By Meg Harrington

Update:

We’re in!  After a flurry of last-minute activity, we are finally ensconced in The Nest and couldn’t be happier.

Joe, from Ladisic Fine Home, has been the bomb, wrapping our job up quickly and efficiently with his usual attention to detail and meticulous follow-through.  The front door is finally in, the window boxes are up (waiting on their final coat of Alabaster) and the shutters look fab.

Inside, all is cozy and too cute for words. We love how our small house is living big and feels nice and spacious.

We’re not quite camera-ready, but some homegrown iPhone closeups (and a handful of inspiration photos thrown in for fun) will give you an idea of The Nest’s new look (please just forgive my very amateur photography and the fact that nothing is styled or fluffed.)

Favorite spots?

The front door:  Benjamin Moore’s Wyeth Blue. I am crazy about this color!

Still missing the metal “swoop” over the front door (and landscaping!) but loving the blue door. 

The porch: Its square layout and pretty view makes this the number-one hangout spot in the Nest so far. (Not that’s there’s been much time to hang out…)

The Nest’s new porch. I’m not quite ready to show the fireplace wall yet but you’ll see it soon. In the meantime, here’s a glimpse.

The family room: We’re thrilled with the way the TV cabinet turned out. As a gallerist, I was having a fit about the TV being above the mantel (prime space for a gorgeous painting) but now I couldn’t be happier. Sometimes you have to listen to the space (and in this case, hubby).

Inspiration photos:

(from Pinterest)

The Nest’s little living room, before.

The new living room, after. The bookcases aren’t done and the cat photo-bombed the picture, but we’re getting there. The TV resides behind the folding doors. And I can’t wait to get the Huff Harrington designers over to fluff those shelves.

The dining room: Design dilemma! Our gorgeous armoire turned out to be too big for its intended space in the kitchen.  Thank goodness Ann Huff just happened to stop by with sustenance for us (delish baguette sandwiches and a cold bottle of bubbly) and we were able to instantly identify an even better spot for the armoire—before the movers packed up and left.  Love it when two heads are better than one.

The dining spot. Those armchairs will find another home—as soon as all the boxes are unpacked.

The kitchen: The kitchen is light, bright, white and uber-efficient. We are loving the wet bar and pantry and once we figure out exactly where everything goes, we’ll be even better. I was inspired by:

(From The Estate of Things, Flickr and Pinterest)

Before: Looking from the living room into the kitchen:

 

After:

The master bedroom and bath: I was so worried that the master would be too small. It’s not a huge space and at every stage of construction, I was getting more and more concerned about the size. But, once we got our ultra-luxurious fluffy and shaggy white carpet in (along with the king bed and some temporary nightstands), it turns out the master is the most cozy little cocoon.

The master.

My inspiration 

 

The bathroom works perfectly and we’re loving the organic feel of the honed black slate with the shiplap. We threw in creamy white marble countertops and the combo is divine. It’s not quite ready for its photo debut but this is what inspired me:

(From Better Homes and Gardens and Pinterest.)

Upstairs, teen daughters are getting settled and the guest room will be an elegant little retreat by the time we’re finished with it.

(from Better Homes and Gardens and Pinterest)

Landscaping is a multi-step process and is going to take some time so we’re hitting the “be patient” button—and heading out of town for a little downtime on gorgeous Harbour Island in the Bahamas. The unpacking can wait!

Thanks for hanging in there with us—the ups and downs, the stops and starts and the exhilarating rush of inspiration. This one took much longer than we expected and was fraught with all kinds of obstacles but in the end, we’re pretty sure we’re going to love living in the Nest.

Next up: Settling in and tackling the decorating details.

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Want to see the finished product? Tour The Nest here!