Bathrooms | Lori May Interiors

April 22, 2013

A Preview of the 2013 Decorator’s Show House

The last week has gone by so quickly. With everything that has happened in Boston, it has been difficult to focus on the blog. I decided to focus instead on my girls and their mental well being after another tragedy that I can’t control, much less explain. Today felt like we were back on track and my mind was able to get back to normal. While my thoughts and prayers are with those who are still hurting, today we’re going to distract ourselves with absolute beauty.

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Not too shabby, huh? This is the 2013 Decorator’s Show House. If you live in the Atlanta area, you know that there are many show houses throughout the year. The Decorator’s Show House which is sponsored by the Atlanta Symphony each year is one of the best. It is a must see. For those of you who can’t get to Atlanta, I’ve got a treat for you today. A sneak peek! I was lucky enough to be sent professional photos of this beautiful home.

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Even empty this room would be amazing. The subtle, elegant design feels warm and inviting. But, my favorite thing about this space is all the seating areas. It reminds me of what Windsor Smith says about bringing the family back to the center of the home. There is a place for everyone.

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Love the simple styling on the coffee table and that fabulous round pillow.

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Hate that this photo is so dark, but a room by Jimmy Stanton is always worth seeing. Neutral and full of texture. The light fixture and the gorgeous sea fans are so beautiful.

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I’m drawn to neutrals, that is no surprise, but this space with the orange walls and chairs really make me smile. The graphic rug plays nicely with the amazing windows.

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What is this you ask? Apparently, the man room is giving way to the coffee bar! Not so sure about this one, but way to think outside the box!

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Look familiar? This room is completely designed from Ikea merchandise. Ikea is a sponsor of the show house this year. Would you have known if I hadn’t told you?

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Love this kitchen, but it’s the light fixtures that make it amazing. Yes, they are cut crystal. Gorgeous!

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Proof that a room does not have to be huge to be fabulous. The tub alone is a work of art, but add in an exquisite painting by Holly Irwin of dk Gallery and the bar is raised. I could spend a good deal of time in this bathroom.

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I saved my favorite space for last. The master bedroom by Melanie Turner is just lovely. The casual, yet elegant touches are classic Melanie Turner. It is always so impressive to me that a designer can pull off these kinds of rooms every time. If you don’t believe me, head over to her site and take a look at her portfolio. It is worth your time.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the sneak peek. There’s more to see, but I’ll save a few for after I see the show house myself! Can’t wait!

Thank you to Jeff Roffman photography. The show house is open through May 12th.

Be safe friends, and hug your family. My thoughts are with you all.

by Lori | Filed Under: Artwork, Bathrooms, Bedrooms, Dining Rooms, Inspiration, Kitchens, LIving Room | 3 Comments

March 20, 2013

It’s that time again: Room Service Atlanta #3!

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It seems like just yesterday I was writing about our last Room Service Atlanta project at the United Methodist Children’s Home. Angela, Rhoda and I collaborated on three spaces in the Sam Bell cottage for young men. You can read about it here and here. It was such a fun project that we decided to team up again and take on the girls’ cottages this time! Let’s take a tour.

This is the view as you open the door. Very similar to the boys’ spaces at first glance. Remember all that paneling? Yes, we will be painting all of that again! The room has great light just like our last space and good light truly adds life to any home.

Here is the view back toward the door. You can really see the light pouring in from this view. The floors are in good shape, so that is not a worry this time.

The bed will be placed on this wall. Almost all of the furniture that you see here will go. It’s not bad, but very oversized for the space. Think that wall will need a bit of primer??

Here is one of the major differences between the girls cottage and the boys. A bathroom. Not so pretty at this point, but just wait.

Here’s the other major difference. A tiny kitchen! Rhoda has already secured one of her wonderful sponsors to replace that very uneven countertop for us. Yay! We have big plans for this space. Remember this before shot, because you won’t recognize it when we’re through.

And here is the final before shot. This brick wall is one of the main reasons we chose this space. So. Much. Potential!

After we chose our space, we headed over to UMCH’s “store”. Our vision for the space will come from several of these amazing pieces of original artwork that we found. We’ll share the color palette soon, but these pieces along with a few of Angela’s beauties will create a gorgeous gallery wall. We will thrilled with this find and several others. Speaking of the store, if you live in the Atlanta area, UMCH will be holding their annual flea market and bake sale this weekend and there are some major finds to be had. Head over to Decatur and check it out if you’re in town.

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This is Rhoda and I and our loot headed back to the cottage! This is going to be a great project and as always we would love your help. Help can be given as donations, your time or both. We will be painting soon, so if you’d like to help out, please feel free to email me at lori@lorimayinteriors.com.

Stay tuned for more updates!

by Lori | Filed Under: Artwork, Bathrooms, Bedrooms, Kitchens, My Projects | No Comments

January 26, 2013

A sneak peek at the other spaces in the Inspiration House!

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Jennifer from Vreeland Road, Sherry, me and Joann from Kandrac and Cole

Thank you to our wonderful friends who came out to support Sherry and I on Thursday night. It was a thrill to have everyone finally see our space in person. For those of you that I did not get to say hello to, please forgive me and thank you so much for coming. For those of you who live out of town, but have been so over the top supportive, thank you! To all of you, I cannot express how much your support means to me. This was definitely a labor of love and your kind words got us through.

Tonight is the premiere party and tomorrow we open to the public! If you’re in Atlanta, be sure to stop by! You can click here for details.

Today, I thought I’d share with you a few more sneak peeks of the some of the other designers’ spaces. Let me tell you, everyone knocked it out of the park!

Bill Ingram Architects

Rhonda Peterson and Associates

Harrison Design Associates

Petite Maison

Y. McFaddon LLC

Brooke Merrill Home

Wesley Huffard

Summer Loftin Antiques

LWC Interiors

Bryan Alan Kirkland Designs

Reiner White Design Studio

Dayka Robinson Designs

Parker Kennedy Living

Hope you enjoyed the sneak! Have a great weekend!

by Lori | Filed Under: Bathrooms, Bedrooms, Dining Rooms, LIving Room, My Projects | 13 Comments

September 12, 2012

Suzanne Kasler in House Beautiful

My absolute favorite part of the space. The photos are simply stunning.

Have you seen Suzanne Kasler’s latest project in the new issue of House Beautiful? It’s in Kenya. Can you imagine that phone call? Hi Suzanne, we’d like for you to do a project for us…in Kenya?? Now, of course, I realize that many interior designers complete projects all over the world, but the logistics of this one seems a bit more daunting. Not for Suzanne Kasler, in her classically refined style, she has transformed this cluster of huts into a beautiful, relaxing home for an Indiana couple.

If you have seen these photos, bear with me, I just had to share these with those of you who may not be HB subscribers. I love to study other designers work and this one is a classic example of restraint in design. Less is so often more. Let’s see what we can learn from this project.

This project could have been taken quite literally considering the setting, but the materials chosen were soft and relaxing, no hides and overpowering leather pieces here.

The textures are so wonderful in the entire space, but especially here in the bedroom. Very reminiscent of those fabulously over the top safari tents. Love the touch of blue as well.

This is the master bedroom sitting area. The mantle is stunning. There is no need to cover every space on your mantle, 3 pieces are sometimes enough. Any more would be distracting. The focal point becomes the beautiful chairs in their vintage floral fabric.

The master bath.

How about this for a outdoor shower? What a view!

These are the outside shots. The home is completely open to the outside. It’s amazing, but I have to say that these are some brave homeowners. They are able to watch elephants, zebras, and lions wander by the completely open floor plan.

How would you like to come home to this little guy sleeping on your sofa? In this home, this could be a daily occurrence.

I hope you enjoyed the tour of Suzanne Kasler’s Kenya project. For a great interview with Suzanne about this home, head over to House Beautiful.

Have a great day!

by Lori | Filed Under: Bathrooms, Bedrooms, LIving Room, My Projects, Outdoor spaces | 4 Comments

August 16, 2012

Tips you can use from my latest designs/A new series: Using baskets for storage

Remember this space? I finished this client’s family room last month. Over the next few weeks, I’m going to share helpful hints from this design that you can use in your own home. Today, let’s talk about one of my client’s favorite additions to the room.

Can you guess what it is? Well, I guess the title of the post kind of gives it away. It’s the rolling baskets under the coffee table. This is a family room, so we wanted this to work for each member of the family. The kids love to play in the space to be near mom and dad. The only problem is the crazy amount of toys that end up taking over every open space. Imagine this same space with legos and polly pockets on every surface. My solution was to add the rolling baskets. At the end of the day, the kids can roll out the baskets and quickly clean up all the toys. Another bonus is that it’s easy for them to do all by themselves and that’s good for them and for the rest of the family.

Baskets can be an economical way to add stylish storage to your home. Let’s look at a few other ways to use baskets for storage.

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The entry. Baskets with lids can be a lifesaver. They can hold all the things that you don’t to be seen by everyone entering your home.

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More lidded baskets. These could be perfect in a playroom or little boys room. Baskets are a great replacement for big bulky toy boxes.

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Use baskets in your office to hold unusually sized items or for trash bins.

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Baskets under your bed are the perfect place to store blankets, off season clothing and toys.

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These baskets are a colorful option for towels and magazines next to the pool. Remember that there are basket options in outdoor weaves just like indoor/outdoor rugs. They can soften your outdoor space and make it feel more like a extension of your home.

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Don’t forget your plants. When your baskets aren’t holding your books, throws or toys, they can be used to create a beautiful centerpiece with flowers and plants.

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Finally, small baskets can be used to hold bathroom items, jewelry or other accessories.

How do you use baskets in your home? Send me your basket photos and I’ll share them with my next post in the series.

Don’t forget to like my new Facebook page. That’s where you’ll find my most recent posts, photos from my shopping trips and decorating tips everyone can use.

by Lori | Filed Under: Bathrooms, Bedrooms, Entryways, LIving Room, My Projects, Offices, Tips/Tutorials | 12 Comments

May 14, 2012

Wallpaper’s come a long way…

When I speak with a client about wallpaper, I often get a “No, I would never use it, it’s so old fashioned”. Once they say that I will usually nod and move on. If it’s a space where I can really see using a beautiful paper, I’ll bring the swatches to the presentation and lay them out with the fabric, floor plan and inspiration photos and wait for the reaction. It’s almost always the same. ”Wow, I can’t believe that that is wallpaper!” Some client’s confuse it with the fabric swatches that I’m proposing for their window treatments or pillows. Today, I’m going to share a few of my favorites by Phillip Jeffries.

This could warm up any office space.

I think these are the examples that most people think of when they think of wallpaper. Neutral grasscloths, but there are also these…

…bright colors and patterns.

And papers that look like stone.

These, however, are my current favorites. I want to use this pattern in a bathroom project that I hope to be working on soon. It’s a great space, but it needs a little something and this beautiful patterned paper will be perfect. It will add a softness and texture that will lighten up the dark surfaces. Add a little sparkle and it will be the perfect guest bath.

Take a look at wallpaper next time you get a chance. You might be surprised by what you find.

by Lori | Filed Under: Bathrooms, LIving Room, My Projects | 5 Comments

February 15, 2012

It’s done! My first chalk paint project.

I did it! I finished my first chalk paint project. It has definitely been a learning experience. I thought 2 coats of paint would be enough, but it turns out that I needed 3. Why? The finish that I started with was really dark and I assume that is why it took more coats.

Here’s the original piece.

I’m still trying to decide whether or not to slightly distress the edges. I’m going to live with it for a few days and see how I feel about it. What do you think? To distress or not to distress?

You can see some brush strokes here. This hardware was difficult to paint around even when it was taped off. Do you have a hint for painting around hardware? I’d love for you to share.

What do you think? Have you painted with chalk paint? Did you like it? What’s your favorite DIY painting project?

This piece of furniture has kickstarted my half bath into high gear. My goal is to finish each room in my house over the next year. You know how you always have a few things to do here and there. Well, as a designer, it seems that I’m always working on other people’s projects and not my own. No more. This project has given me major motivation. On to the fabric choice for the roman blind. And here’s a sneak peek of a piece of wall decor that I bought at Scott’s last week.

Can you guess what it is? Stay tuned!

I’m linking up to Domestically Speaking, How to Nest for Less and Miss Mustard Seed today!

by Lori | Filed Under: Bathrooms, My Home, My Projects | 9 Comments

February 13, 2012

Not finished, but there is progress/A chalk paint story

What a weekend! It was busy as always, but I unplugged a bit and just had fun with my girls. It was soooo worth it. I’m back to it today, but here are a few highlights from my weekend. (And, yes, I did work on the cabinet, but I didn’t get it finished.) Today’s another day, right?

How proud is she? Charlotte graduated from her white belt to a white belt senior. It’s so great to see her do something that was just for her and not just because her big sis was doing it.

Of course, there were lots of Valentine’s made over the past couple of days. Kate woke up feeling under the weather on Sunday, so she’ll be home with me tomorrow. (I’m secretly glad. I love spending unexpected time with her.)

Now, I did manage to get started on my chalk paint project as well this weekend. I was hoping to finish it, but it has required more coats of paint than I expected and you can’t rush these things, as much as I’d like to.

Here’s where I started. Yes, I am painting in my family room. Winter has decided to visit Atlanta this weekend and even though it’s supposed to be short lived, it’s freezing and I hate being cold. Even in the garage!

Here it is after the first coat. Remember, my DIY skills are pretty limited and this this is the first time I’ve used Annie Sloan’s chalk paint. Let’s say I was a bit concerned after the first coat. See all those nasty streaks? Everyone said to be patience and not worry, so I added another coat hoping it would be the last…

But, no luck. Better, but not enough coverage with two coats. So, I’m on to coat number three now and hoping that will be the last. I am hoping to show you the finished product on Wednesday.

I hope you all had a great weekend as well. I don’t tell you this enough, but thank you all so much for reading. I loved the birthday wishes last week!