Southern Hospitality » Decorating Details

Feature Friday: Serenbe HGTV Green Home Part 2

Rhoda — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:00:32 +0000

Back with Part 2 of the Serenbe HGTV Green Home that will be given away to one lucky person this year. Wouldn’t that be nice?

If you missed Part 1, you can catch it here.

I know many of you said that this modern style is not your cup of tea, but I can appreciate all different designs and I enjoyed touring this house very much. It might not be my personal style either, but it was fun to visit in person.

Exterior, modern and contemporary with stone base.

Heading upstairs to the other bedrooms, one of the neat features is the open staircase and windows.

Upper staircase is floating.

A whimsical light fixture hangs in the large stairwell. I’m not sure if this was an improvised fixture or was purchased exactly like that, but I have to say it was unique. I’m a little more of a traditional girl when it comes to lighting.

One of the guestrooms

Chevron fabric in gray and white.

I do like that red painted cabinet.

And those botanical are pretty cool too.

This wrapped mirror in the hallway was made from recyled metal, I heard.

In the hallway upstairs, is a long counter especially for crafting. Great place for kids to do homework or draw and paint.

The laundryroom was pretty with the penny tile on the walls. Penny tile is definitely a hot new trend now. Have you seen it yet? It’s about the size of a penny.

Organized and pretty.

This was a really neat bunkroom too and I loved the colors in here.

Perfect place for kids to hang out.

Greens and grays, pretty colors.

I do like that floor lamp too.

Nautical rope lamp was cute.

Bulldog artwork in between the twin headboards upholstered in chevron.

Mix of fabrics.

Another view of the staircase coming up going into the guestroom.

Upstairs bathroom was sleek and stylish.

More tile and concrete counters with shells in here as well as the kitchen. I do love the trend of putting tile on one wall in a bathroom and just might try something like this in my house.

Liked the tall shower curtain in here too, all the way to the ceiling.

View of the railing with wires in between.

Exterior shot from one of the floors above.

All in all, a very stylish house that I thoroughly enjoyed visiting.

We all have our own styles and what we are comfortable living with and that’s what makes the world go round. I’m sure whoever wins this house will be smiling really big!

Attention Atlanta girls!

My friend, Lynn, who owns that beautiful beach house I shared with you, is having a fantastic multi-family yardsale at her Historic Marietta home on Saturday morning (that’s tomorrow!) from 9-5 pm. Furniture, antiques, home decor, rugs, some young adult clothing, something for everyone!

McDonald Street off Whitlock Avenue, near the Marietta Square. Don’t miss it! I hope to make it by early, since I have my painting party. But don’t go too early, she won’t be ready.

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*Cutting Edge Stencils:Beautiful stencils to create feature walls and more in your home.
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*Stylish Patina:Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Stockist
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*Old Time Pottery:Affordable home decor and garden products
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Boxwoods Tables in Buckhead

Rhoda — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:00:51 +0000

Another part of Boxwoods Gardens in Buckhead that I didn’t get around to showing you, is the shop next door in a lovely building, featuring tablescapes and lots of dining ideas. We strolled through there and of course, I couldn’t help but take pics here too.

Beautiful chandy in the foyer.

Lots of tabletop and kitchen accessories are all around the store.

Prettify a dining room.

Lots of personalized hand towels, lots of gift ideas.

Don’t forget the beautiful dishes.

There were many lovelies to look at.

Tables all set and gorgeous.

Napkins and accessories for the table.

Enjoyable place to browse.

Loved this dining room. Doesn’t it beckon you in?

So many pretty things all setup in a place setting.

Wall decor as well.

Mirrors and candles.

so pretty, don’t you think?

You can’t help but be inspired in this store.

Now this dining space really caught my eye.

Along with the burlap covered walls, complete with twine to cover the seams.

Lots of rustic accessories.

Fabric tablecloths and cloches.

This chandy was super stunning.

Plenty of ideas and inspiration.

Hello, chandy! I love you.

If you haven’t been to Boxwoods Gardens on E. Andrews Drive in Buckhead, you must make a stop. This tabletop shop is right next door to the cute main cottage house of Boxwoods. You’ll love it too!

Feature Friday: HGTV Green Home Tour at Serenbe, Part 1

Rhoda — Fri, 11 May 2012 09:00:24 +0000

As promised, I’m back with the inspiring tour of the HGTV Green Home in Serenbe, GA. What a wonderful visit it was, I came away totally inspired and loved every minute of my visit to this inspiring countryside south of downtown Atlanta.

There was an official ribbon cutting to officially open the house for public tours and you can visit from now until June 24th. If you get a chance to go, please do it! You’ll love Serenbe and this house. There is also a brand new Bosch Experience Center, an educational showroom, as well as a Bosch Net Zero home next door, meaning that all power is created by the home itself and get this, it’s decorated by Ballard Designs. Cool, huh? One of the top gals at Ballard’s lives in Serenbe, I hear. I didn’t get to see the Ballard’s house, but I sure would love to. I’ll just have to go back, right?!

Serenbe founders, Steve and Marie Nygren and their family were there for the ribbon cutting, along with Jack Thomasson, who did the honors with the shears.

I got to speak with the master planner, Jack Thomasson, as well as the interior designer, Linda Woodrum. They have been working with this HGTV Green project for years and their attention to detail is amazing. It’s traditional, modern and everything in between. Using vintage and reclaimed items, Linda has mixed it up with skill and it was a treat for the eyes.

The articles I read said the house has a farmhouse feel with a modern feel. You can see the bottom is stacked stone and the top glass and siding.

It does have a much more contemporary feel to me than traditional. Inside it’s a mix.

Coming in the front door.

Interior Designer, Linda Woodrum, who did an amazing job of warming up this home and adding all the wonderful details. We all know the details are so important in the decor of a home.

Small foyer area on the lower level.

Foyer table.

Going up the first flight of stairs to the main living area. Fancy that mirror hanging there. You don’t normally see that done, but it does open up the space.

Hardwood floors and stair treads. The floors are handscraped and beautiful engineered wood floors.

Shaw Floors Broadmoor handscraped engineered hardwood flooring in Warm Sienna and 3 plank sizes (which is how this flooring is sold) is all through the Green Home and I fell in love with this floor. Love the 3 widths of 3″, 5″, and 7″. I’m working with the folks at Shaw and they are offering me a very nice discount on getting these floors in my new house, so I’m pretty sure this is what I’ll go with. We will install them ourselves.

Dining table out of reclaimed wood.

You’ll see lots of vintage items used throughout, like those lamps there on the console table.

The kitchen is ultra modern.

Countertops are a mix of concrete and shells. They were definitely not like anything I’ve seen before. Very glossy and smooth.

Pretty travertine tiles (I think).

Builder/planner, Jack Thomasson.

Sleek stained cabinetry in the kitchen.

Lots of glass tiles used in this house too.

Ceiling detail.

Living room is a mix of modern and traditional and I liked the neutrals with a pop of color.

That mirror is made out of old fence slats. Loved it!

The artwork over the sofa really makes the room comes alive.

Outdoor seating area. This home is all open to the outdoors, as this is a part of Serenbe living.

Master bedroom in soothing tones of blues and browns.

Striped walls on the wall, along with individually wrapped squares for a large headboard.

Shelves for storage.

Side table

Master bathroom is open and spacious. Sleek cabinets again with stained wood and lots of pretty tiles.

Tiled floor

Lots of pretty sleek tiles.

Sitting area of the master bedroom.

The hardwood planks were installed in several different widths, which really make the wood look old.

Mudroom going to the outside.

Mudroom closets

Den/sitting room is cozy in orange and browns.

For watching TV or relaxing.

Birch logs inside a lucite coffee table.

Pretty pillows.

More glass tile in the powder room.

The Georgia room is open on 2 sides to let in plenty of fresh air and light. It’s a covered porch and a useful space.

Sofa with plenty of pillows.

Vintage art is actually chicken feeders. Thought this was a clever use for these large unique pieces.

Soaring ceilings.

More vintage items used as lamps.

Pretty corner with wicker. All the rugs in here are from Shaw Floors as well.

The outdoor entertaining area is in the middle of the house and opens to both wings. A wonderful use of space!

Hope you enjoyed Part 1! It is a beautiful house and I enjoyed the tour so much. Be sure to come back next week for Part 2, there’s a whole other floor to show off.

Feature Friday: The Mustard Ceiling

Rhoda — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:30:33 +0000

I’m back with another beautiful house to show you today. Elizabeth, with The Mustard Ceiling, has a beautiful blog all about the renovation of their fixer-upper 1950’s brick ranch house located in NM. She says while searching for online inspiration to update their new “old” house, she came upon colors of muted grays, soft whites and mustard and that it was love at first sight. She painted her foyer ceiling a mustard yellow to welcome her guests and let me tell you, she and her hubby have done an amazing job updating this house.

I love her casual, yet elegant style and oh, my goodness, I can’t wait to get to the pretty stage of my own fixer-upper renovation. It’s going to be fun! In the meantime, enjoy Elizabeth’s beautiful house with the mustard ceiling in the foyer.

Here’s a peek at her entry,with that mustard ceiling stealing the show. Lovely!

Here’s the den Before…

And after, quite the difference with the white walls.

Her living room is so pretty, casual, but elegant, just the way I like it too. I love those drapes and the bamboo shades. I’m probably going to have a lot of bamboo shades in my house too. Love the look!

Pretty dining room and her hubby did all the molding DIY. See those pretty Ikat chair seats in the dining room. Elizabeth actually stenciled those, making her own stencil. OK, I’m impressed!

This gallery wall is attention getting in the dining room also. Love a whole wall of matching frames like this.

She shared the original Before kitchen pics as well as progress and then this final After shot and isn’t it pretty. It wasn’t a total gut job, but they worked on it a bit at at time and got to this beautiful After kitchen, using old doors for the countertop. Beautiful!

A kitchen anyone would be proud of.

Check out this stylin’ laundryroom with all the organization. So nice and fresh!

She even has a cloffice and if you don’t get that right away: Closet + office + Cloffice! Brilliant!

Master bedroom in soft gray/blues with punches of coral fabrics.

Love these slipper chairs.

Doesn’t this look inviting?

You can’t beat fresh flowers for a photo shoot.

The master bathroom is equally beautiful. I’m so impressed with all the work this couple has put into their home. I know firsthand what it takes to get a house to this point. A lot of hard work and sweat equity!

Thanks, Elizabeth, for letting me feature your beautiful home today. I hope you’ll all go over and say hello to her and tell her I sent you. She is quite inspiring with lots of projects and how-to’s. I love seeing what everyone is up to in their own homes these days!

The Biltmore Inspirations Vintage Grape basket winner is posted here and the winner emailed!

Seaside Sister: Lynn’s Beach House

Rhoda — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:00:27 +0000

I have a new friend in Marietta and her name is Lynn. We met up at the beach last week in Florida. We actually went to high school together, she was one year behind me, but didn’t know each other. But, now all these years later, we have connected and I am enjoying getting to know this talented Marietta native. We met up at the Marietta Christmas tour of homes, as her family’s gorgeous historical home, Ellwood, was on the tour and I was a docent in their house. I still want to go back and photograph that house too, but for now, I’ll share her beach house with ya’ll. It’s that time of year and who doesn’t love a pretty beach house.

As I mentioned, Lynn is extremely talented and when I met up with her in Destin, I found out how far back this talent goes. She’s a go-getter and began buying homes years ago, right out of college to fix up and rent and she still has lots of those that she manages. Beach houses, mountain lodges, Lynn has them all. She sews, she decorates and is a fabulous artist too and I saw all of her talent on display at both Ellwood and the beach house, Seaside Sister. This home is rented out during the year, so you can check it out here, if you’re interested in staying there.

She bought this beach house 2 years ago and brought it back to its full glory, 3 stories of beauty.

I love this beautiful double door that greets everyone.

A pretty lime green chair and planter doesn’t hurt either.

I’m a sucker for shingles and this is one pretty house.

Seaside Sister is rented out every year, so if you’d like to take a group there to stay, it’s in the Seagrove area.

Inside the door is a nicely decorated foyer and it just screams beach, doesn’t it? I just might have to borrow this shutter idea. Love those!

Lynn is a talented artist and painted this one.

Downstairs, is a bunkroom that sleeps four and it is cute as a button.

I’ve slept in a bunkroom before and didn’t mind it a bit.

This one is cozy, but well appointed.

The downstairs bathroom has all the comforts of home.

Another downstairs bedroom, I love the cute windows in here.

Welcome to Seaside Sister.

Up one flight of stairs is the main living area with the dining room at the top of the stairs.

The whole house is just beautiful and welcoming.

The kitchen was all redone by Lynn and is very open and easy to navigate.

Granite countertops and a nice big island would be great for a crowd.

Gorgeous!

She painted the cabinets a pretty greige color.

The familyroom is nice and big too with a pretty rattan sectional.

Great place to hang out.

Pretty collection of pottery and shells.

The balcony off the living room holds some brightly painted lime green wicker pieces that Lynn picked up thrifting and repainted. A girl after my own heart!

Up another flight of stairs is the master bedroom.

Love this little vignette at the top of the stairs.

Amen to that sentiment! I couldn’t agree more.

Another guestroom upstairs.

In vivid blues and greens, oh so beachy.

With another well appointed bathroom.

The master bedroom is huge and spacious. Lynn found that bed at a yardsale and painted it black. Love it in here.

Master bathroom is so very nice with travertine floors.

Lynn really did a great job renovating this house.

The views from the top are breath-taking and that is why we all love the beaches on the Gulf coast of Florida.

Don’t you agree?

Don’t forget, Thrifty Treasures returns this Sunday evening! I’ve got a fun find from the Destin, Florida Goodwill to share with you. It will show up in my house one day!

Spring: Pass it Forward with Bulbs

Rhoda — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:00:58 +0000

Just in time for Easter, my mom got a beautiful bouquet of bulbs! Stop over and see a great gift idea for those loved ones, a living gift of spring bulbs.

The gift that keeps on giving! Click here to see the pretties she got for Easter!

Yippee, the house closing is today!!! It’s almost official!

Feature Friday: 11 Magnolia Lane

Rhoda — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 09:00:31 +0000

Welcome three cute bloggers from 11 Magnolia Lane, Amy, Terry and Christy. They tag team on their blog and it is named for one of the houses that Christy lived in and fixed up, a 1920’s beauty in Fayetteville, N.C. that was beautifully redone. She has since moved on from this house, but it’s worth sharing!

Say hello to Amy,Christy, and Terry! Aren’t they adorable?

The 1920’s house, 11 Magnolia Lane. She is gorgeous!

I am a sucker for front porches and entries like this one.

The foyer is stunning as well, with that beautiful staircase.

Coming in the front door, the staircase welcomes. And so does that cute golden retriever.

Living room with those dark hardwoods would have me at hello.

Don’t you love the woodwork in these older homes? Yes, yes I do!

Red dining room feels right at home in this house.

Another living area that has plenty of windows. I love windows and light coming in a space. That always makes me happy.

Pretty built in bookcases.

Love, love this kitchen, I would take it in a minute!

And a nice screened porch, what more could you ask for! It’s so pretty and I knew you would love seeing it too.

The girls are having home tours today on their blog, 11 Magnolia Lane, showing off all their houses, so stop over there and visit them and say hello. Don’t forget to tell them I sent you!

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Wax How-to’s

Rhoda — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 09:00:59 +0000

It’s amazing, this blogworld. Just put the word out that you’re having problems with a product and the right folks show up to help. Denise and Rhonda are two chalk paint stockists, with Color Me French, here in the Atlanta area and they got the word that my sis and I had some wax problems with her table and chairs. I got an email from Denise volunteering to come over and save the day. I had first met these ladies down at Scott Antiques market, where they have a booth set up to sell Annie Sloan chalk paint.

How cool is that? and how sweet are Denise and Rhonda to come over and repaint the top of our orange table?

We got the first-hand scoop on the proper way to apply this cool wax and now we are experts. Not really, but I think I’ve got it now. Somehow in looking online at the how-to’s of chalk paint and wax, I missed the most important part:

Once you apply the wax with the round brush, then go back and rub it in and off the surface of the paint with a soft t-shirt rag. The wax needs to be wiped into the paint and then you let it dry. Then you go back and buff with a soft t-shirt fabric. That’s the secret that I somehow missed. Apparently, putting on the wax is the most challenging part of using chalk paint. But, it’s easy once you know this step.

Denise and Rhonda stopped by with a fresh can of Barcelona Orange and applied it to the top of the table, right over the wax that we had already applied, that was by now completely dry.

You can see the difference in the fresh paint going over the old wax. After it is dry we will then go back with wax again and this time rub it in and off the paint.

Completely covering the old wax surface.

Back to orange paint again.

Denise then demonstrated how to add wax to the painted chairs. She brushed on the wax with the round brush, jabbing it into the surface and covering the whole seat.

Then, she immediately went back and smoothed in the wax into the paint, removing excess as well.

She did that all over the chair, brushing the slats, legs and back. Again, immediately going back with the t-shirt and rubbing the wax in and off the paint.

It will not leave a hazy finish when you do it like this. Then it will be time to buff down the wax.

Cover all the painted surface with wax, rub it in and off, then let dry over night and go back and buff to a slight sheen.

Here is the wax after buffing with a soft T-shirt. That’s it! The correct way to apply wax. Wasn’t that easy, after all?

Amazing what the right method will do. Now you know. Do not leave your wax on the surface, it must be wiped into and off the paint, leaving a smooth wax surface to dry. Nothing hazy about it then.

I am sure I’ll have lots more projects with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. It’s fun to work with and creates a beautiful finish!

Don’t forget the BIG Annie Sloan workshop on March 29th, here in Atlanta and you can meet Annie in person! In case you’d like to sign up, go here for all the info! Don’t miss the giveaway below too.

I’m joining my friend, Kate for her Spring Fling Craft party. This is sorta crafty with paint! Don’t miss the fun, be sure and stop by over there and you’ll see tons of fun and inspiring spring projects to get you in the mood for the season. I’ll be up on Tuesday with Spring Door decor and Sarah’s party is next Thursday, with more paint projects.

My Sister’s Spring Mantel

Rhoda — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 09:00:18 +0000

Once the holidays were over, my sis and I pulled out some sparkly things and completely redid her mantel into something that spans the seasons for a few months. We added shiny glass jars, mercury glass pieces and a little preserved greenery in white to lighten and brighten her mantel. A bit springy!

My sis’s family room is comfy and cozy in spite of having high ceilings and tall windows. A tall mantel can be a little intimidating to decorate, but we added some large scale accessories to make it work.

We did 3 groupings and staggered heights for interest and texture. A little glass, mercury glass, and lighter toned items completed the vignette.

A side view.

My bust of David was a nice addition to the mantel. I have had him for many years now. The tall preserved greenery in an urn adds texture on that side of the mantel.

Side view from the other end. I love that little bamboo stool I found along the way at a yardsale. Pieces like this are great for adding height to a table or mantel.

Mercury glass adds sparkle.

This silver horse head was a TJ Maxx or Homegoods find and we love him mixed in.

Shells and those tiny mercury glass ornaments from Christmas are added in the large glass apothecary jars for some opposite textures.

That’s our mantel for this year’s Spring Fling party. I hope you’ll share yours too at Layla’s Mantel party. You will see all sorts of fun and inspiring mantels out there in blogland. And don’t forget Kate’s Spring Craft party on Thursday, my Door Decor party next Tuesday and Sarah wraps it up with Spring Paint projects on the 29th. You’ll feel so Springy and inspired after all this partying!

Enjoy and Happy Spring!

Feature Friday: Cassie at Hi! Sugarplum

Rhoda — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Another fun designing mama, Cassie at Hi Sugarplum has done an amazing job updating their 1980’s builder’s beige home that they bought and have been meticulously upgrading. The kitchen is one gorgeous space after Cassie got ahold of it and it gives me hope that when I get my fixer-upper house, which will most likely be a 70’s or 80’s version, I can have a nice kitchen too.

There are never-ending blogs out there who inspire and create and Cassie is one of them that I met online a couple of years ago. She’s a mom, decorator, and all around creative gal and you’ll love what she’s done to personalize her home.

Coming in the foyer, Cassie added this snazzy zebra rug and painted the inside of her doors black. I’m seriously gonna do this when I move in a new house. Paint doors black and watch them become more important.

Here’s Cassie’s tired and dated 80’s kitchen. I need to go over and read all about how she got her new kitchen, cause wow is it beautiful now.

Black cabinets, granite countertops and a pretty subway tile backsplash. Welcome to the new century, kitchen!

Don’t you love the drama of kitchen Before and Afters? Kitchens are certainly fun to update and this is one beautiful kitchen now.

Don’t you agree?

Cassie put a lot of thought into her kitchen and I’m taking notes.

It’s beyond beautiful now.

She’s given an update to a guestroom as well, by painting the vanity, adding a pretty shower curtain, and a few other changes, like those striped walls.

Love the colors in Cassie’s living room. It’s so cozy and inviting.

Cassie’s beautiful styled bookcases.

Her daughter’s room is so adorable, with all the pops of color and pattern.

Cassie was one of those bloggers who jumped on the updating an older piece of furniture with a bright color trend and this high-boy got a beautiful yellow coat of paint for her daughter’s room. Love it!

Her son’s room is equally poppy with lots of color and texture.

A recently completed pool bathroom showcases some favorite pieces and check out the bright door and ceiling. It’s so pretty.

Another dramatic project, this fireplace got a coat of white paint and wow at the difference in this. Love how updated it looks. I wouldn’t hesitate to paint brick either. A great way to update and add style to a space.

So, that’s an introduction to the fabulous Cassie from Hi, Sugarplum. If you haven’t met Cassie yet, please do hop over and say hello. I know she would love to meet you!