A Bright & Cheerful Guestroom Makeover

Good God.  The impending arrival of Baby Cham+Thom has my head spinning and has thrust me into personal home project overload.  They call it "nesting," and yes; evidently it happens to people even when they aren't actually prego. :)

I just got back from finishing up Lizzie's guest room makeover in Ohio.  And wow.  What a transformation!

As a reminder...  Liz wanted a space that was bright and cheerful, with some beachy elements thrown in too.  Keep in mind though, that she lives in the country and nothing else in her house screams "beach" in any way, shape or form.  Good thing I like a challenge. :)  She mentioned that she wanted her own private oasis, a place where she can run off to when she needs to escape the craziness of her work day(s).  This room will function as just that; her "happy" place, as well as her personal office space and a retreat for overnight guests.

In case you've forgotten, this is what the room looked like before:

And here's the after!

Shim Shazam!  Is it beautiful or what?!?!  I am SO super proud of this room.  Maybe it's because I poured so much love into it because it was for my bestie or maybe it's because of all that we accomplished on such a limited budget.

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a huge fan of vintage furniture.  And as such I would've loved to scour the back alleys of Ohio looking for the perfect vintage nightstands, lighting and other knick-nacks. But...not knowing the area and being in town for such a limited time, I just couldn't risk it.  So, although it's not ideal, it was a necessity in this case.  Big box stores to the rescue!

Even so, I think this room totally looks high-end and collected, don't you?  And yet nearly every single thing in here is from Target, HomeGoods,  Overstock, Ikea or WestElm!  I needed to be able to return anything that didn't work and all of these stores are great that way.  Plus, Overstock has free shipping on everything! (Or maybe it's almost free?) And bonus! Target shipped a lot of what I ordered for free as well.  Yay me!

Most of the initial design plan changed, but that's bound to happen, right?  Here's how it all went down...

We used their existing bed and dresser and pulled the 2 occasional chairs from the living room; everything else is brand spanking NEW!

I arrived on Wednesday to a primed room and a mountain of boxes.   I went with my first instinct and spent my first full day painting 2 coats of Benjamin Moore's Ocean Spray.  Holy aqua!  That color is perfection.  Immediately, the space felt more alive and definitely, happy!  The color varies in some of my photos but I did the best I could to present the "truest" version here; it really is lovely in person.

Okay, I admit it.  I was a little worried at first.  But sometimes you just have to go with your gut and in this case, I'm so glad that I did.

I had ordered tons of stuff in the weeks before and opening all those boxes felt like Christmas morning. So fun!  Here's a shot I posted on Instagram:

When it comes to working with long distance clients I like to over-order initially; a girl's gotta have options, people. For instance, I ordered this fantastic Nate Berkus bedding in ginger, but also in navy.  When it came down to it, the navy didn't pop against the aqua as much as the ginger/orange did...but I really do like the navy too.  And here you can see lamp bases that we didn't end up using either.  Ultimately they were too small but I love their honeycomb shape and hey guess what?!  I think they're on clearance at Target right this very second.  Go get 'em!

Hello, gorgeous.

I'm a little bit in love with these lamp shades.  The texture is great and the gold thread works nicely with the vintage yellow/gold dresser.

Like I mentioned before, I would've loved to find some great vintage nightstands for this room.  BUT... These nightstands are real wood and super sturdy; and at less than $120 per pop they fit the bill perfectly! I'm still dying over that price.  Ridiculous.  But again, Yay me!

Here's a closer look at that comfy bed.  And oh my.  I'm absolutely in LOVE with this artwork by Samantha French.  The vibrant colors?  The girl in the water?  It makes me SO darn happy I can barely stand it! 

Liz has had this dresser for years; she got it when she was living in LA.  It's all beat up but, in my opinion, still fabulous and works perfectly in the room.  And lest we forget the gorgeous "Laura" print by Michelle Armas that was our initial jumping off point for the entire room?  Me thinks not.  I just love the way Michelle puts colors together.  One. Talented. Lady.

Did someone say "beachy"?  Oh hello, pretty sea shells.  I didn't want to go overboard (pun intended) with anchors, ceramic fish and signs that said "this way to the beach".  It's just not practical nor does it go with the rest of the feel of their home.  Instead, a sampling of shells and some beyond gorgeous photos by Myan Soffia do the job of bringing a little bit of the ocean to Waynesville, OH.

As we follow the room around, there's a nice size window on the side wall.  I took the photo below one evening when I was messing around with furniture placement.  Originally, I had thought to put these 2 chairs in the far corner, but they really seemed to fit  the space below the window perfectly.

Here's how that seating area looked once I added curtains and a few decorative elements:

Opposite the bed is a small work space.  Here you can see those gorgeous Myan Soffia photos I was talking about.  These images are of Los Angeles, Hermosa Beach and Santa Monica Pier...all special memories for this family.

The parsons desk was a steal from Overstock and I am totally coveting that task lamp from West Elm.  And how about those black frames?  They hold the 12"x12" photos perfectly; thanks, Ikea.  Oh and here's the thing.  A lot of Ikea's frames come with cream colored mattes.  If you need white instead, just flip the cream side over and voila!

I picked up all sorts of fun color coordinated desk accessories at Target.  The navy blue crab is definitely a favorite!

And speaking of navy blue...

When it came to buying a desk chair I barely had any money left in the budget.  Soooo, thinking this one looked simple, not too bulky and would match the color of the nightstands, I ordered it:

When I opened the box, I wasn't quite feeling it though; it had more of a reddish hue and didn't quite go.  I looked around town a bit and at first, thought I'd just find a replacement and then return the Overstock chair.  I just couldn't find anything that I liked though soooo...paint to the rescue!

That's when this happened:

Perfectly blue and super cute!  I stumbled on those file storage boxes at Target too.  I couldn't get over all of the great accessories they had in stock.

This project was a ton of hard work but so so rewarding.  I had a blast working with such a good friend and really tried so very hard to get it "just right" for her.  I'm pleased to report that she was super happy and yes; I did capture the moment of the big reveal, but on video vs. pictures.  Now I just need to learn how to upload a video to my blog though...  Aargh.  Yet another learning curve.

Soooo someday you'll see Liz's reaction to her new room.  I just love it though.  I hope you do too!

I'm starting to put together plans for their great room and basement too, so stay tuned; Ohio, I'll be seeing you again soon. :) And in the meantime, I am in crazy project mode over here at Camp Cham+Thom.  Am re-doing the kid's rooms and making space for the new arrival.  More on that to come!

Here are a few other sources:

Bedside lamps: Target
Bed throw pillows: HomeGoods
White sheets:  Ikea
Smaller picture frames:  HomeGoods
Artwork Ribba black frames:  Ikea
Wooden bowl for shells:  HomeGoods
Shells:  HomeGoods & Pottery Barn
Vases:  Target & Michaels
Chair Pillows:  ZigZag from Pottery Barn (sorry; I think it's sold out), Blue from HomeGoods

Now have a great day, darlings, and happy shopping.  And if you need some help with decorating a room at your house, please don't hesitate to contact me; I would love to work with you!  Reach me at chambliss.bridgette@gmail.com.

The Treehouse :: the upstairs

Now that I've shown most of the projects we accomplished at the San Gabriel House, it's time to bring you up-to-date on a few of the more recent goings-on around here.

Cham+Thom Interiors is officially up and running & I've also been working on a ton of personal projects for the casa lately.  Did you see the cute re-do of my flea-market-find last week?  Well, if you looked closely at that post you may've gotten a sneak peak of yet another newly finished project happening in the dining room too.  More on that soon and yes; I know I'm behind schedule but I promise to post pics of the completed garden wall before this Friday!  And if you're following along on Instagram, well then you already know the dining room is looking mighty green and mighty fabulous these days.

So, you've probably heard me refer to our current house as the "treehouse".  I also like to call it Camp Cham+Thom.

It really is lovely.  It's in the hills of Silverlake with a beautiful view of the Reservoir and it truly does feel like a tree house!  We're perched on a hilltop with our main floor balcony, literally, in the trees.  We are one with the birds, the squirrels and lots of other lil' creatures (who I may or may not wish to be friends with).  We all get along for the most part though.  We have boundaries.  Well, usually.

Yes, people; that is a baby rat in my house!  I had gone out for a glass of wine with a girlfriend that night.  Seriously.  I was gone maybe 1 1/2 hours.  It was a Friday.  A hot day.  It was still early and light out when I left so I kept the balcony doors open.  I wasn't gone two hours and Bam! there's a rat in my house.  That's great.  Look at Gracie Jane Pickle.  She has no idea what to even do with this present that has fallen into her lap.  She's an indoor cat.  She only sees this stuff out the window or on the Nature Channel.  She's totally out of her element here.  Instincts?  Nope.  I don't think she has any.  She's like the big guy in The Green Mile.  She would never want to kill that poor thing; why would she kill her new friend?

Sadly, we've encouraged her killer instincts by our uncontrollable giggles and praise, as we watch her swat at her electronic toy mouse (that looks a little too similar to this fella).  So now she's swatting at this little beast (I swear he looked bigger in person) and I find myself screaming for her to stop.  Oh great.  Somehow it becomes my mission to keep the rat alive.

I called Biff and he laughed at me.  I think he expected me to kill it.  What?  HOW???  There may or may not have been some squealing.  By me.  And there may or may not have been a moment when I was standing on the sofa.  When I was squealing.  I texted Biff this picture of me (that's me last year with longer hair) after the fiasco was over and I had successfully SAVED Ratatouille's life.

Like I said.  We are one with nature here at Camp Cham+Thom.

But...I digress.

The house would only be more perfect for us if money were no option and we owned it! Then, of course, we might make a few more costly upgrades, but for now, we're all good.  We know how fortunate we are.  Our good friend is actually the owner and our landlord.  Which is how we came to know of this little slice of awesomeness and it's availability so we could pounce on it!

Here are some of the before photos taken in December 2011.  The house is Spanish built in 1928.  In this first photo I'm standing near the front door, facing to the left.  I turn a little to the right with each of these first few shots so you can get a sense of the whole room.  See those trees!  Like I said...we live in a treehouse!

The living room has a wood-burning fireplace.  Initial thoughts on the space: LOVE IT but what is up with that weird molding around the doors & windows?  Am assuming it was for draperies but why would you have curtains in this room?  No one can see in and the view is AMAZING!


In this photo you can see the dining room over to the right where the saltillo tile flooring begins.  The previous tenant left the tv you see here.  A tv mounted WAY too high in a space this gorgeous?  No thank-you. It had to go.

Here's a closer look at the dining room which steps down into our teensy weensy kitchen.  It's a nice size space and has a peaked/slanted ceiling but again, what's with the weird window framing?  I'm so curious if it was original to the house.  And although I wouldn't have them in the living room, I'm not opposed to window coverings in the dining room; our neighbor has a side door that is close by and there have been more than a few moments of awkward eye contact.  

And back into the main living room again.  Now I'm looking towards a small powder room and the front door.  The railing you see there is to a staircase that leads downstairs to the bedrooms and a full bath.

A quick look at the upstairs powder room.  Yes; that is carpet on the floor.  I know...I know...it's unthinkable, right?  Look.  I know it's not ideal BUT there's so much other goodness going on here that we've somehow gotten over it.

Just forget about the carpeted bathroom.  Instead look at this beyond gorgeous ceiling of ours.  Bathroom Shmathroom.  Like I said, we are so soooo fortunate.

So, these photos show how the upstairs looked when we moved in.  We've been here a year and half now and it feels more and more like home every day.  Things are still a work in progress and we are definitely taking our sweet time but I'm excited to show you what we've done so far.  Check in tomorrow to see that wonky molding come down and watch as the larger pieces of furniture find their place in the design plan.

Client Report :: Ohio Guest Room

I'm working with a new client who also happens to be one of my besties.  My sweet friend Liz.  We met when we lived together in college.  No literally, we met the day we were moving in to share a bedroom.  It was pure madness in the best way.  We were roommates on and off for years and actually, she's the reason I moved to LA in the first place. Wow. I forgot about that.

Aaaanyways... Let me get back on track here.

After living in LA for many years, Liz (along with her husband and their 2 boys) moved to a small town in Ohio, just outside of Dayton.  They had a home built there a few years back; it's a big one and on a bit of land.

I visited her recently and because I just can't help myself (forgive me...I have a sickness), I talked about my decor ideas for her home.  All that talking lead to hours of creative brainstorming and now I'm super excited because she's hired me to design one of their guest rooms.  Eventually, when time and budget allow for it, I'm hoping to take on some other spaces in their house too.  It really is a beautiful home; it's big though and needs more "stuff" in it.  It's weird hearing myself say that because I am not one at all for cluttered spaces.  But the house just feels too empty to me; I feel like it needs more layers...more "stuff"!

You want a house to feel lived in.  Like it's been decorated over time with all the nooks and crannies filled with memories.  Take a minute to look around your house.  If your walls could talk, would there be stories to tell?

Case in point...  Here is the guest room I'm working with.  Again, it's really quite spacious.  At the moment it just looks a bit empty though.

Now, if you know Liz, you know that girl loves the beach and the sunshine.  So moving from LA to Ohio has been quite an adjustment for her.  Every winter I get the call...well, multiple calls actually. :) "I just can't do it anymore...  It's so dark...  It won't stop raining..."  It's like clockwork.  And trust me; I totally get it.  Those winters are long and everyone has their breaking point.  So I really want to keep that in mind when I'm decorating this room for her.  Even though it's the guest room, she's calling it "her" room and I intend to make it a light, bright and happy place.  Her escape from the gloomy winter  days...

I took these photos while I was visiting a few weeks ago.



You see.  It looks empty, right?  And although, they're obviously not afraid of color in their home, the tones in this room are somewhat muted and make the space feel dark.
Not for long though, darlings.  Operation: Let the Sun Shine In is underway!  We are going to fill the space with a little more furniture and then layer, layer, layer.  And of course, we are going to make it lighter and brighter so that it feels airy, relaxing and cheerful all at the same time! 
Expect it to feel a little something like this (But don't hold me to any specifics, k? This plan is evolving as we speak!)...

Hello, pretty Michelle Armas print; thank you for being so colorful & fabulous and for being our jumping off point in this design plan.  Now as is true for most people decorating their homes out there, we can't just run out and buy all new furniture.  To stay on budget, we're going to use some of the existing pieces in the room and we'll be pulling furniture from other parts of the house too.
We'll keep the bed frame and use the shabby yellow chest of drawers.  Those chairs, we're bringing upstairs from the living room, and their burnt orange color is going to pop beautifully against our light and bright aqua walls.  The plan is to scour Craigslist for end tables and paint them a fantastic turquoise; we're still looking for lamps too but the black and white looks great with our design, don't you think?  The desk is quite similar to West Elm's parson series and I plan to put it on the wall where the yellow dresser is currently (see in the photo above).  It'll fill that space nicely and it'll be a great place for visitors to get some work done if necessary.
Of course we still need a desk chair, more art & accessories but I think we're off to a great start. The LA and Hermosa beach photos are a favorite of Liz and mine; I'll be sure to tell you more about the artist soon.  More photos, sources and links as this plan comes together...
I'm in shopping mode now and in the coming weeks/month I'll be heading back to Ohio for installation.  After pics coming then!

Current Obsession :: spindle furniture

Are you guys familiar with spindle furniture?  I'm a huge fan.  Always have been.  

Hello, spindley chair.  You're looking mighty pretty in that traditional living room.

It's been popular since the 17th century.  Some people think the style is a little too country or antiquey.  Not me though.  I just love it.   

Carved spindles put a traditional twist (literally) on everything from side tables to candlesticks.  But nowadays, you can certainly find a more modern spin on this classic furniture style.

You can imagine how excited I was when I came across this sweet little table at the PCC Flea Market recently.  AND I scored it for just $25!

Look at those pretty spindles!  Now of course, she could've gone home with any number of suitors at the flea market that day.  But, she ended up with me, people, and as such...even though I love her au naturel look, she was destined for color!

For those who don't like painted furniture, look away, my friends; look away...  I'm seriously into shades of blue these days and my first thought was to go with a bright turquoise.  That didn't happen though.   (I know...I know...these are greaaaaat photos.  Please just stop judging.  I promise I'll get better.  Someday.)

Safety Red meet Ms. Spindle. 

Again, here she is when we first brought her home.



And here she is all dolled up in Safety Red. (I spy another diy project in the dining room...  Now what to do with those windows???)

Pretty, don't you think?  I still need to try some other styling options and that may or may not be her permanent spot in the treehouse.  I like the way she turned out though; the red is bright and cheerful and makes me happy.  And I do like the blue & white pottery with it. Take a closer look...



Hello little hedgehog (too-cute-to-be) measuring cups from Anthropologie.  

What? Am I the only one who talks to her furniture and home decor accessories?  

So there you have it.  A quick diy project on a fab flea market find.  Many more of those to share with you soon.

Have a great weekend!