An Interior Designer based right outside of Memphis, TN.
My mission is the belief that everyone deserves a beautiful, functional space to call Home. I am dedicated to making Interior Design accessible to all, regardless of budget, because I understand that a well-designed Home is not just a luxury, but a foundation for comfort, well-being and happiness. I strive to empower individuals to create spaces that reflect their unique style and needs, ensuring that everyone can experience the transformative power of good Design.
Here in TN, we have several rounds of “False Fall” where the weather can’t decide if it wants to cool off or continue to absolutely fry us to death.
This week is significantly cooler than it has been (hello mid-80’s) but I know better.
Nevertheless, it has me dreaming of cooler temperatures, falling leaves and sweater weather! Although I am not sure if I will decorate for the Fall or go all-in on Halloween this year, I like to have options.
In that spirit, I have rounded up a couple of my Favorite Fall Finds!
I used to only decorate for Fall so that I felt like I got a lot more use out of my Decor. The last few years I have leaned more into the Halloween decorating. I am still on the fence about this year, but all of the Beautiful warm tones and cozy decor has me ready for Fall.
To be honest, when we bought our house, we didn’t think much about the little Studio Apartment that sat in the back yard.
At first, it was storage. Then, for several years, my Brother and Sister-in-law lived there. Once they moved, we tried to use it as a Man Cave or an Office and none of it really stuck.
Now, from the moment I had my light bulb Airbnb moment to the when Matt was OK with us actually having a short term rental was quite some time. He had some reservations, and rightfully so. But let’s just say that I can be quite persistent and he eventually agreed to give it a go.
Before I go into the remodel, I want to pause and say that Hosting an Airbnb is seriously one of the best decisions we have ever made. Not only does it help our family financially, but we have met the most AMAZING people. It has brought so much Joy to our lives. Seriously.
If you have even CONSIDERED becoming a Host on Airbnb, I encourage you to really explore the idea. There are so many options available from renting an unused space (like we do), a camper or even a spare room in your home.
If becoming a Host is in your future, use my Referral Code HERE which helps us BOTH. Trust me, your Home could be worth more than you think.
Ok, now onto some Interior Design! This little house of ours needed a pretty big overhaul. Nothing major, thankfully, but aesthetically, she needed some love. I decided pretty early on to link the Airbnb to the Farm because that creates more of an Experience. And people love vacation experiences.
The Bunkhouse at Hi5 Farm was born!
I love a good theme. But not cheesy. Taking the Farm and the fact that a guest could stand outside and view at least 10 horses at any given time (I have a horse hoarding problem. I am aware.) I envisioned a rustic, yet elevated Equine interior.
I began with the bathroom, making it accessible from the outside and creating an entrance that wouldn’t require Guests to enter our backyard. Also, the bathroom could be available for Public use when we host gatherings, events, etc.
What used to be a closet space was repurposed to add an Exterior entrance into The Bunkhouse. This allows guest to be able to enter without having to go through our personal Backyard.
We know that I love a good ceiling moment and this little bathroom was no exception. We had some great old barn wood that we had been holding onto and it made the perfect accent on the ceiling. I also used the old wood to add base molding and to frame out the cased opening.
The floor was old peel and stick that had come loose on top of some really old linoleum. I pulled all of that up and then releveled the floor so that I could put down new Vinyl flooring. I chose an 18×18 Vinyl tile with a slate look, continuing with the rustic vibe.
Let me pause for a moment to explain that I am terrible at remembering to take Before pictures… I am so impulsive that I just jump right into whatever I was planning to do. I wish so badly that I took a picture of the Shower before. But alas, I didn’t.
Let me paint a mental picture for you then. The shower, a stand up shower stall insert from the 70’s, was the color of MUD. It literally was a dark brown. Ceiling and all. It looked like a little cave in the wall. So, of course, I painted it.
I have used this Rust-Oleum Home Floor Coating product before in our front bathroom, and 4 years later, she is still going strong. Now it is a lovely white shower insert! Much better!
*This shower insert is some type of fiberglass, I am sure. Our front bathroom was tile. The Floor Coating product went on both incredibly easy and has held up wonderfully.
The vanity was existing and worked with the design plan, so I cleaned it up, added some more rustic wood trim around the top and rolled with it. A round mirror, matte black vanity light and some accessories tied it all in.
Finally, I put down a couple rugs, hung artwork and TA-DA! The bathroom was complete in the Airbnb.
Sources
For All Sources CLICK HERE or select the Image below. Also, sources are listed out individually.
In my opinion, your bedroom should be THE most comfortable space in your home for YOU personally.
It is where you can truly relax and unwind.
If you have been around here for any amount of time, you likely know that our home was a COMPLETE Fixer Upper! We purchased it when Joanna and Chip had just came on the scene and I was obsessed. Along with my own Interior background, I knew that I wanted a home that we could renovate ourselves over time.
We were presented with the opportunity to purchase our home from a family that we had always known, after their dear mother passed. I knew Ms. Camille well and she was such a great lady.
Ms. Camille built this home in 1968 and she must have really loved the 60’s aesthetic, because she never updated a thing… When we purchased it, there was still avocado green carpet throughout and the toilets were colored to match the tile.
We were pumped to learn that there were original hardwoods under those green carpets! In fact, I felt like I was on my own episode of Fixer Upper as we pulled back the carpet to find those glorious planks staring back at us.
Here is a photo of our Bedroom shortly after we bought the house:
Before we moved in, we removed all the carpet, refinished the floors and painted EVERYTHING white. It was all wood grain paneling (not the real stuff) and Farmhouse style was HUGE at the time (8 years ago).
Over time, I have found my own style and really leaned into what makes my heart happy.
I love antiques and vintage finds. I love dark, moody colors. I love florals.
Our Bedroom has gone through many transitions, but we couldn’t love it more as it is right now.
The main focus of our room is certainly our bed. It is an Antique Four Poster bed that belonged to Matt’s grandmother. When she passed, we were insanely grateful to inherit it and this space is really built around it.
A Four Poster Bed is such a Traditional, classic look. I have rounded up several options that could be used in place of an Antique HERE.
Our side tables and dressers are also vintage and belonged to MY grandmother. Although our furniture wasn’t purchased new, I have selected a few items that would give you the same look HERE.
I love a good focal wall. And our bedroom has 2. But we will have to save the other wall for another post.
Behind the bed, I knew I wanted a wallpaper. And let me tell you, selecting wallpaper can be super tricky, especially when we purchase most things online now and I am super impatient… I originally hung a different floral wallpaper than the one that is there now. And I immediately regretted it. The colors were not near as muted and moody as I had wanted. We lived with it for a couple months, but eventually I had to replace it.
When I found THIS wallpaper, I knew it would be perfect. It has the most beautiful tones and features florals AND birds. Paired with these great Plaid Drapery Panels, my pattern mixing heart began to sing!
To anchor the wall, I hung one of my favorite Vintage framed pieces. Matt hates this picture… He says that it is so old and dark that you can hardly tell what it is. I, personally, think that is part of what makes it so great.
For our bedding, we kept it simple. We have THIS comforter set and love it. It isn’t too heavy for us hot sleepers and has held up well in the wash.
At the foot of the bed, you will find my Grandmother’s cedar Hope chest and a rug. Placing a chest at the foot of the bed provides the perfect place to sit and put your shoes on, as well as some extra storage for blankets.
The lamps, chandelier and pillows were also discounted finds, but I have sourced complete options to give you a similar look HERE.
I am going with it. Our middle baby just turned 11 and she has been begging for a Room Re-Do. (She 100% KNEW I would NOT say no…)
When she sent me Inspo pics, I will admit that I was a little afraid. Her boards were full of Flower Power Daisies and all kinds of other Groovy goodness.
This is NOT my aesthetic. Obviously. But it IS hers. I want the kids’ rooms to be somewhere they feel most comfortable, just as our Home in its entirety should be for all of us. But this is their little slice of the Home.
So, I set to work finding a Design Plan that we could both live with.
It had JUST enough color and pattern without being obnoxious and allowed me to work from there.
I ALWAYS say to #usewhatyouhave so, I did! I pulled some Bookcases I already had as well as refinished her vanity. (You can find the Glam Lights HERE.) However, IF I had purchased these items new, or if you would like some options that would fit this Design Plan, you can find some HERE.
I also already owned her Drapery panels, but I found some VERY similar Dupes HERE.
I hesitated on the Rug, but I knew I wanted a checkered rug and THIS ONE fit our plan and was a great value! The white has not been hard to keep clean AT ALL and we have 5 people, 3 cats and 3 dogs in the house… The KEY is that it is WASHABLE!!! I don’t know that I will ever own another rug that isn’t washable!
And what is a young girls’ room without posters and mirrors?! These things were all either owned, Thrifted or given to me. I chose to go with wicker and rattan to give it a Vintage feel, but still be warm and neutral.
Although I already had these items (#usewhatyouhave) I have gathered some New things that would all work together to create the same look. You can find those HERE.
Finally she needed a place to sit. Again, continuing with the wicker and rattan, I added this sweet little chair with a Smiley Pillow. You can find similar selections HERE.
I cannot even begin to explain how EXCITED she was to see her finished room. Even sister hangs out in there now! It is 100% a Vibe!
Sources:
Simply select the Image below for all Sources or select the specific item from the list.
There are no boundaries. In fact, I want to go bolder and more creative in a child’s space. Their little minds are fascinating places, and their rooms should be too.
I have often expressed my feelings about a kid’s room being a reflection of themselves and a space that they can not only be comfortable in, but be proud of. It is easy for us to get caught up in wanting our homes, in their entirety, to “feel” a certain way or reflect a particular “designer” look. But the fact of the matter is, our children live here too. And their rooms are EXACTLY that: theirs.
I will be honest, when I started this project, I thought it would be pretty simple. I have a good grasp on my inner child and like to think I am pretty in tune with picking what a kiddo would like.
However, I soon learned that my client, McKenzie, was harder to please than 99% of adults that I work with. She was VERY particular, knew EXACTLY what she wanted and I will admit, quite a number of revisions were made to the Design Plan.
In the end, I was able to give M a room that she not only loves now, but will continue to love as she grows into a young adult.
The Design
McKenzie knew she wanted a wallpaper wall. I’m not sure I know many other 8 year olds who are so precise in their design taste, but I LOVED it! After reviewing and discussing many options, together we agreed upon THIS ONE. The combination of pinks and purple florals proved perfect.
From there, I was able to start designing: coordinating bedding, lighting and accessories. She was even determined to have a hanging chair in her space. She is a girl who knows what she wants and she got it! This space turned out amazing.
Sources
You can find all the Design Selections used to create this adorable space HERE!
The Giant Nutcrackers are ALL THE RAGE this Christmas Season!
As soon as I saw folks buying and painting these guys, I KNEW I had to have one (or a few)… HOWEVER, ya’ll, I cannot bring myself to spend hundreds of dollars on something and then paint over it all. I just CANNOT do it!
Then, I got an idea… There HAS to be a way to DIY these guys. So I took to Pinterest to see if anyone had already thought of this, and because I am NOT a genius, several people had tried various ways of putting some together with buckets, concrete tubes, etc.
*Light Bulb*
I literally have all of these things just hanging out around the house! LITERALLY.
So, I raided my scrap pile and, if you follow along on Instagram, Sir Fredrick II was born! And I truly mean that he was born. He was a labor of love… He seriously turned out WAY better than I had ever imagined. And was fairly easy!
Everyone was SO encouraging on my post (Thank ya’ll! You are my people!) and everyone wanted to know how to make their OWN DIY Nutcracker.
HERE IT IS FOLKS!! The Tutorial you didn’t even know you needed!!
Let’s make you a DIY Giant Nutcracker!
Now, let me start by saying that I purchased all of these items at my local Lowe’s. Like me in the beginning, you may not even need to go buy all of these things! Doesn’t everyone have a gajillion 5 gallon buckets sitting around?! However, IF you need to start from scratch, here is your Materials List:
I spent about $70 on materials. This does NOT include paint, decorations, etc. because if you were re-doing one of the pre-made ones, you would still need those things. This is just to make the actual Nutcracker. I believe the most affordable ready-made guy I could find is $129, so right off the bat, you are saving $50! (Even more if you have some of these materials on hand, like I did!)
Now that you have all of your materials and tools, LET’S BUILD A NUTCRACKER!
STEP 1: Cut your PVC into pieces. I used my little hacksaw and cut (4) 20″ pieces and (2) 6″ pieces. There is enough in your one big stick of PVC to make all these cuts. These will be the legs, arms and feet of your Nutcracker.
Step 2: We are going to start at his Feet. Your materials list called for a 12″x12″ piece of wood. It doesn’t have to be this exact size; just needs to be big enough for his feet and to act as a base for him to stand on. Go ahead and connect the (2) 90 degree PVC elbows to your (2) 6″ pieces of cut PVC. Then drill pilot holes through the outside: one at the “heel” and one further down the “sole” of his foot. Simply drill your screw through the PVC and then back it back out. See the image below. This will make it easier to drill through the inside and attach to the board.
Then, you are going to place his “foot” on your wooden base and attach with screws through the inside. Make sure you attach the feet at 6″ on center. This will matter when you do the tops of his legs. You will likely need an extender on your drill. Don’t over tighten the one on the “sole” as you will still need to put the cap on the end once they are attached. The length of your screws will depend on how thick your wooden platform is. You don’t want the screws coming out the bottom. Place (2) of the PVC caps on the ends.
Congratulations! Your Nutcracker has Feet!
Step 3: Moving on up our Nucracker here, we are going to move onto his legs. Take the 5 gallon bucket lid, (2) PVC Caps, and the small piece of wood. We need to attach the caps to the TOP of the lid. The bucket will be placed upside down, so the lip of the lid needs to be facing UP. The small piece of wood is to ensure that everything grabs tight when you screw it together.
Screenshot
Take (2) 20″ PVC pieces and connect the feet base and the lid piece, and *VOILA* Lt. Dan has NEW LEGS!!
The final thing for Step 3 is to attach the first bucket, upside down, securing it to it’s lid. To remove the handle off the bucket, you just have to manhandle it. I have not found an easier way. Once you are able to pop out one side of the handle, the other one comes out pretty easily because you can rotate it.
Step 4: Now we are going to build his body and arms. Once you complete the step above, get another 5 gallon bucket, remove the handles and place it end to end with the base you have already created. Attaching this is pretty simple. Get you something to stand on, especially if you are vertically challenged like me, and reach down in the top bucket, screwing the two buckets together. They grab and are pretty secure to one another. I used 4-5 screws to do this.
Now for his arms. I tried some other methods, but this is the one I like best. Grab the last (2) PVC Caps and we are going to attach them to the top bucket right below the rim. You can simply drill straight through the cap into the bucket. However, the screw NEEDS to be placed in the bend of the cap. If you put it on the flat part, the PVC arm cannot fit snug. See the photo below. And ignore all the extra holes. That was me figuring out what does NOT work…
Next, grab the last (2) 20″PVC pieces and connect them to the caps. I also screwed the arms to the bucket body to make them more secure, right inside the bottom of the tube where they hang by his sides.
Step 5: YOU ARE ALMOST THERE! He needs a HEAD!
This is probably the trickiest part, because I think it looks best when the hat overlaps his head a bit. You are going to take your Flower Pot and the 12″ piece of 4×4 and connect them. Simply screw through the bottom of the pot and into the center of the 4×4, and then add a couple more screws for support.
THEN, sit your final bucket down onto the 4×4 and screw through the center of the bucket into the center of the 4×4 and add a couple more screws there for support as well.
FINALLY, let’s attach his head!!
We are going to line up your flowerpot with the top of the second bucket. They are EXACTLY the same size. Now, grab your black electrical tape and go to work! I start by taping evenly along the seam and then keep going around until I feel like he is secure.
Holy MOLY!! You have a DIY Giant Nutcracker!!!!!
Well at least, you have his body. Step 6 is allllllll about making him handsome!
Step 6: The Beautification Process
This step is COMPLETELY up to you. Use your imagination!! The only thing I would really recommend though, is hitting him with some spray paint first because it will make any other paint adhere MUCH better.
I originally planned to make this one Candy Cane themed, but he evolved into a Woodland Nutcracker. I loved the taupe color I sprayed him with first, so I rolled with it. I grabbed some pinecones and some greenery, kept his colors very earthy and gave him a wooden staf. I used faux fur and leather to cover seams and to give him more interest by using different materials.
I love to hit them with glitter spray at the end because it just gives it the perfect finishing touch.
For his face, I simply find and image online and freehand it, but if you aren’t comfortable with that, and have a Cricut, there are many Etsy shops that have files for Nutcracker Faces.
AND in case you guys forgot Sir Fredrick II, here he is! The Original!!!
I HOPE you have enjoyed my DIY Giant Nutcracker Tutorial!! I have loved sharing these guys with ya’ll!
When we bought our house, we knew we had to renovate basically every square inch of it. And since we still had our first home, we decided that we should tackle as much as we could before we moved in. We hired a painter to come in and spray everything white. Ceilings, walls and trim. All white.
However, because we were on a very strict reno budget, (aka we were broke) we told them not to worry about the Laundry Room. It wasn’t a common area of the house and I would get around to it eventually. That was 2 years ago…
I finally decided that it was time to tackle the 1968 paneled monster of a space that holds the machines of washing and drying… I hate laundry man. Although, one of my Besties recently reminded me to be “Blessed Out” instead of “Stressed Out”, which helps me see the blessing that is having clothes for my family although they require the tedious task of laundering. I digress.
The design. The walls would be white, like *almost* the rest of the house. The ceiling, my only smooth ceiling in the entire house, would be dark. I LOVE putting something unexpected on a ceiling. In case you didn’t know that already about me! You can find my tin ceilings here. This obsession with fun ceilings came from the designers I worked for directly out of college. They always painted ceilings a fun color or applied a fantastic wallpaper treatment, creating so much unexpected interest to a space.
As for the finishes, I am currently obsessed with antique Brass and it provides a great contrast to the ceiling color. Contrast is probably my favorite design concept. A lot of people love monochromatic color and finish schemes, and that is great! I, too, am drawn to the beautiful simplicity of an all-white room with cream accents. However, when I am personally designing something, I always gravitate toward contrast. I love the depth that it creates when an object pops off its background!
Overall, the concept was whites, neutrals and antique brass paired with a warm dark color for contrast.
The result:
Ya’ll. I am seriously so happy with how this space turned out. I have actually enjoyed folding clothes in here! *gasp*
Let’s talk budget and sources, because you know that I like to crunch those numbers!
Paint: Ceiling is SW Urban Bronze and I already had the paint from when I did the Hallway. The walls are SW Alabaster and I DID have to buy another gallon of it in Satin (ALWAYS get Satin or Eggshell for Interior Walls) for $42.00.
Lighting: The chandelier was hanging in the house when we bought it. I refinished it using a Gold Valspar Metallic spray paint that cost $7.00. I did the same thing with the drapery rods. I already had them from our first house and I just sprayed them to match.
Drapery Panels: I already had these as well. They were found at a local discount store about 7 years ago and used to hang in our first home. They are a great floral paisley in greys and taupes.
Rugs: I had these too. I love shopping my own house! The round jute rug is from Target and I layered it with a cowhide I scored about 5 years ago.
Accessories: I got the Vintage Ironing Board and Iron at a local shop for $22.00 And the other items, I already had. I know you want to know about that great Wash & Dry sign… More on that in JUST a sec.
Total for Laundry Room Reno: $71.00
That’s right. For just $71 big ones, and a whole lot of time and effort, I completely transformed this space. And if you remember, my office is on the flip side of this room. That is a reveal for another day and another post!
I often joke that Rust is my favorite color. And when we decided to cover up the nasty, 1968 original, 2% asbestos containing (don’t even get me started) popcorn ceiling, I KNEW I wanted to use rusted tin somewhere. Although I had about 10 mismatched sheets laying around, (because who doesn’t need backup rusted tin) I knew I needed to find a source for the materials for this project. What I had was too damaged and the sheets weren’t consistent.
Luckily, a close friend of ours had a tree fall on an old barn and she said we were welcome to come pull some off. All of the tin was corrugated, had minimal tar on it and had rust in all the right places. We had determined to do Pine tongue and groove throughout the house, but we had just enough tin for the kitchen and the entry way.
Now I realize that doing my ceilings like this is very taste specific and it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but we absolutely love it. We live on 8.5 acres in a very rural area and the rustic finishes we have used in our home go along with the overall aesthetic of our place.
Now onto the DIY. Like the Playhouse, which you can find here, I completed this project all by myself.
KIDDING! I kid, I kid…
My dear husband and my Uncle completed this project in a day, truthfully. The sheets of tin are so large that they cover a great amount of space with each one. And this entire project has a total of 3 steps. THAT’S IT!
Step 1: Find your ceiling joists. This is what you are going to be screwing your tin sheets into, so first, you need to find them. This can be done with a stud finder or by using a drill.
Step 2: Mark your ceiling joists. Once you have gone down the side of the room and have located your joists, you will need to use chalk to mark them. This will be important so that as you move across the room, you can still see where you will need to secure the material.
Step 3: Install the tin. As you begin to install the material, some pieces will need to be cut to fit. Similar to flooring, you may have a light fixture, a ceiling vent or a corner to deal with. We used tin snips for ours, but there are many other tools that would work as well. Once you have the cuts completed and the piece is fitted, you attach it to the ceiling joists using Self-Tapping metal screws. Any type of screw should do, but the self-tapping ones make it significantly easier to drill through the metal itself.
And that, my friends, is all there is to it! Our ceilings are always a topic of conversation and I absolutely loved using an unconventional material in our renovation. Design doesn’t have to be boring. It doesn’t have to fit inside of the walls of the “box”. It can be fun and unexpected. Most of all, it can be YOU. After all, your the one who lives there. You are the one who should enjoy your Home. So, step outside the “box” friends and let your creativity loose!
