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.

Chevron Tutorial Recall + the deer

First things first. Thank you to whoever commented about the contact paper ruining their walls. I forgot to mention a very important detail. Both walls I have applied this technique to have been lath and plaster, NOT drywall. I am understanding from a few comments that this may not work so well on drywall. I would believe them and steer clear. Damaged drywall is a waaaay bigger deal than painting where you were not supposed to. PLEASE don't ruin your walls by doing this tutorial. I will feel SO terrible.

I will say that the birds I did in my last house were up for two years and were easy to peel off when we were ready to move. So if you do have lath and plasters walls, you should be good to go.

Secondly, some people have asked about the deer head. Along with chevron, I was very big on the animal heads this past summer. I love, love, love this Etsy shop, but they were all out of my price range. So after looking everywhere, and even pricing a form and antlers for a major DIY attempt, I found this guy on Ebay for $25...

He is made of resin and the best part is, his antlers are detachable. So spray painting just the head was super easy.

For about $30 total, I think he's just as good as, if not better, than the Z Gallery version and almost 1/8th the price. I wish I could find the Ebay dealer, but I didn't see them when I looked. If you like it, I would check Ebay every now and then and see if they re-post them. My search was "deer head"

And to wrap this very wordy blog post up, please do not put contact paper on your drywall!

Can my conscious be clear now?

A New Year's Retreat

 

 

 

 

 

Earlier this month I asked Mr. Sabbe to describe his favorite architectural style. His description was glass, wood, and you look out and do not see any other buildings. I think he was more or less describing his dream home and not his favorite architectural style, but what is it with men's desire to own a big tract of land out in the middle of nowhere? I always say that I am perfectly fine in the city.

Looking at the photos of this WRB retreat home in Stockholm helps me understand his desire to escape. So peaceful, relaxing, and simple. I wouldn't mind starting my New Year right there in that wooden chair, blanket around my shoulders, with a glass of wine in hand. You?

Stair What?

Although the title embarrasses me, I forwarded a link to the architect I am currently working with.

Have you checked out Stair Porn? I love when architects and designers embrace a stair as both an ornamental feature and an experiential space. It makes opting out of the elevator so much more fun.

Well Done in Wicker Park

The team over at Desire to Inspire brought Buckingham Interiors + Design to my attention this morning. I was super impressed with their work and wanted to share this Wicker Park Renovation project. Boston is a town that loves their historic architecture and I think this is a great example of how you can stealthy integrate modern design into a classic structure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

See the transition of the stair railing from traditional to modern? And notice how much more modern the spaces are on the upper floors.

 

 

Beige + Lemon

= pretty

And I like the way they did the curtains. Light and sheer + heavy and textured = very nice
It's like an implied base around the room.

Modern Gliders

Foreword: I am not pregnant.

Mr. Sabbe has been dreaming of a chair since the day we were married. His dad has a chair, his granddad has a chair, Sabbe men need their chair. Unfortunately my Mr. Sabbe married an Interior Designer who is not going to let just any old comfortable chair reside in her living room. I do not feel like I am being particularly cruel with this rule. One day he will have a man room where he can have four black leather chairs, complete with cup holders and built in coolers, placed on tiered, stadium-like risers, if he so chooses. But today, in our 700 s.f. apartment, where I can see from one end to the other with a turn of the head, is not the day.

So, I told him last month, because he has been an extra hard worker, he could get a man chair. My only request was that it be somewhat modern and include a glider/rocker function.

 

Are those not the best looking gliders ever? And if he has any reservations from photos 1-5, once I show him that 6 fully reclines, I'm pretty sure I'll have a deal on my hands.

If you live in Boston, I'm pretty sure you can test drive one over at Tadpole.