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!

While installing at the lake last week, we also installed a tween room.  A blank slate that needed a bed, dresser, desk and some accessories to pull it all together.  A very clean and crisp look with nooks and zones perfect for a pre-teen.  My client was very clear in the colors she wanted.  Green and blue. She fell in love with this floral as well as a tree fabric that we chose to hand paint in the walls.

Take a look at what we installed while they were off at the beach . . . 

We had numerous angled walls and niches, each painted a different color but all work together creating zones.    There is definitely a theme here, but not too overdone.

Can you say #TBT?  This space reminded me of my, or should I say Keith's early days.  I asked (begged rather) him to recreate a pattern on the accent wall in this tween's room.  A pattern my client loved and had to have.  She found it in a fabric, but it was not available in a paper, so out the paint brushes came.

photos by beth keim (reason they aren't the best !!)

Fun, quick install.  Rachel was so surprised when she got home !

My Current Obsession . .

Happy Sunday!

I have a current obsession.  Allow me to elaborate.  Yesterday I played with all the things I love, one is pondering new ideas.  I hate repeating things.  There are too many ways to be inspired and directions to go and being original is the goal.  But first of all,  I was up early just to get on the One Kings Lane site to snag a piece or two from Iris Apfel private collection that went on sale at 8 am.  It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to have something from a design icon.  Within minutes everything was spoken for.  I was surprised the site didn't crash.  But I hung in there and the piece I wanted, which was "on hold" suddenly became available (you have 9 mins to purchase).  I grabbed it.  A marble covered mask.  I know, a little odd.  I love it, not that I plan to wear it, (but you never know) I plan to frame it in some sort of amazing way (and Veronica - I will be seeing you!)  I also scored a cool, metal bracelet-like belt and her book "Rare Bird of Fashion."  

I love her.  She is a Rare Bird and a no-bull shit - 93 year old that doesn't worry what anyone thinks. She's a true original in everything she is, sees and does.  Get the book, her life is amazing.

So back to the obsession thing.  It's the look of marble and other semi-precious stones, hence the marble covered mask.  I say "look" because it's not just the real thing I love, it's the natural (and exaggerated, human tweaked)  patterns.   I want it in art, in wall paper, in jewelry, on counters, on furniture. This obsession of mine started originally with Kelly Wearstler (another icon I obsess over).   Her use of this material in it's true sense, on floors, on walls, on furniture is stunning.   Her layering is amazing,  her color tones I could get lost in.  Take a look at a few of amazing spaces and you'll see what I mean.

I love following her on instagram and somewhere along the way her images with their amazing color combinations, and patterns inspired me and became something I wanted to incorporate in the way of fabrics, papers and most importantly, art.  There was something rich and luxe about the movement of the patterns.

 Addison Weeks also started appearing in my travels.  I first got a look at her jewelry at Slate Interiors and have loved ever since.

Addison Weeks

My obsession only continued when I was introduced to Calico wall paper one trip to New York.   This was the first I had seen of this type of paper and after talking with the creators , Rachel and Nicholas and learning a little bit about the process, I became even more obsessed.

So much so, I used one of their papers on an install of my own . . .

Then Zoffany came along with their Quartz line of papers. Oh man.  Had to use.

We just recently back these built in cabinets with one of their papers then I went further in the space and added those touch of gold and metals to bring it all to life.

The new project I am working on will incorporate another pattern in the same Quartz book I love !  Stay tuned for that.  My new clients Leslie and Jef Pearce have just finished building their dream house.  Ultra modern and sleek.  I was thrilled to jump in (thank you Jill Pleune) to help pull together the look to go with the architectural design that Jef created himself.

Their master should be as luxe as Miss Leslie herself.

When it comes to art, marble paper was used way back when as a mat to frame a piece.  You remember, those tacky green marble mats surrounding a painting, print or photo.  Well get rid of those.  What I am interest in is the over piece resembling the look of anything marbleized on a large scale.

Give me any one of these vintage marble papers in the form of a large painted piece.

Keith, my artist husband, loves working in mixed media.  He has created encaustic pieces (using pigments mixed with hot wax that are burned in as an inlay) and has recently started working in ink.  The look is exactly what I am talking about.  This piece was one of his first encaustic pieces where he played with the movement of the wax, acrylic and metallic.  I love this one and had it framed in my office in the most gorgeous mint lucite frame (thank you V)

I am sure my love for this look will continue.  As like marble - it stands the test of time.

Stay tuned, Mekenzie shot the show at Hart Witzen Friday night, which will give you a better idea of encaustic and show off some of Keith's work!