The Collage Pendant

We are looking at using Louis Poulsen's Collage Pendant in the project I am currently working on.

    

 

I looooove it. A decorative fixture that produces both light and shadow = amazing in my book.

End Table Makeover

Here is the before shot of my $20 Craig's List find.

And here is the after.

Lots of lessons learned on this one. Biggest lesson...if there are oil paint roses on a piece of furniture, no amount of Kiehls is going to cover it up. Sand those puppies off first, then prime. I would also LOVE to replace the pulls, but the screw are stripped and we cannot get them off. Any ideas?

I painted it three different colors before I went with this celery. I like it with my pillows. I think if I told my sweet husband I had to go back to Home Depot one more time he might ban me from projects forever, again.

Chair Makeover

My friend Heather is a designer in Atlanta. Earlier this week she sent me a photo of this chair she revitalized. How awesome is this chair!? The chevron fabric is by Paula Press and the piping was a JoAnn's find. The fact that she thought to do the piping out of a completely different, highly patterned fabric really makes the chair for me.

Good job Heather! Now start a blog so we can see all your many other creative ideas!

A Nursery for Lili

My friend Lili is having a baby! If you have been visiting my blog for very long you may have noticed that for a long time, my number one supporter was my friend Lili. She and I were in a Bible study together during the med school days and she has been a very sweet friend to me through the years. I had promised Lili this summer that I would help her with her master bedroom, and I still plan on it, but first I had to get excited for her little bun in the oven and put together a gender neutral nursery. She and her husband are waiting to find out the sex. I think that is so exciting.

For those who have asked, this was just a quick Photoshop collage. I was limited by the angles the furniture was photographed in...so it's not really a real rendering per say. I usually use 3-D AutoCAD to render a true perspective {which to most design professionals is very old school}. But honestly, I end up Photoshoping them to death in the end regardless.

I was thinking of gray and white walls, with black trim for the base and then when the baby is born she can add pink or blue accents to make it go boy or girl.  And then switch it for baby #2:)

The accent colors could be a million different things, but I think muted colors like these would be nice. She could also sub the gray portion of the wall stripe out for a color if this option is too stark.

Most everything in this rendering can be found at Target:
Rocker and ottoman
Pillow
Floor Lamp
Changing dresser  (on sale)
Curtains 
(buy one shower curtain, cut in half. fold over the edges and iron with hem tape. add clip on rings to top)
Frames
Light fixture
Crib
Shelf (paint or paper the back)
Branch vase
Bird vase
Rug
Bird decals

Congrats Lili and Jeremy! You are going to be wonderful parents.

Warm Modernism

Thomas O'Brien is known for creating "warm modernist" spaces. This is his home in New York, it was published in Interior Design Magazine in 2003, which means it was probably designed between 2001 and 2002. I think it's a good example that modern/mid century design can be just as timeless as traditional interiors.

 

 

The way people stage a room is always interesting to me. I'm not so sure about the unmade bed look. I think it may be trying too hard to make it look "warm". By the way, do you read Dwell? Dwell! Quit putting people in every room scene. One or two is plenty. We want to see the design of the space, not a man in his robe eating a bowl of cereal. If you've seen this month's issue, you'll know what I'm talking about. Otherwise, I love you Dwell.

Design is in the Details

good job Kelly Hoppen

Living Room Additions

Over the holiday week I made a few new pillows for our sofa. I used a couple of my favorite Amy Butler fabrics. I also braved IKEA this past Saturday {crazy} to pick up the floor lamp I've had my eye on. We have no overhead lighting in our living room and no room for end tables next to our sofa, so the arm on this guy makes it the perfect solution. I replaced the plastic shade with a linen drum shade I found for $9.00 at Target.

And I finally committed to hanging some frames.

I am almost done with my living room, almost. I'll post full room shots soon, then we can move again, right?

Once upon a time {this past summer} a sweet lady emailed me about sending her photographs of my apartment for the Globe. I told her it was really not in great shape and I would work hard and get back to her in two weeks. Fast forward 4 months, READY now. But I cannot find your email address. Are you out there?

I also made two completely unrelated purchases.

How cute are these shoes!? I want to wear them everywhere. Forever 21. Go get some, guaranteed to make you feel pretty. I will note that Saturday night Mr. Sabbe had to piggy back me home from a dinner party, but I am kind of a whimp.

Carlee, I think you need this pair. Chris will carry you home.

I also bought the pretty little number to the right on Craig's List for $20. She's getting a paint job and will be making her blog debut shortly. Stay tuned.

Modern Mama

Who says modern can't be kid friendly? These little squirts look like they are having a pretty good time.

I will admit, I have the baby bug. But it's nothing new. I'm from the South. We start planning how many children we are going to have and name each one, when we're about six years old. Then we send those names off to the monogrammer.

Panton Paired

I have always been a bit indifferent about the Vitra Panton Chair. I don't love it, I don't hate it. But today, when I came across it paired with this traditional dining table, I decided to move it to the higher end of the like list. What do you think?

A Restful Retreat

Here are some more images I gathered for the residential project I worked on last summer. My client wanted to be able to rent the house as a corporate retreat, so the interior needed to be cozy and feel like "home", without feeling like someone else's home. I think this space in Port Ludlow, WA does a pretty good job of that.

 

 

 

 

Olson Kundig Architecture is quickly becoming one of my favorites.