affordable find: brass terrace side table

i actually own the first table...the more expensive one! if i had waited a year, i would have for sure snagged the look alike bargain!

jacana accent table
$169

terrace side table
$249

happy shopping!!

affordable find: sheepskin stool

these fun, textural stools are all over the place lately and for good reason--they add a great texture to any room and are super versatile.

if you are considering purchasing one, go ahead and do your self a favor and save some money!
(this stool can also be a fairly simple diy project with the right stool and some faux fur!)

outpost original tibetan lamp gold stool
$1220


sheepskin ottoman
$349


happy shopping!

affordable find: marble column table

a cute little money saver for you today:

although the tables aren't EXACTLY alike, they definitely have the same vibe.
simple, modern, marble column accent tables with a metal top supported by a metal rod.
i actually really, really want one of these tables for my master bathroom!

phoebe brass top table
$769

cuff link marble side table
$199

happy shopping!

3 things you can learn from an ikea showroom

sometimes when i make a run to ikea, i actually have time to enjoy a stroll through the showroom. i am always impressed, and yes, inspired by the layouts, lighting, and styling of their mock living spaces.
there are a few things that an ikea showroom does especially well...
they layer their lighting, take advantage of wall storage, and aren't afraid to use dark colors.

top #1:
layer your lighting:

when i was in college, getting my degree in interior design (a million years ago), i had to take a lighting class. quite honestly, that class was REALLY boring, and the professor who taught it was incredibly hard to follow. (as in...i think she might have been a little bit coo-koo.) amidst all of the calculations for lumens and foot-candles (UGH!), i learned two things that will stay with me forever. the first: if you feel you need to shield your eyes when you are in restaurant (or any space for that matter!) then the lighting is too harsh. the second: every room benefits from different layers of lighting.
ikea does this SO well.

in this area, they have overhead lighting, as well as lighting above the storage cabinets and bed,


the clip-on wall lights make this long storage piece pull double duty as a work area.


most every dining room have overhead lighting...ikea has also added another layer of lighting under the wall cabinet.



tip #2:
take advantage of wall storage:

a picture says a thousand words, right?
so take a look at these....









the showrooms in ikea are FULL of room vignettes where cabinets are mounted above beds, sitting areas, desk areas and even eating areas. every inch is used to maximize storage space, which also frees floor space, which is at a premium in small spaces.



tip #3:
don't be afraid to use dark colors on your walls:

i STILL get asked all the time..."but won't painting the walls dark make the room feel smaller?"
the answer is no. of course there are exceptions to this, but most of the time, using dark colors on the walls makes the walls recede visually, which tricks your eye into thing the space is bigger than it actually is.


i thought this particular vignette in ikea was well done. there are a lot of dark items in the space...not only are the walls dark but so are the sofas, rugs, dining chairs, and all of the large storage pieces. there are just enough light and reflective items to create balance.

once of the things i love most about interior design is that i am constantly learning and refining my idea of beauty. small details seen in a hotel bathroom or shopping mall or magazine can inspire anything from a color scheme to a furniture layout. don't you feel the same way...you enjoy seeing and reading things that make your mind work and perhaps challenge the way you see beauty? taste evolves. our idea of beauty evolves. and when we take risks, and stretch ourselves, we are often rewarded with a broader understanding of how to bring that beauty into our everyday lives.

design plan: kitchen + breakfast room with touches of kelly green

well. HAPPY NEW year!

and, merry christmas. 

i know, i know. i did it again. i took a crazy long break from my blog. but sometimes i just need to disconnect. its good for me. and i don't every want this blog to be a place where i sell you stuff i don't care about, and post a bunch of pictures just to have a post up. 

it's not me.

want to know what IS me?

mixing super affordable stuff with just the right amount of more expensive stuff to get an eclectic, layered room that reflects the personality of whoever lives in the home.

i wanted to start the new year by sharing a few pages for a full room design that i worked on for a friend and client. as with many clients that i work with, my friend is on a budget, and wanted a plan that would allow her to work on the rooms in stages. 

one awesome thing about this client is that she is totally on board for a splurge on designer fabric, which, in my opinion, can quickly elevate a room from "nice" to "fabulous".

here is the plan i came up with for her kitchen and breakfast room:

the floor plan, showing the enlarged island and new cabinetry in the dining area.

i also drew up a very basic model for the new island, which will include a microwave, pull out trash can, seating, and pantry storage.

one of the biggest changes in this space will be the new built-in, which will house a cookbook library, a coffee station, a buffet serving area, and some pull out food trays for the couples beloved pugs.

thanks for hanging in there with me! i know i don't post a ton, but when i do, i hope you find the content meaningful and inspiring.
have a happy, happy monday!

my new living room chairs + silk curtains

finally!
introducing....my new silk drapes and chairs!


i have slowly been working on refreshing this room...you can see previous posts about this room here and here. (and see how i transformed my planter here and how i hung my gallery wall here)



first up, my chairs...
i spend a lot of time sourcing items for clients, and, like most of my clients, i am on a budget. i decided that when i was ready to replace the annoying 10 year old leather club chairs, i was going to splurge a little, if necessary. i had been saving for a while, and i wanted to get EXACTLY what i wanted, because i knew it might be another 10 years before i got new ones!

quite honestly, my very favorite chairs were from oly studio, but i don't have 6K to spend on 2 chairs, so it came down to these two chairs from sam moore:
a: the holden wing chair
b: the azriel chair (this chair has several lookalikes, including the larkin chair from bollard designs)

sam moore offers some REALLY nice chair styles, and hundreds of fabric offerings, and, (if you find the right source), really great prices!

i decided to go with the azriel chair...i liked the slender arms and the slightly smaller scale. plus, i plan to eventually have some slipcovers made for the chair, which i will use in the spring and summer. i really like the way these chairs will look with slipcovers:

i decided to go for a simple, nubby fabric, and had narrowed down the options to either "charcoal" or  "mushroom":

i ultimately decided on the mushroom, and for the legs, i took a chance and opted for a finish called "truffle".

i am really happy with the selections i made! i love how the chairs are so monochromatic...the grayish/taupe finish on the legs really makes the chairs feel unique.

the fabric is perfect for disguising dirt and adding additional texture to the room!


and now, onto my drapes!
here is a preliminary sketch that i sent to the village workroom, where the drapes were fabricated:

the banding on the edge is dupioni silk in "celeste", and the body of the drapes is in cream matka silk (a rough or raw silk that looks similar to linen). 

the drapes arrived within 2 weeks of ordering them, but it took us a LONG time to get them hung!

i decided to go for something a little different and opted for a goblet pleat at the top---

i really love how the edge banding is a soft, shimmery, SUBTLE detail.

the room now:

i still have to strip and re-stain the side table in between the chairs and the sofa, install blinds, and get a new sofa, but besides that, this room is almost complete, until we add the coffered ceiling, fireplace, bookcases, and paint everything! 

neutral, masculine nursery, week 3: updating a vintage dresser

well, it has been a few weeks. again...eeek! 

if this summer were a theme park ride, it would be the fastest, curviest, craziest roller coaster of the bunch!  if you want any other explanations for my gross negligence, click here and here.

ok, where were we?

oh! thats right--the neutral, masculine nursery. 

(see our week 1 and week 2 progress!)

this week, i wanted to share a really wonderful way to update any vintage dresser and give it a clean, modern look.

my client had this dresser that was in her room growing up, and she wanted to use it in the nursery.

it was in great shape, and i knew that it could look amazing with just a few minor tweaks. 

first up: removing the hardware. 

the current hardware just wasn't cutting it.

i found this inspiration picture, and we both loved the simple, clean look of the wood dresser with the painted drawers.

 after about 3 seconds of contemplation, i picked my favorite white, benjamin moore's swiss coffee for the drawers. i also had my client fill in the knob holes on the cabinet doors so that we could install some ring pulls on the face of the door.

this is a peek after the first coat of paint:

after the second coat...

we took a while to find some hardware that we liked, and that fit the 6" spread of the previous hardware (NOT an easy task!). we ended up with some simple chrome pulls for the drawers:

and these for the cabinet doors: (i also used these in my master bathroom)

and---here is a look at the AFTER:

the room is looking fantastic! i cannot wait to share the rest of our progress with you...and i PROMISE that you will not have to wait another three weeks for the next update!