My Love for Navy Blue and the Next Big Plan

Navy Blue Decorations Home Decor | Navy blue bathroom vanity | Classy Glam Living

Summer is officially here!!  ðŸ™Œ  ðŸ™Œ  Nothing spells summer like good ole' navy blue; its nautical vibe automatically lends a tranquil and relaxing feel to any decor.  At times giving off a relaxing casual vibe, at others, the deep hue is also seen in more traditional setting, such as the navy blue and white porcelain wares.  It's such a versatile colour for home decor, that it also takes the middle ground between a casual and traditional ambience - a contemporary colour anchor of choice as an alternative to the modern black.

How can I not love navy blue?  It's a softer contrasting colour over the harshness of black, and I especially love a blue and white theme in our home.

The first time we encountered the power of navy blue was probably at our previous home.  We used a navy blue as the background colour of this DIY office built-in, where the colour not only helped ground the unit but the whole office amidst a cream and greige palette.

Navy blue backing in DIY built-in unit | Classy Glam Living

Our love of navy blue continues as we decorate our current home.  A blue and white porcelain chinoiserie vase lends its contrasting touch and adds some colour to this otherwise light-coloured foyer vignette.

Blue and white porcelain chinoiserie vase in entry foyer table | Classy Glam Living

I experimented with the same vase in our kitchen, and I loved how it draws the eyes full circle and back around the kitchen.

Blue and white porcelain chinoise vase in kitchen | Classy Glam Living
Blue and white porcelain chinoise vase in kitchen | Classy Glam Living

In our living room, the pair of navy blue pillows complement the blue tones in the statement painting, and ground the soft toned space.

Navy blue pillows in living room | contrasting colour | Classy Glam Living

I keep these blue agate coasters on the coffee table to provide continuance of the navy from the painting and the couch.  These lime rocks that little man collected from the school playground completes the blue and white touch to this crystallized vignette.

Blue and white decor in living family room | Classy Glam Living

A vignette on our dining room console isn't complete until you add a touch of navy on it.  It echoes the French blue of the console table, while acts as the contrasting object in this simple setting.

Blue and white porcelain chinoise vase in dining room console table | Classy Glam Living

The family room is the best place to extend the casual vibe of navy blue.  This pair of nautical pillows suits the theme perfectly, while the tufted navy ottoman by Sarah Richardson keeps the space from being too casual.

Blue and white decor in family room | navy blue ottoman | Classy Glam Living

Sometimes I wonder if I would still use navy blue in a girl's room.  Well, good that we have a boy!  I scattered navy blue pillows on his bed to balance the grey and white softness in his room.

Navy blue in boy's room | Classy Glam Living

Of course I didn't leave his playroom alone!  It's the perfect space to add some navy blue with this fun union jack rug, and picked up by the navy chevron pillow in his work space.

Navy blue in playroom | union jack rug | Classy Glam Living

And I couldn't leave our master suite alone either.  Our dressing room and master ensuite across are both in soft white and grey.  I always prefer to have a contrasting colour in any room, so the navy blue bench at the foot of our bed helps to draw the eyes inward.

Navy blue bench at foot of bed | dressing room decor | Classy Glam Living
Navy blue bench at foot of bed | crystal chandelier master bedroom | Classy Glam Living

So, as you can see, navy blue is all around our house.  Where do all these lead to?  Well, I've been contemplating about some big plans for our master ensuite.  Can you guess how navy blue relates to this plan?

Let me give you some hints:

And I changed yet again...  I was originally going for a spa-like feel in the ensuite, so I had previously wished for a white and grey master ensuite in this design board, ie. grey cabinets.  Yet, everytime I see a deep rich navy vanity (thank you Pinterest), I would fall head over heels with that luxurious contrast it gives to the bathroom.  Oh, especially when it's paired with a marble countertop and brass hardware...  I think I'm totally in love.

It may be a daring move, but I feel all the more certain that this rich luxurious look is the perfect match for our master suite's decor.  A navy blue vanity would offer great contrast to the light grey dressing room that's right across from the ensuite.

DIY Dressing Room Closet | Classy Glam Living

What are your thoughts about a navy blue vanity?  Would you consider it for your bathroom reno?

DIY Custom Closet Dressing Room + Video

DIY Custom Closet Dressing Room | Crystal chandelier, acrylic mirror doors | Classy Glam Living

Sometimes a DIY project can be so huge that it consumes much of your "me" time and every ounce of patience.  Even the best of DIY'er, no matter how much s/he enjoys the project, would want to get it done and move on to the next project.  I can see a bunch of you DIY'ers nodding your head in agreement.  I feel for you, and the Mr. can relate.  

Our DIY closet/ dressing room was one such monstrous build.  The Mr. worked on our closet tirelessly, after work and on weekends.  In between the miscellaneous projects I threw at him (my bad) and other commitments, (did I mention he was also the coach of our son's hockey team?), he managed to stay afloat.  Although it took longer than he expected, the build is now complete, AND the chandelier installed.  WOO-HOO!

DIY Custom Closet Dressing Room | Crystal chandelier, acrylic mirrors, glam DIY closet, glam DIY walk-in closet | Classy Glam Living 1
DIY Custom Closet Dressing Room | Crystal chandelier, acrylic mirrors, glam DIY closet, glam DIY walk-in closet | Classy Glam Living 2
DIY Custom Closet Dressing Room | Crystal chandelier, acrylic mirrors, glam DIY closet, glam DIY walk-in closet | Classy Glam Living 3

To mark this special occasion, we've put together a video that documents the blood and sweat that went into the building of this closet.  It's funny how this closet required so much detailed planning, that the Mr. was amazed he had done it all while watching the video.  

How we turned a HIS and HER closet space to one beautiful custom closet / dressing room. For details on the cabinet doors installation, check out our video tutorial: https://youtu.be/TSiq34SMtJA. Our blog www.classyglamliving.com has more DIY, design and decor ideas. Go check it out!

(Please scroll to the bottom of this post for a source guide.)

After he came back from his much-deserved amazing guys' trip last month, I again had a bunch of "stuff" lined up for him. Putting up this chandelier was one of them.  It's the cherry on top; what the closet/ dressing room needed to feel complete.  The sparkles from the chandelier compliment the sparkly glass pulls on the doors, and bring out the gold tone in the drawer hardware.

DIY Custom Closet Dressing Room | Crystal chandelier, acrylic mirrors, glam DIY closet, glam DIY walk-in closet | Classy Glam Living 5
DIY Custom Closet Dressing Room | Crystal chandelier, acrylic mirrors, glam DIY closet, glam DIY walk-in closet | Classy Glam Living 6
DIY Custom Closet Dressing Room | Crystal chandelier, acrylic mirrors, glam DIY closet, glam DIY walk-in closet | Classy Glam Living 7
DIY Custom Closet Dressing Room | Crystal chandelier, acrylic mirrors, glam DIY closet, glam DIY walk-in closet | Classy Glam Living 8
DIY Custom Closet Dressing Room | Crystal chandelier, acrylic mirrors, glam DIY closet, glam DIY walk-in closet | Classy Glam Living 9
DIY Custom Closet Dressing Room | Crystal chandelier, view of built-in vanity | Vanity marble counter top styling Hermes perfume jewelry tray on vanity | glam DIY walk-in closet | Classy Glam Living

If you've only started to follow our blog, allow me to backtrack a bit.  This closet came to be when we made a request to the builder of this new house to delete the wall that separates the "his and her" closets, so that we can create this dressing room.

Turning his and her closets to a dressing room | Classy Glam Living

The closet's design went through several iterations and changes, and we ultimately ended with our current design.  We were very into the boutique style closet for a long time, and even researched the DIY possibilities.  However, we leaned towards a closet of closed storage, so that I can hide my mess!  

So we blended these two sources of closet inspiration:

Image via Atlanta Homes

Image via Atlanta Homes

... any Sex and the City fan would recognize Carrie Bradshaw's dreamy dressing room from the movie:

Image via Marks & Frantz, set designer

Image via Marks & Frantz, set designer

... and we created our own version:

DIY Custom Closet Dressing Room | Crystal chandelier, pull-out folding table, glam DIY walk-in closet | Classy Glam Living

Now, this is a dressing room fit for a princess; one who demands that there's a spot for all her specific storage needs.  (Did I just describe myself?  ;-P )

DIY Custom Closet Dressing Room | Crystal chandelier, pull-out folding table, glam DIY walk-in closet | Vanity marble counter top styling Hermes perfume jewelry tray | Classy Glam Living
DIY Custom Closet Dressing Room | Pull-out tie rack | glam DIY walk-in closet | Classy Glam Living

While making the DIY start-to-finish video above, I witnessed once again the Mr.'s persistence to complete this project.  I never doubted his ability to build this closet, and like I mentioned in the previous update, the closet turned out to be even more beautiful and elegant than I had imagined.  I hope he knows that I am immensely proud of this monstrous undertaking.

Well, that's precisely one of the reasons why I started this blog, so that I would be reminded again and again of the Mr.'s dedication to making our house a beautiful home.  For this home, this custom closet/ dressing room is the first step to making this home a classy and glamorous one.

Understandably, building from scratch isn't for the faint of heart. But we've also done an easier dressing room in our previous home with IKEA PAX wardrobes. All you need are some mouldings. Check it out here! 

(Scroll down for source guide)

We hope we haven't kept you waiting for too long for this final reveal of our DIY custom closet/ dressing room!  Here are the previous updates of this DIY project:

Update #1

DIY Custom Closet Dressing Room | Classy Glam Living
DIY Custom Closet Dressing Room | Classy Glam Living
DIY Custom Closet Dressing Room | Classy Glam Living

Update #4 - lots of detailed shots in this post

DIY Custom Closet Dressing Room | Acrylic mirror doors | Classy Glam Living

Source Guide

  • The closet frames and drawers were constructed from maple wood for sturdiness.

  • Paint color - Benjamin Moore's Sidewalk Gray @ 50% tint

  • Hardware - Glass door pulls from House of Antique Hardware; vanity glass knobs from Lee Valley Tools; brass drawer pulls from Gingers Bath.

  • Marble adhesive - Amazon (affiliated link)

  • Acrylic mirrors - Plas-Tech Inc.

Mirrors - The Luxe Factor in a Kitchen

Mirrors - The Luxe Factor in a Kitchen | Kitchen Design | Classy Glam Living

SEE OUR MOST RECENT KITCHEN UPDATE!

Mirrors, mirrors, and more mirrors!  Seems like these recent blog updates are all about mirror installations.  Can't help it, they're the easiest way to give the illusion of added square footage and improve brightness in a small space.  

Installing the mirrors at the back of the kitchen glass cabinets was one of our to-do items on the list, found here.  When we placed the order of acrylic mirrors for our DIY closet doors, we also included an order for the kitchen glass cabinets.  We could've gone to our local home improvement store for a sheet of acrylic mirror and cut them to size ourselves, but we figured we would let the professionals at the plastic company handle the custom-sized cuts.   The cost difference in terms of time and effort would work out to be the same.

The Mr. handled the easy installation process, which was the same as for the DIY closet doors. He test fitted the mirror against the cabinet's back before the installation.  He used the thinnest double sided tape to avoid the wavy reflections.  See?  Doesn't get any easier than double sided tape!

Mirrors - The Luxe Factor in a Kitchen | Acrylic mirror installation | Kitchen Design | Classy Glam Living

Here's a glance at the quick process:

Mirrors - The Luxe Factor in a Kitchen | Acrylic mirror installation in kitchen cabinet | Kitchen Design | Classy Glam Living

The "before" shot, taken after we changed out the builder's knobs and pulls.

Mirrors - The Luxe Factor in a Kitchen | Kitchen Design | Classy Glam Living

And this is the "after" of the mirror backs installation:  (The above photo was taken on a gloomy day.  This one below was taken on a sunny day...  what a huge difference especially with the mirrors!)

Mirrors - The Luxe Factor in a Kitchen | Acrylic mirror installed onto the back of glass cabinets | Kitchen Design | Classy Glam Living

The mirrors add brightness to the otherwise dull cabinet backs.  Not only did the mirrors multiply the brightness and give an illusion of depth, but they seem to have doubled our inventory of stemware as well!

Mirrors - The Luxe Factor in a Kitchen | Acrylic mirror installed onto the back of glass cabinets | Kitchen Design | Classy Glam Living 2
Mirrors - The Luxe Factor in a Kitchen | Acrylic mirror installed onto the back of glass cabinets | Kitchen Design | Classy Glam Living 3
Mirrors - The Luxe Factor in a Kitchen | Acrylic mirror installed onto the back of glass cabinets | Kitchen Design | Classy Glam Living 4

Here's the view of the kitchen from the dining room.  The mirrors are reflecting the light from the patio doors and large windows from this space.

Mirrors - The Luxe Factor in a Kitchen | Acrylic mirror installed onto the back of glass cabinets | Kitchen Design | Classy Glam Living 5

The brightest time of the day in the kitchen is a bit past noon.  On a bright sunny day like when this set of photos was taken, I usually don't bother switching on the lights in the kitchen.  With the lights on, the mirrors catch and reflect the light right back.

Mirrors - The Luxe Factor in a Kitchen | Acrylic mirror installed onto the back of glass cabinets | Kitchen Design | Classy Glam Living 6
Mirrors - The Luxe Factor in a Kitchen | Acrylic mirror installed onto the back of glass cabinets | Kitchen Design | Classy Glam Living 7

The simple addition of the mirrors livens up the little cabinet space, while making the kitchen more welcoming. Now that I'm spending more time at home, nothing makes me happier and more relaxed than a clean and bright kitchen. 

The designs we've integrated into this builder's kitchen allowed for ample counter space, which was a priority for this utilitarian kitchen.  We've added our personal touches to make it more luxe and less utilitarian.  

Mirrors - The Luxe Factor in a Kitchen | Acrylic mirror installed onto the back of glass cabinets | Kitchen Design | Classy Glam Living 8

The kitchen is very close to completion.  It's got most of the large items down, and it looks and functions amazing as is.  Here is a list of what's left to tackle:

  • Install mirror backsplash

  • Build more drawers in lower cabinets

  • Install glass shelves for the glass cabinets

  • Install LED rope lighting for under the upper cabinet

  • Install valence

  • and I forgot to mention to the Mr. that I want the builder's dinky trim at the bulkhead replaced with a thicker one ;-)

Mirrors - The Luxe Factor in a Kitchen | Acrylic mirror installed onto the back of glass cabinets | Kitchen Design | Classy Glam Living 9