Finished Ottoman- Sneakity Peek

I just wanted to share a quick peek of a fun ottoman we did in one of my new fabrics for our clients.  We topped it with a massive old wooden tray for drinks & snacks.      (Or as in this pic, pretty things.)

{"Squircles in black & white by Lauren Liess Textiles}

Seeing the end results of our projects & our clients' reactions is always the best part of this job. 

(Kind of feels like that Friday feeling!! :)

Have a great weekend!!

To view my whole line of fabrics, check out http://www.purestylehome.co/

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact us about our design services.

My Christmas Cactus...

..Is now dead.

I tried.  I really did.

Anyone else love plants so much but kill them anyway???



ps-  I should probably tell the story of how he died after reading some comments.  It wasn't your typical "not watering" slow death...  We'd had him for a couple of months & I barely watered him & he looked pretty good.  A little misshapen but okay.  I then got him ready for a photo shoot at a client's & watered him the night before.   He didn't like that and the next day, he wasn't happy.   Really wilty & all over the place.  He didn't make it in any of the photos.  And then, my husband left him outside overnight & he froze. So that was the end of the Christmas Cactus.

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.  (We won't kill your plants; promise! ;)

If you're interested in checking out my new line of fabric, click here.

The Nursery- The Big Board Part II

 Alright, let's continue where we left off.  I had many e-mails with specifics about what is on the board so I will try to cover most items. All items on the board have meaning to us which is something I think is important when decorating.  (Can you tell I took these pictures and not Paula?)

 Let's start with the left side:

The board is constantly changing but one thing has stayed the same, the progression of Henry's growth by week around the boarder.  Other items:

- Fox Watercolor, Eastwitching on Etsy, we call Harry (our dog) the red fox so this was only natural.

-Where the Wild Things Are book page

-The Very Hungry Caterpillar book page

(Both books above childhood favorites of ours)

-Gold Cross is handmade my dear friend Bullen, more information available here.

-Alright Already Quote- printed by us.  When I was pregnant and had not felt Henry move in a while I could always count on Float On by Modest Mouse to get him going.  

- Horse, Fox and Lion letters- taken from a Walter Anderson book, a gift from Patrick's Mom.  A Mississippi artist for his Mississippi roots.

And the left side:

Fox and Lion print see above.

- Lion watercolor- from Etsy but I can no longer find the store.  Lions were my favorite growing, you will see a lot of lions in the nursery.

- Rolling Stones onsie, gift from my best friend, makes me happy every time I see it.

-Hungry Catepillar doll, gift from Patrick's Mom, it is from Saks

-All of other watercolors on board are from an Oxford, MS calendar.  We picked scenes that meant something to us, Oxford is where we both went to college.  Originally the whole board was going to be various watercolors.

 So many people asked about the large Love You sign in the center of board. 

 I saw this at one of my favorite showrooms at Market, Sugarboo Designs, and from the moment I saw it I knew I would use it my nursery....one day.  I had planned on hanging this in the middle of the board from day one.  It is actually attached to the wall, not the board.  Available for order through Marianne Strong Interiors.

I had a few questions about the cost of everything.  I can't remember exactly but I think the wood (cedar) was around $40, the burlap tape was $30 and the hardware was under $10.  I think that covers just about everything.  Details on the rest of the room coming as well.

Kitchens on the Brain...

I'm working on a few kitchen projects at the moment and for the past couple of months, I've been collecting images.  One of the easiest places (besides a physical binder) to collect images is pinterest.com.  One of the kitchens we're working on is for our clients who absolutely love to cook and they're drawn to simple, functional beauty that feels timeless & as if it's always been there with a tad of a European edge. 

{House Beautiful,,,  I looooove these leather chairs!!!}}

And not that we're doing garden mazes in the kitchen, but although a bit more formal than what we're going for, I want to bring a little bit of that traditional garden- conservatory-vibe into the house...  But in a more relaxed way...

{image via rkw.blogspot.com}

We're looking at going with a beautiful French range by LaCanche:

{Kitchen by Mary Evelyn McKee via elementsofstyle.com}

...Except in stainless steel w/ brass accents:

They needs lots of space in the sink for washing large pots & pans & so we're considering a deep, wide farmhouse sink.  I love this laundry style sink:

{via moderncountrystyle.blogspot.com via Brooke Giannetti}

I haven't come across any 1 image that perfectly embodies the feeling we're after but Ina Garten's home is definitely in the mix:

{One of my favorite houses EVER, featured in House Beautiful}

...We just want it to be a teensy bit less "fresh" and a little more aged.  The house is also not a rustic one & so we really don't feel that the beams would be appropriate, although we love them.   

We're using a mix of finishes in the kitchen, many of them unlaquered brass and if you haven't already read this post last week by Brooke Giannetti about mixing metals in the kitchen, then you need to hop over to Velvet & Linen to read it.  Along with Ina & a few others, the Giannetti's aesthetic has also played a  big part in this particular kitchen design.  When I first met with my client & she showed me inspiration images, so many of them reminded me of Brooke & Steve's Patina Style and when I mentioned them, my client said she was an admirer.

{countryliving.com via Brooke on pinterest}

We're striving for the perfect mix of old & new, beauty & practicality.

{An old wooden tabletop...  I can't remember the source, but how amazing is this timeworn finish?!!}

I also love the baker's racks that Darryl Carter uses in many of his projects.  They're so gorgeous & functional:

We're planning on incorporating a pair flanking the range hood.

We're looking at doing plaster one similar to this (below) but with more of a curve to the front and back:

{HGTV.com by Jane Ellison}

Anyway, as we make more progress, I'll be sure to share updates. 

Because it takes a lot of this....

{image from investorspot.com}

and this...

{kitcheninteriordesign.net}

before you get to this...

{image from wonderingfair.com}

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Henry's Nursery- "The Big Board"- Part 1

Okay as promised nursery details are here.  Let's start with the single item I had the most questions regarding- Henry's Big Board as we call it.

It all started with a simple idea.  I wanted a huge board in Henry's room for pictures, etc. but I wanted something different than cork board.  I am going to have Patrick write about the initial conversations of what I envisioned but this was the very primitive sketch of what I wanted.  

In the beginning I planned on using old reclaimed floor planks from a local company that specializes in those sort of things but when hanging something over a crib, weight quickly becomes an issue.  Originally I wanted this board to be much larger but again, over a crib changes some details.

So after a lot of debate about safety Patrick went to work.  I had also planned on using amazing hardware for the corners but we ran into a lot of issues so in the end we used simple brackets to connect the boards.

 While most of my original ideas were scrapped/edited for one reason or another, one idea did make it all the way through- burlap upholstery tape woven across the back to hold up pictures, etc.  Ordered from an upholstery supplier this part was easy- weave, tighten and staple.

Several of you asked how we attached it to the wall so I included this picture to show the supports behind the board.  These boards (painted to match the wall) are screwed into the studs and the board was attached to these with hanging hardware.  I can tell you that board is not going anywhere, we were very careful about safety over the crib.

 Up after completion.

 I decided to include this too (although it is less than flattering) but it shows another view of the ceiling and light.

Closer view of materials.

Part II- Items on the board coming next.....

 First Image (the one better than the rest) courtesy of Paula of Two Ellie

Monday, Monday...Inspiration

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Quiet Time

In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.  John 1:4