“Meet Cute”

It was about five years ago that I was walking through Kirklands, on a random weeknight, that a neighbor stopped me and changed my plans for a lifetime. We had only met once before when she had come for a little home tour with a friend. This neighbor would become my first client, one of my biggest fans and a woman that I, today, call friend. We began in her living room and slowly continued through most of her house. A referral came from that project and Grey&Grace was established. I would say I have been tripping all the way through the last five years, raising a family, figuring things out, ripening. A friend told me that sometimes we go through seasons of hiddenness to allow the goodness within us to grow and develop. And I love to hope that I have some tools in my pockets now for some of my best work. Nothing is ever wasted my friends. I hope everyone in life has the opportunity for a Ms. Mary Jean.

Bricks

The home tour was of our second house and it was the first time I had the chance to pour myself into a home. If there is one thing to describe my style, I would hope people would say that I love story. I want to add elements that feel like they were there before the house was built. It’s a salvaged piece of history placed right between your kitchen and living room. This brick wall was originally just two simple columns. I decided to add the archways and connect the entire piece. With only the framing up, it wrapped our home with what I love to call, “all the feels.” You know what I mean, it created a coziness that made you want to come in, sit, and stay awhile. I chose Old Chicago bricks. They have dried cement fragments on them, random chips and markings and are stamped with the logo every so often. It was wonderful to see an idea come to life, piece by piece. We built that wall for our enjoyment and for that perfect touch of character we all hope to achieve in our homes.

Doors

Oh how I miss those doors. They were a labor of love, designing the side lights, staining, stripping and then staining again. Framing. Trying to get them level. Installing the glass. Finding just the right hardware. Details. Details. If you have never gone antiquing, honestly, it is one of my favorite things to do. For fun or for design, these shops can inspire and get your wheels turning as you think about spaces that need that ‘little something.” You can haggle pricing and walk away with a gem. We installed these doors as a way to close off what had been our dining room. I love a beautiful dining space but I could honestly count on one hand the number of times, during that stage of life, I had even walked through the room. It was also a way to create a den and guest room for our little three bedroom house. One of the biggest things I do for clients, is help them utilize their space. Most often, just through conversation or taking a tour through the home, I can see there are needs that with the client’s current configuration, are not being addressed. Not everyone has a six bedroom house. But every house has nooks and crannies that are not utilized well and with simple adjustments, can make a house function well and be beautiful. T