Fixer Upper Fascination

In case you’ve been living under an HGTV sized rock, you may not know about their latest design superstars: Chip and Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper fame. After watching way too many episodes of House Hunters, Property Brothers and Love It Or List It, I find their fun, quirky humor and cozy design style so refreshing. For those that don’t know, Chip and Joanna are a husband-wife team that helps Waco, TX area families find, purchase and renovate homes.

Chip & Joanna

Joanna got her start with a small home furnishing shop Magnolia Market (which now has an online presence) and they slowly graduated to more intense design and home renovations. Their recent skyrocketing success has allowed them to purchase and renovate a whole complex known as The Silos that houses an updated, larger shop for Joanna as well as a place for vendors to sell goods on the weekend and they’re soon opening a bakery on premise! You can read all about The Silos here.

Original Market

New & Improved Magnolia Market!

Now in season 3, Fixer Upper showcases Chip and Joanna’s down-to-earth personalities and fun approach to home renovation. What I find so refreshing is how genuine and honest they come across vs. some of those other HGTV personalities that feel SO scripted. Fixer Upper is way more docu-series than how-to show. You see them interact as a couple, a bit of their home life with their 4 adorable kids, their huge farm the family calls home as well as all the fun design stuff.

And Joanna’s style is taking the internet by storm. Part shabby chic mixed with part rustic industrial, she finds a way to incorporate vintage style in traditional spaces with modern luxuries. Her expertise is truly finding something old and making it new again in an interesting way. Think old piping turned funky bookshelf or tobacco factory beams crafted into a beautiful dining table. Jo’s also fantastic at finding old but interesting architectural pieces and incorporating them in new ways.

pipe & board shelving

I’m OBSESSED with these doors! She turned them into pantry & laundry room entries

On top of their show and the renovations that come with it, The Silos and their family farm, they also have a realty company. And because she doesn’t have enough to do, Jo has a great blog too (which is where I originally found her before I knew about the show). All of this in addition to the new B & B they just opened which was featured as season 3’s Christmas episode. They really have crafted a little Waco empire over the last few years!

So for your eyeballs’ enjoyment, here are just a few of my favorite Fixer Upper moments from season 3:

Knock a wall down, add an interesting iron railing

Highlight the traditional beauty of original bay windows by making them a serious focal point

Extra hallway space = loft turned library

An old map makes the perfect vintage artwork

Jo LOVES her some shiplap. #shiplap

A change of pace for the Gaines: a European-inspired entryway

Loving this colonial-like dining room. Reminds me of historic homes in PA!

Wouldn’t be a Gaines job without some added architectural detail!

Anyone else as obsessed with them as I am? I find Chip quirky but hysterical and it’s definitely one of the few design shows I’ve got Jefe hooked on too!

3Feb2016

Life Happens While You’re Busy Making Other Plans

Posted in Beautiful Places, Life Stuff, Redecorating, Visual Eye Candy by Mallory

New year, new blog, new fiance, new home. You read that right, Jefe & Sledge are finally getting hitched! Needless to say it was a rather exciting holiday season as Jefe popped the question right before Thanksgiving.

After the confetti and bubbles in the champagne settled and the parents all had wedding bells on the brain, Jefe and I started to discuss what was next for us. The big plan if you will.

That led us to Craigslist, an apartment showing and a quick lease signing later, we had the keys to a new place.

So what convinced us to decide to sign a lease while visiting family and planning a wedding all over Christmas break? Central air. Refinished hardwoods. Sconces. A fireplace (nonworking, but it’s beautiful). FRENCH DOORS.

I’m sure you all want to read a little less and ogle a little more so without further ado, here’s our new place!

Front entrance! White roses line the walkway.

Our amazing living room! It’s bright, airy, super spacious yet cozy.

Great archway in to the dining room.

A chandelier we don’t hate! And ALL the lights in the apartment are on dimmers!

The kitchen is large with plenty of counter space. The colors have proven a bit challenging as I don’t know how to accessorize two-toned blue floors and buttery yellow walls, but I’m up for it!

The second bedroom we’ll be using as our home office. (I can see the Red Sox paraphernalia filling the walls now….)

And our master. The place was renovated with such an eye for design while still being neutral enough that we can inject our own style in to it. Because of this, I don’t even hate the boob light because it matches everything else!

There’s plenty more to come (including our amazing bathroom with pedestal sink and original penny tile floor) but as our place is still COVERED in boxes, we’re not quite ready for the full, non-Craigslist ad pictures yet.

But there’s definitely more to come in the next few weeks! Sledge is back (and engaged!)

6May2015

House Tour!

Posted in Redecorating, Visual Eye Candy by Mallory

It’s about time I finally took you all on another tour of the place since we’ve done a bit of updating over the last few months. Let’s get right to the photos!

We’ll start with the master bedroom which really sold us on this place as it is a true master with plenty of space and a walk in closet. It’s definitely a work in progress in terms of design: it needs a floor mirror, lots of artwork and a rug. But I really do love the space (how did I live for 30 years without black out curtains?!)

Next we move down the hallway towards the rest of the apartment. The door on the right leads to our service porch with washer & dryer (and absolutely NOTHING to see.)

This little clock gallery wall was inspired by a recent episode of Fixer Upper. Jefe saw a version in a kitchen Joanna designed and LOVED the idea. We started with the bottom 3 clocks and are just adding as we find unique and interesting ones to include. Smaller 3 clocks are from Target, silver one is from Ikea.

Through the doorway on the left is the second bedroom/office. This room has changed the most recently and we’re really happy with the way its turned out. It is a great, comfortable space to work from as both Jefe and I do a fair amount from home. And despite this really being Jefe’s domaine in terms of aesthetics, I can’t wait to finally get a reading chair in here! It gets the perfect amount of light all day and is arguably the quietest room in the house.

Continuing down the hallway, on the left is the kitchen. This room is probably the closest to being done. There’s a few small tweaks yet, like covering the black cord of our new, much needed pendant light and finding a few small items to hang on the wall. But otherwise I’m calling this space COMPLETE (or until I find something new and decide to rearrange my open shelving).

We’re going to skip the super pink tiled bathroom for the moment (until I can clean it enough to be presentable for photos!) and move on to the dining room. We’re still on the hunt for a sideboard under the windows (from this perspective you’re back is facing them), but we really have only been purchasing items to a) replace our worn down Ikea pieces and b) that we plan to keep for the long haul. Nothing has really struck my fancy so far that I don’t think I’ll hate 5 years from now so there’s no need to rush a large purchase like that; I’ll know it when I see it. So the space is what it is for now. Nice, spacious and simple with plenty of room for dinner parties where I can get my Martha on. Artwork is by my extremely talented cousin!

Lastly, we move in to the room where we spend the most time – our living room. It’s really cozy and perfect during the cooler months. We’ve been working to really incorporate meaningful pieces in to the space – each of our home state flags, photos from my hometown, a few tchotchkes from our trips. Not much left in here to do design-wise but hang some more artwork, a mirror by the front door and a mirror to hang up blankets on by the floor lamp.

So there you have it for now. Our little home. Hope you enjoyed the tour!

10Feb2015

Isn’t It Pinteresting?

Posted in Beautiful Places, Life Stuff, Visual Eye Candy by Mallory

It’s been way too long since I gave you all some pure, unadulterated eye candy and random musings on the world so that’s what you’ve got today while I’m hopping a cross-country flight back to La-La-Land. I’ll be back later later this week with my usual recap of Ellen’s Design Challenge.

Let’s start with a little Pinterest visual stimulation (all the images below can be found on my Pinterest page). Here are some of the things I’ve been drooling over lately:

BEDROOMS

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KITCHENS

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What’s Cooking In The Kitchen
Speaking of kitchens….. after Jefe noticed a bunch of our nonstick pots and pans chipping, we decided it was time for some replacements. I did a little research and turns out Sur La Table, my new favorite place to spend any and all extra cash, sells some of the highest quality sets for under $250.

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Thanks to a sale and a leftover gift card from Christmas, we brought a new set home last weekend. I also happened to pick up a copy of The Joy of Cooking finally, so naturally I figured the combination of my new purchases would instantly turn me in to Julia Child.

Later that night I discovered I wasn’t that far off the mark: I whipped up one of the most delicious meals I’ve ever made. Chicken piccata with a side of green beans almondine. Although now I think I’ve raised Jefe’s standards a little too high for the amount of time I actually have to spend in the kitchen…

Fashion Forward
Have any of you been following the latest fashion trend? The industry is FINALLY starting to take notice of the completely untapped resource of plus size consumers. From ModCloth’s amazing commitment to equal opportunity sizing and the wealth of plus-size fashion bloggers to Target’s latest Ava & Viv collection, women of all sizes are finally being given fashion-forward clothing options. I love the new Swimsuits For All ad campaign; who needs a Victoria’s Secret Angel when you can have Ashley Graham? Makes me *almost* brave enough to try out one of their high-waisted bikinis. Almost.

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And as a result of this new trend, I’ve discovered some new blogs that I’m loving! Nicolette Mason in particular is my new current fav. Girl’s got sass and style that does not quit!

A little light reading…..
I love the Kindle app on my iPad. I’ve found myself reading so much more, especially since it can sync will all my devices. Waiting in line at the grocery store? No problem! You’ve got time to crank out another few paragraphs. The downside? Since you don’t have a physical book and its 800 pages literally staring you in the face, it’s all too easy to get sucked in to a book without fully realizing the commitment that you’re making.

Case in point: thanks to all the great feminist reviews of Starz’ new series Outlander and me without access to the channel, I decided to start reading the book. Literally THOUSANDS of pages and 6 books later, I’m fully engrossed in the series with at least another 2 books and a few more THOUSANDS pages to go. But damn is it good – Claire is the most incredibly fierce female character I’ve read in a LONG time. And the hot Scot playing her 18th century love doesn’t hurt either… Example #1: Starz’s new ads for season one:

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All the reading though has reminded me how much I love it and list of things next on the docket for after I finally finish Outlander is growing quite long. Number one is Amy Poehler’s latest (I know, I know, I’m behind the times on this one). Thanks to my fav site The Everygirl, I’m certain that #2 on the list, What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding (best. title. ever.) is going to give me a SERIOUS case of wanderlust.

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So there you have it. Random musings and a few very pretty pictures for the week. What have you all had your eye on? New cookware? Or maybe a new book you’d love to get lost in? I highly recommend Scottish time travel circa 1743 🙂

26Feb2014

Oh Baby… Nursery

Posted in Beautiful Places, Design Challenges, Visual Eye Candy by Mallory

Babies, babies everywhere. I can’t count on one hand the number of little bundles of joy that are about to arrive on the doorsteps of friends and family in the next few months. This happens to include my stepsister who welcomed my adorable first nephew on Sunday!

My best friend also happens to be due in the next week so she recently asked me for some nursery inspiration while she prepped for the arrival of her little girl. So today I’m sharing some of my favorite finds for all styles of nurseries from neutral and glamorous to gender specific and rustic.

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Let’s start with this classic beauty. Neutral colors with a slightly playful theme thanks to the zebra and hot air balloon and a classic crib.

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Contemporary, abstract art over a crib – so glamorous. And the contrast of colors against the moody grey walls – perfection. The patterned rug just kicks it up a notch. This particular nursery is clearly doing double duty too for when those giddy grandparents come to visit.

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How luxurious does this nursery feel? It’s gender neutral and could so easily be achieved with a little blood, sweat and DIY. All you need is quite a bit of cheap off-white fabric, a staple gun, some painters tape and a gallon of paint. Top it off with a glamorous light fixture and you’re in business.

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So I cheated a bit and this is an old ad from Restoration Hardware’s Baby & Kids line. But I’m completely in love with the rustic charm and the perfect way they styled a nursery that’s a little girlie without looking like a pink crayon vomitted everywhere.

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Vintage charm is all over this room. I love that the desaturated blue of the walls is a few shades off the traditional baby blue of most nurseries. And the bunting combined with a it of chevron on those curtains brings it in to the 21st century.

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If you’re looking for more of a traditional space, this is the room for you. I die over the antique-looking toys and that mirror over the crib is so elegant.

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This gem has been making the blog rounds for quite some time, but I completely see why – you want glamour for your little girl, this is the room for her. Shiny surfaces and animal print? CHECK!

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Or maybe she is more into shabby chic, French country charm? Done!

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Or you think she’ll be a little eclectic, but with a sweet side? A room filled with peach, champagne and gold is the place for her.

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Perhaps it is a little boy who needs a little eclectic space of his own? Combine an industrial fixture with a vintage map and some burlap curtains, and you’re good to go.

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White and navy with a touch of silver is perfection. All the pieces (minus the crib) could be repurposed as the child grows or seamlessly moved in to other rooms of the house.

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Minimalist, white and clean. But the light wood, adorable artwork and the sheepskin rug warm up the space for a little bundle of joy.

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Then their are those new moms who just know their little one will be fashionable and always on trend. Then herringbone and tassel garlands are just for them (and it serves as a stylish alternative to a mobile).

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I think we’ve seen some variation of that rug a few times… looks like it’s a clear winner in nursery land. When paired with striped crib bedding and crisp roman shades, the room suddenly has a preppy feel.

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Maybe you just want to embrace your little girl’s feminine side? Swatches of pink, monogrammed wall art and a chandelier are just for her.

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If you’re raising a little gentleman or lady, this elegant nursery/guest room combo is the perfect space.

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Modern. Pink. Perfection. And I don’t even like pink.

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If she really is a princess, this space is for her.

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I die over that kelly green wall paper. Baby would love staring at it!

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Modern and graphic. With a hint of mid-century modern thrown in.

And now for a little extra dose of awesome: a few celebrity nurseries to drool over:

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Bill & Giuliana’s house is perfection. I expect nothing less for their little guy’s space. I want that grasscloth wallpaper. Now.

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This nursery belongs to momma/queen of style Jenna Lyons.

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I’m loving the clean lines and soothing colors of this beauty, the home of Molly Sims’ babe.

So what do you think – I see some serious themes popping up lately in nursery styles – print rugs and giant giraffes are clearly all the rage. I also love the practicality of most of the spaces – all of them seem to be able to easily transition as the child grows older. And not a licensed character in sight! Not that I have anything against Mickey or Buzz Lightyear… I’d just prefer a little more subtle use of whimsy 😉

Sledgehammer With Style

Hollywood marketer by day, design blogger by night.

Category Archives: Visual Eye Candy

Fixer Upper Fascination

Life Happens While You’re Busy Making Other Plans

House Tour!

Isn’t It Pinteresting?

Oh Baby… Nursery

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