Wednesday, August 15, 2012

36 Reader Space: Magnolia Lane Loveliness!

This week I am excited to introduce you to some super talented ladies that run a really inspirational blog, eleven Magnolia Lane.

Eleven Magnolia Lane is made up of three friends who started blogging together almost two years ago, just for fun, and since then it has grown into a great way to stay motivated, creative and productive TOGETHER.

I love that the blog is compiled of three pretty gals, all inspiring and motivating one another.  It also allows different styles to show through on their blog!  And of course, I can't help but be smitten with the amount of organizing that is incorporated into their projects!


First up is Christy's laundry room.  Let's take a peek at the before:


Already organized and functional, but a little love and it was marvelous!

"I liked the blue color on the walls, and the previous owners had left the can of paint for me in the garage, so I patched the walls {especially the huge holes when I took the white wire shelving down} and painted the ceiling.  I like to paint the ceiling in a small space, especially when it’s a lighter color.  I also decided to get crazy and do Jones Design Company’s painted wallpaper treatment on the walls, figuring that it wouldn’t take too long in such a small space.  I was wrong–it seems like it took forever, but I love it so much that it was well worth it!


I borrowed the concept of Shelley’s ironing board hanger at House of Smiths and tweaked it a little to use what I already had–a shabby chic hook rack from Target.  I also gave the legs of my ironing board a coat of Pewter spray paint–they were cobalt blue and I hated that look. 


Vinegar {for the rinse cycle}, ironing spray, change jar, and dryer softener sheets in a napkin holder."


Christy also has an incredible ability to create a perfectly pretty and functional pantry space.  In her first home, she created this!



The pantry is amazing for so many reasons, from the concealed chalkboard menu, to the snack clip holders to the mason jars and clear storage.  She really maximized the space she was given to work with.  So when she moved to her new house, she had to make her new one equally as awesome.  Here is what she started out with:


She began out the project by pulling everything out and starting from scratch.  She installed new wooden shelves which instantly gave the pantry a brighter, cleaner look.


And here it is now!





"I know the pantry looks styled and it won’t stay this neat forever, but the solid shelves and the turntables created SO much additional space for me that I really do have room to leave the serving pieces and cookbooks in here for the long haul.  I love it!"

Next up is Terry.  She created the ultimate study zone for the kids.  Here is the unused space in her lower level:


"My husband and I couldn’t be happier with how the built-in desks and shelving turned out.  Our contractor went above and beyond our expectations with the fancy sliding drawers that even close on their own.  What a treat to have such quiet {and distraction-free} cabinetry.  Both our children have their own desk space for homework and projects.  I personalized their space with their initials, photos and artwork.  I love using their art to decorate my home.  I think it is so important for kids to see their creative works on display, plus it  adds some much needed color in this particular space.


We were on a serious budget with our remodel as we have two other expensive projects that we are trying to finalize prior to 2013.  One of the main reasons we decided to do open shelving was to save money, with the hope of upgrading to cabinets next year.  I have to say, I LOVE the open shelving and I cannot imagine changing them out now.  These were custom-made by our contractor and I adore the style and design."



I think it is so incredible that they went this route with the space and have a quiet and practical place to study and learn.  It is great that it has personal and organized touches and that it can continue to work for them as they grow.

Now we get to see what Amy has been up to.  Check out her bathroom before:


A little love, paint and organizing and it's simply fantastic!




"After chatting with Christy who assured me I could handle the board & batten treatment {as about 3 weeks ago.}  OK, so it’s really not an overnight project. Like many tutorials warn, putting the battens up is fairly easy, but painting and caulking {and re-painting and re-caulking} takes a little bit of time.

To accessorize the room, I already had this towel bar and hanging galvanized buckets from IKEA that I had used in my former office."

Amy also recently made over a room for her mom as a birthday gift.  It was a room the basement where she does ironing, wrapping, sewing and stores her supplies and seasonal decor.

Her mom selected the color palette and everything else was in  Amy's hands.  

Here is the room before Amy got her paws on it:


"I could never have done this without Terry’s help, she was my partner in hauling bookcases from IKEA, figuring out furniture placement, and tirelessly stenciling the inset wall. Not to mention her cute photostyling ideas and photography. My Dad was a trooper through all this, I am not sure he expected this would be this elaborate of a makeover when my Mom and I started talking about it! While he managed to disappear during “Stage One” on a fishing trip, when he returned he built her the wrapping station, and hired an electrician to install a fixture and hang her new chandelier.


The room is filled with repurposed favorites, the white chair was part of my grandmother’s dining set. With a little paint, new matching fabric and a vinyl monogram it took on a whole new life. The fabric covering on the table once was my daughter’s window treatment in her baby nursery.



Working on it was a ball and I just hope that my Mom feels happy every time she enters her room."

Aren't these ladies a talented group of gals with fabulous style and organizing skills?  I could never select a favorite project from this group, every single one has left me with ideas and inspiration.

Anyone snag an idea they are eager to implement in your own home?


ATTENTION!!  Want to be featured in a Reader Space edition?  Have an awesome organizing story to share?  I am looking for projects that have made a positive impact to your life.  Please submit your story and photos here and I would heart to feature them right here, on the blog!!  Photos should be high resolution and unedited.  Please include a description of the project, including any costs, inspiration, and how it has changed your life and routine for the better!  Oh, and no worries my friends, we will NEVER judge "before" pictures because that just wouldn't be nice!  Only love goes on at this blog! 

36 comments:

  1. Wow! These girls certainly have talent :) Thanks for sharing. I can't decide which project is my favorite they are all great!

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  2. Beautiful spaces!! Where can I get those beautiful blue mason jars in the laundry room?

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    1. They are OLD--wish they still made them in that color, but they don't. Check your local flea markets and antique shops. Mine came from my grandmother's basement!

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    2. You can also find a way to stain plain mason jars a similar color on pinterest!

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    3. You can also find a way to stain plain mason jars a similar color on pinterest!

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  3. Thanks for sharing - these are some great examples of beautiful and organized spaces! I hope I have one to share someday!

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  4. Wow! So much eye candy, and inspiration! Thank you so much for sharing, I am anxious to try some of these awesome ideas!
    Xoxo
    Claudia

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  5. Beautiful! I love the snack clip holder, though I wouldn't call that maximizing space.It looks great and I'm sure it's super handy, but I don't have near enough pantry space to use something like that. I wish I did though!

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  6. Lots of lovely inspiration! Love the ironing board 'glam' hooks and laundry room decor; the kids study area; the board and batten and the final room makeover - wow. So that's basically all of it! Oh, and I wish I had a full size pantry like that, we don't tend to have them so much in our UK kitchens!

    http://tidyawaytoday.wordpress.com

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  7. Perfect timing! I am getting ready to update my laundry room right now. I have my plan down on paper and started on the little projects that can be done before school starts. The big projects will have to wait for the munchkins to be in class filling their spongy brains with a plethora of knowledge! :) Just yesterday I did the exact same thing with my mason jars and the hubs and I just built a little wooden crate with trim to hide the fabric softener sheets! I cannot wait to get started on the big projects and to decorate! Whoop Whoop!

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  8. Hi Jen, what is covered and glued using artist canvas? I can't find it in the photo and I'm trying to figure that out!

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    1. I was wondering the same thing and it's driving me nuts!

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    2. Hi! This comment is taken from our blog is actually referring to photo that isn't shown of some artwork we made. We covered a standard artist canvas (available at Michaels) with fabric (simply using a staple gun) and then glued on(with a spray adhesive) the black paper silhouettes. I hope that makes sense now. The photo is on the main post about the project.
      Thanks!
      Amy

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  9. I love 11 Magnolia Lane...its one of my favorite blogs! Glad to see it featured here...lots of great ideas to make a house into a cozy home!

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  10. Ahhh! Don't even know where to start. Love it all. Those work spaces are fantastic and I love the laundry room. So much beautiful inspiration. Thank you, ladies!

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  11. I love that they work together to keep each other motivated

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  12. Wow - I am going to put the chalkboard on the inside of my cupboards. What a fantastic idea!!! www.madewithmytwohands.blogspot.com

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  13. Jen, thank you for the awesome feature, and thanks to everyone for their kind comments! What a huge honor to be featured here!!

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  14. Wow! Each space was better than the next. I loved seeing the little organization tricks like the iron board holder and hanging buckets for tooth brushes. So cute! I will definitely follow their blog.

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  15. I practically gasped when I saw the after photo of the laundry room. How stunning it is! Why not give a work room the same cosmetics as the living room? I think we all have these dark dungeon-ish images of our mother's basement laundry rooms stuck in our minds... that is until we find talented bloggers like Jen, Christy, Shelley and Terry to inspire a new vision! Thank you all. Your work is so appreciated! -Anita Y. in southern California

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    1. Correction on the names: I meant Jen, Christy, AMY and Terry. Sorry! 11 Magnolia is new to me, and I just noticed my mistake while visiting the blog for the first time! -Anita Y.

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  16. ooh! I am going to find lazy susans for my pantry corners right away.

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  17. So many great ideas! I LOVE the laundry room! Gorgeous! Love the napkin holder for dryer sheets and the cute hooks for the ironing board! Too clever!

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  18. Wow, those are some really impressive projects! I love the "educational center". Thanks for sharing!

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  19. I like all these ideas, particularly the three turntables--those must make her life so much easier. Thanks for introducing us to these three ladies.

    Keep writing...

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  20. I can not pick a favorite project...Thank you for introducing me to a new favorite blog! Time for a project to begin...hmmm maybe the educational center...or the pantry chalk board! Keep the great finds coming!

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  21. Oh my goodness! All of those are great....and that laundry room almost makes me want to do laundry. Thank you for sharing their blog! Very inspirational!

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  22. This is a great blog find! Thanks so much for sharing!!!

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  23. Great blog post. I just love the work and project space for the kids, what a great idea!

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  24. I love your blogs. You have inspired me to get into all this organizing. Can you pls tell me what staple gun do u use for your projects? And where did you get it from?

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  25. Love that these three women have a blog together. I wish I had a friend that would help me organize. Beautiful rooms!

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  26. absolutely BEAUTIFUL spaces!!! I'm super in love with the study space and pantries! Might have to incorporate some of those ideas into our upcoming makeovers!

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  27. I love your blog and following you on Pinterest! I just ordered and received the binder. Soooo quick and fabulous! I am desperate to declutter and get some serious organizing done. I read your post saying start small and work towards big projects. I do feel very overwhelmed, but will try to follow your advice. Today I was all ready to make a trip to Goodwill, and my husband says.... "why don't we have a garage sale", grrrr. I don't know if it will be worth all of the effort.... really just want to be done with it. I've never had a garage sale. Many friends have said they felt they weren't worth the trouble. How to decide?....

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  28. These are such amazing ideas! The kitchen cabinet w/ chalkboard is my fave!

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  29. I LOVE the corner pantry redo. I have that same style of pantry and it is a love/hate deal. It doesn't stay organized for very long. I have a lot more food in mine too (I also have the same bread machine!) ;) I need to pare down some maybe?? I do have IKEA's wooden turntable things, similar to hers in the corners like her. They are so needed for corner pantries! things get lost in there otherwise. I also have the wire shelving. Haven't convinced my hubby I need the solid shelving. So, for now it stays as is.

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  30. So impressed with your blog! Not only beautiful but actually doable. I owned a Home Staging company for 11 years and wish you'd been around then for inspiration!!

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