Iowa Winter Landscape

The amount of snow we have had this year in Iowa is just nuts, but there is a slight silver lining with this new white landscape: gorgeous photos! Whether it’s wildlife, barns, old homes, or farm fields, Iowa photographers on social media are really taking advantage of this snow.

Each Sunday, I try to highlight one photo on my Instagram page, and I am rounding up a few of my favorites over the last few months and sharing them here with you today.

An old barn, by Iowa photographer Doug Craigmile

These pheasants were captured by Iowa photographer Judene Gardner

Captured by Iowa photographer Deb O’Brien

An old barn, by me!

That last photo is a barn that is at a property we are currently renovating, in Parnell, Iowa. It was built in 1863, and has withstood the harsh weather ever since (it was -20 windchill when I took this photo the other day).

I might be biased, but the beauty of the white winter months (almost) make it worth living through the ice and snow…although I wouldn’t complain about a trip to the beach right about now! ha!

Stay warm and safe, we’ll chat soon!

Rachael

Hello January!

Hello! We made it through the holiday season at my house, and I don’t know about you but I’m ready for all of the clutter to be packed up. I still have some simple flocked trees that I am decorating with, but all of the holiday decor is back in storage. Christmas is my favorite time of year, but by the end of the season I always feel overwhelmed with glitter, gift wrap, and general disorder.

With all of that in mind, I thought I would share my simple table design for the remainder of winter. Iowa has had some chilly temperatures but no real snow since November, so everything outdoors is gloomy and brown.

My initial thoughts when I was digging through my decor and putting this together was that I needed something simple and with a hint of color. As you can see, I chose mostly neutral colors and added a pop of greenery to remind us that spring will be here (hopefully) soon.

I have several of these book sets all over my house, each telling a different ‘story’. I am working on setting up a web page where these can be ordered but for now if you would like a set just contact me. I put this tray together and then set it on top of a simple beige and green table runner that I had in my spring decor collection. I was in the mood for simple, and kept it at that.

I hope you are all staying warm this January, wherever you are located! As always, you can catch us on Instagram or Pinterest for daily decorating ideas and I will be back soon with some fun DIY projects to keep you busy during these long winter months! Cheers!

The Friendship Fireplace Project!

Hey all, one week until Christmas Eve! Are you ready? (It’s OK, I’m not either!) I’m not too stressed about it either, there’s plenty of time left for that! All of that aside, I am excited to share with you a client project we recently finished up called ‘The Friendship Fireplace’. The street address for this home contains the word ‘Friendship’, thus that is how the project name was developed. We do a number of fireplace/mantel projects and have to keep them straight with unique titles!

The fireplace is often the focal point of the living room as well as the backdrop for family photos, and this homeowner wanted a total remodel of this space to bring it out of the 1970’s. To do that, we first had to start with a clean slate!

Aside from the fireplace itself, there was not any part of the original design that was worth keeping…it all had to go.

And as you can see we made a huge mess, but it was worth it!

Progress photos after some new framing, insulation, and cement wall board.

We needed to redefine this space, and the easiest way to accomplish that was to add a new texture or wall surface. The homeowner chose rough sawn weathered shiplap, which is pictured below. It’s a gorgeous light grey, and really makes this space ‘pop’!

These barn beam mantels are always my personal favorite. Every single one is unique, bringing a different century-old story into each home. This one was mounted with simple gas pipe wall plates and fittings.

And here’s a full length view, complete with fresh tile at the base of the new wall. This family will have a fresh new space to take all of their family photos and the mantel will surely be a talking point with guests for years to come!

We really appreciate the homeowner choosing our business to complete her fireplace remodel!

The fireplace insert remains in original condition, as the homeowner has plans to resurface that herself

And some bonus mantel pictures, because I can’t help myself!