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Design, Office Interiors, One Room Challenge

I made it!!! Week 6 of the One Room Challenge! It’s reveal time!

May 10, 2018 No Comments

Hi All! I made it to week 6 of the One Room Challenge and am happy to report the office makeover is complete! I cannot wait to show you the transformation. Admittedly the before was sad…really sad. How could we have possibly lived with it like this for soooo long? It was just one of those cases where life was too busy and I never had time to tackle the project… but then enter the One Room Challenge… and a deadline… and I was off and running and getting.things.done! I am so elated to have this one crossed off the To Do List, but more importantly my hubby, who spends mucho time in this office, is happy with the result.

The challenge in this room that unfortunately could not be changed (due to time, logistics and budget) was its size. It is a small room, 9 x 6, that had to continue being used during this entire process. That meant working diligently on the weekends and moving things in and out so it could be a “functioning” office during the week.

Let me remind you of the before…eeeeeek a dark cluttered space with old ceiling tiles, dark trim and paneling, and “it had seen better days” wallpaper:

Sara Langley Designs| gray office with dark gray focal wall — AFTER

The room feels so much larger now with no lower paneling, light gray walls, and a fresh white trim and ceiling:

Sara Langley Designs | gray office interior — AFTER

and I am so excited with how the focal wall turned out, the perfect backdrop for the compass:

Sara Langley Designs|panel focal wall, millwork, gray accent — AFTER

and another view before:

and from a similar angle after:

Sara Langley Designs |gray office interior, red console

I am so happy that I was able to finesse two desks into the space. They look great and will make the room much more user friendly. I held my breath when we brought them in because I forgot to account for the depth of the new focal wall when measuring how much space I had but thankfully they fit seamlessly…almost like I planned it that way- phew!

Sara Langley Designs |two office desks, mid century chairs, gray office

So here is hubby’s new view, and I suppose, as an extension of this office makeover, some landscaping outside the office windows is overdue as well.

Thank you to everyone who has been following along on this crazy adventure of mine. You can view the other completed projects of both featured and guest designers here. Thank you to Linda at the One Room Challenge for creating this wonderful setting to inspire us to get things done!

Best,

Kelly

ORC-Gold-250w

Design, Office Interiors, One Room Challenge

One Room Challenge Week 5!

May 3, 2018 No Comments

Hi All! Here is the summation of the progress on my One Room Challenge…. it.has.been.slow. You can see the earlier posts here: Week One | Week Two | Week Three | Week Four along with the amazing progress of the other guest designers here.

Thankfully I was saved and our carpenter friend came in last weekend and completed the focal wall while we were away. Yessssss! But honestly, I am now holding my breath to the finish line. I had intended to get into the office this week to get started on the painting, but life got in the way and now I have my work cut out for me this weekend! Enter my amazing friend to watch the kids on Sunday so I can tackle things dawn to dusk…and recruited hubby to help.

sara Langley designs office makeover

To Do List:

Prime and paint focal wall, touch up radiators, paint baseboards (2x), touch up wall paint, build desks, hang everything on wall, details.details.details.

I do NOT recommend using a room while trying to redo it. Moving things back and forth every weekend has been insane, but thankfully once I take things out of the room this weekend I will be bringing in the new furniture and it will be for.the.last.time! Out with the old and in with the new!

Sidebar: I had a major setback this weekend with the red console I had intended to use. We don’t have an IKEA near us, so I couldn’t see it in person until this past weekend. Bummer. It would not have worked in so many ways. I have sourced many things for clients to date, but finding the perfect red console/ credenza has been by far the greatest challenge. It’s so hard when you have the idea in your head but cannot find that just right piece to implement in the space. I even debated buying an unfinished piece and painting it myself….until reality hit that I already had my hands full. So I found another red option that is arriving tomorrow and I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will work. Nothing like last minute.

I am now in the home stretch…stocked up on coffee and wine, because sometimes you just know it is going to take both to get things done.on.time.

See ya next week for the reveal! It’s gonna be soooo good because it’s such a big change and will make it a much more enjoyable space.

Best,

Kelly

ORC-Gold-250w

Design, Office Interiors, One Room Challenge

One Room Challenge Week Four- The Struggle is Real!

April 26, 2018 No Comments

Good Morning All! So here we are…week FOUR of the One Room Challenge! It’s going to be a nail biter to the end. This past weekend I was originally planning to complete the focal wall, but with two sick kiddos hubby and I only had time to calculate and recalculate and then calculate again the materials needed for the project….and then of course head to multiple hardware stores to gather supplies. Hubby stepped in with the Hail Mary and called in a carpenter to save the day (p.s. the same amazing soul that bailed me out in my last challenge, adding crown molding on a deadline). He is not available until this weekend, so my To Do List had to be, ahem, adjusted.

Like playing Jenga to get all the materials in the car!

We are headed out of town this weekend so I am going to be painting at night next week to make up time. I have figured (famous last words) that once the wall is built I will have a primer coat (yes, doing it the “right” way) and then two coats of color, along with painting all the baseboards that are getting installed this weekend as well. The desks were delivered this week but there was no place to build them, so they are still in boxes and I am hoping it is literally A+B=C because I am running.out.of.time!

If you blink, you'll miss it...Where the panel wall is going... — Where the panel wall is going…

Here is how I left the room at the end of last weekend…sadly not much further along, but I have a plan so (deep breaths) it will be fine.

So here is what I am working with:

And here is a sneak peek of the color going on the focal wall…I did get one coat on the radiator. I am hoping that by painting the radiator (with a high temperature paint), the same color as the wall it will totally disappear. We shall see!

Hoping to blend the radiator into the wall once all are painted the same color!

In sum, I am a weekend behind, but hoping to pick up some evenings and catch up! If you want to check in on the amazing progress of the other One Room Challenge Guest Participants you can follow along here.

Best,

Kelly

Color, Design

Red is so….Caliente!

April 26, 2018 No Comments

Hi All and Happy Hump Day! I have been working on the One Room Challenge (insert nail biting here), and while sourcing that “just right” piece for the space, I surprised myself by leaning toward a bold red console. I am more of a red- light (aka pink) kinda girl, and rarely gravitate toward red beyond the Holidays. When Benjamin Moore announced their 2018 Color of the Year (yes, I follow such things) as Caliente red, I have to admit I was underwhelmed. However, after some time to marinate on it, I now find myself seeking out items with this bold, gorgeous color!

Here are some examples of how to implement my new found color crush…

A stunning console in the entryway (paired with black and white spotted paper= perfection!):

With beautiful accent chairs:

With bold picture frames to make a statement:

With gorgeous lighting:

And with Pops o’ color on pillows:

I also sourced some additional options in case you are looking to implement this bold color choice in your own design:

RedDecor_SaraLangleyDesigns

Sources:

Happy Shopping!
Best,

Kelly

Design, Garden, SPRING

It’s a SUNNY Monday!

April 23, 2018 No Comments

Good Morning All and Happy Monday! The Sun is shining…for the third day in a row- YES! Can you tell I have been missing it?:) Oh, and icing on the cake? My gardenia has continued blooming! It.smells.divine.

SO! Now that the weather is cooperating and we tackled the yard clean-up yesterday, I have been thinking about whether I have time for a garden project this season. Landscaping is something that I have yet to embrace, and beyond lawn maintenance and a few beautiful trees I was gifted for Mother’s Day, I have never had a plan per se. I have always loved the look of “layered landscaping” (is that a real thing?) so I figured I would start with Pinterest to see what I could find that represents the look I am trying to achieve. I always fall for plants that grow best in the South, so picking things for Zone 4-5 has been challenging in the past. Thankfully there is a hardy variety of my beloved boxwood, which I just put into planters today, so I definitely want to implement them into whatever layered look I choose.

I am planning on including some plants that stay green year round with others that are more showy in Spring/Summer. This combo of evergreens, hydrangeas and pachysandra provides a gorgeous backyard backdrop:

and I love this layering of hydrangeas, boxwood and impatiens:

and this pic has been one of my longtime favs because the hedge provides a beautiful backing for the mature trees:

and here are some gorgeous symmetrical rows:

and a literal take on “layers”….that stone is fab-u-lous!:

And because it is Monday:

Have a great day!

Best,

Kelly

Design, One Room Challenge

One Room Challenge Week Three!

April 19, 2018 No Comments

Good Morning All! I am not sure: #1 how it is almost the end of April (um yeah, it snowed this morning), and #2 how we are halfway through the One Room Challenge! Yikes! This has been a weekend warrior project for me and each Sunday everything gets moved right back into the room so it can be used during the week- wet paint, plaster dust and all. I do not recommend this plan, but sometimes you gotta just run with it!

So here is where we started for all those not familiar with what I affectionately call the “Sad Office” (please forgive the sad photography as well):

Office_BEFORE

And below are some pics of where we are now… the “it gets ugly before it gets better” phase. Good grief. I primed all the existing molding and trim with my fav, Zinsser, and then used Benjamin Moore’s Simply White, color matched to Sherwin Williams Enamel Acrylic Latex…because that is what I had left over from a bazillion other projects I have used it on. I love how much lighter an entire room looks when the trim is freshly painted white!

Also, a HUGE thank you to my parents (who last underwent this office makeover circa 1970s) for NOT gluing on the paneling, so once I took out some finishing nails that paneling was gone-zo! And, as demonstrated below, that left clean sheetrock to prime and paint. Thank goodness the scraping of glue was relegated to the wallpaper removal above the chair rail only.

Office Reno| Sara Langley

Let the priming begin! Truth be told, I always loathe priming because I am impatient and it seems like just another hurdle to a pretty finish. And no matter how many times I ask the paint pros at my local hardware store if I can skip this step (“Isn’t paint and primer ‘in one’ intended for this very purpose as its name suggests?”) they shake their heads and tell me that if I want it done right, use the damn primer. So here is proof that I did indeed listen (this time).

Sara Langley Designs| Office Reno

And here is how I left things on Sunday…as I moved furniture back in there may or may not have been wet walls. The remaining sad wall is going to be the focal panel wall so it is on hold until this weekend…and I am choosing to focus on how much lighter the room is with painted trim and its first coat of BM Revere Pewter.

Sara Langley Designs Office Reno

Sooooo the list for this weekend is as follows: Tackle the radiators (prime and paint); Apply final (third!) coat on the trim; Touch up all walls with Revere Pewter (including painting up to trim when trim is done); Install baseboard molding; Annnnnd install paneled wall. Truly wishing the weekend was longer than 48 hours!

Also, I finally made a decision on the desks and due to time constraints, I purchased two desk toppers from Pottery Barn that will allow me to use matching file cabinets I already have – Score! Those get installed next Wednesday so kinda sorta need to be sure the paneled wall is done.this.weekend. Lastly, because I don’t want to go back down the road of dark walls, dark furniture, dark accessories, etc. I found the perfect antidote below and I am totally digging the bold color:

I am going to swap out the legs, or use it without, as there are printers etc. needing a home. And I am also using these cool galvanized file folders to update the office-y plastic ones that were being used before.

one room challenge |sara Langley designs

Wish me luck! Three weeks to go!

Best,

Kelly

Design, Details

How to Incorporate Decorative Cement Tiles Into Your Design

April 16, 2018 No Comments

Hi All! Happy Monday! So this weekend I painted and painted and painted some more… in an earnest attempt to stay on track for the One Room Challenge. I can only work on the office over the weekend when hubby isn’t using it, so we are on a condensed timeframe to say the least. Today I have a case of the blahs because I have a sick kiddo home from school, the weather is crap-o-la, and I smell like IcyHot (see the aforementioned painting all weekend statement). Nevertheless! I will turn this frown upside-down with some decor inspiration!

I have been seeing the use of gorgeous decorative cement tiles for some time now, but lately it seems like they are everywhere! Below are some inspiration pics of how to use them in your own home, along with a source list to some of my favs. Enjoy!

A gorgeous muted pattern as a laundry room backsplash:

A bold graphic choice behind the vent hood:

A stunning bathroom floor (check out the before and after reveal!):

As a beautiful fireplace surround:

Beautiful flooring in this mudroom/entryway:

And this tres chic graphic design on an outdoor bar:

And here are a few more of my fav tile options:

And because it is Monday:

Have a great day!

Best,

Kelly

P.S. If you are in a sunny warm climate please send some my way. Thanks!

Source top pic

Design, One Room Challenge

One Room Challenge Week Two

April 12, 2018 No Comments

Good Morning All! Today marks week two in the One Room Challenge! I am transforming hubby’s office and you can see it in all its “before” glory here. I spent the better part of last weekend getting the paneling ripped off, and scraping, scraping, scraping all the old glue off from the wallpaper. It was oh so satisfying…. but I am still oh so sore!

This is the part of the challenge where the room looks awful and I have to remind myself that it always looks worse before it gets better. Sooooo retail therapy to the rescue! I found these great items that I am looking forward to incorporating into the space. I am leaning toward a masculine vibe with a neutral palette and cannot wait to see everything come together.

and because hubby is a huge fan of aviation:

and while I am having analysis paralysis regarding the desk, I fell hard for these chairs:

I am sticking with one of my go-to favs for the walls, Revere Pewter, with a dark complimentary color on the panel wall.

Cheating Heart |Benjamin Moore — Cheating Heart | Benjamin Moore

So the TO DO List this weekend includes: getting primer on the walls (and keeping fingers crossed that the walls are actually in decent shape to paint after all.that.scraping); adding a second coat of paint on the ceiling; finalizing a desk solution; and mapping out the focal wall panels. Yikes! You can follow me on Instagram to see all the latest updates and progress, and can follow along with the other guest participants, as well as the featured designers here.

Wish me luck!

Best,

Kelly

Design, Pools

Dreamy Pools and Patios

April 9, 2018 No Comments

Good Morning All! I am becoming tres impatient with Mother Nature…where is Spring? Sigh…the silver lining is that I do not feel guilty getting indoor projects done when the sun is out, as it is still below 30 degrees! So on to some eye candy that helped to uplift my, “Is Spring ever going to arrive” animosity. Enjoy!

Love the simplicity of this look:

The different levels of landscaping and wide stair entrance add sophistication:

The lanterns around the pool, umbrella on the deck…oh and the house ain’t bad either;)

And this glamorous infinity edge pool in Santorini:

And this brick patio, white railing, hydrangeas and lounge furniture- swoon:

And this has always been one of my favorites- the privacy, the railings, the stone patio…just perfect:

And this is my parent’s pool where I will be spending many hours with the kiddos this Summer. I am so impressed that they did all the landscaping themselves many moons ago, moving each huge bolder, planting every tree…

And because it’s Monday….

Have a great week all!
Best,

Kelly

Featured photo above AD

Design, Office Interiors, One Room Challenge

One Room Challenge Spring 2018

April 5, 2018 No Comments

Good Morning! It is the One Room Challenge Guest Participation Kick-Off Day! Woo Hoo! For those not familiar with the Challenge, participants have six weeks to transform a room, sharing a post regarding project progression each Thursday. You can follow all the featured designers posts here.

Soooo, I have decided to tackle a redo of hubby’s office! It is the saddest room I have ever seen in that: 1) there is no storage; 2) there is no proper desk chair; 3) the current layout doesn’t work and; 4) it.looks.sad. I am pretty sure my Mom hung the wallpaper circa 1970s when my Dad took over the office from my grandfather. Yikes! Long enough ago that grasscloth is in again! Ha! When I was thinking about which room to tackle, I realized that hubby, who loves what he does and is dedicated to his patients, spends more time in that office than at home. As such, this room update is overdue.

So…. drumroll please… here it is in.all.its.glory. At least this sad of a “before” will mean the “after” will be that much sweeter! Cannot wait to get at it but OMG where to begin.

The two desks are a holdover from before my Dad retired…three years ago! The art is courtesy of our two girls who visit hubby at work and leave him drawings and notes.

At least there is a lot of light..cannot wait to paint those moldings! The footprint of the space cannot be changed for many reasons so the size of the office will remain on the small side, but I am hoping with a different layout and better furniture, it will feel bigger.