Swoon Interiors

interiors that make your heart skip a beat.

Ahhhh summer ….

The days are long but go by quickly!  Between client projects and kiddos, my blog has been a little neglected. But given the choice between this …

 
and this …
 
 
 
what would you chose?
 
(I knew you’d understand!)
 
We recently installed a new little “French kitchen garden” … or potager as I learned it is called on Pinterest.
 
 
 
It is a place for herbs, vegetables and fruits, but it is often also a structured garden space with a design based on repetitive geometric patterns.
 
This spot is right out our patio doors and had become somewhat overgrown with perennials. So we cleared it out and had bluestone tiles laid in a checkerboard pattern.
 

 
I bought the cute little chalkboard garden markers on Etsy at a shop which quite serendipitously is called Braden’s Grace. (My little Braden will turn 7 this week!)
 
This has become one of my favorite spots this summer.
 
 
 
And what else have we been up to?
 
Well, here’s a glimpse …
 
 
A little trip to Door County, WI … Awww, isn’t this sweet?  I call this the “After” picture.
 
Here is the “Before” …
 
 
 
 
You can never watch too many sunsets …

 
 
Eat too much ice cream …

 
 
… take too many naps
 
 
(especially on the front of a boat!)
 
 
…. watch too many movies
 
 
(Monsters University at a GROOOVY old Drive-in!)
 
…play too much baseball
 
 
 
… or have too much sand in your toes.

 
Wouldn’t you agree?
 
 
Another thing I love about summer?
 
… Having my own flower shop just right outside my door! I just love being able to walk outside, grab handfuls of hydrangas, allium or greenery and bring them inside … SO simple and SO cheap!
 
 
So … the bad news … sporadic blog posts this summer.
 
The good news … we are in the process of creating a whole new Swoon website that we hope to debut this fall!
 
Hope you are all enjoying your summer as well!

Baseball, Cronuts and Shopping … Oh My!

Hello friends!

I’m just back from a whirlwind trip to New York City with hubby.  Saturday was kind of business for him … a client of his invited us to their sky box for a Cubs Mets game …

 
 
 
… and Sunday was kind of business for me, as I was able to visit one of my all time favorite stores … truly a designer’s mecca …
 
 
Yay!!!!
 
But first, a little breakfast at Mercer Kitchen in Soho where we were staying  …
 
 
The Mercer Hotel in and of itself is the epitome of urban chic …
 

 
I kind of love how the books are grouped in color blocks ….

 
… and the painted white brick in the lobby.
 
Ok, so this is completely off-topic, but have any of you heard of a Cronut?
 
It’s a cross between a Croissant and a Donut, and apparently it is the hottest thing in town.
 
 
My mom told me to try to find them after she heard Kelly Ripa and Jerry Seinfeld talking about them last week when he was the cohost on her show. Turns out they are only sold at tiny little bakery that was a couple blocks from our hotel in Soho.
 
 
 
When we walked in to get a couple, the girl behind the counter just laughed.  “Um, I’m sorry but they always sell out within the first 30 minutes we open. And there are people waiting outside at 6 am.”
 
Dang! Now we really wanted one!
 
I had to google Cronut to look into this further. Apparently, it is the brainchild of pastry chef Dominique Ansel, named one of the “Top 10 Pastry Chefs in the United States” and is only sold at his namesake bakery in Soho for $5 each, with a 6-cronut limit per person!
Now cronuts are being scalped on Craigslist for up to eight times their original retail price!  And in New York City fashion, they’re available for delivery by scalpers in Manhattan ($20 each), Queens ($30 each), and Brooklyn $40 each).
If you do your own internet search, you’ll come across headlines such as:
 
 
 
 
and
 
 
 
There’s Jerry and Andy Cohen toasting with their cronuts, lucky dogs.
 
Anyway, to be honest, even if I had known, we would never have been in line at 6 am … sleeping in, in a dark luxurious hotel room with no kiddos waking you up (or sleeping in your bed) is far more delicious than any pastry. Um, I think.
 
 
(That’s us looking a little bleary-eyed as we walked out into the sunlight!)
 
 
Ok … back to the shopping.
 
 
Seriously, if I lived anywhere near New York City, I think I could furnish my entire house in this one store.
 
Six swoon-worthy floors of home décor bliss.
 
 
 
Each floor, an amazing loft-space with goodies as far as the eye can see …
 
 
rugs,
 
 
pillows,

 
lighting,

 
 
And the most unique and amazing furniture. I LOVED, this extra long table available in many sizes and finishes.
 
 
 
Or this rustic one with these funky red chairs.
 
 
Another beauty …
 
 
Check out the detail …

 
 
An incredible coffee table wrapped in the softest leather …
 
 
Gorgeous poufs in block-print fabrics …
 
 
And I’m officially adding one of these deep curvy couches to my wishlist:

 
 
I loved how they hung these John Derian trays on the wall for fun artwork …
 
 
 
And I seriously want at least one of these cool industrial-meets-farmhouse pendants …
 

 
Also love the more glam chandeliers … how about this amazing one?
 
 
I noticed that they used these cool round bulbs in almost all of their chandeliers … I really kind of like how it gives a more modern look to a traditional chandelier.
 
I also loved this HUGE old clock (and so did someone else … it had a SOLD sign on it.)  What a dramatic way to fill a big wall …( and I kind of have a thing for clocks.)
 
 
So kiddie-corner to ABC Home is another great little shop called Fishs Eddy.
 
 
 Walking into this Flatiron spot feels as if you’ve just stumbled upon the best stall at the flea market. Worn-wood shelves support stack upon stack of assorted rainbow-colored dishes, mismatched vintage china, toile teapots and other kitschy kitchenwares.
 
 
 
 
 
Quirky or creepy …. hmmmm.

What a great place to stock up on glassware …

These gorgeous milk glass cake stands make me want to bake a bunch of cakes and have a party!

 
 

So pretty and colorful …

 
It’s kind of like a candy shop for people who love their kitchens …

 
After that we headed back down to Soho … I was thrilled to stumble upon this gorgeous Ochre Lighting store …
 
 
I am so in love with Ochre’s chandeliers … I wrote a post about it awhile back (you can read it here) … so I was a little giddy as I stepped inside.
 
Swoon! I was greet by my favorite …
 
 
How killer is it? Seriously …
 
I would even settle for the smaller version …

 
Amazing over a dining room table …

 
And I loved this little back room painted a murky, moody blue …

 
Lest you think all I did was look at design shops … oh no, no, no. What girl can resist the little boutiques of Soho?
 
I might have brought home a new dress, some strappy sandals, and a pair of cute summer shorts …
 
I was especially excited to see this sign on Wooster St.
 

 
 
Have you all shopped their website? I love Piperlime, but I had no idea they had an actual bricks and mortar store.
 
Turns out, the only one is in NYC … and it is just adorable …
 
 
(and so are the clothes)

 
We commented that for a lazy summer Sunday, the streets of Soho were as crowded and busy as Michigan Ave in the weeks before Christmas! 
 
All too soon, it was time to head back to the airport … but not before one more quick stop.
 
 
So while we couldn’t try a Cronut … I can say their French Macaroons are delish!
 
 A perfect little snack for the plane ride home.
 
Until next time New York …
 
 
 
 

To Market, to Market

So, one of the things I most anticipate about Memorial Day Weekend is always the first Randolph Street Market Festival of the season (it runs the last weekend of each month, May through October).  After bribing the boys with a little city brunch (triple chocolate pancakes anyone?) on Sunday morning … we headed over to Randolph Street. It is just such a fun treasure hunt and you never know what you’ll find.

As usual, I snapped some pictures of a few things that caught my attention.  Although, considering the fact that we spent the previous day (and last several weeks) cleaning out our house for our upcoming garage sale, I was still kind of riding the wave of less-is-more and didn’t make many purchases.

But even the boys are intrigued by the assortment of stuff at certain booths …

 
Kyle kind of liked this vintage desk, chair AND lamp …
 
 
And Braden was kind of curious about the cowhide rugs.
 
 
 
Spelling out your name in these jumbo letters would make for a groovy room or playroom …
 

I thought this rustic bench would be pretty tucked away in a lushly landscaped yard.

 
I love how they filled these black metal lockers with white plates … would be awesome along a dining room or kitchen wall to add a little industrial edge.

 

 
I swooned over this navy campaign-style chest. (Sadly, so did someone else … it had a SOLD sign on it.)

 
I’m always drawn to pieces like this with a million little drawers … it’s just an organizational dream … think of all the little things you could keep in here … and LABEL it all too …

 
This vendor is there every time … and I always find myself wishing I had one of his mirrors. I love the mixture of green, gray and reclaimed wood on this one.

 
So in another life, when I have a cool urban loft in the city, I am so getting this island for my kitchen.
 

 A table can be made from a manhole cover … who knew?

 
I almost snapped up a few of these galvanized pots … I think they look so pretty filled with flowers outside …

 
… and Pottery Barn charges a pretty penny for them.
 
 
Love these vintage lockers … great for a mudroom or kids’ room.

With some new knobs, these would be really sweet flanking the bed in a young girl’s room. I would design the whole room around that mint color.

 
Imagine finding this on the hood of a van! 

 
It reminded me of the spectacular sea urchin from Holly Hunt we saw hanging on the wall of the dining room in the Merchandise Dream Home last year.
 
 
I learned today that a friend who was also at the Market that day snatched up a pink one for her daughter’s room … how fun is that?  (And by the way, I guess they are called Juju hats … it is an African headdress.)
 
Aaahhh … to have a girl’s room to decorate. (Yes, I would go crazy.)  But I did find something super cool for a boy’s room …

 
Wouldn’t it be great on a big white wall … I’m thinking of a gold, charcoal gray and white color scheme here …
 
And last but not least … on the way out I saw this cute little chair … kinda perfect as is … but you could also have fun with it by spray painting it a bright color and changing out the fabric.

 
Finally, we rounded out the long weekend with an indoor BBQ at my parent’s house … (with a little early birthday celebration for me …)
 
 
Yep, that cake was delish!
 
 
 

Glitz, Glamour and Gatsby

The Great Gatsby movie comes out tomorrow … is anyone else as excited to see it as I am?

The Great Gatsby has always been one of my favorite books … so I’m hoping the movie won’t disappoint.  I know there have been other movie versions, but I haven’t really loved them.

With Baz Luhrmann directing this one, it is sure to be a visual feast. Of course, the costumes will be to-die-for, but I am equally excited to see the Gatsby Mansion come to life on the big screen.

In anticipation of the Premiere, I thought it would be fun to pull together a few pieces you can use to inject a little Gatsby Style into your own home.

Since The Great Gatsby recounts affluence in America during the 1920’s … glitz, glamour and opulence are in tall order. The Swinging Twenties were also defined by the Art Deco style – geometric shapes, streamlining and clean lines. So here are my picks …

Glamorous Lighting: Nothing has the ability to add more glitz and glam to a room than a few stunning chandeliers, and this ‘20s-inspired version will cast a glittery glow above your fabulous parties.

NEW 1920s Odeon Glass Fringe Chandelier

Geometric shapes: One of the most definitive styles of the era was the use of geometric shapes in everything from fashion to architecture to interior design. This metallic and teal wallpaper pattern from Graham & Brown is perfect for adding an Art Deco touch to a powder room or accent wall

Graham & Brown Wallpaper

Lacquered furniture:  High gloss furniture is another way to evoke glamour and drama. Introduce a lacquered piece like this desk into your decorating scheme to give your space an opulent touch.

Jett Desk in White Lacquer

An elegant and well-stocked bar: Jay Gatsby seems like the kind of guy who would want to be able to mix himself a cocktail from any room in “the manse”.  A bar cart  like this streamlined gold-leaf version, filled with chunky crystal decanters could fit just about anywhere.

Gold Leafed Bar Cart
Traditional Decanter

Art Deco Artwork: The style of the Swinging Twenties can easily be defined in the Art Deco artwork that was produced throughout the decade. I love this poster from Red Gate Arts on Etsy.

Art Deco Bauhaus Poster

Silky, shimmery fabrics: The early Hollywood influence on the ‘20s is evident in the popularity of shiny, luxe fabrics like silks and satins. This metallic throw pillow is the perfect addition to give any room a touch of old Hollywood glam.

Frosted Diamond Pillow Cover

Mirrored furniture: Reflective furniture was all the rage in the ‘20s, and it wasn’t rare to see mirrored tables and chests in the homes of high society like Jay Gatsby. This one feels Art-Deco inspired with it’s circular base.

Splendora Mirrored Console

And there you have it … (cue the fireworks). Don’t you want to bring Gatsby into your home?

 
All of the fabulous mothers out there … have a great Mother’s Day weekend!