SEUSS-TACULAR TREE at the 4 SEASONS

I just cannot get enough of this Seuss Tree!  Here are more professional photos, courtesy of Kevin Allen. So much thanks and love to my talented design partner Sophie, what an amazing young girl.

http://kevinallenphoto.com/

DR. SEUSS TREE  & SPARE TIME

I said this fall was a whirlwind, I feel like I went camping just last week, oh wait that was my Thanksgiving trip to Cape May. (at the beach Below)



Then the Seuss Tree installation went on without a hitch!  So much thanks and love to my design partner Sophie and her family for the outstanding work!  I am loving this tree!  Check out the other 16 designs on display now at the 4 Seasons in Georgetown through the holidays!

 

 



Then, as if we didn't have enough going on, we started our Bathroom remodel on Monday!  So excited for the final product, the transformation has been huge!  Drywall is starting today.  Here is a peak at what it formerly looked like as well as week 1 construction progress.  With any luck, we will be showering in our new space next Friday.  Love my Case Team!!!



{Our Bathroom is Original to our Home and From the 1940s. 
We knew when we bought our home 4 years ago,
this would be one of the larger renovations,
I have spent months trying to get it just right!}



{Existing Vanity and Wainscot Tile.
You can see light from an older fixture that
never really worked well}



{Our Vanity looked just like this the day we moved in,
it's a wonder I lasted this long with it}



Day 1: What I came home to



Day 3, Demo complete and start of new insulation.



Day 3, New Ventilation, so excited!



Day 4, My new Tub is in! Hooray!

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 



SMALL KITCHEN, BIG ON STYLE

About a year ago I had the privilege of working with a close family friend on her town home kitchen.

She came to me armed with consumer reports on various appliances she had her eye on as well as a brand new Cambria Color; Charston for the counter tops.  Being that this room is off of the dining area it was imperative that these spaces feel very connected.  Together we upgraded her stark and utilitarian kitchen to a room that commands much more attention.

{Before the Kitchen was a sea of white, nto conveying the home owner's taste and personality}

{Now the space connects with the dining area.  We paired maple cabinetry with Cambria Charston Counter tops with a cool Ben Moore yellow paint.}

SEUSS TREE CONT.

As the Jingle draws closer (install is Nov. 26th) my design/concept is really taking shape.  I expect several packages to arrive this week including gumballs and foam Seuss cut outs.  The tree itself is in production and nearly complete.  A few of my inspirational cues below.  More photos of the tree in production to follow.

REJUVENATED

 

With a whirlwind fall full speed ahead, Matt and I were in need of some quality time away with Colby.  We're talking no social media, no heat (it did drop below 40 on Saturday night), and no phones (except to take these photos).  It was such a nice time to just be care-free and relax.

 

We headed to Shenandoah National Park, (so did the rest of DC) as it was a perfect weekend to Welcome Fall!  We hiked some lesser known trails and a touch of the Appalachian Trail.

 

The scenery was breath taking, here are a few photos I snuck in before my phone lost complete service.



{Matt and Colby at the first overlook.}



{View on part of the Appalachian Trail.}

 

 

 

{Highest overlook in the park, Stunning.}

Now back to the city life and many exciting activities these next few weeks, starting with a trip to the Master Design Awards Reception tonight in Baltimore!

ALEXANDRIA TRANSFORMATION

Several months ago I had the opportunity to work with a charming couple in Alexandria.  Unlike most couples who ask for a kitchen with  "lighter, airy feeling" this couple was looking for something cozier and warmer, with a rustic feel.  I was please to have selected warmer knotty alder cabinetry  and Ceasar stone tops.   

Since the great room ties into the kitchen we were sensitive to bringing that cozy rustic look to the fireplace surround and built ins.

I think my favorite thing about the space though is the porcelain tile flooring, meant to look like slate (but less maintenance).  I spent nearly 3 hours one morning mixing the colors and layout exactly as I saw fit for this space. 

Enjoy,

Allie

{Before: The Previous homeowner had built and installed
these cabinets themselves}

{Fireplace surround before}

{Now a Cozy Kitchen and Great Room}

{I like the professional appliances}



{I liked the tile floor so much we used it again at the foyer}

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...

This morning was filled with much excitement as I got to check out the proto-type of the "Seuss-Tacular" Tree for the Georgetown Jingle!  Just wait until it is painted, Sophie and I thought Blue might be a good color.  Perhaps we will try Farrow and Ball's Blue Ground 210.

Thanks to my friends at TWPERRY for all their Help!

THE LITTLE PINK BATH (NOT SO PINK ANYMORE)...

I caught up with our not so little pink bath last week and here are a few peaks as to the finish product.




 Tile Setting Days 6 and 7

(The walls look so much taller taking the tile

to the ceiling).

 



12 x 12 floor tile taking shape!



Moen Modern Shower Head.





White new plumbing fixtures and cabinetry.



THE LITTLE PINK BATH CONT.

At the beginning of day 5 our Case Crew already has the new durock tub surround and waterproof Schulter membrane in place (to prevent future leaks).

Tile install starts today, we are using this contemporary design from Daltile

ANOTHER PINK BATH....

Seems just yesterday I was adding character and charm to a pink bath (at the DC Design House).

Here another pink bath renovation is getting underway in Arlington, VA.

Judging from our before photos, the bathroom remodel is going to be a radical transformation for this client.

In about 2 and half weeks my Case Team should have the remodel complete!

CREATIVE CONDO REDO

2 years ago I had the pleasure of working with a couple that live in a 2 story garden style condo in NW DC.

The Challenges were to make the space feel more open and airy, adding ventilation, creating what appears to be a larger shower foot print, and adding more light. We opted to convert the existing tub to shower with a bench.  We were also looking to highlight of the client's taste and style, without getting too wild.

We selected a beautiful Crystal white painted cabinet with ample drawer storage, an Ice Stone counter top, Kohler Devonshire plumbing fixtures in a brushed nickel finish, and decorative sconce lighting on either side of the vanity mirror.  The tile is a Daltile Cliff Point Color Body Porcelain with Glass Mosaic Accent we used at both the shower and the back splash vanity space.  The paint in Benjamin Moore.

The bathroom was very white an utilitarian before adding the client's style. 

After the bath is a reflection of the homeowner's taste.  Love the Toto Toilet!

FIRST BATHROOM I HAD PHOTOGRAPHED

As the summer days become longer and hotter, I can't help but reflect back to the very first bathroom I had photographed.  It was summer of 2006, late August, just before Labor Day Weekend I was headed out to Leesburg to capture this Beautiful Space.

The bathroom boasts a custom made vanity from Hagerstown, Silestone engineered counter tops, Kohler Purist Plumbing Fixtures, Ceramic tile from Daltile.  For this homeowner we created a sophisticated retreat.

Neat fact; the sconce lights are intended for outdoor use, but we brought them inside.

This bathroom still makes me smile.

NEW FRIENDS...

For a little over a year now I had been wanting to get involved with the Georgetown Jingle. 

"Georgetown Jingle 2012 raises funds for the pediatric oncology programs directed by Dr. Aziza Shad at Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Since 2006 the Jingle has raised over $1.5M dollars for pediatric oncology programs at Georgetown University Hospital."
http://www.georgetownjingle.com/2012/overview.php

With the DC Design House in full swing, I submitted a proposal for a Christmas Tree Design for the Jingle.  The theme I dreamed up is the "Seuss-Tacular" Tree. I received an email several days later saying I had been selected as a designer in the Jingle!  I have big plans for this tree along with my Case Family, it is going to be a great "kick off" to the holiday season and tons of fun!

There was an beautiful meet and greet at Janus et Cie earlier this month where this year's designers were assembled and I met a young friend who melted my heart.  Sophie is my newest friend and together we will be collaborating on the "Seuss" tree.

Sophie and I at Janus et Cie.

I am so excited to work on this project for the next several months!

ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END......

This past weekend I had the opportunity to celebrate both my mother and mother in-law for Mother's Day and had the privilege of sharing the DC Design House with them.  Sunday marked the end of the 2012 Design House run and I found myself with mixed emotions.  Pleased to have completed another wonderful show house, pleased to have formed new friendships with several designers, though most pleased to have been part of the larger picture, raising money for Children's National Medical Center.  Sad, that something I poured my heart into weekend after weekend was now coming to a close.

The closing of the Design House is now somewhat Ritualistic for me, it signals a shift in season and in less than 2 weeks I will be beach bound most weekends thru Labor Day, spending some much needed time with Matt and Colby. 

I will have 2 more opportunities to say good bye to the Nursery Bath, one later this afternoon for the photo shoot for Kitchen and Bath Ideas Magazine.   

I am so proud of my Case Family and all we were able to accomplish this year!