Kitchen Remodeling Inspiration

Is your kitchen in sad shape? Well, the amazing styles and variations of Cliq Studios Kitchen Cabinets will definitely inspire you to at least think about taking the first step to giving your kitchen the TLC it deserves. If you aren’t able to remodel right now, or are happy with your kitchen, then just sit back and enjoy the eye candy.

I don’t really know too much about cabinetry, but even after browsing their site for 20 minutes, the idea of having to order, select, and design cabinets for a kitchen seems much less daunting. The Cliq studios site literally walks you through every step. I was really surprised that they give very detailed advice by having pages such as “Design Principles,” “Needs and Lifestyle,” “Work Triangle,” (an important aspect in kitchen design), and “Creating an Idea File.” They also really pride themselves on their free design service, where a designer will guide you through the process of kitchen design from beginning to end.

The cabinet ordering process seems very clear and comprehensive as well. The fun part is all of the styles and colors of cabinetry you have to choose from. They have a plethora of door styles, wood species, designer paint options, and hardware to choose from. Below are a few screenshots of the ordering process.

Most importantly to me, and I’m sure to most consumers, are photos of actual customers’ kitchens and reviews. So, below are photos of REAL kitchens belonging to Cliq Studios customers.

A Savannah kitchen

I also love the backsplash of this kitchen, and the 2-drawer unit to the right of the dishwasher.

Once I own a home, and if I ever get to model a kitchen to my needs, I will add a built in shelf for cookbooks.

A Chevy Chase, MD kitchen (I live in Chevy Chase, too!) You can probably tell I really lean towards white cabinetry. I never really realized that until I reviewed all of the photos I pulled for this post!

In summary, if you are thinking about remodeling your kitchen, bath, or laundry room, Cliq Studios definitely looks like a studio you should consider for your cabinetry needs! Do any of these kitchens speak to you?

All photos via cliqstudios.com
 
*disclosure: this post is sponsored by Cliq Studios

Quiet, beautiful moments...

We all could use some, to decompress, relax, and remember what it is all for.  I am tremendously grateful to all of my readers - it is you - your comments and support, that keep this going.  Have a wonderful weekend!

all images via Paul Raeside.com

A charming and magical lakefront, mountainside village in Austria

The village of Hallstatt, in the Salzkammergut region of Austria, was an amazing day trip Chris and I took while we were in Austria. The village is built almost vertically onto the mountain, and seems as though it might almost slide into the lake.

Hallstatt has some amazing history, which explains the village's precarious perch: "...this secluded and inhospitable landscape nevertheless counts as one of the first places of human settlement because of the rich sources of natural salt, which have been mined for thousands of years, originally in the shape of hearts owing to the use of an antler pick.[3] Some of Hallstatt's oldest archaeological finds, such as a shoe-last celt, date back to around 5500 BC. In 1846 Johann Georg Ramsauer discovered a large prehistoric cemetery close by the current location of Hallstatt. Ramsauer's work at the Hallstatt cemeteries continued until 1863, unearthing more than 1000 burials.... In addition, one of the first blacksmith sites was excavated there. Active trade and thus wealth allowed for the development of a highly developed culture, which, after findings in the Salzberghochtal, was named the Hallstatt culture. This lasted from approximately 800 to 400 BC." via Wikipedia

We arrived at the town via ferry

from the ferry

Town square

A view from the cemetery

Tiny cobbled paths lead you up the mountain

Like most good views, it'll cost you a bit of a hike...but it's worth it!

The cemetery

The Beinhaus (“Bone house”), Hallstatt, Austria – Because there is limited space in the town cemetery, people are only buried for 10-15 years. After that, they are removed from the grave, the skulls left out in the sun to bleach, were painted by the family and stacked in the bone house, therefore opening up space in the cemetery.  Now that cremation is an accepted practice, the Beinhaus serves mainly as a tourist attraction and important piece of history.

It dates back to the twelfth century AC. There are over 1200 skulls in the chapel, of them 610 have been painted in flowery designs, they are neatly stacked in rows along with next of kin and have the date of death written on them.  This tradition began in 1720 AD. The last skull to go into the Beinhaus was in 1995. It is directly beside the cross. The woman died 1983; it was her last request to be stored in the Beinhaus (Bone house).

Not a bad view, right?

As we leave the town via Ferry As always - thanks to my boyfriend Chris for these gorgeous photos.

Here's that list again of all my posts from our travels that I've posted -

Spain
•Introduction to my European backpacking trip and a list of places we visited
• Galicia - Baiona and Isle de Cies
• Galicia - the coast, some charming vineyards, and Pontevedra
• Santiago de Compostela and gorgeous hidden beaches
• Gorgeous mountain lakes of Picos de Europa
• Stunning mountains - Picos de Europa
• Bilbao and San Sebastian
• Beautiful Barcelona
• The amazing Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona
• Art Nouveau dream house by Gaudi in Barcelona

Italy
• Not to miss - the gorgeous rocky coast of Italy's Cinque Terre
• More from my summer traveling Europe - amazing Rome
• From my summer in Europe - amazing Pompeii
• Turquoise ocean and vineyards on cliffs - the amazingly stunning Amalfi coast
• My Summer in Europe: Pictures from lovely Florence, Italy
• Enchanting Siena
•Venice
•Lake Como, Italy

Switzerland
•Jungfrau region, Switzerland, Part 1
•Jungfrau region, Switzerland, Part 2

Germany
• One of my favorite cities from my European backpacking trips - Ulm, Germany
• Lake Constance
• Cute HOUSE Overload - the charming medieval homes of Germany's Romantic Road
• Regensburg, Germany, and Salzburg, Austria

My curtains revealed and an introduction to The Loaded Trunk!

My curtains are finally finished! Some of you might remember this post awhile back when I asked for suggestions for curtain colors after we moved into our new apartment in Chevy Chase, MD.

Before:

After:

The curtains the apartment came with were drab and heavy. Our couch had to stay, and is an olive-colored suede, that depending on the light and colors around it can look gray, brown, or green. The rug is a new purchase that I love, and wanted to make it work. Our walls, though hard to tell in the picture above, are a light aqua blue.

I tried photoshopping some different color options in this post, but all of them left me a bit underwhelmed. You guys offered up some amazing suggestions for DIY's, specific fabrics, and other resources. The amazing Christine of Design with Christine came up with an amazing edesign for me, utilizing some Ikat curtains, and some throw pillows to tie the rug in with the couch. You can see the amazing job she did in her post.

The curtains Christine chose.

My photoshopping the curtains and pillows Christine found. Christine’s genius really got the ball rolling for me to find a pattern to balance out the visual weight of the bottom half of the room with the visual weight of the top. So, since I wanted to sew my own curtains, I began the search for the perfect (afforadable) fabric.

via 6th Street Design School

I really liked the fabric above, which a reader suggested to me . Even though it was above our price range, I ordered a swatch. The medallions were a bit too large for my liking, and the background was more of a beige than a white, so we decided against this one. I also ordered a few more swatches, but I wasn’t sold on any of them. Then, I noticed the curtains below on Danielle Oakey's blog, and went on an internet scavenger hunt to find the fabric.

Long story short, I finally located enough to sew my curtains (9 yards) from Red Rhino on ebay. They were actually the only seller I found with the fabric available. Red Rhino gave me a great price, amazing response times, and I couldn’t have been happier with the fabric. The match was very accurate to what was on screen.

via Danielle Oakey Interiors

So, after hours and hours of measuring, ironing, starching, sewing, and ironing and starching again, we finally had our curtains. I also added a black tape on the right and left vertical borders of the outermost curtains to mimick the black border on the rug. We are really happy with the results. I'm also in the process of testing out some swatches to sew throw pillow covers.

Another view of the room with the ikat curtains

A close up of the curtain and the black border

I'm testing out a suzani style swatch, as you can see from the bottom pillow.

Isn't this red pillow AMAZING!?!?

I couldn’t be more thrilled with the pillow, which  I received from The LoadedTrunk!

There couldn’t be a better cohesive element between my couch and my rug! What’s even cooler is the history of the pillow, called a Hmong pillow:

“This beautiful vintage textile was once part of a garment worn by Hmong women in Vietnam. The Hmong, an Asian ethnic group living in the mountainous regions of Vietnam and Laos, are known for their traditional textiles which feature cross-stitching and often indigo block printing. They have been given a second life and were re-cycled to make these lovely pillows.”

 

They offer a handful of one-of-a-kind Hmong pillows.  This one in purple is gorgeous

I love that mine is one of-a-kind. They have other hmong pillows, and lots of other global goods. I could make a really long wishlist of items from this store, but here are just a few:

These bronze hammered bowls would look glamorous and beautifully organic anywhere.

The color in this Mexican coverlet is so rich.

Thanks again to The Loaded Trunk! You can see all their treasures on the online shop.

SO..how do you think our living room is coming along so far? 

We still have some art to hang,  maybe a floor lamp for the corner behind the palm, and the rest of the throw pillows for the couch (I want a pillow that will tie in the colors from the curtains)

And how about that pillow from the Loaded Trunk?

I can't wait to hear what you guys think!

*disclosure: I received the Hmong pillow as a sample

Glamorous and eclectic -homes with the best of both worlds

Mixing glamorous and eclectic is not an easy pair to resolve, but I'd say these spaces were beyond successful...

Bold jewel toned walls and furniture take the earthy elements in the room, like the raw wood shelf, up a notch on the glamor scale....

Here, the mod lines of the credenza look good with the Asian pedestal table and birdcage because objects are kept orderly and the space around the furnishings otherwise sparse.

Lining the back of a bookcase with a modern take on an ancient pattern creates an interesting focal point.

I adore this room. The walls are kept quiet, and the bold graphic rug takes the stage.

Can you believe that the black chest of drawers were originally from Ikea, but dressed up to look like a one-of-a-kind piece?

via House of Fifty

Frantic Friday ...deep breath

Holy cow where has this week gone!  I still have unfinished project due today that could definitely use a few more days... A little serenity for you and wishes for a wonderful weekend!

via Pinterest

2 above via Pure Green Living

2 above via TradHome