Haute Design

all images via Haute Design.com or Haute Design's Facebook page

You already know I'm a low-country gal at heart. That means I've got a bias for designers, style, and architecture from that area. There is a design company that embodies that style that I want to introduce you to. Readers, meet Haute Design of Charleston, SC. Haute Design, meet my readers!

This group of gals has it together! Remember me trying to decide how to describe my decorating style? I called myself a "design mutt" but the truth is it's low-country style. It combines a lot of organic, traditional, contemporary, and transitional into one. I think if you take a look at these pictures you'll see what I mean. Most of it is me to a "T"! I love these rooms with all their organic texture, marsh colors, and mix of traditional and transitional styles. This is where my house is headed, albeit a little slow. It will happen in stages as money allows. I'll show the process as I go along.

Ready to get inspired to add a little "Low-Country" style to your home? Let's see what makes up this so-called style I love:

Loving that console table, heart -pine floors(?), heavy wooden doors and millwork!

I love this foyer. The contrast of the rough natural console with the polished millwork, the lantern, contrasting heavy wood door with smooth white trim, black and gold shades again on that rough console. Genius! It keeps your eyes moving and engages you to your surroundings. True study in contrasts.

Traditional yet contemporary and cozy.

This room is more formal, but the sofa is still soft looking - not stiff which contrast nicely with the hard lines of the coffee table. Again, notice color. There's wood, antique gold, little doses of black, sisal, wool, and metal! Great combination of everything.

Notice the softness of the chairs and ottoman (prop your feet up, please!) contrasting with the angular lines of the black coffee table and mantle. Little touches of driftwood sculpture, willow and grass and...as always color.


This vanity is great! I love the turned legs and soft gray. I'm not a huge fan of those sconces, but I know they and the stainless sink were chosen to provide some contrast to the more traditional lines of the vanity. The wallpaper reminds me of palm frawns (another coastal element) and there's the grass again on the sink.


 Color is what pulls this room together and says "low-country".

I love this for a formal room. It still feels like you could curl up with a good read and a cup of coffee during the hot afternoons, but could entertain more formally in style. That wonderful soft cream on the walls, the very muted golds and gray/blue with little doses of black. The area rug picks up the colors and ties it all together. And then....there's the star...that ever popular Italian chandelier! If money were no object and I could afford to be trendy, this is a piece I would buy in a heartbeat for my dining room.


Gorgeous!

Notice the use of dark brown to ground all the lighter colors, planked walls, french ladder back dining chairs, hardwood floors and door, matchstick blinds, and ...you guessed it...watery, earthy colors. This is shockingly similar to my family room currently (although they obviously had an "existent" budget to buy accessories and furniture compared to yours truly!). What is so funny is that I've just discovered this design group and these images. This room is much prettier, but mine is getting there. As pretty as it is, my room would have a little more white and a little less dark furniture. I think it's the use of the accent and coffee table, dining table AND sideboard that makes it just a little too much for me.

This is me to a T!

I'm just in love with this room! The coffered ceilings painted a faint blue between creamy white millwork, all the colors, the fabric on the curtains, beautiful rug, ceiling fan, comfortable furniture, natural woods, etc! I honestly don't see a thing I don't like here. This is where I want to take my family room...just a little lighter, brighter and softer than the previous.


Ditto. Is this room not just perfect?!



Those curtains, table and chandelier....!

How awesome is that table? This is more my speed...casual bomb shelter style...indestructible with kids! The more nicks and scapes, the better the patina:) Notice the sisal rug...another low country staple, along with sea grass, which is my personal favorite.

General direction my kitchen is headed.  Great pendants over the island.

Great white cabinets (not in any way related to the shark! Sorry...it's just what came to mind:) and oil rubbed bronze harware with cup pulls. I think I may have the same style in my kitchen (except mine probably cost a fraction of these!). My cabinets are going creamy white like this as soon as I can get a paint sprayer.

Color, floor and lighting.

I'd swear that was "Brittany Blue" by Benjamin Moore on the walls.

Again, just a little freaky how similar this is to my master bedroom! I think it's even the same color (and again...nicer). If my room was neat and staged, I'd go take a picture and share it so you can see for yourself. They aren't identical, but the use of white, soft blue, and dark wood bed is uncanny in similarity. Our master bedroom is my favorite room in my house. I'll share it soon. It's also my work space inside, so it's hard to keep tidy:)

Looking a little like my stick mirror?! Great organic texture.

Little more modern than the others. That fabric and those pendents are great. Talk about a conversation piece!



Boarded walls and headboard, vases, frame, night stand... texture galore!




Looking a little nautical. LOVE those five panel doors, door knobs, hinges, bed and trim work. I would love to do something similar in one of my boys rooms.



Not quite my style, but the colors are dead on.

Notice louvered doors and pine floors.



This is more my style. Notice the wrapped pulls, counter top, mirror frame, and sconces.

I'm sure there were budget restraints here and homeowner wants, but although I appreciate the cleanness of the white tile, I can't help but think something with a little more sand color/texture would have enhanced the room. Hardwood floors would be the icing on the cake, but this is probably a kid/guest bathroom meaning it could be REALLY impractical (have you ever seen what boys can do to a bathroom?)!

You'll notice there are several common elements running through all these pictures...color being the most obvious. The colors stay within the soft natural palette of watery blues, greens, taupes, creams and soft golds. It's a relaxing palette. You'll also notice there is very little of the typical "sea-side" nautical themed accessories. It's all communicated in color and texture. To find out more about Haute Design and to see more of their portfolio, click here.

There's a little bit of eye candy and inspiration.  Are you ready to hit the beach yet? I am!



p.s. Did you notice I finally got around to making a signature? About time, isn't it?!

French Accent Table Reveal

O.k. Ready for another before and after? I've been finishing up some pieces around here to take down to my tiny little booth. What do you think of this piece? Think it'll sell?

It was an old solid mahogony, French Provencial style side table I picked up at a thrift store. Here's what I started with (before):

Before

After

Top Before

Top After

Leg Before

Leg After (nice gnat that landed on it!)

After

I've struggled with getting a good shot of this one. Because it's white and has a pearlescent dry brush....it's been hard to show you how pretty it actually came out. I hope this picture showcases it like it should.

So what do you think? I've got more coming. My days are booked lately. With a little guy at home still, two playing sports, school activities, a blog to run, drapery and mural orders, and furniture to redo, I feel incredibly blessed (and tired - but in a good way!). I love what I'm doing now. I'm loving that God has opened up this blog and creative outlets for me. You all are a true blessing and source of encouragement. Us stay-at-home/work-at home moms can sometimes feel a little isolated from the world. I just can't tell you how much I love hearing from you and how uplifting all your kind words are.

I'm working on other fun before and afters within my own home.  I am a strong believer in living within your means and not going into debt, so upgrades are slow, but exciting when you realize you've saved up enough to do some!

And, If you need something minor to lift up in prayer, I'm at a crossroads with having to make some decisions about computer (Mac for graphics = $), camera and equipment upgrades, and those are pricey. What I have just isn't "cutting the mustard" and yet I am very hesitant to spend that kind of money (I have a hard time walking the line between thrifty and cheap). Did I mention my hubby works in the building industry? Unless you have had your head buried under a rock for the last three or four years, you know that has been hit hard, which means if you're wise, you make sure you have savings and know how to live frugally. Not because you always have to, but just because you never know what the market will do. Any business that is volitile with ups and downs and dependent of the economy requires smart planning when times are good to survive times that aren't! Thankfully, God has kept us grounded and provided all we need. Watching what has happened to so many others has taught us a lot about being grateful and humble. It's also made us realize just how temporary and unimportant things really are, and opened our eyes to just how incredibly blessed we are (with or without "things").

It's also made me realize how God uses things we never thought as meaningful to teach us and prepare us for the future. For instance: growing up humbly and learning from the best (Mom/Dad) about how to stretch a dollar, learning the difference between needs and wants, being content with what you have, using the knowledge and skills God gave me, learning to be creative to make what I want versus just buying it, and most important....Keeping my faith front in center in my life. I wouldn't trade anything about my childhood and what I learned! Thank you Mom and Dad!

All that to say this is when I sit there and pray hard about needs versus wants...wise versus unwise investments. So, I'll leave you with a little inspiration pic:

"Dandelion Glory"
B.E. Interiors Photography

Now to go finish up two more furniture pieces and hopefully post them tonight:)

Miss Bee

Linking up to:

Burlap Walls Follow Up

Remember my Burlap Walls post? Remember how I said I had to find a way to get the wrinkles out? I think I have. I also think I found a better way to hang it...one I considered and for some reason decided not to do (stupid me).

Have you ever hung fabric on a wall with liquid starch? I read about this years ago when I was a newly wed living in an apartment desperately wanting to paint but couldn't. You can apply any fabric to the walls with liquid starch and it will peel right off when you're ready to take it down! And you thought starch was only for ironing white oxfords!

Let's revisit my powder room:

See the wrinkles? Ugh!

Like that mirror? I think I'll be doing a tutorial on that soon.

For the most part, I was happy with my walls. But those wrinkles have been driving me batty. I've racked my brain for a way to get rid of them. I tried:

1. ironing
2. steaming - NOT a good idea...makes it stretch and loosen up
3. spraying with water...which worked but caused discoloration
4. LIQUID STARCH?! Let's give it a go.

I realized I'd made a big mistake when I didn't TRY this. I assumed (and you know what they say!) that if misted water caused discoloration, so would liquid starch. Wrong (sort-of)! Even if it does, if you apply it all over like you should, the discoloration is even and I can assure you very slight if at all. When I was applying my fabric to the inside of my drawers on the French Sideboard Redo, I did a test with liquid starch on some burlap (because it was laying there) to see if it would stick and actually stay up. Guess what? It's freaky how well it works! Heavy Spray starch is good for fickle people...comes off easier, but doesn't have the same holding power as the liquid.

There is just one little drawback to using starch...your fabric could shrink SIGNIFICANTLY! The beautiful French script fabric I used was a linen/cotton blend and I cut it to size then put it in the drawers. When I came back later after the starch had dried, it'd shrunk by literally half an inch each direction! Lesson learned.

Yikes! Serious Shrinkage! This won't do.

Re-cut with extra half inch each way!




Liquid starch just poured in and spread liberally if working on a flat horizontal surface.

 

But this could be a good thing. My fabric is slighly loose on the walls, so some shrinkage could be a blessing. Am I scared to try it?! OF COURSE! If I screw it up, the hubby is going to freak because once again I'll be in there redoing that powder room. (This is why I did such a small room.)

We interrupt this post to allow the hostess to go and try this little experiment. She will be back shortly with the results..........(*cue elevator music).....

I'm back! And guess what....IT WORKED (I think)! What I mean is, I used spray starch first because I was lazy in a hurry for it to dry, and it took the wrinkles out perfect! But, it kind of rippled some in areas where I hadn't gotten it as wet as others. So, I went back with the liquid and brushed it on those areas. I'm waiting on it to dry, but I know if one worked, the other will.

Funny story: Hubby walked in and had a near heart attack as he started yelling for me to come in there! He thought a pipe had broken in the wall! I felt bad but... it was all I could do not to bust out laughing! He looked at me and said, "PLEASE give me a heads up when you're going to do something like that!" Here's what he saw:)

It does look like a pipe burst, doesn't it?! (LOL!)

Ready to see the results? I'm so excited I can barely contain myself! I was so afraid I'd mess it all up, but that rarely stops me from trying something (unless A LOT of money is involved). There was shrinkage, so do a test strip first or leave yourself an extra inch each direction to play it safe. To make a test strip, lay it on a board, draw an outline all the way around, then soak in starch and let dry. Then remeasure to see how much extra fabric to add to your measurements. When hanging it on a vertical surface, soak it in a bowl, wring it out, and then hang.

All right, check it out:

Provided it's dry tomorrow, I'll take another pic and add it to the post probably before most of you read this. In the meantime, I did take a pic of one of the areas that's been driving me mad that is dry. Notice...the wrinkles are gone! This was done with just the spray starch. The upper part is where I had to pull out

the big guns.

"By George, I think I've got it!"

Miss Bee