Living Large in Under 1000′

April 27, 2017June 12, 2017 ~ kristenmbritt ~ 2 Comments

ANOTHER LOOK AT WHAT MINIMALISM DECOR LOOKS LIKE

Converted warehouses and commercial buildings are another type of building where a minimal decor works very well. These structures are loaded with architectural details and have an abundance of light from oversize windows. The developers of these conversions do all they can to preserve as many of the original finishes as possible. What is appealing to so many, however, can be daunting when thinking about creating a comfortable lifestyle….even for the most seasoned minimalist. Designers, like me, love the possibilities!

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Living Large in Under 2000′

April 26, 2017June 22, 2017 ~ laurelbledsoe ~ 2 Comments

ANOTHER LOOK AT WHAT A MINIMALISM DECOR LOOKS LIKE

Continuing with another example of how minimalism in decor looks and functions, is a 1751′ condo that started out as a basic builder grade, new build. Not unlike other areas in the country, communities are emerging everywhere that offer limited floorpans and selections. If you view the concept of having “less” as minimalism, these homes qualify because they really have “nothing” in terms of architectural features. Wasn’t that one of our must haves for making minimalism work? Yes it was.

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Never Ask A Gal Her Age

April 13, 2017June 12, 2017 ~ laurelbledsoe ~ 10 Comments

THIS IS WHAT TIMELESS ARCHITECTURE AND DECOR LOOKS LIKE

You know where these houses gather. You know the kind of neighborhoods we are talking about. Tree lined streets artistically lit at dawn and dusk, mature and manicured lawns that fill the air with new grass aroma. Homes with flagstone walkways and entries with just the right amount of moss. Dogwoods and azaleas so perfect in the spring they look like paintings. These are the neighborhoods of more than one generation. These are the homes we want to peak inside.

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Pass the Cream Please

March 30, 2017June 12, 2017 ~ laurelbledsoe ~ 1 Comment

A BETTER WAY TO USE A WIRE SHELVED PANTRY

There is one constant item in ALL Florida vacation homes that isn’t very attractive or user friendly. It’s that coated white shelving! Every builder uses it. I know this is why places like Lowe’s and Home Depot stay in business. IT IS UGLY. In Florida after about one week, it get’s a sticky residue that is like pulling gum off your shoe for anything sitting on it. In other climates it gets “hairy”. So what does this have to do with cream…..

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Old Guys and Online Shopping Rule

March 18, 2017June 12, 2017 ~ laurelbledsoe ~ 4 Comments

When you get to be, say in your mid fifties, you start to think about the rest of your life. Not in a morbid way, that it’s more over than not, but in a way that perhaps you could make some changes. We start to evaluate the decisions we’ve made up until now. Do we have a career we like, do we want to keep doing this or consider a change. Have we planned for the next steps in our lives, whatever they will be. Are our kids starting to need us less and are we happy about that. How big of a home do we need? None of these questions have the same answers for everyone nor are they clear cut. So many of us postpone the decisions until…say about our mid sixties. Then we panic and think we have to do something fast! Part of this comes from the national push to “downsize”. To many the idea of downsizing is not only overwhelming, but somewhat depressing. We don’t want to go “down”! Choosing to make a change in your home can be fun and very liberating. Lets look at one inspiring example.

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We Saw an Opening

March 11, 2017June 12, 2017 ~ kristenmbritt ~ 2 Comments

New Opening from Kitchen to Dining Room

Recently we had an opportunity to assist our client in updating her family home and making it a bit more “her own”. By that she meant she wanted to stay in the neighborhood she enjoyed, appreciate many of the wonderful amenities of her home and tweak the things that could work better for her role as grandmother of two precious girls.

As in most of our homes, the kitchen is always the anchor. The place where we cram in as many people as we can no matter the occasion. In this home the kitchen was indeed centrally located yet closed off to some of the larger rooms that were just calling out to be part of the action. Thanks to our client for allowing us to share a small part of her welcoming home. Please enjoy a few of the before and after shots.

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Florida Mississippi Style

March 4, 2017March 8, 2017 ~ laurelbledsoe ~ 6 Comments

In Memory of Janet Garrison

Boomers…there are a lot of us. We are buying and renovating homes at a record pace. Moving from our cherished homes we’ve raised our families in onto a new adventure in our lives. The overused, general term is called “downsizing”. In reality what we are doing is upsizing . These new structures have to live large. Quality and function will be equally planned. We are incorporating all the most important things in our life and looking forward to every aspect of living better in a smaller place.

Designers, fortunately, have opportunities to work with a large number of clients preparing to upsize the quality of their next homes. These projects are always exciting. It is rewarding when we get to be part of creating designs filled with so many memories.

Enjoy this amazing collection of Mississippi antiques, arts and furnishings in a recent Florida renovation. To our client we say Thank You for sharing your home with us!

(viewing tip…Black and White Photos do not open individually. Turn on your computer volume while watching slide show.)

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Photos by Al Larson

Final Tweak

Our client ventured out on his own to update the entry to this beautiful property. First photo is from a text he sent me to ask my opinion.

Next two photos show some simple balancing to scale we did in about 15 minutes via text. It’s now so easy to have your own personal designer on call no matter how far apart you are. (this is a shameless plug for using a designer-inquire with us!)

“Upsizing” Full Design Services Available thru

Laurel Bledsoe Design

http://laurelbledsoedesign.com/

We welcome the opportunity to speak with you about your next move or about styling the home you love!

Peas in a Pod

March 2, 2017June 12, 2017 ~ laurelbledsoe

Kristen and I are part of a tremendous team that we have the opportunity to work with on a regular basis. Our teams, both in Venice, Fl and in Louisville, KY consist of progressive realtors, innovative trades people and quality resources. Recently, we participated in a round table discussion on how our team works together to provide our clients a complete service when they are considering the sale or purchase of a home. Grab your favorite beverage, turn up the sound on your device and tune in. We are very happy to be a part of such wonderful teams!

Podcast with Eric Seltz

http://ericjseltz.com/

Lenihan Sotheby’s International Realty

Louisville, KY

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Here are some quick before and after photos of a project we collaborated on. What a pleasure our client is to work with. She lovingly updated her parents home, top to bottom, to make it her own and ready for the next generation.

Kitchen Before

What a fantastic room full of memories!