Huh? Home Tour - Dining Delight

Day #5 of the Huh? Home Tour - Dining Room Delight

I love travelling and experiencing the different cultures, the people, the food - and the design! I used to have a very modern aesthetic. I still do. But I've also learned that it's more interesting when you pair that with Old World charm for an eclectic look.



After our trip to Italy many years ago, I was so inspired by the...everything! I love how meals are not meant just for nourishment of the body, but of the soul as well. People gather for dinner late, usually around 10:30 or 11:00, and you almost never see single people or couples - it's always big, boisterous groups of people, enjoying the food and each other's company. This large table I got and refinished reminds me of those large groups in Tuscany.




I love the substantial feet and simplicity of design on this set. It's solid, sturdy and modern while still feeling old school.



The dark green color on the walls envelops you and creates a cozy dining experience while the softness and sparkle of the curtains keep the room from being too masculine. And the chandelier reminds me of another fun place to visit - New Orleans.





The piece in the far corner is a remake from old Moroccan doors. Again, adding a bit of that world traveller feel. Can't wait until I get to go there!


This piece, my wine cabinet, is actually from Pier One but complements the Moroccan piece quite nicely. And the fun print of the Italian chef pulls all the colors together and just adds a touch of whimsy.

Tomorrow I'll show you how I made my small powder room pop using rich colors and materials.

Huh? Hot House Home Tour - Kitchen Redo You Do

Part 4 of the Huh? Home Tour - this time let's see how to transform a kitchen with just a little effort and a little bit of cash.


This kitchen used to have white tile floors, white tile countertops, white tile backsplash and the builder-grade golden oak cabinets with the florescent lighting. Not very cookable but you ALL know what I'm talking about, right?

Out went the flooring, in went new tile, just $1/sqft from Home Depot to hide the dirt and add some warmth. But if I used that tile throughout it would've been boring. So I added a small slate border and center medallion in the kitchen to mimic the ceiling light treatment (below).


Then out with the golden oak and instead of replacing all the cabinets, since they were in good condition, I simply painted them (total of around $80 in paint and another $150 or so for the pulls)! Starting with a light sanding to rough up the surface, I then primed and painted a base in chestnut brown. Once dry, I dry-brushed black over the brown to create a modern striated affect, and finally finished them off with a high-gloss polyurethane (floor grade for durability). With the addition of some stainless steel handles, they're suddenly modern and upgraded.


The florescent ceiling was torn out and replaced by this criss-cross cable lighting (around $150 from Ikea). I simply painted the inset black and trimmed it out with molding (about $20). Since I already had the junction box from the florescent lighting, that's where my transformer went for my cable lights. The rest is, well you get it...


The backsplash (around $400 for materials) was torn out and replaced with these metallic painted porcelain tiles. Again, to create interest, I added in 2" pyramid tiles as accents. My stove hood was actually an afterthought about 2 years after the original kitchen renovation. I tore out the cabinets that were above my stove and continued the backsplash tile all the way up to the ceiling (I still had leftovers from the original job), then took those cabinets and fronted them to the cabinets over the refrigerator so they now go all the way out to the front of the fridge rather than being back-set and hard to reach. Plus I have a ton more storage there! Back to the stove, I got this hood at Ikea in their As-Is section, still in the box and only for $150. It was easy to hang and makes such a statement!


Over the peninsula, I added these fun and funky (I like funky) pendant lights (around $200). The old tile countertop was torn out (that's a hard job, trust me!) and the only thing I had professionally installed was the beautiful new granite countertop (around $3,500). Again, with flecks of metallic to bring the shine.



Finally, I added in a new sprayer over the sink ($80 online), and topped it off with a fun little art piece.

Although this kitchen went from light cabinets and white tile to dark countertops and dark cabinets - it feels bigger and more welcoming, not closed off. Why? Because of the reflectivity and richness of the materials. The reflection off the metallic backsplash and countertop and glossy cabinets allows the light to bounce around really warming up the space. Don't be afraid to go dark in a room, just pay attention to the materials used and if you want it still to be light-friendly, go with reflective materials. By the way, this entire kitchen renovation, including new stainless steel appliances was done for under $10,000!

Tomorrow we'll look at the dining room to see how worldly travel can be brought home and experienced daily. Till then...

Huh? Home Tour: Reuse in the Living Room

Day #3 of the Huh? Home Tour and this time we're checking out reused materials in the living room.


As a whole, this room looks fresh from the showroom. But take a closer look and you'll notice lots of reuse going on. First, the shadow wall art is comprised of scrap wood and wire hangers, better as art than landfill. The coffee table is a compilation of left over tile and wood from a kitchen remodel.


The fabric on this chaise lounge was deteriorating due to sun damage. Rather than tossing it and starting fresh, I recovered the side and back with a contrasting fabric breathing new life into an old piece. And the black and white pillow is an old pillow with a cover on it.


After I put in my new wood floors (yes, that part was new). I had left over wood. The painting over my fireplace had always seemed to me like it was just floating there and I really wanted to ground it. So I ripped smaller pieces of left-over flooring and hung them on the wall to create a backdrop for my painting.


The cabinet on this wall was an old Ikea cabinet that I turned on it's side and added legs and new doors (from scrap wood) to create a media cabinet. I now have a new fresh take on a box store buy.


The mirror on the wall was actually fabricated from left-over plywood and a cut-down mirror, removed from a bathroom.


Sadly, my kitty passed last week, but this was her own private place when she wanted to get away from the crazy humans. The small space underneath the stairs was a quiet retreat for her and the entrance, again, made from left over scrap wood.

Tomorrow we'll see how to renovate a kitchen for big impact on a small budget.

How to spice up a hallway

Huh? Home Tour: Part #2

Hallways and staircases are just spaces you pass through, right? Not necessarily. Why waste that space when you can make it uniquely yours. And that's exactly what I did in my home. Welcome to part 2 of the Huh? home tour.


A big empty wall doesn't have to be just that. I created custom-wall ledges to hold a mix of family photos tied together by consistent black frames. The bottom few shelves are low enough to put books on for my kids (facing out so they'll read them. I rotate them every few weeks).


This sofa was actually a trash find! When I found it, it was covered in bright yellow and white pleather and all ripped up, but I loved the shape. Some retro fabric and one recover later and it's a perfect place for the boys to hang out on and read a book or watch TV.


The staircase carries along my love of color. I created this window inset after visiting Spain and falling in love with Gaudi and all his wild colors and shapes. The center is a street-artist rendering of Picasso in gel paints which allows the light to shine through. The sconce, also a second-hand thrift find, was painted to match and provide a bit of pop!


With my husband being from New Orleans, we have local artist paintings covering our stairwell along with some prints from Paris in the small black frames on the right. It's always nice to be reminded of our travels (not that we go THAT many places), but I always am longing for the next adventure - and to add to my collection!

Tomorrow's feature: Family Room Recycle with lots of reuse items. Gotta love reuse design!

Huh? Home Tour

I thought I'd do a new series and give you all a home tour of Huh? Today I'll feature my home office design.

With little space available and two home workers, each area is utilized fully. The center of the room holds the infamous in-box while trash is nestled nicely underneath.

My custom Huh?-designed desk has a large surface area to work on. Plus, it has a single just-as-large drawer which is great to hold all my oversize drawings.

Behind me is a bookshelf that houses all my design magazines and office supplies. Next to me is my press wall to inspire me and help me remember, what I do matters.

My husband works from home as well, so his desk in in this space and, since I'm a giver, I allow him to display his sports mementos on top of the bookshelf.

Tomorrow: we'll travel down the hall and downstairs.