A New Season Begins

It’s the start of a new season in so many different ways over here at Foxside. A few weeks ago I left my full-time job, my husband changed jobs, my kid finished pre-k and, of course, the actual season shifted from spring to summer. I’ve always enjoyed the fresh-start feelings that change brings, and this season is no different. Plus, leaving my job means that I have more time to devote to the things that this newsletter is about: renovating/updating our old home, design, decorating and gardening.

I’m still dealing with the fallout from a serious back injury this time last year, so I’m taking it a bit easier than I would like, but I still have a pretty ambitious set of summer home projects I hope to tackle:

1. A closet makeover for our primary bedroom. This room is designed as a dressing room, and I’ve always referred to it as a closet full of closets. Quite honestly I just never really went through my clothes when we moved here and organized or set it up in any useful way, so it’s long past time to do that. Here’s what it looks like now (don’t judge me):

   It’s huge! It’s messy! And it’s not that useful for us, as you can see by the doors being opened into other doors and the piles of clothes laying around. I’ve seen some really nice inspiration images lately and I’m excited to have a closet that not only functions well but also looks pretty.

2. Paint the ceiling of my daughter’s bedroom. She requested that it look like the sky, so I’m going to do my best. Should be a fun project.

3. Paint the guest room. Colors and plan coming together but I’m still thinking about ochre.

4. Make the apartment in the barn into a functional office & guest space. It could be so cool, but there’s a lot of demo/cleaning out that has to happen first, so it’s a pretty big project. I remain optimistic I can get it done. Here are a couple inspiration photos I’ve been loving:

   

One thing I’d really love to do in there is a splatter painted floor, which were beautifully explained in this New York Times Style Magazine piece several years ago. The style is mostly seen in New England (particularly Massachusetts), and can be dated back to the mid 1800’s. I think they’re so pretty and practical and fun, but it’s a little odd to put them in a barn in New Jersey, so I’ll save them for the summer cottage by the sea that I’ll have… someday. What do you think? Do you like them? I feel like they might be kind of divisive.

A few other things I’ve been loving from around the internet lately:

Architectural Digest shared this incredible little Hugh Comstock cottage that Heidi Callier recently did and I think it’s my favorite of all her projects that I’ve seen. Carmel-by-the-Sea has such a specific feeling and she played with that seaside cottage and her own style in such a smart and fresh way.

Check out this incredible Sailor’s Valentine:

This is a pretty cool house to grow up in:

Just looking at this bedroom makes me feel calm. It’s from a Bernard Maybeck home that a couple restored in Santa Ynez, California. Check out the whole house at World of Interiors. It’s just perfect.

Ok that’s it for now. Back soon, hopefully with some closet progress!