StyleMutt Home Designed Stay-Places

Hi Friends! It was this time last Summer that I had the privilege of designing 8 or 9 short term rental spaces over a two and a half month span in several major U.S. cities. The opportunity ended as quickly as it began when the company that hired me as a freelancer restructured and brought all the designing in house. But I still think about each of the units and randomly wonder from time to time if there is anyone occupying them right at that moment. And I pray that they're safe during their travels and feeling the comforts of home while they're away, and that they have loved ones to return to. I have never been a frequent traveler but have family and friends who travel regularly and exhaustively for work. I designed each stay-place as I would if one of my own loved ones were staying there.

Sharing a round up of some of my favorite units from last Summer! Each has it's own style and vibe, some more 'me', others a bit experimental. All were completed on a budget the size of a chocolate chip and turned in within 36 hours of being handed the sketched out floorplan. Some didn't even come with 'before' pictures so I was going on measurements alone! But the experience was invaluable to me as a new designer and I'd say the nights I worked through to complete any of these jobs on time was worth it.

Let's take a trip down memory lane!

Cozy Up In Beantown

Color Rich Sanctuary

Sophisticated Playing It Cool

Inviting LivingBedDining Room

"Serenity Now!!!"

Concrete Cave

That's a wrap for today! Thank you all so much for stopping by!

Wall Mount Task Lamp || 2018 Flip List Item No.6

I did it again.  I took apart three light fixtures just to Frankenstein one.  This would be the fourth lamp I've built or rehabbed which means I may have a problem.

DIY Brass Chandelier

Geometric Lamp Copycat

Little Orphan Lampie

It started (like it always does) with a handful of parts that piqued my interest at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. I wanted to replace the angular brass shade with the matte black one but couldn’t figure out to attach it so that it could adjust in any direction I needed.  So I brought the parts home to my workshop and added build a wall-mounted task tamp to my Furniture Flip Bucket List. 

But then I found this interesting lunar landing light fixture with four articulating brass shades.  

So I promptly harvested one to complete my fully adjustable assembly:

My new lamp swivels

The shade articulates

And the brass pole can go up or down while staying mounted to the wood block on the wall.

Oh yes and I have a new dresser to share too ;)  

When I shared the original dresser on my Instagram stories, I had asked you about color for this piece.

Admittedly, some of you baulked when I whispered I may be thinking orange for this one.  But I stuck with my vision and found the perfect mid-century inspired orangey-red for this one.

Even though I painted the entire body, I kept the tapered legs in the original finish.

I kept the original brass hardware too.

The extra warm tone to this piece made it especially fun to style with a pop of turquoise and some delicious terracotta.

I'm liking this color so much that I'm not listing it to sell in the warehouse just yet.  But in the meantime, at least I can cross off another flip list item.

Five down, Two to go.  Catch up on the 2018 Furniture Flip Bucket List:

Reader Design: Hannah's Stunning Home Reno

If there was a home that personified that term "a picture is worth a thousand words," it's Hannah's. This total renovation project in Dallas, Texas isn't the first one for Hannah and her husband Chayce, who recently started a renovation business called Blank Slate Renovations. They got their start early - in fact, Chayce flipped his first home when he was a senior in high school! Life took them from Texas to England and back again, and in the process of moving around, they had a sort of awakening:

“More and more, we’re becoming convinced that we were all made with special talents and unique gifts. True joy and lasting fulfillment aren’t far behind when you couple these with your profession—I think some of the best products come from these individuals. It’s almost like you become the truest and most natural version of yourself, and the products you create are just an extensions of who you are. Our goal for Blank Slate Reno is that we wouldn’t even be able to call it work, but that it would be more like play.”

The home was completely opened up and updated with mid-century and Scandinavian elements, plenty of interesting architectural elements, and some bright colors to keep things interesting. 

“For this particular project, my favorite piece in the entire house was an original midcentury fireplace (that we bought from our friend Craig off his List…;) that we placed in the living room and paired with a fun pink cement tile. We also experimented with a few new elements such as wallpapering, and wall panelling that turned out fab!”

The experimentation has certainly paid off, even if it took some time.

“Five years ago, I didn’t really have a specific aesthetic style, and when we first got married...I’m too embarrassed to even talk about it. Over the past four years of being more thoughtful and intentional about my look, the more my style has developed and evolved into what it is today. At the moment, Scandinavian minimalism particularly intrigues me. I love how blending neutral palettes, organic materials, natural lighting and live plants blurs the lines between the outdoors and indoors.”

But even as styles and tastes change, the goal remains the same, whether you're designing for yourself or for a client:

“My goal for most spaces is to create something simple and beautiful, while at the same time maintaining functionality and relaxation. Natural lighting, green plants and cozy nooks are key!”

Hannah, we can't wait to see where you take Blank Slate Renos next; and thank you for letting us in to your home! 

Follow Hannah along on Instagram at @blankslatereno.