Install of the Day !

Hey There !

This isn't your typical dining room, we didn't want it to be.  This townhouse and this project is the latest installment for one of my favorites, Susan Brown.  Staring in her great room, moving to her home office and upstairs lounge, Susan and I have become good friends over the past few years and with each new space it become more pulled together and (I hope she agrees) beautiful.

Like most townhouses, this space shoots from front to back without side windows.  From the very beginning the goal was to lighten things up, and working with a woman of such great fashion sense, my goal was to incorporate nothing but interesting pieces.  This space is just to the right of the front door with a hallway to the main living space coming into it.  Rather than your typical "dining room," we opted for an off center dining table and "L" shaped banquette.  By placing the furniture, lighting and rug off to the left, you create a clear walking space to down the hall and down to the rest of the shotgun space.

Take a look at the plan I had in mind.

Having designed the living area previous, I pulled the colors to created a unified look.  I also wanted it impactful.  This Phillip Jeffries printed grasscloth did the trick.  Our big splurge and totally worth it!  I used it on two walls and placed the furniture on those two walls to anchor it all.

A corner custom banquette with 58" round table off centered, floating chairs and side small side bar cart.  We then moved over the lighting and added a floor lamp on one side.  I am in love.

Take a look at a few of the details !

While at Susan's, Mekenzie and I decided to re-shoot the upstairs landing (the light was so much better that day !)  I finished this funky spot not too long ago and it's our little splash of color in a primarily tone on tone home.  When you have such a large landing, why not make it a cozy retreat !

Again we wanted to find unique pieces.  A custom sofa rests under a gorgeous piece by Windy O'Conner.  A little juju and metal on the side walls.  We added more art on the large stairwell wall - this piece by another favorite Jennifer Levine

Cozy is the name of the game up there.

all photos by Mekenzie Loli

Always a pleasure Ms. Susan Brown.  What's up next - a equally fab master bedroom!  Stay tuned.

Install of the Day !

Hi . . .

The Front Living Room.  It doesn't have to be a boring, formal space you never land in.  The Wagonner's have just that kind of space space that was partially finished but needed some styling up to make it a major focal point as you enter the home.    I was thrilled to have two gorgeous Bernhardt chairs to work with as well as a shimmery Phillip Jeffries grass cloth.  Past client, we worked with to create a bonus room fit for the whole family (here).  Since then, I have been working my way through the home.  Keith created a huge art piece for the family room we installed yesterday as well. Next up, Powder Room tweaking and blood giving to finance the dining room I want to do !!

Where to start, on this "lounge?"  A focal point.  The room needed something on those walls to give that paper even more attention and a rug to ground everything.  

Take a look at what we installed and shot yesterday.

I started with the rug.  This large Ikat grounded the space and added a little color and texture.  I chose it for it's blue, grey and emerald green (which for me goes with most everything).  The large, large 62" round mirror became quite the focal point and filled the walls.  Out of the box, it's all black iron. I chose to added the gold leaf  (of course at the last minute as Keith was hanging on the wall).   We love, love that mirror.  A new coffee table, shagreen with gold accents, pillows, more art (created by myself and Mekenzie), a new console behind the sofa and new large lamp.  It's pulled together now !

These chairs, thankfully, had great style and fabric.  Love the hammered iron legs in a warm gold.  Fabric is a soft, textured shaved sheepskin like.  New pillows with even more texture and tie back to the blue in the graphic window treatments.

The wall covering, a Phillip Jeffries gold and slate blue combination, shimmers when the light hits it and takes on various colors. 

The shagreen coffee table was a huge find at Slate.  Shagreen is big right now.  What is it?  A type of rawhide consisting of rough untanned skin commonly made of the skins of sharks and rays.  Mine, however a faux.  No animals harmed in this install, or any install.

Take a closer look at Shagreen.

The art was a fun project that Mekenzie and I created last week at the studio.  I knew I wanted a grouping and wanted them to all be similar.  I ordered these pretty gold, with linen mat frames, from West Elm and we got to work on the textured, simple art.  Washing Bristol boards with shades of blues, greens, gold and grey then overlapping hand made papers and washing them a little more.  Lastly, adding some gold leaf.  Simple and as a group, and perfect for this space.  That art major came in handy.

We off centered the art over a new console but to the left of a large lamp.

all photos by Mekenzie France

Happy clients,  happy us.  Fun install as always at the Wagonner household.

Busy month of installs ahead stay tuned !

Install of the Day !

Hey . .

When you are asked to help with the first floor of a home, room by room it only gets better and better (if you have a client that was happy with the very first thing you did and allows you to then pretty much do what you want).  Having completed the family room, breakfast room, powder room and my favorite dining room thus far - working on the front music room is like the icing on the cake.

This space, on the front of the house opposite the dining room, could serve several purposes.  A lounge, a study, another living space, it was built with wood paneling and large wood beams overhead.  All the wood was lightly stained a warm honey color, not my favorite and not the look I was going for in this home.   I convinced my client to paint it all white with black accent beams.  A dramatic change.   I pulled my colors from the dining room of navy blue splendor, but focused that color on the new carpet, then pulled the some of the colors from the other parts of the house in the new hand painted grass cloth, accent chair, art, accessories and amazing new window treatments.

Take a look at how this new music room and the nearby dining room now compliment each other.

This space, we decided needed to be bright, cheery and loaded with unique pieces with pattern and texture.  I started with these gorgeous window treatments.  The colors alone pull ALL the colors we have used in the home together which was perfect.  The win win was the pattern.  The floral was not too traditional, but more free spirited and artistic which I loved !

Another funny part about this design was the chair.  It was a piece my client had purchased prior and while loving the comfort and style, the color had never turned out quite as she expected.  With these curtains and new area rug it's now found the perfect home.

The stained paneling is gone and the gloss white allows all the colors to pop.  I really wanted to paint the beams and doors black to add a little weight.  Visually with the black piano it seemed to me a strong accent to pull it all together.

It's a lot of pattern on pattern but with the different scale as a whole it's pulled together.

 I love the new Lucite hardware I am using now !

This curved shelf is another favorite pieces of mine.  It creates such an enveloping corner and when accessorized with simple pieces in the right size it provides just the perfect backdrop.

Now when you walk through the first floor the flow it's very cohesive, yet each space has it's own individual personality.

Let me take you through a walk through . . . 

All the colors from downstairs even tie back perfectly with the kids rooms upstairs - the very first thing I worked on a few years ago.  

It has been such a labor of love working on this home and getting to know such an amazing, fun and spirited client.  As we move from room to room it just keeps getting better and better.  We are creating such an amazing overall space and I am so thankful to continue the process !!!

Love xox