Goin' back to school....

Wow, this year has been full ups and downs and in general, things that I did not plan for. In September my husband decided to go back to school and I suppose in some way he has inspired me to, after talking about it for a couple of years now, actually go back to school as well. I am registered for my first class in the University of Dayton's MBA program and am pretty darn excited about it. I'm not sure where this will lead us in our future together, but I'm ready for another adventure. :)

UD has a gorgeous campus and is nestled in close to downtown Dayton. Choosing this school was kind of a no-brainer for me. As a Dayton enthusiast, where better to go than THE University of Dayton? (afterall, we did have a Dayton themed wedding) The best thing about it? I can walk to class. It's almost exactly a mile from my front door to my classroom door.

Welcome to UD:

Friday Feature: Elena Shumilova

I stumbled across this photographer recently (I don't even remember how...I swear, the internet is a deep black hole that just sucks you in) but her work is absolutely stunning. I can't even......so I'll just shut-up and let her work speak for itself.

All images came from her Flickr account here.

We're staying put.

So I have some good/bad news about the new home my husband and I wanted to buy. After all our hard work to make it happen, it just didn't work out. Although it is the seriously cool, modern home of our dreams, we realize that our little bungalow we have now is pretty cool, too. We will be staying put. The bank dragged things out for so long and played too many games (like making us pay MORE than asking price simply because I'm an employee at a real estate company...even though no one else is interested in the house), all the while interest rates creeped up making our potential mortgage payment higher and higher. With both of us wanting to return to school, it just makes sense to continue living in our little home we know and love, where all the neighborhood kids know Alfie and bring him home anytime he wonders off. We're confident with our decision and we couldn't be happier. Our plans for finishing the basement and converting the attic into a super awesome master suite will continue soon as we continue to call this little roost "home". 

2013 Dayton Philharmonic Showhouse: Before and After

Today I'm sharing my space from the 2013 Dayton Philharmonic Showhouse that ran throughout the month of May. The showhouse was a great success and I've already received several phone calls for new projects/clients (as if I have time for more work! haha) I guess all the hard work paid off!

This year my space was on the third floor again. The way our committee does the room selection process is by a lottery system based on seniority. Since this was only my second showhouse, I pretty much get last pick! I'll probably have to do several more of these before I can more down a floor, haha. The third floor spaces are always the last to be chosen because no one wants to haul all their stuff up two flights of stairs. Well, I'll take what I can get. The sloped ceilings make for a cozy, unique space. You can see what I did for the last showhouse on my blog post HERE or, check out my website HERE.

Once again, here is the BEFORE of the space:
Remember the ugly carpet and sickening lighting?

Here is the AFTER:

I designed this space for a young adult (obviously female). I knew I wanted to do a younger space, but not quite as young as the playroom I did last time! When I first visited the house I thought if I were a teenager, this would be the room I would want for my own. It's so cozy and quiet and very private from the rest of the house. You could friends over and not bother anyone. So this is pretty much the ultimate suite for any teenage girl :)

Source: Housetrends 

Source: Housetrends 

If you would like to see more photos from the rest of the showhouse, you can visit Housetrend's website HERE. It's worth visiting!

Thank you to Elder Beerman Furniture Gallery for providing a lot of the furniture shown AND for delivering it all the way to the third floor for me, as well as picking it up. They were great!

Thank you Designer's Consignment for letting me borrow the perfect painting hanging on the back wall above the bed. It really set the tone for the rest of my space!

Thank you to Tim & John Weimer (my father and brother) for helping to install the lighting, move furniture, make repairs, etc.

AND of course, thank you to Brian Quinn my wonderful husband for helping me paint, carry up countless loads of accessories and put up with the house being an absolute wreck during this project.

Couldn't have done it without you!

Bedroom (aka Nest) transformation for a client - Before and After!

Whew! It's been almost a month since my last post! Do any of you find it difficult to blog these days? I'm feeling really unmotivated to do it so far this year (and the year is half over....so that's not a good thing!) I just have so much going on that it's hard to find the time!

O.k., enough with the excuses. So you may be wondering whatever happened to the house we we're trying to buy. Well, we're still trying to buy it but since it's a bank owned it's taking forever! We accepted a counteroffer from the bank on Monday but still have not heard anything. And since I work for a real estate company they are giving me a really hard time about it. Not a fun situation. I feel like the past 2 months of my life have been in limbo not knowing if we're going to be moving or not. It's making me crazy! I'm sure it's making the people wanting to buy our home crazy as well. If we get the new house, I will definitely share some great photos of it.....can't wait!

In the meantime, and actually the purpose of my post today, is to share a recent bedroom project I worked on earlier this year. One of my first clients wanted to turn this little bedroom in a "nest." As you can see, there wasn't much going on here before. It was pretty much a blank slate! Here are the before shots:

And here was my new car (2013 Subaru Impreza.....I bought it just a couple of weeks before Christmas) packed to the brim for the install. She actually did a pretty good job hauling everything and I can fit more in there than you'd think!

And here are the afters:

This first thing I did in the room was change the furniture layout. Previously, the bed was pushed up against the wall which made the bed feel crowded and threw off the alignment with the large window. I rotated the bed and centered the headboard on one wall which actually made the room feel larger and more welcoming. I always position the bed to face you when you enter, if possible. It makes for a nice focal point and feels warm and cozy.

The little blue/green table was a great antique piece the client already had so that set the tone for the rest of the room. Because of it's playful curves and color, I wanted to continue that playful feeling throughout. I chose a coral wall color to (1) compliment the table color and (2) pink shades are great for a bedroom because they're said to be the most relaxing. We painted the closet doors and trim the same as the wall so that it wouldn't be distracting. Since it's a small room, this also helps the room feel larger.

The little wooden chair already belonged to the client. It was her grandmother's chair that wasn't being used down in the basement. I think it's perfect for the room and it makes me happy to be able to give it a new life. 

The room already had beautiful hardwood floors, so I warmed them up with a lovely area rug. At first glance the rug seems very traditional, but in the space, the rug seems to come alive and takes on the playful characteristics of the rest of the space. A mix of styles always makes a space more interesting. I love it!

And of course, nothing finishes off a room better than some great accessories. A mix of age and style will give a room more character and makes it feel more natural and lived in. Never buy everything at the same store, and never buy everything new. Thrift stores and vintage shops offer great finds for cheap!

I hope you enjoyed and stay tuned for more. I have some more great projects to show you coming soon. 

Have a fantastic weekend everyone! 

xoxo, Laura

Tour of my Happyroost

After less than 5 whole days on the market, our home is now under contract. We're sad (I knew we would be!) but excited about the new adventures ahead. I promised I would post the MLS photos, so here goes!

We have since written an offer on the house we want to buy, and surprisingly enough, we also found a back-up house that I'm also in love with in case the first deal falls through. I can't wait to share the photos of the new house with you but I'm waiting until it's a sure thing. I see a lot more remodeling in my future... :)