Why is it that parties always end up in the K-I-T-C-H-E-N! Why is that life seems to always end up in the Kitchen? For me it's simple - that's where the food and the family (not necessarily in that order!) seems to end up! For years I have marveled at how, during a party, the women seem to start in the Kitchen, and the men move quickly (don't want to get stuck serving you know!) to the Family Room! Yet at the end of the night, when the crowd has dwindled, everyone ends up in the Kitchen! No wonder so many Kitchens are appointed so well. But it's more than that - the Kitchen really is the "nerve" center for the entire house. Not only is it where you store the food, and we all like food, it's where the meals are prepared, and a lot of life takes place. Breakfast before the kids run off to school; dinner when they come home; homework in the evening; and the calendar that keeps it all going. Let's face it, IT'S A PUBLIC SPACE! Most homes reflect that notion. Even when we remodel, everyone wants to update the Kitchen. There is no generic blueprint for producing an award winning space. Each one is individualized to the needs and whims of the family. Maybe that's why when we buy a pre-owned home the first thing that has to be re-done is the Kitchen. These facts are not lost on manufacturers of the "goodies" that go in your Kitchen! When I came into the business avocado green appliances were the rage. Then it was harvest gold. Now, you couldn't give away either of those colors - it has to be stainless steel. Trends change, but the functionality of the space doesn't. The family, and the parties always end up in the Kitchen! The debate has raged for years about which is better - gas or electric? The gourmets insist gas ranges control the heat more accurately. The efficiency minded would never put up with either the potential smell of gas, or it's potentially hazardous nature - they must have electric. Sometimes it the prestige of having the big Viking or Wolf range. Sometimes the client doesn't care. One of my clients busted the appliance budget he initially outlined because when it came time to order, he just couldn't stomach having GE labels throughout his Kitchen! So much of our work is very intentional, and extremely well thought out! All of it ends up being a pleasurable space in which to just hang-out!
I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Years! It always seems to go by too fast especially after all the hard work and preparations. As you know, we spent the holidays with Ben’s family – at his brother’s ranch in Chappell Hill, Texas. His wife Shannon is a wonderful decorator as is her mother. Her father is a portrait artist, so a good eye runs in the family. When Shannon and Kirk first bought the ranch, the house was nice enough, but after a few years, they completely renovated it from the floor to the ceilings – adding all new windows and extra footage. They put in a totally new kitchen, master bathroom, and a large mudroom, along with an office for Shannon and extra space in the living room. Shannon loves the rustic Texana Ranch look, along with a heavy influence from the south of the border, Mexico, – and a touch of French antiques. She loves bright colors and organized clutter. The change in their house was phenomenal. What was once a typical ranchburger became a showplace of casual sophistication. This year there were two new additions to the KW Ranch. One was the Casita, which started out as a small shed with an enclosed room and a garage to be born again as a two bedroom guest house that could be on the cover of any design magazine. The second addition was a new closet for Shannon. Now, it’s not just any closet – the space could be mistaken for a boutique. I might even say that many boutiques aren’t even as cute as her closet! It’s a dream – a fantasy of dazzling colors and textures, a monument to cowboy boots and designer purses, a jewelry store hidden among furs and Mexican dresses. The first time I walked into the “Closet” - my jaw dropped. I was stunned by it all: her collections of bracelets and bags and shoes was amazing. Where had it all been stored before this closet? The former closet was a very long, extremely narrow space that you had to turn sideways to walk to its end. It was impossible to find anything in and I didn’t blame Shannon for wanting a new closet. Now that it’s all complete, I can’t imagine how she managed all these years without it. So, without further ado….here is Shannon’s new closet. Enjoy!!! To enter the closet, you first pass this short hallway in the master bedroom. Past here is the master bathroom – which connects to the new closet. On this antique chest, Shannon keeps a collection of perfume bottles with sterling silver tops. Eagle eyes may remember this bathroom – I showed it on the blog after the first renovation. When you enter the bathroom – your eye is led out the casement windows to the side yard. The closet is through a door to the right of the tub – and to the left is Kirk’s side of the bathroom and the shower stall. The large bathroom is made up of two distinct areas – one feminine and one masculine. Upon entering the bathroom, Shannon’s sink is on the direct right. It’s a painted bowl inset into an antique bombe chest topped with an aged piece of marble. And to the immediate left of the door, across from the sink are these two cases that act as the bathroom’s closet. Looking back to the entrance to the bathroom. Of course, I took these during Christmas, so all the decorations are still up. This tree is silvery with turquoise accents that mimic the color of the bath’s turquoise ceiling. Here you can see where Kirk’s side connects to Shannon’s side. To the left of Shannon’s tub is Kirk’s side of the bathroom, with its wood vanity and two copper sinks. The shower stall is to its right. A close up of Kirk’s sink with its Mexican pottery accessories. The shower can fit several people or more in it. The floor tiles found throughout the house continue up the shower walls. They are mixed with colorful Mexican styled tiles. The towels are all monogrammed with the KW Ranch brand. Even though the ranch is in Texas A&M University country, the UT Longhorns are represented in the corner tiles. Here, you can see the vaulted ceiling with the warm turquoise paint. This large plaster relief hangs on the left side of Shannon’s tub. While a set of shelves are on the right. Outside the windows, Shannon placed this sculpture in the garden. Just to the right of the tub, this small vestibule leads to the closet. The double doors have carved glass knobs while the turquoise ceiling has a crystal chandelier. For the past several years, while planning the closet, Shannon has been collecting architectural elements for it. This is the first glimpse of the closet when you walk in. The ceiling is vaulted like the bathroom and is also painted turquoise. The floor tiles are the same found throughout the house. To the right behind the chair is the ceiling to floor shoe rack. Two gray painted chests back to back make up the island that separates the two sides of the closet. On the right, there is a vanity table. At the end of each aisle is a tall window. Hanging from the ceiling is a festive chandelier made up of different colored crystals. There are three hanging clothes bays – left, center, and right. The two chests are filled with jewelry, fine and costume. In front of the chests is a red leather bench. Two tapestry pillows rest against the chests. And resting on the bench is a tequila bar – by Jan Barboglio. Last summer Shannon and friends actually had a tequila party in her closet!! On the left side of the closet is her collection of cowboy boots. The boots reach from the floor to the ceiling. Amazing!!! Notice her beautiful turquoise concho belt hanging from the cowboy hat. On the left side of the closet, the chest has glass doors with red flower knobs. Baskets are lined up for storage on the left side. On top of the back to back chests are a collection of Catrina dolls from San Miguel, Mexico. These skeleton dolls are used in the Day of the Dead celebrations on November 1 –2, or as it is known here – All Saints Day. The skeleton image is very popular in Mexican art. Close of the Catrina pottery which fits in so well with Shannon’s rustic Texan/Mexican design theme. The mirror also depicts a Catrina doll. Notice the collection of vintage Louis Vuitton luggage on top of the clothing bay. Shannon collects the metal roses – here one is used in this green cross. Costume bracelets and turquoise are held in authentic Mexican clay dishes. Looking back towards the front from the left side. You can see the glass fronted chest and the turquoise painted mirror. Of course there’s a flat screen TV here! Close up of the mirror that perfectly matches the ceiling and the turquoise jewelry. The door to the right leads out to the bathroom. Quila, one of their five springers (and litter sister to our Georgie) is watching over her namesake – the tequila bar. Everything in the closet is perfectly organized. Even the shoes are organized by name brand. All her Tory Burch shoes are stored together. Of course if Quila is here, so is Lucy!!! While Shannon found the two back to back chests in a store, she had her carpenters make this chest. The red rose knobs match those on the chests. Her “better” purses are stored here – just like you would find in a boutique. Next to the built in chest is the right side aisle with its vanity. While the left side chest has glass front doors, the right side chest is left open for easy access. All her costume jewelry is stored in hot pink boxes she found at Target. The pink really pops with the turquoise and reds. Closeup of Shannon’s costume jewelry. She has more turquoise that anyone I have ever known! Every little piece is stored separately. Atop the right chest – more bracelets and necklaces. Notice the mirror and lamp. Donna Cummins, innkeeper of the Southern Rose Ranch bought the mirror for Shannon’s Christmas gift this year. It matches the closet so well! Look at those bracelets!!!! Shannon NEVER EVER throws anything away. She’s been accumulating this collection for 30 years now – she just turned 50. Turquoise and white ring tray. I’ll take this home, thank you very much!!! A close up look of her beaded necklaces and more bracelets. Across from the center chests is the vanity desk flanked by crystal sconces. More purses hang from hooks placed throughout the closet. Atop this bay is her collection of LL Bean bags. Whenever we go to the beach together, we have so many of these bags – thanks to her gifting us a different bag each Christmas. Once we counted them and between us we had over 20 LL Bean bags that all said Webb. I hope you enjoyed visiting Shannon’s Boutique, I mean, her closet! When we decided to take pictures, her friend, Tikaa Cone, helped clean it up to get it ready for the photoshoot. Tikaa is from nearby Brenham and writes a cute blog called Green Acres HERE. Tikaa told me I should come photograph her closet too. So, the next day, we drove to her house to check it out. Tikaa also totally outgrew her small closet a few years ago, but she had no room to built a new space. Instead she took the needed space from her bedroom. She created an entirely new closet by moving the wall several feet out into her bedroom. Her bedroom is still quite spacious, so it must have been huge before the new closet was built. Tikaa and Shannon are very similar, with similar tastes. They are both “organized hoarders” as they call themselves. Nothing gets thrown away. I am the opposite. If I haven’t worn it in two seasons – it’s gone. Here is her closet – it’s long and narrow. She is very girly girly – so she painted it a warm pink. The left wall is all hanging space, while the right wall is all open shelving to house her purses, shoes and jewelry collections. Instead of shoes, the vinyl sections hold all her bracelets. Whoa. I really need some new bracelets! I don’t have hardly any and these two girls have thousands of them. On the ceiling she put in a contemporary light fixture. Like Shannon, Tikaa’s closet is very organized. Jewelry boxes and trays and baskets hold her different pieces. She owns more Louis Vuitton purses than anyone I know. I should have taken one or two – she would never have missed them! (Another thing I need – I don’t own even one!!!) Baskets neatly hold her shoes separated by brand. Here are her Bernardo sandals. (Another thing I need!) This is her silver sparkly sandal collection. And, like Shannon, she has a large Tory Burch collection. (OK, I see a theme here – another thing I don’t have one of!!! I am SOOO deprived!) Her purses are organized by style – here are her straw bags. And, at the end of the closet is a small chest where she rests her Ipad. Notice her Catrina head on her mirror, just like Shannon. YES! I don’t have a Catrina head anywhere either!!!! My closet is such a disaster. Seeing these two closets made me want to redo mine. I want a chandelier and seagrass carpet in mine. I would love to have those Ikea closets with the doors that close up and keep your things dust free. But just the thought of emptying out my closet and starting over makes me rethink that proposal. Plus, I am not like Shannon or Tikaa. I don’t like to hoard, I like to purge and replace!! Ok – here is my disaster of a closet! Clothes really aren’t my thing. I’ve said this before, but in the summer I wear white linen and in the winter I wear black wool. That’s pretty much it. Here you can see my white linen shirts with just two or three colored ones thrown in. Even my everyday sweats are color coordinated – white for the summer and black for the winter. So boring! The only color or pattern I wear is with my scarves and wraps. It’s funny how fashion changes. I used to wear a bandana around my neck – every day. Then, I went through a phase where I wore a vest – every day. For a few years I wore either red or blue and white striped tees with white shorts in the summer. I don’t wear shorts anymore – ever. Another phase I went through was Talbot’s Irish linen suits – in all different colors and cuts. Today, I mostly shop online only and wear Eileen Fisher. Clothes just aren’t my thing – which is why I probably don’t really care what my closet looks like – though Shannon is determined to help me redecorate mine. We’ll see!! A special thanks to Shannon and Tikaa for sharing their closets today. Be sure to visit Tikaa’s blog HERE to read about this Catrina gourd that was hand painted by a friend of Shannon’s for her Christmas this year! It’s a really interesting story. Next up is the story of the Casita renovation. It’s so cute – I can’t wait to show you it!!!! Again, a Happy and Healthy New Years to All!
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Turn a closet/pantry into a book nook
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