Eye Candy

Here's a little eye candy to get you through the weekend.

Nate Berkus did everything right in this gorgeous bathroom. That tub, alone, makes me dizzy! ...And for the price of a vehicle it too can be yours...we can dream right?!

Hope you have a fabulous weekend!

What I'm Loving...

Getting a look inside of Cherryfields, the Georgian revival home of two of my favorite designers, John Dransfield and Geoffrey Ross. If you've been around this blog for a while you've heard me mention their name before and their fabulous collection! In this month's Elle Decor we get an exclusive look into their eclectic and charming abode. To be honest, I rarely read the articles that accompany the beautiful images in design magazines. I usually read the captions and the sources and that's about it. However, the story behind how they obtained this remarkable estate is really interesting. The home belonged to an outrageous widow in her 80s, whom alone, sounds pretty interesting...she introduced JFK to Jackie for cryin' out loud! Anyway, the article discusses how the duo stalked the property...which I love to hear, because I do my own fair share of design stalking and there is comfort in knowing that even people as big as these guys still stalk ;-), obtained the property and "swapped" homesteads with the older woman. You really should pick up a copy if you are interested in hearing more about Cherryfields and the designer duo.
The estate was originally designed by Parish-Hadley in 1963. Ross states "It's vintage Parish-Hadley - It's sacred" so they kept much of the original design, even some of the original paint colors, but have made it their own.

Isn't it fabulous?! Be sure to check out Elle Decor for the full article!

Happy hump-day!

Toadstool

I have a place in my backyard that grows the most perfect toadstools.
I like to call them toadstools because the idea of a toad actually using it as a stool makes me grin.
I will likely lose some readers with this comment :-)

Well, I think they are beautiful and so interesting, instead of flowers, in a bud vase.
I hope you're having a great start to the week!

A Little R&R

My husband's family has a spectacular ranch in Southwest Texas and we headed out there this weekend for some much needed rest and relaxation.
Here's a little photo recap...

Barn swallows

Midnight sun


God's promise

My boy, Blackjack

The pumphouse

Blue agave

Pears

My love.

Happy Monday!

Charming in Austin

I recently stumbled across this little gem of a remodel by Austin architect Jay Corder. I think it is absolutely lovely! I love the steel front doors!

This kitchen is right up my alley to a T! Deep, rich, stained floors, check. White subway tile, check. Painted white inset cabinets, check. Bin pulls, black granite and a banquette, oh my!

This sweet arrangement of chairs would be a fantastically charming little area to kick it.

Of course I love all the gray calmness and continuity of this space. Yes, I'm talking about gray again. I love that chandelier. It is similar to the one that I used in this project.

The deeper, rich, gray on the dining walls feels very luxe. The trim and ceiling painted the same rich color creates drama and warmth.

I'm also digging those horizontal mullions on the french doors. I'm actually using doors just like those on a project in the Westlakes area of Austin. The slab hasn't even been poured yet, so it will be a while before I can let you in on the action, but I'm so excited about this project. I can't wait to show you what is going on with it...it is going to be stunning!

The exterior appears to be slurried stone (but it might be stucco), which is another element that I am incorporating into my Austin project.

Just beautiful!

What I'm Loving...

I love to drink hot tea in the morning. I'm not a big fan of coffee and when I do drink coffee I have to put so much stuff in it to mask the flavor of the coffee that it ends up only being a shot of coffee anyway. I love hot tea though, and I drink it year round. I usually drink English Breakfast Tea that comes in K-cups for my Keurig. In the afternoon, I'll usually have a cup of Earl Grey Tea and in the evenings, especially in the winter, I drink Chamomile.

I also love Tea Forte! I like to give Tea Forte as gifts because their packaging is so beautiful.
I have had my eyes set on this Barbara Barry tea set for quite a while now. I always visit it when I go to the Henredon showroom.

Mrs. Barry also has her own line of tea.

There is just something about having a little quite time with a cup of tea. In the morning, this is especially good, while I review what I need to do for the day or while I'm reading my favorite blogs, before the day gets busy.

I hope that you are having a wonderful week!
The weekend is in sight :-)

Busy Bee

I am busy busy this week! Please pardon the pithy posting.

Isn't this entry hall perfect though?! I love the skirted table with the contrast piping. The color is a really interesting corally terracotta. I love the way that the zebra runner on the stairs and the coral complement each other. I also adore the lantern above and the seagrass underfoot. I think everything about this design is perfect!

I'll be back tomorrow for "What I'm Loving Wednesday".

I hope you are having a great beginning of the week!

image via Palmer Weiss

What I'm Loving...

I'm loving the incredible interiors by Italian architect and designer Michele Bonan! His talent is nothing short of captivating. He layers and edits absolutely perfectly...in my humble opinion. He also contrasts extreme darks and lights, which is something that I love to do in my own designs. This man has a brain that I would love to pick...

Mr. Bonan has designed some drool worthy spaces for yachts as well, as seen above.

Try not to lick the screen! I have the urge to do that when I see carrera applied so perfectly like this.

Ok, I nearly had a meltdown when I saw this...

I have a mild obsession with black and white stripes and this image sent me into orbit. Black shutters, white facade, boxwoods trimmed into perfect spheres, white gravel, the bikes with baskets, the striped awnings...ah, obsessed...this is my new desktop by the way!

See the striped awning through the window...yep, awesome.

His use of accessories don't look contrived, but rather collected. I love that. That is how all design should be. I always tell my clients to buy things that they love and they will always find a place for them. You should never buy something just because it "matches the room".

(**disclaimer: unless your designer tells you to...ha!)

You should surf on over to his beautiful site and gush-swoon-gasp for a bit...it is truly lovely!