design crush: outdoor serving counters

We've been spending some time at the pool the past few weeks and just completed 'Parent & Tot' swimming lessons. It was so fun to see baby Alexander loving the water so much. I grew up with a pool and would love to be able to have one again someday. In my daydreams, we also have an outdoor serving counter so little wet feet don't need to go running through the house to get a snack. Plus it's easy to replenish food and drinks and clear dirty dishes for an adult outdoor party. Here are some amazing spaces that I'm crushing on this week!

This is the perfect spot for the kids (or adults) to take a break for lunch.
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You don't need a lot of space for an outdoor serving counter. This ledge offers just enough room to grab a snack and a cold drink before heading back down to the beach.
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Instead of traditional windows, this giant red window panel creates an impact and conversation piece. I know The Hubby would feel at home in this space, complete with an outdoor mounted TV!
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You don't need to have a pool to make use of an outdoor counter and pass through window. This serving counter and cozy outdoor fireplace would be perfect in a mountain retreat.
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This space was just too interesting not to include. I bet some fun parties happen at this pool!
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If you have the space, why not extend the window beyond the countertop, creating a giant indoor/outdoor space?
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Can you say dream home?!
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Hey, if we're dreaming, take a look at this space! The kitchen flows into the patio area seamlessly, and the serving counter even extends into a mini outdoor kitchen with sink. If your climate and budget allows for it, this space sure makes an impact and would be fantastic for entertaining!
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I hope you enjoyed daydreaming with me. If I can't live in one of these spaces myself, hopefully I can use this inspiration to help create the perfect indoor/outdoor entertaining space for a client!

our home: master bedroom

The master bedroom is an owner's retreat. A place to decompress and forget about the worries of the day. But for many homeowners, including myself, the master bedroom is the very last room to get an update. It's so easy to focus on the public places of the home and forget about the importance of creating a relaxing space for yourself. 

Some part of my pregnant brain must have known we'd be getting a colicky baby, because I started making updates before our little one arrived. Of course the updating stopped shortly after, but once he grew out of his colic I made a point to finish our master bedroom. Here's a look at the before and after and some of the easy updates we made.

It took some time, but I created a space where we can't wait to retreat at the end of the day.

We painted the walls, accessorized, made a headboard, refinished the dressers, updated the linens and pillows, and finally bought a new, king-size mattress. The mattress came a few days after I started 'morning (all-day) sickness' and became my haven for the next 16 weeks. 

The old space wasn't bad, just heavy. The last thing you want at the end of a long day is for your bedroom to inhibit relaxation.

Be strategic while accessorizing. It's all about editing and clearing clutter. Most likely you can make use of items you already own.

Take a close look at the 'before' picture and you can see this dresser was a dark, cherry-brown stain. This and its taller 'brother' on the other side of the room, were passed down from my great grandmother. Sometimes the items you have fit the quality but not the aesthetic you want. A coat of paint and new hardware can often do the trick and allow you to hold on to a sentimental piece!

Fluffy pillows always make a bed more welcoming.

We're fortunate to have 'his' and 'hers' closets, along with a beautiful window with space for our newly reupholstered storage trunk.

our home: dining room

We absolutely love our home in Congress Park. It's perfect for our family right now and we've done a lot to make it our own. That said, we've been toying around with the idea of putting our home on the market lately. It's a seller's market and we're not sure how long that will last. Whatever we decide, I thought it was a good time to document it.

Here's a peek at our dining room, before and after. It took two tries to get the paint color right, but I'm so happy with the final color. It gave us a neutral backdrop for both the dining room and living room. The chandelier was a gift from the hubby for my birthday after we moved in - he knows me well! We also added new window treatments and accessorized the table. The actual table and chairs were purchased from a friend when we got married. They've served us well, but I'm just itching for an update. We'll wait to do that until we have a bigger dining room. For now, this space is perfect for our little family of three, plus a few guests!

Isn't it amazing what a little paint, updated lighting, and window treatments can do?

The dining room is the center of our living area and flows into the kitchen. The bar counter gets lots of use and helps define the spaces.

The dining room connects to the living room as well, allowing for circulation and easy entertaining in our small home. I've used the sofa to help define these spaces.

Of course my favorite feature is our sparkly chandelier!

Surprisingly, our dining room does get a lot of use - especially now that our little one is eating solid foods. I hope you enjoyed this peek at our dining room, I'll be sharing more rooms of our home soon!