The Unexpected Remodel

March 25, 2016 / everydaymarvalous / Leave a comment

Our family took on a small home remodeling project due to some recent water damage in the media room. As a lover of interior design, I saw this as an opportunity to upgrade the space. If the work has to be done, why not add to the budget a bit to get the most out of it. So we did.

To help me figure out what I wanted to do with the space, I spent quite a bit of time on the Houzz app to determine my colors for the space, etc. I wanted something to make the stained glass windows really POP! By the way, I love the Houzz app. It is so easy to loose track of time when viewing the beautiful images of the homes from kitchens, baths, bedrooms, outdoor landscape and any area that you can imagine. I appreciate being able to search for specific looks, too. For example, after I decided to paint the room a dark chocolate color, I then searched for brown media rooms. That search lead to pages of images with varying amounts of brown from the walls to the furniture, and even the pillows in the room. I do recommend that you try it to give you ideas on future projects or even just for fun. The best part…. The app is free! You can also access Houzz from the internet at http://www.houzz.com.

Copied from http://www.houzz.com

Here is a before picture… midway through the remodel.

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And here are the after photos.

The media room after the installation of the carpet.

My beautiful stained glass windows!

I took a bit longer than I anticipated. We upgraded some of the light fixtures, carpet, texture on the ceiling, and the baseboards.Even still, I have a few more things to do to complete the decorating, such as artwork on the walls and upgrading the bookshelves. However, I am extremely happy with the outcome. My family has a renewed desire to watch movies and enjoy the room. I even enjoy working out in the space more than ever!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures and found some inspiration for your next planned or even unplanned remodel. May you, too, have a Marvalous time decorating.

White Pottery

January 28, 2016 / everydaymarvalous / Leave a comment

Developing a collection of anything can be quite fun. The joy of the hunt for particular items. The excitement of finding a piece to add to your collection can be addictive. Then the satisfaction of displaying for enjoying your collection makes the effort worthwhile. One of my favorite collections is white pottery. I love white dishes, vases, bowls, sugar and creamer sets, etc. The contrast of the white and the painted or darker background is just beautiful. Sometimes the intricate detail or the curves of a piece really speaks to my creative side. I have purchased my collection online, in stores (for example Horchow, Dillards, Mikasa, and Tuesday Morning), antique shops, Goodwill, and many more. You would be surprised where you can find additional pieces for you collection. Here are a few pictures of my favorite pieces in my collection.

Items in a collection do not have to be perfectly matched. In the picture above, the sugar bowls, a creamer, and gravy boats are partnered based on the color.

In this photo, I mixed two collections, white pottery and brown transfer ware. (I LOVE brown transfer ware, too.)

The only don’t in a collection is to not over do it. Too much of a good thing, can sometimes look messy. I have bought pieces that I later donated to Goodwill. I keep my absolute favorites. The main idea is to have fun with your collection. Happy collecting!

Marvalous Napkins and Placemats

November 30, 2015November 29, 2015 / everydaymarvalous / Leave a comment

My hope is that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. I enjoyed the day with my family and some of my extended family. During my holiday downtime, I was able to get some organizing done. One of my favorite things to organize is my napkins and placemat collections. I keep them organized neatly together in a cabinet, one set on top of another. I use baskets to store the napkin rings and the napkins separately. Having 0ptions makes setting the table so much fun and beautiful. A collection like this can be achieved at any price level. Stores that I have purchased from include Walmart, Target, Dillard’s, Macy’s, Pier 1, and Horchow.

Helpful Tips:

To extend your collection mix and match with complimentary colors and patterns.
Stock a few variety of shapes and colors of chargers.
To care for your collection:
- Wash soiled items immediately in cold water, gentle cycle, and warm dryer.
- If you cannot wash right away, I spray a stain remover, like Shout, on the stain and then wash later, when feasible.
- Do not leave them in the dryer for long and be sure to iron them quickly. You may experience slight shrinkage.

Use these at any meal, formal , informal, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you have collection or have decided to start one, it is a great way to add a touch of “marvelousness” to your meals at home.

House Tour

August 19, 2015August 18, 2015 / everydaymarvalous / Leave a comment

I added a new page, i.e. House Tour, to the Everyday Marvalous website. I will be updating it overtime with pictures of the home my husband and I purchased 3 years ago. Our home was built in 1987, has a lot of character but needed some updating. We consider this to be our forever home and enjoying putting our mark on the property. I plan to add before and after photos, as well. The new page is a work in progress, much like our home. It is a “marvalous” transformation and work of love. Enjoy!