Here's a fun little post to help get you through the weekend. It tackles a few of our favorite things around here, before and afters, Mark D. Sikes, and a little of the look for less! I hope you enjoy! In November 2016, shortly after Mark's book Beautiful hit the shelves, House Beautiful dropped their 120th Anniversary Issue. They titled it "50 new ways to do blue and white", so it was without surprise that they decided to pick one of Mark's most recent finished projects for the issue. It was also a nice anniversary for Mark and House Beautiful. Mark got his start with House Beautiful, his own home featured on the cover of their Winter 2012 issue, photographed by Amy Nuensinger, sparking a business partnership that is still strong today. His success, in part, is due to the exposure from that feature. Inside the November 2016 issue, there were a variety of rooms, all with a varied shades of blue. Then, 100 or so pages in, you are stopped mid-flip through by this: It was an explosion of blue, from nearly every hue of the color, literally: via Shortly after this HB issue was published, the Hamptons vacation home of NEST Fragrances founder, Laura Slatkin published in Out East, also using the same variety of blues. The cottage was decorated by brother-in-law Howard Slatkin, who had a beautiful book of his own, Fifth Avenue Style. All this to say, while it might seem like the colors don't work together, they really can. There were people who loved it, and others who didn't; but I wasn't sure which side of the fence I was on until I saw the before photos. Let's dive in, shall we? Second Floor Family Room Before Shop the look for less ... After. Mark swathed the walls in navy grasscloth, and used brass swing arm sconces to light the room just about the seating area. He outfitted the cushions of a large sectional in Peter Dunham fabric. Other block stamped fabrics were used, and I love the kantha quilt styled to break up the pattern on the seat under the window. Formal Living Room Before Shop the look for less ... After. Beautiful changes here. It's almost impossible to see this as the same room, right? That fireplace change made all the difference in the world. Floors were refinished throughout the house, going more blonde than the dark wood before. The Master Bedroom Before Shop the look for less ... After. Quite lovely. Some blue relief here, and I have to be honest - I love that. There's nothing better than going to bed, or waking up in a peaceful space - and this certainly exudes peace and relaxation. The Foyer Before Shop the look for less ... Major impact, largely in the wallpaper. The look for less chandelier isn't quite the same, finding one that looks like this one on a budget is not easy. If you're interested, the chandelier hanging in the foyer is from Visual Comfort, and retails for $2,649.00, here. The Dining Room Before The Dining Room Before (view 2) Shop the look for less ... Wow, right? I mean, I bet you'd never think that looking at the before you'd end up with this after. Mark removed the glass doors that had been placed between the two spaces and installed these portieres to soften up the space. The walls here are wallpapered in a lattice China Seas wallpaper by Quadrille, and the fireplace here was also changed out to match the one in the living room. Kitchen Before Shop the look for less ... After. The Kitchen really was updated primarily with paint. Mark switched out the counters for marble, changed faucets and lighting for wicker pendants, and updated the backsplash with marble subway tile. It's amazing what new paint and hardware can do, right? The Breakfast Room Shop the look for less ... After. This space had really lovely bones to start with - maybe the best on the first floor. That beautiful beamed ceiling and full glass surround really offered up some limitless possibilities. I love that Mark decided to wallpaper the ceiling and then matched the chandelier shades. Little details often make the biggest impact. It shouldn't go without mentioning that the house had a fair share of limits. The ceilings are low, except on the second floor where nearly every ceiling is vaulted. The doors and window rise to nearly the ceiling, making hanging curtains and window treatments a real chore. Here's a layout of the first floor: Not the best, I know. But it'll do for understanding the next photo. Remember the dining room area before? Mark made this area the dining room, and while you can't quite tell from the photos in the listing, this space is L-shaped allowing for it to do multi-duty / family dining area and informal living room. I've never been to the house, nor have I been able to find pictures that identify implicitly - but here's what I think happened. The long side of the L-shaped room There are two sets of french doors here, and if you pay close attention to the lights above the doors, you can see they match up to this after image: Shop the look for less ... After. What I think is that Mark had this case piece built to float between the two sets of french doors, diving the room up into dining room and family room. The floor plan would now look a bit like this: But that's not confirmed. I still thought that it was worthwhile to show y'all this beautiful before and after. For a house I was on the fence about, I can now fully appreciate the finished project - and the struggle it must have been to get it there. Limiting architecture is the bane of most interior designers, but Mark did all he could to make this home functional and beautiful. I'm sure the homeowners are quite proud to call it home. For more on Mark, be sure to pick up a copy of his book Beautiful. And I figured because I mentioned Howard Slatkin and his explosion of blue above, I'd link up his book, Fifth Avenue Style. And ... one more thing! I have been picking up coffee table books for a project that I'm working on and I had to share two that I bought purely for the coloring of the cover, but that have turned out to be remarkably beautiful and worth having. If you saw the movie, you already know how stunning the visuals of The Grand Budapest hotel were. It was a cinematic masterpiece, truly. This book has all of the beautiful interiors of the movie, costumes, stories and more. Plus, it's a great 10x9, so it is a good "top of the stack" sorta book. And then there is this MASSIVE volume of photos by photographer Lauren Greenfield. Published by Phaidon, the book has over 500 pages, and a shiny gold cover that makes it eye popping on a table. There is also a feature documentary of the same name that I HIGHLY recommend you watch. It's remarkable, thought provoking, a bit scary, and takes a good and honest look at the state of things without being at all political. The End ... Seriously ... this post was a lot longer than I had intended ... Have a great weekend! Go play!