INTERIOR + EXTERIOR

DARK HOME EXTERIORS: 17 BLACK HOUSES YOU’LL LOVE

by Michel Van Devender April 28, 2022

It seems the black house club continues to expand or at least more are being posted and pinned out there. Either way, it makes me happy to see all of the black house love! I continue to see a mix of both traditional and modern black exteriors taking a walk on the dark side, proving black paint isn’t just for modern homes. There are definitely more examples popping up in and around Charlotte. In my opinion, the more the merrier so please keep them coming! Here are some of my favorites from my recent saves on Instagram. Here’s to living inspired! Happy Friday!

FRIDAY MUSINGS: I WANT TO LIVE IN A GLASS HOUSE

by Michel Van Devender March 4, 2022

Hello again Friday. So nice to see you. I hope everyone out there is safe and well. To say it’s been a horrific and sad couple of weeks would be a vast understatement. I don’t typically write about the state of the world on this platform, but right now, it feels almost impossible to not acknowledge the agonizing pain and suffering people are experiencing. As the continuing and escalating invasion of Ukraine continues, we watch the reports of the devastating effects of war unfold – dehumanization, massive destruction, the separation of families, hunger, displacement and death. It’s all dismal, heavy and overwhelming.

I think it’s pretty normal to feel helpless, at a loss as to what we can do as individuals. Beyond praying for peace, I believe one of the best ways to help is by donating what we can to reputable non-profit organizations who are mobilizing vital aide for the Ukrainian people. Even though it’s difficult to go about life as if everything is normal when we know it’s not and so many are suffering in the world, I do believe it’s also important to stay connected to one another, focus on the good in our own lives, to love boldly and remain hopeful, wherever we are and in whatever way we can. Brene Brown says, “Let’s not look away from the moments of joy and connection in our lives because we feel guilty – the world needs us to put more joy into the world.” Amen!

For us, joy will come this weekend in the way of welcoming our oldest son home from college for his spring break. We cannot wait to see him! We may relish and appreciate the time together a little more. The hugs may be a little longer and a bit tighter. He’s hopefully bringing his girl home with him who we cannot wait to meet. We’re planning to take advantage of the time we have together and this brief stretch of warmer weather hanging outside by the pool.

Most of you come here for the design inspiration or at least I think you do 🙂 so I’m still delivering up some of that today in the way of glass houses. I’m beyond obsessed! And yes, I want to live in a glass house! If you know me, you know I love windows, big ones and lots of them. The natural light and looking out into nature makes me happy. So my ultimate dream house has always been a glass box. I’ve been told this is fish bowl living, and I’ll gladly take it! Place that glass box on ten acres in the middle of the woods, but also close to the conveniences of the city and now you have my unicorn, pie-in-the-sky dream. The odds may be against that specific scenario unfolding, but I’ll keep dreaming!

Hope you have a nice, joy-filled weekend with your people. Sending love and hugs to everyone out there! Stay hopeful!

Top featured image via escuyer.tumblr.com

THE BEST IN SWIMMING POOL DESIGN

by Michel Van Devender March 3, 2022

Have you heard?… Summer is coming! Here on the blog today I’m going to be loving on all the beautiful, dreamy swimming pools out there. Well, perhaps not all of them, but at least some of the best swimming pool designs I found inspiring when we were designing our own pool.

Have you ever considered a pool for your home? With warmer temps around the corner, now is the perfect time to be thinking about a small body of water to enhance your home and exterior living spaces. You can indeed create your very own resort-like living without leaving your home and without getting on a plane and traveling to far-flung destinations!

To be honest, several years ago, I would have never considered a swimming pool. I thought about the cost, the maintenance (pool boy!), the space it would consume in our backyard, etc. At the time, we had a small, urban backyard with limited outdoor space. After working with my former business partner and spending time at her home where she has the most spectacular pool (and home too), I had a change of mind and heart, sold on having a pool. She nailed the indoor/outdoor living and the “we live on vacation” vibe! She also insisted anyone can have a pool, regardless of space limitations. She’d actually designed multiple pools where she’d made use of every square inch of in-town backyards. Made me a believer!

I’m not going to lie though, even if you overcome the challenge of limited space, there is still the expense of a pool so it’s definitely an important consideration. If you’re doing a concrete pool, it can most definitely be costly, especially when you get into pool decking and hardscape materials. We ran into this with our own pool as I definitely wanted concrete. Add in the concrete wall, scuppers, poured concrete decking, decorative gravel and landscaping… Let’s just say, we were slightly over budget when all was said and done. Thankfully though, we did allocate money for the pool as part of our new build.

Looking for a more budget-friendly swimming pool? There really are many affordable options to consider such as prefab and above ground pools. A quick google search for these, and you’ll find many different types and selections available, although finding ones that actually look good and have good water colors can be a bit tricky (if that matters to you). There are also pools made from shipping containers (yet another great use of these rectangular metal vessels). Another great, and even lower cost option is the “cowboy pool” made using a galvanized stock tank. I’ve always thought these are the coolest. They can also be made into hot tubs by adding a heater. There’s also the plunge pool, a smaller version of a traditional swimming pool. If you really want a pool though, there are definitely ways to make this your reality. Albeit, you may not be swimming laps or making big splashes in a cowboy or plunge pool, but you can definitely cool off, lounge poolside, have a place for you and your family and friends to frolic during the warmer months of the year and elevate your home summer vibes.

And if you install a pool and swing the additional expense, add the heater. Repeat, add the heater! You’ll thank me later. Yes, there’s a cost to the heater and to heating the pool, but depending on where you live, you’ll be able to use your pool more months out of the year. With a heater in NC, we can typically use our pool nine to ten months out of the year. We could during the other two coldest months, but opt not to. We also have a pool cover because we have a mini forest in our backyard that drops an enormous amount of leaves into our pool. An added bonus of the cover is that it generates heat in our pool when it’s closed. So when the weather warms up a bit, we’re able to get the water heated with the sun and only use the heater to warm the water temperature a bit more.

With the March warm-up we’re experiencing this week, we have our cover on and are planning to use our heater for the next several weeks. It’s like having a little early spring break, at home! Happy soon to be summer + happy swimming!

P.S.

If you’re looking for more inspiration for your outdoor living spaces, check out this post – The Dreamiest Outdoor Living Spaces You’ll Love.

Top featured image via opumo.com

FRIDAY MUSINGS: NEW HOUSE 2.0

by Michel Van Devender February 25, 2022

Yay for Friday! Happy Weekend everyone!!! With our kids being out of school on Monday for President’s Day, I feel like this week has flown by way too quickly. And speaking of time vanishing, I find it so hard to believe there’s only a little over three months left in this school year. Yikes! How can that be possible?

I’ve spent the last several weeks doing some editing around our house. A rather massive amount actually, and I’m still plugging away. After living in our house for over a year, I started to realize there’s way too much going on, a visual shit show if you will – on shelves, on our mantle, on tables and countertops, on walls, in our lighting and basically every other surface of our home. This seems even more apparent when you have an open floor plan as everything can be viewed as a collective from most vantage points in our living/kitchen/dining area.

With this recent epiphany, I’m craving the simple and uncluttered, visually and otherwise. I even ordered organizers for our drawers, including for our spices, so I’m definitely taking it to a new level I haven’t before. For the near future, I’ve also contributed to our storage challenges as I’ve pulled almost everything off of shelves, counters and tables and stored in every possible place I can find until I figure out for sure what stays and what goes. Unfortunately, it’s a ton of art and accessories.

In some ways, through the craziness of the past two years -construction, a home sale, the in between of living in multiple Airbnbs and a pandemic with kids home from school, I feel like I’ve been operating in a fog, in survival mode, now slowly making my way out. Looking back, when we moved into our house towards the end of 2020, I was on autopilot trying to find a place for EVERYTHING we already had, focusing on making it ALL fit. Basically, nesting and settling without giving much thought to the layout and setup of our new house. It was all working until I realized it wasn’t.

Full disclosure, I’m also admittedly a perpetual, relentless, restless redecorator so there’s also that! It’s just who I am, and I’ve learned to embrace that part of myself, my mad scientist self here to mix, remix and repeat! I could certainly psychoanalysis what it means or what it says about me, but that hasn’t gotten me anywhere productive so far. And ultimately, it’s a vital part of my creativity and evolution so I’ll continue to go with it, open to where it takes me. And believe me when I tell you, there are SO many other worse things to be!

So that’s where I am right now, today, this last Friday in February. I’ll be over here for a bit pairing down our collection of stuff and tweaking and reworking some of our interiors. I’m call it Our New Black House 2.0! And if at times, it feels like I’m moving in reverse, I’ll continue to remind myself I probably wouldn’t have arrived at this place without having gone to where I was before, yesterday. Right?

Here’s what has landed on my MOST recent mood board… And from the looks of these images, I may need to work on a new house :)!!!

BLACK KITCHEN CABINETS: DESIGN TREND OR NEW CLASSIC?

by Michel Van Devender February 8, 2022

Don’t we all love white kitchen cabinets? I know I sure do, especially ones that are a little more modern. But what about black kitchen cabinets? Are they a trend or a new classic?

In early 2019, when we set out to build another house, I ventured down this rabbit hole. To be honest, I was feeling a little bored with white kitchens. At the time, we were living in our modern build (you can see it here) with an all white kitchen. We loved it! The cabinets were modern with slab panels and minimalist tab pulls. The countertops were Arctic White quartz. Our large U-shaped island was a white washed wood. The kitchen design was very clean and beautiful.

Then, black kitchen cabinets caught my eye, arriving on my design radar. As I gathered inspiration on a mood board for our new build, I noticed the majority of my kitchens had black cabinets. Would I dare? Still neutral, yet bold, striking and dramatic. It would be a departure from what I’d done before, with having had mostly white kitchens. And no cliff hangers here, yes we did end up with black kitchen cabinets in our current house.

Once I made the decision to make the black cabinet leap, there was a lot of vacillation on the countertop selection. Would I go even bolder with a black countertop or would I play it safer with something white? And by the way, there were of course so many other options, but knew for sure it would be either black or white for me. I also knew the walls would be white, creating balance for the black, but I just couldn’t decide on the countertops. I looked at quartz, marble, granite, etc. I actually spent hours, and made multiple visits I might add, perusing the isles at the stone yard. In true me fashion, I’m pretty sure I looked at every possible option. After all, these are not inexpensive, easy to alter decisions.

The turning point in my decision making process came when I fell hard for a marble, Danby marble to be specific. Oh la la, with its over all organic feel, the subtle, neutral coloration and veining set against a white background just spoke to me. I wasn’t necessarily looking for a marble, although they were definitely on my list to explore. Marble can be tricky from a livability, maintenance and expense perspective. But when you’re looking at stone and the design possibilities are literally endless, discovering something new can be inspiring. And although slightly out of budget, finding that marble and envisioning it in a vertical application, helped me frame the direction I’d go with the countertops.

The Danby marble slab ended up on or range wall. We added a black range hood, simple, reclaimed wood shelves and bare bulb sconces. For the countertops, I ended up going with Absolute Black honed granite. We absolutely love how the kitchen turned out! I will confess black cabinets are not as easy to keep clean as I initially thought they would be. For some reason, I thought the dark surface would hide everything. Sadly, that’s not the case. They do show spills, drips and fingerprints so theres that. Although, white kitchen cabinets weren’t easy to keep clean either. All in all, I’m glad I followed my design gut with the black kitchen cabinets.

Of course it would’ve been easier to just stick to a formula, doing what I already know and had done before. But really, that’s not creatively fun or rewarding, and it’s most definitely not how I roll! I wanted to try something completely different. I’m so glad I did. And, I guess what always helps me take a chance is never really seeing anything as permanent. I feel less bound by that constraint, and there’s a lot of freedom in that. I mean, who needs a forever home? We could move again in a couple of years!

So back to my original question – Are black kitchen cabinets a trend or a new classic? What do you think? Well, I must say I don’t really know or have an answer. Ultimately, I believe time will tell. Whether they are a trend or have some staying power, I’m going to love every minute with my black kitchen cabinets, at least while I’m living in this house! Here are some of my favorite black kitchen cabinet kitchens followed by several images of our kitchen.

OUR INSPIRATION

Top featured image via clemaroundthecorner.com.

OUR KITCHEN

MORE BLACK LOVE

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KEEPING IT INTERESTING: MAKING A STATEMENT WITH YOUR HOME EXTERIOR

by Michel Van Devender January 31, 2022

I always admire those homeowners who aren’t afraid to take risks and keep things interesting, especially when it’s done well :). Take for instance the often overlooked home exterior, most of us play it safe, opting for white, gray or beige. But what about taking the opportunity to make a statement, rebelling against the boring, the ordinary, stepping outside of the exterior design box?

Towards the end of summer, I cut down a street in our old Charlotte neighborhood, Elizabeth. I drove past a house that caused me to stop, put my car in reverse, back up to park on the street for a better, unhurried look. The entire exterior of the two-story home had been adorned with colorful, painted flowers. And I think my black exteriors are bold… this is next level bold! What a beautiful, happy surprise of a house! And who couldn’t use more good cheer and happy houses these days. I sat there in my car for several minutes with a smile on my face, scrolling with my eyes, digesting all of the lovely, different flowers, colors, shapes and variations.

Mind you, this house is in one of Charlotte’s historic neighborhoods, one without a historic commission. Otherwise, something so unexpected and creative would’ve never happened. I imagine some neighbors absolutely love, while others are less than thrilled to have a rebel house. Having had one in this neighborhood, I know first hand how it goes. The Elizabeth neighborhood has been split for years over whether there should or shouldn’t be a governing body to police and regulate homeowners on what they do with their homes. Most recently, a group of well-organized neighbors rallied to gain support, but ultimately, the neighborhood voted against having a historic commission. I say good for them for maintaining the eclectic, unique, independent vibe of the neighborhood!

Then there was another home exterior art project by a local Charlotte artist I love, Nico Amortagui. He painted the exterior of a multi-family dwelling located in Myers Park with the most amazing black and white Picasso-esque figures. It’s quite the striking out-of-the-box graphic design, making a statement in an otherwise traditional, vanilla neighborhood. It’s without a doubt always the highlight of my drive down that stretch of Queens Road.

Seeing these creative residential exteriors peaked my curiosity… What other statement home exteriors are out there? I’ve of course seen murals painted on the sides of commercial buildings, but hadn’t seen as many examples of art on residential homes. Perusing Pinterest, I found lots of inspiration, including more floral examples as well as some geometric designs. Some are painted and others are exterior wallpapers (Who knew?). Some are traditional houses while others are modern. Some are bold, some more subtle. They are all interesting and different.

So, right now, I’m loving artful applications/expressions for your home exterior! It would certainly require some major commitment, an all in, and wouldn’t be for those who prefer to blend into their surroundings. But for the creatively brave and daring, I’m digging this as an option for the exterior. Perhaps you’ll see some inspired version on my next home! What do you think? Would you dare to make a statement with your home exterior? Let me know…

Top featured image via flickr.com

MORE INTERIOR + EXTERIOR POSTS

DARK HOME EXTERIORS: 17 BLACK HOUSES YOU’LL LOVE

by Michel Van Devender April 28, 2022

It seems the black house club continues to expand or at least more are being posted and pinned out there. Either way, it makes me …

by Michel Van Devender April 28, 2022

FRIDAY MUSINGS: I WANT TO LIVE IN A GLASS HOUSE

March 4, 2022

by Michel Van Devender March 4, 2022

THE BEST IN SWIMMING POOL DESIGN

March 3, 2022

by Michel Van Devender March 3, 2022

FRIDAY MUSINGS: NEW HOUSE 2.0

February 25, 2022

by Michel Van Devender February 25, 2022

BLACK KITCHEN CABINETS: DESIGN TREND OR NEW CLASSIC?

February 8, 2022

by Michel Van Devender February 8, 2022

WARM, MINIMAL INTERIORS: SPACES I’M LOVING RIGHT NOW

by Michel Van Devender January 2, 2022

We’re craving some warm, minimal interiors right now – the clean, uncomplicated. I have to admit I’m one of those people who’s ready to take the tree down on Christmas Day evening following all of the holiday festivities. Due to a lack of energy and in consideration of my sweet holiday-loving family, I resist the urge. However; it does come down promptly on December 26, and heads straight out to the curb for pick-up.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE Christmas. We usually get a tree Thanksgiving weekend, decking the halls and singing “fa-la-la-la-la” all the way through Christmas Day. The day after though, I’m ready for it all to go, put away and ready for a clean slate, to begin anew.

As a new year signals a fresh start, it is also the time when I start thinking about purging and organizing. It’s my version of spring cleaning in the winter. I’m thinking about how to pair down, declutter and simplify our spaces. Being a person who is deeply affected by my physical and spatial environment, there’s always a fine line between the contents and layers of a home and then feeling like there’s too much stuff, and I’m suffocating. I’m kind of the pendulum swings from one extreme to the other kind of person too! I’m constantly trying to strike a balance, but sometimes you just don’t know you’ve gone too far, in either direction, until you’ve gone too far.

Perhaps it’s also a metaphor for what I’m feeling in terms of our lives. How can we reevaluate our priorities? What we do with our time. Are we doing too much? Perhaps too much of the wrong things? Who are spending our time with? Are we focusing on the important things? The things that really matter? How can we be more purposeful and intentional? What stays? And what can go? There’s always things that are complicating and cluttering, in our spaces, as well as in our lives. No New Year’s resolutions here, but we do always set some intentions for where we’d like to focus our energy. So here we are, evaluating it all.

Below are some minimal spaces I’m loving right now. When I look at these interiors, I feel a sense of calm, peace and order. What about you? How are you affected by your home and physical space? Are you too feeling a need for the uncomplicated and minimal, editing and revising a little here and there?

Over the next several weeks, I’ll be home in tweaking and decluttering mode. Here’s to fresh starts and new beginnings and creating spaces and lives where we can learn, grow and thrive in whatever season of life we’re in! Happy New Year friends!

Top featured image via Instagram @helloblogzine

WHAT MY FALL DREAMS ARE MADE OF: A-FRAME CABINS

by Michel Van Devender November 9, 2021

Without fail, each and every fall our A-Frame cabin dreams return… sigh. These triangle homes with their super steep angled lines have an inherent escapist allure. I imagine being tucked away, enveloped by nature, in an A-Frame cabin somewhere remote and peaceful, far away from the hustle and bustle of city life. And really, it could be anywhere from Lake Tahoe to the Catskills to Nova Scotia.

If you too like to dream of a little fall wooded escape, there’s an abundance of eye candy on Instagram and Pinterest, best viewed with a comfy blanket and a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. Some of our favorite A-Frames and other types of cabins can be found on Instagram – @cabinlove and @cabinporn. Hope you enjoy our gallery of inspiration below!

AND, while we're dreaming, let's not forget a little interior inspiration for our A-Frame...

SCULPTURAL STAIR DESIGN: 21 BEAUTIFUL SPIRAL STAIRCASES

by Michel Van Devender October 25, 2021

Spiral staircases give me all the good feels. As a little girl, I have the fondest memories of my aunt and uncle’s modern house in my hometown of Concord, North Carolina. I spent many weekends there with my brother and cousin. My uncle was an artist and designed and built the coolest 70s contemporary house. It had large, oversized windows and sat back in the woods. There was a spiral staircase in the two-story entry that lead to his art studio.

Since then, I’ve been dreaming of a spiral staircase. I’m thinking I may need to design an entire house around placing one of these functional, sculptural structures inside or outside of my home. I also have thoughts of adding a second story to our pool house, utilizing a white or black spiral staircase. Or perhaps, we’ll stack another shipping container on the one we already have in our backyard and finish off as a creative space, including a spiral staircase on the exterior to connect the upper and lower floors.

Outside of their beauty, they are especially brilliant in providing a space-saving solution for reaching your second floor. Now, I’m not going to say they’re the best for high traffic spaces as the narrow passage generally only accommodates one person at a time. They can also be tricky for moving furniture and other large items from one floor to another. Those are minor details in my opinion, and I’m sure I could be creative with solutions.

And when I get to the point where I’m ready to incorporate a spiral staircase in one of my designs, how will I even begin to choose a direction? There are some really great examples out there. I’ll definitely start here with these images for inspiration. Which is your favorite?

round mirror in the home of marie olsson nylander. eclectic home.

WELL ROUNDED: HOW TO DECORATE WITH A ROUND MIRROR

by Michel Van Devender October 8, 2021

In our design book, mirrors are always a good decorating idea! They are brilliant in creating the illusion of more space, expanding a room well beyond its square footage. This is especially helpful in smaller, more intimate spaces; however, they work equally as well in larger areas. Mirrors also reflect and bounce light. At our house, we’re always looking to amplify our lighting. And really, who doesn’t also need to check their reflection in a mirror every now and again?

If you’re thinking about a mirror for your room, you’ll want to consider the different shapes available. Why not skip the traditional square and rectangle mirror in lieu of a round version? These literally come in all sizes and finishes, creating the opportunity for a round mirror moment for your interior. You can use a round mirror in most any place you’d be considering a rectangle or square one. The soft, curved shape of the round helps break and balance the angular lines of your room and furniture. Varying shapes in your room always helps mix things up and create visual interest. Round mirrors also tend to be a bit more modern than other shapes, although I do have several vintage mirrors that I’ve collected over the years that I wouldn’t call modern.

So, if you’re adding mirrors to your wall decor (and I think you most definitely should!), consider a round one. I actually think they’re a must have! And while you’re at it, get creative and play around with the scale in your space. Here are some of our favorite round mirror rooms showing the different ways they can be used. Hope you love the inspiration! Thank you for the visit!