Decorating Your Place In The Sun

I’m currently spending a few days with my best buddy from college. She has a lovely home on Fire Island and we’ve been having fun catching up and working on our tans. This gave me the idea to write a quick post about setting up your own little beach-going ensemble. Don’t forget to bring your guitar and your best friend.

Resources

• Tommy Bahama Beach Umbrella: Amazon.com $48.49
• Jantzen Beach Towel: Dillard’s $15.00
• LL Bean Beach Tote: LL Bean $17.95 – $30.95
• Coleman Cooler: Coleman $25.99
• Beach Chair: BeachStore.com $109.95

Balcones del Atl?°ntico

A new planned residential resort, Balcones del Atl?°ntico, is opening this summer in the Dominican Republic.

The homes and townhouses come furnished. Here’s a sneak peek at the interior designs by Patricia Reid Baquero.

Natural materials were used throughout. Spots of color come from the accessories and plants. I love the arrangement of plants and dishes set atop the hand-carved coffee table in the top-most photo. Not so great are the seashells on the oars. But the burst of blue is a hit with me.

I always like looking at beds for new ideas on how to dress them. I think I like the style on top the most. What do you think of the teal?

I’m a sucker for a beautiful beach sprinkled with palm trees.

Have you been the the Dominican Republic? And, who’s up for buying a beach house?

Before & After: Chum Bucket, part two

Did you read yesterday’s installment of my beach house transformation? If not, click here to get up to speed on the project.

Today, we’re taking a look at the bedrooms. There really isn’t a whole lot to say about the before photos, except, “Huh“? Maybe, “Egads” or “Eeek“?

We painted the entire house light blue using Sherwin Williams’ satin oil-based paint. Love the art on the easel thing! Fail. Toss.

We bought new blinds from Lowe’s. Cheap! The art in every room is from IKEA.

The house needed a king-sized bed to attract more renters. I chose IKEA’s Hemnes bed. We still need to change out the bedside chests. But I can’t decide whether to paint them or chuck them. Suggestions?

The chairs came from our basement. I had new cushions and pillows made. I know the plant is “eeeew.” But I’m cheap and can’t find any fake plants in my price range. Suggestions?

I love this mirror (from Lowe’s – cheap!). I hate those blinds. I’ll change them out to curtains next year.

See the other bedrooms and bath after the jump. Read More…

Before & After: Chum Bucket, part one

Often, when you buy a beach house, you don’t just buy the house. You get everything inside – whether you want it or not. This was the case when we purchased Chum Bucket a few years ago.

Over the next few days, I’ll show you the wonderful transformation of our rental home on Sunset Beach, NC.

Did we buy a cabin in the woods or a beach house? Did someone say, “dumpster“? Almost all the existing furniture went to Habitat for Humanity.

I started this project with a new space plan, and fresh “bones”.¬† New “wenge wood” floors (covered with an Olefin, “sisal” rug) and light blue satin paint let the sunshine in. The pillows on the sofa reflect the color palette – navy blue, turquoise, white and a touch of red.

Too bad I took this photo after taking down the “artwork” hung on the door. I moved the dining area to the right, so we could access the closet, and painted the door the same as the walls, so it blends in. The backs of the bookcases were painted blue to match the color scheme.

The new space plan allows for a main traffic path, seating for ten at the table, and storage.

A beach house should be light, breezy and fun. Not creepy, right? I harvested the sunlight by using reflective surfaces and using a satin paint finish. The painting is by Daniel Stewart.

More photos, info. and resources after the jump. Read More…

Back from the beach

Hello! We returned from North Carolina yesterday. It’s a long drive home, but well worth it. Chum Bucket is looking good – photos to come. Meanwhile, here’s a couple of photos I took on Sunset Beach (the little island we call our second home).

This beach is one of the best kept secrets in “Beach World”. A bird sanctuary keeps the beach front undeveloped and beautiful.

Even a cloudy day is wonderful in the Brunswick Islands.

I hope to post my “before and after” shots of Chum Bucket later today. I’ve just got to sort through all the piles of stuff that magically accumulates during a vacation. Wish me luck!