Blog — Page 21

A few winter tweaks …

February 27, 2013

I don’t know about you, but after so many hours indoors at home, I really get the itch to change things up a bit around my house. Some changes are small … some a little more involved (ask my husband and father-in-law). But I thought I’d share a few here …

#1 Simplifying the top of our entertainment center

Before I had a few more things up top … but I decided to go for just 3 bigger objects this time. These were all things I already had in my house but now they kind of have a new life in this very focal point of our family room.

I always think it’s a great idea to shop your own house and move your accessories around. Store some things away for awhile and then bring them back out when the mood hits.

#2 I painted my rooster!

I’ve always liked my quirky rooster but he used to be red. He kind of blended into the cabinets … so I took out some of my leftover Annie Sloan Chalk paint (I wrote about here) and gave him a makeover. I’m always looking for ways to brighten up my dark cabinets, so this gives a nice pop of creamy white up above the cook top.

#3 New Chandelier for my dining room (!!!!)

This is what my dear husband and father-in-law spent a couple of hours hanging for me on a recent Sunday afternoon. It makes me very happy!

You might remember the old when that came with the house …

It just felt heavy … our dining room is not all that large … so I knew we needed something a little more delicate, light … and sparkly …

#4 More sparkle … to the fireplace.

Decorating a mantel can be tricky … because I have bookshelves in this room that already hold a lot of different decorative objects, I wanted to keep this mantel a little more uniform. A collection of mercury glass votive holders in various sizes, shapes and textures did the trick. Plus, I like the juxtaposition of the more rustic fireplace with the glamour of mercury glass.

#5 A few purchases from One Kings Lane

In wintertime, when I can’t physically get out to wander around outdoor antiques markets, I have to get my fix browsing the Tastemaker Tag Sales and Vintage shops of One Kings Lane.

So many one-of-kind treasures … it’s a great way to score some unique pieces for your home. My recent purchases …

This gray and white French ticking body pillow …

… this white ceramic pitcher and vintage French bottling tray:

I think the tray will be pretty come spring & summer to fill with vintage glass bottles and fresh cut stems from my yard.

So that’s it for me … how are you beating the doldrums of winter?

The rewards of going bold

February 14, 2013

Nothing brings drama to a room like gorgeous drapery panels framing the windows. While there seems to be a trend favoring simple window treatments over the last several years, some rooms simply call for a little more color, texture pattern and warmth.

Custom drapery panels are certainly an investment, so it can be hard to commit to a pattern or color. What if I get tired of it? What if it goes out of style? These are valid fears, but often keep us from going for something we really love in favor of plain neutral panels.

By being a bit of a risk-taker, you can get fabulous results. Take a look at some of the rooms below that use patterned drapery panels. Each is more swoonworthy than the next …

Traditional Home

Centsational Girl

Emily A. Clark

Houzz

Peter Dunham

Lauren Leiss

Take away the drapery panels in any of these rooms and they are just a little bit less lovely.

Fortunately, a client of mine was willing to be a bit of a risk-taker, and the results have been equally as fabulous. We are working on her Master Bedroom, and while it is not yet completely “reveal-worthy,” the new drapery panels that were installed last week have totally changed the feel of the room.

She was apprehensive when I first suggested this pattern for the panels …

I totally understood and also presented her with some safer, solid fabrics … but all the while secretly hoped she would agree to the pattern. To my delight (and now hers!) she decided to go for it and we are both so happy with how they turned out.

They provide such a great array of soft colors to pull into the room … we’ve got the gray on the walls, the purple in a quilt and throw pillows and other pieces to be reupholstered, and the gold and blue can be used in accents around the room.

How do you feel about pattern? Are you a risk-taker? I’d love to see pictures of favorite patterns you’ve used in your home in a bold way!

P.S. Happy Valentines Day!

What I’m loving …

February 7, 2013

It’s hard to believe that our first real snow didn’t come until February this year … I secretly love the cold snowy days when you are forced to stay warm and cozy indoors. This past weekend I logged a few hours online as I watched the flakes fall outside my window and came across quite few new things to love …

So I hope you don’t mind this fairly random post, but I thought I’d share them with you here.

This is the time of year where I am so craving indoor plants … there’s no more holiday greenery and there’s nothing pretty outside either. Having little pots and vases around the house makes me happy. I really love the collection of interesting planters I found at Terrain …

I also totally love this idea I found over at Jones Design Company for turning a tea towel into fun kitchen art.

You can read the whole article here.

Did you know that online retailer and catalog company Horchow is celebrating it’s 40th anniversary? They’ve brought in Sally Horchow the original founder’s daughter to give the brand fresh new look.

It was fun to peruse around their site and see some new products, bright colors and fun prints.

Over on Design Chic, I loved their post about sisal stair runners … I’ve always thought this was a clean, sophisticated look. Here are a couple of my favorite examples.

Finally, have you all heard of Mark & Graham?

It’s a new brand under the Williams Sonoma parent company that offers a really fun assortment of personalized and monogrammed items … everything from bar ware:

to linens …

to jewelry …

pillows and throws …

even the cutest paperweights …

What about you? What have you been swooning over online?

Current Crush: Blown Glass Chandeliers

January 29, 2013

Lately I have been drawn to the look of blown glass chandeliers …

I think they can have a lot of visual impact while still feeling light and airy. And they mix well with many different styles, metals and wood finishes. I would love to stumble across an antique version … or better yet, one made of true Murano hand-blown glass.

In the meantime, I have come across some other rather swoonworthy ones …