Pre-Spring Fling

It's winter, I know, but it's never too early for me to start thinking about spring cleaning - translating simply (and politely) into getting myself organized.  While on a little jaunt this past weekend I popped in and out of several stores and came away with ideas and products that should help inspire me to do just that.


Two things always at my desk - post-it notes and a bulletin board - so, this colorful Desktop Magnetic Board could really help keep me on track - it even acts as a dry erase surface.  I could get two different colors and use one for today and one for tomorrow - keeping organized is better than ever!



Container Store - Brocade Desktop File  I plan to purchase several and will use different colored hanging file folders to distinguish between new, in process and archived client work.  I am going to like the punch of color peeking through the filigree work - functional and pretty!



Other desktop accessories from the Brocade line, Container Store.  Yikes, I may just have to buy the whole collection!



The Bisley 5-Drawer Cabinet - This fella is perfect for all my husband's little stuff - so he gets something functional and I get to use it as a decorative accessory.  It comes in a dozen colors!
There are even a variety of drawer inserts for keeping things even more organized!




For another wonderful way to stay organized - I love the IKEA Expedit bookcase!  IKEA designed coordinating componets, such as baskets, drawers, plastic cubbies and the like, to insert into each of the bookshelf spaces.  Mix it up the way you need it to work for you.  It's a winner in my book for smart function and good design, not to mention affordably priced! 




here's one of those plastic cubbies I mentioned - they fit in perfectly and I can see myself loading each of them with different client projects and samples - just pull out the bin, take it to my desk when I need to work and store it away when I am done. 









Gone to the Dogs

Now, most of you know I have three kittens, Porter, Stella and Stout - can you guess that my husband named them?  Anyway, I love cats, I love dogs, I love rabbits, koala bears, zebras, wombats, hippos, kinkajous - you name a creature and chances are I will love it.  I love nearly every creature on this planet - except maybe mosquitoes...

But, I've digressed - back to my point of going to the dogs...  I've several dog lovers as clients and I always enjoy finding a unique little gift for their particular breed.  I can't help but notice all the great dog lover decor out there (and cat lover decor, too).   Here's a fun sampling of just the thing I am talking about -
 

Maggie and Oatmeal from Olive & Cocoa - two super cute pets that come with their own papers. 
Made from reclaimed newspaper - they are their own papers!

Mossed or unmossed topiary frames in a wide variety of breeds.
Aren't these great!  So, if you don't have a green thumb, that's okay - the wire forms are fun on their own.  Check them out at Green Piece Wire Art, online





A ceramic tea bag rest, handmade and available through Etsy,
only $8.00 for such a sweet little find! 

Dogfish Head Brewery's Dog Bark -  Dogfish Head said it best, why should the humans have all the fun? 
Of course there's gotta be a beer gift reference - you did notice the names of my kittens, didn't you?

Obey the Doxie poster (t-shirts too), from Obey the Pure Breed online.
They have a wide variety of dog breeds, and cats as well, and their awesome graphics remind us that we are merely servants to our furry friends.





 




By the Seaside

Okay, now I really do need a beach house. 

I'm so in love with the latest introduction to Stanley Furniture's Coastal Living line - Resort. 

I keep finding myself picking up this catalog - being lured in by the beautiful photography, vignettes and color palettes this collection offers - I can almost feel the sand between my toes. 

The pieces in this collection are inspired by shoreline living and created in collaboration with the Stanley Furniture designers and the editors of Coastal Living magazine.  There are a number of muted paint finishes, complimenting any decor, along with several unique finishing techniques which keep the coastal feel for this collection well lived, well loved and authentic. 

"Balanced effortlessly between the breezy simplicity of shore life and the understated elegance of a five-star hotel, Coastal Living Resort brings contemporary sophistication to the coast."  - Stanley Furniture 

That pretty much says it all...

So, sit back, relax and get swept away on a ocean breeze as you scroll through some of my favorite pieces from this collection and be sure to check out Coastal Living Cottage, also from Stanley Furniture. 

Lake Shore Etegere

Lake Shore Etegere, in room display

Haven's Harbor Media Chest



Media chest, in room display



Sundown Retreat Sideboard



Sundown Retreat sideboard, featured in background,
and shown with Seascape table and Water's Edge Woven chairs



 Driftwood Flats Cocktail Table



Cocktail table and companion side table, in room display






Curl Tide Flop Top Table



Used as a writing desk/sofa table, in room display





Ocean Breakers Dresser

Ocean Breakers Dresser, in room display



Creatures of the Deep

Strangely, I've been noticing a lot of Octopuses (or is it Octopi?) and lately and these mysterious invertebrates have been leaving their mark in the decorating arena, quite a bit further than the watery abyss they are known to inhabit.  Have a look - I happen to love their sinuous lines. 

Now, I just need a beach house...

a fun print available through Etsy, online, and at only $8.00 (frame not included).
For more things handmade - visit www.etsy.com

 

Indoor/Outdoor fabric available through Duralee Fabrics - and just how cool is the jelly fish style side table!
photo credit, Design Sponge



Lord Bodner's Octopus Study, through Natural Curiosities




Black Octopus Pillow, by Dermond Peterson Design.  Be sure to check out Dermond's framed hand block prints, of various sea life, available through Outer Banks Trading Group




Another fun one - a hooked pillow available through By The Sea Decor



One melamine dessert plate, from a set of four;The Sea Life Dessert Plate Collection from Thomas Paul





An octopus pillow - Thomas Paul



An octopus shawl - Thomas Paul

Octopi Orange, by USA glassworks artist, Jennifer Umphress, worth the splurge at $400



"From the Deep", salad plate available through Anthropologie

Mad for Chartreuse!

I saw this mirror and thought, wow, this could be a super DIY project - simply purchase an ornate (or not) ceiling medallion through a lighting supplier and add a mirror and a coat of glossy paint and viola! 

                         

                                                                                   

Okay, so a couple days ago I loved orange, but what's a gal to do with all the great color choices out there!  One cannot help but be wowed with all the bold choices and fun accents to choose from.  Today I am crazy over chartreuse - it's never gone anywhere, just sat quietly out of the way waiting to rev up again and now I am loving it as a wall color, in home furnishings, decor and fashion.  Come to think of it, I still have a favorite sweater from the late eighties that's chartreuse and still cozy up in it from time to time.  It pairs nicely with black and white, gray, chocolate, turquoise and even orange - but I always say, trendier colors come and go, so go neutral for your largest pieces, but go wild with your accents!  If you want to go bold with chartreuse on your walls, remember it's paint and can be changed out affordably.  Well priced accents from Crate & Barrel and CB2 make it easy to add those bolder colors without blowing the budget.  Who knows, tomorrow I may be in love with periwinkle, but today it's chartreuse!

A quiet little nook dressed in chocolate walls, creamy white and orange accents and chartreuse roman shades.
Springhill Center's Annual Holiday Decorator's Showhouse 2009, bedroom by Rabbit Runn Designs

Showhouse 2009, with bedding in the same color choices, by Rabbit Runn Designs.

Check out some of my other finds!



This is a great piece, the gray credenza body with "grellow" powdercoated flip pulls, I just love this! 
The Archive Credenza, again, through CB2.



Floor cushion, CB2 - you can never have enough floor cushions.



An inspiration vignette, through CB2, just love the warm gray with all the accents of "grellow".  Grellow is CB2's combination color name for green and yellow - I still call that chartreuse, but the name grellow is way cooler.
City Slicker Grellow Table, Lime Flower Rug and Chartreuse Bookcase, all from CB2.

Container Store's Twiggy magazine file




Emissary Home and Garden's garden seat -
They call this yellow, but I see a little chartreuse peeking out...  regardless, I love it.
It also comes in black and white - how stunning would that be in a chartreuse room?

                                                                           


from Elle Decor, love pairing it with the black and white.




from Country Living, I love the crisp look of chartreuse with white.  I can even imagine a vintage hexagon tile of Carerra marble being used with this bath - that'd be awesome!



                                       

A Kitchen Makeover

The snow on the ground today has me recalling, nearly a year ago, the snow of February 2010 - naturally that's when I began one of my favorite kitchen renovations. 

My clients brought me the inspiration for their "feature" wall, from an advertisement by La Cornue, for their Chateau Collection, a mix of color enamel and stainless.  With an idea in my head, I was off to see my custom fabricator in Tyson's Corner to discuss the idea of stainless framed wooden drawers and doors.  He was quite happy to accomodate the request and soon we were making sawdust! 

I chose to keep the palette white and gray, since Carerra marble was also a must-have in this kitchen.  However, I ended up with White Fantasy granite, since it's more durable than marble, which is softer and can etch more easily.  I did choose a blend of Carerra marble for the backsplash - the finish is a combination of polished, honed and "flamed" (simply meaning a rough surface) - it's really something when the light hits it.

Take a look at the "Before" photos, below, and scroll through for a quick play by play and the reveal of the "After". 

Before

Before, take note of the kitchen window -
we ended up swapping out this window for a taller one to gain the view of the landscaped backyard - it was a smart move.

Before

Before

Before

Of course we started this project during the major snow storm of February 2010, shoveling our way to the front door...

Demo begins

I donated all the cabinets, appliances and even the counter tops to the Alexandria Habitat for Humanity ReStore - I know they were thrilled to get the donation and my clients were elated with the donation tax receipt.
In addition to renovating the kitchen, all the floors on the main floor were sanded and given a darker finish - a perfect compliment to the gray and white color palette.

My new floor finish - a one of a kind color - don't even ask me which colors I ended up mixing together!

So, now my new floors are covered and protected for the arrival of the new cabinetry.

Install has begun!

It's shaping up!  The island is a custom lacquer finish of Benjamin Moore's color, Kendall Charcoal.

Look!  My new (taller) window has been installed!  What a difference!

Now we can really appreciate the view - Spring is here!

All moved in!  The custom stainless framed cabinetry, along the back wall, is finished in a custom lacquer of Benjamin Moore's color, Wrought Iron, as well as the range hood shroud.

White Fantasy granite on the island and a compliment of Storm Grey Zodiaq, engineered quartz surfacing, for the perimeter cabinetry counter tops.

A closer view of the Storm Grey Zodiaq counter top.
In addition, a commerical grade sink faucet from KWC and Franke's Double D bowl sink, help round out this kitchen.

There's even a little coffee bar - I chose a smokey gray glass tile mosaic for the backsplash here, just to mix it up a bit.

Oh Boy!  Matching Sub-Zero refrigerators!

Here's a nice detail - I chose "Glacier" glass to use in my doors.  It was interesting and helped obscure, ever so slightly, the contents behind.

Here's a fun pop of the orange I've been so intrigued with lately -
custom lacquer counter stools in Benjamin Moore's color, Salsa Dancing.
This photo was taken by my friend, Jennifer Chappell