Oh great wall of bricks...

What to do with the solid brick wall fireplace? Here is a previous project I did that was a quick fix.The brick was covered over by cement board, we covered the center and hearth with these ceramic "wood"tiles from the now defunct Expo Design Center...

and added some sconces to the sides.
A quick & inexpensive modern update.
(Sorry for such crappy pics, these were from the pregnancy years where I seriously could not take good photos no matter how hard I tried.)

Next week I hope to have a whole bunch of new Before and Afters.

Have a great weekend!

Much Needed Kitchen Inspiration

OK folks, here is what I got... vintage walnut Formica cabinets and the original appliances from 1964. All I need is an apron and matching mitts.

This is what I want...

Ahh, clean and bright, great tile back splash and lighting.

Unfortunately a kitchen redo is not in the budget because every cent is going to fix up the exterior which currently looks like a cross between a Pizza Hut and a big chocolate brownie. We really did buy the ugliest house on the block. I am going to have to get crafty and work with what I got. Updating the appliances is going to be where the money goes, but I'm thinking painting the cab fronts high gloss white and leaving the walnut Formica bases could be cool? Adding a back splash with pop can help to.

Love the contrast of dark wood and white.

All this spinning started when I saw what a savvy job Lauren Leiss did on her own kitchen. Check out more images on her blog Pure Style Home. Tons of great inexpensive ideas like the chalk board fridge and the painted dishwasher.

Canadian House and Home, Pure Style Home

Orange Crush

Was filing away mags this morning and I came across one of my favorite color spreads. Lenora Wilcox Collins use of orange in this Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA residence is just to die for. I love how she interjects soft aqua and sand tones, making a relaxed beachy palette.

Boston Globe Magazine

9.20.09