Project: Sneak Peek

A little glimpse at my current project:

Feminine Friday: Cool Vs. Classic

I'm personally torn between cool and classic interior style all of the time.  I enjoy sleek and lacquered furniture with straight lines, but I also adore furniture with inlay designs, softer lines, and a little bit of plush.  Both can be feminine - just like these two bedrooms; one a little bit more contemporary, the other more traditional.

Do you lean one way, or mix?

Manly Monday: Martha's Man

If you visit Martha Stewart's website, you'll come across the design blog of Kevin Sharkey.  Home Design with Kevin Sharkey is full of great before & after pics and projects that he tackles himself.  One of my favorite aspects of his blog are the posts dedicated to the remodeling and design of his own apartment in NYC.  Oh, and when he is not blogging, Kevin is Senior Vice President and Executive Editorial Director, Decorating, and Executive Creative Director, Merchandising for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.  Phew...say that fast 3 times.

Here are some great shots of his completed apartment for this week's Manly Monday:

 

Light Reading

RUE                                                           LONNY

ADORE HOME                                                NESTING NEWBIES

Webazines or online magazines are the rage right now.  And why not?  They are easy to read, don't take up any space on your coffee table, and save trees.  These are some of my favorites, Adore Home, Lonny, Nesting Newbies, and Rue.  Each of these magazines run numerous design spreads featuring decorated spaces ranging in style and budget for a complete and satisfying visit for all.

And while I favor holding a magazine in my lap and flipping through gorgeous page after page, a quick flip with the click of a mouse through these webazines is the equivalent of a Starbucks coffee break pick-me-up.  Sign me up!  What do you think?

In Case You Missed it...

I recently wrote a guest post for Rene over at Cottage & Vine about my design process.  In case you missed it, here's a repeat:

As an interior decorator and lover of all things interior design related, I truly believe that there is no such thing as a "small job."  Recently, a new client asked me to help her with her family room, in which she needed help making the room look finished, while using items she currently owns and purchasing some accessories.  A small job to some, but to me this is a big opportunity to help someone fulfill a desire to improve their home.  That's what I love about my job.

Below is an image of my client "L"s room.  She has struggled for years with how to improve the look of the stone wall surrounding her fireplace.  And as a mother of an adorable little boy, she has also used a lot of dark colors in the room to prevent wear & tear from showing.

On the opposite wall (below) I see a lot of opportunity to add accessories, color, and storage.  Currently, there is a lot of open space...

While I'm in the home, I take measurements and lots of photographs.  Then I study the photographs and create a floor plan.  With the photos and floor plan, I am able to create a plan of how the furniture should be arranged to best suite the room, as well as placement of accessories.

Next, I shop online and local stores for accessories.  Once I find items that I love for the space, I create renderings of the room.  These drawings illustrate how the room will look finished.  These are a great way to show clients what's in my head and are sometimes easier than verbal descriptions.  They are quite time consuming, but I feel they are priceless.



(Below) For "L" I have decided to paint the space above the stone wall a medium gray.  This will give the illusion that the stone wall is complete and the color will continue up through the cathedral ceiling.  I've suggested some "floating" shelves in 3 different sizes, cascading above the stone wall.  This will serve as a mantel, but also proved space for accessories.  The items will be high, so the items will be purely decorative.  The wood shelves will also add some warmth and dimension to the large open wall.

The remaining 3 walls in the room will be painted a warm neutral with a little green tinge to it.  I will give "L" 3 colors to choose from, all of which will look great with the gray wall.  I always recommend Benjamin Moore, they have such a rich pigment and thick coating.  I provide super large paint samples of the colors for my clients to hang on their walls and live with for a few days.

Next, I have gathered some accessories for "L"s space:  a mirror, a large piece of floral art, some small ceramic vases, and the floating shelves.

Then, I gathered some swatches of fabrics to update "L"s current pieces with, adding some color and texture.  

• For the large ottoman that her family uses as a coffee table and the bench seat cushion, I suggest a brown faux leather that is textured and speckled with dark and medium brown tones.
• For the toss pillows on the sofa, I found a cranberry, green, and taupe striped chenille.
• The toss pillows on the bench will be recovered in a soft, nubby green chenille.

Finally, I gather all of this information into a convenient custom design kit for my clients.  That way, they may refer to all of the information I go over with them on their own, as well as take it with them when they go shopping for the suggested items or to find similar ones.   Thanks for reading, I love sharing all things decor!

If you'd like to explore my design services, please visit my website.

Manly Monday: A West Elm Day

West Elm has such a cool look...perfect for a Manly Monday segment.  They have such great essential pieces in warm fabrics, rustic wood finishes, and earthy colors.  Maybe it's the Fall season, but West Elm has caught my attention this month.  I think a Manly Monday Man would like these items:

Feminine Friday: Casual Glamor

Casual Glamor is one of my favorite design looks; it's elegant, yet welcoming.  A classic white sofa anchors this room, but it is the touches of glamor that make me smile.  Shiny lamps, a chandelier, light and ethereal drapes, and glowing wallpaper keep the space glamorous, while a metal end table and a chunky wood pedestal table add a little casual and modern touch.  Brandon Barre Photography/Candice Olson

Project: Lamp Re-Vamp

Lighting is one of my first projects to tackle in my new digs.  The BF had this floor lamp that was a little dated.  The brass base didn't bother me as much as the tiny pleated lamp shade did, so, after a little compromising with the BF, it was decided that a new shade would do the trick.

I replaced the tiny pleated shade with a large tan linen drum shade, and I think it made quite a difference...

Before                                                            After

Before                                                                 After

Manly Monday: If I Were A Man...

If I were a man, I'd live here.  Plain and simple, love this room.  It's rustic with chunky wood.  It's light with creamy colors.  That relaxed roman shade is so simple yet steals the show.  I'm a big lover of leather and that ottoman is gorgeous with it's warm caramel tone.  I'd pass on those folding chairs though...

Well, I'm not a man, but I will soon be living with one.  I'm moving in with the boyfriend, into his manly place.  Maybe I can recreate this look - or maybe I'll go completely different.  His place has good bones, i.e. nice basic furniture.  Just needs some finishing touches...  As soon as I start making some "updates" (don't want to use the word changes, he might read this, ha ha) I'll post some pics!

S. Russell Groves via decor pad

Before images of bedroom.

Feminine Friday: Dark & Dramatic

A room doesn't always have to be draped in pink and ruffles to exude femininity.  Take this dark and dramatic bedroom, for example, with dark black walls and a baroque bed, it still looks like a lady's room.  Sconces, mirrors, and bare windows keep the space filled with light.  image via decor pad

Still Working on it...

I haven't finished my chair project yet, but I'm still working on it. And by "still working on it" I really mean that I have no clue what to recover it with...  But this blue beauty gets me all warm and fuzzy, so I think I might go in this direction with the color and the velvet.

To Sit or to Sleep?

I've always lusted after master bedrooms with cozy sitting areas.  I think if I had a bedroom like the one below, I'd probably end up putting a fridge in it and never leaving...  What about you?  Do any of you have master bedrooms with a sitting area?  And how often do you use the space?

Jan Showers

Cool Things: Trunk

 

How cool would it be to use this zebra trunk as an end table?  You could stack a couple and use them beside a sofa, or even a bed.  Check it out at CSN/Stores.

Manly Monday: Simple Yet Detailed

ron marvin

I was watching the Nate Show the other day and he mentioned when decorating a contemporary room, you want to use fewer objects, but have those objects each make a big statement or be individually exquisite.  This will keep the space interesting, yet minimal.

Guest Post: Come See....

Yesterday I was featured at my friend Casey's blog, Loft & Cottage.  Her blog is great stop for those interested in sophisticated cottage decor with a modern twist.

She's been in Italy and I'm hoping she's been having a wonderful start to the Fall!  Come see my guest post about Fall decor here.

Feminine Friday: Split Personality

Sometimes there are things in a room that just make me say, "wow, I would've never thought to do that."  For example, at a glance this is a beautiful, balanced room with elegant furnishings.  Upon closer inspection, notice that this room has split personalities.  The 2 vignettes that are flanking the window are completely different.  The one on the left is made up of a bright gilt mirror, warm burled wood console, and a lamp with a light cream shade.  The opposite side has a dark antiqued mirror, a sleek espresso console, and a black lamp shade.  The room has a subtle femininity because of turned legs, a Queen Anne settee, and soft colors.

image via: decor pad

Do you think you could pull off split personalities?  Or would you want matchy matchy?