I finally found a solution to my great rug debate. Remember when I had the floral one here and was trying to find a replacement? I received a lot of helpful tips on this one (thank you!) and even though some of you thought I was a little nuts to have a rug in the kitchen at all, I went with this simple blue option from West Elm.

I chose the rug for multiple reasons. One, the smaller size was perfect (the floral one I think took up too much of the space), two, the pretty pop of blue brought a bit of color and pattern into the room right where I wanted it, three, it’s reversible so when it gets dirty I can flip it over for double the use, and four, it was on sale so it was only $5.99! At that price, I don’t mind if doesn’t stay pristine for long.

You may also notice that I painted the plate rail white, which is working better for me then how it was before. The space between the countertop and the ceiling is no longer broken up visually by the darker line of the wooden plate rail, so the ceiling looks a little higher and the room lighter.

I also put together a quick & cheap piece of art for the room by framing a feather that I collected from outside. Buy the frame, stick a feather in it… done! Oh nature’s simple beauty.

The shelves on the back wall are another new addition that we made, but I will get into all of that on the next post. :)

So what do you think? Hit or miss on that rug?

To see how the kitchen looked before, check here.
To see all of the cabin progress so far, check here.

Images by Sarah Sherman Samuel

Product Guide: Rug by West Elm // RTA cabinets by Customer Service Hardware // Countertops, sink, and faucet by Ikea // Photo frame from Target // Arthur Umanoff Dining Set – vintage

It has been a while since I have done a cabin update. Things over there have had to slow down over the winter as it is just too cold to do a lot of things and too cold for me to want to visit as frequently! We were there over the holidays though, so although we didn’t get a ton accomplished we did put up this plate rail/spice rack of a shelf in the kitchen.

I am planning to put some full sized open shelving on the back wall as well, but now that I see how the oak shelf looks above the oak countertop, I might paint the shelves white. When in doubt paint it white right? Or in my case, when in doubt paint it “whisper gray”?

So far in the kitchen we have:
1. Torn everything down to the studs. 2. Hung, finished, and painted the drywall. 3. Refinished & trimmed out the ceiling 3. Assembled the new Cabinets 3. Installed the new flooring. 4. Put in the new oak countertop 5. Placed the new appliances and apron front sink. 6. Put up the subway tile back splash and put on the cabinet hardware.  7. Created a plate rail/spice rack above the backsplash.

Still to do in the kitchen:
1. Grout the tile back splash (yes, I know we are taking forever on this part. This is one DIY that makes me a little nervous and I decided I will wait until the walls aren’t so freaking cold to tackle that project). 2. Make and install the rest of the shelving. 3. Find a rug.

See all the cabin progress here and see all of the product details here.

Images by sarah sherman samuel

I’m getting ready for a little holiday party at our house this weekend, so that means pulling out my go-to party accessories like this little vessel I made and used as a candle holder for my birthday party. Or, you might also have spotted it in my studio on Design Sponge where I used it as a pencil cup.  Now, I am putting it to work as a bar accessory, holding the printed straws that are a must at every party, right?

Supplies needed // 1: Simple drinking glass (I picked up mine at the 99 cent store). 2: White spray paint (make sure to get FLAT paint. That is what makes it look porcelain like). 3: Gold leafing pen (also by Krylon, find it here)

Instructions: 1: Spray paint the glass. (two coats worked form me)

2: Starting at the top, press firmly on the very tip of the pen to create a small dot. 3: move the pen over about 1 cm and place another dot. It’s nice to do it freehand so that it doesn’t look too perfect.

4: Continue all the way down the vase (I left about an inch at the bottom of free white space to anchor the pattern). That’s it! and you are done. Easy peasy right?

Images by sarah sherman samuel

On the last trip to the cabin we got a lot accomplished in the bedroom. We worked late the night before leaving to finish the bunk beds, wallpaper, & install the lighting. So… sorry about the poor quality of the photos, I had to snap these on the way out the door for an early flight and it was still dark out! One of the down falls of trying to renovate and document a cabin from across the country.

To recap on everything we had previously done in the bedroom…
1. Removed the old walls, floor, ceiling, doors, and bunk beds. 2. Installed new flooring. 3. Put up the new ceiling. 4. Hung & finished the drywall. 5. Framed out the new closets and added doors. 6. Put in new entry doors. 7. Installed new overhead and sconce lighting 8. Re-built one set of bunk beds 9. Wallpapered

… and this is what we accomplished for this update:
1. Re-worked our new bunk bed a little and painted it white 2. Installed the curtain rods & curtains for the bunks (I used the same materials for the rods as I did for the living room curtains, just smaller) 3. Made the bunk ladder

… and still to do:
1. Install two small windows in the bunk bed wall. (I want a view of the lake while lying in bed, even if it is through a tiny window. :)

Almost done in here!

Product guide: Wall Mirror from Target  //  Bedding from Ikea  //  Cowhide & sheepskin rugs from Ikea  //  Edwardian Bed from Target  // Lighting from Restoration Hardware

I am thrilled to be featured over on Eva Black’s blog today in her Spaces column. Eva is such a talented lady and I also happen to have major hair envy over hers, sigh… but that is totally off subject. ;)

Here are a few images that weren’t included in the feature of my home studio (where I will be working a heck of a lot more now) and how my ever changing chalkboard wall/vertical work surface is looking at the moment.

Check out the interview and see the rest of my studio space on Eva’s blog.

Thanks again Eva!

Images by sarah sherman samuel

Get a load of this sconce!

As soon as I started designing the bedroom I had these light fixtures in mind and ordered them before anything else. Unfortunately for me they were back ordered… and then back ordered again. Cut to six MONTHS later they finally arrived. After installing the first one… TA – DA … we found that the second one arrived broken. wahh wahhhh. No worries, they will send a replacement… but oh wait… yes, it was back ordered.

Until now… rejoice, happy dance, we have both lights, they are up and they are beautiful. They were almost worth all of the run around. OK, who am I kidding they were worth it, I love em.

To track the progress in the bedroom look here, here, and here.
To see the progress on the entire cabin check here.
Also, go here for all of the Before Photos.

Product info: 1940′s Architect’s Boom Sconce from Restoration Hardware

Take a peek over at Pulp Design Studio’s blog today to see a fun little feature that Catherine and I took part in. They had us each create a virtual entry way for the fall season. Here were my picks.

I put together my round up with our cabin in mind (if the cabin had room enough for a proper entry way), picking pieces I would LOVE to see really anywhere in my space. To see all the sources, details, and the full feature head over to Pulp Design Studio’s blog here.

This round up was inspired by the black floral jeans I wore here. The deep jewel toned colors of all these florals combined with their black backgrounds are giving me some great ideas of how to keep floral prints going through the fall.

1: Skirt by Oasis from Asos  //  2: Hanging Floral Centerpiece by Amy Osaba found on 100 Layer Cake, photo by Tec Petaja //  3: Giclée Print by Bella Foster

I admit that I totally judged this book by its cover, but in a good way… The great illustration and hand lettering (design done by  Fraser Muggeridge Studio) immediately drew me in and then the words (written by Jonas Jonasson) kept me interested. I am a little more than halfway through it now and am really enjoying it. And then there is this room! It’s Antique dealer Florence Lopez’s Parisian studio, as shown in Architectural Digest Spain.

So, I had the idea for a new column to share both books and spaces that I enjoy and that have a common aesthetic. Hopefully, it will not only show that inspiration can be found anywhere but help to grow my reading list.