Sofa and Pillows and Privacy

My new Kivik Sofa!

Sorry for the lack of posts, with the new studio, I have gotten out of my " normal" routine and into a new one. The time I used to be in front of the computer writing in the morning, is now the time that I actually TAKE a shower and get ready for the day...my hair has been blown dry more in the past 2 weeks than in the past 5 years!  It is kind of nice having a place to go in the morning, but I miss my time writing and styling photos, and will try to get better and find the perfect time to get back on a schedule.  Always a work in progress:)

Speaking of work in progress, out studio space is coming along...that is why I want to spend so much time there, it just makes me happy.  My studio mate has been gallivanting the countryside of Argentina this past week.... and with no one to sit with and have our morning design pow wows,  I have been sprucing and zhushing while she has been away.  (maybe I could have been a better blogger during that time, hindsight:) 

So, back to the point of my post....My new sofa and Pillows! Last weekend, I gallivanted myself up to Charlotte and went to IKEA.  I have been dying to get a sofa for the studio and couldn't stand it any longer.  The space needed some weight, the room was feeling a little leggy!   I definitely wanted white!  The Kivik Sofa was the perfect match.  It has weight, is comfy, and can be modified from a sofa into chairs.  I am not a huge fan of the blocky arms, but luckily you don't have to use them!  And at $170 per chair and $29 per slipcover it was a no brainer!  And talk about easy to put together.

this is what it all looked like before!

AND I got my favorite go to RITVA curtains for the much needed privacy.  I love our 3 windows, but talk about a fishbowl.  So 3 sets of those were put up as well, and now I can dance around like a looney tune without anyone knowing...shhhhh, don't tell anyone:)

Serious bang for your buck...no excuses for no curtains....at $30 per pair they are perfect!

After my ikea IKEA trip...I stopped by Post and Gray in Charlotte.

Had me at Gray and a green door!

It was my first trip, and it was WAY worth it.  Not only are Kelly and her Husband more than gracious...they have tons of great, affordable pieces from a carefully selected group of vendors.  So....true to form, I picked up a few remnants of fabric for my pillows AND a piece of artwork.  Really, if you are in the area, you must stop by and see them.

My artwork holding court on the shelf.

There you have it.  I havn't dropped off the face of the earth!  Now, I must get to work!

Lucite Inspiration

I used a lucite table in my recent installation. 
The bench wouldn't have had the same impact under any other type of material.

I don't know about you, but I really like touch of lucite in a room.

Here is some Thursday Lucitenspiration.  If you ever wondered about the history of lucite, there is a great article on the subject on Apartment Therapy.

one of my favorites.

Natural elements and acrylic...Mwah!
via Houzz

                          

It even comes in many colors!

A little cottage a little lucite!

Lucite Chair, lucite Legs.

I love the addition of fabric to these chairs.

I kind of love this.
via pinterest

if you can't do furniture...tip your toes with a lucite tray.

I am in love with these lucite handrails.

Lucite SHELVES!!!

Lucite Curtain Rods...love the rings(squares).

acrylic fan.

 

 Here are some good resources for lucite/acrylic.

CB2.com

PlexiCraft

Have a great weekend.

Happy Valentines Day!

I actually do have a pink bike...but have never delivered flowers this pretty on it.

I bet the pastries taste pinklicious here!

A pink door?

A nice little perch.

I could curl up here.

Wouldn't a Valentine feel special delivered in a Pink mailbox?

 I prefer pink over red for valentines....You?

Hope your day is filled with lots of Love, chocolate and flowers.

Coffee Table Books are a staple...even better when signed!

My newest Coffee Table Books!

I really love coffee table books, especially Design Books.  Many times this is what I turn to for inspiration for a design project (and my coveted collection of magazines, but that's another story!) When I was in Atlanta at Market, I made sure to sit in on a couple of talks and book signings.  One was with Brooke and Steve Gianetti from Velvet and Linen.  They just published a book called Patina Style, the photos are AMAZING.  and Steve takes most of the photos himself. This dynamic Duo was just a treat to listen too...and I of course got my book signed.

The second talk I attended was with Christiane Lemieux founder of Dwell Studio, Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan cofounder and CEO of apartmenttherapy.com, and Heather Clawson from Habitually Chic blog.  It was a great talk on the power of blogs and business, where technology is taking us in the design world, and how you can embrace technology and make your business better.  Christiane and Maxwell both have new books out.  UnDecorate by Christiane is just that...don't worry about "decorated" spaces, make them uniquely yours...and Decorate like you live. And Maxwell's is Big Book on Small, Cool Spaces....has such great photos and ideas on how to design a small space. So I of course got mine signed, and was a little star struck and chatty when it was my turn to get my book signed....a total dork. They couldn't have been nicer, and down to earth.  Maxwell and I had a really nice chat. (which puts us on BFF status, in case you were wondering...HA!)  And I think Christiane couldn't be any more inspiring, founding/creating/ and running DWELL and having a family...she is a rockstar.  And Heather is in the midst of writing a book that will be out this fall.  We chatted a little about her process, etc.

Here I am with my starstruck grin.... thank you to the kind strangers that used my cameraphone to snap these photos. 

How shiny am I??

Total Dorky smile...I am in awe by her, she is just an amazing talent.

Have  a great week.

Living Room Reveal

The day has come to reveal my living room design from the big install last week.  This has been a project I have been working on for about 2 months....so seeing it come together was so satisfying to this "get it done, and get it done NOW kind of girl!"  But it was well worth the wait.  When my client opened the door and said " SHUT UP, this is NOT my house!"  It was such an HGTV moment:)  I think I have had a permagrin on my face for a week:)

I was tasked with creating a plan that included the existing sofa, rug, and coffee table.  I swapped one chair in another room with the leather chair. This 1920's home had recently been renovated, so the walls had already been painted Sherwin Williams Sedate Gray....which casts green in this room.  They wanted a Cozy, Neo-Traditional room, with a collected feel and a sense of history.  So here is the end result.

The home has no "formal" foyer, so I created one by floating the sofa and having a sofa table as you first walk in the door.  Luckily the room was wide enough to make this happen.  I love a floating sofa!  The homeowner sent me a link to Mantadia Rug from Anthropologie for the dining room.. but it was crewel and would have been destroyed in 2 seconds flat...so not wanting to disappoint, this little bench was a surprise for her.  I ordered a 2X3 and had the bench covered.  Just the pop of color the room needed!

A view of the sitting area with the drapes.  I love how it creates a light and airy stripe..
without the boldness that a a true stripe sometimes has.  And of course the Allan Campbell Potalla Pillows.

Just another view.  You can see that the Bookcase picks up the same color in the pillow. 
And a view of the "Collected Wall".

Sometimes there is this thing I like to call Interior Serendipity.  I was out perusing the antique mall while I was sourcing for this room and came across the bookcase.  I ran to the car and grabbed my swatch of pillow fabric and was thrilled when I saw that it was a match to the small bit of seafoamy/aqua! YES!  I turned to my Invisible Tommy Smythe and said, "I think we'll take it:)"  Now, if I had brought this aqua bookcase into the room 2 weeks before the install, my client would have said...WHAT are you thinking?  Some things are better left for the final reveal.  But in the context of the room, it is just the point of interest that the room needed. N'est pas?

Isn't the artwork fantastic???  Tracey Jefferies is a talent.

One of the things the homeowners wanted was to integrate regional artists into the design.  I snapped up this piece when I was a Scott Antique Market from the artist Tracy Jefferies from Arcing Sky Gallery in Athens.  She shows at Scott Antique Market every month. The colors are perfect, and it is just on the edge of an abstract, and can be translated loosely into a landscape.  I love it!  Another artist used in the design was a local artist, Alicia Leeke.  I used two of her prints on the same collected wall. You must check out her work.  Beautiful colors.

Are you drooling over the mirror?  So awesome, right?
The husband grew up in Palm Beach and it is my little nod to his history. 

There you have it.  The finished product! Whew:) 

(the dining room is next...it is pretty much finished, I just haven't taken photos yet.)

 

A Sneak Peak...

A sitting area in the living room...next to drapes designed by Yours Truly:)

A quick sneak peak of my install last week. Notice the drapes:)  I will post  more details on Monday with Before and Afters.   But this will give you an idea of how some of the elements came together.

Have a great weekend.

Install Day!

It is Install Day, and I couldn't be more excited...with butterflys of anticipation for the end result.   This day is my FAVORITE part.  All of the moving parts get placed...and you get to see how they all work together.

Now, this is just the back of my car, loaded with pillows, accessories, and lamps.  This is part of the process that looks like a disorganized mess, but really it is organized...I know exactly what is in the back and where it should go.    The furniture is waiting patiently (as is my husband:) to be removed from my garage.  YAY! Gotta run...

Have a great day, I know I will!