lighting

The Friday Foursome

February 12, 2016

Maybe it’s the feeling of being all cooped up this winter – but I find myself going back to this Texas – area Home Builder’s portfolio often just to daydream. Not only are the interiors stunning, but the outdoor spaces have me wishing I lived in a warmer climate. I couldn’t choose one photo so here are a couple more.

I already knew that Amazon sells just about everything … but wow – they REALLY sell everything … including super chic industrial lights like this one and this one …. and you won’t BELIEVE the price!

Try these wooden frames for a more casual, rustic way to hang art.

Target is debuting a new home collection just for kids called Pillow Fort on February 21. You can get a sneak peak here.

Happy New Year!

January 13, 2015

… and uh, Merry Christmas too! Between the holidays and the kids-home-from-school-cold-days, it’s been awhile!

Hopefully you all had a little R&R during the holidays! Now, let’s start the New Year off right! I’ve got lots of client appointments lined up for January already … it’s a great time to make a fresh start. And since we’re spending so much time inside these rooms of our homes this time of year, it’s only natural to start picking apart the things you don’t like and look for ways to make a change.

I thought I’d share a few things on my radar lately … maybe they will inspire you to make some little “change-ups” around your house!

I am loving these bath towels from Kassatex … darn, would have been a great Christmas present idea!

Speaking of Christmas presents, after 16 years, we finally decided to retire the everyday dishes we registered for at our wedding. My parents, in-laws and sister were kind enough to help me collect a new set for Christmas! I did a lot looking before I finally settled on these:

It’s the Marin White Dinner Collection from Crate & Barrel. I really liked the kind of uneven gray edge that gives it a unique, organic feel. I also wanted a set that came with a large wide bowl (they call it a pasta bowl). We use this size a lot for soups, meal-size salads, chili … and, of course, pasta!

Now that your dining room table is cleared of Holiday centerpieces … what about designing a custom table runner at Loom Décor? You can select your fabric and border from a great selection of gorgeous prints and even some metallic solids.

I’m also loving the glass and Lucite hardware at this fun French site.

Maybe the males in my house are rubbing off on me, but I love this blue, locker-inspired cabinet from Ikea … and it is only $99! I would use it as little media cabinet in a basement family room or for craft storage in a kid’s playroom.

Another great steal … this coffee table from West Elm. I love the mix of wood and metal. Kid-friendly with the rounded edges!

I also have many dog-eared pages from some of my favorite magazines …

This light fixture from Urban Electric caught my eye … it feels unexpected in this room, but I kind of like that.

Campion Chandelier

I’m also kind of digging this rug from Kravet.

Kravet Fine Facet Rug

Finally, are things feeling a little bare at your house now that all the greenery of the holidays is gone? Terrain has some nice preserved and faux options to bring a little life and color to your house and help us all get through these winter months!

Adiantum Fern Bunch

Dogwood Branches

Faux Blooms Bunch

And last, but not least … while many people like add a fur throw or pillow this time of year, we decided to add something else a little furry …

His name is Pancake and is he 7 months old! He was rescued from a rough neighborhood in the city, but seems to like his new home.

He also likes to follow our 15 year old cat, Luke, everywhere he goes. Luke is a good sport, but sometimes he needs a little separation.

We are super excited to have this little guy pitter-pattering around the house … one of our best home additions yet!

It’s time to “Chairish” your home …

September 16, 2014

Have you heard of Chairish?

First of all, I love their tagline … Buy. Sell. Adore.

Kind of a designophile’s Craigslist, Chairish is an online marketplace for vintage and “pre-loved” furniture and home décor. UNLIKE Craigslist, you can easily peruse items by photograph and even collections such as “Curator’s Picks,” “Hotties Under $100” or “Cool Combo: Oxblood and Cobalt.”

Anyway, Chairish recently contacted me asking if I’d like to participate, along with some other bloggers, in a project to design the perfect home bar using barstools from Chairish. Of course I jumped at the chance! They sent me an assortment of barstools to choose from and I selected these leather beauties. (You can shop their whole collection by clicking here.)

My idea was to style a cozy bar area you’d perhaps find in a home library … a place to sit with an after dinner cocktail surrounded by books and cozy but glamorous finishes like grasscloth wallpaper, a soft shag rug and a giant celestial map.

Lots of people are forgoing living rooms these days in favor of a space they will use more often. The addition of a sleek bar and lots of bookshelves can turn a former living room into a home library that is functional and fun!

Here is my design board:

In creating my design board, I was able to find a ton of other unique and fun items on Chairish for my room. Check out that killer chandelier and the sconces made of bone! I love the cute little bar cart, and I couldn’t believe all of the cool vintage barware I found to accessorize it.

I’ve listed sources for everything below:

1. Phillip Jeffries Grasscloth Wallpaper in Stately Sable

2. Mid-Century Brass & Lucite Ribbon Chandelier

3. Natural Curiosities – Dorali Celestial Map

4. White Inner Bone Kudu Sconces

5. White Leather Barstools

6. Beni Ourain Moroccan Rug

7. Mid-Century Baccarat French Crystal Pitcher

8. Baccarat Massena Double Old-Fashioned

9. German Ski School Beer Steins

10. Chinoiserie Bamboo Bar Cart

11. Vintage Decanter Bar Set

What do you think? Do you have a space in your home we could transform into a sexy home library? Contact me … I’d love to help … and I know Chairish would too!

Some illuminating finds ….

September 26, 2013

So, do any of you have this problem in your homes? I call it Boob Light Syndrome.

We have a few too many of these lights in our house, put in by the builder. Ick. Boob Light. This one is in our mudroom … but there are others … hallway, laundry room, closets, even the front entry. It is my goal to eradicate them all over time.

I’m happy to say that last week two of them came down along with the Boob Light Fan in my office. I have been searching for and collecting the right replacements for some time and finally had my trusty handyman in to do the swaps.

The hallway that leads from our kitchen to the mudroom had one single Boob Light to illuminate it. It was replaced by two of these white Barn Light pendants I snagged on One Kings Lane.

Next up, my entryway. Another Boob Light. I have been back and forth and probably looked at 3 dozen different options for this spot. But I kept coming back to this one. Our entryway is not very big so I wanted something simple with clean lines, but also a little drama. I think this fits the bill.

Finally, out with the Boob Light Fan in my office and in with this Antique Brass Lantern I’ve been swooning over from Circa Lighting.

Of course, I had to get someone’s approval first. No, not my husband. (Sorry honey.) Another male in my life.

Fortunately Leo approves. (As a side note, that chair has become the world’s most expensive cat bed.)

Mixing Metals … yay or nay?

August 16, 2013

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.