If you’ve been hanging out on Magnolia Lane with us for any amount of time, you know that Terry’s about to bring Baby Boy K into the world and that Amy and I are getting ready to move. To say that we’ve all been just a bit frantic these last few weeks would be an understatement. Amy showed you guys her updated home tour {here} a few weeks ago, right before they put their home on the market. Gorgeous! Well, we just put ours on the rental market a few days ago, and I’m going to give you a tour, too. As I look back and realize that I’ve painted every single room (except for the two-story great room) and completed projects throughout the house, I have to admit that I do feel like I’ve accomplished a lot in the almost-two-years that we’ve lived here.
Here’s my favorite place to sit while I watch the kids ride their bikes:
But you probably wanted to see inside, so, without further ado, come on in!
My foyer opens directly into the dining room on the right, with the great room straight ahead. I keep a little old chippy dresser in the hall and store table linens in the drawers–so convenient for entertaining!
The dining room has undergone a transformation, with painted walls, a new chandelier, open shelving, and painted window treatments. I love how it turned out–not too formal, not too casual, but JUST RIGHT! Read about the dining room and see more photos {here} and {here}. By the way, the dining room table and chairs just got a coat of white chalk paint, plus new fabric on the chairs (complete with a monogram because I’m addicted), so expect another update on how I did all that soon.
Our great room has a huge two-story bank of windows on the rear wall. Thank goodness I loved the paint color (Fawn Brindle by Sherwin Williams) because it would have been a challenge to paint! We have great built-ins on either side of the gas fireplace, and my stained glass window has pride of place, as always. Many of you know that the window is from the church in which my parents were married. My mom’s been gone for ten years now, and I find it so comforting to have some of her favorite things in my own home.
The stairway separates the great room from the kitchen, although the entire downstairs is nice and open. My kitchen has had tons of work done to it, as many of you know. We started out with blue walls, cherry cabinets, black appliances, and a brown tile backsplash, and wound up with this:
The Better Homes & Gardens special interest magazine (Kitchen + Bath Makeovers) featuring my kitchen hit newsstands earlier in March, and I’ve gotten permission to show you a couple of the amazing photos they shot (below). It’s truly amazing what a professional photographer, stylist, and lighting can accomplish! Read more about the projects I did in the kitchen {here} and {here}.
The pantry was a great big corner space, but it had white wire shelves (my nemesis) so I ripped them out and built solid shelving instead. I put in a chandelier while I was at it–why not?
The laundry room is nestled between the kitchen and the dining room. This room was so fun to decorate–from the painted wallpaper, to the Ballard Designs drying rack, to the cafe style shelving I built. After a search for the perfect metal storage cabinet, I found it at the Nashville flea market (I will SO miss that flea market when we move!). The laundry room was featured in the January 2013 issue of Cottages & Bungalows magazine–very exciting!
Just off the kitchen is the screened porch. This was on my must-have list when we moved here. My hubby is irresistible to mosquitoes and this is the only way I can keep him outside in the summertime. I put a chandelier out here and added sheers to one of the side walls, both for privacy and to block the sun. We eat dinner out here during the warm months, and it’s a great spot to relax with a glass of wine in the evening.
The powder room got a major facelift, too, going from dark brown to bright white with paint and beadboard. I changed out the light fixture, painted the mirror, and added decoupaged toile switch plates.
Our master bedroom is on the first floor; our kids are old enough that this worked out wonderfully. This space started out apple green, and after three gallons of Benjamin Moore’s Pebble Beach, the bedroom (all the way up to the cathedral ceiling), sitting area (which is my 11 Magnolia Lane “office”), and bathroom were a much more restful color! The bedroom and sitting room redo is {here} (although the sitting room has changed again since then), and the master bath redo is {here}.
We have his and hers walk in closets between the bedroom and the bathroom. I just worked on my husband’s and will post that in the next few weeks, but my closet redo is {here}, {here}, and {here}. I painted everything pale pink and added a silver glaze in a harlequin diamond pattern. I also added a chandelier and lots of other girlie touches. I love how it turned out, and I think this might be the room I’ll miss the most when we move.
Now we’ll move upstairs. I wanted to rip the carpet off these bad boys and do beadboard risers like my friends Steve & Robyn did {here}, but I ran out of time. I do love the painted banister, though–it really pops against the gray walls. Amy gave me the candelabra at the top of the stairs. We swap stuff all the time to mix things up.
We have four rooms upstairs: my daughter’s room, my son’s room, the guest room, and the bonus room. My daughter’s room has been changed up slightly since the last post {here} on it; we painted her iron headboard again. I swear, it’s some sort of OCD disorder with me (one of many, my husband is thinking as he reads this…).
The DIY ballet barre has been a huge hit with her; it will probably have to move to Savannah with us.
My son’s room looks a lot like it did in our old house in North Carolina {here}. I do love the old World War II footlocker that he uses as a nightstand. It was his great-grandfather’s.
The gumball machine is frequently running low thanks to my two kids and their friends in the neighborhood. The Coke crate holds a few loose Legos, although video games and Minecraft are taking over at this age!
Here’s the guest room (aka the “hodgepodge room”–we all have one!). You can read about the anniversay pillow slipcovers {here}. Also in this room is the old entertainment center that I painted green, although it’s not in this shot (you can see a tiny bit of it in the mirror).
My teeny-tiny craft and sewing area is on the wall. I posted about it {here}, although since then I have painted the sewing machine table and chair white. I keep the Rustoleum people in business singlehandedly!
We also have a bonus room, and I’ll show it to you, but don’t judge, OK? It’s where the kids play video games (and even board games, sometimes), and I haven’t done much with it.
Oops, I forgot that there is a bathroom up here–the urchins are not using my gorgeous master bath! I posted about the board and batten treatment I did {here} and if you’re at all handy, then I highly recommend this easy project. My kids will hang towels up on hooks, but just drop them on the floor when confronted with a towel bar. Who needs that?
The only other area that I’ve wanted to show you for ages is our walk-in storage off the bonus room. Half of it is packed full of boxes (Christmas ornaments, old photos, etc), but the other half is my daughter’s play area for her dolls. All of her American Girl dolls and their tiny furniture are set up, and since the door shuts on whatever she’s done, she never has to clean it up. Of course, that’s why we’ve never shared it with you, as it has yet to be neat enough to photograph!
I’m so glad you stopped by for a home tour–I enjoyed having it neat enough for a few brief moments to share it with you (kids! dogs! cat! hamster! laundry!).
PS Want to see our new house in Savannah? That home tour is {here}.
Your home is SO pretty….no wonder it’s been featured in magazines!! I love your dining room details with the shelving, painted curtains, and monogrammed chairs!
Thank you, Lisa. I had no idea where I was going with the dining room when I started, but I’m so pleased with how it turned out. Glad you stopped by!
I am just totally speechless. I love every last detail of your home…it’s just absolutely stunning and it is completely the style that I hope to achieve some day. We just built our home (finished in October) so I still have lots of decorating to do. Your home is such an inspiration…I can only hope to achieve one iota of the awesomeness that you have here! I want to climb into these pictures!! LOVE IT. Also…do you remember where you purchased the bedding in your daughter’s room? We are getting ready to start on my 2 year old’s “big girl” room, and I just love that bedding!
Lauren–you’re too kind–thank you! The good news is that the way I decorate is pretty inexpensive, since I find so many things at thrift stores and flea markets. The bad news is that it can take awhile to find nice things/the right things when you’re looking in those places. 🙂 Take your time and you’ll get there! The bedding in my daughter’s room is the Annabel line from Serena & Lily, and it is absolutely gorgeous in real life. Happy decorating!
Thanks so much for responding! And I think that the bedding is meant-to-be for…my daugther’s name is Anabel! 🙂
Mine is Annabelle, too, and although her spelling is different, we also took it as a sign!
I’m so glad I finally got to “visit” your special home; it looks just like you, Christy–clever, attractive, organized and warm! I can’t wait to see what you do to the next place! XOXO
Thank you, Debbie! You won’t have to wait long to see the next place, now will you? My husband is kind enough to keep providing me with new material! 🙂
Christy, I LOVE your home and your designer’s talent. So inspiring! I am hooked. I’ll be “visiting” you here regularly to get me some Christy-Rocks-Ideas. Thanks!
Thanks, Ulya, and I’m so glad to see that you stopped by. Kiss your kiddos for me, please!
Your laundry room makes me swoon. I love it. Maybe laundry would be a joy to do in such a beautiful space. The rest of the house is wonderful too!
I don’t know, Angie–laundry is still laundry, but maybe I don’t dread it quite so much now! Thanks for the kind words!
So fabulous! I’d never be able to leave it.
Thanks, Betsy. I’m going to miss it, too.
I love those cabinets and small office near the stairs. I want some color too!
Mika
So sad we missed it.
Justin–I hope you find something absolutely wonderful. Good luck with your move to Nashville!
love your home…the tour was wonderful.
I’d love to know where you found the duvet cover on your daughter’s bed…it looks very similar (if not the same) to Edie’s daughters’ room that they share.
(life in grace blog)
You’re a beautiful homemaker!
Thanks so much, Tara! You have a good eye, because my daughter’s duvet cover is the exact same one that Edie has on her girls’ beds. She has such great style, doesn’t she? Anyway, it’s the Annabel duvet cover by Serena and Lily, and we’re so happy with it–it’s very high quality. Glad you stopped by!
Hi, I love your house! What color did you use in your little girl’s room? I LOVE it!
Hey Carissa–
It’s Behr’s Ionic Sky. It’s like living in a swimming pool–we love it, too!
Where do you get all of your chandeliers? I love them and have been looking for one!
Lots of different places: the ones in the dining room, the master bedroom sitting room, the master bath, and the screened porch are off of Craigslist. The one in my closet is from Ikea. The ones in my pantry and laundry rooms are from Home Depot. Several in our new house are from Ballard Designs. I’m always looking for chandeliers–I (obviously) love them, too!
So pretty all around! Thanks so much for sharing your lovely home. I, too, adore chandeliers. I can’t help myself..
Why try to fight it, I say! 🙂