TGIF and a phone dump!!!!  thanksgiving ended up being at my house this year and it was the best time ever....and it gave me an excuse to make the craft paper runners!!  everyone chipped in and painted...so fun and sooo easy.

after thanksgiving me and the fam, heading to charleston for a night of fun and to check on the progress of the new construction i'm working on....

 hey dad :)

nothing beats c'town shopping....these had me drooling....i would have loved to have come home w/ the ram head coffee table but she was out of my budget :(

 sunday, tay and i had a mother/ daughter outing and we went looking for what she wanted santa to bring her....she took pictures of all the items (an easy bake oven is her #1).

 this is my breakfast date every AM.....he melts my heart.

this armoire has been staring me down....i love her.  the yellow doesn't work in my house (kelly green or turquoise would though)....i keep trying to make an excuse of why i need her.

after yesterday's post, i'm determined to find my inner fun again :)  it includes lots of laughing and gangham style dance parties.....

hope y'all have a fabulous weekend!!!!  i've got a date w/ 2 girlfriends to see this.....and don't think for a second i'm not super excited!!!

Read More

I Am Going To Need Someone To Explain This To Me...

I have been seeing these Pop Phones everywhere.  I have to admit, I just don't understand the draw here.  Retro- check. Plenty of color choices- check.  It should be right up my alley but I feel like I am missing something.  I am thinking maybe it is a comfort thing but I could be wrong.  So, for those of you out there who own and love a Pop Phone please explain...I am all ears.

Above image West Elm but you can find these everywhere, EVERYWHERE.

Read More

**warning** this is a mom post:
i just sat down with my cold coffee (i've reheated it several times already this AM) to take a minute and peek at pinterest...it's my guilty pleasure.  once the hustle and bustle of the AM routine is done and everyone is out the door, i like to take 20 minutes and cruise pinterest w/ my coffee cup in hand.  i didn't get far this morning.  i saw one pic, that wasn't a beautifully styled LR, DR, or kitchen, it just said "how to be a fun mom" and i clicked.  literally, my eyes started tearing up after reading the first two sentences...it felt like it was coming straight from my household.  the article is about letting your guard down and taking time to be a "fun" parent.  my husband is 150% the fun parent. it's no secret in this household.  when he comes home from work, he immediately runs and starts chasing the kids around the room (last night they all had neckties around their head b/c they were playing ninjia or something like that...i was in the kitchen cooking).  i wish i was a fun parent.  i'm by no means trying to whine, but it's hard when you are a mother that works from home...i feel like i am running a race the second my alarm clock goes off....it's all about "getting it done".  i really struggle w/ separating roles...i juggle work and emails in the spare moments of my day between dropping kids off, cleaning the house, laundry, going to the grocery store, nap time, car pool lines, dance, art, etc.  at times, i have found myself jealous that warren gets to be "fun," which is silly of me b/c i could easily do it....reading this post made me aware that it's ok to be silly, to let your guard down, and to take time to make yourself "fun" again.  i needed to read this this AM, it's nice to know that other moms out there struggle in the same ways.  thanks for pinning it dawn :)  xo- Shannon

*images from northern lights, the glow

Read More

Sneak Peek

 This is the second time I have used this tile.  The first was in a herringbone pattern on a floor (picture coming) and now as a backsplash.   I love it.  

The hardware for this space is so pretty. 

More to come....

Read More

before & After: A Client's Home Featured In Small Rooms Decorating Magazine

A while back, I shared some before & midstage photos of a client's DC rowhouse.  When I was just about to have our third son (this past Spring) I did a photoshoot with my good friend & photographer Helen Norman & her assistant, F.J. Hughes.  I was so happy with how my clients' home turned out & the house ended up getting shot again for Small Room Decorating Magazine right after.  My clients actually fell for a new home in another area of DC & moved a couple of weeks after the shoot and so we're now onto the next project!  It was pretty much a whirlwind for my clients & I'm so appreciative of them for letting us invade their home for photoshoots multiple times. 

Here are a couple of 'before' pics of the home:

{My clients' dining room: They already had a GORGEOUS chandelier by Oly and really beautifully done window treatments.  The dining room functions as both a dining room and a sitting room and the dropleaf dining table itself moves under the window and becomes a console when the room transitions into a sitting room.  My clients purchased the settee so it could function for both spaces.}

Here's what their living room looked like before:

{As you can see, they already had some amazing pieces to work with & I love their style.  My goal was to warm up the space & to get it just right for them.}

One of the first things we did was repaint the main areas of the home in ivory & to repaint the doors black for some contrast & interest & to bounce the black accents throughout the room:

We used many of their own pieces & added new pieces to create a sort of modern mix of old & new.  To see all of my plans for the spaces, click here. 

Here's the before:

And here's the 'after':

We rearranged the furniture & floated the daybed so that it coule be accessed from both sides.  We added a pair of clean-lined linen wing chairs for a cozy spot to hang. 

We added a mix of textured, patterned and hand block-printed fabrics for some energy & interest:

{Dark brown & white pillow fabric & ottoman fabric by Raoul Textiles, and center paisley pillow is one of mine, "live paisley."}

We flanked the existing sofa with two large iron & cement tables to hold loads of books & magazines. 

Below, the lamp is a custom creation by my friend, lighting designer, Rick Singleton.  The photographs are taken from the oversized German Magazine, The Manipulator, and I found them at Avery Studios.  The frames were beautifully hand painted by another friend, artist, John Matthew Moore.  I wanted them hung so that they intersected slightly with the wing chairs for a more layered, relaxed look.  I love how the little kitty is peeking out from between the two chairs.  We went with a clear glass cocktail table because even though the room looks open & expansive, it's really fairly small & we wanted to keep it feeling open & airy.

A little workspace is carved out of the living room:

Here's the view from their loft bedroom above, which I really love. The wood floors transition to the deck floors just outside:

Here's the dining room below:

Here's the dining room "after"--

The vintage BRNO chairs we found were covered in hairy cream cowhide.  The painting is from one of my favorite Natural Curiosities collections by Paule Marrot, the French painter, engraver & textile designer who did most of her work between the 1920s and 1950s.  As a decorator, there's nothing more exciting than when you find clients who are willing to go outside the box and who are open to atypical things.   

Here's another view of the dining room:

The leaves on the table were honeysuckle branches from my yard and I really love how they looked & smelled.  I don't have any at our new house & think I need to get some.

To see the rest of the photos of other areas of the home (including a little sprucing up we did in the master bedroom) and the dining room set up as both a sitting room and a dining room, check out the current issue of Small Room Decorating Magazine.  The article was produced by Charlotte Safavi & shot by Helen Norman.  I haven't been able to pick up my copy yet & it doesn't seem like the magazine is sold everywhere but I have seen it at my grocery store & in bookstores.  Thanks so much to everyone who put the article together & especially to my clients for being so open to the design process & for letting it all happen!!

Hope you enjoyed!!


 ps- All of the pretty photos in this post were taken by Helen too ;)

Read More

sometimes i feel the need to confess....and this is one of those times: i like an xtina song *gasp*
seriously, see if you aren't singing it by the end of the day....just say :)

*images courtesy of martha stewart, kara cox interiors, notes on design, design sponge, martha stewart wedding

Read More

An Oldie...

I wanted a client to see a picture that had been around for a while and after some digging I found what I was looking for...

Now if I could just find the proper source.  Anyone know?

*Update: Thanks to my friend Jennifer I can tell you this space is by Nicholas Haslam

Read More

back to the real world....after a fun-filled couple of days away, i must admit it was hard having to jump back into the routine this AM.  wishing you a happy monday.....

*images courtesy of ajf design, coco cozy, shelterness, house and garden, juliasvistadrommer

Read More

Our kitchen

Our kitchen is coming together- and true to the impatient child that lives inside of me- I've moved in. 

 

 I found a bunch of my vintage oil paintings & hung them above the sink as I've been planning to do for months and it makes me soooooo happy:

 

 

Yes, I know, there's still painting & electrical to be done & cabinets to attach, but my artwork is up.  I try to ignore the blue painter's tape, open electrical outlets & such and just focus on the finished parts of the kitchen.  (It works surprisingly well when you are cooking for the first time in 3 months!!! yay!!)

 

Our island- which will be covered in reclaimed wood from the Lorimer Workshop in Rhode Island- and topped in honed marble- will be finished in a few weeks.  For now, I got a piece of navy gingham oicloth to put over our plywood.  (I think I'm going to keep it for really messy days- ie kids' art & craft projects & pizza parties ;)

{Our contractors worked really hard to make our kitchen functional for us on Thanksgiving & stayed late -when I know they wanted to be at home with their families- getting the appliances hooked up the night before.  We did a turkey (rotisserie style ;) in the oven & are just so thankful for everything.  I know there are many out there who are dealing with storm damage & who are trying to piece back together their homes, which is really tough & our thoughts have been with them.}

Here's a photo of the main wall in the kitchen, where the range is (and hood will be)...

{I love my range.  I didn't think it was possible to love an appliance but I sort of do.  It looks good and cooks food faster than any oven/stove we've ever had before.  We've always inherited our appliances with our houses and so this house is the first time we've done research & purchased what we really want.  There is SUCH a difference, I had NO IDEA. Crazy.}

Here's a picture of a beef (before we cooked it) on Saturday for some friends...

 

Now, more about this range.  (The Smeg Opera--- discontinued but I was able to find one.  There is a newer model available, but as far as I've been able to tell, it doesn't come with the rotisserie function.  BUT...  there are stands you can buy to put in any convection oven to make rotisserie-style food.)  It's Italian as was pointed out to me.  (I thought it was Australian because in my serach for rotisserie Smegs, I could only find them on the Smeg Australia site so I got completely confused.)  BUT-  THIS THING IS AMAZING.  Again, I've never purchased my own appliances before and I've never cooked on any high-end appliances before so what I'm comparing it to is generally the lowest available range from Home Depot, but hot damn!!  It's crazy!!! 

We overcooked the scrambled eggs on the first morning because we didn't know eggs could even cook that quickly.  We turned around & they were done.  (We had gas burners at our last house too but this one has much higher BTUs I guess...  I got it because it was pretty. ;)  (And came with good reviews.)

I searched for hours for this thing and looked at lots of different brands- all online- before coming to my decision.  I wanted an affordable professional style range (which for us, ruled out many of the higher-end brands like Wolf or LaCanche- MY DREAM ;) that looked good & had good reviews.  Having a rotisserie function was something on my dream wish list and I pretty much flipped out when I found one that had it all.  (To check out some more ranges I found that looked good, go here.)

I am really liking some of my other appliances too, so when I get the chance, I'll post on them too. 

And finally, just wanted to share a quick pic I snapped (when I was in my Norman Bates rocker holding the baby this morning) out our loft window...  Watching the sunrise with the boys has become one of my favorite things...  It's so peaceful and recharges me somehow:

I hope your Thanksgiving was special & that you find some quiet time in the holiday whirlwind we're now entering into!!

Read More