Beach House Tour!

I am finally putting the finishing touches on my mother's Beach House in Galveston, TX.

I offered to help her decorate as a way to get experience and have something to add to my portfolio.

It has been a lot of fun and I'm so glad I did it.

A few things I would like to note before I show the pictures.

1. My mom and I have very different taste sometimes. She is Colonial American/Traditional all the way and I'm more of the French/Hollywood Regency mindset

2. This was not an unlimited budget project. Therefore I did things like use all paint instead of any wallpaper, recover/repaint/re-purpose existing pieces in the house

3. My digital camera is mediocre at best, so I hope you can get a feel for the house without the benefit of professional photography.

Here are the real images that inspired my work:

I pulled these so long ago and I have NO CLUE where they're from.

If they're yours, please claim them!

So, here goes!

The Living Room

We recovered the formerly denim (yes, DENIM) couch in a tan linen and added chocolate linen pillows with blue tropical frond prints. I added a greek key rug from Frontage, a leather club chair and ottoman from High Fashion Home, rocking chair cushions from Ballard Designs, two lamps from TJMaxx/Home Goods, and an Industrial TV stand on casters from High Fashion. The rocking chairs still need to be painted black.

Editor's Note: This is where my mom and I differed in opinion. I would have tossed the rocking chairs in favor of faux bamboo armchairs. We compromised by agreeing to paint them black and add patterned cushions. I also would have traded the wood coffee table for a more industrial looking one.

These shelves and the fireplace will be painted a gloss white in the near future.

The Dining Room

I added a bar tray and vintage pieces, a wooden sculpture from West Elm, and an Industrial console from Home Decorators.

Editor's Note: Mom chose the lamp, I probably would have gone a different way.

The Guest Room

We added a turquoise dresser from a store in Rice Village & bedding from West Elm.

I chose the beachy paisley pattern as a fun, but calming pattern.

Editor's Note: All the lamps in the Guest Room still need to be replaced, along with the bedside tables. Eventually, I will try to talk mom into a tufted headboard for this room.

The Bunk Room

I added trellis style bedding from Wal-Mart & The Company Store (thanks to Kyle of Knight Moves for the recommedation!) a painting from High Fashion home, and a pink/orange cane print tray from World Market.

Editor's Note: Because this is a beach house, I probably wouldn't have used the mahogany dressing table. However, it's what we had, and I think we made it pretty cute. The white chair has orange piping.

The Master Bedroom

This was my favorite room to decorate

It's very calming, a little hollywood regency, a little french industrial, and really fun!

We repainted a formerly red dresser a gloss black and added gold knobs, recovered an armchair in a brown and white stripe, added a mirrored side table, an industrial chair to the desk, a bed and foot bench from Restoration Hardware, painted wicker night stands white, added pineapple lamps from TJMaxx/Home Goods, and pillows from Woody Liana on Etsy

Editors Note: I probably wouldn't have chosen carpet, but that's what mom wanted. Also, she wanted to add plantation shutters right away, while I would probably have spent the money painting the kitchen cabinets, putting in grey marble counters and stainless appliances.

If I took anything from this experience, it was learning how to marry your taste with your clients, even if it's VERY different. You achieve the best look possible so that it appeals to their style, but leaves your touch.