Mirror Anyone?

It use to be that a person bought a mirror for its practical use. Today mirrors are more like pieces of art. You will see them set in some of the craziest of items yet look incredible hung in the right places. Some are very elaborate and others are extremely simple. But either way they can add a lot to a room.

Take a look at some mirrors used for both practical and decorative puposes.

Made out of seashells; both beautiful and practical

A simple, yet elegant mirror that helps add a lot of light to this room but definitely not used for its traditional purpose.

Now this mirror I think is so cute but strictly decorative. Just a small simple touch to this room.

I think these mirrors are perfect for this bathroom. They are slightly more decorative then a simple iron frame and look great with this floor and these sinks. I love this look!

Sunburst have been a trend for so long but are still a great decorative mirror to turn to when you want to  make a statement in the room.

Love the rustic look of these mirrors and they look great with this bathroom.

A tall narrow piece was need for over this fireplace. This mirror was the perfect idea.

Mirrors aren't just for inside. They are a great decorative touch on a covered porch.

I picked this mirror because I wanted to show you that mirrors can be made out of anything. This is a old mold that they probably painted and then set a mirror inside. Great idea.

I love mirrors and I love finding items to turn into mirrors.  I just finished painting some very elaborate frames. They definitely won't be for practical use.

Aren't they great! They will make beautiful mirrors and placed side by side will make quite a statement. They will be available in the studio soon.

Hope you like what you saw. I apologize for not sourcing some of the pictures. I search for images on my IPad and save them and there is no place to type the source. Some I can remember but most I can't. I love when their name is already on the picture.

Take Care,
Stacy

Do Your Walls Tell Your Story?

For me, decorating your home is the one place that should have NO RULES. It should reflect who you are as a family. It should make you smile ever time you look at it and should be a place where you feel warm, safe and comfortable.

(My girls definitely feeling comfortable in their home)

Having "art" on your walls helps enhance all of those feelings. To me, it should read like a wonderful book of short stories all of which are expressions of who you are or memories you have.

With all that said, it is sometimes hard to find the perfect piece to express a certain feeling or represent a wonderful memory. I have realized this in my many searches. Therefore I have decided to start creating pieces that I hope will touch all of you.

Below is my first SHM Designs pieces of art. I actually got the idea from Pinterest. Don't you just love that site. It is full of inspiration.

I love the simplicity of this piece. It was my first woodworking project and I am really happy with the results. The girls wanted me to keep it but I thought it would look perfect on the fireplace mantel in the studio.  (I guess that means I will be making one for our home). I sometimes having trouble finding that perfect stain color so I was super excited when I tried Cocoa from Sherwin Williams. Its color is very rich and warm and works perfect for this piece.

It was also the first time that I have made my own stencil. To help me with this, I purchased the Cameo Silhouette machine and I couldn't be happier. It is so easy to use and has the ability to do a wide range of projects. Get ready for a lot of new creations from SHM Designs.

Hope you like my first piece. Stop by the studio to take a look. I am also getting ready to upholster a few of the chairs that I have had in the studio. I found a great fabric outlet and picked up some beautiful fabric; perfect for a couple of chairs that I have.

Can't wait to show you pictures.

Take Care,

Stacy

Kitchen Design Comes To Life

Once everything had been delivered things really moved fast. Everyday something new was happening. It was amazing seeing my design come to life. Even more amazing when it all worked.

( Big sigh of relief!)

Cabinets, recessed lights and iron light all in. Getting so excited.

Look at the amazing stove with double ovens. My clients and their children are loving it. The dark hardwood floors look incredible against the cabinets and countertop. You can't tell by the picture but they actually have what they call a hand hammered look. Very Cool!

Paint samples going up on walls. The green is a great pop of color but warm enough to blend with the warmth of the room.

Look at this amazing brick hood. This was one of my favorite features in the remodel. It actually was the last item decided. I wanted to make a statement and my clients wanted to have a rustic fireplace look. I think its perfect. We used a old piece of barn wood for the mantel which helped add to that rustic feel.

Back splash completed and looks great. I love the design we created over the stove. Adds a little dimension without being over the top and to busy.

Moving day! Excited to start moving items in place.

I will definitely get better finished pictures but for now this is all I have. Take it from me, it looks beautiful.

Hope you love it!

Take Care,

Stacy

Kitchen Crazy!

Living in a home that is being renovated is quite a challenge. Add to that a very active family of five with two very large dogs and it makes it crazy. Therefore, the timing of everything is sooo important. I counted on everything to go like clockwork.

Does that really happen in the design world???

In this case it did. Beside having a drama queen of a plumber and a small issue with the counter top being back order but then found by another dealer, everything went as scheduled. I know, can you believe it.....

Before I start showing you finished pictures, I thought I would tease you with some of the products we decided to use.

My client wanted a somewhat rustic look. Not over the top mind you, but just enough that it didn't feel brand new.

Take a look at what we chose:

I found this great iron light in a consignment store and knew right away it would be perfect over their circular kitchen table. I was so excited and even more excited about the price.

Next up cabinets and counter tops.

We had already decided on a refinished dark oak floor . ( I will do a whole post on hardwood floors later). My client loved the floors and wanted them to be dark but was concerned with it making the kitchen space to dark. Therefore, we went with this wonderful distressed creamy white cabinet that had a coca glaze over it. Really beautiful. The counter tops pulled in the colors of the floors and cabinets perfectly. 

The back splash was the next item to pick. That was a little tricky because with the counter top being pretty busy, we needed something to just complement everything and not make its own statement. 

Here were some of the choices:

 To Dark

To Busy

To White

Just Right!!!!

The glossy subway tile in a biscuit color was perfect. The gloss of the tile added a nice contrast to the rustic feel of the cabinets and floor but yet the color didn't overpower anything. It was perfect.

Well there you have it. Next up some finished pictures.

Take Care,

Stacy