Powder Room Mural Sneak Peak.

I spent all weekend painting away in the powder room at the house. Leaf after leaf after..well, you guessed it. Leaf. But it's almost done and the mural-induced happy dances that ensue after I catch a glimpse of it from the kitchen make the long hours so worth it.

The fixtures are being installed tomorrow, and trim today hopefully, so I'm doing everything in my power to have this baby styled and mural completed to share with you soon! Get excited!

My inspiration for the mural is the beautiful (and insanely expensive) Gracie paper.

via Pinterest

Oh how I would love to have the real deal plastered to these walls, or any walls for that matter, but for now the closest I can get to said perfection is a hand painted mural done by moi. Think Gracie a la Heidi. And the more I stare at the completed walls (seriously every time I close my eyes I see white on green branches as this motif is temporarily burned into my retinas) I feel it's a mix between the beloved Gracie and this playful HB half bath:

via Pinterest

So what are your thoughts?

Ever done a large scale mural like this before?

Or are you one of the lucky ones with the real Gracie covering your walls?

Ever used it for a client project? Also a dream of mine!

Making Moves.

Can we just talk about how exciting (and busy!!) the past two days have been?

Here's a visual list of all the things getting done over at the house. A design whirlwind of sorts:

Painted my campaign desk high gloss army green

Floors are being installed as we speak and are looking fabulous-looks like a house again!

Chose moldings/ trim for the entire house

Decided on a finish for the kitchen counter tops: Bianco Carrara Quartz it is

Found the perfect office rug last night on Craigslist-

Picked it up today and couldn't be happier

I'm really starting to see a light (a gorgeous light, of course) at the end of the tunnel and am feeling giddy as a little girl on Christmas morning just thinking about actually moving into the house!

Pretty soon and it's go time with the fun stuff. I'm talking furniture, rugs, window treatments, and of course styling! Off to do a happy dance.

Antiqued Mirror.

Hi Lovelies. Today I've got antiqued mirror on my mind. I'm considering including the finish in either the master bedroom or the master bath at the house. Something about it is so peaceful and romantic, perfect for these two areas in a home. Here are a few of my antique mirror favorites.

My only concern is that it will make the spaces look too feminine, like some of the above spaces. The overall feel of the house is collected, with a mesh of classic and ethic pieces and accessories. I don't want the bedroom or bathroom to have a completely different feel or to seem too glamorous/ frou-frou against the rest of the home.

I'm drawn to the paneled doors above. They add a hint of glam but still seem classic due to the large white borders. I think I like that they don't steal the show but still seem purposeful and add visual interest. They seem like they were meant to be there, not just an after thought (something that separates great design from so-so design).

Celerie Kemble's bedroom makes me believe it's possible to incorporate the finish and maintain a warm and collected feel. I've already purchased an ethnic rug for the space and need to make sure it all works together. I love her use of color and the quirky shaped canopy on her bed. Leave it to Celerie to nail it every time.

Any ideas where or how to include it based on my restrictions?

All images via My Pinterest

The Difference A Day Can Make: The Staircase.

Remember yesterday when my stairway looked like this?

Those days are gone! My paper hangers are my new favorite ladies, thanks to the grasscloth they installed that completed transformed the space. I couldn't even wait three minutes after they left to get two coats of white paint on the wood paneling. The difference is drastic and beautiful!

Today I'm off to get new treads for the stairs, more paint, and a fresh piece of wood to cap off the small wood paneled ledge.

Here are the front runners for stair color combinations: medium blue with a deeper blue stripe, hunter green with a kelly green stripe, or navy blue with a medium gray stripe. I want to keep the paint dark so it doesn't show dirt or scuffs. The stripe (similar to this) will add visual interest and inject a bit of energy into what could become a dark corner of the house.

Isn't it just amazing what paper and fresh paint alone can do!

Email me at heidi.atlsdesign@gmail.com if you want help making some easy changes in your home that will make a big difference! I'd love to work with you to create the home of your dreams.

Staircase Inspiration.

In honor of Halloween, I thought I'd share a creepy corner of the house...

This is the stairway down to the basement and it's one of the first things you see when you enter through the garage. No joke, it looks like something out of a scary movie. Luckily it won't look like this for much longer.

It is being papered in this (see more grass cloth here)...

And then I want to install new treads

and paint paint paint until they look a little more like this...

or this...

or this.

And to top it off, I've decided this is going to be one big gallery wall/ stairway. My plan is to display travel pictures from all of our adventures and let the gallery grow over the years, the more exotic it becomes, the better! Love what's happening on this staircase.

Slightly ambitious given the current state of the stairs, but why not dream big if I'm going to be dreaming, right? And fresh paint cures a world of worries so I should have those stairs looking much better in no time. I'll keep you updated on the progress.

Until then, do you have any fun/inexpensive ideas for hopeless stairs? I'd love to hear! I'm kind of desperate!

On The Subject Of Wallpaper: Grass Cloth.

I'm using a lot of wallpaper at the house. Read: more rooms are being papered than painted. It's not loud, in your face paper, but it's paper none the less. And I've had many odd looks from workers and friends alike when I explain the decor plan of the house.

I get it. Most people not immersed in the world of design hear wallpaper and go running with nightmare-ish flashbacks of bad 90's paisley avec border or grandma's floral from who knows when. I'm not saying all wallpaper is created equal, certainly not. And much of the paper you find at big box stores is plain B.A.D. But don't hate it all! Some options are down right beautiful.

One of my favorite types of paper is grasscloth. I'm using grasscloth in the master bath, walk-in closet, and back hallway and I'm very excited with the results so far (it's being hung while we speak). I love grasscloth because it reads as a solid but has more depth than paint. It's a really nice backdrop for art work and textiles alike, and it has a way of making a room feel a bit more expensive.

Here are a few of my favorite spaces with grasscloth. You don't know how hard it was to edit this collection down.

Images via My Pinterest

A quick shout out to the lovely bloggers Bryn (glasscloth is even the background of her blog!!) and Bri for including grasscloth in their powder room and closet respectively (included above)! Well done ladies, well done!

Obviously I'm in love. What about you?

Do you like the look of grasscloth? Or does paper terrify you?

Would you be more open to it in your own home after seeing some of these beauties?

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

Like I said yesterday, the new-to-me house is actually quite old and certainly dilapidated. And while I saw the potential in the house since Day One, I first and foremost fell in love with the property the house sits on. The land surrounds it like a cozy, green ca coon and creates such a magical feel on the property. Here's a little of what I'm working with...

Some of the good...

Outside every window are the most lush greens you've ever seen

Gorgeous old river stone pavers

The bad...

Can you say Pepto-Bismol?

And The Ugly.

While I'm fully aware a complete renovation before moving in isn't for everyone and neither is the abundance of nature, the place stole my heart, and well, the rest is history.

Has anyone else taken on a similar project? Anything you learned along the way? I'd love to hear!!

Keys Please.

The good news I've been dying to share with everyone is that....

I finally got the keys...

to this place!

I bought my first house (yay!!) which is exciting enough. But even more thrilling for me - it's a fixer-upper and needs lots of love. So while this house is not exactly move-in ready, it's my project for the summer (hopefully just the Summer) and I can't wait to share all the progress and fun details along the way here on ATLS.

Befores to come soon! Get excited :)