Install of the Day !

Hey There.

Maggie and I finished up a gorgeous room over the weekend.  We call it Boho Chic, my client's request.  I was pretty excited about the color and pattern combination in this room.  We used navy, purple and mint and it all started with the amazing large scale graphic wall paper - GG's pick.

I wasn't thrilled that the four-poster bed I ordered months ago, along with the navy dresser were pushed back another month, but, what can you do beside re-select or wait.  This space really isn't suffering too much without it, but when it does arrive it will be the icing on the cake.  The dresser, well that was delayed as well, but in an effort to complete the space for a big, beautiful reveal by my deadline,  I found an amazing navy dresser at Slate to use in the interim (and will be quite fabulous in this empty spot I have in my showroom).

My long time clients, have a teenage daughter, GG, whose space was looking too young for her. We thought it was time to give it an update to take her through high school.   At our design meeting, we pulled our thoughts together and voila.  I love this space.  I always have such a clear picture in my head as to the finished product and I think my clients do as well.  But when the space is revealed, there is always that surprised reaction of wow . . . it works.  My advise to any young designers out there .. install with everything so your client can see the completed look, it will win them over, delivering piece by piece will only cause anxiety with some of your clients who have trouble seeing things.

Take a look at what Mekenzie shot for me yesterday . . .

Don't discount a window wall, it can be a beautiful focal point of light and drama.  With the organic, loose feeling of the paper, the symmetry of everything else gives it order.  I am beyond thrilled over the chandelier . . . 

Wow, that paper and bigger wow, those curtains and rug.  I really love the combination together.

These linen curtains are beautiful.  The gradual light to dark of the fabric so amazing, and Amy our seamstress, did such a beautiful job with the pleats falling just where the color changed (Amy I totally noticed that . . . beautiful)

I love a large push pin.  We make those at Lucy and Co.  Quite simple actually, but the frame is what makes it look finished and fab (look close there's a pic of Keith and I as kids, lol).

A few more last minute accessories found at Slate.

The initial design included a floral paper.  Pretty, but wasn't GG's favorite.  I pulled out this huge navy and white leaf pattern at our meeting and it was The One, she loved it.  

Don't be afraid to mix gold and silver.  It does break up the over match !

The added touch of yellow in the rug, also breaks up the over-match.  

Boho Chic can be interpreted in several ways, and in this space "chic" drives the look, and the boho (a.k.a bohemian), to me, means a collected mix of vintage, modern, patterns - and lots of them, a bit of metal and something organic.  The key to boho is layering pattern on top of pattern, literally.  The wall paper has an apparent organic feel in a sophisticated color palette.  When you layer the gradated curtains on top, it not only creates a beautiful look, it softens the walls.  I love these curtains.

I recently read a post by one of my favorite bloggers, Bri, of Design Love Fest.  Her style - simply gorgeous.  She created this dream catcher (a boho must).  I loved it, so Maggie and I decided to create our own, to not only add color to the wall, but bring in even more texture in the way of tactile art.  Take a look at our inspiration.

Now take a look at our version.  Maggie and I stitched the stripes of fabric around rope which was looped over a treated birch tree branch.  We mixed in a vintage pearl and gold beaded necklace.  We wanted it on a large scale to fill the wall.

I didn't want to group art on that wall, as I thought it would only start looking cluttered with everything going on next to it.  It really needed to be simple yet jive with everything else.  I think it's perfect.

all photos by mekenzie france

The bed I love.  Iron and simple, with thin enough posts not to be too overwhelming.  If it would just show up !   It will, again, add to the symmetry of that wall and the straight lines, as oppose to the curves of her existing iron bed and won't compete with the wall paper.  Pretty - huh.  

. . . and annoying back ordered dresser.  Love this piece - newly available in navy (maybe that's the hold up?)  But must wait, it 's the right height to balance those bedside tables.

So - Great room, love seeing the boards come to life, love that everyone was happy !
GG's comments . . .

“I gave Beth one color as inspiration and she

created my dream room. I never want to leave it. My favorite pieces

are Beth's custom "dream catcher" and the wallpaper everyone

disagreed with me on initially. The light fixture is definitely the

thing that makes the room.”

Happy Wednesday !!

Install of the Day !

Hey!

Morgan is the oldest of all the sisters I installed last week.   Her request, blue.   It was time for a larger bed and a more sophisticated look.  I love this paper and have used all but this color way.  It was my starting point. Maggie jumped in and helped with pulling fabrics for pillows and windows and together we finished off the look with a chaise, desk, rug and accessories.  

This room looks so clean, fresh and pulled together.  Love the finished product !

It feels like a trip to the shore, yet all the pieces are (believe it or not) kid friendly.  The bedding - washable, the side tables, easy to clean off.

Amazing fabric by Matthew Williamson, absolutely love.

I often splurge on a fab fabric (the Williamson) as a good focal point, this fabric, much more affordable was the perfect choice for the amount of yardage we needed to cover these windows.  I did a sway back this time, something I don't often do, but did so for easy mobility to let down and darken this big window.

A fun chaise and inexpensive Crate and Barrel floor lamp (available in other colors) finish off this cozy reading spot.

Big new desk, art (I snapped up on One Kings Lane) to fill an empty wall and my favorite lamp at the moment.  (I ordered several of these as they were heading down the discontinued road - boo !)

all photos by mekenzie france

It was a crazy, crazy week, but fun.  I cannot wait to hear how the girls liked their spaces.  Many thanks to Maggie for pulling off another big install in Hickory this week while I was working on this one.  Bree, you too - running between jobs.  I could do any of this without you guys !

We will head up to Hickory with Mekenzie to shoot those spaces soon while we are wrapping up a pretty cool living space for an additional client.

For now - this rainy Saturday - I think I will stay in my pjs on the sofa.

Happy Weekend !!!

Install of the Day !

Hi !

The second room in this crazy week was Liza's, twin number 2.  This is the perfect example of the eclectic mix which I love.  We used a mult-color palette in this space, but all in the same tone.  I worked around two side tables, Bungalow 5 that I happen to love, so no problem.  Take a look at Liza's room.

This rug is my favorite element in the room.  It's give all the new and sleek things a little age and definitely a worn, lived in, cozy feel.  I love this rug.... and also available in several colors, just give me a call and I'll hook you up!

Again this new burlap lamp shade and burlap with silver pouf toned down the "new" and gave it all more texture and interest.

My client loved this wall paper.  Unfortunately it's discontinued by Designers Guild, but I saved 1 roll and we used it as an accent up the wall behind the tables, perfect !

Stray Dog - the perfect fixture

all photos by mekenzie france

It's funny, this room wasn't as planned out when I showed up to install it, and it look a bit empty.  One day shopping at my various favorites and it turned out adorable (as if I had orchestrated the whole thing ahead on time . . not really - got lucky !!)

One more to go !!

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 !