Monday, May 16, 2011

Tall, Dark & Handsome

I was perusing 1stDibs, looking for a unique bookcase for a client, and stumbled across this jawdropper! I am in love...the price tag, hmmm...not so much! I've always had an affinity for furniture with a Neoclassical flair. I also adore black and gold together, which is very characteristic of Neoclassical pieces, in fact, many things in my own home sport this color combo.
Well, it is fun to just look and pretend I could afford this anyway...
Isn't she beautiful! I would fill her with my antique leather bound books I collect and my milk glass candy dishes.












My personal budget version...

I found this piece at Nieman's Last Call, on clearance, tucked away in the corner, several years ago.


I couldn't believe the price and that it was still there for the low price that it was marked. I stood in front of it, guarding it like a freak, afraid that someone would buy it before I could (which is absurd), until I could get the hubs on the phone for the purchase agreement. This is the delirium that comes with this profession and spotting a killer deal, just FYI.
I love it and it makes me happy. Out of the furniture that we own, it is our favorite.
I hope you are having a great start to the week!


Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Fabulous FĂȘtes


My girlfriend Allison introduced me to the most wonderful party idea site. It is called Kara's Party Ideas and is pure inspiration! *disclaimer - don't even go to the site unless you have a good hour to kill, because you won't be able to look away*
I spent quite a bit of time perusing each inspirational photo after another on Friday night. The site also has a side bar with links to any party theme imaginable!
These images are just a sampling of what you will find there. I was especially drawn to this decor because of all the hobnail milkglass, which I have a special place in my heart for.















Sooo cute!!!
















It seriously makes me want to start planning a bunch of parties just so I can design all of the details :-)

I hope you're having a great start to the week!

Friday, May 6, 2011

Sneak Peek


Ok, I need a moment of silence for some amazing things that installed in one of my projects today.
We have been anxiously awaiting the installation of our beautiful specifications. I don't want to show you too much, because this project is so phenomenal and I want the final reveals to be a surprise but... I just can't stand it...

The tub went in. It makes my heart go pitty pat!!!



There are no words. The axis deer carpet for the media room is installed and...just wow!


Do you enjoy seeing a work in progress? If you do, be sure to check out the Facebook business page, as I have a photo album dedicated to 'client progress photos'.


Have a fabulous weekend and shower yo' mamas with love!


*sorry for the small photo files...camera phone snaps :-/ Big, pretty photos for final reveal, promise.


Saturday, April 30, 2011

Before & After - Arabesque Love

This is my most recent kitchen remodel project. I collaborated with Dwell Construction as my contractor and the results are stunning, in my humble opinion. We replaced everything except the floor tile!
This is what the space looked like when the home was purchased. Clearly very dated, in not only the decor, but the scale of the cabinet uppers and the finish out materials.

This home was built in the late 90's and the finish out materials are clearly indicative of that...including shiny brass, ugh! We ripped those dated cabinets out of there and put in not only beautiful cabinets but much more functional ones as well. The real beauty of designing your own cabinets is planning for exactly what you need and a place for everything.
Here is what she looks like today...
Big difference, huh?! :-)
I took the cabinets all the way to the ceiling to really take advantage of every inch of storage space possible. This, aesthetically, just looks beautiful too. It draws your eye up and takes advantage of the ceiling height. The cabinets have lots of new organizational features that the original cabinets didn't offer. Some of the features include, a pop-up mechanism for the client's KitchenAid stand mixer in the far right base cabinet, pullouts behind the doors for ease of reach and finding items and the skinny cabinets on either side of the new Viking cooktop are pull-out spice cabinets, among other many other things.
Here is another view of how the kitchen looked before...
We also increased the island size in our renovation. This special client has a big family and entertains frequently. The larger island size is obviously an advantage for her yummy spreads and buffet style dinners.


Closeup of the new island.


The arabesque backsplash tiles from Mission Stone and Tile are probably one of my favorite specifications for the kitchen. Check out their site, my in-kitchen herb garden is their highlight photo :-) They were a pretty penny but we didn't need very much square footage and I think they add loads of character. I have yet to tire of the classic and traditional subway tile, but it is fun to throw in a different shape to mix things up every now and then. Notice the new pot filler behind the cooktop as well. Pot fillers are a nice luxury if you have the opportunity to put one in.
The new Viking cooktop :-)


Pot filler close up. So convenient!


New Viking double ovens :-)


A little in-kitchen herb garden.


In this image you can see our new bell jar lantern pendants...love. All the way to the left in this image, under the microwave, behind those doors, is a convenient little coffee bar.


The new space is bright, airy and most importantly functional.

A big thank you to Adam Luczycki of Dwell Construction (formerly known as Blank Canvas Const.) for taking our specifications and making the vision come to life. It is beautiful!


I hope you've enjoyed a peek into my most recent project completion and I hope you are having a great start to the week!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

What I'm Loving...


Inset arched wood doors, wood muntins, cremone locks, all white and clear glass dishes...what's not to love?!