Design, Garden, & Travel by Majestic Meadows
Join us for outdoor adventures, as well as useful and inspiring tips to create wonderful spaces inside and outside of your own home
Build Update Spring came early in NW Montana, so Jason from J Martin Builders (https://www.jmartinbuilders.com) worked with his excavator to lay out our site location, which provides a better driveway location, awesome views from the house, and a flat portion of yard on the North and West sides of our build. In addition, we'll have… Continue reading Let’s Talk Budget – New Build
This rendering is designed by Majestic Meadows Design using SketchUp On my last post, I shared tips for finding the right build site and our process for choosing a residential contractor for our new home build in NW Montana. During our early February trip, we interviewed six local builders, including Design-Build firms. All the builders… Continue reading Design, Plan and Bids – New Build
As many of you know, in 2018 we purchased a little over 12 acres featuring Swan Mountain views in Northwest Montana. We are finally ready to start meeting with potential build partners. We've spent the last several months identifying and speaking with local trades, including our realtor, architect/draftsman, interior designer, surveyor, and residential builders. Everyone… Continue reading Mountain Modern New Build
Aosta Valley Aosta Valley, Italy is perfect for folks who love an outdoor adventure in a gorgeous mountain setting. The entire valley includes the Italian slopes of Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa, Gran Paradiso and the Matterhorn. Its highest peak is Mont Blanc and is the highest region in Italy. The peaks are stunning in contrast… Continue reading Summer in the Italian Alps
As predicted, Italy along with most of Europe is a popular destination this summer for folks traveling from the U.S. and within Europe. I'm happy to report we avoided most of the crowds during our three-week trip to Northern Italy. In today's post, I'll share information about the first half of our trip to Lake… Continue reading Italy without the Crowds
We are less than 10 weeks from our trip to Northern Italy, which will include a Home Exchange in the foothills near Lake Maggiore, as well as time in Courmayeur in the Italian Alps. We fell in love with Northern Italy during a brief visit over 10 years ago. While on vacation in Switzerland we… Continue reading Northern Italy – Lake District & Mont Blanc
Guest Writer: Patrick Young So many of us hold off on taking our vacation days because we feel like work is our one and only. Plus, when you have a disability, you must find the right place to visit so you can get around and enjoy tourist attractions easily. Take advantage of your off-time because… Continue reading Get Outta Town! The Mental Health Benefits of Traveling to Wheelchair Accessible Cities
I'm excited to find a few new outfits for our upcoming trip to Italy. I already have some great pieces, which will work for any weather and terrain, but you can't fault me for also wanting the perfect dress. As many of you know, we are staying in a Home Exchange among the foothills of… Continue reading Pretty and Perfect in Italy
Jim and I have transformed several garden spaces before, including a 1/4 acre at our prior home in South Florida. As you can see from the picture below, all the plants except several palm trees in our back garden were unhealthy and overgrown. In our first phase, we replaced the overgrown, unhealthy plants with new… Continue reading Coastal Gardens
My hubby, Jim and I have successfully created both small and large gardens. In today's post, I share what we have learned from our gardens, as well as helpful resources like gardening books and our local garden extension office. Understanding your site and selecting the right plants will help you create a beautiful garden, whether… Continue reading The Easy Garden
During our Northwest Montana trip this year, we spent time on one of our all-time favorite trails - Triple Divide Pass. This trip, we wanted to explore spots new to us, including a day boating on Flathead Lake. In today's post, I'll share our impressions for this trail, as well as a brief overview of… Continue reading Triple Divide Pass
I have always had a eye for design. It took training and practice to learn and implement functional, beautiful interior design into our home. In today's post, I share nine design fundamentals created by Kelley Carter, which will help you create interior spaces that feel finished, welcoming and uniquely you! Follow these tips to ensure… Continue reading 9 Tips for WOW! Interior Spaces
Our Coastal Modern home renovations are almost done, so we had time to choose photos, design and install a gallery wall in our dining room. My husband, Jim and I are lucky to live near the beach in South Florida, so when we take vacations, we prefer to visit the mountains. Over the past 20… Continue reading Personal Gallery Wall
How it started The original bathroom had brown tile and paint, as well as a brown vanity making it dated and depressing. The scary part was the water-soaked shower floor and bad sink plumbing, which we found after taking the bathroom down to the studs. It also felt small, so we took out a linen… Continue reading Primary Bathroom Reveal
This post shares three tips for identifying your design style in a bedroom space. This space should provide rest, a wonderful start and relaxing finish to your day. Function First Simply making your bed and putting away clothes is a quick and simple way to keep your space looking nice. Your retreat will be different… Continue reading Finding Your Design Style
Using Wallpaper, stencils, and paint are all effective ways to create a mood and a desired visual effect in a room. Today's wall treatments offer a wide variety of patterns, colors, and textures. So many choices!! In today's post, we will discuss the following factors for choosing wall treatment options: Style, Size, Tempo, Visual Effects,… Continue reading 6 Easy Tips for Wonderous Walls
Maple Loop was our favorite trail in North Cascades, Washington and I would definitely recommend that you explore it for yourself. It was a magical day, which included spotting some wildlife and stunning views. North Cascades This park offers lots to do and an opportunity to escape the crowds. You can certainly see plenty of… Continue reading Maple Loop Trail – North Cascades
I recently updated my closet, which included donating and recycling a lot of my existing wardrobe. During this process, I realized that I had clothes that were not flattering, nor in my color palette. Just like most folks, my body type and wardrobe has changed dramatically over the years. In school, a mean girl once… Continue reading Personal Style Refresh
A common question posed on social media Interior Design groups involves the finishing touches in home interior spaces. The group members have found the perfect paint color, sofa, table, and rug, but “something is missing.” Those missing elements are usually accessories. Accessories add personality, warmth, and that special touch that a well-designed room requires for… Continue reading Something is Missing – Accessories!
Our kitchen is open to the dining and living areas, so we want it to look fantastic! Design Everyone dreams of a beautiful kitchen, but more importantly we all want our kitchens to function in a way that makes cooking and clean-up enjoyable and easy. My husband Jim and I have designed our Mountain Modern… Continue reading Dream Kitchen Layout
I find websites like Pinterest and Houzz provide wonderful inspiration ideas for our Northwest Montana home. The two-story ceiling in the living and dining will make for a dramatic Swan Range mountain view. The fireplace and TV wall, as well as the window seat will make the living spaces cozy. Our design calls for a… Continue reading Mountain Modern Design Inspiration
We just had a local company open up our Swan Range views to the North Jim and I have been working hard on our Mountain Modern house design via SketchUp. While we're making real progress on the computer, I wanted to show you some actual progress we've made at the build site. As you can… Continue reading One Step Closer to the Dream
One of our major must-haves in our new build was a first-floor primary suite. We accomplished that goal with the help of our general contractor, J Martin Builders. In addition to being on the first floor, we also wanted to create a restful and beautiful space that blends calming aesthetics with thoughtful functionality. A space… Continue reading Primary Bedroom Reveal
If you're like me, you've perused and saved hundreds or even thousands of Pins on Pinterest. This site is great for getting ideas and identifying styles that attract your interest. Occasionally, you'll also find some helpful do-it-yourself tips. If you spend much time on the site, you've probably noticed how everything starts to look alike.… Continue reading Signature Interior Design: Creating Timeless, Personal Style
No matter the size, most folks need these spaces to be organized and accomplish multiple functions. Of course, we also want them to look great. We designed our laundry and mudroom to maximize the space and optimize the efficiency. We want to easily do the laundry, find household items, and get in and out of… Continue reading Laundry & Mudroom
As you can imagine, building a new home wreaks havoc on a landscape. We have a lot of restoration to do around our house, as well as a large area going from the house to our well and septic field. We've spent time assessing our site, which includes soil testing, notating shade and sun patterns,… Continue reading Garden Restoration
Every day, since we've moved to NW Montana from Jupiter, Florida we've enjoyed a sense of awe about living in this wild, beautiful place. As many of you know, we've been dreaming about living here for 20 years, and thanks to some hard work, smart savings and lucky real estate timing, we are thrilled to… Continue reading Apgar Lookout – Glacier
After 20 years of dreaming and seven years of designing, it feels incredible to finally be living in our new home. My husband Jim and I had a blast searching for the perfect property, discovering just the right spot, and bringing our vision to life using SketchUp. We've now been settled in for two months,… Continue reading Mountain Modern Kitchen Reveal
The primary bathroom in our new house has everything we ever wanted in a bathroom. Some things are essential, like a double vanity and shower, but the free-standing tub and the space required for it was a splurge. I also wanted lots of natural light in this space, so the big window above the tub… Continue reading Primary Bath Reveal
Jim and I started our Saturday morning at the Kalispell Green Market, which showcases many local farmers and vendors. The market had lots of locally grown fruits and vegetables. We picked up some yummy plums, parsley, beets, and more edible homemade goodies. In addition, there were lots of local artists and craftsman selling their handmade… Continue reading Great Room Reveal
Living in a wildland urban interface means we need to prepare for wildfires potentially impacting our home and property. We're lucky because there is a lot more information about building and living in high fire risk areas today than in the past. Studies have found as many as 80% of homes lost to wildfires could… Continue reading Firewise Home & Garden
It's exciting to finally be in the new house! Our builder, J Martin Builders pushed the subcontractors to get a lot done, so we could move out of the rental. That means we've also got a few things left to be done or corrected, which is common in new builds. In today's post, I'll share… Continue reading Interior Design Update
Design, Garden, & Travel by Majestic Meadows 