Home Decor

Girls' Shared Bedroom Progress - The Rug is HERE!

November 13, 2019Bedroom, Coastal Interiors, Home Decor, Kid's Bedroom, Our Beach HouseAnneke McConnell

Girl's Beach House Bedroom Before and After

*this post contains affiliate links.

Changing up your rug can have a pretty BIG impact on a space. It typically grounds the room and can be a jumping off point for the color palette in your design. I recently updated our girl’s shared bedroom as a partner in design with Serena & Lily, brightening the bedroom with their beautiful blue and cream Amelia Rug.

It’s been fun to talk with our girls who are getting older now (hello teen years!) about what they like in design, so they definitely had a hand in picking out a rug for their bedroom. That can be tricky too because they both have different tastes!

A lot of items in their room have been a mishmash as we’ve been playing “musical rooms” since we moved in, trying to make the most of the awkward design and layout.

Now that no one is changing rooms until we officially renovate (hopefully sooner than later!), we’re ready to add some more personal touches and incorporate some big girl design.

We started with a rug in their room that was way too small at just a 5’ x 8’. It was originally purchased for our entryway and then ended up being a bit too thick for the door clearance.

This new rug is an 8’ x 10’ and now fills up most of the bedroom, and drastically brightens it up.

I knew that the rug would be beautiful, but I was actually shocked at the difference. Take a look at the before and after!

Girl's Bedroom Makeover Before and After

Blue & Cream Hand Knotted Wool Rug / White Cavallo Linen Duvet Cover (multiple colors and sizes) / Avery Alpaca Throw Blanket (more colors) / Light Blue Topanga Pillow Cover (more colors and lumbar size) / Whitley Embroidered Pillow Cover (blue available) / Suede Ava Pillow Color (more colors and sizes and dual sided)

From the moment the Amelia Rug arrived you could immediately see and feel the different in the quality which Serena and Lily is well known for. We had the same experience when we received the Tulum Rug for our Master Bedroom (that rug is PERFECT alone or for layering and made of hemp and cotton).

Our maltipoo Copper approves! Most days he keeps watch staring out the window from our oldest bed. :-)

Girl's Beach House Bedroom with Light Blue and Cream Rug

Since most of Serena & Lily’s decor coordinates, we were able to pull other items from around our house like the Avery Alpaca Throw, their light blue Topanga Pillow Cover, the Suede Eva Pillow Cover, and Cavallo Linen Duvet Cover. Here you can see a close up of the rug and the beautiful blues, cream, and gray pattern which is made from hand-knotted wool.

If you’ve ever wondered how you can breathe new life into any room of your home, our girl’s bedroom progress proves that switching out your rug can make a HUGE impact. We still need to add some shiplap to the walls, a wall sconce, and a few more items, but overall we’re all really happy with how it’s coming together!

SHOP THE LOOK

SERENA & LILY RUGS

From the Beach,

Anneke

Follow along on Instagram:

@coastalinteriors

@annekemcconnell

Seagrass and Wicker Natural Trays

October 16, 2019Home Decor, RoundupAnneke McConnell

It’s hard not to love the beauty and functionality of a good tray. They are perfect for serving up breakfast in bed and corralling like items on a coffee table, entryway table, dresser, etc. They make a beautiful centerpiece to display floral arrangements, candles and seasonal decor (like our current table display with mini pumpkins!), or even use in a bathroom for and towels and more.

Round Seagrass Tray with Seasonal Decor and Candles

Round Sandbar Tray

Lending to a more coastal or farmhouse vibe, a tray made of natural materials such as seagrass, wicker, rattan, bamboo, etc. offers the addition of a soft and casual texture to a space unlike a stone or wood tray. Here’s a round up of my favorites that are easy to shop online. These trays come in at various price points, but the majority are great quality, budget friendly, and work in almost any home!

SHOP MORE NATURAL TRAYS

CLICKING ON THE PHOTOS BELOW FOR DETAILS

From the Beach,

Anneke

Follow along on Instagram:

@coastalinteriors

@annekemcconnell

Beach House Dining Room Progress

August 23, 2018Coastal Interiors, Dining Room, Home Blog Posts, Home Decor, Interiors, Our Beach House, Our HomeAnneke McConnell

*disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links and all opinions are my own.

You guys have requested to see more of the process of updating the rooms of our beach house, and after a recent poll on Instagram, the majority of you voted for an update of our dining nook first.

I have to say I'm pretty happy with the progress so far! The lighting arrived yesterday and the new rug should be here any minute. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited for today's deliveries!

The most recent addition was this white buffet cabinet (also here) and it is even BETTER in person than I though it would be! I was a little concerned at first with the white on white and all of the lines, but it works beautifully. Since the space is both small AND open, adding new white curtains, painting the door white, and adding the white buffet has created a really cohesive look, making the room feel bigger and brighter.

Our beach house is relatively small at about 1900 sq. ft. and when you walk into the house you basically have an entryway, a small living and dining space, and the kitchen and nook by the window on the water side. Minus a laundry room/bathroom and lower guest bedroom and bath, that's the entire lower floor.

Here is a BEFORE PHOTO of the home when we had it listed as a vacation rental. It's changed SO much since then, in particular, when I painted the cabinets a glossy bright white and added hardware.

Here's where we are now!

1. The table is a thrifted piece I painted and refinished. I did a tutorial on it awhile back about how to whitewash furniture. Since then, I've painted the base with white chalk style paint.

2. The gray tufted settee sits in front of the window with the water view. Even though that door leads to our garage (aka major foot traffic), and the placement of the settee isn't ideal, it's a favorite spot for everyone in our house at different times of the day and gets used a lot.....and I mean A LOT!

3. I updated that small wall to the right of the garage door with horizontal planks from, believe it or not, repurposed wood blinds. What can I say? I had an impulsive idea (not uncommon), and went for it! We had some previous wood blinds just laying around, so I cut them to various lengths and installed them with a brad nailer. Then I filled the holes and painted them Benjamin Moore's Simply White in Semi-Gloss. That's the same color as our kitchen cabinets, doors, and trim through our house.

My last post about Coastal Dining Chairs was because one of our last steps (after installing the chandelier and rug) is to choose our dining chairs. There are 5 of us in our family, the foot traffic from the garage, the settee, and to the right of it all is our living room. Needless to say, there's not a lot of space and I don't want it to look cluttered, so comfy, discreet, and low profile is essential. I'm still debating what to go with so any insight from you guys is welcome and very much appreciated!!

And yes, that is a Mitsubishi Electric ductless mini-split system and we LOVE it! Should I do a blog post on it? We've had ours for over 5 years so I can attest to long-term satisfaction!

SHOP THIS POST

From the beach!

Anneke

Follow along on Facebook

Follow along on Instagram (lifestyle)

Follow along on Instagram (interiors)

Follow along on Instagram (diypaintedfurniture)

PLACES I SHOP AND RECOMMEND:

......just to name a few!

Disclosure: This website participates in affiliate programs. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Our Master Bedroom Makeover with Serena & Lily

August 21, 2018Bedroom, Coastal Interiors, Home Blog Posts, Home Decor, Interiors, Master Bedroom, Our Beach House, Our Home, Styling TipsAnneke McConnell

*Dislclaimer: This post is sponsored by Serena & Lily. All opinions and design choices are my own. A big THANK YOU to Serena & Lily for partnering with me and sponsoring this post. Affiliate links are included below.

You guys!! It's finally about finished! Our Master Bedroom at the Beach House has been work in progress for quite awhile. I mean.....please tell me I'm not the only one who tends to focus on all the OTHER spaces in the house before the master bedroom.

Of all the rooms that people tackle in their homes to update, I've discovered that the Master Bedroom is often at the end of the list. Who doesn't like to focus on the kitchen and living spaces, making their kid's bedrooms special or the guest room comfortable?

This has been the case for us, and I'm honored to partner with one of my favorite brands, Serena & Lily to transform our bedroom into a relaxing retreat. Talk about a pinch me moment!

If you have been putting your bedroom off for quite some time, rest assured it doesn't take much to pull together a beautiful and sophisticated space. You absolutely deserve it to end your day in a room that brings you joy, calm, and a good night's rest....a place just for you.

Here it is!

To give you an idea of the before, here are a couple of photos from when we had our house listed on the vacation rental market. It gives you a real view at what's going on (i.e. those windows have always been such a weird mystery to me....like why?)

It's also worth mentioning that you can't see the bright orange closet doors. Haha! I've painted the majority of the doors and trim throughout the house to Benjamin Moore's Simply White and LOVE it. Other colors in this makeover are at the end of the post.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Needless to say, it's been nice to make our bedroom (and home for that matter) more "us"! ;-)

It may not seem like a big deal, but at the end of the day when I walk into our room, it's just so peaceful and calming. I really wanted the bedroom to feel like a casual chic oasis of sorts while still sticking to our Pacific Northwest roots.

The white linen duvet cover and shams make me feel like we're on vacation every day, with that classic beach house vibe. I almost chose a different color (there are five options!), but I know that as I change small items seasonally in the bedroom, the white will be a key staple bedding item that will last for years to come.

The Sutter linen quilt in pink sand adds a feminine touch without being over the top. It's a great light weight option while still adding warmth (and layers in the colder months).

The Whitley embroidered pillows in Flax are something I've had my eye on for awhile. They are so stunning in person and the quality is top notch with the embroidery on both sides of the pillow cover. Quick tip: if you're looking to create a fuller look to your pillows, be sure to use one size larger on your pillow insert than the cover. The Eva Tassel Pillow Cover in white finishes off the bedding ensemble in the front. One thing I love about Serena & Lily's pillows is how they all coordinate effortlessly together.

When you turn to the foot of the bed, you get a better idea for the size of the bedroom, which we love and make it work for us. The Tulum Rug was such a key piece in grounding the entire bedroom and also lightening up the room since the floors (which came with the house when we bought it) are much darker. The neutral rug made such a HUGE impact in the entire bedroom coming together! The pattern is subtle and adds just enough interest while being anything but boring.

The Beaufort Tray is something that can move around our beach house as needed, but for now sits nestled on our bedroom dresser (a piece I repainted) to corral small items such as my go-to earrings, plus greens or a vase of flowers and coastal shells. This is an extremely sturdy tray and the mix of raffia and seagrass makes for a beautiful set up no matter where you place it!

Here you can see a better view of the Tulum Rug and another favorite of mine, the Topanga Pillow Cover in blue. I like to say it's "Copper Approved", since this is one of our maltipoo's favorite hang out spots. The medium Tassel Basket below is also a great size for storing a handful of throw blankets (or books, toys, etc.). Blue is one of my favorite colors and I love the touch of color it brings to the room.

The round Sandbar Tray is one of my personal favorites of all Serena & Lily pieces and is an instant classic for any beach inspired home. The seagrass is beautiful and chic, as well as extremely versatile and functional.