Dreaming of Our Backyard Makeover

Aside from location and neighborhood, one of the main aspects that drew us to our current home was the property lot.  We moved from a nearby "patio-sized" beach city lot to a house with a decent-sized backyard.  But just like the rest of our fixer upper, it is in dire need of a makeover.

We still have several interior renovation projects to tackle in the main house (plus a future conversion of our 400 sf attached "shed" space, which I have yet to share about on the blog); but right now, the front and back exterior improvements are up next on the reno list...

goats country rural city landscaping

I'll be sharing more info in the near future about our backyard renovation as it gets underway.  But for now, I can tell you that having a privacy barrier is the most important priority in this renovation.  Those goats you see in the photo above?!  Trespassers! :)  A few days ago, I saw a lady open our back gate to let these two seemingly lost goats onto our lot.  You see... our property backs onto a horse trail (located on the other side of the white wood railings), and these friendly domestic goats seemed to have gotten out of their pen from the stables up the trail.  Privacy is much needed, indeed. :)

I'm pinning some outdoor inspiration for our backyard makeover if you wish to follow along.

Feature Friday: Casual Sophistication in L.A.

It has been such a long time since I featured an inspiring home tour here on the blog.  When I came across this home in Los Angeles, I just had to share it with all of you!

transitional traditional eclectic interior dining room design decor

blue credenza sideboard cabinet eclectic modern transitional traditional dining room interior design brass

I love the pattern and color mix going on in this dining room!  The bamboo trellis wallpaper and upholstery fabric on the chair backs immediately caught my eye.

DESIGN TAKEAWAY: Don't be afraid to mix patterns and colors.  Just make sure you repeat elements and maintain balance to keep things cohesive.

modern transitional traditional kitchen interior design
Woven roman shades (similar) // Bronze wall sconce (similar) // Island light pendant (similar) // Retro stools (similar)

This kitchen is classic and timeless, yet modern and bold.  It is full of style and character.  Those stools?!  Gorgeous and a bit of unexpected retro!

DESIGN TAKEAWAY:  Adding a contrasting color, like the blue on the island, can add dimension and interest to an otherwise neutral space.  Incorporate natural textures, such as the woven roman shades, to infuse warmth and depth.

Click here to see more of this beautiful Los Angeles home.

*Some affiliate links used.

Interesting Peel and Stick Wallpaper Patterns

Interested in wallpaper but not ready to fully commit to a specific pattern?  Or perhaps you live in a rental and can't do anything permanent to your walls or other surfaces?  Maybe you just need to satisfy an urge for change?!

Whatever the case, you can (temporarily or not) liven up your walls pretty easily with something other than paint by using peel and stick wallpaper - which are typically repositionable and/or removable.  We used peel and stick wallpaper in our dining room, and it made an immediate design impact in the space!

Here are six peel and stick wallpaper patterns that recently caught my eye (all U.S. made):

repositionable removable temporary wall paper
Bottom Row:  Gray zebra // Floral & birds // Rose gold

I could envision all of these papers being used in ANY room of the house.  Use them creatively.  Think accent wall, above a chair rail, on the ceiling, as a backsplash (marble one!), redo furniture, line the back of a bookshelf, etc. Most of these papers are subdue in color, which allows the patterns to really shine.

3 Years Later

Last May marked our three-year anniversary in our beloved fixer upper - although I often feel like we have been here "forever".  The reason I perhaps feel like we've lived here much longer is because we have been in steady renovation mode the entire time.  Not an easy feat or circumstance to live through, especially when you are in the throws of raising children and caring for a family.  But so it goes when you are renovating on a budget!

Our renovation journey has certainly had its share of challenges - some expected, some not.  Regardless, the process has given us a unique sense of ownership in this home. When you pour so much heart, energy, time, money, and creativity into a home renovation, it is difficult to NOT truly appreciate the home you are creating.  Seeing the potential of our fixer upper being brought to life has been quite a rewarding experience!

CAD INTERIORS home renovation improvement great room mid century farmhouse eclectic bohemian transitional interior design

CAD INTERIORS home improvement renovation mid century modern farmhouse classic transitional shaker interior design

While it took us the past three years combined over time to renovate the main living/entertaining section of our home - the family room, kitchen, and dining room - it's been nice to finally enjoy the "great room" on a daily basis.  Three years later, I can call this part of our home "done"!

There are still several home renovation projects to tackle in other parts of the house, but for now, I am just going to pause, reflect, and appreciate the transformation of our home thus far...

CAD INTERIORS kitchen renovation home improvement interior design

CAD INTERIORS home renovation improvement interior design

CAD INTERIORS home renovation improvement mid century modern eclectic bohemian transitional vintage interior design

If you follow me on Instagram, then you know I rearranged a bit and our family room currently looks like this...

home renovation improvement eclectic modern bohemian mid century transitional interior design

Slowly but surely, our "diamond in the rough" is becoming a honed gem.  It may take us another three years (likely more!) before all the interior and exterior spaces are renovated, but I couldn't imagine living anywhere else but in our beloved "fixer upper".

Sharing with: Home Stories A to Z, TDC

The Case for White Walls

So much for the old school "medicinal white" mentality.  Recent times have seen a surge in white as being the "IT" color on walls, at least in modern interiors.

I love color, and I definitely inject it into all the spaces I design.  I have yet to do a completely neutral room, come to think of it.  But I have noticed that I like to start most of my room designs with a white wall canvas (gray or black too, but that's another conversation).

Yes, there are a multitude of white hues and undertones to consider.  But for simplicity sake, "white" works as the perfect backdrop for injecting whatever color and pattern you prefer at any given time.  It definitely makes things easier if you have the tendency to change things up like myself.

In this e-design project, I kept the color palette pretty neutral and white (and layered in organic textures) to accomplish the design objective:

interior e-design mood board decorating farmhouse transitional

Take a look at how the feel and look of the space would change with a few swaps:

interior e-design decorating mood board bohemian eclectic transitional modern

All of the furnishings and decor remained; all I did was switch out the rug and accessory pillows.  This is something that could truly happen in "real" life, especially if you happen to be a serial re-decorator like me.  White walls would easily accommodate doing changes like these.

There is something fresh and always current about white.  I believe that white walls help the design of your interior spaces come to life, kinda like how food "pops" when served on white platters.  Don't fear white walls.  That's what touch-up paint and Mr. Clean magic erasers are for anyway, right?! :)