greige: interior design ideas and inspiration for the transitional home

Recovery...

noreply@blogger.com (christina @ greige) — Fri, 24 May 2013 12:03:00 +0000

Just wanted to share a few of my favorite instagram pictures from the trip. I promise to go through my photos over the holiday weekend and share a bit with you next week. Every time I visit Paris I fall for it all over again even though she really makes you work for it! I am exhausted when I return from these trips both physically and mentally! This weekend I will do my best to fully recover!

I also want to extend a huge THANK YOU to the girls that were nice enough to guest post for us while I was away! I could not have done it without you! Thank you to Andrea, Si, and Shari!

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The outdoor shower

noreply@blogger.com (christina @ greige) — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:47:00 +0000

Getting back into the swing here has been a challenge as all I want to do is focus on relaxing and getting my pool project completed! We are finishing up the cabana over the next couple of weeks and then it is onto planting, sprinklers and dirt.. lots and lots of dirt.

My current focus is on the little outdoor shower that will be on the side of the cabana. I love this look and just cannot wait to get it all together here. I need opinions please- do you have an outdoor shower? Do you love it? Any suggestions on hardware? This exposed look is what I am after and have found a few things but I always love a few choices that come with recommendations!

I found this little pretty but I am a little worried about the finish being exposed to the elements.

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Returning from France...

noreply@blogger.com (christina @ greige) — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:23:00 +0000

Arriving home from a long trip can be bitter sweet. I love traveling and seeing amazing things but I love being at home with my family more so. I was so glad to get back to the California sunshine and my sweeties! I am spending the day getting up to speed, organizing and answering emails and messages! Looking forward to sharing our buying trip with you and some of the amazing pieces and places we found!

image by christina for greige

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Dramatic dining..

noreply@blogger.com (christina @ greige) — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:03:00 +0000

I love the simple drama of this space. The blank chalk board makes such a contrast from what we might normally see when they are used in decor. The chairs and the chandelier are by far my favorite part of the otherwise simple space.

images via Atlanta Homes and Lifestyle

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Grey in the bedroom..

noreply@blogger.com (christina @ greige) — Sun, 19 May 2013 12:03:00 +0000

We all know I love a good bedroom design... but this is a favorite. The ceiling detail, the light, the view... need I continue. I also just love the way the linen bedding is a soft accent to the concrete and the rougher feeling in the space.

images via

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Weekend wishes...

noreply@blogger.com (christina @ greige) — Sat, 18 May 2013 12:03:00 +0000

Perfect for relaxing the weekend away!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend! We are soaking up the last little bits of France while in Normadie today and tomorrow... shopping of course.

To check out what we have been up to follow me on instagram!

image via

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Design Traveler: Si from French By Design

noreply@blogger.com (christina @ greige) — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:03:00 +0000

Bonjour, I am Si from the FrenchByDesign blog. France is my home country, so it’s only natural that when sweet Christina asked me to guest post in her “Design Traveler” series, I chose a bed and breakfast located in Southern France. Ready? Pack your bags, we’re heading to the beautiful Cathare country, a few miles away form the gorgeous village of Carcassonne.

Welcome to Camellas-Lloret, a culmination of a love affair with France and a desire by a couple, Annie and Colin, to share it.

Located in Montréal, a picturesque village, 15 minutes away from the gorgeous village of Carcassonne, and on the route of St Jacques de Compostelle, Camellas-Lloret is an 18th century family home fully renovated with two main focuses in mind: authenticity and comfort. Annie and Colin host this Maison d'Hôte [BnB] with brio: from morning croissants and café au lait, to evening drinks on the terrace, they will make everything they can to make you feel at home. Bon voyage!

All Photos Courtesy of Annie Moore and Camellas-Lloret ©

Cozy Nook...

noreply@blogger.com (christina @ greige) — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:03:00 +0000

I love a little place to relax and enjoy and isn't this just perfection. I love the style of the cushions, which I am totally coping for our poolside cabana this summer. That little touch of color is perfect and the light is just right.

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Design Traveler: Andrea of The French Basketeer

noreply@blogger.com (christina @ greige) — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:03:00 +0000

Design Traveler Visits: Le Domaine de Chantilly, France
When thinking of Paris and châteaux, Versailles, Fontainebleau and perhaps the Loire Valley come to mind. But just a short distance from central Paris lies a gem of a château that has been carefully restored and offers some serious eye candy of paintings, decorative arts, gardens and equestrian displays.

The Domaine de Chantilly passed from different parts of the same family without ever being sold, from 1386 to 1897. The Château first opened to the public in 1898, less than a year after the death of the final owner, Henri d’Orleans, Duke of Aumale. As with the Louvre, the Château de Chantilly was improved, expanded, destroyed and rebuilt over the course of centuries. Its long history is complex, fascinating and, well…very French...

Chantilly was at its peak in the 17^th century, when André Le Nôtre (who would be later become the head gardener at Versailles) created a Grand Canal, water features and parterres. Chantilly came alive with grand balls and fireworks displays, visits from Louis XV and plays by Molière.

The fun came to a halt during the French Revolution, when the collections of the Château were seized and carted off to the Louvre and the Château served first as a prison, then was partially demolished. The Château regained its glory in the 19th century when Henri d'Orléans, the fifth son of King Louis-Philippe, inherited the property (and great wealth) in 1830 at the age of eight.

Today, a visit to the Domaine includes the Renaissance-style Château, with grand entry hall and hunt theme, intimate chapel, a generous painting gallery, library with over 1,300 manuscripts and 12,500 books, private apartments and gardens. The collections are presented today just as they were in the 19^th century as Henri d’Orleans had arranged them. The collection can be considered a mini-Louvre, with representation by many great French and Italian masters such as Raphael, Corot, Watteau, Poussin, Delacroix and Clouet.

The private apartments have been undergoing extensive renovation since 2005, and the details behind that work are interesting from a design standpoint. The largest expense of restoration work on the Château is gold leaf. Pure, 24 karat gold leaf is used, not paint, and there is a lot of it. The walls and relief are cleaned, to uncover the original colors, and not completely repainted. The paint is made especially for the Domaine with a base of what is called colle de peau, or animal glue, which holds well for centuries and has been used since ancient times.

The Domaine de Chantilly is a marvelous and carefully restored château with its collection of period decorative arts, paintings, book & manuscripts. In addition to being beautiful, it is also fascinating in that it is the personal collection of one man, Henri d’Orleans. If you have visited the Louvre or Versailles, you will love this Château, for the intimate portrait it paints of the tastes and life of one of France’s royal sons after the monarchy. In the spring and summer, the Domaine also presents a series of live horse shows and dressage demonstrations in the Grand Stables.

For more information on the Château de Chantilly, visit www.chateaudechantilly.com

* * * * *

Andrea Drexelius is a devoted Francophile and divides her time between Laguna Beach and various destinations in France. In addition to importing classic French market baskets, she writes extensively on France. The first of her e-book series Rêve will focus on Paris (including Chantilly) and will be published imminently. Information on Rêve and her blog can be found HERE.

Design Traveler: Shari from Little Blue Deer

noreply@blogger.com (christina @ greige) — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:03:00 +0000

Greetings! Shari from Little Blue Deer here! I am so honored to have been asked by one of my very favorite clients, Christina, to guest post while she is in fabulous Paree! I know she'll be chic'ing it up all over the 7th Arrondissement, while we're here slogging away stateside, right?!

One of the many perks to my full-time job as a design blogger and blog and website designer to the stars (that's you guys!) is that I get to travel frequently. All I need to work is my laptop and a wireless card, so I have the freedom to go wherever I want to when I want to. It's a privilege and a luxury, and I try to make the most of it.

The place I travel to most frequently is New York City. As a former Manhattanite, I love to see all of my friends, and some of my favorite and best clients are there, so it's always fun to hook up face to face. Since I go there so often, I wanted to share some of my fave NY picks with you!

Hotels:

Even though I usually stay with friends, that doesn't mean that I don't pay attention to what is hot and happenin'! You can't go wrong with The Standard. As far as I'm concerned, this hotel is the gold "standard" (get it?!) in downtown accommodations (is this "Dirty"? You be the judge.)

And the High Line location has floor to ceiling windows in every room, plus it's the home of the Standard Grill.

If downtown hipster makes you turn up your nose, you can't go wrong with The Carlyle. One of the Upper East Side's finest, last time I was there they served up Bulgari Green Tea-flavored toiletries, and I will be the first to say that I am not above stuffing a few of those babies in my bag!

So, we've got the sleeping down, but a girl's gotta eat, right?! Seriously, take the trip out to Sunnyside, Queens, and load up on Salt and Fat.

For a quick lunch, grab the most fabulous grilled cheese you will ever experience at Little Muenster on Stanton Street. Don't forget the tomato soup!

You guys thought I was going to talk about shopping, right? While I DO love to shop while I'm in NYC, an even more fabulous, and longer-lasting, treat, is a haircut by the "dancing hairdresser" of the Lower East Side, Misin Shin. I found Misin quite by accident, and what an amazing discovery. One of his trims lasts for months, and honestly, my hair has never looked so, well, finnnne. Also, uh, he dances. Check it out.

Finally, one of my NY must-haves is my iTunes NYC playlist. Load up with tunes by M83, LCD Soundsystem, CHVRCHES and Santigold and you'll retain your hipster street cred even while rocking Tory Burch.

And...that's all, darlings! Can't wait to hear all about Christina's fabulous trip, see you guys in NYC!

Pattern Play {Artwork by Julie Abijanac}

noreply@blogger.com (christina @ greige) — Mon, 13 May 2013 12:03:00 +0000

Julie Abijanac's pieces are a wonderful mix of organic pattern that I adore. What an amazing statement these would make in any space. I love the soft lines and depth, they would make amazing fabrics, don't you think?

images via

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Happy Mother's Day!!

noreply@blogger.com (christina @ greige) — Sun, 12 May 2013 12:03:00 +0000

Happy Mother's Day! I am excited to be spending this special day with my Mom in Paris doing what we both love.. shopping for vintage pieces! I love this image as my obsession grows with vintage silverware and serving pieces, I have come to appreciate my Mom's vast collection. I will definitely be adding to my treasure while we travel.

Happy Sunday!

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Weekend Wishes..

noreply@blogger.com (christina @ greige) — Sat, 11 May 2013 12:03:00 +0000

I hope you are enjoying the start to the weekend!! We will be shopping the Paris flea markets all weekend in search of treasure. Don't forget your Mom's this weekend!

Also, this coming week we have some great guest posts while I am traveling, please join these lovely ladies as they become part of the Design Traveler Series.

Here is a little of what inspired me this week...

I so cannot wait to make these amazing grilled cheese sandwiches for pool side evenings. Perfection.

I love the fashion inspiration here.

I am dying because now this clutch is now available in grey!

Where oh where can we put one of these?? Any takers?

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Grey and red...

noreply@blogger.com (christina @ greige) — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:03:00 +0000

First of all - dying over this wall of beautiful grey weathered wood. Second - love the contrast of the little weeds below and her touch of red and white... just about perfect.

Wishing you a wonderful Friday my friends..

I would love to know if you are going to see Gatsby today or if you went last night?? I am so sad I won't be able to see it until I return!!!

image via

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Off...

noreply@blogger.com (christina @ greige) — Thu, 09 May 2013 12:03:00 +0000

I am off today, bound for Paris.. I am looking forward to sharing our adventures with you. We are so excited to be going and bringing treasures back this time. Keep your fingers crossed for us in hopes that we find wonderful things!

Follow along with me -

instagram

facebook

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Stephen Gambrel's first restaurant design.. Cole's NYC

noreply@blogger.com (christina @ greige) — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:58:00 +0000

Stephen Gambrel has ventured into commercial design with Cole's Resturaunt in Greenwich Village, NYC and I love the outcome photographed here by Adrian Wilson. The Grey and yellow make a wonderful statement in the space along with the vintage mix.

Their site discribes it best: Inspired by the artistic scene of 1950’s Greenwich Village, Steven Gambrel designed the 94-seat space to evoke the decade that earned the neighborhood the romantic reputation it has to this day. Each one of the intimate rooms has its own distinct feel, incorporating retro and contemporary design elements. Burlap panels in the Dining Room are the backdrop for the art provided by charity partner ACRIA (AIDS Community Research Initiative of America) as well as pieces from Swet’s own collection, ranging from ’50s-era sketches to ’90s street art. The Café, situated between The Bottle Room and the Dining Room, is lined with wooden plank booths ideal for groups while The Bottle Room offers seating at the bar and high tables, and is lined with amber-toned panels reminiscent of the warm hues emanated from light hitting a whiskey bottle.

images Adrian Wilson

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Grey and blue in the bedroom...

noreply@blogger.com (christina @ greige) — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:03:00 +0000

I wanted to thank you for your great advice on the lounges for the pool! Who knew! I stumbled across this clean clean bedroom and thought to myself what a relaxing palette. Love the sconces, so simple they almost hide on the grey walls.

image via

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Paris bound..

noreply@blogger.com (christina @ greige) — Mon, 06 May 2013 17:46:00 +0000

I am spending most of this week wrapping up projects here, shipping and packing for our trip to Paris. I will be posting prep and travel photos on instagram if you want to follow along or you can check out the facebook page too. Our pool project should be finishing up too... so exciting! Wishing you a wonderful Monday!

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Teak pool lounges

noreply@blogger.com (christina @ greige) — Sun, 05 May 2013 12:03:00 +0000

Okay friends as I am sure you know we are in the middle (actually on the tail end) of putting in a pool. This is a first for both the Husband and myself. So I have dreamt for years of having a big double lounger to relax on pool side. It seems like so much more fun that sitting all alone right? I was going to buy a couple of inexpensive pieces from one of my favorites, Target, but I cannot seem to pull the trigger.. I think I may have to get the double lounger even if we all have to share it this summer. So I am asking for opinions please - do you have a double? Do you have singles? Pros/ Cons the whole thing please! I did pick up two of these beauties though and there was not a question about them. Had to have em!

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Weekend Wishes...

noreply@blogger.com (christina @ greige) — Sat, 04 May 2013 12:03:00 +0000

Wow what a week here.... our projects are inching closer to completion and I am gearing up for my trip to Paris, which is just next week!! I hope you find some time to relax and enjoy the gift that is your bed, if it is anything like this I know you will!

Here are few things that inspired me this week....

A little visit here would be great.. (soon!)

I am seriously considering this for our trip.. great memories!

Pretty sure I need this for my trip too.(in black please).

Wishing I had a spot for this piece of art that we just put in the shop.

Have a wonderful weekend!

image via

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greige and gold...

noreply@blogger.com (christina @ greige) — Fri, 03 May 2013 12:03:00 +0000

I know we have all seen this beautiful Parisian apartment by Gilles et Boissier over and over... but when I saw this image in isolation I fell in love all over again! I love the simple clean lines mixed with the details of the doors, walls and the mirrors. The dark wood. The white sofa. The greige rug.

Love. Love. Love.

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Seating at Tone on Tone...

noreply@blogger.com (christina @ greige) — Thu, 02 May 2013 12:03:00 +0000

So I am sure you know him... Loi at Tone on Tone and his wonderful blog... well after receiving his most recent post in my inbox I went for a little peek at his shop. Loi has just brought back a container from Europe and I am so excited to see what he found. I love that he can create the most beautiful spaces and vignettes with layers of cream, greige, white, grey and a mix of soft muted colors. So I am aspiring to bring home some beauties like this when we shop in France in the coming weeks. (I have a wish list that is getting LONG).

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London Simply

noreply@blogger.com (christina @ greige) — Wed, 01 May 2013 12:03:00 +0000

When I saw this bedroom picture on pinterest I was in love.. upon investigation now I realize why. I have posted bits and pieces of this beautiful home before. The detail of the flooring transition in the hallway and the beautiful kitchen just a few weeks ago. This is the London home of Rose Uniacke and David Heyman. I love the simple clean feeling of everything with that touch of elegance that keeps it interesting, perfection. I am not sure that there is a need to elaborate on my part it really speaks for itself!

images via

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Advertise with greige

noreply@blogger.com (christina @ greige) — Wed, 01 May 2013 03:54:00 +0000

Interested in advertising on greige?

I am now accepting sponsors for May. For more information on advertising please check here or feel free to email me.

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Obessed: simple jewelry

noreply@blogger.com (christina @ greige) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:03:00 +0000

I am totally obsessed with simply jewelry pieces. I am loving a little bit of gold and just the tiniest of details! These are on the top of my wishing list right now!

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