Les endroits où vous irez.

/ Rina Norwood Design/
 

The places you will go.



With a brand new year comes a brand new list of adventures. Bucket listing seems to be the thing these days. With Spring around the corner, there is this eagerness to press the “reset” button and start that bucket list. We managed to cross off the “redo the kitchen” from our list. It seemed like there were a lot of hurdles to overcome, and having no access to running water made us more determined to carefully think through our construction process and timeline to get a functioning Parisian kitchen. Nothing says Ooh, la, la, better than navy cabinets with modern brushed gold pulls and a large dose of white slab marble backsplash. I posted the before-and-after photos on our La Cuisine blog. Any pastry chef who accompanies us on a weekend getaway will be tempted to whip up the words bon appétit’.

Not only have we been hard at work giving this tired cabin a new lease on life, but we have also managed to pause and smell the mountain air and travel the beaten path. At This Side of Paris, we’ve discovered local gems in the area that we thought to be the perfect way to enhance your experience next time you find yourself here in the High Country.

Although there is a lot to get done this year from our bucket list of renovation projects, we are privileged to be able to work among the beautiful surrounding areas of the North Carolina Appalachians. We want the essence of 2019 to be celebrated all year long here at TSOP!

The places you will go in Boone, Banner Elk, Blowing Rock will carve a memorable profile as profound as Grandfather Mountain. A scenic drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway never fails to make the elements of your experience shine brighter than Gustave Eiffel’s tower. Whether you are traveling as a family, exploring as a single, or adventuring as a couple, exploring this side of Western North Carolina will leave you with beautiful lasting memories.

Whether it be the enchanting atmosphere of Vidalia Restaurant, or gazing the twinkling stars at night on Grandfather Mountain, it is our desire that the places you will go this year are of some of the sweetest experiences yet! if the natural elements surrounding the property at TSOP don’t sweep you off your feet, then perhaps Sky Valley Zip Tours will whisk you away with fleeting zip lines that will take you on the ride of your life! They offer all kinds of adventures ranging from single riders to tours for the whole family.

This year we are ready to let go of the old that no longer serves us joy, and welcome with open arms the new that comes with the year; what better way to “let go” of the old and ride through 2019 than 140 acres of canopy tour fun? If being up in the air is not your style, then you may enjoy staying down to earth, and letting your inner Daniel Boone guide you down the paths of Grandfather Mountain for some modern day pioneering. Don’t feel bad if you end up doing more exploration at the King Street Creamery than on the trails.


Finding the right outfit to wear while traveling in style should not be a guessing game. We have put together a collection from our House of Fashion to inspire you.



Solo Wanderer || Two Peas In A Pod || Family Pack

If complete solitude from the world makes you want to travel solo, these places will keep you company. For the two peas in a pod travelers, these places will keep you tethered. For those that travel in a pack, there is a place for everyone.

Regardless of where 2019 goes, make sure that the places you will go are the ones that will make you say….. la joie de vivre. We like to think that the joy of living is a handpicked panel of places and activities that reveal the rustic glam essence of This Side of Paris throughout Boone, NC - each in their own unique way.

La Cuisine

/ Rina Norwood Design/
 

RX : Kitchen Redo

Nouveau Départ simply means a fresh start to a new year and a new season. We are taking the hibernation out of winter by cultivating new ideas. Our agenda and priorities require us to de-clutter and take an inventory of what we want to change, and especially, evaluate those things that make us smile. These last few weeks in January allowed us to process the vibrant colors of the holidays and begin to reawaken our creative flow in anticipation of Spring to come.

The Parisience colors, red and blue, are cheering us on to fully appreciate the significant changes that took place in making the kitchen at This Side of Paris “spring” into 2019 with a bold approach in style and color. Oftentimes, we look to fashion to inspire us. Our House of Fashion inspiration board pulled together brands that are both trend-setters here stateside and abroad. No matter what your design budget may be, it costs nothing but time to put together an inspiration folder for a curated interior space.

Due to our mountain top location, tackling a kitchen renovation in Western North Carolina meant stretching the renovation calendar with careful planning. By relying on cultivated relationships within the trade industry, the design process made for a happy building experience. Our partnerships with High Country Stone and Lowe’s Home Improvement in Banner Elk along with our trusted builder all helped get us across the finish line.

If a kitchen redesign is on your resolute list for 2019, here are our top ten design tips to keep your cool in the kitchen

 

10 Steps To A Well Designed Kitchen

10. Have a preliminary design layout. This is a quick sketch of your dream kitchen.

9. Create a spending plan and include a 10% contingency.

8. Create a Pinterest account to pin all your inspirations. You can also put a binder together if Pinterest is not your jam.

7. Hire highly qualified trade professionals: builder, designer, electrician, plumber. Everybody needs to be on the same page to execute your vision. For extensive redesign, a building permit will need to be pulled.

6. Finalize your new kitchen design layout and begin shopping for cabinet options, appliances, lighting and plumbing material. Big box home improvement stores do have an in-house kitchen designer that can help with your design layout. Keep in mind that their services and cabinet options may be limited. It is best to hire an interior designer that can walk you through the complete design process. Some design firms have their own in-house CAD designers to create working documents. A full-service designer can also advise with design layout and finishes, place orders, and help with project management.

5. Select your finishes and order your products.

4. Review your spending plan.

3. Establish a construction schedule.

2. Create an area in your house that will serve as a temporary kitchen if you plan to live in the house during the renovation. It is also a good idea to go the extra step by applying construction plastic as barriers to minimize construction dust.

1. Pick high-quality cabinets and energy-efficient appliances. These will get plenty of use and abuse for years to come, and you want them to last.

 

Nouveau Départ

/ Rina Norwood Design/
 

Fresh Start

The 2018 renovation journey at This Side of Paris brought challenges that stopped us in our tracks not only in the renovation process but in experiencing personal loss that caused us to pause from any form of creativity and allow the grieving process to take its course. I spent the first three weeks of the new year taking inventory of priorities. At last, I am at a good starting point to begin Nouveau Départ for this new year.

This last year of the decade gives us 2019 new memories which certainly includes challenging tasks, adventures, and projects to do in the days ahead. Will we do it all? Maybe or maybe not. It costs nothing but efforts in pursuing and setting our mind to start that list of accomplishments

Whether you plan to start a business, simplify your marketing strategy, go back to school, read the books you have been meaning to read, travel, redecorate your house or go tackle a major renovation like ours, you can begin today with your Nouveau Départ!

Your goals are not impossible to attain. Sometimes we need resources to get us motivated in the right direction. I’ve listed the links to a few of my favorite books that have motivated me, inspired me, validated my thoughts, and led me to the right business contacts. These authors have passion in common. When I say “passion,” it is based on experiential truth that one can validate because you’ve been around them enough to see it firsthand.

The words printed on the pages of the books are “cultivating” an environment that is relationship-focused with a culture-driven workplace. I hope these four books listed on my current blog will help trigger an appetite to begin collecting 2019 memories. Click below to access the books.