A few months ago, the ladies at the Lake Tyler Petroleum Club contacted me to consult the new design of the Harbor Landing Bridal Suite. Before, the suite was useful, but didn’t feel romantic or pretty.
But after, ya’ll! Natural light, monochromatic patterns, modern elements and subtle pops of color make all the difference.
Bring on the brides!
Venue: Lake Tyler Petroleum Club
Photographer: Matthew Hogan
Stylist: Me
This just might be the best birthday gift idea ever… a couple of weeks ago I was contacted by Zack, a husband wanting to surprise his wife Kristen with a newly designed living/great room for her birthday. Y’all, seriously, is that not what every girl would want!?! Impressive, right? And it was all his idea! They moved into their new home over 4 years ago, with newborn twins and a toddler… so of course busy baby life happens and suddenly a few years have passed before they had any time to take a breath and think about home design. I met once with the Kristen and Zack to get a feel for what their needs were, and to take a few “before” pictures.
You should know… I will soon have professional (and non-blurry) pictures of this space, but I just couldn’t wait to share the project with you!
Kristen and Zack already had several things going for them in their space.
Things I loved:
Kristen and Zack needed a new sectional and area rug for starters. Kristen showed me the sectional they were thinking about- and it was perfect! (So perfect, might I add, that I’ve already been trying to figure out a way to make the same one fit in my much smaller living room!) Sofa, check. So we went straight to thinking about area rugs. Kristen loves bright cheery color and had 8 or 10 rugs saved for me to look at. I especially loved the option with the faded, hint-of-Aztec pattern. Lots of color, but not too strong of a pattern from across the room.
Wonderful herringbone pattern on the sofa.
Bright and happy modern rug.
Next was hunting for and gathering the new decor! (Hair pin legs… yes, please.)
I added a watercolor piece I painted as part of their gallery wall, to keep their gallery unique and custom.
On Design Day 1, I brought over a truckload of goodies, and began placing and staging them. I also planned out the gallery wall above the TV and used paper to help me visualize the layout. I wanted the art to go uphill, following the architectural detail of the vaulted ceiling. Getting this part just right *might* have taken me about 20 tries. But I couldn’t stop until it was perfect!
On Design Day 2, my hubby Doug came to help me hang all the curtain rods, art, and mirrors. His math brain can get it all calculated and level on the first try. I, on the other hand, would still be over there attempting to get it all right… with about 117 unnecessary holes in the wall. And obviously I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to catch him in the act.
The art, installed!
I hand painted “be still, my soul” on two large canvases as an anchor piece to ground the large back wall. With a strong wall paint color and a variety of colors throughout the space, I opted to keep this art clean and simple. Balance is so important when choosing wall art and color combinations. Kristen had this beautiful antique church pew and accent table, which I used to create a seating area by the front door, and it also serves as overflow seating for guests, as it faces the TV from behind the sofa.
In our initial consult, Kristen talked with me about needing a way to capture and organize her kiddos’ art. We all know a fridge front can only hold so much! I used picture ledges and thin frames to showcase the artwork, and encouraged Kristen to rotate the art out every month or so.
The mantel art may be my favorite. A few years ago, Kristen had one of Zack’s favorite photos of them turned into a sketch. Finally, it’s now framed and serves as the focal point of the mantel. Personal pieces are the key to making a home “yours”.
Here’s the space, completed! I pulled geometric patterns and a blend of rustic and modern accents to create an eclectic, bold style which Zack and Kristen love.
I am thankful for this opportunity to style a space for this sweet family to live and grow in!
xo Kristal
When the Romano’s contacted me about styling some areas at their venue that were opening in a few days, I was so happy to say yes!
The Bridal Suite at High Hill Farm is also available as a Conference Room, so I designed it with delicate but not overly feminine details. I wanted the overall feel to be simple and open, yet still welcoming. Isn’t all the natural light in this space wonderful?
I encourage you to check out this amazing Napa Valley inspired vineyard retreat, restaurant and venue outside of Tyler, Tx, if you haven’t already. Thank you Romano family for this wonderful opportunity!
Venue: High Hill Farm
Photos: Jill and Kay Photography
Styling: Me
A few weeks ago, High Hill Farm owners Jason and Sharon Romano contacted me to design their Guest Services Office and Bridal Suite/Conference Room that was opening in a few short days. I was so excited to serve them! Today I’m sharing with you the details of the Guest Services Office.
This venue shines with classic white walls and modern furnishings, so for the Guest Services Office I chose naturally occurring accents such as marble, agate stones and other organic shapes to create neutral yet eye catching details. Sharon picked out the larger pieces and I used them as inspiration to design the other features. On the day we installed the décor, Sharon told me her father collected rare stones and how special it was to see similar elements incorporated in the design. How cool is that!? Décor with meaning always creates a connection, a story.
Did you see those beautiful grapevine branches front and center at the desk? When I found them, I knew they just had to be integrated into the design of this lovely vineyard retreat. Later this week I will be posting images from the Bridal Suite/Conference Room. I think you will love it!
Venue: High Hill Farm
Photos: Jill and Kay Photography
Styling: Me
Today is a very special day! I am excited to share the newest part of my adventure with you. Most importantly, I am dedicating this journey to my Savior. I pray that I can serve others and share His love in every interaction and relationship I have. Jesus is showing me so much of who He desires me to be as His child, and I am still learning and growing as I follow Him in this adventure.
Eight years ago, my husband of one year, Doug, and I moved out of our little apartment and bought our first home. It was bad y’all… as in our dear, sweet realtor couldn’t hold back the heebie jeebies as she showed us the property. I could describe just how bad it was, but then you would all know for sure we were absolutely crazy for buying it and even crazier for moving right on in. If I had only considered starting a blog then of our adventures on that remodel journey… well, I feel sure that we would have been the perfect reality tv show. It would have been called How To Live With Lawn Chairs As Your Only Furniture For Two Years. But as months… ok years went on, we made it our home and I truly found so much joy in planning and designing every square inch. Even the underside of every shelf in every closet had a fresh coat of paint, we widened some doorways and walled in others, installed new lighting, replaced hardwood flooring twice (thank you leaking water heater), tore out old cabinets, salvaged other old cabinets, dug ditches and landscaped, and of course about a thousand other things. Much of this was with the wonderful help of our families’ contributions of expertise, sweat and sacrifice. We didn’t even have a TV… just seasons of The Office on DVD (hello, I could not have made it through without Jim and Pam by my side) which played on a laptop, balanced on a plastic table, with a bed sheet push-pinned to cover the window. Welcome to our Friday date nights. Anyways, when the projects were (mostly) done, enough to lay out some rugs and bring in the real furniture, I was so excited I couldn’t sleep! I was finally able to unpack and design with what I had been collecting for over two years! With no HGTV, Pinterest or Instagram, designing looked a lot less “organized and inspiring” and a lot more like “here are all the clippings I snuck out of the waiting room magazines and ok yes I did just take a picture of your bathroom for inspiration”. My Idea Notebook was overflowing with tattered fabric swatches and wrinkled sketches. My Sherwin Williams color swatch book traveled with me everywhere in my purse… pretty sure they finally gave up on me ever returning it.
About the time the house came together, Pursuing Eden started growing, and I’m talking about an all-in, have no life kind of busy, where people think you are either amazingly driven or dysfunctionally consumed. By the way, both were at times true. God has been teaching me a lot about balance. Within five years, we were growing at Canton First Monday, renting to hundreds of clients a year, buying an actual storefront, designing and decorating interiors, and gaining some fantastic employees. Then in 2014, God gave us our biggest blessing yet, our daughter, Arden Rose.
Through all of this, I have realized it’s time to branch out as a stylist to better serve you. In many ways, I’m doing the same things I’ve already been doing through Pursuing Eden, but now it is clearer and more defined.
I will specifically focus on styling events, photoshoots and interiors. Now, clients have more choices and options, and I am able to travel. Not sure exactly what a stylist is? Click on the website tabs to learn more! Did you know? A stylist is not an event planner or coordinator, but a stylist is a designer who works with props and decor to create a cohesive, unique space.
Happy you’re here!
KC
Photography: Brandi Smyth
Venue: White Sparrow Barn
Florals: Mandy Cathey
Styling: Me