Happy Friday

Happy Friday everyone.  The weekend has arrived!  What will you be getting into this weekend?

For the first time in a couple of months, Graham and I are without plans.  What to do?  I’m sure we’ll muster something up.  I am going to head out to the Brooklyn Flea and hopefully (fingers crossed) will finally come home with some goodies for my shop.  TBD.  Here are some items that have been sold at the Brooklyn Flea (they’re getting my hopes up).

Circa 1940 Drafting Table

Old school desk and chairs

60 year old Persian Hamadan rug

I think I’m in need of these sunglasses…they are made from certified sustainable wood and oh so stylin’

A little something to entice my husband to come along – Asia Dog voted the #1 hot dog in America by MSN Local Edition – sold at the Brooklyn Flea.

Too many goodies…too little time.  Where are you headed this weekend?

Garage Transformation

I was absolutely stunned when I saw this garage transformation in House Beautiful.  Literally, I was completely alone, talking to myself, saying, “Wait, what…no – this couldn’t be!  It was a garage?”  Then I sat there, mouth agape.  I must share.

This was a garage…oh yes.  Then the genius designers Marshall Watson and Jeffery Kilmer got to work and went all fairy godmother on the place.  Soon this garage was no longer a pumpkin but a beautiful guesthouse.

There’s just so much beauty to take in, in one small space: the large lanterns overhead unifying yet separating the dining and living room space; the overhead beams giving the feeling you are in a cottage, not a garage; a cozy fireplace with pretty tile-work; the beadboard on the walls next to the fireplace, also hiding a closet; all of the legs on the furniture pieces, giving a cohesive look.  Hold on to your seats….there is…

a kitchen.  Are you kidding me?!  It’s splendid and it fits the space perfectly.  If that doesn’t knock your socks off, well then maybe the bedroom will.  Check out this headboard…

The headboard was a part of a large cartouche from Austria.  Drama!  Also, look at how they painted the crown molding black and did away with the ceiling beams, only in the bedroom, thereby creating a separate nook.  I will happily stay there any day.  Well done, Marshall Watson and Jeffrey Kilmer!

I think it’s pretty apparent that I’m enthused by this – what do you think?

Gwyneth Paltrow’s NYC Home

After catching a glimpse of Gwyneth Paltrow’s New York City kitchen in the August issue of Vogue, I wanted to see the rest of the home.  Lucky for me, a reader miraculously read my mind and sent me a link to a blog that had posted the Gwyneth’s loft (location for the Vogue shoot).  Thanks to the blog, The Happy Home, I can share the photos with all of you.  The apartment was designed by the fabulous team Roman and Williams.

Image via Vogue

My absolute favorite room in the Tribecca apartment is the kitchen.  I’m in love with the massive tiled hood and the white on white on white works really well in this loft space.  If this were my kitchen, I would add pops of color with an abstract painting or even as simple as a green kitchen aide.

The Kitchen

The eating nook

I love when hallways are covered from top to bottom with wallpaper; it is such a wonderful trick for adding high drama.  However, I must admit that I’m not the biggest fan of this wallpaper; it comes off a bit too garish for my taste.

On the other hand, the wallpaper for Apple’s room, I adore.  The soft butterflies add the perfect whimsical touch that every little girl needs in a room.  Only a celebrity couple’s daughter could have such a bed.

I am loving the crystal chandelier and the swing chair- what a perfect mix between sophisticated luxury and laid back rock and roll.  I would have liked to have seen more color; I don’t know how they can keep this room clean with two little ones.  Although, according to the Vogue article, Gwyneth is a self-proclaimed neat freak.

All in all it is a beautiful home fit for an A list celebrity and her rocker hubby.  What do you think of it?

Mod Madness

This is a bit of an embarrassing story.  The other day, I finished up a project for school in the morning so I decided that I would spend the afternoon visiting various decor shops.  I mean New York City is the place to educate myself on foot.  Well, I stopped by the hotel that Graham and I are staying in for the next couple of months to eat lunch.

I sat down at my computer and the next thing I knew I was completely sucked in to this vortex!  I didn’t look up again for another two hours!  Yikes!  What had me so intrigued to keep me away from the excitement of the city?  Modcloth.com

This is a fantastic website that features indie designers and is all about being “democratic” with the design experience.  They even let shoppers weigh in on what they’d like to see designed.  They have interesting clothes, fun shoes and even some apartment essentials.

After exhaustive research on the site, I’ll show you some of my finds.  Everything is affordable (although I’m not sure of the quality) and you’re supporting indie designers trying to make it.  I’ll support that any day!  Some of the looks are a bit too hipster for my taste but still there is plenty to covet…

White Chocolate Mousse Top

Take Note Cardigan

Pretty Young Things Dress

Starlet of Style

Eggshell Superlative Flat

Cricket Match Skirt

I also didn’t see a single thing for sale over $100.00!  Happy Shopping!  What would you pick from the items I selected, if any of them?

Garden Perfection

Give me anything tufted and I’m thrilled, throw on a skirt and I’m in heaven!  Since tufting and skirting of furniture usually involves fabric, I never thought I could have such a piece in my garden.  Boy was I delighted to find out that I was wrong, thanks to one of my favorite blogs: The Neo Traditionalist, I found garden furniture that makes me weak in the knees.  Bring some preppy sophistication to your garden with the cutest ottoman ever…

This ottoman is cast stone so it can be left outdoors.  Plop down an orange Hermes tray with mojitos on the ottoman, set it next to the outdoor fireplace shown below, and have a grand old-time.

All items available at Colleen and Company.

Happy Friday

Happy Friday everyone!!  It’s the weekend again, woo hoo!  What do you have in store for the weekend?

I know one reader who has the best of plans, she is getting married!!  Not only is she a reader, she is one of my best friends and one of the people that is nearest and dearest to my heart.  She and her hubby to be are the cutest couple and when I’m with them, I often find myself thinking about how perfect they are for each other. Meghan, I’ll be thinking of you and Dylan this weekend.  I wish that I could be there with you guys to celebrate!  You’ll be getting your song seranaded to you though via the phone.

The happy couple last weekend at Lauren’s wedding.

Me, Graham, Meghan and Dylan last weekend at Lauren’s wedding.

To wish them the greatest of days, I thought I would part with more wedding pictures (seems to be a “Happy Friday” theme).  They are getting hitched in Seattle so I’ll include photos from Seattle weddings.

Photos via Jennifer Stanton

Be Still My Heart, Be Still

Wow!  I am in love with these pillows.  They are giving me a hankering to get my sewing machine back out and to make myself some pillows.  But since my sewing machine is in storage…perhaps, I will have to make a purchase instead from this adorable ETSY site: Be Still.  Below are my favorite pillows.

My number one choice would be the red kaleidoscope pillow.  Which one is your favorite?

Mid Century Modern E-Design

A couple of weeks ago, I finished up an e-design project for an adorable couple in Nashville.  I haven’t found a chance to post about it though because I’ve been running around.  It feels indulgent to finally have some computer blogging time.

Anyway, the couple that I worked on this project with owns a jaw dropping-ly cute home.  Especially for a Californian where real estate prices are sky high, I got green with jealousy looking at their beautiful home.  The room they wanted some help with was their living room.  It is a beautiful room with a fireplace and they had already painted it a deep charcoal grey color with a white trim.  Fantastic choice on the paint color!

The couple also is the proud owner of not one but two light gray Eames lounge chairs.  Now are you turning green?  They decided that they wanted to put one of the chairs in the formal living room and the other in a separate sitting area.

Besides the Eames chairs, the couple also owned two leather wing back chairs and a sofa both pictured below.

Their favorite colors are purple and green.  They requested to stay true to the mid-century modern look of the Eames chairs but to also bring in some geometric patterns.  With those requests and a budget, I put my brain to work.  Here’s what I suggested for them:

To bring in the color purple and the geometric patterns, I suggested this rug:

To play on the geometric shapes, I suggested this coffee table:



For either side of the couch, I suggested these mid century modern nesting tables.

For on top of each nesting table, I found a pair of mid century lamps with lucite bases on eBay which the couple bid on and got for $35.00!  I couldn’t get a picture of the lamps but when they send over the final photos, I can share it with you.

Also for on top of each nesting table, I found these cute animal figures that would play to the gold accents that appear throughout the room.

For the other nesting table on the opposite side of the couch:

On the opposite side of the geometric rug and facing the couch, go the two leather armchairs that the couple already owns.  As a center side table for the beautiful chairs, I suggested the following side table:

I liked how the hexagon shape played up the geometric patterns in the room and this also tied in the gold accents.

The beautiful Eames chair could go one of two places.  Either beside the fireplace in a little nook with a gold bubble lamp which I could not pull the picture of.  Or the chair could be placed centered on the fireplace with the couch and two side chairs flanking the chair.

This brings us to the fireplace.  The fireplace is not a working fireplace so they wanted some suggestions for something to put inside the fireplace.

I suggested this candelabra so they could still have fire there and I liked the woodsy feel to it.

Above the mantel, they already own a fantastic gold sun dial so I suggested that it be placed there.  Then to the right side of the mantel I suggested a horse charcoal with a white Ikea frame and to the left, I suggested they put their candles that they already own.

Last but not least come the fabrics for drapes and pillows.

For the large window, I suggested a drape and for two smaller windows I suggested roman shades in the same fabrics:

For the pillows, I suggested the following:

And that completes this mid-century modern living room.

World Class Flea Market in San Francisco

I am thrilled that there is a new flea market in the city of San Francisco.  Instead of schlepping out to the Alameda Flea Market, those local San Franciscans only have to drive to Candlestick Park.  I will be going to both and I am just tickled of the thought that I actually have options for flea markets – how LA of us!

Thanks to the market organizers, Jerry and Betsy Goldman, every third Sunday of each month there will be a show in the Candlestick parking lot, where there are 10,000 parking spaces and ample room for vendors.  The first show was this past Sunday, seeing as how I don’t currently live in San Francisco, I was not in attendance.  Did anyone go?  If so, please share on how it was.  Because this past Sunday was the first go round, there were only about half as many vendors as the Alameda Flea Market; they were expecting about 45o vendors.  Yet give this show some time to ramp up and I’m sure it will be right in par if not stronger than Alameda.  The next show will be August 15.  I can’t wait to get back there, put on a pair of walking shoes, bring a cute tote and walk the aisles of the Candlestick Park Antique and Collectibles Fair, hunting for treasures.

Buckingham Interiors and Design New Space

I am honored to present to you the new office and showroom for Buckingham Interiors and Design.  If you are a loyal reader of this blog, you know that Julia Buckingham Edelmann is hands down, my absolute favorite interior designer.  I am in awe of her design eye.  She is also an incredibly kind and supportive person.

There are so many pieces in the space that I still think about constantly in the past month since I was last there.  Such as the chandeliers, especially the stunning pink jade empire chandelier, by Marjorie Skouras, that you see when you first walk in.  Julia also has amazing artwork, which I think can really make a space sing.  She features the artist Marilyn Borglum, a local Chicago artist.

Julia took an old industrial plant in the hot west side district of Chicago and transformed it into a gallery feeling space by whitewashing the floors and leaving the walls white.  Against the white, there are wonderful pops of color, such as the pink jade chandelier and the large striped painting in Julia’s office.  Everywhere you look, you will be dazzled with treasures from all over the world put together in such a cohesive way that showcases Julia’s amazing talent of blending.   Julia really is a treasure hunter and she finds fabulous things in some unexpected places, such as my chair from Craigslist which is now her office chair.  Or the lighting in her office which she found at a local antique store and she had her eye on for an entire year; once she started to design her own office she knew she finally found its home; lucky for Julia, nobody was as smart as her to snatch it up.

Bravo, Julia!  Oh, if only I lived in Chicago and I could visit there all the time.  If you do, I encourage you to stop by offices are located at 1820 West Grand Avenue Chicago, IL 60622.  All photos via Material Girls.