advertisement | your ad here

Home of the San Francisco Chronicle

Subscribe to the weekend Chronicle

powered by
Ideabooks
Photos
Products
Ideabooks
Questions
Professionals
Users
"When we first moved in about 3 years ago, everything was very bland and vanilla," Michelle says. "The house was in desperate need of character, so room by room I set out to transform it into something with a little more pizzazz."

Above, the den/office.
by Michelle Hinckley  
"If I had to put a label on my style, I would say it's modern, vintage and eclectic. "I scour Craigslist at least 4 times a week, I love estate sales and thrift stores. I'm definitely not above hauling things I find curbside for trash pick-up either, to give it new life."
by Michelle Hinckley
Michelle turned an old mirror into this pretty bulletin board. Directions for the project are here.
by Michelle Hinckley  
In the living room, Michelle created a sophisticated yet comfortable continuous space for entertaining guests and her growing family. Conversation can flow easily from the living room to the kitchen. The chairs heading up the dinner table are slip-covered salvaged office chairs that can easily transition anywhere in the house for additional seating.

Check out the FAQ section of her blog for the formula to her living room paint color.
by Michelle Hinckley  
Michelle says, "I am very budget-conscious, so most of my style comes from drooling over interior design magazines, then setting out to re-create a similar look." The ottoman in the living room is a Michelle original. It's covered in white vinyl, making it much easier to clean than leather, but with a similar look. Check out her tutorial to see how she did it.
by Michelle Hinckley
The first major project Michelle took on in the home was the entryway. "It's sort of a funny space because it is really quite grand and spacious in comparison to the size of the house. I knew whatever I did had to match the grandeur of the entry."
by Michelle Hinckley  
Michelle and her husband decided on bold stripes to complement the space. What had been conceived as a weekend project ended up taking up bulk of their evenings for 3 full weeks!
by Michelle Hinckley
As Michelle states, "Projects always take triple the time and triple the money you originally plan for. However, the time and effort are always worth it in the end."

One wall of the entryway is covered in chalkboard paint — the perfect spot to jot down a quick note or write a favorite quote.
by Michelle Hinckley
The once bland master bedroom now feels like it could be in a boutique hotel, thanks to a sophisticated palette of gray and yellow.
by Michelle Hinckley  
That sunburst mirror? Another DIY by ingenious Michelle. The original small mirror at the center got a boost courtesy of a bag of barbecue skewers.
by Michelle Hinckley  
What was once an unfinished wood dresser now has sleek style.
by Michelle Hinckley  
The wingback chair was salvaged from a garage sale and re-upholstered in vinyl. Now it can be easily wiped down with a rag — another kid-friendly white piece of furniture!
by Michelle Hinckley  
One person's trash... you know the rest. Latex eggshell paint in that signature yellow pop of color (Disney's "Bee a Friend"), an air compressor, and updated hardware transformed this Craigslist find into a statement-making dresser. Michelle says, "My favorite pieces are the ones that I customize to make my own."

Michelle made the Joshua Tree painting above the dress for less than 5 bucks.
by Michelle Hinckley  
The guest bathroom got a dramatic facelift thanks to DIY details. Michelle painted the formerly gold mirror frame white, and went with a neutral wall color (Dutch Boy's Stonewall Jackson).
by Michelle Hinckley  
The stenciled ceiling was a labor of love by Michelle and her husband. They used Cutting Edge Stencil's Trellis Pattern.
by Michelle Hinckley  
A vintage cabinet with the door removed is used to neatly store bath necessities.
by Michelle Hinckley
With her own take on the popular "Keep Calm & Carry On" prints, Michelle thoughtfully reminds her boys to keep clean.
by Michelle Hinckley
by Michelle Hinckley
Two of the three men in her life share this nautical-inspired room.
by Michelle Hinckley  
The nautical theme continues on the tidy shelves, providing a place for found treasures.
by Michelle Hinckley
by Michelle Hinckley
A bulletin board wrapped in burlap provides a place to hang art, awards, school schedules — whatever the boys want to display.
by Michelle Hinckley
Michelle made sure that the personal touches of a boutique-style hotel carried through to the guest room as well.
by Michelle Hinckley
by Michelle Hinckley
Red adds a fun element of surprise in the otherwise brown, white and green room.

Thanks, Michelle!

See more of Michelle's clever DIY projects on her blog, Three Men and a Lady.

All photos by Michelle Rasmussen of Wondertime Photo.

More Houzz Tours:
Abbey's Aesthetic Outburst
Designs for Every Space from Atypical Type A
A Modern Renovation in Seattle

Next:
by Michelle Hinckley
advertisement | your ad here
Today's Ideabooks
I have been knee deep in bathroom design this month, so I thought I would share what's on my desk. The...
 
"Is there a way to make a galley kitchen special?" asks Houzz user Cynd123 on the Houzz questions board....
 
With warmer weather right around the corner, we're dreaming of spring and, more specifically, garden...
 
I lived with a beautiful but nonworking fireplace for years. It was utterly useless except as a decorative...
 
Just a hundred miles from the bustling city of Chennai in South India, the former French colony of Pondicherry...
 
add to my ideabook
what do you like about this space?
make comment private
existing ideabook:
or new ideabook:
 
send an email
from
subject
to
message
 

[Return to top]