Let’s talk cabinets! We are nearing closer to wrapping up the building process of our dream home! Last time I shared the selecting ceiling fans process with you, and today I want to share what was a huge decision process for me – Selecting Cabinets. This includes the kitchen cabinets and those being fitted in the bathrooms throughout the home too. So how did we choose all the cabinets for an entire home? Let’s walk through the process together!

*If you’re just joining us, this is another installment of a series documenting the building of our personal dream home.  So far we’ve tackled: Inspiration | Floorplan | Location | Breaking Ground | Roofing | Windows | Insulation | Sheetrock & Plaster  | Selecting Paint | Selecting Flooring | Selecting Bathtubs | Selecting Lighting | Selecting Fans

Inspiration

Throughout my years as a designer I have been truly inspired by the cabinetry work by Christopher Peacock. In case you missed it, I dedicated a whole blog post on his beautiful work  and my mildly obsessive design crush…you can go back and swoon over here. I absolutely love how he uses a variety of finishes throughout his work and pairs this with traditional furniture style cabinets. For our dream home there was no question about who I would draw inspiration from for our cabinets.

Amazing inspiration photo from Christopher Peacock

Let’s start looking at the design for our cabinets!

I have always dreamed of having furniture style cabinets – very similar to the work by Christopher Peacock above – and now I have the chance to incorporate this into our new home. Cabinets designed like furniture feel more built-in for me, and I love the classic detailing. They are the perfect mix of traditional and modern!

For the main design of the home, interior and exterior, I have taken huge inspiration from the Hamptons, and for me, getting the cabinets on the same page is important.

We worked with our go to local cabinetmaker, here in Florida, Carson’s Cabinetry & Design. I cannot say enough about them! Their quality and craftsmanship is fantastic and, best of all, they are reliable and easy to work with.

Kitchen Cabinets

First up is the cabinet designs for the kitchen.

Undoubtedly up there as the most important area of the home to get the design right. The kitchen is open to the main double height family room and dining area – this really is the heart of our new home!

So here’s the plan for the kitchen cabinets…

For the cabinets here, design-wise I want them to look like furniture… The base helps to make them look built in. And having them painted in white were – and always will be – the choice for me. I love the clean and light look because it’s a timeless classic but also looks contemporary.

A 3D view of the kitchen cabinet designs…

I knew I wanted to do something different in this kitchen… So in the main run of cabinets – either side of the range area – I decided to stack glass cabinets on top of the countertops. These cabinets will be great for storing glasses, vases and other display-worthy items!

Inset cabinets were also a must-have. They are more expensive (by about 30%) but they’re definitely worth it! They really create that furniture feel.

Another key consideration for these kitchen cabinets is the hardware. The finish and style you choose is like the jewelry you add to an outfit.

So let’s look at some hardware options…

Hardware plays an important part of the overall design for the kitchen so getting it right is key!

To begin with, I considered using brass to really make the design “pop” and would give a modern and trendy look but after careful consideration, I settled with polished nickel. It’s a classic finish that works perfectly with the tones running through the marble of the countertops. I also feel like nickel for the hardware is more timeless than something like brass.

Again I took some inspiration from Christopher Peacock, and I reference this amazing blog post by Willow Decor! They go through each piece of hardware that Peacock uses for his kitchens – including some funny looking latches that actually make the design too! – so it’s well worth the read if you’re a fan.

Here are some of the hardware styles we have chosen…

I have chosen these cup cabinet pull style handles for the drawers as they are really practical and give a farmhouse style feel to the drawers:

And for the main tall cabinets I’ve gone for these slightly ornate style cabinet pulls! I really like these because they’re modern with a slight traditional feel.

I am IN LOVE with these cabinet latches! They will be used for the super high-up cabinets above the glass fronted ones.

And of course, I had to get some standard style knobs!

 

Master Bathroom

This is another really important room of the house – my sanctuary of course! We have his and hers sinks in the Master Bathroom – an absolute MUST if you and your partner get ready at the same time each morning. It helps to keep our toiletries separate (and gives me more storage for mine…) and gives us our own individual areas.

For the design of the vanity units here, I saved a whole load of images to my Pinterest Board for how I wanted them to look and also the furniture design style for this area.

In terms of finishes here, I love the warmth of walnut timber and how it is paired with a classic white marble…

Here’s the plan for our master bathroom vanity cabinets…

The his and hers sinks are actually on opposite sides of the bathroom rather than next to each other… These are the cabinet makers final drawings before they start building.

Similarly to the cabinets for the kitchen, I wanted the vanity units to look like pieces of furniture. Not only does this help increase the storage space for my husband and I it’s the modern classic look that I love! We’re going for a furniture look with extra tall legs that is almost like a server or credenza, and they will be finished in walnut to add warmth and richness to the space.

For the hardware of these cabinets we will be using a dark bronze finish to add a modern touch to them.

Other Bathrooms

Next up – the other bathrooms in the house!

I decided to keep the same furniture style cabinets for most of the bathrooms so there is a consistent style throughout. But as you will see below, the space is limited for some of them so the design is simplified slightly to account for this.

Teen Daughter’s Bathroom…

For my teenage daughter’s bathroom I have kept with the same furniture style cabinets, but chose a painted gray finish. The plumbing for this bathroom will be a gold finish so we will be using that for the hardware too. This will create a cohesive look.

This 3D view shows you how the style of cabinets work for a smaller space, while still keeping the furniture style!

Son’s Bathroom…

Again I have decided to keep with the furniture style cabinets for my son’s bathroom… But chose a painted navy finish to flow well from his bedroom and the hardware will be gold to make the color of the cabinets pop! The design for the vanity unit itself is simple yet practical.

The Pool Bathroom…

Another super simple furniture style cabinet design here. We will be having wallpaper installed to this bathroom so keeping the cabinet design simple will help to ensure the walls do all the talking! I’ve gone for furniture base detailing.

Powder Bathroom…

We have decided not to have cabinets in the main powder bathroom, and instead we will be using a piece of furniture.

Installation

Here are some photos from the installation!

The Kitchen coming together nicely…

 

 

 

 

And of course the PERFECT inserts!

These are an absolute MUST for anyone getting custom kitchen cabinets made! I can’t wait to have everything organized in this kitchen – it will make cooking and any preparation in this room so much easier for everyone.

Including knife slots for this drawer was a no brainer! It reduces any risk of injuries because the blades are all facing downwards instead of getting mixed up / upside down in a normal open space drawer…

These slanted inserts will house herbs and other small jars…

I love the separate compartments of this drawer! Perfect for all those kitchen utensils that would previously get shoved into whatever spare drawer I can find!

The final slanted drawer like before! This is so aesthetically pleasing…

FINALLY! Every utensil has it’s very own space! Not only that – it’s so much easier to see what you have in each drawer with these inserts…

One of the Master Bathroom vanity units…

I am so over the moon with how the master bathroom vanity units are coming on! The walnut finish here is absolutely beautiful – I can’t wait to get the countertops put on!

My daughter’s bathroom vanity unit…

I love how the warmth of the hardware comes through for this vanity unit and the gray painted finish of the cabinets blends seamlessly with the countertop veining.

And my son’s bathroom vanity unit…

We went with a more industrial style for the plumbing and light fixtures here so it made sense to incorporate this into the vanity mirror and tie all the metal finishes together.

So…what do you think? I’m in love! We’ll dive into countertops soon!

 

After a very unforeseen hiatus, we are back on job. It’s time to wrap this home building process up! Last time I shared the selecting lighting process with you, and today I want to share another important decision process – Ceiling Fans. So how did we choose all the fans for an entire home? Let’s walk through the process together!

*If you’re just joining us, this is another installment of a series documenting the building of our personal dream home.  So far we’ve tackled: Inspiration | Floorplan | Location | Breaking Ground | Roofing | Windows | Insulation | Sheetrock & Plaster  | Selecting Paint | Selecting Flooring | Selecting Bathtubs | Selecting Lighting

Where To Start

Selecting ceiling fans for an entire house can be pretty daunting. The old school fans from the 90’s (with chains and light canopies) weren’t too designer friendly. Well, they’ve come a long way! I live in Florida…we need ceiling fans in every single room…so if we’re going to use them, let’s “make them fashion”. Here is the one I started with. Simple, clean, traditional but fresh.

Just like the other decisions I have made for the new house, I started off by selecting one line as my supplier. It makes things easier and the finishes go together instantly.  Fanimation is my to go every single time…solid fans with a wide range of GREAT styles. You can select different finishes for the blades and the motor individually to fully customize each fan, along with different wall control panels. If you don’t know about them, you should totally look them up. Their Pinterest boards are inspiration enough.  If you want to go down the rabbit hole, you can dive into their boards here and my blackhole of Pins for our new house here.

Style

The concept for this house. Hmmm…what type of fan would go nicely with this?

The design for ceiling fans lie greatly in the style of blades. It’s more about the blades than the motor itself, and choosing between a centrally housed fan (a circular metal ring with the blades within it), or exposed (main motor with open blades coming off it from the center). From previous experience I knew I wanted to have the exposed style ceiling fans throughout the new house as the performance is better. It’s important to decide what sort of style of ceiling fan is applicable and suitable for each room so you can narrow down suppliers based on this if necessary. Next the quantity of blades is a key consideration… Generally this is totally down to personal taste – 3 blades creates a minimal barely-there look and 4 or 5 blades is fairly standard. Most importantly though, the number of blades does correlate to the performance and efficiency of the ceiling fan too. As the number of blades go up, the quieter the fan but circulates less air.

 

Rules

Sticking to simple, tried and true rules I’ve created for myself over the years makes selections much easier. Here are my rules for fans:

-No chains. None. Don’t do it.

-Clean lines. Nothing frilly.

-Dark and as monochromatic with the blades as possible

This is pretty…

Size

OK, now for the logistics. Your fans need to fit in the rooms they’re going in! There are some critical factors to take in to consideration, particularly for small rooms or low ceiling heights. If you install a large fan in a small room it looks silly and equally a small fan in a large room looks weak and isn’t effective!

As a general rule:

-Rooms 75 square feet or smaller, the ceiling fan should be no bigger than 36 inches

-Larger rooms of 75 – 144 square feet, the ceiling fan should be 36 – 42 inches

-Rooms 144-200 can hold a fan with a 60 or 70″ span

-Rectangular rooms over this size can usually hold 2 fans. Space them out consistently

-Ceilings over 10′ or so will need a down rod… or 2! Read about the sizing here.

This room needs 2 fans and doubled up down rods.

Finish

Once you have decided on a style and how many blades you prefer, thinking about the finish of the ceiling fan is another important consideration. Typically the finish of ceiling fans should relate to the lighting fixtures and hardware within each room. This may be different for each area and that’s perfectly ok! So long as the finish works with the room the ceiling fan is in.

I stuck with the Dark Bronze finish from Fanimation because we chose a mix of aged brass and polished nickel for internal rooms and a vintage finish for external lighting. I always knew I wanted darker ceiling fans throughout so they had a strong presence in the spaces and make up part of the overall design to each room. I paired the Dark Bronze finish with Dark Walnut blades for all of the ceiling fans which creates a cohesiveness throughout the house.

Selections

So here’s a round up of the ceiling fans I’ve chosen for each key room…

I chose different styles of ceiling fans for most rooms, but kept the finishes the same throughout for consistency.

Scroll down to the bottom for links to each

Family Room

For the family room I decided to keep the design of the ceiling fan simple, as the overall design is very Hamptons chic. We need two fans for this space so opted for the 60″ blades. This is without a lighting kit as we have alternative light sources going in here.

Family Room Ceiling Fan, finished in Dark Bronze with 60″ Dark Walnut blades, without lighting kit, with wall control

A few installed photos from the house:

Master Bedroom

For the master I’ve chosen this classic 5 blade ceiling fan, again because it relates nicely to other aspects of the design for this room specifically. This is without a lighting kit.

Master Bedroom Ceiling Fan finished in Dark Bronze with 52″Dark Walnut blades, without lighting kit and with wall control

Guest and Daughter’s Bedrooms

I chose the same ceiling fan style for these two bedrooms as we needed the same size blades so it made sense to simplify these. This is a really sleek and modern 3 blade ceiling fan which will look amazing with the other furniture and finishes used in these bedrooms! I chose to add a lighting kit to these fans so it provides some of the lighting for the rooms.

Bedrooms Ceiling Fans finished in Dark Bronze with 52″ Dark Walnut blades, with lighting kit and with wall control

Son’s Bedroom

For my son’s bedroom we chose this sleek yet simple 3 blade ceiling fan to keep the ceiling minimal as the room is slightly smaller in size to the others. Again, it actually has a lighting kit with it because this is one of the main central source of light for the room.

Bedroom Ceiling Fan finished in Dark Bronze with 48″ Dark Walnut blades, with lighting kit and with wall control

Playroom

I’m using the same ceiling fan here as the guest and my daughter’s bedrooms. It made sense to use a sleek design here, and without a lighting kit. 

Playroom Ceiling Fan finished in Dark Bronze with 52″ Dark Walnut blades, without lighting kit and with wall control

Outdoor

The outdoor spaces require three ceiling fans, so we’re keeping it simple but going for two 60″ and one 72″ sizes.

Outdoor Ceiling Fans, finished in Dark Bronze with 60″ and 72″ Dark Walnut blades, without lighting kit and with wall control

Exterior

I’ve decided on something slightly different for the exterior to the house! I just LOVE this old-style wall mount fan!

Exterior Wall Mounted Fan in Black, without lighting kit and with wall control

The Final Selections

So here it is! The final selection of ceiling fans for the new house below! I am so in love with them, I love how they all relate to each other but are slightly different in blade styles.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

What do you think? Would you have made the same selections? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear from you.

*This post was sponsored by Fanimation, but all opinions are mine, I promise. 🙂

 

 

Assistant/Intern for Interior Designer

Part Time 

We are seeking a part time Office Assistant/Paid Intern for the Gainesville area. Candidate will work directly with the owner. Duties will include general office tasks, social media posts, Quickbooks input, research, document handling, ordering, email correspondence, billing and some phone calls. Any interest in Interior Design, Marketing or Construction is a bonus, but certainly not necessary. Professional appearance and a positive, pleasant attitude are required.

Email resume to Lori@TheEvansEdit.com

It’s that time of year. Yippee. Whether you decorate your whole house or just a room, holiday decorations should be fun and no stress. If you’re stressed out, you’re doing it wrong. 😉

Follow these 3 easy steps and sit back and enjoy.

 

1. Pick a Theme

I love traditional Christmas plaid and tartan decorations. Think Ralph Lauren in Connecticut on Christmas morning. Having this base to refer to makes shopping easy. But it’s not about me, it’s about you. What do YOU like? All white? Modern? Country? Pick a theme and go with it.

Here are my favorite picks for this year.

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2. Vary It Slightly

Now that you have a signature look, vary it slightly from room to room. I mix different tartans and plaids in different areas. More formal rooms get silver champagne buckets holding mini trees with tartan ribbon. Kids areas get buckets holding trees, tartan blankets and shams. Keeping the same thread running throughout keeps everything working together.

 

3. When In Doubt, Add More!

This is not the time for subtlety. Your house is only going to be decorated for a month, max. Pull out all the stops and enjoy. It will be gone before you know it.

 

Now that we have a few guidelines, let’s see some inspiration images in my favorite look. Several are from my home. Enjoy! Sources and buying info at the bottom.

 

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Evans Construction and Design

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Here’s a couple handy graphics for your Pinterest boards with links below!

1 Blue pillow

2 White pillow

3 Red pillow

4 Stocking

5 Square wreath

6 Tartan throw

7 Blackwatch plate

8 White tartan plate

9 Red tartan plate

We’ve been working on our new home for what feels like a lifetime, but we’re SO CLOSE to the finishing line I can smell it. 🙂  We’re just wrapping up selections and it’s time to look at lighting. Yippee! Lighting can make or break a space and there are just so many good things out there nowadays. So how do you choose lighting throughout a home? Let’s walk through the process together!

*If you’re just joining us, this is another installment of a series documenting the building of our personal dream home.  So far we’ve tackled:

 Inspiration | Floorplan | Location | Breaking Ground | Roofing | Windows | Insulation | Sheetrock & Plaster  | Selecting Paint | Selecting Flooring | Selecting Bathtubs 

A Starting Point

When it’s time to make selections, I like to start by looking back at any inspirational images I’ve collected. This has been my go-to board and although it doesn’t show lighting in particular, it shows the overall theme and look for the home. It’s always nice to remind yourself, so you don’t get off track.

Next, look at the interiors you love or have pinned on Pinterest, then notice more of the lighting fixtures that have been used, to start narrowing down what you do and don’t like. There’s some sort of consistent theme, I would bet.

You can dive into my blackhole of Pins for this house here.

Then, dive in little further and start noticing actual fixtures you like. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE all things Hudson Valley, so I immediately went to their Pinterest boards to see what they had. The had a board that seemed like it was made just for me! East Coast Inspo? Yes, please.

 

So from these inspirational images I have previously saved, I narrowed down the following points:

• I love simplistic and uncomplicated fixtures, but not boring
• I like a mix of finishes. One finish throughout can look flat and I like to mix it up. Think layers!
• Nothing too glitzy or sparkly
• A feature pendant above the bathtub is a must
• I love how wall lanterns look against cedar shakes

How to Choose

Selecting a whole houseful of lighting at once can seem overwhelming. You don’t want to get a “set” that all matches…I mean we’re better than that, right? But, you also don’t want it to look like a mess of things that has no correlation. There’s a fine line and I like to walk it!

• Start with something you LOVE…something that gets you all fired up
• Then, complement that showstopper in the other spaces of the home
• Keep layers in mind…think of the whole home as a balance of different layers running throughout
• Mixing finishes is more than OK, it’s encouraged
• I keep it to a max of 3 lighting finishes throughout the home
• Keep your doorknob, plumbing and cabinet hardware finishes in mind to make sure everything plays well together

Selections

So here’s a round up of the light fixtures I’ve chosen for each key room. I can’t wait to see them in the actual space!

Kitchen Lighting

This was my feature. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this classic polished nickel pendant. It looks good everywhere, every time!

Kitchen Island Pendants, finished in Polished Nickel

Here’s a reminder of the overall floor plan, with the living room.

I wanted to make a feature of the lighting above the island, whilst making it practical and providing a good amount of task lighting for food preparation.

Master Bed & Bath

As I’ve mentioned before, a feature chandelier above the bathtub in the master bathroom is an absolute must!! This fixture actually differs in finish from the vanity wall lights because I wanted to emphasize that this is a feature. I also absolutely love it, so why not? Following my own advice, I started here then worked to support it.

Master Bathroom, bathtub feature chandelier, finished in Aged Brass.

Master Bathroom, wall lights for above the vanity units, finished in Polished Nickel.

Master Closet pendant, to be hung above the island, finished in Polished Nickel.

Daughter’s Room

My daughter loved this from the start, so we worked off of it.

Olivia’s Room ceiling light, finished in Aged Brass.

For her bathroom, I have gone with a similar design to the bedroom light to keep it consistent throughout these two spaces.

Olivia’s Bathroom Vanity Light, finished in Aged Brass.

Office

I wanted something “snazzy” here, as I work from my home office and open a lot of time here.

Office Chandelier, finished in Aged Brass.

 

Powder Bath

This bath is going to be all dark navy blue and very “moody”. I wanted something bold, but clean to compliment the look I have in mind. I love this

Powder Bath light, finished in Aged/Antiqued Distressed Bronze  

Pool Bath

We decided on a flush mount ceiling fixture for the Pool Bath. This bath will have some crazy busy wallpaper and I din’t want to fight it. This is clean, simple and rich looking…a perfect complement.

Pool Bath ceiling light, finished in Polished Nickel.

Exterior Lighting

From the inspirational images I have gathered over the years leading up to this project, I settled on using these two lanterns from Hudson Valley Lighting…

Exterior Garage wall lanterns, finished in Vintage.

Exterior Back Porch wall lanterns, finished in Vintage.

The Final Selections

So here it is! The final selection of decorative lighting for the new house below! I am so in love with how they all look and work well together!

What do you think? Do you love these as much as I do? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear from you.

 

*This post was sponsored by Hudson Valley Lighting, but all opinions are mine, I promise. 🙂

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Do you ever see a picture that just stops you in your tracks…like, literally? A few years ago a came across Mark D. Sikes’ work on Pinterest and quickly became obsessed. Classic blue and white…but not prissy or boring. Black pieces mixed in…but not heavy. Stripes sat alongside gorgeous Chinoiserie wallpapers. It’s perfection.

I couldn’t get enough and I began scouring his website and analyzing his rooms. I researched the pieces he used and quickly realized he had beautiful lines of furniture and accessories with several companies. So, then I researched those. Rugs, yes. Furniture, yes. Accessories, lights, you name it. I was obsessed!  He’s lucky I didn’t fly to California and visit him in person. Just kidding, well sort of.

Then I hit the mother load…he wrote a book! A book! 185 pages of beautiful rooms and endless inspiration. It quickly became my go to and the wear and tear on the book is proof of that. 🙂

I recently found out he is writing a second book, due to come out in September. I am literally counting down the days!

So, in honor of that, let’s take a look at some of my favorite rooms and vignettes from Mark D. Sikes. All photos are from his AMAZING website.

What do you think? Do you love Mark Sikes as much as I do?

 

 

How do you begin designing a dream bathroom? I like to start with the tub! There’s really nothing more dramatic than a gorgeous free-standing piece of art, that also happens to double as a bathtub. With so many beautiful tubs available, how do you choose? Let’s walk through the process together!

*If you’re just joining us, this is another installment of a series documenting the building of our personal dream home. So far we’ve tackled:

Inspiration | Floorplan | Location | Breaking Ground | Roofing | Windows | Insulation | Sheetrock & Plaster  | Selecting Paint | Selecting Flooring

Selecting

When it was time to start thinking about my personal bathroom, I knew I had to start with the tub and I knew I had to start with the absolute best tubs…MTI. They make the most beautiful, sculptural tubs  you see time and time again while thumbing through design magazines. I was lucky enough to score an invite to MTI’s factory, just outside Atlanta, and let me sum it up in one word…amazing! The people couldn’t be nicer and the factory couldn’t be cooler. It ran with precision and I got an in depth tour of what they make and how they make it. Let’s take a look!

 

Basically, they make three different types of tubs…acrylic, mineral composite and a solid material called SculptureStone. All three are gorgeous and I quickly saw the differences. Watching these tubs being made was FASCINATING!

Acrylic

To form an acrylic tub, they start with a sheet of acrylic and form it over a mold. Because they are hand-making each one, you can add a ton of cool options… air baths, whirlpool jets, lights (chromatherapy), aromatherapy…you name it!  The result is a custom tub with a beautiful  sleek and shiny finish. Classic and gorgeous!

SculptureStone

This solid material is really like artwork. Liquid is poured into a mold and cured to create a SOLID piece of sculpture that also happens to be a tub! You can outfit it with an air bath or keep it as a soaking tub. Each tub is then hand sanded into a matte or glossy finish. Hand sanded! The matte finish takes 4 solid hours and the shiny 8…unbelievable.

The Contenders

I narrowed down my options to the following 3 tubs for my personal Master Bath; The Juliet, The Elise and The Parisian.

Then I photoshopped them into my room to get a sense of the scale.

I love all three, I really do. Honestly, you can’t go wrong here.

Decision Time

I decided to go with the classic Elise tub. It’s timeless, stunning and really a work of art. I added an air bubbler system and went with the glossy finish. I can’t WAIT to see it in!

Kids

But wait, I have 2 kids that probably want a bathtub too! Ahh! With all the excitement about my tub, I almost forgot about them! I actually have 5 kids, but 3 of them are on their own and can buy their own damn bathtubs! 🙂

I found one tub that would work for both kids, then customized it differently to suit them.

Now to add all of the fun options!

Hers

My teen daughter would love ALL of the bells and whistles…Bluetooth speakers built-in, Chromatherapy and an Air Bath. She’ll love it!

His

My five year old little boy would do just fine with no bath, ever, so we’ll keep his simple with an air bubbler system. MTI makes it super easy to customize the tubs for each person

Delivery

The tubs started to arrive and they are STUNNING! They are made to order, right here in the USA. I can’t wait to see them installed. Stay tuned!

 

So, what do you think? Did I choose the right one? What would you have selected?

 

Note:  This post is sponsored by MTI Baths.  All of the opinions are mine, I promise.

 

 

 

UPDATED FOR 2020

If you’ve been in the market for plumbing fixtures lately, you’ve likely seen the newest and most beautiful finish out…”Luxe Gold” by Brizo. It will stop you in your tracks! See below for the Cheat Sheet with links.

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It stands out in a sea of Brushed Nickel, Chrome, Oil Rubbed Bronze and (now) Matte Black. It’s the perfect warm-gold.  It’s not bright brass from the 80s, not even close. They have everything you need for your Kitchen or Bath.

 

Here’s just a very small sampling…

So, let’s say you’ve decided to use this lovely combination in your home. Amazing! But… you need some things to coordinate with it. Knobs…lights…mirrors… What goes with this gorgeous finish? Brizo makes a few things to coordinate but not much….like one light…seriously.

 

What coordinates?

You can MIX the finish with other finishes…maybe matte black? That’s a valid option.  But, let’s look at what will actually coordinate with Luxe Gold from other brands. Here are a few of my favorites. Don’t worry, all the links are down below at the bottom of the post.

But wait…

 

 

Is This The Same As Delta’s Champagne Bronze?

Before we dive into each of these items above( links are below) let’s address a mistake I almost made.

Is Brizo’s “Luxe Gold” finish interchangeable with Delta’s “Champagne Bronze”? I mean Delta OWNS Brizo…they look similar…they’re probably the same right?

No…no they’re not.

Brizo’s Luxe Gold is lighter, less “gold-y”. Delta’s Champagne Bronze is deeper and would mix easily with standard brass options. (Maybe we’ll cover that in the future!) But for now, let’s stick with

 

So let’s breakdown that Cheat Sheet. Scroll down for the all the links below!

 

Mirrors and Accessories

perfectly finished mirror

 

storage for your bath in the perfect finish

 

outlet covers if you want to be extra

 

 

 

Probably the most important item to coordinate…

Hardware

Honey Bronze finish from this line matches PERFECTLY

Lowes even has a matching option

Our favorite finish in a handle mixed with Lucite

Lowes again for the win!

Guess who makes this one?

And this one?

 

 

Lights for the Kitchen, Bath and Common Spaces

Hanging globe for Kitchen Island perfection

Funky wall light for Kitchen or Bath

Another option for the Kitchen Island

Beautiful Bathroom sconce, various sizes

Another beautiful sconce, other sizes too

This sconce has the PERFECT finish and comes in a bunch of sizes

Guess who makes this one? 😉

Perfect ceiling fixture

 

 

Or…Screw it and paint anything you want 😉

Just kidding, please don’t do that!

Cheat Sheet

So now we have a BUNCH of options to coordinate with the amazing Brizo Luxe Gold line. Here is a handy dandy Cheat Sheet for you, with links, along with one perfectly formatted for your Pinterest page.

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Pin this one to Pinterest!

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So, what do you think? Will you try this new finish? I am!

We’ve been plugging away with construction of our new home and are definitely making progress! Lots of “construction-y” items like sheetrock, plaster, roofing, etc. has been covered, but nothing “fun”. Until now! FINALLY, it’s time to start thinking about a design item…hardwood flooring! Yippee! It’s a major decision and I’m excited to make it.

Truth be told, I love real, authentic hardwood flooring. It makes me so happy….whenever I can use it, I do. It beats laminate, carpet, and luxury vinyl every time. There’s something really warm and cozy about walking on hardwood floors. Growing up in Miami, it certainly wasn’t something I saw a lot of. But moving to northern Florida opened up a whole new world to me. Fireplaces…real hardwood floors…brick..what are these things!? I loved them all and couldn’t get enough.

So, with that being said, hardwood flooring was definitely on tap for my new home. Let’s dive into the selection process, step by step. How exciting!

Our new home…underway!

*If you’re just joining us, this is another installment of a series documenting the building of our personal dream home. So far we’ve tackled:

Inspiration | Floorplan | Location | Breaking Ground | Roofing | Windows | Insulation | Sheetrock & Plaster  | Selecting Paint

Where to Start

Just as much as I knew I wanted to use real wood throughout my home, I also knew where I wanted to get it from…Shaw Floors. Hands down, Shaw Floors is the go to in my book.  They lead the design field in fresh, new introductions and have a quality that’s unmatched. Clients love them and so do I.

I was lucky enough to score an invitation to Shaw Floors Headquarters in Dalton, Georgia, which I was tickled pink about. I happily drove myself up there to see, firsthand, what they had. Talk about a dream day.

The team welcomed me with open arms and showed me all around. Good grief, they have some beautiful things! Carpet, tile/stone, luxury vinyl, hardwood…you name it. All beautiful, but I had my heart set on hardwood.

 

Expressions

I was introduced to their brand new premium line of hardwood from The Gallery collection, which you can see here. The style in this image is Expressions, which is unbelievably gorgeous. It’s a white oak product, which is completely on trend, and comes in 10 great colors. I loved it.

What I really like about this line is that the planks are wide and the finishes are gorgeous! You can see the entire line here. I quickly singled out Harmony as my favorite and it became a contender!

Castlewood

With dreams of  Expressions in Harmony racing in my head,  I then came across another beautiful style in The Gallery collection. Ohh…now this is what I had in mind. Oak-y, grainy, traditional hardwood floor that would “ground” my white cabinets, walls and trim. A classic that would never go out of style.

This style is called Castlewood Oak and is absolutely stunning! Two colors quickly jumped out as contenders: Drawbridge and Arrow. Both feature traditional dark wood with a grayish glaze.

Well, now I don’t know what to do!? I love all three of these. To remind myself of my direction and vision for the home, I pulled out my trusty inspiration board. What would look best with this? Honestly, all three work and work really well.

Decision Time

I knew I wouldn’t make the decision right there and would want some time to think about it. I gathered samples and took them home to ponder. Three seems like a good, workable number to choose from and is often the amount I would advise for a client.

I also thought I’d dig around a little and see how they look online, in a large space. Shaw Floors website is great for that! You can see how it looks “down” on the floor via their new Floorvana + virtual tool where you can view different flooring options in your home!  Again, reminding myself what I tell clients…don’t just look at it head on, look at it “down” on the floor.

I poked around their site and compared the three finalists.

Going back to the site, I compared and contrasted the technical specs of the hardwoods. Shaw has a handy, dandy chart that makes it easy. I dove in to see if there were any glaring differences between the two styles (two of the contenders are the same collection) which might make it easier.

Ok, here we go…

• Both were nice, wide planks (7.5″) which I like.
• Both were actually White Oak, even though they look so different.
• Both have a high color variation, which is something I always like to see also. It keeps things interesting to have a cohesive variation through the room.
• Both had a wire brushed finish, which I also gravitate towards.
• Both call for the same installation.

Soooo…now what? How do you decide between three things you love?

My Trick

Yet again, I reminded myself of what I tell clients. I always ask, “What’s going ON it?”  What I’m basically asking is,  what type of things will you be putting ON the surface? Contrast always looks good and keeps things interesting. Dark or dark on dark is depressing. Light on light on light is boring, in my humble opinion. So, let’s stop and think…what will go on top of this?  I think this really helps you make a decision.

For my personal home I envisioned white…light…clean…fresh…beautiful things ON this floor. Looking back at the inspiration board, I really liked the idea of all of this fresh looking decor in a rich, dark, grounded space. Would it look good on the lighter Expressions in Harmony? Of course! But what I really had in mind for the space was a classic Hamptons traditional look and I just feel like the darker floor gives it just that.

 

They’re Here!

I excitedly ordered my hardwood flooring and counted the day until it came. Let me tell you, it’s even more striking in person. I LOVE it and can’t wait to see it all down. I convinced my General Contractor (husband) to get started on it, even before we typically would during a project, so I could see it down. A-ma-zing!

Final Thoughts

My take away here is that I LOVE my new Shaw Floors hardwood, like I’m in love with it. I’m happy I went with my gut and selected classic dark hardwood. It looks amazing and the project is really starting to come together! We will follow the installation and have more updates, along with a final reveal, soon! Stick with us and follow the whole blog series here.

Keep this info for yourself and Pin it with this cute little Pin. You never know when you’re going to need it!

 

 

Note:  This post is sponsored by Shaw Floors.  All of the opinions are mine, I promise.

 

 

 

Next up in our Dream Home series, we are covering paint. Let’s be really real…paint is hard…especially when it’s for yourself! So many choices, so little time. After hemming and hawing for weeks and having a long, hard talk with myself…it was time to make a decision. I rolled my sleeves up and put up some samples. Then a few more. Then a few more. Let’s walk through it together and see what we ultimately decided on!

 

*If you’re just joining us, this is the eighth installment of a year long series documenting the building of our personal dream home. So far we’ve tackled:

Inspiration | Floorplan | Location | Breaking Ground | Roofing | Windows | Insulation | Sheetrock & Plaster

 

Paint Colors Considered

• Natural Choice SW7011 by Sherwin Williams
• Shoji White SW7042 by Sherwin Williams
• Classic Gray OC-23 by Benjamin Moore
• Oyster White SW7637 by Sherwin Williams
• Heron’s Plume SW6070 by Sherwin Williams
• Ivory Lace SW7013 by Sherwin Williams

 

Let’s make some sample boards

I headed over to my favorite Sherwin Williams store and purchased little sample quarts of the colors. Rather than put them up on the wall only, I like to make poster boards that can easily be moved around. Different rooms obviously show the colors differently, but so do the walls in the same room.

 

Let’s put the samples up on the walls

More information is always better! I painted the same samples on the wall to see what that looks like.

starting from top left to right, then bottom left to right

• Natural Choice SW7011 by Sherwin Williams
• Shoji White SW7042 by Sherwin Williams
• Classic Gray OC-23 by Benjamin Moore
• Oyster White SW7637 by Sherwin Williams
• Heron’s Plume SW6070 by Sherwin Williams
• Ivory Lace SW7013 by Sherwin Williams

 

Bigger Samples

So, now I’m starting to see a few favorites. Let’s dive in a little deeper to those. I really like Classic Gray (which in my humble opinion isn’t gray, like at all) so I painted an entire corner out in it and added the flooring selection (which is GORGEOUS) and the cabinet and tile colors. It’s looking good!

 

My Epiphany – Finish Considerations

I must mention that, at this point, I had an epiphany. Really. I’ve been using this little system of sample boards, wall samples, then bigger wall samples for 20 years and noticed something. Something bad. The little cans only come in a satin finish. Your actual paint for the room can come in several finishes and you likely won’t be using satin for your walls. I almost always use Matte or Flat. The two finishes of the same color look DRASTICALLY different. This photo shows samples of the same color, made on the same day at the same store, but because of their finishes, they look very different.  I actually created an entire blog post about it here.

Final Selection

What did we ultimately decide on? Classic Gray, which I don’t believe to be gray at all. It’s the perfect warm neutral. It’s very light, which will be new to us in our personal home, but is just what I want. The white cabinet door contrasts with it nicely, which is perfect! A little tip is that I typically color match the white cabinet for the trim throughout. This is going to be perfect!

 

Product

We decided to go with Sherwin Williams Duration paint in the Flat finish. It is perfect!

 

Thanks for following along in the process of building our dream home. Catch up on the series here or visit any of the previous posts directly below.

Inspiration

Floorplan

Location

Breaking Ground

Roofing

Windows

Insulation

Sheetrock & Plaster