A Small Cottage Bathroom Gets a Makeover

This little cottage bathroom, featured in BHG, didn't always look this pretty and serene. Here's the "before:"

You can see it was a challenging space with the sloping ceilings and the washer and dryer plopped in the middle of the room. Now the laundry area is discreetly tucked away:

And look at all these shelves they added for storage:

P.S. If you love old Cary Grant movies as much as I do, then check out the post about Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House over at Hooked on Houses today.

A Beachy Bathroom Makeover for Boys

See this nondescript bathroom? Designer Kellie Cashon redecorated it with a nautical theme for her boys in their house on the Gulf. Here's how it looks now:


Isn't that fun? I love the little pirates grinning out at us. Kellie Cashon is the talented designer behind Cashon & Co. Interiors. You may remember her beautiful master bath makeover that I featured here.

You can see more of Kellie's work on her website, or check out her blog.

Love before and afters? I'm featuring the sets from the Sex and the City movie at Hooked on Houses today, and it includes Carrie's dramatic apartment makeover. Come tell us what you think about it!

Before & After: A Gulf House Master Bath

When I saw this bathroom makeover from Kellie Cashon's house on the Gulf (Cashon & Co. Interiors), I thought it looked really fresh and pretty. Here's what it was like before:

Another shot of the after:

Thanks to Kellie Cashon for letting me share these photos with you. You can see more of her makeovers on her website, or check out Kellie's blog here. (Big thanks to Laurie of My Domicile Style for telling me about her!).

P.S. If you like looking at celebrity homes, then check out Suzanne Somers' sprawling Palm Springs estate over at Hooked on Houses today.

An Easy, Breezy 1850s Guest House

When House Beautiful featured this 1850s guest house recently, I thought it looked like it could easily be found near the ocean. I was surprised to read that it's actually on a 180-acre farm in Round Top, Texas. It just has that easy, breezy charm of a cottage by the beach.

The unpretentious central hallway has a big wicker basket to stash your boots in. The wood floors were painted with a checkerboard pattern to make the small space look larger:


Who wouldn't have sweet dreams in a serene little bedroom like this?


The bathroom console was found at an antiques fair:

The living room:


Love the big porch swing--and the big porch!

A rustic gazebo on the property looks like a great place for family gatherings:


Check out House Beautiful for the rest of the beautiful photos of this guest house and read an interesting interview with its designer, Ginger Barber.

I'm linking this up to the Hooked on Fridays party I'm hosting over at my other blog today because I'm hooked on this guest house! Something else that makes me happy: my Grandma Hazel, who turns 93 today. I posted one of my favorite old photos of her on my Facebook page from the 1940s, if you want to see it. :-)

Saltbox in the Bahamas

Check out this charming little saltbox in the Bahamas. The interiors were designed by Tom Scheerer.


This white bedroom and bath upstairs look like heaven to me. Ahhhh... How could you not have sweet dreams in here?


Did you notice their ingenious solution for bedside lighting since the bed isn't near a wall for an outlet?

Visit Tom Scheerer's website to see the rest of the photos from this saltbox in the Bahamas.

Hooked on "Amazing Grace"

It's Hooked on Fridays, a blog party I host at Hooked on Houses each week to celebrate the things we love. Today I'm hooked on this renovated beach house on Tybee Island called "Amazing Grace."


It's so beautiful, I'm adding this to Melissa's Beautiful Life party today, too.


The Wilson family enclosed part of the screen porch to create this master retreat:



"Amazing Grace" was transformed by designer Jane Coslick and featured in a recent issue of Coastal Living. To see the before and after photos of this beach house transformation and take the rest of the tour, click here.

Be sure to stop by Hooked on Houses and check out what everyone else is hooked on today. I'm hosting a giveaway over there, too--enter to win a house portrait painted by the artist Fifi Flowers. I featured Fifi's paintings of a pink beach house here if you missed it!

Le Lavandin in Provence

My blog friend AnNicole (Our Suburban Cottage) just told me about Le Lavandin, this picturesque Bed & Breakfast in Provence, and I think I'm in love. What a beautiful place to spend a holiday!


Even though the B&B isn't on the water, I think the rooms have a light, beachy feel to them. Don't you?


There are workshops held there, too, if you want to learn more about things like cooking and creative writing. If painting is your thing, the surrounding olive groves and lavender fields would be a perfect place to get inspired!



There's a terrace off every room. Ahhhh. I would be taking my afternoon naps right here:

Excuse me while I book my plane ticket to Provence. See you when I get back (from my fantasy)!

To see more photos of Le Lavandin and to read about the workshops they have scheduled, check out their website.

My mind has been on France a lot lately. I spent an afternoon searching through French real estate online and wrote about this 150-year old stone cottage yesterday on my other blog.

HGTV Green Home in Port Lucie, Florida

Have you checked out HGTV's Green Home 2009 yet? It's in Port Lucie, Florida, this year. I have to say I wasn't crazy about it, but there were some things I really liked. The back porch, for example. I'd be taking naps out there all the time! "Where's Mom?" "Check the back porch. She probably fell asleep on that little bed again."

I like the color of the master bedroom, but doesn't it look a little small for two?

For more photos from the Green Home and see how people are voting in a poll I'm taking about it, click here. Register to win the sweepstakes from HGTV. Or check out last year's Green Home '08, which I personally loved.

P.S. Thanks for all of the nice birthday wishes you left for me on my Facebook page and on my other blog today! They made me smile. :-)

Classically Coastal Bath

Coastal Living is one of my favorite magazines when it comes to beach-house dreaming. Have you seen their online blogs? I enjoy reading Daily Catch, which featured this "Classically Coastal" bathroom recently.

I'm not sure how practical these mirrors are over the sinks, but I thought they looked interesting. And who wouldn't love lying in this tub?

To see more beachy baths like this one, visit Daily Catch and see what they're talking about today.

P.S. My blog friend Susan Lang is giving away a copy of her book Designing Your Dream Home. I read it and loved it! Leave a comment on her site to enter.