A big thank you

If you follow my blog, you may have noticed my absence over the past month.  Until last week, I had sadly neglected to post any new updates due to a flurry of new projects, old projects, events, and activities that had been consuming my time.   One such project has been the design and development of a new brand and website/blog that I plan to rollout in the next few weeks.

It has been a lot of work, but I've been tremendously lucky and thankful to have three incredibly talented women help me pull it all together:

First, Christine Dryden of Stir Studios is my marketing and graphic designer and has designed my new logo and website.   Check out her blog and some of the interesting projects she's been working on (including Scott Avett's recent art exhibit!).  She has a wonderfully elegant, yet modern and whimsical approach to her work, which I admire.  

Photo courtesy of Stir Studios

In preparing to launch the website, I've been busy putting the finishing touches on several projects and having them photographed.   Which brings me to the second wonderful woman I've been working with: Ashley Sellner of Ashley Sellner Photography.  I had previously gushed over her beautiful children's photography work, and I was even more impressed by the interiors photography she did for some of my fellow interior designers in Charlotte.   She has an amazing eye for composing the right shot and evoking a certain warmth and emotion in her work.

Photography by me, of Ashley at work

Last but not least, I couldn't have made it through the past 6 weeks without my eagle-eyed, on-the-ball, sharp-shooting intern/design assistant, Katie Mininger.  Katie is a junior at Queens University in Charlotte, majoring in Interior Design.  She's been more helpful than she will ever know, and I hope  she's getting a sense of the business and the "busy-ness" of the interior design trade.

I look forward to launching my new website soon, and sharing photos of the projects that have been keeping me so busy these past few weeks!

Thanks for reading,
Bronwyn

A love affair with a house

We bought it in 2004.....we weren't really in the market yet, but we loved just looking at houses.  We had already compiled our wish list of 'must haves', and when we found this house we realized it had every one of them.....large yard (1+ acre), established neighborhood (house was built in 1952), large kitchen (it had been renovated by a chef), and at least 3 bedrooms.  We were so smitten.  We both saw so much potential in it.  

But there was so much to be done - walls needed painting, carpet and flooring needed replacing, and the yard needed weeding.  Though we could see through the bad finishes - our friends often could not.  We did our best to keep a positive attitude when they tried to say nice things about it, like what a great deal we got and how nice it was to have such a large yard for our dog.   They were all enjoying brand new carpet and sparkling white kitchens and could not understand why we felt compelled to live in a house with dark paneled walls and a bedroom with hot pink carpet.

Exterior front 2004

Kitchen in the MLS listing, 2004

Keeping Room, Circa 2004

It's been nearly 8 years (to the day!) and we have poured blood, sweat, tears, and hard earned dollars into our home.  It's not nearly perfect...even after this much time I still have a tremendous list of things to-do / to-buy / to-reupholster / to-replace.  But I still love our house.  I love the great view of our backyard through the outdated windows in the terra-cotta tiled sunroom and the odd 'panic room' in the basement that has become our laundry room.  My styles and tastes have changed so much in these past eight years - partly because I've gotten older and wiser but mainly because I've stopped trying to make the house something it isn't.  I would love a house with taller ceilings and larger windows but that just wouldn't work with our fifties ranch.  I've learned to embrace the pink and grey tile bathroom floor and simply let it be what it is.  I've made plenty of mistakes choosing products or colors but I am slowing trying to fix those mistakes or accept them.  

Before - Kitchen 2011

BEFORE - Fireplace

In my mind, the renovation project we undertook in December was huge.  We had been waiting for months - maybe years - to get some of this work done.  But in reality, especially compared to some of the projects my clients undertake, this project was small.    We ripped out and replaced ugly crown and baseboard mouldings.  We paneled over a very outdated stone fireplace.  We painted (eek!) beautiful cherry wood cabinets, doors, and paneling.

I hesitate to say these are the 'after' photos.  Because I don't know if I will ever be finished with my own home renovation enough to announce that it's done.

So let's just call these the 'during' photos.   I think it's been quite a transformation thus far.  What do you think?

Thanks for reading,

Bronwyn