Reader Design: Kristina's Coastal-Inspired Fall Home

Hi and Happy Halloween, All! I have the perfect Home Tour to share with you today - it's a lovely balance of Fall and Halloween, with a beachy vibe. Kristina's casual, coastal decor is the perfect backdrop for rustic Fall touches and subtle nods of spookiness.

Welcome to Kristina's home!

"Regardless of the season, my home always seems to lean toward a rustic coastal theme. I enjoy natural colors that are light and airy, like my blue pumpkin, and seashells seem to work their way into every season (see vase full of dried hydrangeas)."

"Every season I like to change out the pillow cases, switch up the table-scape, and redecorate my mantle shelf above my couch. Making little changes to reflect the season keep the house feeling fresh without spending too much money. I can't take complete credit because decorating the house is something my mom and I enjoy doing together and she is always an integral part in helping me decide what to put where."

"Although Halloween is technically only one day, I do like to add spooky touches for fun. Another constant you may notice is reference to my dog, Lucy. It's her home too so I include her any time I find the urge to monogram something. (see pumpkins)."

"Decorating my tiny patio is just as fun as decorating the inside for me. This year I decided to monogram our pumpkins with a K and L (for Lucy of course). I'm waiting for my purple mum to bloom to match the purple pansies and I even added a tiny pumpkin to my fairy garden. My goal is always to create an inviting and relaxing space for me and my dog, and of course anyone else who comes to visit!"

Thank you so much for inviting us in today, Kristina, (and Lucy!)! Such a beautiful, cozy home with so many personal touches - don't you just feel like curling up under a soft blanket with a warm drink now?! You can find this inspiring space, as well as others, on our Spaces page! Have a space you'd like to share? Either post photos to our Facebook page, or tag #stylemuttspaces on Instagram!

Have a fun and safe Halloween and a wonderful weekend!

Colin and Shire; The Fifth Chapter

Hi friends! Today we're celebrating our twins' fifth birthday! (That's code for 'today I'm celebrating having raised these two people for five years and they seem alright to me and our pediatrician').

Since I've been writing a blog for over half of their life, it's become a small tradition of mine to write a few words every year on October 29. It's a completely self indulgent habit, so I don't blame you at all if you skip it. :) A couple years ago I laid out their entire birth story, (starting here). I saved those posts to always remember the crazy roller-coaster of a time we had leading up to their birth and the difficult, lonely month after. Today I just want to give thanks. So much thanks. These guys are no longer even toddlers, they're people. They ask, they teach, they encourage, they joke, they pray. They're comfortable with who they are and are starting to tap into the unique gifts the Lord has equipped them with. I couldn't ask for more and my heart overflows.

Our twins' birthday always brings forth a flood of memories!

The beginning was just nuts. 

Colin and Shire

For being all up in each other's business for 7.5 months, they definitely took some time getting acquainted. 

After we all got to know each other better things got weird. We realized that what we considered normal looked anything but.

Colin could. not. sit up by himself for a while. But he figured out a way.

Though our early days were long, my love for these two grew by the hour. As did my biceps.

Never in a million years would I have guessed I'd have boy-girl twins, (especially since I was given boy-girl twin baby dolls when I was 6, and that would just be too ironic...). But, the Lord had these little sweeties planned just for Matt and me. They're our dreams and prayers come true.

Off to party with a couple 5 year olds today. :) 

Massive Piece gets a Major Transformation

Often, I don't really know what I'm going to do with a piece when I first see it in the thrift store.  But one thing's for sure: before I bring it home, I snap a pic and text it to Caleb.  Although {some} of his design opinions may be valid, I do not do this to get his aesthetic input {that's when I text Chelsea}.  I text Caleb because one of the first rules of marriage I have learned so far is ask my husband if he's willing to carry something up 3 flights of apartment stairs BEFORE I buy it.  {She writes with a big guilty/ sheepish grin}.

My lovingly tolerant husband {AKA "The Muscle"} did indeed give me the go-ahead so I brought home this 3-door outdated beast in hopes that I would eventually get an idea for what to do with him.

I thought about doing this one a little shabby-chic with some gray chalk paint and distressed edges.  He had the right little pulls for it, but I couldn't help but feel that something was off.  He was just too BIG.  At 60" long and 24" wide, he just seemed too massive for such characteristically "feminine" touches of a shabby-chic treatment.

He was really deep for a sideboard.  Unless you have a giant dinning room, I couldn't see him working as buffet or a credenza.  So what on earth am I gonna do with this beast?

Feeling kinda stuck, I took off the doors to get a good look inside and a fresh perspective.  This helped me pinpoint what he had going for him:

- 6 drawers for storage {dovetailed - always a good indicator of quality craftsmanship}
- A pull-out tray on the left side
- 2 strategically placed holes to allow hidden routing for unsightly cables

I was beginning to realize that this piece had all the fixin's to be a solid media stand: the holes for cables would make the centralized shelf perfect for a cable box...  

But who would really use a TV stand that required you to open a door for the remote to communicate with the receiver?  This is where I had my revelation: this was no ordinary TV stand.  This was a Mid-Century Modern TV Stand just waiting to come out of hiding!  He had all the right lines {especially with those clean drawers that sat flush into the piece}.  So naturally I had to help this poor soul.  I removed two of the doors and gave him some painted trim, a warm coat of stain, and some tapered legs from the hardware store...

What.  Just.  Happened.  Did you see that transformation coming?  I sure didn't when I first saw it in the store ;)

The veneer needed some extensive repair.  After using some wood filler and putting in some sweat equity in manual sanding {I'm saving up for a power sander...} I decided to paint the outside and the tapered legs a crisp white and leave the door and drawers to get that two-tone MCM look.

I left only one of the doors on to hide the biggest cable slit and the pull-out tray.  

By leaving other two doors off, now the center shelf can be used for a cable box.  Plus I love being able to show off the 4 right-side drawers.

Savvy me saved the old pulls from the Bamboo Dresser flip which were the perfect 70's style to reuse one for this piece {points for Gryffindor!}

Now I can so see this MCM piece as a sharp-looking entertainment console.  Throw a drink set and a tray on there and it can even moonlight as bar worthy of Mad Men.

I'm so pleasantly surprised with how retro-licious it turned out!

Now available for sale.
60"L x 24"W x 32"H
SOLD

If you are interested in this piece or a custom order like it, please email cate@stylemutthome.com.

P.S. We invite you to share your proud transformations with us by tagging #stylemuttrefinishes when you post before & after photos to instagram or facebook.  Looking forward to seeing your unrecognizable renos!