My Hand Painted Wall Design

I am constantly inspired by design ideas and have lately been stretching my comfort zone to try new ways to express those inspirations into my own home. A room can completely be transformed through paint. Whether it's a whole new paint color on all of the walls or a special treatment to one wall section... paint can change a room's vibe and overall style. I have always loved designer Kelly Wearstler's unique take on design and the way she can effortlessly push the envelope. Take for example, her iconic foyer with those gorgeous coral walls...

image via Vogue

How cool is that picture?!? And then my jaw dropped again when I saw a similar style, but on drapery panels...

The home of Christine Dovey, designed by Meredith Heron and seen on Style at Home.

And I am in awe of this modern hand painted look also seen on Kristin's living room wall from the blog, The Hunted Interior...

via the Hunted Interior

I knew I had to apply it in some way in my own home. And if I got it totally wrong, it's just paint, right? There's really no tutorial for this project. Just some leftover white paint, a two inch paint brush and your creativity. I would paint a couple of brush strokes and then step back to make sure it was coming along how I planned. That's all there is to it! And my husband really likes it, too. He walked in and said, "wow, I really like it!" Win win for me! It was also a great validation for me that I didn't just do something completely crazy. :)

E-Design - A Client's Dining Room

I am excited to share this e-design project with you today! I was asked by a great blog friend to help put some finishing touches on her dining room, foyer and living room. Today, I will share the design for the dining room. My blog friend Anne, has moved into this gorgeous newly built home and has already done an amazing job selecting finishes and furniture for every space. I am so envious of her stunning chandelier in the dining room, which you'll see later on in the post! Her style is a blend of modern/traditional with a bohemian/glam flair. I love mixing design styles and absolutely love this combination. My client already had the dining table, credenza, chandelier and rug. Here is what I came up with to finish the space...

The Design Plan

I love to mix up the seating in a dining room, making the head chairs more substantial and stately. The wing chairs paired with clear acrylic side chairs is a fun, unique combo that Anne loved! I also thought it would be fun to add a bar cart on casters. That way, she can easily bring the cart to the kitchen and back into the dining area when entertaining. Here is the style board I came up with for the bar cart...

Bar Cart Styling

The accessories on the right side will go on the top shelf. The bottom shelf with have a blue/green demijohn filled with wine corks. They can add to it as they entertain and use it as a fun way to remember happy gatherings! It is also a subtle way to incorporate more texture in the space. The inspiration image shown on the left of the board can be found here and is a great example of the vision for this zone. Here is the progress Anne has made so far...

Progress

Isn't that Meurice chandelier stunning?!? It requires a whopping 30 bulbs that will soon be added to the fixture. I know the Ming Dragon fabric will be so amazing on those windows! I love the way the acrylic chairs look around her table and cannot wait to see this space come together. Great work, Anne!

Next week, I will show you the plans for the foyer and living room. You won't want to miss this gorgeous home tour!

Displaying Photos Around the Holidays

I am very fortunate to have family pictures handed down to me, spanning many generations from my mom's side of the family. In the future, I have big plans to frame them all, place them under glass trays and preserve their legacies. But for the Thanksgiving season, I thought it would be great to have them out on display, where everyone can see and appreciate them. At this busy time of year, when we are starting the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it's nice to sit back, remember family members both past and present and appreciate all the love that surrounds us. I would love to take you down memory lane today and show you some beautiful pictures that will be out on display at our house, this Thanksgiving...

When my kids were toddlers, I definitely wouldn't have put out this display. The pictures would have ended up all over the house and in someone's mouth. But now that the kids are bigger, they can understand when to be more gentle with fragile things. Before this arrangement, the pictures were tucked away inside my drawer. We can now look through and enjoy these wonderful memories, while they await their proper location in the house. Looking through these photos definitely reminds me how much I have to be thankful for!

How I Add Whimsy to Our Home

We are a quirky family... we laugh, we're sarcastic and don't take ourselves too seriously. So when it comes to decorating our home and adding personal touches, I want to reflect our true personalities. I think it's fun to have fun with your home... if that makes any sense! Adding personal moments that show your true self, makes your home unique and more meaningful. So when I saw this quirky little planter guy at Target, I knew it was meant to be in our home. I showed this new family addition first, on instagram. This was after he just arrived in our home...

via

And since he is actually a planter, he needed some greenery up on top. So here he is, all styled and ready for his blog debut...

I found a 4" fern plant at my local grocery store. Hopefully, the fern grows a bit, so he has bangs, like me!  :) Speaking of personal touches, our china cabinet has a mixture of wedding china, pottery and the kid's craft projects! I thought it would be fun to add sculptural art pieces they have made, so it can also have a proper display spot for everyone to see...

The dinosaur on the bottom shelf was built and painted by one of my kiddos, a few years back. It's one of those projects that is pretty fragile, so it stays behind glass as a fun, meaningful accessory! 

How about you... do you have hints of personality and quirkiness in your home?? Do tell!

My Fun, New Accessory by My Favorite Shop!

I love having a new accessory in our home... thinking about which room to style it in and just the excitement I get from collecting a new treasure, makes my day! My amazing sponsors, Anthology House, carry a stunning collection of high style vintage pieces for any room in your home. I am always on the hunt for a sculptural pretty brass accent piece to add to my space or a client's space, and they are always my first stop! I thought it would be fun to select a piece from their shop to show you how I would incorporate it into my home. Since I love unique, versatile accent pieces that can be placed on a book shelf, table top or desk, I chose this beautiful brass rooster...

I recently put together a fall family brunch, and I decided to add my new treasure to the table's decor!

{I guess I have a thing for roosters, since I spy one in my kitchen, too!} 

When it arrived in the mail, I was so impressed with my little rooster's stature and how heavy and sturdy he was! This piece is solid brass and is so amazing in person. The shop owners, Amy and Alyse, did a wonderful job with the packaging, as it was very well wrapped and enclosed in the box. The package even included a sweet handwritten note and a shop tag with pretty coordinating ribbon string...

It's definitely the details you notice and this shop is one of a kind. I am so happy to say that we share a partnership through this blog and I know this won't be my last purchase from their amazing shop!! Speaking of my purchase, this also won't be the last place you'll see him... this accessory is so versatile, I will be placing him in many different spots this year. To find that perfect treasure for your home, visit their shop, HERE or click on the Anthology House logo on my blog's sidebar!!

Happy Shopping !!!

Bringing the Outdoors Into Our Home

When spring and summer arrive, there is no better way to appreciate the outdoors than bringing it into your home. The best part is, it's free! For the longest time, I have been wanting to just clip some branches from my favorite bushes outside and place them inside a vase for an easy garden arrangement! I am always drawn to the simple, pretty table arrangements where some greenery is added to a vase. I finally got to that yesterday and clipped some of the branches from our forsythia bush in the yard. This plant grows so fast, that it's easy to clip some of the overgrown branches without disturbing its growth and beauty.

Bringing the Outdoors In

You may remember from this post, that I needed a new centerpiece for our dining table, now that the basket,  lantern and coral runner are in the family room. I put out a cream runner that I previously had from Wal Mart and found this large jug vase at a little shop in town for 50% off! They sell similar jug vases like this, at Pier 1 Imports. And of course, the branches were free!

And since I am in the garden mood, look at my beautiful blooming hydrangea bush!

Gotta love this time of year!