. -->

view ALL Christmas decor themes! click here

Showing posts with label flooring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flooring. Show all posts

9.22.2016

If Walls Could Talk...


There are a LOT of model homes here in Southern California!
Every builder creates a jaw-dropping, show-stopping block 
of every model they offer in every subdivision - to entice buyers.

Mom and I looked at a LOT of model homes when she was deciding to buy hers.
I've been touring model homes all of my life, since my teens, 
because I love seeing how they are decorated. I love the details. 
I love the designer touches that you can't get in a house -  they are 'for inspiration only'. 
And that's EXACTLY what I use them for!

Case in Point:
The WALL TREATMENTS at three new neighborhoods' models nearby,
built by Pardee Homes (who built our new house).
I saw the models earlier this month, and was impressed with
the interesting textures and patterns on the 'builder boring' walls:

Painted Wood
See that first photo up above, with the board & batten wood paneling?
I think that's what we're going to add to a niche in our entry hall.
We can't use shiplap, because the horizontal pattern will make the already long hall look longer...
so I think the vertical B&B pattern will be the best solution.

Stained Wood
I especially like the wood flooring applied to the back of an entryway cubby unit:

Stained Wood ON THE CEILING!

Paint

Photographic Mural
(it's a photo of a rusty train car)

'Wood Look' Ceramic Tiles

Brick

Stuck on what to do with YOUR walls?

Head over to some local model homes and get inspired!

3.24.2016

On The Surface...

 One of the best things about a brand new house?
You get to pick EVERY surface and option!

I shared recently that Mom is an avid fan of HGTV's Fixer*Upper
and of Joanna Gaines' decor style.
Mom's catching the fever and has made decor choices that will give the house
a wide-open farmhouse/beachhouse feel with some industrial touches...
and her palette choices are warm neutrals with texture.

We have more texture to add in the future, but this is what the builder will supply:

*The kitchen counter tops and island [top left]
are a tan, brown, black and white speckled granite.

*The wall paint [middle left] is tan/sand
(almost exactly what she has in the current house, and what I had in my island home).

*All of the trimwork is a crisp white.

*The counter tops [tiny white square]
in baths and laundry are solid white Silestone.

*The cabinets [top right] in kitchen, baths, & laundry room are solid white raised panel.
 .
Then there's the FLOOR





Mom wanted all of the flooring to be the same throughout the house - 
that was the approach in the model of our plan,
and it really made the space look bigger because the rooms don't have different flooring.
We knew from prior experience that there would be no Pergo. No bamboo. 
No hardwood designs on pressed mdf. And NO CARPET.

Which left real hardwood, or tile.
Only the builder won't put hardwood in baths, laundry, and kitchen.

Tile - the only option left - was very unappealing.

Until we found something called 'wood look tile'. 
Skeptical, but intrigued, we went to the showroom for our 'Options Design Appointment' 
with a list... and about a million questions.
The lovely designer there pulled about a dozen samples of 'wood-look tile'...
and my Mom IMMEDIATELY chose this one:
 Do you hear angels singing???! ;)

It looks more like 'real' hardwood than some of the hardwood samples.
It's the perfect tone - warm, not gray, not yellow.
It coordinates with the warm tones in the granite counter tops,
and there's even light beige/white in the pattern to match the cabinets and walls.
The grout (not shown in the photo above) is a medium-tone found in the grain, 
so the planks will not have dark lines separating them.
It will look for all the world like a rustic hardwood floor throughout the entire house!

It's very VERY Magnolia Homes/Fixer*Upper style, don'tcha' think?!

Last week, the contractors installed that tile in the house.
We approved the tile in the showroom and they started laying it the next day.
We gave them three days and then we drove out to take a peek... 
they were still laying tile on day four, but the crew let us in!
I screamed when I saw it. I really, honestly screamed.out.loud. 

I. Love. This. Floor.!
It is so far beyond perfect - and it wasn't even grouted or cleaned yet!
I just know that when I walk in there with Mom next Monday for the walk through,
I'll scream again. I may need a defibrillator, to be honest.

Once we are in the house, we'll be making plans for the backyard -
and Mom is thinking that she wants this tile to continue out there to connect the spaces.
We'll be checking on the logistics of that in weeks to come!

In the meantime, we're full steam ahead with packing and prep.
After inspection, we'll do our walk through, get the keys, and move in...
IN ONE WEEK!

shared online:

One Project Closer | Creativity Unleashed