Design Star Audition Bloopers

I decided not to post the final audition video here...I don't want to jinx anything!
Here are some of the outtakes instead. :-)



I'm sending my entire audition package off to HGTV tomorrow. And then, I wait...

Kitchen & Dining Room Updates

Got some more work done in the Kitchen and Dining Room this past week, woo hoo!

My mom and her husband gave us some beadboard they had left over from a project they had recently worked on, so we put it to good use as a backsplash in our Kitchen. Here are some photos of the project from start til now:













I also finally picked out some fabric for my Dining Room curtains.
I went with something kind of unconventional. I chose burlap!



It was $2.16/yard, and required very little sewing. I just hemmed the top and the bottom, attached the panels to some ring clips, and voila! Instant custom-length drapery panels for 28 bucks total! I love the "cottage-chic" look of them, and being the texture-junkie that I am, they are the perfect choice for me.
(I need to get a couple more packages of the ring clips, so the folds aren't quite as deep.)



Love the glass finials on the ends of this rod:



The Lettered Cottage is finally starting to feel like a home. We closed on this house on October 31st last year...times flies when you're having fun remodeling...

Ford Family Kitchen Redesign

The Ford Family recently hired me to do a Virtual Consultation on their Kitchen.

Here's what their Kitchen looks like currently:




Renee told me that underneath the red material, there is horizontal planks running all the way up to the ceiling. AWESOME!

Their refrigerator sits just outside the kitchen, in their breakfast room, but they don't want to remove any walls at this point, so I didn't need to work it into the design.





Renee said this about what she wanted to achieve in the new design of the Kitchen-

"I want people to want to spend time here. I don't really even like to spend time here. It is a kitchen. The heart of the home. It is away from the family room; so, I want people to want hang out with me in there."

This is what she told me when I asked her about a color scheme-

"Bright (not yellow--not red). We just did the dining room green. Definately need your help for this one!"

I asked her what she wanted to keep in the room (besides the appliances), she said-

"I really want to keep the little TV that is sitting on that bar stool at the moment. It gets really lonely in there at times."

I asked Renee to pick a few words that best described her style, she said-

"Shabby Chic, Country, Cottage, Farmhouse and Classic."

So I came up with four different layouts for them to choose from.

In a couple of the layouts, I got Renee's approval to change the little closet that currently houses an old ironing board, into a space where the TV could sit:



Here are some "resource" photos I sent them of some of the items/finishes I used in the space:

Lights above the mirror & sink = $18/each (Lowes)



Green stain for the table = $4.99/can (Ikea)
(stain is shown on the chair in this photo)




Dining Table = $99.99 (Ikea)



Stainless Steel Trash Can = $59.99 (Overstock.com)

Trash Can = $149 (Troy Country Cottage)
(available in an array of colors)



Paint Color = "Paper White" (Benjamin Moore Classic Color 1590)



Here's what the folks at Benjamin Moore had to say about this color:

"The luminous light seen at the beginning of each day features soft hues, creating gentle color schemes. Paper White is clean and fresh, offering comfort in the promise of a new day."

So, which layout would YOU choose? :-)

Layla

Coastal Living Idea House 2008

Living Room-

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1659850949/bclid1799152929/bctid1805491017


Kitchen-

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1659850949/bclid1799152929/bctid1805490992


Dining Room-

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1659850949/bclid1799152929/bctid1804003607


Master Bedroom-

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1659850949/bclid1799152929/bctid1804003592


Bunk Room-

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1659850949/bclid1799152929/bctid1805491048

Lettered Cottage Icon

I've had a few requests to create a "Lettered Cottage" icon for people to post on their blogs.

If anyone would like to use my icon on their blog, to link to my website (www.letteredolive.com) or blog (www.theletteredcottage.blogspot.com), go right ahead!

(And THANK YOU!!!!)

Layla

PS...Blog friends rule! :-)

Shellboxes

Here are a couple of products my Mom is creating for letteredolive.com.
All of the shells were hand-picked by my Mom, from the Gulf Coast, and are gorgeously displayed "specimen-style" in your choice of distressed black, distressed white or teak wood shadowbox frame.









This first style of Shellbox will include a laminated "key" that lists the names of all the shells included. We like to lay it on top of the shadowbox and let the shell-tipped satin ribbon hang down that side, like this...





The second style of Shellbox looks like this:













As soon as I have photos of a Distressed black Shellbox, I'll post photos here.

In the meantime...we'd love to hear what you think of them!

Layla :-)

Ceiling Consultation

Melaine at My Sweet Savannah asked for my advice recently regarding her kitchen ceiling.
I was thrilled to find this post on her blog tonight-

"...I have been in a dilema for a while about how to tackle my kitchen skylight area. It is a prominant area in my home and deserved a little more than the blah brown paint I had up there. I asked Layla at Lettered Olive for help. She has a great eye for design! Within a day she had a great idea for me, that fit with the rest of my house perfectly! I had thought of this actually, and having her suggest it, made me feel confident that it was the right choice! So, the final product is inspired by her photo, and my favorite artist for pottery, Emma Bridgewater, from her Black Toast line.....Here is inspiration photo, before photos, and after! I am thrilled with the results! Thanks Layla!!!!..."

Emma Bridgewater pottery...Love this pottery!



...and the photo Layla sent to me for inspiration!




Before, dull brown with no appeal-





After! White background with black lettering!









I encourage anyone who reads my blog to visit Melaine's too. You'll love what she's done with her home (make sure you check out the posts she did on her exterior and master bedroom)and she's an absolute sweetheart!

:-)
Layla

Upper Cabinets

I would LOVE to rip out all my upper cabinets and install windows all the way across the wall in my kitchen.

I mean, this is what's on the other side of the wall for pete's sake!



Just look how cool having no uppers looks in this picture:



Here's another view of the same kitchen...isn't it perfect?



If I could have any floor, I'd have this one. (sigh)
The light fixtures above the island capture that perfect combination of industrial meets traditional, that I love so much.
And get a load of the horizontal wood boards on the back wall!
I must install them in our Master Bedroom...I am absolutely crazy about the look of it.

Well...back to work on the final paperwork involved in auditioning for HGTV. I'll post a link to my 5-minute final audition video here soon...I really tried to push myself and my passion for design to the limit. Hopefully it will pay off and I'll at least get a shot to appear on that first nerve-wracking episode where people wig out, and start bawling or throw tantrums because they can't handle the pressure of standing in front of Vern, Cynthia, Martha. :-)