Swoon Interiors

interiors that make your heart skip a beat.

Cozy up your pad with these great fall finds …

With the kids back in school, football on TV, and a chilly rainy Sunday like yesterday, it definitely feels like Fall has arrived!  I think this season is so conducive to great design … cozy materials, great textures, rich colors.  You don’t have to be overtly “fall” (pumpkins, gourds, turkeys) to give your home an elegant autumn feel. Instead, I like to add in things like plaid, burlap, leather, brass and feathers ( a great way to fill your vases when your outdoor supply starts to dwindle).

Check out my favorite finds for fall below!



From top left to right:
Prescott Leather Lantern, Harvest Plaid Pillow Cover, Burlap Vase, Fireside Throw,  Brazilian Cowhide Rug, Indian Summer Photograph, Birch Log Bundle,  Emilion Bucket, Oro Tray Set,  Metal Starburst Mirror, Gold & Brown Natural Feathers, Art Nouveau Chenille Throw Pillow, Vintage Brass Candlesticks, Abaca Balls
 
 

5 Girls, A Goat & a Market

So if you live in the Chicagoland area, you’ve probably heard of (or been to!) Girl and The Goat, the West Loop dining hot spot on Randolph Street where Chef Stephanie Izard of Bravo’s Top Chef has made quite the name for herself.

 
And now, much to everyone’s delight, there is also a Little Goat right across the street … an all-day diner where it’s easier to snag a table and easier on the wallet … yet no less delicious!
 
 
So what do you do when the Randolph Street Market is in full swing for the weekend right down the street from this Little Goat?
 
Girls Trip!
 
Bright and early Saturday morning, 5 Girls and the Goat communed over watermelon cucumber mimosas and the best hashbrowns and grits you’ve ever tasted before heading over to the Market for a little treasure hunting.
 

 
 
The restaurant itself is right out of a design mag …
 
Gorgeous light fixtures, funky wallpaper and skylights.
 

 
And the bakery next door … so charming.
 
 
With full bellies, we were off to burn some calories in the most fun way.
 
 
As usual, I snapped some pictures of some of my favorite finds …
 
I love these little vintage glass fishing floats to fill a bowl or vase with soft color.
 
 
Or you could do something similar with these strands of beads.
 

 
Fun hand-painted signs for a farmhouse kitchen.

 
We were cracking up over this collection of vintage signs …
 
How many of our boys could use these reminders …

 
I think these little lockers would be SO cute flanking the bed in a little boys room as nightstands.

 
Loved this huge armoire painted a pretty blue-gray …

 
Of course there were vintage crates everywhere but I liked these for their color.

 
This lamp with marble base almost came home with me.  I forgot to take a picture of the gorgeous gold lining inside the shade.

 
I wish I had somewhere to put this dresser! What a fun color and the price was only $375 I think?

 
 
I also love how it was styled … stacks of candy-colored books and a little birdcage filled with plants. Perfect!
 
 
 
So, after collecting up all their purchases … and giggling over some “vintage” clothing, the Girls were ready to make the trek back to their car …

 
 
(See, I told you we would burn off our breakfast calories!)
 
Home the 5 Girls went to husbands and kiddos … and to find new homes for their new treasures.
 
One Girl bought this cute little chalkboard …

 
Another Girl scored this pretty little shelf for her daughters’ bathroom.

 
Another Girl picked up these metal numbers …
 
 
With a plan to do this …
 
 
She feels guilty that the picture of #3 is not hung yet given that #3 is 4 years old … but I assured her that you would all understand and perhaps even empathize with the Third Child Syndrome, right?
 
She also found this …
 
 
I love the idea of tucking a vintage team photo like this into a gallery-style wall of art.
 
k c interiors
 
via Houzz
via Houzz
 
 
As for this Girl?  I also got a chalkboard … 
 
 
 
 
What else?
 
Well, I have loved these on Terrain for some time, but not for $158 bucks a pop.
 
 
 
Fortunately I was able to snag one for only  $40 …
 
 
There are lots of uses of it … from a planter to a magazine holder …
 

 
… to a place to store TP or firewood ….

via Houzz
or repurposed into a light fixture …
 
 
 
I think I’ll find many uses for it in my house.
 
I also like collecting little number eights since that is our address … I found this cute black and white one that I can tuck in almost anywhere.

 
And I couldn’t resist a little bag full of those glass fishing floats …

 

 
All in all, a successful (and YUMMY!) trip.
 
Another great thing I love about this market is that often times if you talk to the vendors you will find that they have their own shops elsewhere around the city or even do custom work.  I snagged quite a few cards that I hope will come in useful to me or future clients …
 
 
I know these 5 Girls are looking forward to another trip!
 
 Have a good week!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Mixing Metals … yay or nay?

The short answer is – yay!
 
You can read on if you want my explanation or if you need convincing… 🙂

 
 

Remember the days when most everyone bought matching sets of furniture, especially in bedrooms and living rooms?  How boring was that?  But now the trend has totally changed and not too many people I know buy that way anymore.  It’s just too predictable and yes, a bit boring. 

I think the same could be said for matching hardware in a house.  It used to be that brass and chrome were about the only choices out there. We didn’t have the full spectrum of metal finishes that are available today, so now mixing things up gets a bit more complicated.

Or does it?

The question of mixing metals often comes up in kitchens, probably because there are so many possibilities for metallic finishes … faucets, cabinet hardware, light fixtures, appliances.

If you have polished nickel faucets, does that mean you have to go with polished nickel hardware?  And what about that amazing antiqued brass light fixture you’ve had your eye on? Is it a no-go unless you do all antiqued brass?

Here’s a few examples that will give you an emphatic “No!”



I am obsessed with these giant brass pendants in Bobby Flay’s lovely Hamptons kitchen.  But brass everywhere would be a bit much.  See how nicely it pairs with wrought iron table legs, polished silver hardware and rustic silver barstools? 

Ok, so I kind of have a thing for antiqued brass light fixtures.  I realized that lately they have been popping up in many of the inspiration images I’ve been pulling out of magazines or pinning online.  I really like how they become the star of the room and other metals become kind of neutral.

Niche Interiors
 
The kitchen below mixes brass lighting, chrome stools and a silver mercury glass backsplash gorgeously, don’t you think?
 
Pairing antiqued finishes like brass or bronze with something like chrome is a great way to get that mix of old and new that I love.
 
Here’s another kitchen that uses brass for the cabinet hardware, mixing it with polished nickel shelving brackets, an oil-rubbed bronze pendant and stainless steel hood.
 
via House and Home
 
 
This time, in the bedroom …another gorgeous antiqued bronze lantern … mixed with gold and silver accents … including a polished silver reading lamp.  Who says all the lighting has to be the same?
 
 
via Lonny
 

Gold frame, brass lantern, antiqued nickel table legs. I love it.

Country Living

Again, some might think that with a silver-based coffee table you need to do silver frames on the wall … not so! The mix of metals makes this room feel so much more layered and interesting.

Country Living
 
Can you guess who’s living room this is?  (I’ll give you a hint … it starts with a J and ends with a Lo.)
 
What a wonderful mix of metal finishes … silver lamps, sconces, frames and window hardware, but the brass side tables add a touch of warmth.  

Veranda
 
I, for one, am in love with this trend. Who wants to commit to one metal when there are so many great pieces out there.
 
via The Decorista
 
 
 I feel the same way about jewelry …
 
 

 
So what do you think?  Do you dare to mix your metals?
 

Niche Interiors
 

An easy way to update your chandelier …

You may remember in my recent post about going to New York City that I spotted many chandeliers using tiny round bulbs instead of the usual decorative bent tip bulbs designed to look like flames.

 
Since then, I’ve been seeing this swap out more and more …
 
Currey & Co. Spellbound Chandelier
 
 
 
Arteriors Beck Chandelier
 
 
Arteriors Manning Chandelier
 
Currey & Co. Dennison Lantern
Arteriors Maxim Chandelier
 

Z Gallerie Eclipse Chandelier
 
Zinc Door Birdcage Lantern

Even with the more traditional or rustic chandeliers, I like how it gives them a fresh new look.
 
I decided to try it out on my own dining room chandelier …
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Voila!
 
It’s a subtle difference … but I like it! Everyone (or thing) can benefit from  mini-makeover every so often, right? A new pair of shoes, a new shade of lipstick … new lightbulbs?
 
 
What do you think … do you have any chandeliers in your home that are in need of an update?