Install of the Day !

Hi !

Another kitchen renovation, a lot of that going around !  I've helped with complete gut jobs, new builds and simple color changes as of late.  I say simple, but to do it right it's really not that simple.  Any and all kitchen renovations are an inconvenience but when they are done they are so worth it.

Enter my client Whitney Balzer.  I love her.  Not only does she have great taste to begin with, she makes quick decisions which helped on my end!  She did her homework and knew what she liked.  The space had it's challenges but needed an overhaul for sure.  I recommended Ben Collins of the Salins Group and I was amazed how fast it all happened.  It was a well coordinated dance the other week when I was there watching mill workers, electricians, painters and floor guys all there at once.

Opening the wall from the dining room to the kitchen we also gave that a face lift with new paper and curtains . . . take a look at my inspiration and the finished product !!

So this was a solid wall between the dining room and kitchen.  We wanted a pass through with a different face detail than the norm.

Adding these gorgeous sheers that are a width 1/2 so light and airy and full.. yeah they are in the works!

Love the look of the fluted wall and view of the kitchen.  We kept her table, benches and lighting.  Added new paper and yeah . . . those upcoming curtains !

Love the different textures with the woodwork and sight into the coordinated kitchen colors.

I'm a huge fan of large scale paper and this ginko does the trick.

Into the kitchen, we gutted everything and moved it all around.  Whitney had this banquette so the plan was to work around that with the design.  We moved it from one side of the kitchen to the other and opened up all the walls for an open concept into the dining room and living room.  With such a large banquette my thought was to do two tables as oppose to one large one and cluster two chandeliers over !

Kind of love the clustered look, bistro like.

The new cabinets are on the kitchen side only but open to the dining room.  Great hardware really makes a difference !

A new kind of ship lap - more bead and batten style.

The walls and all the kitchen cabinets are Ben Moore's China White while the new pass through is a pale grey.  Love it all.

On to the kitchen design.  Open, clean and simple.

With lots of storage

Brass details I love.

We actually papered the side office last minute.  When you have a little paper left over from a job you score !

Meet Zola and Happy.  Are they not the best Springers ever.  So chill, maybe Garden & Gun will chose out photo in their contest.. we'll see !

Simple details no fuss !

all photos by mekenzie loli


I can't say enough about how easy Whitney was to work with and how great Ben (the Salin's Group) and his team were...

Great Install !

Dark and Moody

Hi.

There has been a black cloud over Charlotte the past few days with Flo's winds blowing by and until the power went out I spent some time working on a new project and updating my Pinterest boards.  I am a bit obsessed with that.   I saw these images on both Pinterest and on Flickr and fell in love with their simplicity, beauty and .. well fruit moodiness.   I love, love, love a good dose of black and if done right, purples tied in can be strong color combination !  My one piece of advise -  just do it in one room not everywhere for that drama.. in my opinion but hey, that's just how I would do it.

photo by girl in the kitchen - sara ghedina (here)

photo by girl in the kitchen - sara ghedina (here)

This color combo is so gorgeous - has me thinking all about blackberries . .

FOR THE CAKE BASE

10 stone Medjool dates

1 cup almonds

1/2 cup hazelnuts

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

3 Tbsp virgin coconut oil

1/4 tsp sea salt

FOR THE TOPPING

2 cups blackberries

2 cups blueberries

3 stems basil

3 Tbsp maple syrup

1 Tbsp lime juice

1/4 cup coconut milk

1 Tbsp starch

1 tsp agar-agar

1 cup  blueberries to garnish

For the cake base coarsely chop dates.  In a pan without oil, roast almonds, hazelnuts and sunflower seeds until they begin to crack.  Chop cooled nuts and kernels in a blender.  They should not be too coarse, so that the mass will keep well but is not ground to flour.  Add dates, coconut oil, and salt, and continue mixing until you get a sticky mass.  Fill mass into greased springform (26 cm dia), and with a large spoon, press firmly into the form.  It should create a rim of approximately 2 cm in height.  Place cake base in refrigerator.

For the filling, pick off basil leaves from stems and finely puree berries with basil leaves.  Then pass through a sieve.  Add coconut milk to fruit puree and season to taste with maple syrup and lime juice.   Then stir in starch and agar-agar with a wire whisk.  In a saucepan, while stirring continuously, bring berry puree to a brief boil.  Then pour into a bowl and let cool until lukewarm, stirring occasionally.  Spread filing on a cooled cake case and place tart in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.  Then garnish with remaining berries.  

But on the subject of black and plum - let's talk design and that combination. 

This is one of my favorite pieces at Shain Gallery by artist Yvonne Mendez.  How brilliant is the lighting and colors in his piece.  Love it and find it inspiring.  Inspiration for interiors can come from anywhere - art included.

artist - Yvonne Mendez

Or even a floral combination can inspire me as well for a design look !

In looking at all my Pinterest saves, I've pulled the combo I am talking about, take a look !

First place to start BEFORE you pick your paint - fabric.  Purples can come in so many different hues, here are a few of my faves we offer at Lucy and Company.

Another moody and fabulous piece just in from Saliha Staib (at Shain Gallery) .  In an earlier post I showed you a more Spring like green version, but I am loving this as well.  So dramatic and perfect in my plum and black combo.

I would love this in a library . . . and clearly I love this sofa !

Happy Inspiration . . .