The Home Depot | Patio Design Challenge

Friends. Remember this little sneak peek I shared with you a few weeks ago? Remember the few mentions I made about Home Depot, and working our little tails off to whip our courtyard into shape for their Spring Patio Challenge?

Well, I've been superbly patient, wanting so badly to tell you just what in the world I was up to...and what in the world we did with our dilapidated little courtyard. But, somehow, someway...I kept it all to myself...until this morning. Because friends, it's finally published on Home Depot's amazing DIY-centric blog, The Apron. And I can finally show you.

So let's start from the beginning. Maple and I made an unbelievably swift decision to uproot our Charleston lives and plant them back in Lexington, Kentucky. We found a quaint little cottage, hailing from the 1800s, nestled amongst an up-and-coming corner of downtown's historic district. The cottage needed work. But it's courtyard really needed work. See what I mean?

It was red. And terrible. Filled with broken beer bottles, rusted bottle caps, and lifeless weeds. And heinous, splintered boards disguised the adjacent building's windows. And...that RED. Really?!

So we worked, and we worked...and then we worked...and family and friends helped (thank you ALL times one million, especially that incredibly patient, hard-working, selfless Maple of mine). And we painted. And we built things. And it kept snowing. And I stressed. And we worked. And then somehow, someway, it turned into this:

A bright, airy, sun-filled courtyard that's just beckoning to be lived, worked, and entertained in. It's just so incredibly happy out there...and so not red.

And didn't the incredibly talented Bradley Quinn Photography do a stunning job with the photography? He captured my vision and my work so perfectly well (and guess what, he can do it for you, too)!

So there you have it, readers. My entry for the Home Depot Patio Design Challenge. Please go check it out on their uber-amazing blog, and take a peek at the other talented participants' entries. We all worked so hard, and are so appreciative of HD for asking us to take part in such an incredible experience.

So, HAPPY SPRING! I'm headed outside...to that courtyard...with coffee...to work...and enjoy it.

HAPPY FRIDAY.

LATELY.

Well, folks, it's finally beginning to feel like spring around here...and this girl couldn't be any happier about that change in dreary, snowy weather. There's actually sunshine today! And, even though Easter was full of drizzle and void of sun, it was relatively warm...and wonderful. Hoping the very same rang true for you and your families. So, here's what was happening on my Easter holiday, and, all last week in my design world:

 All of my life-long Easter dreams came true: I spent that Sunday afternoon with yellow, fuzzy peeps. Like, the real kind. Not the stale marshmellows that no one possibly likes but everyone still gets in their Easter basket peeps. No, the real, live, living, breathing, blue-egg-laying, cute as can possibly be Easter peeps. Baby chickens. I may have smuggled one home. Or two. Shhh.

My Maple found his partner in crime. It was love at first sight between those two. A two-week old baby cow, who my two-year-old niece so cleverly named Cowgirl. Don't let her fool you...she's much less innocent than she looks. I have the bruise to prove it. She headbutted me from behind, when I was the least bit suspecting, and lifted me off my feet. All for some milk. Cowgirl's got spunk.

Muffin man was pretty fond of her, too. Looking all dapper in his chambray shirt, navy cords, fringed mocassins, and riding cap. He could teach us all a thing or two about rodeoing with class. Isn't my sissy-in-law so gorgie? And of course that baby of hers! 

I spent an afternoon antique-ing for a big upcoming venture of mine, and stumbled across this steal of a deal: an antique Moroccan hanging lamp. I even met the adorable 90-year old man who's booth it was in--he bought it 40-some-odd years ago from an antique show. This gem is old. And I'm going to hardest time letting her go. For now she will look pretty in my dining room. Safe keeping...of course.

I hired an assistant. She wears glasses. But maybe she wouldn't even need them if she'd just brush her hair out of her eyes. She also lacks opposable thumbs, so she's proven quite useless. But she does look quite cute curled up in the window, lazily barking at studio passerby's.

I started a new project last week with the most amazing new clients. I'm so excited to work with them, and do wonders to this sprawling house on a gorgeous Kentucky horse farm that's been neglected for far too long. Glad they're the new owners, and want to instill so much life back in her.

Now that it's finally not snowing, my Home Depot patio design challenge can finally be finished, which is exactly what I've been working on this week. The proof is in this DIY project: a blockprinted Indian-esque tablecloth. Can't wait to show you the final result!

And speaking of that patio, she'll have lots of cozy pillows...

And some other fun touches. Blue and white stripes, anyone? Yes, please.

So there you have it. My Easter...and my lately. Must go...baby chicks need feeding. Just kidding, I really didn't steal them...or...? 

HAPPY MONDAY.

LIFE + DESIGN, LATELY.

Happiest Monday morning, my amazing readers. Hope your weekend was relaxing, inspiring...and of course pinch free. I can't even believe its mid-March, and that spring (I hope, I hope) is just around the corner. This year is flyyinnng by, but perhaps that's because I'm busy, and we all know there's no complaining in that book. I, for one, love to be busy. And last week was just that, hence the lack of blog posts. My design biz had me traveling, and occupied by all sorts of other happenings, so here's a little peek into my "lately" :

 Maple and I have been exploring our new downtown territory, and loving every little bit of it. Especially this electric purple door. Risk takers. I like my neighbors already.

We've been busy, so work has been creeping along at the cottage. But this is the 'before.' Whoever had possession of this place sure loved them some Christmas. Red painted brick exterior, with (you guessed it) green trim. And a red interior. With dingy brown. Come on people. She's a gem. Give her some love!

Which is precisely what we've been doing. Still a mess, still a work-in-progress, but much better than Father Christmas, I think. And don't judge. Lighting needs to go....and fast. Trim was painted yesterday--the most delicious greige. And doors will be painted this week. And kitchen is on its little way. All-in-all, she's nearly inhabitable.

And this deliciously orange cart can only mean one thing: the Home Depot Patio Challenge has me being a busy little bee! Work has commenced. LOTS of it. Because our courtyard was well ignored...for years. But we've been working hard to give her some love, too.

Sort of the before. 

It even looks better here than it did. It was bad.

And here's proof that I can (sort of) operate power tools. And construct things. Very easy things, nonetheless.

God is cool, and knew we Maples needed a vacation, so He made it happen. I somehow WON a FREE trip to MEXICO. Yes. Cray. So I took a break from our crazy week to book this girl and her hubby a week on the beach. 

My vehicle is big. And she loves to eat gas. And I always say that I'd love to downsize. And I really don't think that could ever, ever happen. And here is the proof, as this is my norm. At least I get to be surrounded by pretty things, even if they are en route to my clients and their homes.

And this was the bulk of my week. Working on the install of a gorgeous, glass-walled condo in the center of an amazing southern city. That black and white trellis pillow you see is sitting on the most gorgeously luxe leather sofa. And I'm rather in love with that parquet coffee table. And I think our gallery wall turned out pretty swell. More work to do, but she's almost there.

And here is me. At another little business happening. It was a big week for Hannah Maple Studio, and this was the Friday afternoon Skype call that topped it all off. So here I am, hanging at my hubby's (amazing) exposed brick and beam office, and I owe a huge thank you to the guys at The Livery for getting me all setup, as my own studio is very much 'under construction').

So there you have it. A peek into what's been going on in my world. And now it's Monday, and such a wonderful feeling it is to start the week uber-excited and ready to delve into my work. I am so incredibly grateful. Hoping the same stands true for all of you.

HAPPY MONDAY. 

Go and be inspired.

OUR NEW COTTAGE KITCHEN.

So, by now you've probably conjured that Maple and I have acquired a new living situation. And yes, we've up and moved from our seaside Charleston back to the bluegrass we know and love so well--our home sweet home of Lexington, Kentucky. Work and business opportunities have called us home...and we decided to follow. And, if you follow me on instagram (@hannahmaple), you've seen a little sneak peek into our historic, 1800-era cottage that Maple and I now call home. She needs some work, but has an unbridled amount of potential. Not only will she house my ever-growing design studio, but she'll be our living quarters for the next year-or-so. Right downtown, amidst the historic district, surrounded by an up-and-coming restaurant/local shop/entrepreneurial scene. We're rather excited...to say the very least. I can't even believe the opportunities that have been rolling our way!

But...she needs a kitchen. She sort of already has one, but this girl cooks nearly seven nights a week, and let me tell you: an old shallow sink, one upper cabinet, and a floating range will not do the trick. But, our long-term plan is to sublease the space as a commercial property, so we don't want to invest high-dollars into a kitchen. And, I've always dreamed of a quaint (but functional) cottage kitchen that's clean, simple, and well-designed. So enter in Martha Stewart and her Home Depot cabinetry line, and we'll soon have a new kitchen that will consist of simple lower cabinetry, glossy white appliances (I am so over the constant upkeep of stainless!), and no uppers--only open shelving.

And, of course I have some inspiration photos to share with you:

Perfection. In every way. 

Gray cabinetry, white + gray counters, black accents, open shelving.

Clean and simple, but not overly new. We not only love old, character-filled spaces, but we're wanting to work with the historic bones (aka janky plaster walls) that lend so much life and interest to the space.

Old world charm mixed with clean lines and high-functioning furnishings and details.
My kind of kitchen.

A little gleaming and 'new' for our space, but you get the idea: gray lowers, clean white walls, open shelving, and black window mullions. It's love...

And here, some details I've pulled together:

Gray wicker baskets for storage / our heirloom butcher block in place of cabinetry next to fridge / marble accents / antique brass drawer pulls and hardware / black and white painted diamond floors / my well-loved cobalt Le creuset / gray lower cabinetry / brass french press / Blanco single bowl undermount sink / white appliances / a classic chrome bridge faucet 

As mentioned, we've sourced Martha Stewart's line of cabinetry at Home Depot. I'm super impressed with the well-designed lines, colors, and quality. And my excitement cannot be contained for new, clean feeling cabinetry that actually opens and shuts! And drawers. Swoon.

So, Maple and I fell hard for the clean, classic, shaker-esque lines of Martha's 'Maidstone' cabinetry. Again, we're wanting a style that's simple and will lend well to this historic bones of our little downtown cottage. But..a conundrum does ensue. We'd decided to go a bit bold and order our cabinetry in the rich, green/gray Ocean Floor hue, since we won't be actually living in this space for all that long. But, now I'm having second thoughts, mostly due to our white appliances. Sharkey Gray would be less of a contrast with the white, and could therefore make the space feel larger. And it would go so well with the pops of natural wood, black, and cobalt blue we're wanting to incorporate. But that Ocean Floor...it is so pretty.

So, dear readers, this is where you come in: Ocean Floor, or Sharkey Gray? What would you choose?

Would so love to hear your opinions!

With that said, HAPPY THURSDAY. 

It's almost the weekend :)

THE HOME DEPOT PATIO CHALLENGE.

Friends. I can't even begin to contain the excitement of design-related happenings 'round here. For instance: I'm really still pinching myself that Home Depot even knows that I exist, but even more than that, they've asked me to partake in their spring Patio Style Challenge for their fabulous design and DIY-centric blog, The Apron.

So, that means this girl will be rolling up her sleeves and working hard to revamp our new city-centered courtyard and patio area (as yes, we're finally moved back to Kentucky!). In fact, the uber-fabulous patio set that was so graciously provided by Home Depot arrives on my doorstep today...so I guess this challenge can officially begin! Being that we're nestled into a historic downtown cottage with a walled-in courtyard, I'm thinking I'll stick with the property's traditional roots, and garner a space that begs to be lived and entertained in...both day and night.

Here's a little prelude to what I'm envisioning for our new patio:

Relatively classic and tailored, but with unexpected punches thrown in (of course, if you know me well). Light gray/blues, green, black and white, and those cabana stripes! Painted concrete. Chippendale railings. Planter boxes, trellises, and plantings galore. And other little additions that I have hiding up my bound-to-get-dirty sleeves :) Planning starts NOW.

So, yes...this girl has some work to do. In a pretty major way. Our patio is...umm...old. And quite abandoned. Can't wait to make her into an outdoor living space that beckons for sipping ice cold cocktails in the sunshine. I'll be posting updates as I make major progress, but if you want to stay plugged into the nitty gritty of the #PatioStyleChallenge, you can follow me on Pinterest and Instagram (my handle is@hannahmaple), and keep an eye out for the official Patio Challenge hashtag #HeartOutdoors. All of us challengers will be avidly working to keep you well-informed and involved! So cheers to the arrival of springtime, and to the arrival of my patio set. And an amazingly huge thank you to the staffers at Home Depot! I'm more than excited to be working with such an amazing company, and sincerely flattered that they even asked!

HAPPY TUESDAY. Already?!