring choice doesn’t have the pieces that go on the stairs with that lip. Oh my goodness. Really? Ok well that was kind of a bummer but it was settled and meant to be. So I just decided to upgrade my carpet and go a little lighter too, to compliment the flooring better. I think it worked out for the best. For now at least.

***

For my flooring info and paint colors, please click HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by today to see our entry way. As I add or change things in this space, I’ll make sure to update the post as well.

For your convenience, I’m adding my affiliate shopping links below for you.

xoxo,

The post Bright White Entry – Coastal Glam Style appeared first on Summer Adams.

Bright White Home Series – Christmas Edition

Summer — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 21:02:51 +0000

If you’ve been following my Bright White Home Series here on the blog, you are probably familiar with the fact I’ve been sharing some talented home owners and designers and their beautiful spaces. I have loved featuring those who I’ve met from Instagram and since they do not have a blog, I love featuring them here on my blog to share with all of my readers. It’s that special time of year, the very BEST time of the year…Christmas time! I reached out to some of those friends that I’ve already featured here and some that I will be featuring soon in this series and asked if I could share with all of you their gorgeous Christmas homes. I’m so pleased that they said “yes!” So without further ado, I present to you the Bright White Home Series – Christmas Edition!

Megan Manton

This past summer I had the pleasure of sharing the bright white home of Megan Manton. Megan’s home has a beautiful mixture of natural elements and soft pastel colors. She’s beautifully mixed her vintage french-style pieces with her other pieces. I always love how romantic and light her home is!

Megan’s soft Christmas decor is just as beautiful! Make sure to see her bright white home HERE and please hop on over to Instagram HERE and follow her feed. She’s always sharing such gorgeous photos of her home and is so inspiring!

Sara Hanson

My friend Sara Hanson has such a beautiful bright white home that I look forward to sharing with all of you in our Bright White Home Series this coming year.

I always love looking at the beautiful reflections of Sara’s home through this mirror!

For several years I’ve followed her as she’s posted bright, airy photos of her dreamy home. Sara’s Christmas decor is just as bright…like a romantic Winter Wonderland.

Her Instagram feed so beautifully captures her love for a bright white space. Don’t you just love her Christmas decor?

All of Sara’s photos are so crisp and bright. Make sure to follow her HERE on Instagram.

Sara Le

Sara, like the other ladies here, is a friend I met on Instagram. I was immediately drawn to her home and her love for bright white neutral gorgeousness. I’ll be sharing her home also very soon in the Bright White Home Series.

Isn’t her decor so pretty?!

Sara just celebrated her youngest child’s first Birthday, a Winter ONEderland, and it was so darling. It went perfectly with her own gorgeous wonderland she’s created.

I’ve always loved that chippy door in Sara’s kitchen. I can’t wait to share more of her home with you so stay tuned. Until then, please follow Sara HERE on Instagram.

Julie Alpert

I had the pleasure of featuring the bright white home of Julie Alpert this past fall. I also met Julie on Instagram and she’s become a dear friend.

Her Instagram account is called Follow The Light Home and is so fitting. Julie’s home is so lovely and she is such a bright light to all that follow along with her journey.

I love a pretty night shot of a Christmas Tree with its twinkling lights!

To see more of Julie’s beautiful Florida home (and her sweet Chase pictured above), follow her HERE on Instagram.

Nan Lindy

Also in this coming year, you’ll be seeing more of this beautiful home belonging to Nan Lindy.

Nan’s love for a bright white home and all things glam attracted me to her feed right away.

Even as the sun sets, her home feel like a beautiful Winter Wonderland.

Make sure to stay tuned for her post but until then, hop on over to Instagram and follow her HERE.

Deborah Blount

My second feature in the Bright White Home Series was the home of Deborah Blount.

Debi and I met on Instagram several years ago and she is now a dear friend. Not only does she share my affinity for a bright white space, but she loves all things glam.

Debi has the amazing talent of switching up her bright white home with pops of color in her home accents. Her Christmas decor is no exception and I love to see what she’ll share next!

You know I’m a sucker for anything blush! Debi’s love for pink gives me heart eyes. If you’ve seen my latest Blush Pink Christmas Tree, you’ll understand. Swoon!

Debi’s home is always so elegant and cozy and inviting at the same time. Her Christmas decor is no exception. Please follow her at Deborah Blount Designs on Instagram HERE.

Molly Kay Interiors

A good friend of mine, Molly Kay, just moved into her new home recently. Molly Kay is an interior designer and her husband is a contractor. Together, they designed and built the most beautiful home and I’m so glad she would also allow me to share a sneak peek of their gorgeous home in Virginia here on the Bright White Home Series.

Molly Kay shows so perfectly how you can have a bright white home and color in your home too! I love her pop of teal blue, don’t you?!

This kitchen of theirs is just gorgeous. Her Christmas touches are so elegant and just enough. They don’t detract from the beautiful design at all. Imagine 5 children at this island. Yes, Molly Kay and her husband have 5 children and still manage to have such a stunning bright white home. Would you love to see more of her home? Good! I’ve invited her to be a future post in my Bright White Series too so stay tuned. Until then, follow Molly Kay HERE on her Instagram account.

Audra Williamson

A couple of years ago, there was a darling young mom on Instagram who made the prettiest cookies. Her name was Audra Williamson. Audra’s home was gorgeous and so was she and her darling family too. She exuded light and I’ve loved following her as her family as evolved.

I always love seeing how she truly “lives” in her beautiful home and how she entertains and gathers the ones she loves. Audra’s home will be another feature in our Bright White Home Series this coming year. I know you’ll adore her like I do.

You can enjoy her lovely world by following her HERE on Instagram.

Our Modern Antebellum

My most recent feature in the Bright White Home Series was the home of Our Modern Antebellum. Let’s switch gears and stay outside!

I was so excited when she agreed to share the outside of her home today. It’s a true white Christmas! Ashely’s entire property is just beautiful.

If you haven’t seen Ashley’s home yet, you must! She is a former architect and designed such a lovely modern farmhouse.

After you read all about the inside of her bright white home, please follow her HERE on her Instagram account.

Jan Scarpino

The lovely bright white home of Jan Scarpino was one of my other first features in the Bright White Home Series.

I love Jan’s style and am always so inspired by her. Her home is not only gorgeous but with 3 children, it is kid-friendly.

How much do you love Jan’s pops of red?

She has unique open-shelving in her kitchen that makes it so fun to style. Once again, she used her Christmas decor to style it all so beautifully.

Follow Jan HERE on Instagram to see everything she is up to with her darling family and to find more home inspiration. I know you’ll just adore her as much as I do!

*****

Thank so much for joining me today in this special Christmas Edition of
my Bright White Home Series! Now, this is just a little snippet of their gorgeous homes so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE go and follow them on their Instagram accounts for continued inspiration. I promise you, they will not disappoint! Each one of them inspires me and I’m blessed to know them, call them friends, and to grab fabulous ideas from them. I love how modern-day technology continues to used for good in this way and enrich all of our lives and allows us to share our talents.

xoxo,

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Welcome To Our Bright White Kitchen

Summer — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 03:35:06 +0000

It’s been almost a month that we finished building our new home here on “Tall Trees Lane”, as we call it. Last week, I shared with you our Bright White Living Room. This week, I’m so happy to share with you our Bright White Kitchen. So please, come inside with me and see why I designed this kitchen the way I did. I hope you feel {virtually} at home!

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience.
Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Welcome To Our Bright White Kitchen!

In this post, I shared our paint color. We used Benjamin Moore “Gray Owl” at 50% and I absolutely love it. Cabinets and trim are also BM Ultra White.

I knew immediately that these gorgeous pendants were the ones I wanted for this kitchen. They have a gorgeous champagne-gold finish and lantern style but also have that touch of glam with crystal chandelier prisms hanging from them.

If you were standing here next to me, I’d hand you a pink plate with fresh macarons from a local bakery and a cup of tea (or Diet Coke).

I knew I wanted an all-white kitchen since we were moving to the Pacific Northwest.

I always thought I’d use marble. But with lengths of time of cloudy skies, I wanted to design a kitchen with as much white as possible. No grey at all. I wanted light bouncing off of every white surface.

So to do that, I chose high-gloss textured subway tile (the pictures don’t do it justice because it’s so shiny and glossy and totally glam). It measures 11 3/4” x 2 7/8. I also used a pure white quartz called “White Zen” and pure white shaker cabinets. I’m so pleased with how it all came together. It’s exactly what I wanted.

Back in Dallas last year, I wanted to bring more brass and gold to my kitchen so I sprayed these barstools with gold spray paint. I’m still looking for permanent barstools that go well with my kitchen and the vintage dining set just adjacent, but until then, these will do just fine.

You can read all about our flooring here. I absolutely love it! It pulls out both greys and taupes and compliments them beautifully and doesn’t show every crumb. Instead of a double-oven, we chose a microwave/oven package and it’s fabulous.

The thing I wanted most was to have a corner sink and a window to watch my kids play and look out at those tall trees that we fell in love with, moving from Texas to the Pacific Northwest. I can’t wait till Spring comes to landscape the backyard and plant peonies, roses, hydrangeas and more. What a sight that will be to look at while washing dishes!

I chose this gorgeous Cassidy Faucet and Air Gap. The color is so gorgeous and goes beautifully with my hardware.

To see how I organize underneath my kitchen sink, read this post.

Partnering with Amerock & Choosing The Hardware

Earlier this year in March, I was at the Design Blog Conference in Beverly Hills and met some fabulous people from Amerock. They showed examples of their hardware and I right away fell in love with these Champagne Bronze Cabinet Pulls and knew I wanted to use them in my bright white kitchen. I showed a preview of them in this previous post along with my other hardware I used in this home.

Choosing long lengths helped break up the white while not seeming to harsh. Aren’t they just lovely?! I knew I wanted something with a satin finish. Here are the 4 sizes I used:

(14) 5 1/6″
(10) 7 9/16″
(31) 10 1/16″
(7) 18 7/8″

***funny story***

My husband, Josh, was really nervous about “all the brass and gold in the kitchen”, he said. Although I had already been decorating with brass and gold for the last few years, I think he had that old-style polished-brass-look in his mind and was nervous. “Do you trust me?” I asked him. His reply was yes.

The day we did a walk-through of the kitchen, his eyes lit up and his jaw dropped. “Wow! This is really gorgeous and I love all this brass,” he said. Mission accomplished! I knew he’d love it.

I knew for sure that I wanted a garbage/recycling bin receptacle duo next to the sink. It’s been a brilliant choice, especially for chopping vegetables and fruits or preparing food.

I also chose this pot filler . The style was the perfect companion to the faucet above.

I love having it for cooking! It has made life for me a tad simpler and I’m grateful. It’s especially nice to not have to carry a heavy pot filled with water from the sink, as I have tennis elbow. Pain and spills averted!

Back to the hardware for a second, doesn’t it stand out beautifully without being tacky or obnoxious? That’s what I was trying to explain to my husband in the beginning. I knew it would look this lovely in person. The glass cabinets were also helpful to break up all the white, and yet display my white china and serving pieces so elegantly.

That would lead me to another decision I made immediately…in this semi-custom home, I knew we HAD to take our white cabinets all the way to the top. I wanted to break it up with glass cabinets along the top. I also added canned lighting around the kitchen ceiling and over the sink. We also upgraded to lighting under the cabinet, or task lighting, as it is called. I love that at night. I’m sharing a new option soon on how I’m lighting the small upper glass cabinets so stay tuned for that post and update to this post.

The section just right of my fridge would normally be a coffee station for most people but we always have a couple of apothecary jars with sugar-free pearlized white gumballs, chocolate kisses, and then our favorite electronic friend….Alexa! We just put our black one upstairs in our bonus room and then purchased this new white version for our bright white kitchen. She plays games with us, plays all of our music, sets multiple timers, calls or messages family and friends, orders things for us and even orders groceries for us. We love her! And then, the toaster and can opener go up there too and then put away.

We just love all the counter space! I love having a large island for cookies and even Thanksgiving dinner last week!

Our bright dining space sits just off the kitchen, in an open-concept design.

We are so thrilled with this design! I’m still not used to not having a formal dining room any more but builders are really doing away with that up here.

But we truly have all the room we need. Oh, and do you notice that crystal chandelier made it to the final cut? Ha! I almost didn’t bring it with us from Dallas but of ALL the hundreds, no – thousands, of chandeliers I looked at….I knew the romantic in me just HAD to have a crystal chandelier over my dining table. It compliments the kitchen pendants, as well as the light fixture in our bright white living room, just perfectly. And that big window….swoon! It has my heart!

I love all the light, so I chose not to use any window treatments at all. I want to stare at the tall trees, my {future} garden and landscape (even if the majority of our land is on the sides of the house haha), and this is also where we watch a gorgeous sunset every night. We also see the same upstairs from our master bedroom and bath. It’s soooo romantic!

Now, there’s a buffet (not pictured) and mirror behind the dining table but I’m waiting on some new handles and then I’ll share it with you next week. And right now it’s getting turned into our “Hot Cocoa Bar”, so here’s a little preview!

Oh wait! I forgot….Giorgio’s little area! He has a charming little dining area too wink wink!

And of course, his treat jar had to match the kitchen since it stays on the counter. He’s so silly to get treats all day but he maintains his little figure quite well so he still gets them all day….ha!

Thanks sooooo very much for coming by today and touring our bright white kitchen! We have said we’d stay here a few years, originally, and then do a custom home from the ground up (somewhere close by) and design it with my dad. But gosh, I just love this bright white kitchen, our home, and the views. I’m so looking forward to settling in here nicely and not even think about moving any time soon.

xoxo,

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Welcome To Our Bright White Living Room

Summer — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 22:10:31 +0000

Early this year, I announced that my husband had taken a promotion with his company and we were relocating from Dallas, Texas and moving to Vancouver, Washington and building a home. There is no more moving every couple of years for our family! We are settling down as promised and staying put. Three weeks ago we finally moved into our home on “Tall Trees Lane”, as we’ve nicknamed it, and today I am finally doing our first reveal. So come on in as I welcome you to our bright white living room!

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience.
Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

If you haven’t seen my post yet on our Interior Paint Color or the one on our Hardware I Chose, make sure to read them. I also talk about the flooring I chose.

If you’ve followed me for a while, you know my affinity for a bright white home, as I write the “Bright White Home Series“, so my home was going to be just that.

This pretty Large Crystal Shell Jar was such a pretty addition to the corner of this room.

Downstairs, I’ve used all brass hardware and lighting. I really love these warm gold curtain rods.

Deciding on curtains in this room was the hardest decision of this entire home. It sounds silly but it’s true. I ordered at least a half dozen different window treatments and none of them worked or looked just right. But in the end, I knew I needed some shimmery white panels with geometric design and I knew I wanted them to puddle.

I just adore puddling curtains.

Another important decision….

…Built-ins! There was no questions about them. I knew we had to do them and they were worth the upgrade. You don’t want to do them later or yourself. You don’t want to do an IKEA hack….no!

You want to hire someone who is qualified and who will do an excellent job. We have a “smurf tube” that goes from behind the TV and down to the bottom cabinet, where you’ll find our media.

It’s not only great for storage, but it’s also fun to style.

I just love having these windows above our built-ins to allow more light in. I tried putting many different things on top of the built-ins but a pair of these gold link and acrylic candlesticks on each side won my heart. I didn’t want anything to block the light passing through.

I’ve used a mixture of elements with mercury glass, brass and gold, marble, lucite, and wood.

We kept it simple, not overstyled or too full on each shelf, and we added personal pieces like the jar of shells and sand dollars that we’ve collected this summer.

Another important was lighting. We have a very open concept floor plan downstairs. The kitchen, dining, and living rooms all connect so the lighting had to flow well. They didn’t have to match, but they needed the same elements. When I reveal my dining and kitchen in the coming days, you’ll see what I mean. This semi-flushmount crystal chandelier was a beautiful and perfect choice for this space.

With this light, we’re able to watch TV from the kitchen and not be distracted by it or have to look around it. The brass and crystal beading are just the perfect “jewelry” on this room.

Remember this coffee table? Yep, it came with us from Dallas. We sold a lot of our furniture but not this piece. We loved it so much that we kept it.

It’s perfect for baskets and storage underneath and I love how this gold tray looks on top.

I love styling a coffee table, don’t you?!

I keep some of my favorite coffee table books here.

I also keep a pretty tray for remotes and jewelry I’ll take off and get comfy. A fun game, pretty things like the jar and flowers, coasters, and a candle. It’s the perfect mix of everything that you should have on your coffee table.

Another place I like to keep a couple of fun coffee table books is stacked under a beautiful vase on my mantel.

A few years ago while we lived in Vegas, I wrote a blog post on putting a TV above your mantel. It’s full of good ideas and can be helpful when deciding how to style around your television.

I chose a french mantel design without an arch and chose marble tile around the fireplace. I’m so pleased without how it turned out. That touch of marble is perfect.

I don’t like a lot on my mantel but instead just a few beautiful statement pieces. These 2 vases and candle include several of the elements I’m using in this room. I love things in 3’s and in different heights, textures and colors.

I shared a peek of this rug in a previous post HERE. I finally got to bring it into our new home and I love it. This rug is from Boutique Rugs. When they wanted to provide me with a rug for this room, I knew right away which one would be perfect and the Tibetan TBT-2300 was it. I originally wanted something lighter but with it being winter and Giorgio (our Yorkie) running inside with semi-wet paws and fur, this darker gray won’t show any dirt or water or signs of traffic. The quality is superb! I’m so thrilled with it!

Since I recently purchased this chair before or move from Dallas and fell in love with it, it also got to come with us and go into storage for 6 months until our home was finished being built. It is so comfortable! It’s the Carpe Diem chair by Magnolia Home.

Do you see those trees in the background? That is all around us and why we nicknamed this home “Tall Trees Lane”. Our backyard is somewhat shallow but the sides are large and I can’t wait for spring to come so I can get my hands on that backyard and plant so many things and do the landscaping. So many pretty plants and flowers grow well here in the Pacific Northwest and it’s going to be so fun!

Now, on to my favorite part of the room (besides all the windows)….these sofas! I was so pleased that my friends at Joss & Main wanted to send me these 2 Josephine Tufted Sofas in Classic Bleach White. I’ve had my eye on them and crossed my fingers that they’d be as beautiful in person as they were online. And they were!!!

They arrived without any damage and as I opened them I gasped! The tufting was beautiful and the nailhead trim on the sides and dark feet were such lovely traditional details.

This color, “Classic Bleach White” was the perfect color. It’s stunning and so is the tufting. It was the prettiest white but had no blue tint to it. It looks gorgeous with both white and ivory pillows and throws.

The quality was extremely impressive and when I tell my friends the price, their jaw is on the floor. One friend said they were expecting these sofas to be over three thousand a piece and from some high-end furniture store. And they’re so comfortable. Every cushion is full and evenly stuffed. They come with 2 plush pillows per sofa but I used my own decorative throw pillows.

Yes, we sit on them EVERY day! We’ve had them for over 2 weeks and there is not a single mark on them. We’ve kept them clean. I know….you’re going to ask me how to have kids and white furniture. We’ve done it before and we’re doing it again.

How To Have White Furniture With Kids & Pets

Our little dog, Giorgio, is not allowed them. He has his bed on the floor next to our sofas. We don’t allow food out of the kitchen. Our kids must wash their hands when they get home from school (and face if needed) and they need to change if their clothes are dirty or wet. It’s not hard. You just have to follow through and make sure the entire family follows the rules. I’m confident that these gorgeous sofas will stay clean. And if not, you can spot-clean the sofas. I was referred to another blogger with the same fabric and color but a different sofa. She couldn’t say enough about how much she and her family loved the sofas and about how easy the fabric was to clean. Her children are much younger than mine. I felt good about my decision and proceeded to order the sofas. Everyone in our family loves them and we’re thrilled with our choice.

This bright white living room has been such a lovely place to welcome guests into our home and I am so pleased with how it turned out. As you’ll also see in my kitchen that I’ll be sharing this week, I chose to design this bright white home because we will be having many gloomy cloudy days here in the Pacific Northwest. Walking into a bright white home helps combat any gloomy days and will be a place of refuge as we adjust to this very different climate. We aren’t in Texas anymore, ha!

Thanks so much for stopping by today and I can’t wait to share more of our bright white home on “Tall Trees Lane” with you! I’m including my affiliate shopping links for you below, for your convenience.

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xoxo,

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Bright White Home of Our Modern Antebellum

Summer — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 10:00:30 +0000

Welcome to another edition of my Bright White Home Series! Today I’m so pleased to share with you a new friend of mine and her beautiful home. I met Ashley of Our Modern Antebellum when I happened on her Instagram feed months ago. I fell in love with her gorgeous kitchen and double island and had to see more. Ashley is a former architect, turned stay-at-home-mom and her talent for design shines in this fabulous Louisiana home of hers. I’m so grateful she allowed us in today so that I could share it with all of you here!

Exterior

If I turned onto this driveway and saw this gorgeous exterior, I would not be able to do anything but dash inside to see the rest of the home.

The fountain is such a perfect touch to this circular driveway.

This is a stunner for sure, with old Texas brick and farmhouse style. The exterior paint used is White Dove and trim is Simply White (both by Benjamin Moore).

Upstairs Hallway/Cupola

I want to start at the top for a moment. This unique upstairs hallway includes a cupola that captures your attention with such beautiful lighting and design. Ashley uses horizontal shiplap, painted in White Dove by Benjamin Moore, to continue inside with her fabulous farmhouse design.

How fun is this shot looking up?! This space might being one of the happiest in the entire home, with all of those windows and light streaming in!

I’m a huge fan of the handrail matching the flooring, so I really love these stairs. Ashley breaks up the shiplap by not using it throughout the entire home. She also uses board and batten. But this center wall along the staircase in shiplap is fantastic! I love this look.

Dining Room

Look at this gorgeous dining room! I love that Ashely has added a touch of elegance to her chandelier to complement the rustic feel. Wall color is Gray Owl by Benjamin Moore. All trim is done in BM White Dove.

I can’t get over all the gorgeous windows and all the natural lighting in this dining room! Can you believe the wood flooring is antique pine from an old cotton gin in Alabama? I love that there’s a story behind this space. I love mixing a little “old” with a little “new”.

Kitchen

This kitchen and the double islands….I remember thinking when I first saw it, “Imagine all the cookies you could bake with all that counter space!” Hahaha! You know how I love to bake!

Ashley chose White Dove by Benjamin Moore for the paint color on the kitchen cabinets. The islands are done in Chelsea Gray at 75%. You can find these gorgeous barstools at Restoration Hardware.

The countertop is polished marble, white based.

Pantry

Do you want to see more of that pantry? Me too. Let’s go see!

Look at all of that storage! For an organizational freak like myself, this would be way too much fun!

Living Room

I’ve said it in other posts, but I just love an open concept design! There’s nothing better than being able to entertain and visit with your guests. Also, I love being able to cook dinner and be around my kids or watching a television show with them and help them with their homework. This design of Ashley’s allows for just that!

Notice the three sets of french doors!

Can you imagine opening those on a lovely spring or fall day and allowing fresh air to enter in? It’s brilliant!

Laundry Room

You’ve probably heard me say that I love all housework except for laundry. But with a dreamy laundry room such as this one, I think I might never complain. Just maybe.

Most laundry rooms feel a bit like a dungeon, naturally, but not this one. The window allows light in and gives a beautiful glow to this space.

This is my dream right here. I’m trying to figure out how to do this in my new little laundry room.

It’s so nice to have a laundry basket for each member of the family.

Don’t you just love her farmhouse apron-front sink? This might just be the most perfect laundry room I’ve seen in a long time! The cabinet color is Conservative Gray by Sherwin-Williams, the wall color is Classic Gray by Benjamin Moore, and the countertop is honed Carrara marble.

Fireplace

Just like the dining room, Ashley added a touch of elegance by using mercury glass candle holders to this beautiful rustic space. She’s consistent with the elements she uses to keep each space flowing well, from one to the next. So many homeowners struggle with this concept.

Decorating Tip: Pick around 5 elements in your design and be consistent with them, if you’re wanting each space to flow well.

Master Bathroom

While this home is designed beautifully with farmhouse style, this bathroom is everything glam!

Polished chrome, marble tile, beveled mirrors…..it’s all so dreamy! That TV is the perfect touch for a relaxing and luxurious bath.

These glass and chrome pendants are lovely and simple while keeping the attention on this gorgeous chandelier. How much do you love the herringbone marble tile for the flooring? I’m in love.
Wall color is Stonington Gray (Benjamin Moore) at 50%. The vanity color is White Dove. Countertop is polished thassos marble.

Upstairs Porch

Even stepping out on to Ashley’s upstairs porch, there is a bright and clean look that transitions beautifully from inside her home to the outside. I adore a large farmhouse porch with ceiling fans and lovely lanterns. Hand me some freshly-squeezed lemonade and a few rocking chairs to watch the kids play and I’d never leave! And did you see her view? This property is just breath-taking! Wouldn’t you agree?!

Thanks so much for joining me for another edition of Bright White Homes! What was your favorite space in Ashley’s home? I feel like each space was designed and decorated with so much intention and flowed so beautifully from one space to the next. I hope this has inspired you to reflect on what changes you might want to make to create that same feeling in your home and I hope you enjoyed touring it as much as I did! Please follow Ashley on Instagram HERE for continued inspiration! Ashley, thank you for allowing us to tour your home!

*****

xoxo,

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Bright White Home of Julie Alpert

Summer — Wed, 13 Sep 2017 00:45:36 +0000

Welcome to another edition of my Bright White Home Series! Today I’m so pleased to share with you a new friend of mine and her beautiful home. I met Julie Alpert on Instagram a few short months ago. She became a quick friend and I just loved her feed and her home. It was not only bright and beautiful but so inviting and had all the perfect touches of a good homemaker. You could just tell that she loved her home and making it beautiful for herself and for her family. If you see one picture, you’ll want to step inside her stunning Floridian home and see more. So come on in with me as I share this Bright White Home of Julie Alpert!

The sweetest face greets us. Is that not the cutest thing or what?!

Entering Julie’s home, you quickly feel happy. The light enters and bounces off all her beautiful mirrored furniture and warms the feeling of the room and of the entire house.

Julie’s home has a gorgeous coastal style with a touch of glam which is perfect, as she resides in the sunny state of Florida.

She chooses accents and decor that help continue to reflect light and allow light to pass through instead of using heavy, dark pieces.

I love the floor plan in her home. Each space flows to the next and Julie has done such a perfect job of allowing the decor to flow as well, instead of creating completely different spaces.

Julie has added cool, ocean colors to accent each space so beautifully.

Julie beautifully balanced a stunning dark table with light linen-covered chairs.
This shot shows off these gorgeous bleached wood floor of hers.
The beautiful blue and white chinoiserie ginger jars were found at Home Goods.

The wall color Julie chose was Sherwin Williams Alpaca SW7022 and the trim in Extra White SW7006.

These gorgeous wall sconces, found at Ethan Allen, bring in that coastal yet vintage element that Julie loves so much, as do I!

Just outside those gorgeous french doors is the lovely patio and swimming pool. I’ve said it before but a swimming pool is a MUST HAVE if you can afford one. It’s not only the perfect way to add value to your home but also gives your family hours of enjoyment! Take a look on California Pools to find out more but can you imagine feeling the gentle breeze in the living room and then continuing on out to the back patio for a lovely evening dinner with a little swim afterwards? Again, Julie designed the flow of her home so elegantly. It truly feels like an oasis, whether you prefer being indoors or outdoors.

I love this coastal dining room! This bright space is sure to please any guests!

Notice how easy it is to add a piece of darker furniture for contrast while keeping the home feeling bright when you choose lighter flooring, wall colors, and cabinetry.

It also allows each natural element to create a true pop of color, whether it be a plant, flower, or produce.

It’s the kind of kitchen you just want to sit in and visit for a while. Don’t you think?!

Julie chose these gorgeous pendants from Pottery Barn. They catch your eye but also allow light to pass through, illuminating the kitchen. It also allows you to see the beautiful cabinetry without effort.

The gorgeous linen saddle seat bar stools also allow you to see and access the kitchen island easier.

I love these beautiful pieces that Julie chooses to entertain and serve her guests.

Isn’t she adorable?! Truly the hostess with the mostest!

Julie chose white shutters to keep things light or keep light out. Opening all the way allows more light to pass through and brighten the space that much more. This is so important for any kitchen, as it seems to be the hub of all homes.

Julie’s open concept keeps her home truly “open” to entertain guests and to know what’s going on with her family. I’m so glad that open concept homes are more popular than ever! Gone are the days of pining away in the kitchen…all alone! Nope, everyone’s invited!

Someone is waiting for us in the bedroom. This definitely seems like the perfect cozy spot in the house!

You can create a “bright white home” without using all white furniture. Julie shows us how using lighter bleached wood pieces, again with mirrored accents, keep everything feeling light and serene. It definitely feels spa-like in here, wouldn’t you say?!

I love the french influence in Julie’s home, and her soft feminine touches.

Every girl needs a vanity or writing desk of her own.

I’m a firm believer in any bathroom feeling like a spa! We love to go to the spa and we spend hundreds of dollars because, besides their fabulous services and pampering us, the ambiance is serene, calming, and quiet. Julie perfectly designed and styled her bathrooms to feel that way. Treat yourself to pretty trays and lotion and soap pumps, glass accessories, rolled towels, and even fresh flowers. You’ll enjoy being home and in your own spa so much more when you create a tranquil environment.

*****

Thanks so much for joining me in another edition of Bright White Homes! What was your favorite space in Julie’s home? I love the extra effort she gives each space to feel extremely special and comfortable, soothing and inviting. I hope this has inspired you to reflect on what changes you might want to make to create that same feeling in your home and I hope you enjoyed touring it as much as I did! Please follow Julie on Instagram HERE for continued inspiration! Julie, thank you for allowing us to tour your home!

xoxo,

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Bright White Beach House in Aptos California

Summer — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 07:10:47 +0000

I’m so pleased you’re joining me for another edition of my Bright White Home Series! Today I’m sharing a home with you that is special to me. It’s a beautiful bright white beach house in Aptos, California and it belongs to my best friend’s family, who is like my second family. I’ve known them and loved them for more than 27 years and they were so gracious and allowed me to photograph this special vacation home of theirs when we went for a visit this summer and stayed. This split level home is such a wonderful and beautiful place for this family to purchase as this family has been coming here for years and making memories. After renting out another beach home, it made sense to get one of their own, as they were coming to the beach so often. Well, join me and let’s go inside!

My friend’s mother is a fabulous decorator, her own home is gorgeous, and she designed the remodeled spaces in this home herself and chose the decor and furniture. They recently had this kitchen remodeled, as this home was older and needed some cosmetic and structural changes.

Where you see this countertop and barstools was actually a wall and completely closed up the kitchen from the rest of the family in the living room. Rearranging the kitchen created a more open living area and was more functional and cohesive.

The original appliances once in this home were replaced and updated, as well as the flooring, shaker-style cabinets with hardware, and addition of the stainless steel hood.

Glass cabinets were used in 2 of the cabinet doors to display pretty white dishes.

Small, shiny white subway tile not only allows the kitchen backsplash to be easily wiped down but also looks clean and chic.

They chose a beautiful quartz for the countertop that has a small and very light gray marbling pattern to resemble marble. With all their children, grandchildren and guests visiting and staying here, this allows them to easily use the kitchen countertops without the panic of immediate maintenance and care. Quartz is not only beautiful but forgiving.

A very light gray, almost white, tile was used for the floor. I love how they kept the grout extremely thin and light.

Then there’s the “jewelry to the room”.

This gorgeous beaded chandelier captures your attention as soon as you enter the upper level of the home.

Lighting is one of my favorite pieces about any space, and one of the most important. This was obviously a replacement to the original lighting as well.

Just off the kitchen is this adorable dining area. I love the pop of teal from that stunning hutch. But the table is the really brilliant part of the space.

To maximize the smaller dining space with so many family members staying at a time, they decided to purchase a wine-tasting table and add beautiful tufted barstools. Just outside those doors is one of 3 decks and there is a large outdoor table for other family members. The deck on the front of the house, same level, is very large and also has plenty of seating. I told you….brilliant!

To keep the coastal feel that the owners wanted to maintain without feeling kitschy, the incorporated all of these fabulous pieces of wooden furniture and chandeliers. I love that!

Instead of your typical blue and white coastal decor with starfish and seashells, my friend’s mom created a chic and elegant look using a cozy feel with a neutral and earth-toned palette. I love the idea of the zebra print rug with woven furniture and wooden and linen elements.

It’s such a calming and relaxing, yet sophisticated look, right?! Those tufted linen and burlap chairs are to die for. Just behind those chairs is a very large deck with beautiful outdoor furniture, a fire pit, planters and a table. There is plenty of space to relax and play and eat outside, while enjoying the sunset.

The family brought their 2 brown velvet sofas that were no longer being used and an ottoman for extra comfy seating. With plush linen french-style pillows, it allows grandkids to climb all over them while still looking sophisticated. They are the most comfortable sofas! Perfect for when we curl up and watch movies at night.

I love all the natural and coastal accents throughout the beach house.

Recently, this family had all the indoor walls white-washed. They loved the original wooden paneling but wanted to keep this a bright white space.

I love the way it turned out! I also love this wall art and the touch of glam it gives the entry!

This beach house has a master bedroom and bath upstairs, 2 bedrooms and bathroom on the second level, and a large bottom floor with 4 queen beds, a sleeper sectional, 2 armoires, large TV, AND an additional playroom attached. The grandkids all go down there to sleep and have the best time! It’s really adorable! I’m not sharing the lower level today but let’s head on down to the main level to one of the bedrooms.

I love this coastal/shabby chic queen bed in this guest room. Each mattress purchased for this beach house is so incredibly comfortable that it doesn’t matter where you sleep or which bed you choose.

I love the blues in this room and the mixed patterns.

This shabby chic vintage armoire is chalk-painted in the prettiest soft blue and white. Each room has a new flat-screen TV with cable and Apple TV’s so that all family members’ iTunes accounts can be shared and a plethora of movies are available to choose from. It’s the best way to relax and fall asleep!

On the OTHER side of this room is a pair of beautiful white bunk beds, also comfortable, that somehow got deleted from my camera. I’m so sad about it! But they did add extra sleeping space in this room, as well as a pack-and-play in the closet, making plenty of room for a family to sleep here.

Down the hall is this bright white and newly-renovated bathroom. Small hints of ocean blue give it the perfect coastal feel.

Every detail is gorgeous, including this chandelier. Can you see that beautiful ocean blue backsplash in the mirror’s reflection?

It’s such a lovely iridescent hexagon tile. The pictures don’t do it justice.

The light grey cabinets give it just enough contrast while keeping it bright and soothing.

I love that you remember you’re “at the beach” in this house with subtle hints instead of obnoxious accents everywhere you look.

One of my favorite things in this bathroom is this precious blue mermaid in the shower niche.

Isn’t it just the cutest?!

The sun was going down when I took this picture but I had to show you the great storage space in this bathroom. I love the way this bathroom remodel turned out. I wish I could show you “before” pictures from last year. This was so beautifully-done…perfection!

This beautiful color palette continues down the hall into the next guest bedroom.

This bright and beautiful bedroom has soft accents of ruffles, light grey and ocean blue.

To the right is a lovely chest of drawers and another TV. Who wouldn’t want to be a guest here? It has all the amenities.

One of my favorite parts of this bedroom has to be the shell chandelier. Pretty gorgeous, isn’t it?!

I love the pretty art and tufted stool. And if I remember correctly, I believe these are the original sconces in this home. If I’m wrong, I’ll publish an update. But I love the charm they add.

This bedroom is a perfect combination of french country, coastal, and shabby chic styles. My favorite!

Every pretty piece adds a touch of elegance and glam.

Let’s run back up stairs so I can show you the master bedroom.

White, soft bedding with a fabulous fur bench makes this just the cozy place you want to run to after a day at the beach.

With mirrored furniture and such a pretty chair, there is no shortage of glam in this master bedroom.

Speaking of glam….

Here’s a little peak of the walk-in closet inside this master bedroom. It has a beautiful window that allows extra natural light to pass through here and into the bedroom. The leopard carpet is also in the homeowner’s Northern California home (swoon) and also has mirrored chests for storage.

Not your typical beach house right?! Good. That was the goal. Elegant and comfortable, sophisticated and cozy, coastal and chic, family-friendly and functional….this home has all the best vibes and most gorgeous touches!

For your convenience, I’m linking similar or suggested items below to help you achieve the look of the spaces in this beach house.

Affiliate links used.

Thanks so much for joining me in another edition of Bright White Homes! What was your favorite space in the beach house? I hope you enjoyed touring it as much as I did!

xoxo,

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Bright White Home of Alita Malinowski

Summer — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 21:23:49 +0000

I’m so pleased you’re joining me for another edition of my Bright White Home Series! This week, I’m honored to share the bright white home of realtor and interior stylist, Alita Malinowski. I met Alita on Instagram after seeing her beautiful feed and knew she’d be the perfect fit for this inspiring series. I know you’ll agree!

It’s true what they say, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” The entry of your home is your “first impression”. You want it to be lovely and inviting. You want whoever is at the door to see your entry and hope that they’ll be invited in to see more.

Anita designed her entry so beautifully with plenty of windows, including on the door, to allow lots of natural light. With all of the lovely mirrored frames and hall closet doors, that light reflects off of them and creates a bright space and allows the entry and hallway to be bright and appear wider as opposed to feeling dark and narrow if there was not as much light. It’s brilliant designing!

The beautiful board and batten walls continue into the dining room, as do the set of mirrors, and allow a natural flow of light into the home.

Alita is a realtor and also has a diploma in interior design. Her philosophy is to “maximize the value of your home by creating the high-end designer look without the high end designer price tag”. Alita’s husband and son built this farmhouse kitchen table and bench and it is one of the pieces most special to her in this home. Her daughter and nieces and nephews helped distress it with hammers and screws and rocks before she stained it.

How special to have a piece to gather at as a family that they gathered to build!

This lovely dining room has such a beautiful contrast of dark leather dining chairs. Alita kept the room bright and feeling larger by choosing just one large lighting fixture that was open and allowed light to pass through.

Alita was also smart to use clear glass candlesticks and lamps to keep things feeling light and choosing to use mirrored frames above the buffet as well. This dining room is one that you’d never feel claustrophobic in. Instead, it’s one you’d enjoy sitting in over a nice meal with friends and not want to leave.

When asking Alita about her kitchen, here’s what she had to say:

“My favourite space in the whole house is our new Ikea kitchen. We built most of it ourselves and did several “hacks” including the crown and build up, and the range hood as well as the island. My hubby and I are very handy and we did majority of the upgrades in our home ourselves.”

Is that impressive or what?! There’s nothing I love more than a bright white kitchen. Alita told me that the corbels were from Home Depot, crown moulding from Lowe’s, and then she had Sherwin-Williams do a color match to the cabinets. Brilliant and budget-friendly!

If you’re one of my regular readers, you know that we are just 7 weeks away from moving into our new home that we are building and have nicknamed our “Tall Trees Lane” home, or #TallTreesLane if you follow along with me on Instagram. As Alita did, I designed our kitchen to have cabinets in the kitchen to the ceiling and also have small glass doors all along the top cabinets.

I always love the way they look at night when the lights are on in those top cabinets.

Another excellent decision in Alita’s lighting was to choose the lights under the bottom of the cabinets. Too often, people will forgo those to save money. But if it were me, I’d most definitely try to compromise in other areas of the budget. Those lights add so much to your kitchen and give the illusion of it feeling larger than it is. It’s also so nice to have in the evenings. I chose to put mine on a dimmer, which also helps guests if they make a trip to the kitchen or wander downstairs in the middle of the night.

Instead of heavy window treatments, I love that Alita chose beautiful white shutters.

I love when a great room is just off the kitchen. It’s perfect for the function of the family and perfect for entertaining! This gorgeous space features beautiful white built-ins and white trim.

The board and batten, trim work, family room built-ins (another IKEA hack which used the billy bookcases for the bottom), the furniture refinishing, were ALL done by Alita and her husband. I admire couples who can do this together. I have our builder taking care of our built-ins but I am dying to do my own trim work in our new home. I love learning new things. Don’t you?

I love the way Alita styled all of her shelves. They’re not cluttered and over-styled. She kept them simple and light, which also helps the room feel a little larger and not so closed in. Alita also refinished this lovely coffee table.

I not only love the seating she chose here, but I love the pop of aqua from the lamp.

Alita’s espresso dining chairs and flooring in the great room perfectly compliment her gorgeous espresso-stained stair case.

Such a gorgeous view!

Oh how I love a pretty wrought iron bed! Although it’s black in color, it allows light to pass through and keeps the room bright. Alita also chose board and batten, which I just adore, to continue to brighten and enlarge the room. She also kept it light by choosing mirrored frames, as she’s done in other spaces in her home, as well as mirrored accents and glass lamps. Isn’t is lovely?! I especially love that her favorite pictures framed are the ones of her family taken at the beach.

Again, more trim work shown here was done by Alita and her husband. The room is finished with this lovely drum-shade chandelier with crystals. I love how serene and relaxing this room feels!

I love how she used matching iron rods with her curtains to compliment her bed.

Alita said to me, “I want a home that feels like a breath of fresh air. Light, bright, clutter free spaces make me tune into my creative side and makes me feel calm and at peace.” I definitely think she accomplished that in her lovely home. Don’t you?! Alita was also kind enough to share her sources with us below.

Dining room light:
Wayfair Carmen 6 Light geometric

Wayfair Dining room rug and Wayfair Basement rug

Family room Rug:
Costco

Family room Clock:
Kirklands

Kitchen Cabinet:
Ikea Cabinetry, Grimslov Doors

Cabinetry knobs and cup hooks:
Ikea

Backsplash:
Beveled white subway tile from Lowe’s
Marble Herringbone insert from Lowe’s

Counters:
Quartz counters by Kstone in color 9001

36” Stainless steel Farmhouse sink:
Kraus

Faucet:
Delta Cassidy

All Lighting:
Homesense

Farmhouse table:
Hubby and son made it

Window Treatments:
Vinylbilt 4 1/2” Shutters

Kitchen Wall Colour:
Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Grey

Dining room wall colour:
Sherwin-Williams Repose Grey

Board and Batten and all trim:
Swiss Coffee By Benjamin Moore

Family room paint colour:
Revere Pewter (on the fireplace wall) and the rest is Edgecomb grey both by Benjamin moore.

Master Bedroom Paint colour:
Grey Cashmere Benjamin Moore

Bar stools and Kitchen table Chairs:
Target

36” induction Cooktop and double wall ovens:
Monogram

Dishwasher and fridge:
Kitchenaid

Stain on furniture:
Kona by Rust-oleum

*****

Thanks so much for joining me in another edition of Bright White Homes! What was your favorite part of Alita’s home? I hope you enjoyed touring her home as much as I did! Make sure to follow her on Instagram for more inspiration and other ideas!

xoxo,

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The post Bright White Home of Alita Malinowski appeared first on Summer Adams.

Bright White Home of Megan Manton

Summer — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 01:34:18 +0000

I’m so pleased your joining me for another edition of my Bright White Home Series! This week, I’m honored to share the bright white home of realtor and interior stylist, Megan Manton. I met Megan on Instagram after seeing her beautiful feed and knew she’d be the perfect fit for this inspiring series. Her home is gorgeous and loved all of her design choices and the furniture and decor she used in her home. I know you’ll agree!

As soon as you enter Megan’s home, you can feel the welcoming warmth of her design and styling. It’s a sort of comfortable-luxury that makes you want to see more. Such a great way to enter, isn’t it?!

One one side of her entry, we see this stunning dining room. But before we go there, come with me to see what’s across from it first.

One of the other first rooms you see upon entering Megan‘s home is this charming music room. She maximizes the natural light flowing into her home by not having shutters, which can block a lot of light from coming into the home. What a calming and soothing place to visit, practice music, or read a good book! Doesn’t everyone need a space like this?! I certainly think so.

Megan keeps this room feeling light without heavy pieces of furniture. Instead she chooses white sofa chairs with slip-covers and a pair of small benches. Notice how she switched out a certain piece of furniture for a fun change. Can you see what it is?

Now, because I know my readers are going to ask and have to know right away….let’s talk paint colors.

The entire house is painted in Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige, which is a popular warm gray, or “greige”. The trim is painted in Benjamin Moore Bone White.

Creating a bright white home doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use any wooden furniture pieces or accents and only choose all white so next time you’re popping to the Furniture Shops near the Metro Centre, be sure to keep an eye out for furniture that could tie in nicely with a white theme. But doing like Megan did and using light-colored wood or beachwood pieces can make a huge difference in keeping that “light” feel and keep a room from becoming too heavy or dark.

I love Megan’s flair for mixing coastal and vintage styles throughout her home.

Megan chose slip-covered furniture as she has a dog and children. This not only makes her home bright and white but it also makes it easy to rip off the slip covers and wash them. Of course, I love when a room is symmetrical! It takes away any chaos and business and feels open and balanced.

Aaaaaah, a bright white kitchen! There’s nothing I love more! The kitchen is the hub of our home. Is it yours? I love cooking and baking in a space that is bright and tranquil and enjoyable to be in. Also, I love sexy kitchen legs. How fabulous are those spiral legs on that kitchen island?! It not only adds interest to this space but also compliments the more masculine lines and style of the faux brick backsplash (travertine tile) and galvanized steel pendant lights. Another fun touch is the shiplap that Megan and her father added to the island below.

In my home Spring Tour earlier this year, I shared my love for bringing in natural elements to my kitchen using pops of color with fruit and floral. Megan does just that here! That lovely stand of cookies isn’t a bad idea either!

The kitchen cabinetry is painted in Sherwin Williams Marshmallow.

Just off the kitchen is this enchanting nook. Oh how I love when I see vintage pieces and new pieces mixed together (notice the charming vintage-style cabinet at the end of the table) to create such a lovely space!

Notice how Megan kept this neutral kitchen nook bright and white but added a pop of color with a gorgeous piece of canvas wall art. Such a perfect place to change out artwork or wall decor at different times of the year to create a different feeling to this space.

Then there’s the dining room…..

This table though! {gasp}
Megan kept messaging me and telling me about this gorgeous new table for her dining room that she bought and I couldn’t wait to see it. What a beautiful wooden table, distressed in white! Not only does it brighten up this space, but it’s natural wooden element brings such a rustic beauty to it as well.

Don’t be afraid to switch up your seating for a fun change. Settees, benches, stools…bring different pieces in and out for a fun feel and to accommodate different table guests. I love that this cozy feel here is accented with a french vintage-style buffet and mirror while making a contemporary statement as well with those striking lamps. Bravo, Megan!

Speaking of seating…I spy a gorgeous settee on the other side of that table! I love this vintage find that Megan uses here in her dining room. {swoon}

I love this gorgeous view of Megan’s entry from the dining room. What a way to enter, right?!

This crystal chandelier is a Schonbek that Megan has moved with her and hung in several homes.

Good lighting is a key element to good decor. It not only enhances the function of a room, it also enhances the appearance. A well-lit space is more usable and more attractive and lighting that brightens and lightens up a space is everything to those who are making that effort. Function aside, pretty lighting is absolutely the best. It’s like the jewelry of the room.

Outside those beautiful sliding barn doors is the upstairs hallway. Walk through them and this is what you find…the playroom, or bonus room.

It’s playful and fun with pops of color. Also, it’s kid-friendly while maintaining the bright white space that Megan wanted it to be.

The master bedroom…. It should truly be the most serene and luxurious place in the home. Wouldn’t you agree? Megan created that feel with this gorgeous bed, beautiful lighting, a coffered ceiling, and other fabulous furniture and accent pieces.

I have had too many clients (and friends) tell me that they would love to feel that way about their master bedrooms but that they don’t. I also hear them say, “It’s looked exactly the same for years.” {shaking my head} That’s so silly to me. Megan not only changed her actual bed recently, but she also changes out wall art (did you notice above her bed?). So smart.

You can also change out linens and other accessories to the room as well, as shown above. I always like to shop my home too and move around lamps and other pieces when I’m bored. Some of you may know that I have a thing for ruffled linens so I find the ones on her bed quite dreamy!

Four words:

“Calgon, take me away!”

Herringbone-patterned flooring, a free-standing tub to soak in, a gorgeous mirror and chandelier above….it doesn’t get any better than that! I feel like I’m in France as I virtually stand in this bathroom. It’s definitely the mirror. {a girl can daydream}

The rest of the master bathroom is equally dreamy and has a luxurious feel with those fabulous columns.

Come with me into Megan’s guest bedroom!

I could definitely enjoy staying in this room. Couldn’t you?! It’s so romantic and soft and cozy.

While Megan made sure to keep it bright and beautiful and simple, she added a fun pop of color with this fabulous wall art. With a neutral home, it’s so easy to add pops of color and change out art easily without disrupting an entire room.

Lastly…we end our tour of Megan’s beautiful home with this fabulous home office.

If you’re a regular reader of mine, I’m sure you can guess what I swooned over right away. Yep, the pair of blush chairs. They’re the perfect pop of color, along with that fun and absolutely adorable rug, for this bright and feminine office. Beautiful floral wall art and another beautiful chandelier tie this room all together perfectly. Tip: If you have a small home office, try a more narrow desk like this one Megan chose instead of a large and heavier piece. It will keep the room bright and feel bigger.

*****

Thanks so much for joining me in another edition of Bright White Homes! What was your favorite part of Megan’s home? I hope you enjoyed touring her home as much as I did! She’s such a talent so please make sure to follow her on Instagram for more inspiration and other ideas!

xoxo,

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