A living room redo

Remember this post on our beach vacation?  I can't stop dreaming about updating the beach house, so I've put my ideas to paper.  One of things Mom and I talk about all the time is how to decorate the house and update it without losing the distinct sense of style that my Aunt and Uncle initially gave it.

In an effort to add function to form, I took the liberty to add curtains to the living room.  The window-lined room can get incredibly warm after the midday sun beams in so shade would be helpful.  We don't want to block or deter from the views, so sheer, unobtrusive panels would be best.  I have these same panels in my own bedroom at home and they are inexpensive and have wonderful texture.

Batik and block-print textiles nod to the fabrics initially chosen to decorate the house.  This fish pillow reminds me so much of the beach vibe and the existing bed linens they still sport on the beds (see picture below).

An ottoman as a coffee table would do wonders to ratchet up the comfortability factor in this room.

Sets of bunched together recliners or swivel chairs would also add comfort to the equation.

Replacing all of the carpets would be a nightmare on the pocketbook, so adding in a (washable) layer accent rug would really help.  We love how affordable and easy to care for Dash & Albert rugs are. It also repeats the blue and white stripes of the outside awning!

The current sofa is a modest mid-century piece with straight wooden arms.  Something clean lined and simple will work best.  Treated with one of the many fabric protectants would be well served in this salty climate.

The best time to use a nautical pendant, contrary to popular kitchen design concepts, is in a real beach house so I had to add this DWR piece.

My relatives have a piece of live edge wood resting on a console table nearby (see picture below) and I always dream of putting hairpin legs under it and making it a side table.

What's your favorite thing about a beach house?

Beach Bummin'

Hi friends.  I've been on hiatus this summer, busy with dog shows and campaigning Seamus for his AKC Championship along with our design business, my day job, training at the gym and all the other facets that unsuspectingly wash time away.  I am happy to report we just got home from a mini vacation at my family's beach house and feel totally recharged.  

I've introduced you to the house before, a labor of love that my Uncle Jack designed and built.  We always reel in the feelings of this house because it is shared with us by my dad's extended family -who warmly and openly grant us time at their little slice of heaven each year.  My dad's family has always been well skilled at 'sharing' and it never ceases to amaze us that they continually offer such selfless hospitality to us.  We are eternally grateful for the gift they've given us this year.

I wanted to share some scenes around the beach.  As with last year, I forgot to capture some of the amazing fabrics my late Aunt Noma used to decorate this home.  If you took one step inside the house, you'd instantly pick up on the timelessness of the design choices made more than 30 years ago.  While some areas are in need of functional updates, I hope the feel never changes.  I have felt more at home here than I ever did at my own family's beach home (which my grandfather sold late last year).

Isn't that view heavenly?  I have so many memories here, despite the precious little time I've spent in the grand scheme of things.  One year at Thanksgiving, my cousin Thadd and I rowed out to the land surrounding this bay and had to call for help when the tide rose up.  If you look in the distance, over to the right on the above picture, you'll see the hints of gigantic pylons used to construct the new monstrosity that is being erected in place of our old family beach house.  Over the course of the last year, I harbored a lot of sadness about losing our family's house, but I was able to make peace with it during this trip and am thankful two other branches of our family tree still reside at Bethany Beach.

As an aside my genius Uncle, Jack Strang, also played an integral part in re-architecting and restoring the historic Indian River Lifesaving Station between North Bethany Beach and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.  Below is a picture of the restored guard station, a site where one of my cousins was married years ago.  We love to stop in and look around on our way to the shopping and eateries in Rehoboth Beach.

Isn't it the most beautiful structure?

Last year, we took a picture of Wilma in the canoe in the bay and decided to blow it up and display in our house.  Sure makes our dining nook look and feel a bit younger than that old salty ship relic we had up before.  I am loving it for now!

Lastly, I mentioned that my Uncle's beach house was in need of minor functional updates.  While we think it's perfect as is, my cousins have been slowly but steadily making improvements over the last few years.  During our stay, I kept dreaming of small updates that wouldn't break the bank for the downstairs bathroom. There are no definite plans laid for it now but I know they are hoping to update and rework some of the trouble areas in the future.

I tried to keep my Aunt Noma and Uncle Jack's unique sense of post-modern sensibility in mind while dreaming up little updates.  If you could see their textiles and linens sprinkled throughout the house, you'd notice a gravitation towards navy and rust.  I wanted to incorporate that into my design daydream.

1 - fresh paint always does the trick and Benjamin Moore's Seashell OC would perfectly complement the existing walls of the home

2 - the floor may end up a casualty when replacing some of the bathroom fixtures so I thought a tile that looks like hardwood would be a great alternative one day

3 - Ikea makes a slim profile vanity that would be a great inexpensive option in here

4 - This Ikea mirror would work well with the contemporary lines and has a built-in little shelf for collectibles or soaps

5 - The Jax Sconce from Crate and Barrel!

6 - when doesn't a paper lantern work wonders?  Also won't break the bank

7 - I am crazy about these striated porcelain tiles and at $1.50/sq. ft, they would spruce the shower stall or walls that are prone to moisture right up!

8 - A batik roman shade for privacy would be the perfect hat tip to their style

9 - A vintage scatter rug from eBay (yastik, oushak or kilim) would lend itself nicely to the usual wear and tear from the beach

Speaking of Bethany

While looking for pictures to show you of my namesake, the quiet little resort town of Bethany Beach, I found an article about a house right on the "boardwalk" of Bethany that was decorated by the fabulous Barry Dixon.  

Look at the view from the tub!  Yes, please.

Clearly there are no sandy paws or grubby fingers running around in this glamorous beach house.

Also,
WE HAVE A WINNER!!

Congratulations to Random. Org winner# 65  Eligonma!  You get to select any lamp you want from Lamps.com valued at $125. or less. So happy for you and thank you Lamps.com!

Dream Spaces Series: Emily A. Clark's in the house

Our guest today is the sweet and wonderful Emily from one of our favorite blogs, Emily A. Clark. She is a mother of 5 and a blogger/designer extraordinaire.  Her inspiration led Bethany and I to be bloggers and we love her style!  Here's Emily!


When Nancy asked if I would blog about my dream space, I thought what a perfect excuse to spend a loooong time browsing Pinterest.  If I could live anywhere else, I would choose somewhere near the beach.  (Oh, and there would be no nasty hurricanes. . .)  I would live in a sweet little bungalow, not too big and not too small, with lots of character:

Better Homes & Gardens

It would be casual, collected, and come with a really good housekeeper.

Want to come inside?  Here’s what the rest of my dream house would look like:

The living room (via Tracery Interiors)

The kitchen (via Margot Austin)

 

The master bath (via BH&G)

I’m certain there’s a clawfoot tub on the other side of the room….

 

The master bedroom (via Soli Terry Architects)

And, of course there would be a secluded patio for relaxing with friends.

Thanks to Nancy and Bethany for letting me daydream.  If you want to check out what my reality looks like, visit my blog, Emily A. Clark: design.simplified.

Thanks so much Emily! I don't know how you do it everyday, but we love your candidness, your fabulous good taste and how you 'keep it real' in all your posts!

xo Nancy and Bethany

Think hiring a designer is too expensive? Think again! There are so many different ways to work with a designer. We offer room consultations, paint suggestions, shopping and sourcing, complete room and house redo's, staging and reworking your current furniture, spot-checks in areas that aren't quite gelling and many other services. eBoards are a quick and easy way to get a design look and feel in your home. While hiring a designer may cost you a bit extra, we aim to save you money by preventing costly mistakes in your design plan.

Beach down and bound

It seems like fall is a good time for 'girl's weekends' and I've had this one planned for months. I'm heading to Myrtle Beach with my 5 suitemates from James Madison University We all really need time to just unwind, catch up and get pampered.  We are all taking old photos and breakfast foods, but will eat out the rest of the time. Here's a photo from my senior year when my mom (on the far left, next to me) came down for Homecoming Weekend.  What great memories and I'm so excited to re-live them this weekend.

 (Look at those platform sandals and huge bell bottom high waisted jeans!)  

This picture looks just like the beach-scene I remember from back in the day.

(My husband had a mustang like that!)

 I hope to eat a little of this and have some of these:

I hope you have a great weekend!

-Nancy

P.S. We may have some big news in the family! Hint hint, it's a boy! Stay tuned.

Think hiring a designer is too expensive? Think again! There are so many different ways to work with a designer. We offer room consultations, paint suggestions, shopping and sourcing, complete room and house redo's, staging and reworking your current furniture, spot-checks in areas that aren't quite gelling and many other services. eBoards are a quick and easy way to get a design look and feel in your home. While hiring a designer may cost you a bit extra, we aim to save you money by preventing costly mistakes in your design plan.

Beach Bums

Our family has been going to Bethany Beach, Delaware since my husband's grandfather built a cinderblock cottage in the 1950's.  Each of his three children have since built their own houses bay-side and our family's house is one of our favorite places to be each summer.

waking up to water, water everywhere

We had the great fortune to spend this past weekend there - an even more rare opportunity that Bethany and I (and her hubs) got to go together!   The Mister opted to take care of our 2 horses, 2 cats and 2 dogs for us so we could have a mini-vacation.  We had grandiose plans of shopping and visiting our favorite haunts, but the weather put a damper on our plans. It was 108 degrees on Saturday as we drove around, too hot even to shop!  And though we are die hard beach-goers, the ocean was barely refreshing and the walk in the blazing sand to the sea was unbearable. 

After 2 hours we felt sick from the sun and napped and lazed the rest of the day in the A/C.  I rarely remember it ever being too hot to enough the ocean!

Our skin looks 1000 years old in this sun but this was the only pic left of 'us' after Instagram froze up.

We did manage to frequent some of our favorites: Beach Plum Antiques (below), Carolina Street and the Pottery Place.  

We were ever intrigued with the architecture of the homes and charm of the Northeastern style beach homes and took many pictures of the cottages we love and remind us of our favorite beach.  

Our Aunt Ruth's home a few streets over

We had a blast and we are already aching to go back.  Water is the best cure for anything.  How was your weekend? Come across anything inspiring?  

Also, we've extended our GIVEAWAY!  It ends next Monday, July 16th, so don't forget to enter!

-Nancy and Bethany

If you are looking for help with your home, we'd love to work with you! Contact us for a listing of our services and prices. 

Nancy and Bethany