Linen at Home

Since this is a new blog, I thought it would be good to tell you a little bit about myself and how I like using linen at home. The best way to do this is to show you our home we just sold. We remodeled this Manhattan Beach house a few years ago and sold it a few months ago. (My husband works in the film business, so we are relocating to a city where he can work year-round instead of us always going on the road all the time. I can't wait for our next remodel!)

We loved this house but it wasn't always a pretty place. I will share a few "before" photos to give you an idea.

Kitchen "After"

Kitchen "Before"

We tore out the old kitchen and replaced it with a Kraft Maid cabintry. The counter tops are butcher block in a "salad bowl" finish which we really enjoyed. Some of the cabinets feature glass windows because we have Vietri dishes in the Sorbetto style and I just love the way they look, so I wanted to see them all the time! The cream sofa, in a cotton/linen slipcover, is Quatrine's Sevilla style. It is incredibly comfortable and already ten-years old. We wash the slipcover at least once a month (that's what happens with two young kids and two black dogs) and it still looks clean and feels wonderful. The throw pillows are Restoration Hardware. My favorite kitchen accessories are the Nigella Lawson storage containers to the left of the stove. If you have a blue kitchen, they are a must!

Living Room "Before"

Living Room "After"

This room is an extension of the kitchen. We painted the old fireplace and added a mantel. It's amazing how simple changes can have such a dramatic effect. The paint is by Benjamin Moore and called Harbor Haze (half strength).

Family Room "Before"

Family Room "After"

The family room just needed a little life added to it. We love dark, wood floors so we had 7" White Oak planks installed and then stained an Espresso color. Wainscoting dresses up any room and makes it feel a bit more special. I have noticed that loving linen means that I love other natural textures as well. For instance the wall paper is a grass cloth and the rug is seagrass. Again our cotton/linen furniture is from Quatrine and the navy, linen pillows are from Pottery Barn.

Nursery "Before"

Nursery "After"

In this room, we have linen window treatments by Erin Rothner of Bloom Design. They are an oyster linen with a blue edge that matches the crib set from Serena and Lily. I love how they soften the room and make it feel like a nursery. The bed is by Newport Cottages which I purchased along with the wonderful crib and changing table from Sprout. Although no longer in Manhattan Beach, the shop's talented owner, Andrika King, is still busy designing nurseries and has a wonderful blog titled Nursery Notations that I highly recommend reading.

Jack and Jill Bathroom "Before"

Jack and Jill Bathroom "After"

Backyard "Before"

Backyard "After"

No, we do not have a green thumb. We put in an environmentally friendly synthetic lawn that would not turn brown in the winter. Our dogs no longer tracked mud in the house and our daughter loved it! We also painted the back wall, added loads of tropical greenery and finished off the patio with furniture from Gloster.

That's it for the before/after photos. As you can see, I love linen furniture. But, if you worry about all the wrinkles, pillows are a wonderful way to go to add the feel but not become overwhelmed with upkeep. My next post will feature some wonderful linen pillows. Thanks for taking a peek at "my" house. Oh, and a final photo. This was on the gate by our front door. I love these signs and hope to purchase a new one if we ever move back to the beach. These signs are a fun treat at the Manhattan Beach Old Hometown Fair in the Fall. Enjoy!