Because...

(we can't take ourselves too seriously)

...omitting the front door is not where you want to save money

...laughter is the best defense...

...all I need is a comfortable wall and thou

..."self-rearing" is fraught with pitfalls...

...nothing says "welcome" like all-plywood-all-the-time...

images: unhappyhipster,dwell

Love: Updating Traditional

I just love everything about these rooms; going modern within an American version of "old world" envelope is one of the hardest things to get right...here, the build out is respected, but not worshipped; the exuberant color palette is repeated in varying doses throughout, providing continuity and the artwork...oh, the artwork...especially like the fact that many pieces were kept and recovered, laquered or repurposed, which lends an inherited feel...these are rooms that get better as you move about them, a quality hard to capture in 2-d...

I'm a big fan of reusing quality pieces in a new design; here the familiar shape of the recovered bergere chairs are actually taken down a notch by swapping gilding for a wood tone finish...and how much fun is that recovered ottoman...the overall effect is much like relaxed parents watching their imaginative child at play...

On the other side of the room, a wonderful ratchet sofa reupholstered with acrylic finials replacing wooden ones...also love the movement of the ring table and art arrangement on the wall

...your guests could be boring and you wouldn't care! Note the contrast of dimensional velvets, clear table legs, movement in the art, texture in the chandelier and patterned ceiling...sigh...inspired by a fun rug and grounded by laquered chinese chippendale chairs; just a pure visual treat!

Credits: traditionalhome.com

Love: Color

Every now and then, I get a client who dares to go beyond "punch it up with pillows"...thank you, god...this home was so much fun to do: ombre walls, fabric collage, custom rugs AND all with a woman who exudes joy...

The before

the ombre walls in the salon...to keep things somewhat calm, sofa and living room walls almost the same

custom rugs; switched field colors - space is open, so continuity required in rugs and window treatments...I used same patterns in different colors

outside back a lovely print, inside a subtle plaid

Stickley entertainment unit balancing the other side of the room

long view capturing salon side panels - same embroidered pattern in two colors

more ombre on the salon side wall done by Patinas

small details make all the difference; mixed metals in the rodding and adding a cuff is like your windows wearing a bracelet!

detail of two fabrics used on Harden chairs

strike-off on custom rug

Need: therapy...Nuts about Nailhead

A little goes a long way and it's all too easy to devolve into "crafty" territory...but I do so love it! I can't wait to upholster double doors or use as a stand-in for architectural details on walls...the array of available shapes, sizes and colors are spectacular, though not very well represented here...some great ideas follow...

Instant update

Love this stair runner!

A natural on cornice boards - I did one with large, black pearl nail head spaced wider at the top along with the smaller nails at the bottom

Great optical illusion

wow



Transform an older piece with paint



Full commitment

Lovely over linen

Great way to create a focal point in this 'white box' room

Paint simulating nail heads

 

'Best in Show' for Creativity

 

Classic paneled walls

They probably run with scissors, too...but love it!

hmmm...not entirely sure what I'm looking at here...

A piece of jewelry in the room

Square nail heads on tape: perfect touch

Images: pinterest,athomearkansas,beachchicdesign,beautifullycontained,betterdecoratingbible,

cbidhomedesign,cococozy,pureabundance,simplystoked

101: What's Your Style? OR Confessions of the Design Obsessed

'What's Your Style' is now a marketing brand for Davids Furniture & Interiors and I wanted to put myself in John Q Public's shoes. How does one really figure it out on their own? So I took some online quizzes that ranged from superficial to hilarious (interestingly, my personal style is "Asian Bauhaus"...yeah, no clue...)
...more importantly, not very helpful. Online you're also told to take to your closets for style cues - a little more relevant maybe, but I apparently share a closet with Jackie O, an earth mother and a rock star...hmm, what to infer?
...okay, got it: classic silhouettes, some organic-zen touches and a couple over the top accents...dear god, please don't let me ever get me for a client...
Lastly, you're told to start a file or Pinterest board to collect images that resonate...now we're getting somewhere! ...although like a Rorschach Test, the results are open to wide interpretation and an hour of clicking later, you have hundreds of images ...aarghh...

Sooo, it's not that easy to do on your own. My advice? Don't - that's why there are design professionals...ask friends for recommendations; what you want is someone who asks a ton of questions. We all listen, but you want someone who can hear the music behind the words, too...yeah, you want me :) 

Love: Mirrors over Mirrors

...for their depth, sparkle and easy way to update decades-old plate mirror. More commonly found in bathrooms (really)?, don't overlook opportunities to add a smaller mirror in front of a larger one - your gut will tell you if it works. A small sample of ideas follows:

Simple His 'n Hers

Convex shape, frame and museum cord are a great foil for plate mirror 



Venetian mirror also a nice pattern addition



Love everything about this dining room! Framing out the plate mirror also a good idea...



Shape, finish and bevel make this fabulous

...and the treatment can whisper, as well...

Had to throw this in: love art hung in front of mirrors!

 

 

Image credits:drivenbydesign,traditionalhome,littleapple,mynottinghillblogspot,thecubaninmycoffee

Love: Dining Rooms That Aren't a One-Trick Pony

Unless you host a lot of sit-down dinners, that particular piece of real estate doesn't have to be a static room in your home. Think about other purposes that would serve you and design accordingly. I did one as an escape-from-sports-TV room using a fully upholstered curved settee, a Harden Hi-Lo round table and two slipper lounge chairs. This space also had a TV/console and the table is set at cocktail height, but raise it and pull up the comfy chairs and dine in comfort...I've also done one where I re-purposed a Williamsburg settee and swapped out three side chairs; softened up all that matching wood!
Here are some other ideas:

One of my all-time favorites - books are always in style and a round table ideal for cards or intimate gatherings

Similar idea with a transitional style

A modern multi-purpose room

So feminine and great blending of dining and living areas

Dining room? Game room?