Homework Station

School House Electric

I know most of you don’t even want to talk to about the H word right now. AKA Homeschool.

But depending on where you live there is a good chance us parents are going to pull up our sleeves and start the school year with online learning.

I’m in that mindset right now and I thought to myself- how could I make this fun? I fully expect this new adventure to to take on the form of a train wreck but maybe I could have a little fun during the train wreck? Who knows.

Remember those days when we were little girls and how we loved to play school? And it and it was always a battle of who got to be teacher. Guess what? We finally get to be teacher everyday now! You can either laugh or cry now. No one is judging.

Here are some ways you can create an organized workspace for your children and yourself. I think the key is keeping it simple and having a consistent system you can follow on a daily basis.

Desk or Table?

*Consider how much flat surface space you will need and also take the size of your space into consideration. Having a table in the middle of the room is a great option if you have the space.

If you are limited on space, double desks against the the wall or a built in desk is a great way to utilize your space.

Mccabe House

Oak Design Project

Reading Nook

*Incorporating a bench seat or reading nook is a fun way to make the space feely cozy and relaxing. And of course makes reading more enjoyable.

Studio Mcgee

Adding a rug will help anchor the whole room. Using a fun pattern such a stripe, pattern or playful print with give the room a charming childlike feel.

Kate Marker

Storage

Bookshelves are perfect way to corral the endless sea of papers. Keeping labeled bins and baskets will go along ways in keeping things tidy.

Studio Mcgee

Wall Decor

*Having fun prints for the children to look at and a place to display their art is a VERY GOOD THING as Martha Stuart would say.

Studio Mcgee

Inspiration

If I were to design a homework station for my house TODAY. This is what I would do. Tomorrow? Who knows. My guess I would probably come up with something totally different.

Enjoy!

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Kitchen Recipe Guide

Today I decided it would be fun to create a recipe guide for you. What kind of recipe you ask?

A modern traditional kitchen recipe!

I rounded up some of my FAVORITE kitchen finishes and created a recipe guide for you that is easy to follow and execute on your own.

Now a few tips on how to use the guide.

• You can get this same look without using these exact same products. There are so many products out there that are similar. Print this off and show it to your flooring specialist and they can help you find similar products. But this gives them a really good idea of the look you are trying to achieve.

• Don’t be afraid to switch things up. For example changing out the cabinet color to a deep navy would be still be equally stunning and still give you the modern traditional kitchen look. Or opting for all polished nickel for the hardware would be another great alternative.

• Have Fun! If you are wanting some extra guidance for selecting your kitchen finishes, read here.

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  *here is the PDF version

8 Tips for Picking out Finishes when Remodeling your Kitchen.

Picking out finishes

Tip 1. Inspiration Board!

Create a secret board on Pinterest and pin away inspiration images ! Then narrow that board to your favorite 15- 20 pins. Afterwards, study the pins and look for common threads and themes. For example, sometimes a dominant theme is dark countertops or all the photos have pictures with white cabinets and light oak floors. So when you start the actual design processes you have this information as a starting place and then you can build on these common themes through out the design process.

TIP 2: Know YOUR Numbers.

I know this is not the fun part. But you really need to know your budget. This will save you a lot of time and disappointment! So make sure your contractor has broken down you budget into line items. You can always tweak the budget but you need to have a good idea of what you are wanting to spend on your finishes.

TIP 3. Find your person

If you are not using an interior designer, I highly suggest making an appointment with a flooring specialist before you walk into a flooring store. Having a good flooring specialist to help educate you about the products is very important. I will be honest there are some that are no so great. And it makes a huge difference. It might take a little shopping around but it is totally worth it. Ask around. If you are using a contractor they usually have a go-to person.

Tip 4: What to bring when you head to the flooring store.

• Floorpan

• Budget

• 1-2 inspiration photos.

• Cabinet layout if possible

Before you visit the flooring store, print off two of your favorite kitchens that really translates the style you are wanting to achieve. This will help the flooring specialist ALOT. Now just keep in mind once you step foot into the flooring store you are going to be surrounded by a million CHOICES. Take a deep breath and get your blinders on.

Tip 5: Where to start

Before I walk into the flooring store I know if I am going to do a paint grade cabinet, wood stain or combination. I don’t know the exact color but I have a pretty good idea of what I want the cabinet color to be.

1. FLOORING: Usually the very first thing I pick out is the floor. This sets the stage for the rest of the kitchen. Now that you know your budget start looking at the floors in your budget. Your flooring specialist will be able to help you with this. What ones are you drawn to? Talk to a flooring speciality about durability as well because that will play a factor too. Grab 2 samples

2. Countertop. Look at your inspo pictures. Are most of the countertops you pinned a marbled quartz or do they have a lot of movement in them? Grab 2 samples

3. Backsplash: Go back to your photos. What backsplash did you pin a lot of? Hand cut subway or are all the backsplashes a nice clean look with the quartz carried to top. Grab 2 samples

4. Now that you have gathered all your samples, it’s time to look at them at see how they play together. Try narrowing down the floor first. Once you have picked out a floor you love then find a countertop you love and then pick the backsplash. Take home the samples and look at them in your house. Live with them for a few days. Just count on seconded guessing your decision but 9-10 my clients usually always go with the first one they pick out. ;). OH and by the way STAY off of PINTEREST and INSTAGRAM for the next couple of months. Trust me on this one ;).

Tip 6: Gather the samples

Have the flooring specialist order samples for you. They usually can get smaller samples so you don’t have to lug around the big flooring boards. I like to put them in a ziplock bag and throw them in my purse so I have them on hand.

Tip 7: Picking the metals.

Once you receive your samples in the mail, now it’s time to decide on your metals. Meaning the hardware, appliances, plumbing and lighting. A way to keep this really SIMPlE is pick ONE metal that you really love and then another metal to accent with. A total of two metals. The good news is 90% of the time any metal will work. ( I like brass, polished nickel, black and chrome ) If you love brass - pick brass as your main metal finish and then accent with another metal finish

For example: You could do all your hardware and plumbing in brass. But your lighting in a polished nickel or black.

*For the plumbing fixtures you can order 2x2 square samples of the finish. You can order these are the suppliers website.

Tip 8: Save the Paint for Last

The last step is the paint color. This is also usually when I pick the actual cabinet color as well. If I know I am going to be doing white cabinets it will be easy to find a white that will work because- now I will have all my samples in front of me and I can pick the best white for my cabinets. This goes for the wall color too!

Hope these tips help make your remodel or new build a little more enjoyable and less stressful!

See you next week!

Hayley

PS. Did you know kitchen finishes are our speciality? Want to learn more? Schedule a discovery call with me here!