Mrs. Howard Personal Shopper

Just In: Watercolors in Jacksonville Beach

Leah Kennelly — 2013-05-17T09:30:00-04:00

We have some beautiful new watercolors in our Jacksonville Beach store. We love using them in large groups, or even individually in small spaces. For more information, pricing or to order, please contact Mrs. Howard in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.

Mrs. Howard Jacksonville Beach, FL
2400 Third Street South Suite #304
Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250
904-241-1980
thebeachstore@jmhoward.net

Q&A with Phoebe: Fireplace Surrounds

Leah Kennelly — 2013-05-15T09:30:00-04:00

Question: What is your preferred material for fireplace surrounds?

Phoebe's Answer: We love mantles - Jim and I often buy antique mantles when abroad, and we also design mantles for clients. The type of mantle dictates whether you need a surround. If the mantle is wood, you have to have a stone surround for fire safety. If the mantle itself is stone, you can skip the surround, which we sometimes do. The other time the surround material is not important is if you are designing a non-working fireplace. Often, but not always, we design surrounds to be eight inches on the top and on each side. For the actual surround material, we like to use slate, marble or another kind of solid colored stone. Every once in a while, we use brick, too. Here are some examples:

Before & After of the Week

Leah Kennelly — 2013-05-13T09:30:00-04:00

This is the master bedroom in the client's Bermuda house. Their only requests were to make it relaxing and to not hide the view. We kept the room spare and simple so the focus would be on the water. They often open the doors to the porch right outside. A reading chair adds a comfortable spot to land. Take a look:

Before:

After:

Just In: Nailhead Sofa

Leah Kennelly — 2013-05-10T09:30:00-04:00

We recently received this lovely sofa with nailhead trim. A bit masculine, but very versatile in style. We love it. Have a look:

For more information, pricing or to order, please contact:

Mrs. Howard
4128 Herschel Street
Jacksonville, Florida 32210
904-387-1202
jmhinteriors@jmhoward.net

Q&A with Phoebe: Simple Architectural Elements with Impact

Leah Kennelly — 2013-05-08T09:30:00-04:00

Question: Can you tell us how we might make an impact with architectural elements without remodeling the entire house? I'd love to re-size windows, raise the ceiling, etc ... but it just isn't possible due to time and budget constraints. Are there any shortcuts?

Phoebe's Answer: There are certainly some things you can do without major construction. Something we always consider in a project is the moldings. If it makes sense for the room, we always add them or improve on what is there if needed. Many homes built more recently have dinky moldings, and the room is the poorer for it. Ours are custom designed, but they don't necessarily need to be ornate. Thick, beautiful moldings (and door frames, window frames, etc) go a long way to changing the look and feel of a room by adding more architectural integrity . Here are some close ups on some of the moldings we have designed and used in our projects: