Turning this Room Around Today

We started working with our clients to redo their living room a couple of months ago.  It's a pretty small space that they haven't been using (see empty room below) but it's also the first room you see when you walk in the front door.  My clients knew what they wanted & didn't want to do anything halfway so they kept it empty, waiting until the time was right.  When we met, we clicked right away  & I was excited about their fresh, happy style.  My clients wanted to bring their coastal roots into their home without it feeling over-the-top or themey. 

{The only thing staying is the chart}

One of the first things we needed to do was to lighten up the space & make it feel a bit less serious so we painted the walls a cream and the ceilings a pale blue.

Today's the day we're installing all of the furnishings & I'm so excited!!

For fabrics, we went with fresh blues & little hits of pink & orange that can be swapped in & out seasonally:

The curtains are in my Happikat in Fresh Blue Linen  and we'll be doing matchstick shades:

A seagrass rug will be layered with a vintage striped hemp one:

We're doing a pair of spool chairs in my "Squircles" in Fresh Blue Linen:  (Fabric coloway shown a few pics above in the fabric photo as "Circtangles")

The sofa is similar to this one but it will have a soft oatmeal slipcover:

We're flanking the artwork above the sofa with these accordian wall sconces with milk glass shades:

{They're on a SERIOUS backorder from mbwfurniture so they won't make the installation today}

{looooove!!!!}

...And we had a custom reclaimed coffee table bench made by The Lorimer Workshop.  (the best!!!)

My client has been busy collecting interesting artwork & accessories for the room & I really think it's going to feel like "her."  Anyway, I'll keep  you posted & will share pics when I have them.  Install days are always hectic but I love them!!  Wish us luck today!!

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

The Back Gardens

We'd been having our yard edged & mulched & we ran out of mulch so our yard is pretty much "to be continued..." this weekend.  BUT  I wanted to share a few of the things that are budding & growing right now in our yard...  I just ran out & snapped these pics this morning & it rained last night so things are a bit wet & dreary-looking.  Below, I recently got these topiaries and plan on potting them in the large terra cotta pots.  (Both were impulse purchases but I'm really excited about them.)  They'll be about a foot or so higher once they're potted.

{Ignore the seams on my cushions...  They still need custom cushion covers.  I bought them last year because the insert dimensions were perfect but they had to be turned sideways to fit so I plan on having custom covers made when we're ready.. ie when it hits the money/ time priority list.  Also, the pots have silly pine trees on them that I can mostly hide but I loved the dimensions & finish.}

I can't wait to "pretty up" the back patio & add a rug & pillows. 

We bought a bunch of these little  peach rose trees to line some of our walkways:

We're turning this little spot (below) into a vegetable garden.  (You can also spy one of the peach rose trees, which smell like Heaven!!!)

{My potted veggies are just hanging out right now..  I'm pretending they're in the ground.}

{looooooove tomatoes from the garden...  last year we put our vegetable garden next to our house & our pest control people informed us that our house had a termite protection plan applied years ago & the termite juice would be in the ground for something like 9 years.. SO....  we ate nothing but I refused to pull them out. :(  That was painful to watch. }

I'm putting this rosemary topiary in the ground next to the chaise lounge where I always sit because it  it smells so good:

Our old vegetable garden will be full of lavendar, roses & dwarf holly bushes as soon as we finish planting them.  (ps- My lavendar actually lived through the winter!!!)

I think my favorite things might be these little moss patches I found...

{I might put them around the bottom of the topiaries near the sofa...  They say full sun on the tags but we get a lot of sun on our back patio and watering/ nurturing potted things is not my forte.  I saw some fried ones at the store so this might not be a good idea.}

..Anyway, I'm off for the day to present a design for the front porch of our client's bungalow.  So excited!!

 

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Changes at out House...

Being so focused on the interior of my home has left our outside a bit less than desirable.  When we moved into our house, we set priorities &  so the poor outside had to wait.  We fell for our house because it has a large, private back yard...  the back of it sort of turns into a mini forest and a stream runs behind our fence. 

I like that the woods in the back feel really natural and a little out of control (wild roses, honey suckle, clematis, black berries & a ton of other things spill out the edges of it into our grass) but I've always imagined that one day it would be a tad more manicured & purposeful...

{See how crazy it gets back there??}

Last year (and the year before) we made a few garden beds around the yard like the one below for dwarf holly (which looks sooooo much like boxwood) and herbs...

  But we never edged them properly and they've gotten a bit out of control... 

{Here's the beginning of our vegetable garden last year...  THAT's how we edge....  It's more like:

me- "Hey Dav, let's make a veggie garden today."  (I've never mentioned this but I actually call my husband "Dav"...  an old college joke where we used to call him "Daveed" and "Dav" stuck)

him- Big sigh... "Okay."

And he starts digging...  But before he can finish, I'm in his way planting stuff and saying, "Forget about the edges... And don't worry about turning up all that dirt.... Yeah, it's fine that it's clay."

SO... as a result, my garden beds are full of weeds and the grass runs right into them.  I sort of have Scarlett O'Hara's "I'll think about that tomorrow" attitude with my yard. 

{Can I tell you how much I love this fabric???!!!!}

BUT we found some great guys through a friend & got a superdeal on having our entire yard edged & mulched.  I AM OVER THE MOON!!!!  They came yesterday and went to town...  They're back today and are working on edges like this:

{not my yard...  image from finegardening.com...   They're still working so I'll post pics as soon as I can}

I am soooooo  excited.  Then...  we were at our friend-neighbor's house borrowing a wheelbarrow for the guys and she mentioned she was planning on getting rid of her kids' swing set now that they're getting older and so they gave it to us!!  My 4 year old is giddy beyond belief. 

...And....  (ok, truly nesting here; I have issues) I think I'm ready to change up our downstairs family room again...  I love the blue that's on the walls but I've always felt that it doesn't really fit with the feeling of our house & surroundings (with the blue walls and some of our accessories, it feels kind of coastal...  I originally had it REALLY coastal with this old painting... 

But it was driving me crazy...  so I switched pillows & accessories to ones with more of the green I crave:

{the room's pretty trashed in this pic...  sorry!}

...But I stole the rug, educational chart & lamp for other areas of the house & now my room's back to blank and blue... 

I'll be a little sad to say goodbye to the blue walls but I think I'm ready for the change.  We're keeping all of our furniture and I'll just rearrange rugs & artwork we already, have but the big change will be painting it white...  I sort of want it to feel more like my boys' playhouse:

I want it to be a more casual version of what we have upstairs & I'm hoping we can buy the paint today.  (I am aware this is nuts to do with our life/ schedule right now...  but I'm okay with that.)  Will be back with pics!!


If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

My Room in Better Homes & Gardens Magazine

April has been a super-busy month so I'm a little late on sharing ,but I am thrilled about the article published in this month's (April's) Better Homes & Gardens Magazine!   The photo shoot took place last May in my room, at the 2011 DC Design House and my good friend, photographer Helen Norman took the photos. 

{The little aqua "one line a day" book is now mine & I use it to record funny things my kids say & little family stories.}

Here's a really pretty shot of the window seat we had custom-made by our go-to builders, CarrMichael Construction with custom layered cushions fabricated by Paul David Designs (our workroom, who we absolutely love.)

{The window seat is a mix of fabrics by Peter Dunham Textiles who generously donated their fabrics for the showhouse and some of my new fabrics.  The distressed silver llama sconces were donated by Porta Romana.}

Here's a shot of most of the room which shows off the grasscloth walls & diamond-patterned sisal rug (by Stark, fabricates by the Carpet Customizer)...

The article is by BHG editor Joanna Linberg {who is one of the kindest & most genuinely sweet people I've ever met} and I love how she broke everything down for the article & delved into the concept of "perfectly imperfect ." 

She listed a few of the must-haves I like to include when designing a room:

The oversize painting is by my good friend John Matthew Moore and I arranged the leather parsons desk (by Edelman Leather) so that was askew from the painting for a slightly "off" and more casual look.  I tucked the glass lamp with bright green tin shade (donated by Stray Dog Designs) right next to the painting to compensate for the assymetical desk arrangement.  I'm always really awkward in photos by myself and so I curled up in one of my Madhatter Chairs & it made me feel much better.  :)  The curtains are my Happikat in black & white and the Fabric on the back of the chair is by Michael Smith.

Here's a page they included at the end of the article about botanicals (which you know I'm pretty much obsessed with) and I'm loving the black backgrounds on a few of the botanicals & that pattern on the journal.  (#3)

The article itself includes all of our resources, but I want to be sure to mention that we borrowed antiques & artwork from some of our favorite local shops:  John Rosselli, Spurgeon Lewis and German Favorite Antiques.  Being a part of the DC Design House, which benefits Children's Hospital in Georgetown, was really such an amazing experience & through it, I made friends I know I'll have for life.  The 2012 House is open right now, so if you're in the area, be sure to go check it out!!

And finally, I turned 30 yesterday!!!!!  My 20s were over & I have to say they did not go out with a bang- 8+ months pregnant just doesn't put you in the partying mood ;) - but I will be sure to make up for it when I'm out of Baby #3 haze. 

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.