Lakehouse Home Tour: My Bathroom

 

Welcome to the first installment of the DKU Lakehouse Home Tour!  I'm really excited to finally start posting some of the rooms in our home.  If you want to read a little bit about our move, click here.  I'm starting the tour with my bathroom.  See end of post for a complete source list.

 

My bathroom was one of the first rooms that I finished during the design process.  I'm not sure why, but all of the finishes came together very easily.  It started with the cabinets - I fell in love with the Battleship Grey color right away.  I also knew that I wanted a light tile and saw the Florentine Collection on display at my Daltile showroom and immediately liked it.  The Carrera colorway in the Florentine Collection is a porcelain tile with the visual of marble.  I'm not normally a fan of anything trying to look like something it's not, but I made an exception for my bathroom.  The cost was right, the maintenance is easy, and I really do like how it looks.  Of course, I can't say anything will ever look exactly like the real thing (and maybe that's a good thing), but in this case, I'm OK with it.  I did use real marble mosaics as an accent, and I am very happy with how the two products look together.

 

 

The best part about this vanity, is that when I am standing at it and have the door to my bedroom  open, I can see the lake.  Bonus.

 

 

I selected the same Kohler sink I used in my condo.  I really like the rectangular shape. 

 

 

 

The faucet is another favorite.  On the day we selected most of our plumbing fixtures, we walked into the showroom, and the Kohler Pinstripe Pure was the very first thing I noticed.  It was love at first sight.  This faucet is gorgeous!  I used the lever handles in my bathroom, but it is also sold with cross handles, and I used those in the powder room.

I'm in love with this slab of granite.  The name is 'Fantasy Brown' which is a little deceiving because there really is a lot of grey coloring.  In person, it's actually not as warm toned as it looks here in the photos. 

The slab is a remnant found at one of our local fabricators (Duca Tile & Stone in Holland, MI.  If you are local, Duca is the best!).  We were able to find remnants for 5 of the bathrooms at the Lakehouse, plus the laundry room, for a fraction of the cost of selecting an entire slab.  You may have to go back a few times and keep checking the remnant section, but it is certainly worth is.  

Do you like flowers in the bathroom as much as I do?  It might seem like an odd spot, but it's a spot I'm sure to see several times a day.  Might as well be pretty!

 

Here's a close up of the marble mosaic I used as an accent.  I used it as a border in the main bathroom and shower floor, and as the vertical surface on the back of the shower niches.

 

 

My shower and toilet are in a room with a separate door off of the bathroom.  We tried to create a lot of flexibility in the floor plan at the Lakehouse and keep in mind what the use might be for future generations.  So, even though it's just me right now, in the future someone could use the shower with the door shut, and someone else could be using the sink.

 

 

The wall sconce is so simple, and maybe the least expensive fixture in the entire house, but I am really happy with the look and I think it compliments the bathroom design.

 

 

 

 

SOURCE LIST:

- Cabinets:  Omega Cabinetry.  Door style is 'Renner' and color is 'Battleship Grey'

- Tile: Daltile; Florentine Series; color: Carrara

- Marble Mosaic Tile:  Marble Systems; Skyline Polished 3" x 5/8" Mosaic; 12x12 sheet

- Sink:  Kohler Ladena Undermount Sink

- Faucet:  Kohler Pinstripe Pure Widespread

- Shower Fixtures:  Kohler Forte

- Granite: Fantasy Brown

- Wall Paint Color:  Benjamin Moore; La Paloma Gray 1551

- Toilet: Toto; Drake

- Wall Sconces:  Steven & Chris; Gramercy Collection Wall Sconce

- Cabinet hardware:  Purchased from Modern Hardware in Grand Rapids, MI; I do not have the style name.

 

I've linked this post to:

- Best of the Nest Party with Lisa @ Shine Your Light

- Fall into Fall Party

- A Stroll Thru Life - Inspire Me Tuesday

 

A Tour Through Blogland

 

Last week I was invited by Darnetha of ChippaSunshine to participate in a blog hop called A Tour Through Blogland.  Darnetha is a mom to three and loves living a simple life and enjoying the beauty in everyday.  On her blog you will find her sharing DIY projects and updates to her home.  Another reason I like Darnetha - Michigan is her home state!  I also enjoy following along with Darnetha on Instagram.

 

So, here's how this blog hop works:  I answer a few questions about myself and then share one of my favorite bloggers, who will do this same thing next week on her blog.

 

 

WHAT AM I WORKING ON?

 

Oh gosh.  I feel like I am working on a million different projects at any given time (even if some of them are just ideas stuck in my head).  I can never stop accumulating projects, or project ideas.  Right now, most of my projects revolve around our new house.  My Dad, sister, and I built a house on Lake Michigan and moved in in December (read about that here). After a year of planning the design and interiors for the house, I'm now working on decorating and all of the finishing touches.  I think I am finally ready to start sharing some of the rooms on the blog!

 

WHY DO I CREATE / WRITE WHAT I DO?

 

I started my blog five years ago.  After discovering home décor, interior design, and craft blogs, I thought it would be really fun to start my own blog and I looked at it as another creative outlet.  I had purchased my first DSLR camera in 2007, and thought the blog would be a good way to post some of the photos I was taking.  Blogging, for me, really marries a whole bunch of things that I enjoy.  "Meeting" so many wonderful woman all around the world through my blog has been a really nice benefit as well.  It's so fun to connect with other woman who share the same passions as you do.

 

HOW DOES MY WRITING / CREATIVE PROCESS WORK?

 

Not sure that I have an exact process!  Like I said above, I usually have a million thoughts running through my head.  If it's something I'm cooking, that I want to post on the blog, that's usually a pretty easy process.  I just cook as normal, but photograph along that way.  If it's a DIY or décor project, that usually involves much more time.  Sometimes it takes me weeks to do a post, from start to finish!  I have a notebook where I jot down post ideas, or projects that I want to tackle.  Right now I have three posts in the works, but that hardest part for me is setting aside the time to work on the post!  I recently made a goal to commit more time to my blog and get serious about it again after taking a break last year. 

 



 

OK, enough about me - I'd like to introduce you to Laureen, from Chateau Deveau.  Laureen is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet (Even though I haven't met her in person, I know it's true!).  She blogs about her life with her adorable family - she is mom to adorable little Tyson, and has a little girl on the way.  Laureen is also one of my favorite Instagram friends.  Here's Laureen:

 

 

I'm Laureen and I blog at Chateau Deveau; along with the Mr., the Little and Homegirl on-the-way (due to arrive in October), it's our own little reality blog. 

I'm a working wife and mother who enjoys all things blogging, cooking, photography, making our house a home and especially enjoying the weekends with my family. 

 

Thanks for joining me on this blog hop, Laureen.  And thanks to Darnetha for asking me to participate.  Hope you all enjoy the Labor Day Holiday!





Weekend Kitchen: Summer Veggie Pasta with Feta & Herbs

 

Happy Friday, friends!  I am in complete denial that summer is winding down and that it is Labor Day Weekend.  I like fall, but I'm not ready for it yet!  This pasta recipe is the perfect way to savor the last bit of fresh produce from your garden or the farmers market.  I came up with this recipe a few weeks ago because I wanted to use up a zucchini and summer squash and I had a few tomatoes from my Mom's garden. I made it again the week after because I liked it so much. 

 

 

Ingredients:

- 12 oz, pasta of your choice (I used whole grain elbows; bow ties or another bite-size pasta shape would be great as well)

- 2 TBS olive oil

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- 2 small to medium zucchini, sliced and cut in to halves or quarters

- 1 medium summer squash, sliced and cut in to halves or quarters

- 3 medium homegrown tomatoes, sliced in wedges

- 3 TBS kalamata olives, sliced (omit if you don't like olives)

- 1/4 cup crumbled feta (or goat cheese, if you prefer)

- salt & pepper, to taste

- herbs for garnish; I used basil and flat leaf parsley

 

 

1.  Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add pasta and cook according to package directions or al dente.

 

2.  While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in sauté pan.  Add garlic and cook for a minute or two.  Add zucchini and summer squash and cook for 3-5 minutes over medium heat.  Do not cook too long or the veggies will become mushy (and nobody likes mushy zucchini!).  Season with salt & pepper.

 

3.  Add tomatoes and continue cooking.  Tomatoes will break down a bit and soften up.  Add olives and stir to combine all ingredients.

 

 

4.  When pasta is finished cooking, drain and add to sauté pan.  Keep heat on low and stir to combine all ingredients.  Remove from heat and dish out.  Top with crumbled cheese and herbs and drizzle with a small amount of olive oil, if desired.  Enjoy!

 

 

Now, go grab some veggies from your garden or the market, and make this delicious pasta!



Nautical Summer Party

 

{ This post was recently featured on the Tiny Prints Blog }

This was the first party at our new lake house, so I was thrilled when I discovered the 'Swell Times' invitation on the Tiny Prints site - it was the perfect fit for our theme! 

 

 

We ordered our invites and coordinating address labels and thank you cards (I love the anchors!) and got to work planning our party.

 

 

Our invitation was the first step in coming up with a theme and color scheme for the party.  My best tip for planning party decorations - pick a color, or a range of colors (in our case it was all shades of blue with a nautical theme) and go with it.  Start collecting accessories, table settings, and decorations in your selected color, and everything will look well pulled together. 

 

 

 

 

 

We kept the flowers simple - light blue hydrangeas, and put them all around the house.  The perfect summer flower to compliment our nautical theme.  By the way, did you know that Costco offers flowers in bulk online?  I ordered our flowers there and was pleasantly surprised - they were gorgeous and a great price as well!

 

 

I used glass vases and jars filled with sand, shells, and driftwood to compliment our beachy, nautical theme.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We decided to go with a Summer picnic theme for the food.  The menu:  pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, potato salad, pasta salad, potato chips, watermelon slices, potato chips, and caprese skewers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our simple dessert station:

 

 

One of my favorite spots to set up - the drink station!  More hydrangeas and lots of blue to fit with the theme.

 

 

 

 

I added a collection of nautical themed prints in our colors to add interest to the drink station.  I love how it looks and how simple it was to put together!

 

 

 

 

 

I printed out names of the drinks we served on my computer and placed them in small frames.  The Lake Michigan Spiked Lemonade was very popular - so popular that I never had a chance to photograph it!

 

 

 

We had a wonderful party!