classic • casual • home

Classic Copper

2013-05-17T08:02:00.000-07:00

Pans made with copper are great for making sauces as copper heats quickly and evenly. And I like the "bling."

It's expensive bling, even when you can find it at Home Goods.

Dehillerin, a huge cookware store (with lots of copper),

is a favorite stop of ours in Paris.

Coastal Cottage Dreams writes about this store.

I saw this image on Design Chic...

and it reminded me of our kitchen.

Some of our copper, like the tray above,

has been bought at flea markets

...and comes with a pretty patina like these...

Source

How pretty is Tina's, from

The Enchanted Home, copper cookware?

Here is a good report on understanding cookware

and the differences in materials.

I keep these clean with just a little effort using

Bar Keepers Friend.

Try it on brass and stainless steel, too.

A chef at a cooking class once told us that every

kitchen could get by with just three basic pans:

• a copper sauce pan
(such as Mauviel M'heritage 10.9-Quart Sauce Pan)

• a stainless steel stock pot

• and an iron skillet

I made this centerpiece in five minutes using

kumquats from the yard and leaves from the indoor tree.

(ok, maybe it looks just thrown together).

For dessert, we had Ina Garten's

Chocolate Chunk Blondies. Try them! They're great.

I've already had two :(

But I packaged up most of them for our guests to take home.

Thanks for visiting!

Fabrics and Projects in the Works

2013-05-13T11:26:00.000-07:00

Selecting fabric is my favorite part of decorating.

Here are some projects that I am working on that

I hope to show you soon...

A Living Room...

That Brunschwig & Fils stylized floral linen is

expensive but gorgeous...

using it for two large lumbars. The Kelly Wearstler Katana Teal linen on the right is actually being used in the

Family Room...another great linen...

Bear in mind that these spaces will also have

quantities of white and beige.

Another client's Master Bedroom and Bathroom...

The embroidered Schumacher Palampore is being used judiciously (one large pillow) on the bed...very luxe and soothing. The Schumacher herringbone is going on an ottoman and two wing chairs...this will be a fun before and after.

Lots of clients are in to blues and greens and I love it.

A Dining Room in southern California.

This is just preliminary for a Great Room near Palm Springs, California. Cool colors for a warm climate...

There's that Kelly Wearstler Teal again on the right. The diamond aqua linen in the center is from Peter Fasano...five yard minimum, but I love it.

One last thing...I saw this little desk closed up and unused at a client's north of Los Angeles (no before photo--wish I had remembered). I moved it to a blank wall...gathered her antique feeling accessories...

Hung the painting and PRESTO, a vignette ten minutes later.
I would love to put a fun, more modern print on the chair for the juxtaposition
(Kelly Wearstler Katana Teal...just a thought?).
But, I try not to use the same fabrics twice...
you wouldn't think I was very original, would you?

Spread The Love

2013-05-11T16:49:00.000-07:00

My Role Model

Happy Mother's Day, Mom. I love you.

So what happened here? I used to be taller...

at least I felt like it when the kids were little.

Denim on denim...so cool back then.

This choked me up...

Nancy from Always in a Southern State of Mind

reminds us to live in the present with

This is For Emily.

Planning something special for Mother's Day?

I set the table, but I'm not cooking :)

Both my children are with me this year.
They gave me this charming bouquet.
Now my college boy wants me to play "Drinking Backgammon" with him.
I remember when we put Star Wars Legos together...this may be more fun.

In case you missed it...
check out Debbie's Spring Beach House below.

Tell your mother you love her!

Crisp Summer Beach House Look

2013-05-09T03:34:00.000-07:00

My friend, Debbie has made a few small
changes in her living room.

She put a lighter slipcover on the sofa and

switched the pillows cases to blue and off white

(Chinoise by Vervain and a lumbar with a

Groundworks Fretwork Aqua/Blue tape).

Have I shown you this pretty little stool before?
She has two. They are great to pull up for
extra seating or to use as an ottoman

with these chairs
(stripe linen by Rogers and Goffigon, lumbars fabric by Raoul).

Debbie edited her bookcases. The wooden framed chair is covered in a Rose Tarlow pretty linen.

I like these library sconces and recommended
similar ones for a client's new book case.

Aren't these blue greens soothing?

Here is Debbie's entry.

Look at the roses!

She gave me some to take home.

Thank you, Debbie!

Great garage door and
notice the clouds in the reflection?

Antique Prints: When to Buy Real or Reproduced?

2013-05-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

If you can afford it, I say

always buy authentic antique engravings.

Unless you really like a reproduction

and it's conveniently already framed.

Like this cute fake one...
I like the paper's edge and the framing.

Below is a real one, probably our oldest print...

over 250 years old.

It's a nice memento from a vacation in Venice.

The paper is a bit aged and it's hand water colored.
It came with a hand drawn French mat.

These are reproduced prints from Ballard Design.

I like the sepia tones and these look good

on a patterned background.

Here are real antique prints of scenes in Paris.
We have four of them that we bought when we lived there.

This type of frame with the square edge is a more expensive custom detail.

Reproduced Aloe Prints from Wisteria...

Cute though.

Real...so I framed them nicely with a cork like mat

and gold bamboo edge and another raffia mat.

I like bamboo frames and I find that they are

moderately priced compared to some others.

Here is advice on how to tell an

Original versus a Reproduction.

This is real, although it was casually laid on the

asphalt at the Porte de Vanve flea market
where I bought it.

I think bringing in antiques with new things like
this baker's rack,give a home character.

Not real below. But I bought these for a really

sunny spot in our last kitchen where I was

afraid of fading.

I had them custom matted with

Italian marblized paper.

Antique prints are available for sell on Ebay and

Old Print Shop and at flea markets around the world.

Bottom line: buy what you can afford and enjoy...

(like an antique map of where you grew up, or a place you vacationed,

or if you love horses, fish, etc).

This has nothing to do with prints, I just wanted to show

you our new jute rug (on sale at Pottery Barn).

The heavy texture kind of gives you a foot massage.

Tommy comes home from college tonight for six weeks.

So this will see a lot of bare feet here at the beach.

This won't show the dirt. Amen.

Do you have authentic or reproduction prints in your home?

Floridian Villa and Paint Test Tip

2013-05-02T14:16:00.000-07:00

My sister and I had fun visiting our friend, Lisa at her new home in Winter Park, Florida.

Even though it was working trip to get some decorating done.

I thought this was interesting... an arborist was removing

much of the Spanish moss from the super tall oak trees.

Apparently, if it gets too heavy, it can choke the tree.

This made me think about using some of the silvery green

and warm gray shades inside.

The home is surrounded by lakes and every room has a view.

We are going to "de-glam" the interiors and give it the soothing feel of a home in Provence with linen slipcovers, comfortable leather seating, a trestle kitchen table

and shades of white and beige.

Speaking of which, have you seen this paint test tool?

It's like contact paper that you paint on the other side,

It's great as it peels off and you can try it in different places.

And see how it looks in different lighting.

It's from Paint Appeal.

I'm going to look for this in my local store.

Most of the furniture and painting won't be done until
next month.

Hopefully, I will be able to give you some updates then.

Look at these peacocks that freely roam Lisa's neighborhood!

Some of My Favorite Things

2013-04-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

After helping my friend, Lisa with some decorating,she discovered through the grapevine that I had been admiring
this pretty plate.

And she sent me some!

Juliska Country Estate Salad Plate

They also make great dessert plates and
mix well with all my white plates.

Two nights ago, when my cousin, Patricia arrived here in California after a long flight from New Jersey, I served her my lentil salad. She loved it and asked for the recipe...so, I thought I would give it to you, too!

Vegetable Lentil Salad
1 package steamed, vacuum packed lentils (Trader Joe's has them)
Juice from one lemon
2-3 tbs finely chopped red onion
2 celery stalks chopped
1 Persian or 1/2 hot house cucumber chopped
1/2 red, yellow or orange pepper chopped
3 tbs chopped parsley
Olive oil
Sea salt and pepper

In large bowl squeeze the juice of one lemon over the lentils and let sit while you chop the rest of the ingredients.
Then add the rest of the ingredients, drizzle with olive oil. Stir and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature. I put some on top of arugula above.

Need a cute and comfortable pair of

flip flops?

I love these Havaianas
with the crystal detail.
My sister has BOTH pairs.

Chesapeake Candles have stepped up their containers

(at Target).

So, I treated myself.
The Caribbean Sea Salt candle smells great.

Treat yourself today!

A Turquoise Birthday Party

2013-04-23T07:33:00.001-07:00

It was my sister, Teresa's birthday yesterday.

Just a week ago, her cute Boston Terrier, Gus died.
So it was a bittersweet party. Gus was a party animal...literally.

But every birthday is a reason to celebrate, right?

My husband made these delicious appetizers...

T omato and Whipped Feta Crostini

The table cloth is from Anthropologie.

When I bought new flowers for the baskets over

the stone animal trough,

Armstrong Nurseries gave me these

organic insect fighters...lady bugs!

Have you seen these before? So cool!

They are alive. You place them on your flowers at dusk

to eat the harmful aphids.

Look how my sister's present matched the table scape...

a happy coincidence.

Inside the box were these timeless, Ferragamo flats.

(From all of us).

The candles were lit as my husband plated

the first course.

Meanwhile, the gentle lady bugs

were fast at work protecting my roses.

More fun ideas for a Turquoise Party are here.

Participating in
Say GDay Saturday
Tuesday's Treasures

Six Easy Care Indoor Plant Ideas

2013-04-18T07:36:00.000-07:00

1. Terrariums are the hot, new "retro" thing.

My friend, Annie from Lovely Things

explains how she made the terrariums below.

The Terrarium Man also shows how to make them.

For inspiration, here are some beautiful

terrariums at Roger's Gardens using

orchids, plants and

succulents and wood.

These are Terrariums Containers available at Anthropologie.

Here's an inexpensive, $19.99

terrarium container from IKEA.

2. Succulents are still going strong.

This plant, requiring very little care,

replaced the one on my blog header

(much easier to keep alive).

Here is an old fountain used as

an indoor plant container at Roger's Gardens.

I think it would look great in a large foyer.

3. Topiaries, made from ivy, rosemary or

dwarf olive trees (like above) add greenery to

your home...and you can use them as table centerpieces, too.

4. My Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree

is still going strong after a year and a half.

I give it fertilizer monthly and do not have to worry

about watering it when I am away due to the

Reservoir system that I installed myself.

I highly recommend this to maintain your tree.

This is the easy single serve fertilizer that I use.

And I use this Plant Shine for the leaves.

5. Orchids are always in style. I water mine

once a week by placing ice cubes at the base.

(But this one is really care-free as it's fake--

the moss and twigs that I added make it a bit more organic).

6. Finally, good, real dried boxwoods

are long lasting and need only occasional dusting.

They are worth the investment.

These are Debbie's from Restoration Hardware.

With my indoor plants doing well,

it's time to freshen up the patio.

My Friend's Cool New Coastal Restaurant

2013-04-12T09:35:00.001-07:00

I've said it before,

I'm blown away by my friend, Debbie's talent!

She invited us up to Westlake Village, California to visit the

Lure Fish House that she designed

for her sister and brother-in-law.

This is the second restaurant

(the first one is Lure Fish House, Camarillo).

This is the reception area.

I was with Debbie when she bought the artwork.

Her father created the coral/bottle melded piece in the alcove.

Another cute waiting spot.

Debbie had the challenge of making the huge bar that was

there previously feel intimate...

notice how she used six large iron pendant lights

from Noir to bring it to scale?

And she mentioned "look at the ceiling treatment."

We had Debbie's birthday lunch in the corner booth.

I love the blue green ocean colors and the blown glass sconces from Cleveland Art.

Friendly waitstaff!

Debbie created cozy nooks for two with these custom chairs.

The chandelier is from Arteriors. Nice board and batten.

See the wine racks?

On the other side is a private dining room...

Fishing lure diagrams were hand drawn on the chairs.

On the way to the restrooms...

It feels a bit like you are under water...

Notice the wide mitered edges on the marble...

And this vignette below is my favorite.

The floor lamp....wow!

They had an artist custom draw the sea life on the wall.

We had a magnificent lunch at Lure Westlake Village

and then went

outlet shopping in Camarillo.

Afterwards, Debbie suggested that we

have dinner at the third,

recently completed, Lure restaurant in Ventura.

Oh, hell yeah!

Isn't this cool night time lighting???

Another custom mural...

Here are some happy, well fed girlfriends.

The birthday girl is in the center.

If you are ANYWHERE in Southern California,

you need to go to one of the Lure Fish Houses!

Another Try

2013-04-09T10:25:00.000-07:00

Sorry to all you email subscribers. I did a test this morning of a partial email...and it was dumb...

didn't even come with any photos. So, I won't do it again but if you want to go to my blog site, you can just click on the title.

Here's a recap of the weekend...

Shameful.

I could have just gone to Staples for more printer ink

but I knew there might be some deep in there.

What do you do when you need motivation

to organize a cupboard?

You head to...

The Container Store for baskets.

I was just going to get clear plastic boxes,

but these were cuter.

One giant trash bag later...

Organized!

One more pitiful before...

These wire and plastic rattan baskets are see-through

and I organized fabric samples by color.

The wire French Marché baskets are also

light weight and see-through.

There's the printer ink.

I will just leave the cupboard door wide open for a

few days to admire my organizational skills.

My brother, Joe asked for some decorating help.

While I was waiting for him at Crate & Barrel,
I spotted this in the floor sample sale section.

As I was measuring and inspecting it,

another couple started circling.

Final, final, FINAL sale (originally $699).
Pressure.

I hadn't done Joe's floor plan yet.

It was heavy, well made and in great shape

(perfect, actually, with a little Old English
rubbed on it, I'll make it work).

The other couple was moving in for the kill.

I boxed out my elbows

and announced, "we'll take it."

Good thing Joe agreed.

You'll see this table in a future post after his apartment re-do.

Time to put my feet up and enjoy the view in my

sister's backyard in San Diego.

The sun is starting to set and that means time for

A Fresh Grapefruit Cocktail

(developed by Alie)

4 ounces fresh grapefruit juice

1 ounce Cointreau (orange liqueur)

1.5 ounces vodka

Shake in a martini shaker over ice. Pour into chilled martini glasses and add a bit of crushed ice and thin grapefruit slices.

I could drink a million of them.

So Alie made my third one with straight grapefruit juice.
She's a very wise 25 year old.

The grapefruits were given to me by a new client,

freshly picked from her garden.

Clean cupboards and fruity cocktails...

feels like Spring.

Are you enjoying Spring so far?

Seven Tips to Update Your Look

2013-04-05T07:12:00.000-07:00

Earlier I showed you how we updated

Jeanne's living room and dining room.

Now, on to her family room!

Here are some before photos....

There was a lot going on on the far wall with the

fireplace mantel and television and shelves.

Tip One: simplify the accessories.

We had too much furniture in here.

The striped sofa needed to go. Since the living room

needed a smaller sofa, we moved the white sofa in there.

Tip Two: do not touch the husband's beloved leather chair.

It makes the decorating much smoother.

This vignette needed a little more love.

And after...

We used the living room sofa
and re-accessorized the tables and shelves.

Jeanne painted the artwork on the mantel...

we stole it from her bedroom.

Here's this vignette with another painting and a taller lamp.

Tip Three: change out dated or worn lamp shades.

Tip Four: Slipcovers.
These club chairs were slipcovered in Belgian linen.

Tip Five: New accent pillows.
We added lumbar pillows using
Lee Jofa Hakan in Indigo.

We didn't do anything to the adjacent kitchen
except...

Tip Six: A fresh, new accent rug
from West Elm was purchased.

Jeanne's husband still gets a nice view of the television.

Tip Seven: Use what you have in new ways.

This black pedestal table was added

(it came from one of the bedrooms).

We played with Jeanne's accessories...

The lamp was Jeanne's mother's

(it's on books to raise it).

The sea fans that were over the mantel

are now in the next room...

Jeanne said that her friends who were

gathered at her recent

book club meeting were impressed

(and we really did not spend much for the new look).

Is it time for a "Spring Freshen Up" at your house?

(It is at mine).

Participating in

Tutorials Tips and Tidbits

Tuesdays Treasures

How to Update Your Traditional Décor

2013-04-01T06:44:00.000-07:00

You can make family heirlooms feel fresh with

accessories and new fabrics.

My client, Jeanne had inherited several pieces from her parents and wasn't sure how to make it all work.

Here it is before with the dining furniture in the front

and the sitting area furniture in back.

Everything was too cramped and that far wall looked empty

with just the gilt mirror.

I bumped my shin on this table and the rug wasn't working.

So, we flipped the furniture and brought in a smaller sofa that Jeanne had in another room.

and it feels much more spacious

(sorry about the dark photo).

When I came back the second time, I had Jeanne put all her great accessories in one place...and we shopped it

and re-accessorized everything.

Her parent's chairs were updated with reupholstery in

Barclay Butera's Greek Key.

I made this wall more of a focal point by putting the sofa table (that was dividing the room before) here, changing the mirror and adding dining chairs that can be pulled up to the sitting area.

The sea fans were brought in from the family room
(more on the changes in there in my next post).

We brought Jeanne's grandmother's chest
(from when she immigrated from Scotland) in here

and added accessories like these cool

alabaster grapes from her parents house in the '60's.

The new square pillows are in

Martin Lawrence Bullard's "Sultan Suzani."

We were going to recover and stain her existing Bergere chairs, but Jeanne found these on sale at Restoration Hardware

...and I like them better.

Woodyliana custom made the linen lumbar pillows with Schumacher/Mary McDonald "Madame Wu" fretwork

(Li hand stitched the iron-on appliqué for durability).

Notice how the pillows match the back of the built-in cabinet?

(We opened the cabinet doors to show you.

Jeanne painted them a shade from Farrow and Ball).

I'm so happy that Jeanne's family uses

this memento filled room.

Oh...and we accessorized the entry, too.

This silver tray was a retirement gift given to Jeanne's dad.

Do you use items passed down in your family?

Can't wait to show you what we did in their family room!
Participating in
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Amaze Me Monday
Wow Us Wednesdays

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Blue, White and Silver: Timeless Design

2013-03-28T08:03:00.002-07:00

This Southern California client needed help finishing

the décor of her living room.

She lives north of Los Angeles and factoring in traffic and the amount of help she needed,

an e-design, made sense.

It's not completely there...but I want to show you

the progress so far.

Here it is before.

I had a good feel for my client's taste and the white

wall to wall white carpet wasn't cutting it.

So, I told her it needed to go (I hate being the bad guy--

but she is really happy now with the wood floors).

She did a great job picking out the fabrics!

We just needed lighting and accessories...

Like a table to place your drink on and a lamp

for ambient lighting.

And some blue and white China to dress up the mantel...

and a tray to update the coffee table.
Many clients want blue and white these days;
and it really is timeless. Since her sconces were silver, I suggested silver accents.

And balance in the other corner with a fiddle leaf fig tree.

Now she is considering area rugs like this wool one

from Pottery Barn

or a soft natural Belgian sisal from Restoration Hardware.

She's having drapes made for the far window that match the pretty ones on the opposite wall...all about symmetry.

(Not that big a deal but, I told her I would have made the center sofa pillows larger, at least 22".

She decided to redo them).

Drapes: Kravet - Zuma color: Kiwi

Blue & White pillows on chairs: Robert Allen - Bassett Hall - color: Cobalt oxide

Damask chair: Pindler & Pindler - Flores -color: Ceramic

Solid blue linen pillows - Restoration Hardware

My client has great taste.

But sometimes an extra pair of eyes is needed.

Next, I'm starting on her dining room.

If you think you would benefit from a local or e-design,

please check out My Services page.

Spring Décor and The Enchanted Home

2013-03-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

This is a new vignette in my living room using natural coral.

The leaf shaped coral reminds me of

the cabbage that we planted as ground covering

in the front of the house...

I've been adding the leaves to grocery store tulips

for Spring bouquets.

These rub on decals were in the dollar section at Target...

Alie made the tie-dyed eggs and I did the personalization.

We used some as place cards last night for

dinner on the patio.

A little humming bird stopped by for a bath in the

French trough fountain just before dinner.

Tina, from The Enchanted Home

was kind enough to include me in her,

Bloggers' Beautiful Abodes series.

Please check out a
new tour of my home HERE!

Is This A Southern Thing?

2013-03-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

Even though he's short on details, I frequently hear

from our son attending college in Florida

(especially when he is low on cash).

This morning, from a chartered bus somewhere in Georgia,

Tommy sent me Iphoto pictures of this cooler

that his date painted for him.

This is amazing!

I hope they are taking special care of it on the trip.

Oh man, I love this song.

I want to go to Charleston.

Have you ever heard of decorating coolers like this?

In an effort to thwart my questions via text,
Tommy said to look up Cooler Connection
on Facebook. I did. They have over 35,000 members.

And, I checked it out on Pinterest.

I NEVER could've decorated a cooler like this.
Although I've discovered that I'm pretty good with a stencil
(check out my previous post--in case you missed it).

Is this the modern version of an old fashioned picnic basket?

Sandwiches were on top and underneath are grapes, cookies,

water bottles and ah, root beer.

I grew up in California...is this a Southern hospitality thing?

Lucky guy to get such a cool/talented girl to go to

the formal with him.

PS. In case you were worrying, Tommy said it was ok to post these photos.

ORC Finale: Blue & White Guest Room

2013-03-20T06:15:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Last Day of the One Room Challenge:

where 20 bloggers have redecorated one room in six weeks.

Here's the finished product!

It started out like this...

with a blue and white ticking upholstered bed.

In this small bedroom, I want guests to feel a bit surprised

and enveloped by all the fun, leafy patterns.

By keeping the colors in the same family and

using white bedsheets and blankets, it calms the effect a bit.

As a recap, I have been doing this on a budget:

• already had the bed and light fixtures

• Stenciled the wall for about $35

• the curtain fabric was $10/yd

• painted an old mirror I already had

• the white quilt is from Target's Shabby Chic line

• the blue quilt is from a Ralph Lauren outlet about five years ago

• the hemmed stitched sheets are from Garnet Hill

(on sale--not on their website now)

Since the guest room is in blue and white,

I added some blue and white elements to the adjoining bathroom.

Here you can see the custom decorative pillows

added this week...made by Woody Liana.

Note: her shop will be restocked after she finishes a big custom order, so check back.

What I especially love about them is that they

can reverse for a different look.

The standard sham in front is made with Schumacher's "Samark and Ikat" using different parts of the pattern for the front and back. The leaf patterned side of the 22" square is made from

Martyn Lawrence Bullard's "Kaba Kaba" in linen.

In reverse...

The paisley side of the 22" square pillow is made with a Les Indiennes linen (sorry, it's discontinued).

So, which is your favorite pillow combination?

I really can't decide.

Circle and Leaf or Stripe and Paisley?

Thank you, Linda from

Calling It Home for organizing this fun

and motivating six week challenge.

Check out what these other ladies have completed!!!

Hodge Podge

Kim Macumber Interiors

the Peak of Tres Chic

the Pink Pagoda

Powell Brower Home

Simple Details

One Of The Best Things About Blogging

2013-03-17T09:12:00.001-07:00

Gail was one of my blog's

first followers and is a dear friend now.

Recently, she and I shopped for blue and white china. She bought the

bowl on the mantel and is going to add a plant or moss to it and a couple more jars.

At lunch, she gave me this prettily wrapped present.

Inside was a framed water color

that she painted of our dog, Rocky.

Rocky died a couple of months ago in his sleep of old age. Gail copied his face from a photo on my blog and researched images of younger Boston Terriers to take him back to his prime.

I love this painting.

I helped Gail with the décor of her blue and white living room

and posted about it HERE.

She personally refinished the bamboo chair,

darkened the round mirror and

even monogrammed the "S" on the chair herself.

Gail did the finish on this piece, too.

All this and she is an artist, too!

I want her to start her own blog.

(Thank you and happy birthday, Gail!)

Friendship...one of the best things about blogging.

ORC Wk. 6: Blue and White Bedroom and Bath

2013-03-13T05:31:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to the One Room Challenge,

where 20 bloggers are re-doing one room in six weeks.

Since I am redoing our guest room in blue and white,

I decided to add some blue to the adjoining bathroom.

Here, you can see that I've added a zig zag rug

and striped hand towels from West Elm.

This is my daughter's room when she visits.

Above is her little Limoges cup that she received

when she graduated from the eighth grade

at the Marymount School of Paris.

Pretty guest soaps.

Note the coordinating paper hand towels.

Just a preview before the "Big Reveal" next week...

Li from Woody Liana is making some beautiful
pillows for the guest room.

AND...I am actually in Winter Park, Florida
right now helping a friend decorate her

fabulous, resort-like second home.
My son, who stopped by on his way back to the
University of Florida, after spring break, said
"Mom, this is going to be a Super Blog!"

Check out what these other ladies have done in the last week...

Hodge Podge

Kim Macumber Interiors

the Peak of Tres Chic

the Pink Pagoda

Powell Brower Home

Simple Details

Newport Bay Front Home II

2013-03-09T08:08:00.001-08:00

Last week, I showed you

Cindy's remodeled kitchen and living room.

Now, let's peak into some of the other refurbished rooms,

like this pretty first floor bathroom.

Here is the bathroom before...very cramped.

Cindy opened up the space by replacing the

shower wall with glass.

The sconce is from Shades of Light.

Here is the downstairs den before.

Here it is after with beadboard and grass cloth wallpaper.

Let's go upstairs...

This is a before photo of the master bedroom.

They removed the fireplace and window

to place the bed on this wall...

which affords them this view from the bed.

They reused the oval window in the closet so
there is a view of the water from inside the closet.

Here is a before picture of the master bathroom.

and here it is after...

Notice the beveled marble threshold? Pretty transition.

The former staircase and..

the new, more updated one.

Thank you, Cindy for the great tour.

I still don't want to leave.

ORC: Week 5, Rug Love, Linens & Nail Heads

2013-03-06T06:39:00.001-08:00

Welcome back to the One Room Challenge,

where 20 bloggers make over one room in six weeks.
I'm doing the guest room.

This week I added two 3 x 5' Camden Striped Rugs

on either side of the bed.

They are on sale at West Elm. Only the smaller sizes are left.

I love the look of the rug so much we are using it in a

client's son's bathroom and in another client's kitchen sink area.

As a recap, I have been doing this on a budget:

• already had the bed and light fixtures

• Stenciled the wall for about $35

• the curtain fabric was $10/yd

• painted an old mirror I already had

• the white quilt is from Target's Shabby Chic line

• the blue quilt is from a Ralph Lauren outlet about five years ago

• the hemmed stitched sheets are from Garnet Hill

(on sale--not on their website now)

With a little mallet, I added French nailheads to a

stool from Wisteria to give it a little more oomph.

It was a little too cramped in the bedroom

so it's been moved to the adjacent bathroom...

which reminds me--that room could use some blue touches to coordinate with the bedroom.

(And I have to figure out how to stretch this out a couple more weeks to the "Reveal").

This is basically the closest I've ever done to a strip tease.

I have these swatches up my sleeve.

I'm writing this from the Design Blogger's Conference

in Los Angeles. Windsor Smith, Charlotte Moss and Barbara Barry among others gave inspirational talks.

There was a central theme for bloggers to

speak with your own, unique, distinctive voice.

Also, the designers and traditional media stressed the ethical importance of sourcing photographs (Pinterest is not a source, trace back to the origin of the photo).

I bought this amazing book,

Around Beauty by Barbara Barry and she signed it.

Check out what these other ladies have done in the last week...

Hodge Podge

Kim Macumber Interiors

the Peak of Tres Chic

the Pink Pagoda

Powell Brower Home

Simple Details

Bright Bay Front Home--Before & After

2013-03-02T08:11:00.000-08:00

Recently, my friend, Cindy completed the renovation
of her sunny, Newport Beach bay front home.

There are classic nautical touches throughout.

These girls are enjoying their new home

(who wouldn't?).

This is a before photo of the living room.

They stripped and stained the wood floors, added decorative treatment to the beams and painted the walls and ceiling a gleaming Benjamin Moore Super White.

Here is a before photo looking the other direction.

Here it is after they installed a wall and

cabinet for the television.

You sense the family's personalities.

Cindy's husband plays the guitar and piano

and their daughter is an artist.

Cindy collects star fish (notice above the television);

real, ceramic, metal, glass-blown, etc. on her travels.

The fireplace was awkward before and

and lovely after.

A charming window seat was added.

This is the kitchen before.
Great vision, Cindy!

Here it is after Adrian, the contractor, worked his magic.

I love the elements that Cindy selected such as the

straight edge on the white marble and the slate floor.

The counter stools are from Restoration Hardware.

The glass cabinets reflect a lot of light.
Cindy chose polished chrome for the finishes.

Aren't these cool hand blown pendants from Cleveland Art?

For a door handle, they installed a
polished stainless steel boat cleat.

Well, I think I will just join Cindy and Debbie

on the porch for coffee...and never leave.

There's more to show you of this home...stay tuned.

I'm going to the

in Los Angeles starting tomorrow. Anyone else?

ORC Week 4: Wall Décor

2013-02-27T07:00:00.001-08:00

These frames blend with the end tables in the bedroom

I'm redoing for the One Room Challenge

(where 20 bloggers make over one room in six weeks).

"My Babies"
If you are receiving this by email...
please click on the post title or HERE...
to come over to my website for a little visit.

Even though I bought the frames at Pottery Barn a few years ago

...they feel special as they are no longer available.
I printed the 8 x 10" black and white photos on my printer.

We had this iron Crate & Barrel mirror when we lived in Fort Lauderdale, FL and then in Mammoth Lakes...and now
in Newport Beach, CA.

The "leaf pattern" goes with my theme,

but the color needed lightening.

So, I painted it with Annie Sloan Pure White Paint

and clear wax.

I wanted it to be subtle, because as you will see,

I have a lot going on in this little room. But it needs to be restful and welcoming.

You can read about the new curtains HERE and the stencil HERE.

Just outside the door is the stairwell...

and since there is so much light today,

it looks like a good opportunity to retake/show my staircase.

(I still want a runner--ha! Would this qualify for
another One Room Challenge? Not much to do).

It's coming along...

Next week...the floor and customizing with nail heads..

Please come back!

Check out what these accomplished ladies have

done in the last week...

Hodge Podge

Kim Macumber Interiors

the Peak of Tres Chic

the Pink Pagoda

Powell Brower Home

Simple Details

PS. I've been carrying around this swatch everywhere.

Participating in The Charm of Home

Gallery Ledges

2013-02-24T07:57:00.002-08:00

Framed photographs, placed on a ledge,

look great on display.

Source

Before my clients moved into their new home, there were second story book shelves filled with impossible to reach dusty books. So, we spaced the shelves more uniformly and painted the backs.

For this once awkward space, we have started a collection of black and white photographs of their family and travels.

When we moved into our mountain condo, I unpacked photographs and placed them on the window ledge...

and added a few others that I already had.

We are in Mammoth now...look at all the snow.

(My sister and I are going skiing soon).

These aren't on a ledge but I wanted to show you this nice gallery in my friend, Cindy's recently remodeled beach house. I will be showing you before and after shots of her pretty home next week.

ORC Week 3: Custom Curtains

2013-02-20T07:06:00.000-08:00

Hello, this is week three of the One Room Challenge,

where 20 bloggers are making over one room in six weeks.

I'm redoing our guest room.

The blue and white leafy cotton fabric is from Dorell Discount Fabrics. It was only $10/yard and the ball trim was only $3/yard. When I need a lot of fabric, I make it a point to check discount places first.

Thank you for the nice comments about my

stenciled wall last week.

Here are the newly made curtains in the spotless workshop.

Locally, you can visit their store Creative Window Designs for help with the design and installation curtains.

My representative, Barbara, is hiding from the camera.
I had showed her a photo of the two pleat design (that they call "Soldier Pleats") and they copied it beautifully. Their drapes have nice linings and weights.

I love this light fixture from Circa Lighting.
It has a warm brass finish that is

similar to this curtain rod from Pottery Barn
(which may be discontinued in the brass finish...I'm not sure why).

The ceiling is painted Benjamin Moore Glass Slipper.

I like to paint ceilings a soft contrasting color,
especially in bedrooms.

The walls are painted Benjamin Moore White Dove.

The new lampshades provide a brighter look.
I tried to paint the previous raffia shades white
but the first one got all "gloppy" and still looked dinghy
(I can't show you the outcome, it ruins the mystique of my stencil paint job).

These white silk shades from Restoration Hardware

are a bit smaller and fit better on the small tables.

This week, I want to paint a mirror that I already have and do some wall accessorizing...please come back!

(and I am excited about bed linens in the works).

Check out what these other accomplished ladies have

done in the last week...