Install of the Day !

Hi There . . 

The day was finally here  . . .  installing the Fleming's home.  It snowballed, and before I knew it, they were moving out and we were gutting their kitchen, taking out walls, fireplaces and banisters as well as painting every inch.  Major renovation.  I love Lara, she's got a great, funky, slightly whimsical side and one of the sweetest people I know (with the sweetest dog Luna).  We took her Myers Park, early 1900's home and, while keeping the charm of an older house, updated it with all the modern touches everyone seems to be screaming for.  Doorways were raised, kitchen was completely gutted and throughout the first floor we updated colors, furniture and accessories. Some of the more major changes -  the fireplace, floors and banister.  I love how it all came together.

The oak floors have now lost their orange cast and multiple scratches and are a gorgeous shade of grey.  All the walls and trim are a clean bright white.  We added new wall papers to the foyer, powder room and dining room and switched out some tired furniture with new, sleeker styles.  With a hand full of unique design details (like hidden "art" doors, banisters and fabulous hardware), this home has turned into a fun, personality filled space !  

Mekenzie and I were over the other day and took our time capturing some of our favorite details with Luna shadowing us wanting to be in every shot.

The design boards we created at the onset I hoped would give Lara a good visual, take a look at where we started.

My plan was to change all the wall colors to bright white with new white linen window treatments in the living room and dining room.  A new sofa and chairs with lower lines and interesting leg detail. The color pop would be visible through the entry foyer and accent pieces like art and pillows.

These art pieces of hers actually started the entire design.  They are very "Lara" I felt.  I pulled the colors and feel throughout the first floor.

We kept the original beaded board in the dining room, but added a new wall paper and dining table, curtains and accessories.

Moving to the family room we updated it completely with new furniture . . .

. . . a re-worked built in with new sleek hardware . . 

. . . a new look for the fireplace . . 

and a large piece of art to be painted right on the wall,  hiding a door to a storage space and a gorgeous new design for the banister.

The kitchen was a gut job with a new table and banquet we had made.

And lastly, the powder room updated with a fun and funky new paper, light and mirror.

Voila . .  Lara and Brad's new living room.

With a gorgeous view into the foyer with a custom pieces of furniture we had made to fit the space perfectly.

I love the pops of color mixed with all the clean of the white.

The Lulu DK pillows added just the right pop and the art in the background Keith created to repeat some of the colors and patterns.

The living space opens into the dining room where we added new paper and a modern custom table by Josh Utsey to mix with the more vintage pieces.

The dining space flows into the new kitchen with all new cabinets, island and banquet we had made.

One of my favorite things . . this custom banister we designed and had made by our custom fabricator Tuan of Fe26 Design.  Isn't it gorgeous !!!

Under the stairs is a large storage space, perfect for games and this and that.   I wanted to do something other than just a door so we created this "hidden" door within a piece of art Keith and I did together.  We painted it right on the wall and over the door, then framed out the entire piece.  Just push on the corner and the smaller door within the painting opens.

The fireplace, another big re-do.  Formerly all bring with a big wooden mantel.  Down it all came and in its place, floor to ceiling marble tile.  Sleek and modern now !

Just off the living space, a small powder room filled with Lindsay Cowles' paper.  The combo of pale grey and a chartreuse tie back to the living space accent colors and adds a whimsy all powder rooms should have !  A little Stray Dog mirror and we have a complete new look.

As always, I shopped local for a few accessories and art.  These two pieces I picked up at Slate.  Artist Ted Lee's vibrant colors were just the pop it needed.  Love.

Love working with Lara - one of my favorite people.  Happy to say she's become a friend

Happy Weekend !

What's Hot . . . Fur, Leather & Fringe

Hi.

Fashion and decor go hand in hand in my opinion.  Color trends, textures and overall feel.  I love fashion, don't claim to know much, but I do find a lot of inspiration from the runway and new collections.  While helping Megan (Boem), Jill and Courtney (Sloan) with their new spaces us girls at the office fell in love with their wares as much as they did with ours . . .  My Rebecca Minkoff black fringe back pack went all over London with me and I believe Maggie has a fur vest or two and happy to say it's back this year in more than just vests.  Bree can sport a high high heal that's for sure and Betsy is always on top of the latest . . . we love those two shops.  Thought I'd pay a little homage to my favorite looks for the Fall of 2016.  What I love as much as the style are the colors.  Black, White and Caramel.  Oh that's funny, it's the look I went for in my entire home re-do, image that !!

Take a look at a few of my favorites brands both Sloan and Boem carry and what I found on their individual sites.

I love following Megan on Instagram - taken from her page, she can pull of just about anything. . .  

Jumped on the site of a few of her favorite brands - here's just a few of my favorites in keeping with the fur, leather and fringe look I am so into now . . .

How does all this translate to your interior?  In color, texture and attitude.

When looking to re-design my own space I pulled images from my Pinterest inspiration files and noticed I was really drawn to bits (and I mean bites, like one sheepskin or one pillow or one blanket) of fur, a lot of leather, clean white color palettes, and a fringe edge.

I love the mix of distressed wood, a touch of mid-century scale, size and shape.

Don't have these large, black, gorgeous casement windows and doors?  Paint your wood windows black and you'll get the same feel.  A track sofa arm, leather sofa and the mix of hand painted pillows and soft rugs and blankets.  Love the swing idea !!

Wood beams, white walls, large, black metal lighting.  A bit of old and new and a touch of brass.

I am all about the leather sofa.  With 3 dogs at home, it stays cleaner !

Unique lighting and a real Eames chair in black leather and you'll never regret it.

Bright and airy.  Of course the amazing window helps, but the light floors and white walls do the trick as well.

The black doors, another track arm sofa, and a leather Barcelona bench with fur throw, calling my name !

My all time favorite designer's who have mastered the look I love . . . Roman and Williams.  Principles Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch.

When working on my own space I pulled all these thoughts together with my own spin
Here's a sneak peek, but stay tuned, planning to shoot the entire project very soon !