The first few months of 2021 felt eerily similar to 2020, anyone else? In spite of many stay-at-home restrictions, there were many good things to focus on and be inspired by for future remodel roundup projects. First of all, some of the latest technologies in home and interior design are awesome like Houzz Pro and Milanote. I also love seeing design stories emerge on social media with helpful tips that provide exciting inspiration. For example, follow my friend, Kyla at House of Hipsters if you really want to be inspired by her latest interior projects and purchases.
Remodel Roundup Inspiration
I love to find ideas in traditional magazines and love a good printed copy to hold to inspire my remodel roundup projects. Professionally, I am a digital creator, but I find there’s something tactile and calming about pursuing magazines on a Sunday afternoon with a hot cup of coffee. In Luxe Magazine, two quotes jumped out at me:
The VP and Editor in Chief of Luxe said, “As priorities shift, our homes are designed with greater intention and with individual style emerging.” I love this quote because as things change, we are provided with opportunities to seek out new meaning and plan our own next adventure. This concept has been my personal mantra while remodeling and decorating our home.
“Real Style doesn’t seek the approval of others,” according to Jenny Brown, a 2021 Luxe Gold List Designer. Jenny addresses why we need to seek the approval of others. When designing for your home, you truly only need your own (and your significant other’s) approval. I found peace in the past year throughout the process of discovering what moved us aesthetically and implementing changes to fit and find our evolving personal style. That can mean transitioning the spaces in our home as we grow and change. It’s satisfying to know you are the only one whose approval matters for the designs you create.
Seeking out professional and other design sources for inspiration to help curate my dreams is something I will never get tired investigating. I’ve found that this research moves me to consider how we can use/live in our homes differently. A growing family, design trends, income — there are many factors that impact how we live in our homes and design for the purpose of each space. Here’s a look at our remodel roundup and some of the spaces we updated in our Lake Drive project this year.
Living Green Home Office
We struggled for a long time on how to leverage this curved room AND make it purposeful. When winter arrived, we brought all of our outdoor plants into this room and it became the perfect light source to keep the greenery plants alive and well. After hours of researching the plant stands, we opted to design and build our own plant bench, custom fit to the round shape of the space and the large, arched windows. Updating the lighting to a CB2 fixture helped to fully light the room and transition to our office. I often retreat here to catch up on emails and projects in the early morning and afternoon.
Shiplap in the Mudroom
My husband and I both had grandparents that owned farms, so the popular shiplap looks comes to us naturally. With a nod to our family history, we designed a mudroom to maximize a shallow space, increase functionality, and add visual interest. We built a bench with a hollow wood box to store shoes and as a catchall for winter wear and sports gear, and added inexpensive shelving to spice it up. Installing horizontal shiplap lines gives the illusion of a larger space.
$15 DIY Wood Shelf
As a professional photographer, I’m always capturing family photos and wanted a place to display some of my images. As most people play with the modern gallery wall and shelf decor, we opted for a more DIY idea. A DIY photo shelf that cost $15 was the perfect solution to display family pics and other decor. It’s fun and easy to change out as our family grows and the seasons change.
Magnolia Laundry Room
The laundry room is often a tucked-away room but is one you spend a significant time in. With two kids and two adults, we do at least five loads of laundry a week. Having a pretty space to make doing chores a peaceful experience was our goal. We updated the lights with Wayfair pendants, installed a DIY hanging rod, and painted existing knobs matte black. The most dramatic change was wallpapering the room with Magnolia brand wallpaper from Target in a soothing botanical pattern.
Though I love the fresh updates we gave to these rooms in our Lake Drive project, we can imagine adding to and changing up the spaces as our kids get older, our lives evolve, and trends continue to change. We’ll be sure to track the progress with future updates.