Merry Christmas!

It has really been a wonderful year. We are so grateful for God's many blessings. We say it all the time but it really is the truth- we have been blessed with the most wonderful families, friends, clients, vendors, and co-workers- thank you all!

While we are dreaming of a White Christmas... 

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas! May 2016 bring peace, health, and love to all.

Merry Christmas,

-Hillary & Ann

Luke 2:14
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

French Chateau

 This is a custom home just completed by Kingon Homes and Southern Showcase.  The house is just gorgeous! The owners knew what they wanted and we were able to give them their dream home.

This house boasts one of the very best views in Pelican Landing! The lot was a hidden gem. It was a tricky lot; the neighborhood required a certain amount of square feet and the position of the lot made a lot of people stay away from it. But the owners had a vision and the end result is nothing short of FABULOUS!

Hers

His

The house features separate His and Hers bathrooms. Hers has a beautiful slipper tub, marble topped vanity, and walk-in shower. His is complete with a walk-in shower and urinal!

The house features a great room, two studies, and a gorgeous white kitchen. The kitchen counter tops are soapstone which is a naturally antibacterial material.

Kingon Homes paid attention to every detail. I don't know who is more thrilled with the end results (us or the home owner)!

Updating My Mountain House

Just back from vacation and wanted to share some of the work we have been doing on our mountain house.

before

after...

The before shows a dated awkwardly positioned fireplace and a long narrow great room.  The fireplace was moved to open up the great room and to become a focal point in the room. It also creates a separate "room" for the desk.

We are always updating this house & I will share more projects from the Carolina's as we complete them!

-Ann

Away we go...

Ken & I have been having a wonderful vacation! Finding real inspiration in the bright colors of summer in the mountains. At Highland Lakes- our cabin was called the boathouse.  

A lot of canoeing , fishing, reading, relaxing and in the evening lots of some smores around the fire pit ...

Seasons restaurant just down the lane had gourmet meals second to none. Except maybe meals we cooked together with wine, we even put a little wine in some of the meals.

Queen of the Mountain! 1 1/2 hours up mountain and 45 minutes down!

Loving all the shades of blue and green....

Psalm 145:5 They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty— and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

Recent Project- Coastal Chic

We love this recently completed casually elegant coastal home! The transformation really speaks for itself.

Like many other homes built around the same time, the great room built-in needed an update. For the update, we used a beautiful gray glaze on the entertainment center cabinet. The mirror behind the shelves lightens and brightens the wall and room.

after.

before...

.

The kitchen was also ready for an update...

before...

after.

We were able to keep the footprint the same and still give a totally updated chic kitchen. We lowered the island to counter height, made a custom banquette, went to white cabinetry, added gorgeous and lux quartzite tops, and new stainless appliances.

great room- max. seating with comfy recliners & sofas

pool bath after.

before...

Using shades of taupe, gray, white, and blue the house was lightened and refreshed. The finishes selected are reminiscent of pearls, and oyster shells. The coastal blues and whites, coral specimens and the refined touches of luxury give this home the casual elegance the clients wanted.

The end result is definitely Coastal Chic!

The Neutral Color Palette

One of the most popular directions in interiors today is a neutral color palette. When well executed it is a sophisticated and chic look.  How do you give it interest and keep it from becoming too flat and sterile?

Mix patterns and textures. Try to visualize what the room would look like in a black & white photo- is it all the same color of gray- mix it up.

Use different but similar colors. Mix different grays with beiges. Add white and ivory to give it a pop.

Use both soft feminine elements and hard or masculine elements and organic and inorganic elements. Add side panels, pillows, and rugs to soften a more masculine space. Use metals with florals or coral specimens.

Add a little color in art & accessories. A neutral interior is a great background for a fabulous piece of art. A little touch of color in a throw pillow or rug can really make a statement in an otherwise neutral room. 

Added interest with padded headboard wall

Masculine and feminine elements

Mixing textures and finishes to create interest

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Subtle palette- interest added with textures- sparkle of glass backsplash
& metals

Greige study

In the Press- Living Inside Out

We all know the best thing about living in Southwest Florida is our wonderful climate and beautiful surroundings. We spend equal time inside and outside so we need to equally consider outdoor to indoor spaces when remodeling, building, and decorating our homes.

Click HERE to read an article featuring Southern Showcase and Kingon Homes all about bringing the outside in and the inside out.  Click HERE to see the entire magazine- our article is on page 41.

Enjoy!

Hillary & Ann

Video tour- from Old World to Casual Elegance

This is a house that had great architectural details, but was dated by the dark Old World faux finishes and heavy window treatments. Together with the home's new owners, we updated and refreshed the whole house. Mixing some of the clients antique pieces with newer pieces makes for a really charming and personalized interior.

The palette is very coastal with crisp creams and whites, spa blues, sea glass, and coral. The house has a casual elegance. It is very chic but also very inviting and comfortable. 

To see a video of the interior click HERE.

We hope you enjoy!

Ann & Hillary

The Finishing Touch!

Accessories are as important to a room as the furniture and the right finishes. Often clients are surprised that we suggest dedicating a good portion of budget to accessories but the right pieces can really make the difference between almost there and truly fabulous. The right accessories should help set the tone of the house and speak to the clients personalities. The items can be old treasures carried from home to home that we know from the beginning of a job that we are going use, or new pieces that speak to the house and the client. 

A great example of using accessories to personalize a space is in this study.  On this job, we took photos when the furniture was in but before we had the art hung and again when totally completed. In the before pictures, the room is nice but lacks personality.

 In the after pictures, using the owner’s collection of sports memorabilia we made an art wall and now you can really see who the owner is. It is now a room he can really enjoy spending time.

It is also not about quantity- less is often more. Often we will refresh clients homes by editing the accessories. Removing and simplifying accessories is a great way to update a look. Often one or two well chosen pieces can be all you need.  

Accessories truly are the key to a personalized, warm, and finished interior.

Watch for our upcoming blog on mastering the art/ photo wall!

- Hillary & Ann

In the press: Creating a Safe Place

Working with Kingon Homes, Southern Showcase just completed a whole house renovation on a house that had had Chinese drywall.  It was an involved process to return the house to a safe, healthy home. The owners also chose to use the time to remodel and update the home.  The end results are fabulous! The house is now healthy and in the process was transformed into a casually elegant and chic house made for entertaining. 

The project was featured in Your Home magazine. Click here to view/ download the article. Click here to see the whole magazine (the article is on page 15).

From Boring Bath to Soothing Spa!

BEFORE shot of the tub

Have you ever though about turning a boring bathroom into a beautiful spa?  This can be done with some attention to detail and a little space planning. You'd be surprised how much good space planning can make a bathroom grow!

We have included some before and after photos of a bathroom that needed some TLC and a little less togetherness for the husband and wife. You ladies know how we tend to own the entire counter top! Most husbands are patient, but they really love it when they get their private domain!  Giant tub decks can sometimes just be dust collectors and wet towel holders, and they take up soooo much room without providing paybacks.

So let's take a look at a recent project that transformed boring to beautiful!

If you love tub soaks, consider a slipper tub!

The oversized tub deck was removed and replaced by a sleek free standing slipper tub.  A stone and accent glass wainscoting was installed on two sides of the tub and on the floor under the tub.  This tied the new to the existing stone shower.  A glass wall was added between the shower and tub, keeping everything airy and light.  Glass shelves were inserted in front of the glass block, perfect for holding battery operated remote controlled candles...........soooo romantic! A small table sets next to the tub to hold soaps, towels and toilet articles.

BEFORE shot of the vanity

Even the yellow roses couldn't do anything to make this vanity beautiful and functional.  We replaced this with updated cabinetry in a pretty chiffon color, new granite tops in creamy colonial gold, faucets and light fixtures. 

AFTER shot of the vanity

The new vanity provides extra storage space as well as separate areas for him and her.  Notice the wood and tile frames that surround the mirrors.  The stylish new light fixtures are inserted in the mirrors.

All the little details transformed this so so master bath into a classy spa bath that is both functional and beautiful.

Watch for our next post,
Hillary and Ann