Modern small homes designs ideas.

Modern small homes designs ideas.

Modern homes interior setting ideas.

Modern homes interior setting ideas.

Bubba and Pop Pop's Garden

I can't resist the title of this post. My little nephew, Carter, is starting to talk and has taken creative license in naming is favorite people. Bubba is his word for "grandma" and Pop Pop is what he's named my dad. My poor mom has waited so long to be a grandmother and now she gets to be called "Bubba".

Anyway...
Chris and I just returned from a quick trip visiting my parents in Ohio. While there we hit two (TWO!) house tours. I'll share pictures from the tours next week, but first I wanted to show you pictures of my parents' garden.
My parents moved to a suburb outside Columbus, Ohio about 7 years ago where housing developments are the norm and privacy is at a minimum. So they enlisted the help of a landscape architect who designed a backyard for them that is distinctive and private.
Doesn't it look like a lush green oasis awaits you just beyond the stone archway entrance?

Over the years my parents have gone above and beyond what the landscape architect suggested and have made their own modifications to the property. The wrought iron gate in the photo above is an example of one of their own upgrades. 

The house sits sideways on the lot which makes their home feel even more tucked away and secluded.

Walk a little ways and you'll find yourself under a beautiful arbor filled with purple clematis. 

Then follow the stone pathway around the corner into the backyard

until you find yourself in an english garden. 

Their backyard is tiny, but there is enough room for a small lawn and a patio. I think they both appreciate having only a small yard to take care of. In fact, my dad gave up his gas mower and now tends to the lawn using a manual push mower. 

Along the side of the garage, two apple espaliers fill otherwise dead space. My dad explained that each branch of each tree grows a different variety of apple. I thought he was pulling my leg until I looked it up.

 Too bad a green thumb isn't hereditary.

Modern homes lightning ideas.

Modern homes lightning ideas. 

Modern small homes exterior designs ideas.

Modern small homes exterior designs ideas.

The Apron Edition: Finding the Perfect Contractor

Chris and I have hired our fair share of contractors in the nine or so years that we've been homeowners. Some have been fantastic and some haven't worked out at all. Why is it that finding a talented, trustworthy, and reliable contractor can sometimes be just has difficult as if we'd just done the job ourselves?

Today you can find me over at The Apron where I share how we've found the contractors that we'll hire again and again. 

What are some of your tips for finding a great contractor? 

Cyprus villas home designs.

Cyprus villas home designs.

How to choose drapery hardware

The devil is in the details and simple decisions can lead to big impact both good and bad.  Since there aren't any  absolutes in decorating, things often  come down to personal preferences.  One of the the things I'm fussy about is what colour rods to use to hang drapes.


There's lots to choose from.

Metal hardware is available in a variety of finishes : wrought iron,  aluminum, chrome, brass, and oil rubbed bronze. Wood hardware is available in almost any finish, from natural blond to dark espresso.

Styles of drapery hardware

 There's two ways you can go when choosing a colour for your rod. Choose a color that matches:

•  other items in the room
•   the colour of the drapery   

  When you choose to match  other items in the room it is often a good idea, but it doesn't always work as you can see in the photos below.

 Pinterest

It is obvious that the rod colour decision was based on matching to the dark woods in the room, but why would you want to break the lofty look that is going on here with horizontal dark lines?  When I look at this room, my eye automatically goes to the ceiling.  Contrast always draws the eye.  You probably don't want a focal point near the ceiling! 

This rod is also dark, but the same thing isn't happening because the drapes are highly coloured and patterned.  I still would not use black.  In fact I probably would rarely use black because it is too harsh unless you have black drapes or it is a very modern decor. In this room I would look for something lighter that blended with the wooden blind too and make the whole thing more of a unit.

This is a good neutral colour when you have golden tones in a room. 

You also have to watch where you use wooden blinds. The combination below really works.   

 

 Pinterest

 This is a very cohesive look.  When you add wood blinds you automatically introduce a more casual element to the space and usually the colour is lighter. Choose your rod accordingly.

  Pinterest

 This rod has enough colour to be noticed and it allows the drapes to have center stage. Imagine what a different room it would be if the rod  were black.

 Pinterest

How do you feel about this rod choice with these drapes?  Certainly  the black isn't as harsh as in some of the other examples, but it does compete a little too much with the horizontal banding for my taste. Personally I would choose something more neutral  to  match the top of the drapes.

Pinterest 

A pulled together look. 

What are your thoughts on choosing an appropriate drapery rod for your space. Do  you have an aversion to black rods in light spaces?

Exterior Paint Color Obsession

Twice now, I've knocked on the door of the house I'm obsessed with to ask the homeowners for their paint colors, and twice noone has come to the door. (There was a car in the driveway the second time I stopped by, so now I'm paranoid that they were actually home but didn't want to talk to me).

Yes, I know I could simply leave a note with a SASE like a few commenters suggested, but apparently I like doing things the hard way.
These are all Benjamin Moore colors. I think I came pretty close to capturing the green-gray of my inspiration house.

BUT, I'd also been collecting paint chips over the last two years of other potential colors. Sadly, I only know the original name of one of them because we accidentally left all the chips at the Home Depot paint counter where we had the samples color matched.

Any favorites?

Not your average colour scheme

Some colour schemes are a dime a dozen and others are just daring and interesting. Today I'm looking at salmon/coral/melon and pink/rose/magenta.

Now I'm not saying I would use these colours in my own home. You can appreciate from afar without committing!  These rooms have just too much colour for my personal style.  I'm attracted to them because they are so vibrant and fresh.  Isn't it a good thing we don't all like the same colours?

 How do you feel about these rooms?  If you could transport any of them into your own home would you?

This colour scheme seems to be most popular in bedrooms. 

 Interior Designer Artistic Designs for Living, Tineke Triggs

The white bedding  and accessories work well to balance the hot colours.  White has many uses in decor and acting as a backdrop is just one of them.

You can't deny that these colours are great for a kid's room.  I'm really liking the hit of lime green as an accent.

Better Homes and Gardens

This is the subtle version of this scheme.  Just a hint of melon with a deeper pink. Both are tempered with lots of off white.  That seems to be a common thread through most of these rooms.

Phoebe Howard

More vibrant colours against light walls and furniture. The pink is leaning toward purple and there isn't that much of it. 

Jessica Lagrange

 This room turns it around and focuses on a rich magenta with smaller pops of orange. Do you think the headboard is dramatic enough or would you like to see a big piece of art over it?

Do you fancy one of these?

Living rooms

 Better Homes and Gardens

 Lots of white to play with these two vibrant colours. I'm longing for a little more pattern, perhaps a stripe with a third colour thrown in to replace the pink cushions. 

Here are some choice....

I would go for the purple one. How about you?

 

 While we're at it what let's think about the white vase... Hummm...

Choose one.  No matter what pillows you choose there's a vase that works.

  Can a room be over matched?  YES!

source

Deeper pink leaning toward red with just hints of orange give a totally different look.  In this room a neutral tan  in varying values serves as a backdrop to the vibrant colour. I like the fact that this room is not too over matched.  Lots of pattern in the pillows.

Simplified Bee®: Sweet, Modern Pink & Orange Nursery Room for Baby...

Go for it !