Install of the Day !

Hey !

I am all about the space we installed last week for Jill Pleune !  We really went from one extreme to the other - installing the boy's rooms at Lori Crowder's and them switching gears to Jill's sophisticated music room right down the road (all while backing the trucks for BHI tomorrow)  It's been crazy but so much fun.  Happens like this every Spring and have to admit I am there too wanting a change on the home front.  Something is in the air for sure. . .

Jill is awesome. There are so many elements incorporated in this space I can hardly pick my favorite thing. Working with her has been a dream.  She knows I know her style and just let's me curate her spaces for a big surprise reveal.   We started in her family room, moved to the dining room, headed into her foyer and now it was time for this front room.  Was so thrilled to have those previous rooms featured in this month's SouthPark Magazine, even making the cover !

So in this space, I started with a beautiful, yet lonely, piano and tried to create a color cohesive, comfortable and, most of all, eye catching space filled with unique objects and art that jived with the other rooms we designed.  Take a look at our shoot from Friday.

I worked in her favorite color combination of black and white.  Starting with the black walls, I searched for old and new elements.  The first pieces I found were these chairs and console (from Slate Interiors).  The console was perfect as is, the chairs were as well, covered in new white linen, but I chose to recover them in a slightly "dirty" and textured off white - I know I was being really picky here but wanted the space to have a little age.   The hunt then continued with all the art and objects, lighting and rug.

Over a little time I pulled pieces I had coveted from our showroom and then commissioned Ashton Nichols to create two new art pieces, an elephant and a nude and Keith to contribute an abstract tar circle piece.

I filtered in two black and white watercolors, fashion inspired, and a black and white beetle ink piece by Nancy Prator along with and a mirror or two.  The gold tones in the metal warm the space and age it where it needs to be. 

What a beautiful space to play.

Love this fabric we found for two pillows.

And how about these old andirons !!

I am on a feather thing at the moment and these are so so pretty against the black walls.

Another vintage table find.

And a new chandelier !

Ashton's elephant is one of my favorite things for sure !

An how about an unconventional piano bench?!

all photos by mekenzie france

Love Love - seeing this come to life was the highlight of my week.

Happy Monday.

Install of the Day !

Hey There . . 

The Foyer . . . an introduction to your home, expressive of your personality, your style.  I have been working with Jill Pleune of Sloan (best of . . . as far as cool clothes and shoes for us girls) on creating a look for her entire home, room by room.  I have had the most fun surprising her and with each install and it gets better and better as we go along.  We started with her family room (see here), moved to her dining room (see here) and moving to the living room or master will be next to continue the first floor.

When designing Jill's space I looked at her personal style.  A fan of black and white, classic yet edgy with a bit of whimsy and a lot of chic.  I love working with Jill.  Enthusiastic, open and just fun to be around.  Each project I have worked on with her has been a welcome home surprise, in that she has an idea of what I am doing but not the whole picture.  I love that - it's a win win for both!

Mekenzie always manages to capture and image that explains exactly the feeling I want for a space and this is the one that reminds me the most of Jill. 

Her foyer, like many homes I have been into, is your typical two story, turned stairs, big chandelier type of space with a dining room on one side and a "formal" living space on the other.  With a plan in place (in my head) for her first floor,  I continued with an eclectic mix of furniture with high levels of texture and pattern yet all black and white and cream.  We have a little leopard, a little cream fur, antique brass, cane, sequence, embroidery, lacquer, metal, distressed wood, lucite, burlap and corrugated paper!

I love the birds and I love the white on cream.  Just a little something to backdrop a vignette.  Check out the floor lamp.  Vintage, highly ornate.  I paired it with a burlap shade with rough, frayed edges.  I couldn't find what I wanted so we made it, or should I say Carson made it for me.  Great job creating the soft pleats and exposed wire.  Love and love even more her attention to detail.  I give her a project and with very little instruction she creates something beautiful and exactly what I am looking for.

The ceiling medallion is the only thing I kept in this space.  Love that it is similar to the embroidery on foot stool underneath.  The large metal and distress wood chandelier is delicate and simple, and beautiful through the front window.

Keith did this amazing piece for me not too long ago.  Floating on plexiglas, Veronica once again came up with the most amazing frame.  It's large 5 x 6 foot scale is perfect for all that dead space overhead on the blank 2 story foyer wall.  The tone on tone colors are simply beautiful with my palette but the high texture keeps it interesting.

My biggest piece of advise in this space is the size of the rug.  There is nothing I dislike more than a postage size "mat" by the front door.  My installer did a template for us, cutting this area rug equal distance off each baseboard.  Now this foyer appears to look more like a room than just a cut through to the home.  We painted the banister and stair treads high gloss black rather than the more casual stained look that they were.   Now when you enter the front you have a welcoming sight to greet you.

If you do a little "fur" keep it rich in color and use it only once in a space.  Don't overdue it and it will be amazing.  And what girl doesn't love a little glitz, again just a small dose!

The small table top, a gold metal clover, also has that small detail that makes it interesting.

Maggie created a design board in this case for us - it's the way we keep track of everyone on the "big wall."  Jill loves the surprise and now that I think about it, the extent of our meetings are a text that say maybe . .  "I have some money, do some more . . ."   What's next ?  I already have the living room in my head . . . 

Happy Sunday !