Delicious Eat In Kitchen

Today's featured design board is from a three room online design plan for Jennifer's home.  We worked on her kitchen, dining area and family room.  The space I would like to focus on today is her kitchen.  Jennifer has an absolutely gorgeous eat in kitchen.  

Our goal was to help Jennifer take her already great kitchen and make it even better.  Our recommendations included updated cabinet hardware, beautiful slate tiles for her backsplash and new solid surface countertops.  We especially loved the look of gray soapstone for her space.

We chose dark natural textured bar stools for her island and rich wood toned furniture for the bay window breakfast area.  I have to admit I'm kinda jealous that she has room for an oval table with six chairs AND a buffet in her breakfast nook.

To soften this area, we added full length, banded linen drapes.  To keep the overall feeling of the room bright, we kept the color of the drapery light (these drapes are available in 28 different colors, click here for more information).  These gorgeous made to order drapery panels add sophistication and drama to any space.  I particularly love how the banded effect looks in a bay window.

Click here for information on these drapes.

Kitchens have a lot of hard surfaces and sharp lines.  Anytime I can incorporate full length drapery into a kitchen, I am a happy designer.  Another way we continued to soften the area was with our lighting recommendation.  We choose a collection of lighting that features gorgeous linen shades on the pendants as well as the nook chandelier.  

Working on three spaces in Jennifer's home at the same time allowed us to coordinate the lighting story throughout her home.  This collection offers many different styles, each piece is unique yet they compliment eachother.  In addition to the kitchen pendants and breakfast nook chandelier, we also chose a foyer light and dining room chandelier from the same collection. 

Thank you Jennifer, for giving us the opportunity to create this design for your beautiful kitchen.  

More to come on this three room design plan

We are now accepting new online design projects!  (To take advantage of fall nesting, now is the time to make your reservation).  

For more information or to make a reservation, please click here.

© Copyright 2013 The Yellow Cape Cod

Lemon and Gray Rug and Two Toned Drapes

You may recognize today's featured design board from this post a few weeks ago.  Since that post, I've received many requests for product sources in this design board, particularly the rug and drapes. 

Ask and ye shall recieve…

(The art shown is a diy project by Blooming Homestead with a tutorial available here).  

This fantastic lemon and gray area rug and these gorgeous two toned drapes are available here. 

For information on my affordable online design service please click here. Whether you are looking for a complete room makeover or just need the finishing touches, I'm available now for new online design projects. 

© Copyright 2013 The Yellow Cape Cod

Contemporary Country Dining Room

Today's featured design board has me thinking fall.  Warm colors, layers of texture and rustic touches leave me dreaming of hot apple pie.  This custom design board was created for Nina's dining room. Nina has a beautiful traditional style home.   Based on the color palette and overall style used throughout Nina's home we created a dining room design that fits right in.

 Nina's dining room is not your average space.  It is absolutely stunning.  It shares a two sided, floor to ceiling stone fireplace with her family room.  The stone fireplace sets a cozy, casual atmosphere.  To embrace the warm comfortable setting we chose casual but dramatic black furniture.  A floral rug in greens, blacks and reds has a traditional feel, yet the contemporary floral design gives it a modern spin. 

The art we recommended is bold, graphic and rustic all at the same time.  Oversized black candlesticks and modern day dishware update the slight country flavor of this design.  White picture molding lightens up the space and allows dark furniture and accessories to pop.  It creates dramatic contrast that takes this space to the next level. 

Nina also received a true to scale floorplan illustration showing the new furniture in the space, a where-to-buy product source list,  a step-by-step plan on how to implement her new design and more. 

I currently have openings for new online design projects.  Whether you are looking for a complete room makeover or just a plan that finishes off what you have already started, I'm available. 

For information on my affordable online design service please click here. 

© Copyright 2013 The Yellow Cape Cod

Three rooms, one design...

It's been a little nutty at The Yellow Cape Cod this month.  My travels to Denver,  Northern Michigan, Atlanta and New Jersey felt like a whirlwind.  I'll be catching up with clients, delivering brand new design plans and returning emails over the next few days. 

While I'm busy in the back office,  I'll be sharing some of my recent online design plan projects on the blog.  Today's featured design was a three room online design plan created for Kim's beautiful open concept home.  To make sure each room flows with the next, we designed three main spaces in her home at the same time (we offer a discount for multi-room projects, click here for pricing)...

The Living Room

The Foyer

The Dining Room

Kim's living room, foyer and dining room are adjacent to one another.  We wanted each of the three spaces to have it's own function and flavor while complimenting eachother.  We accomplished this by using a common color palette of blue, turquoise, gray and camel.  Dark wood tones found in the floors and furniture throughout the home provide contrast and ground the light color scheme.  

In this three room design board you can see how the spaces work with eachother even though they have their own personality.  Patterned rugs, art and fabrics allow each space to have it's own flavor while the common palette ties them together. 

Along with this design board, Kim also received three true to scale floor plan illustrations, a complete product source list (including specific paint color recommendations) and a step by step plan on how to implement her new design.  

If you would like information on my online design service, please click here.  I have openings for new projects now.  Thanks for stopping by. 

© Copyright 2013 The Yellow Cape Cod

Duck Dynasty, Enchanted Makeovers and a week in Jersey

Unless you are new to The Yellow Cape Cod, you're familiar with Enchanted Makeovers (if you are new, please click here to learn more).  Last week was their annual "She Is Me Gala", a celebration and fundraiser to help EM continue to expand.  I was invited to join the EM team in New Jersey to help them prepare for the gala and also serve as a greeter during this wonderful event.

My week with friend, Terry Grahl and the rest of the Enchanted Makeovers team in NJ went off with a bang.  The first day of this 5 day whirlwind started with these guys…

{Terry, Phil, Si, and I}

Phil, Si and Jep are the nicest men.  Totally normal and real, very refreshing.  Phil referred to me as "blondie" which was endearing.  Si was so sweet I wanted to throw him in my design bag and bring him home.  

Outside of being friendly, let's just say Jep... wasn't hard to look at.

 {Terry, Jep and I}

The excitement continued when we arrived at the home where we were guests for 5 days.  Out of courtesy to the family that opened their breathtaking home to us, I didn't take photographs.  Let me tell you, my camera was burning a hole in my purse.  The grand home was absolutely stunning and the Delaware Water Gap setting was a complete utopia.  Their hospitality was amazing (thank you for everything H and E). 

The second day, my friend DesAnn and I got a wild hair and hopped on a bus to New York City.  It was a crazy 3 hour bonsai trip that I'm so glad we took. 

{DesAnn and I}

For anyone who has never been to NYC, I grabbed you a pic of the naked cowboy...

You're Welcome. 

The third day was filled with preparations for the event.  Our team traveled to the Lackland Performing Arts Center in Hackettstown, NJ where the event was to be held.  Although we were working hard to set tables, decorate the space, set the stage for the presentation and create dozens of floral arrangements we managed to have a ton of fun in the process. 

The fourth day we took a little extra time having our coffee.  The rest of the day was spent preparing ourselves for the event.  "Getting ready" was a blast.  Picture nine ladies and three men in one home dressing and primping for a formal evening.  My stylist was my friend Britni Wilson.  She not only styled my hair but gave me a complete tutorial so I can attempt to recreate this look at home. 

While we were busy getting ourselves together, a team of Enchanted Makeovers volunteers traveled to a New Jersey area shelter to help our special guests get ready for the event.  Each lady residing at the shelter was invited to the Gala and received full make-up, hair style, formal gown, shoes and accessories.  Everyone looked amazing.

Once we all had our faux lashes securely fastened we headed to Hackettstown to get the party started. 

{me, Britni and Donajane}

The drive from the Delaware Water Gap, Pa. to Hackettstown, NJ. was another highlight of the trip.  Before I left home,  my friend Sara explained the area to me as  "ivy and horses".  Her description was spot on.  Staying true to EM's tradition, we stopped at an abandon train restaurant for a team photo.  Not only is this a fabulous backdrop for a pic but the symbolism of the train had unique meaning to each member of the team as we reflected on the moment we jumped on the EM express.

 {DesAnn, Terry, Ellen, Britni, Donajane, me, Tracey and Britney)

When we arrived at the Gala, my job was to greet guests and direct them down the "red carpet' to EM's photographer for a photo shoot.  The rest of the evening was filled with a viewing of Enchanted Makeovers most recent video, motivational presentations, delicious dinner and drinks and an exciting announcement by Terry Grahl regarding the brand new EM headquarters.  The best part of the evening was the time spent on the dance floor.

To see photos from the enchanted "She Is Me Gala 2013", please check out the Enchanted Makeovers website and like their facebook page.  Photos taken by EM's photographer will soon be posted. 

Thank you for letting me share my trip.  Thank you to Enchanted Makeovers for inviting me to be a part of the annual "She Is Me Gala".

For information on my affordable online design service please click here. 

© Copyright 2013 The Yellow Cape Cod

Before and After~An online design comes to life

One of the most exciting things about having an online decorating service is receiving "after" photos in my email inbox.  The other day, I got some. 

Before I share them, let me tell you a little about this project.  Veronica came to me for an online design plan for her youngest son's room.  Little Levi was ready to transition from his toddler bed to big boy furniture.  He was suffering from allergies which required the carpets be replaced with hardwoods.  These changes prompted a room redesign.  After filling out my project questionnaire, Veronica submitted measurements and photos of the space.  

Here is a look at the room "before".

{Before}

Using the information provided by Veronica in her project questionnaire, we created a step-by-step design plan that included a custom wall treatment, new furniture, bedding, lighting, rug, wall color and accessories.  

Here's adorable Levi in his new big boy room...

{After}

As with all of my online design projects, I provided Veronica with a design board along with a product source list...

...a true to scale floorplan illustration and step by step instructions on how to put the space together.  

We gave Levi a custom design that will grow with him through the years.  Currently, Levi loves dinosaurs.  We incorporated dinosaurs with bedding, art and accessories.   When the day comes that he has an affection for something else, these items can easily (and affordably) be swapped out.

His space was customized with a gallery style photo arrangement over his new dresser. 

We added a narrow ledge into the custom wall treatment to provide an interchangeable display surface for art, toys, accessories and other little boy necessities. 

A small corner next to the dresser was claimed as a reading nook.  

An oversized bean bag is a cozy spot for quiet time.

To hold Levi's favorite books (and some of his toys) we recommended these adorable green wire baskets.  We suggested that Veronica mount them low on the wall within his reach. 

One of Veronica's requests was to incorporate this sweet Dr. Seuss quote into the new room.  The black writing pops against the new soft green wall color. 

Thank you, Veronica for giving us the opportunity to design this space for Levi.  These photos of him enjoying his new room made my day.

For information on my affordable online design service please click here. 

© Copyright 2013 The Yellow Cape Cod

Home Tour~The Dining Room

Hi there.  I am back to updating our home tour and today I'm sharing my dining room. 

The dining room pulls double duty as my home office.  My favorite dresser provides office supply storage and also serves as a buffet while entertaining. 

This piece was a $12 thrift store find.  I gave it my Potterybarn Black Paint Finish technique and sprayed the original hardware black.  I saved so much on the dresser that I splurged on the large quatrefoil mirror from RugsUSA. 

My dining room table was a discount home store find a few years ago. We had a piece of plexiglass cut for the top to protect it from match box car races.  I also use it everyday as a hardworking desk and project surface.  

A few years ago for my birthday my husband made me a set of four crown molding ledges to display my hoard collection of dishes.

He also added the picture frame molding which gave the builder basic space a lot of character.  This room has been painted many different colors, right now it is "Crevecour" by Martha Stewart.  It's a really deep green based gray. 

The neutral color scheme is a nice backdrop for party and holiday decor.  I can use pretty much any accent color with Crevecouer. 

  I also appreciate the neutral palette while working in here, it allows me to design for others without being distracted by my surroundings.  

The drapery is solid white cotton twill panels from Restoration Hardware layered over roman shades.  

Thank you for visiting my dining room/home office. 

 To continue my home tour, please click here.  To see this space decked out for the Holidays, click here.

For information on my affordable online design service please click here. 

© Copyright 2013 The Yellow Cape Cod

Balancing bold pattern and metallic finishes with natural texture

Today's featured design was created for a family room located inside a beautiful traditional style home for a wonderful client, Debbie.   This dramatic room makeover is well underway {in fact, she is almost done with her design installation}.  This is one project that I can't wait to see once it's finished.

{For information on or to purchase the drapes shown in this design plan, please email theyellowcapecod@yahoo.com.  For details or to purchase the art, click here}.

This project started with a charcoal gray sofa and a pair of patterned chairs chosen by my client, Debbie.  She found these pieces at her local furniture store.  They are great looking pieces and the price was phenomenal.

After discussing how this space needed to function for Debbie's family, her style preferences and budget, I got to work creating a design plan for her family room.  

In addition to brand new hardwood floors, furniture, drapery, wall color, accessories and rug, the biggest change in this space is the fireplace wall...

The fireplace is the main focal point in the room.  To give it even more of a presence, it received a custom makeover.  It is now flanked with warm white built-in in cabinetry and display shelves, trimmed with beautiful thick moldings.  The tv was mounted and framed over the fireplace. The backs of the bookcases were lined with gorgeous grass cloth wall paper for amazing texture and soft natural color.  Finally, the fireplace tile surround and hearth was upgraded soft gray/tan stacked stone.

Debbie's new chairs pack a lot of graphic pattern into the space, therefore I was very careful with the other elements I incorporated into the design.  This trio of pillows from one of my favorite etsy shops, gives her charcoal sofa a little pop of pattern and color without competing with the chairs.

Since the chairs sit in front of the window, I chose simple (but drop dead gorgeous) drapery panels with a light neutral color banding. (To purchase these drapes, please email theyellowcapecod@yahoo.com for details).

I found this stunning set of four prints to place over the sofa.  The metallic quality of the extra large frames combined with the natural textured grass cloth wall paper and stacked stone fireplace is delicious.  I also love the concept of old buildings in sepia tones set in oversized contemporary frames.  The large scale of this collection anchors the large sofa wall. 

 In fact, I loved these prints so much that I added them to my decor collection, click here for more information. 

Debbie, thank you for giving me the opportunity to create this custom design for your gorgeous family room.  I can't wait for after photos.

For information on my affordable online design service please click here. 

© Copyright 2013 The Yellow Cape Cod

Haven 2013

There is so much to share from my trip to Haven 2013 that I'm gonna jump right in. 

The first night at the Grand Hyatt in Buckhead we had a fabulous cocktail party on the patio.  400+ women gathered for a meet and greet.  

This was the first chance I had to meet some of my favorite bloggers.  It's also the night I learned that my hair and Georgia are not friends.  I had my heart set on moving to Ga. after I heard they have a Ballard Designs Outlet AND a Home Decorators Collection store.  Five minutes on the patio and my hair talked me out of it.

The following days were filled with hands on learning sessions.  One of the highlights of the conference for me was the Ballard Designs Bookcase Challenge.  Ballard was the home decor sponsor for the event.  They brought a truck load of their fabulous merchandise for us to enjoy.  It was all so delicious, I may or may not have licked a few pieces.  Still waiting to see if any photos surface before I deny it.  

I was honored to be a speaker at Haven on a panel along side two of my favorite home design bloggers, Kristin Jackson of The Hunted Interior and Emily A. Clark. 

Our class took place in the library.  We had so much fun working together.  The focus of our presention was Hands-On Design. 

(I borrowed this shot of Kristin and I preparing to speak from Emily's Instagram)

Emily discussed the top 5 most common design mistakes.  She came up with the most hilarious analogies for them, but I'll let her share.  Kristin demonstrated styling techniques using a console table and fabulous accessories.  She is a master of display, it was really fun to watch her work.  I will never look at bookends the same way.  

My session focused on the bedroom.  I shared my recipe for the perfect bed including how to mix patterns/textures, building the foundation for comfort, and secret tips from retail display stylists.  I also covered nightstand styling and what to hang over the bed.

At the end of our session, we had a "style-off".  We chose two members of our audience to participate in a three minute styling competition.  Using merchandise brought in by Emily, Kristin and I, the ladies had to race to gather items and style a console and the nightstand.  The winner from each session was determined by applause and both received a fabulous prize.  

In between presentations, I had amazing lunch dates (including one with my favorite lady, Rhoda), coffee hours, cocktails and even attended some sessions myself.  I received the following photo in my email and it was titled "The trouble table at the Annie Sloan class".  Just look at those faces, nothing but trouble there.  This class was a blast, I've always wanted to take an Annie Sloan class.  I can now check it off my bucket list. 

These are just some of the talented and beautiful ladies I met at Haven.  Every single person was genuinely nice.  Like my friend Sherry said, there was not one mean person there.  No one was a stranger.  It was surreal to walk into a crowd of 400 people that you have never met before and feel familiar.  Kristin put it this way, "It feels like we are old friends".  

Yep, it did. 

(I borrowed this photo from my friend Sarah)

Most of my photos were taken with my cell or from a distance by my new BFF Amanda (thank you).  To see more photos from the event (including a fun action shot of my tonsils), check out the Ballard Designs facebook page.  They brought their amazing photographer along and he shot beautiful photos during the event.   

Of course the best part of any trip is returning home and being immediately greeted by my welcoming committee.

If you are considering attending Haven 2014, do it!   The chance to meet and form relationships with sponsors was a great opportunity.  Learning tips from successful business bloggers like Ana White was huge.  Connecting with 400 like minded people that share the same passion for home and understand what being a blogger is really like, was truly amazing.