designBoard: Our Dining Room

Now that Azalea has joined the family, putting together my designBoard for our dining room was a breeze.

I already had many of these items and once I decided on lavender as a color, I picked up a few more (on a budget, of course). I'm thrilled to see that Azalea fits in perfectly with all of her friends - they will make a lovely little ensemble.

Cue the board...

Let's start with the paint. Carter and I really like how the stripe turned out. The paint colors are Hearts of Palm and Rice Paddy by Sherwin Williams (HoP is what we used in the main area of our house, and RP is what we painted the kitchen).

Here's a view of the current state of the dining room (sorry for the photography):

Table is a beloved hand-me-down from Carter's family - chairs are a Craigslist find (haven't gotten around to painting that last one) as is the china cabinet (which will be getting a paint job - probably a glossy black). You can see a faint hint of the tea cart in the right corner that houses our bar.

Those are the ivory drapes that will be replaced by Azalea (the current fabric is actually great, but bland for this room).

I picked up the solid moiré fabric you see in the board at the fabric shop this weekend. It was a 2-yard remnant in the perfect shade of lavender...I'm thinking about covering the chair seats with it.

One thing I of course had was my beautiful wedding china - Derby Panel Green. That was probably the starting point for the whole room (and possibly my house!) Shown here is the salad plate. And those to-die-for octagonal bamboo chargers are from Caspari (I a-d-o-r-e Caspari...sometimes I want to use their napkins as wallpaper). They were a splurge, but I had some birthday money to play with :)

To complement this place setting, I asked for some linen napkins monogrammed with our initial in lavender for Christmas. And that little plum rosette I found on fabric.com for $3 - I ordered enough to make some napkin rings (by attaching them to ribbon).

The dining room would be lacking without some touches of Chinoiserie.  I found the Chinese silhouette print and the adorable pagoda salt and pepper shakers on eBay. The coral pierced urn (from HomeGoods) also has a Chinoiserie flair and will inject the room with a little pop of color.

The chandelier in the picture of our dining room was here when we bought the house - I really like it, but the scale is a bit small for the room. I will be replacing it with one that is similar to the one on the design board (ours has ten arms) that I found on Craigslist for $30. My plan is to paint it...color TBD.

The wild card is the greek key trim. I might let loose and use it as trim on my drapes.

And there is one more little decorative accessory that I have not shared on the board...I'm saving that one for tomorrow.

Fabric Loot

She's beautiful, isn't she? Her name is Azalea.

I found her at The Second Yard in Fairfax, Va. on Saturday. It was my first time visiting this shop and I would recommend it if you are local and looking for fabric. The fabrics in the shop definitely lean more toward the traditional, but they had a very nice selection arranged by color and affordable prices. You can also order any of the designer fabrics through them - they have all the major books to flip through.

So, as I wandered up and down the aisles of fabric after fabric (half in a daze, half drooling), I happened upon Azalea. It was love at first sight. Shades of lavender and green....a lattice background...a traditional Southern print done in a fresh color scheme...oh dear, could it get any better?

Yes! It could! My dear Azalea was 60% off! (At this point I'm breaking into a sweat with excitement)

AND she was a Greeff print...as in fabulous fabric maker Greeff that is now under the Schumacher brand and oh-so pricey (do they even make fabric under the Greeff name anymore?) AND (I know...it's a lot to handle) she was a screen print done as part of the Historic Savannah Collection. Official Southern charm to boot.

I obvi snapped up the bolt and bought every last bit that they had - which unfortunately was only six yards, and I need ten for my drapes. After an intense online search, I have a feeling this fabric is available nowhere in my immediate reach (I'm not sure it is even printed anymore).

My plan is thus to make drapes with an "exaggerated" bottom border done in a coordinating solid fabric (probably a lavender linen). If you can imagine, dear Azalea will run about 54" tall, and the bottom of the drape will be a solid lavender taking up about 36". Sounds a little odd, but I did see something similar in this month's Southern Living (the dining room makeover), so I have faith it will work.

Now that I have my drapery fabric, I have my designBoard for the dining room ready to go. I'll be sharing it tomorrow....

Purple Rain

I am positively giddy over my weekend fabric find. Giddy.

But, I'm going to wait and share it with you tomorrow.

Today, I wanted to share some photos that inspired my fabric score. As I posted last week, my thoughts are currently consumed by fabric choices for our living room and dining room. You've heard about the living room...this weekend was devoted to the dining room.

One challenge has been deciding which colors to incorporate into the dining room. When we moved in, I knew I wanted to paint the walls a green stripe - so I did. And I love it.  You can see a peek of the stripes in this image below...

Once the walls were painted, I started my search for a patterned drapery fabric that would guide me in selecting other colors for the room. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) that search did not yield any results so I ended up buying some inexpensive ivory fabric for drapes. As soon as I hung them I knew they were snooze-ville (Carter agreed). So, my hunt began anew.

This time, I focused on color as opposed to fabric. Perhaps if I selected a color first, finding the fabric would be an easier task. Naturally, I consulted my beloved dining room by John Loecke. John used the tiniest little pops of lavender in the drapes and the chandelier...and I love the result. So my thoughts turned to purple...

Purple?! I even shocked myself. I am not a purple gal. It screams tween. But for some reason, I loved the idea of finding a pretty lavender/lilac/plum (anything but purple) shade for the dining room.

So, I jumped on the Web and did a search for some inspiring lavendar/lilac/plum interiors to get me started...and boy did I find some. It reinforced that "purple" can truly be chic. And now that I've opened my mind to the color, I feel like I'm seeing it everywhere (hence, the Purple Rain title of this post...Prince will not be making an appearance).

Lavender loveliness:

(A note: Many images are from other blogs, so I do not always have the photographer/source information -my apologies)

Home of former fashion editor Jane Hess from April 2008 Canadian House & Home via Alkemie blog

Home of former fashion editor Jane Hess from April 2008 Canadian House & Home via Alkemie blog

Design by Amanda Nisbet via Alkemie blog

DC Home of Ali Wentworth  & George Stephanopoulos, photo by Simon Upton via Elle Decor

photo by Eric Piasecki, via Roseland Greene blog

image via domino

photo by Tom Scheerer via Patricia Gray Interior Design blog

image from Elle Decor March 2007 via Patricia Gray Interior Design blog

image from EKB Interiors via Patricia Gray Interior Design blog

image via Roxxn blog

I know, right? Purple! Who knew? Armed with this new found love/confidence in the color purple, I ventured out for some fabric shopping on Saturday and found the perfect fabric for my drapes...

[to be continued...]

UPDATE: Run over to blog decor8 - today's installment by Leslie of Color Me Pretty is about lavender paired with greens/chartreuse!

Friday Crush

photo Christopher Baker via House Beautiful

A shot from the dining room that goes with the living room from my tortoise tumblers* post; design by Markham Roberts. Lacquered green walls, blanc de chine figurines, pops of turquoise and coral...and I love the symmetry.

What are you up to this weekend? Any design adventures planned?

I'm venturing to a fabric shop on Saturday morning that I have not been to yet - I'm telling myself that it will be my last foray into fabrics for the living room and then I need to make some decisions. I'll let you know if I score any loot.

Happy weekend, friends. See you Monday.

UPDATE: For locals, if you peek at the comments below, reader Style Redux 2 makes a great recommendation for this weekend - the DC Big Flea is once again taking place. Also, I remembered that Chartreuse and Co. in Frederick, MD is opening its doors every weekend starting this weekend through Dec. 13. Two great decor destinations if you're looking for something fun in the DC area this weekend!

*Did I tell you that I'm now the proud owner of my own set of fab tortoise tumblers? Courtesy of my best friend Margaret (and her husband Tyler) for my bday. Thanks Margie :)

designBoard: Our Living Room

I am knee deep in decorating the house.  The past few weeks, I have been picking fabrics for the living room and dining room.

Sometimes I see something and I just KNOW. Like my bedroom fabric.

Sometimes every option seems like a good option. And I have a bit of a problem with commitment.

This is one of the latter situations. I have gone a little loopy thinking of all the combinations for the living room. The room is a completely blank canvas...especially since the furniture is white.

Below is where I currently stand...the product of weeks of rumination.

I love our paint color. It is Hearts of Palm by Sherwin Williams. It is a golden green in the apple family with a lovely chameleon nature depending on the lighting. It was my starting point as I selected it when we moved into the house.

We have LOTS of white in our living room. Literally every piece of furniture is white, and we have lots of glossy white trim, as well as a pair of french doors painted white. So the room has a bright, preppy feel, which I enjoy.

 The AO Living Room (not a great pic...sorry)

But, I'd like to balance that brightness with the fabrics, to bring some depth and texture to the room...give it some interest.

We have one large window that sits behind the sofa. I thought framing that window with solid velvet drapes would instantly make the room a little more rich and sophisticated. And I knew I wanted them this teal/aqua color. If you remember my armoire vignette, the lamp is a shade of this color and I really like how it looks against the paint color.

For sofa pillows, I'm thinking Sassari Ikat from Lee Jofa. The deeper green tone will compliment the walls. I plan to make two rather large pillows for either end of the sofa.

The fabric that has given me the most trouble is the one for our cane chair (on the left in the picture above). I have been hunting for a great pattern to bring lots of colors into the room, but I have not found anything that I love (if you all have any suggestions, do tell!) But, I love stripes, and this Cadet Stripe from Greenhouse Design is just beautiful. I think it will be a good graphic pattern in the room. And it reminds me of the curtain/wall combo from this room in the domino book:

And finally, my designBoard has a Chiang Mai Dragon (by Schumacher) pillow. It would be the perfect touch to my room...but the fabric is pretty pricey, so I'll have to keep it to a pillow. I have a request out for a quote on the fabric (it is to the trade only), so we'll see if it works with the budget. It would definitely be a splurge.

This inspiration board isn't quite as set in stone as my bedroom one was. I'm hoping to make lots of decisions this weekend because I'm ready to get started with this room!

Graphic Griffin

Did you know Anna Griffin, the queen of all things paper (stationary, invitations, scrapbooking), also does fabric? And did you know that she does some pretty awesome, punchy, graphic fabric?

As you can tell from her logo (if you don't know Anna Griffin), she has a very feminine, romantic aesthetic (which you can see more of on her website). So, I was most surprised to come across her non-frilly fabric collection. I'm sure Ms. Griffin has a range of talents, but I had only seen her stationary side...but now I'll be watching her fabric line too as she has many offerings (including beautiful feminine prints...sheer perfection if your look is shabby chic).

One note that her fabric line is quilting cottons (exclusively, I think, but don't quote me), so it is not upholstery weight fabric. But, I tend to not care about those things...if you are pretty, and a fabric, I will probably slap you on anything. This type of fabric is great for some casual, punchy pillows or covering the seat of a cool chair that doesn't get a ton of use.

Some of my favorites:

The Alix Collection

 

 

 

The Calisto Collection

The Darcey Collection

 

 

My background pattern!! Wish she made it in orange!

You can see her full collection (and order it wholesale) by clicking here.

I have purchased some of these patterns myself via eBay...the prices are super affordable since they are quilting prints which tend to be less expensive than home dec fabrics (I paid between $6-$7 yard). If you go the eBay route, type in "Anna Griffin fabric" and you'll see lots of the above offerings for sale. I have not done a thorough hunt online for these fabrics, but I'm sure a Google search will yield good results.

Good Tidings to You

On Sunday, November jumped out from behind a corner and scared the daylights out of me. November, I HATE it when you do that.

But now that you are here, I must face my holiday to-do list. Not that I mind my holiday to-do list...in fact, I love every ounce of prepping for and enjoying Christmas. It's just that now I feel the time crunch. But, I work well under pressure.

So, this week, I'm focusing on some holiday prep items. Today, I ordered our Christmas cards - some divine little numbers off Etsy. I'm thrilled with them. Next up - pondering our annual soiree...and the invitations.

As part of my new found holiday spirit, I wanted to share these AMAZING Christmas stockings that I saw on Plum Cushion's Etsy shop:

all images via Plum Cushion

 

 

 

 

CRAZY good, right? Can you imagine having a Christmas stocking in Schumacher's Chiang Mai...with an Imperial Trellis cuff no less! The idea is shocking to the system (at least to my system).

I could not get over how fabulous these stockings are. The perfect way to start the season...

Sheila's Bathroom Question

Sheila:

1. Is it okay to paint a very small bathroom a dark color?  I love a dark sea blue with white trimmings (window sill, shower curtain, vanity), but would that close it all in?

2. Do I need to use a special type of paint for the bathroom?  The one on the wall now appears to be glossier than a normal semi-gloss.

Moi:

1. If painting your small bathroom a dark color will make you happy and excited as you shower every morning, then you should absolutely paint it dark. Immediately.

But beyond just satisfying yourself, I think it is a great idea. Punches of deep color on a bathroom wall, large or small, can be a beautiful effect when contrasted against white. If you have white fixtures, a white floor or if you get a good bit of natural light in the bathroom, painting it in a rich tone can be chic and dramatic. The key is balance to avoid that cavernous feeling you allude to.

Also, if your bathroom is tiny, embrace its tinyness. Painting it a deep color can cozy up the space and make it special and inviting during your daily routines. No need to fight it to make it feel bigger and spacious - make it a small retreat for yourself. If you keep the accents white, it won't feel like a cave.

Some inspiration for you:

image from Pottery Barn

A nice sea blue - this bath even opts for dark furniture, which works as it seems to be spacious. The light flooring, trim and countertops, as well as the towels and decorative accessories, make for a lovely contrast with the blue.

Design by Coburn Architecture & Interiors, image via houzz.com

Here is a sliver of that same deep blue contrasted with lots of white. I'm in love with the floor tiles and how they sing with that color on the wall. Even if you don't have singing floor tiles, still a nice execution of the concept. (I bet that is a great view out of that window - I wouldn't mind soaking in that tub taking in the view)

Image from Southern Living

Glossy chocolate brown contrasted with white. A daring choice, but overall, a tame look.

Design by Jeffrey Bilhuber, photo by Julian Wass, via housebeautiful.com

Oh, this is lovely. Brown and beautiful. Rich and inviting. A cool light fixture always perks up a room - even the bathroom.

 Laura Britt Design, photo by Casey Dunn, via houzz.com

Woah Nelly! This will wake you up in the morning in an awesome way. I am in love with that chair.

2. As far as paint sheen - bathrooms are often painted in a higher sheen like a semi-gloss because glossier paints resist moisture better than flat paints and they are easier to clean. Personally, I would stick with at least an eggshell sheen in the bathroom, but I think painting semi-gloss would be great to give the room some extra sparkle. Or think of painting it in a gloss sheen for a lacquered look. Dark and glossy with white and crisp can look very nice.

If your walls are already glossy, give them a light sanding or apply a coat of primer to make sure that your next layer of paint sticks nicely - painting right over glossy paint can sometimes yield iffy results.

Godspeed Sheila!

Friday Crush

image via fschumacher.com

An ad by Schumacher for Celerie Kemble's fabric line. Orange and turquoise, need I say more? Celerie's book (in this picture nestled among the gorgeous fabric) is also currently on my nightstand and I am enjoying it immensely.

Our weekend plans have us wine-tasting on Halloween. Our dear friends are moving and we shall toast their departure with Virginia wines. Not a bad way to go...

I'm also trying to convince Carter that we should take a drive and see some Fall color on Sunday...we'll see if house projects take over, or if we sneak away.

Weekend design adventures MUST be emailed to me.

See you Monday.

The John Loecke Post

Pages 40-46 of my March 2008 issue of Cottage Living are well loved. I have turned those pages time and time again...looking...pondering...loving.

As you know from my blog, I love lots of rooms, lots of pictures, lots of designers. I'm equal opportunity.

But, there are a select number of rooms that I actually try to emulate. That I forever tape to my forehead and walk around thinking about. That I have memorized. This is one of those rooms.

 

 

 

All images by Tria Giovan via Cottage Living

Over the top, right? Craaaazy? GREEN? Magic.

Some things I love about this space designed by John Loecke:

1. The wallpaper. Obvi. I love wallpaper, and it's green, and it's trellis-y, which is one of my favorite motifs.
2. The color green.
3. The black furniture.
4. The fact that each dining chair is covered in a different fabric. And that each fabric brings in different colors. And that the chairs don't exactly match.
5. The Chinoiserie elements - the bench, the arm chair, the pagoda chandelier.
6. The chair rail trim - inspiration for my fireplace.
7. The fearless mix of pattern.
8. The window valance.
   

I will be the first to admit that this room is a little "much". But that is what made me fall head over heels in love with it. It was so full of personality, energy, vida. I wanted to stand right in the middle of it and look up at that grosgrain-trimmed chandelier.

This room is definitely inspiration for my own dining room. Key word being "inspiration" - if I actually created this room, Carter would pass out each time he walked into it. And I do have to be sensitive to that.

So my goal in our dining room is to create a similar feeling in my own way. I've painted the walls with a green stripe. We have an old, claw-footed, round dining table (from Carter's great-grandmother) that we've painted black contrasted with dining room chairs (a Craigslist find) that I've painted ivory. You've also seen my chandelier that will be getting a makeover and the beginning of my bar.

I'm taking my time with this room (and probably stressing over it a wee bit too much) but I know how I want it to feel in the end, so I'm having fun getting there. I'll keep you posted...

Now when I constantly refer to John Loecke's dining room, you'll get the picture.


p.s. John Loecke's current portfolio via www.jloeckeinc.com shows what I imagine are current pictures of the space with some lovely updates:

An Evening with Michael S. Smith

Sounds fancy, doesn't it? Like Michael and I popped open some bubbly and gabbed. Totally not it, but close.

Designer Michael S. Smith

My evening with California-based designer Michael S. Smith consisted of an auditorium at the Corcoran Gallery of Art with 100+ of my closest friends. The event was part of the Corcoran's lecture series, which on this occasion turned the discussion to interior design. And Mr. Smith was a timely choice as his name has been buzzing around the District - his recent clients are a family by the name of Obama.

Every designer I come across captures my attention for a different reason - in Michael's case, I'm drawn to his versatility. He can create the most over-the-top Chinoiserie bedroom and then captivate you with a white, crisp, classic living room. He seems to do it all - depending on his client.

Michael shared some of his design thoughts during the presentation:

Design should be timeless. He focuses not only on how a design currently functions for a client, but how it will function in ten years. He also encourages clients to purchase pieces (typically antiques) that will continue to perform as lives and homes change. 

Design should be personal. He notes that he challenges each client to create a home that reflects who they are, as opposed to copying the Joneses down the street (even though he may have designed the Joneses' home).

Design should be balanced. He may have a gorgeous, elaborate wallpaper in a dining room, but you'll notice that the chairs are upholstered in a neutral fabric. I think he also balances gender very well in his rooms with both masculine and feminine details. 

Design should pop...usually with one statement piece. He has a knack for introducing one showstopper into his rooms - like an oversize work of modern art or a beautiful antique - that gives the room a jolt to keep it interesting.

During the Q&A, folks were itchin' to talk Obama, but Michael was quite mumsy about his work decorating the private residence of the White House. So, we didn't hear much about that project (except that it is almost complete). We did have many laughs, though, as he brought his friend Ali Wentworth on stage to liven up the discussion and she was hilarious.

I really enjoyed the event. It exposed me to another great designer with an inspirational aesthetic. I'm always up for that...

  

Following images all via www.michaelsmithinc.com