loft & cottage

baby girl's dresses on display

noreply@blogger.com (casey at loft and cottage) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 13:39:00 +0000

In her closetless room, I've been trying to think of a place and a way to hang up Emmy's dresses that I didn't want to keep folded in drawers. Luckily, she's only got a few nice dresses to hang, so instead of a rod with hangers, which was my first thought, I decided to take advantage of the space on the back of the door with this cute set of hooks I found the other day at Home Goods.

I could have used hangers here too, hung from the hooks, but opted to hang up her dresses without. It feels more simple and casual this way. Love that her special clothes are up and out of the dresser, and even better, make an adorable display!

powder room progress

noreply@blogger.com (casey at loft and cottage) — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:29:00 +0000

The other day I got a chance to stop by and check out the progress with my powder room reno client. I hadn't seen the work in person yet, so I was floored to stand there and take in how this room is looking now! Please excuse the not-so-pretty photos, but even with the poor lighting I think you can probably get the impact of just how huge this change is.

If you don't recall, here's what it looked like before.

I am even more excited now to see all the finishing touches come in—faucet, mirror, rug, etc—and will be sure to share with you all!

armoires: beautiful storage

noreply@blogger.com (casey at loft and cottage) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 12:35:00 +0000

Whatever happened to the armoire? They've gone somewhat gone out of fashion in interior design in the past 10 years or so—or at least the massive ones used to hide a tv have, which is just fine. But in many interiors, they never went away, and I'm glad. If the scale is not too huge, I think an armoire can be so beautiful and functional in almost any room. If you're lucky enough to have a cabinet like this, I hope you're showing it off and putting it to use in your home!

in the kitchen

in the bath

for kids' stuff

for your stuff

for china and serveware

as a bar

for books

for linens

Although the vintage armoires are lovely, a cabinet doesn't have to be an antique to be great-looking and hardworking. Do you have one in your home? How are you using it?

organizing, behind the curtain

noreply@blogger.com (casey at loft and cottage) — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:16:00 +0000

A little order is in order around here. Since having the baby, things have gotten a little disorganized in this house. I arrange and rearrange and gather when I can in any spare moment (ha!), but I've needed a good chunk of time to really be able to get a handle on all the junk our pantry has been collecting. But I never seem to get it. Michael's been working extra hours to make up for the fact that I'm not working, though I've been trying to maintain a few clients and take care of a baby full-time too. Add to that teething, restless nights, and ridiculously short naps, and we have had zero time for projects of any kind.

I can't believe I'm showing you this room. Tools, paint supplies, gardening stuff, baby stuff, bulk paper goods, and cleaners of all kinds have ended up here, with no particular place to be. The other day I had a spare hour with Michael home before we needed to get dinner started and I just decided to dive in and tackle it all. I moved most of the tools and painting stuff to the basement and kept only what we need access to most often up on the first floor: baby stuff, summer/beach things, cleaning stuff, bulk goods.

And about 60 minutes later, I was feeling SO good to look at a neat space, knowing where everything goes, and to have control over something around here! What have you organized lately? And how good did it feel?!

basket, basket on the wall

noreply@blogger.com (casey at loft and cottage) — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:36:00 +0000

Oh man, do I love a good basket. I have at least one in every room. The look is totally charming, and the texture (whether natural fiber or wire) can add so much interest. As a bonus they are just so darn functional, corraling catalogs, toys, towels, etc. Recently, I've been noticing hanging baskets and thinking how genius to get them up on the wall—it frees up floor space and can create an almost art-installation effect.

all images via pinterest

getting creative: kids' playrooms

noreply@blogger.com (casey at loft and cottage) — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:09:00 +0000

Since becoming a mom, my design focus these days is pretty much on the bebe—her crib, her clothes, the walls in her room. Someday we hope to have a space where she can play to her heart's content too.

creative and cozy, via lonny

I'll never cease to be amazed at the ingenuity I see out there in kids' playrooms these days. Whether it's a whole room or a cute curtained-off corner, these spaces are so clever and so appealing. They're the perfect spots for little ones to be escape to, to create, to dream, and to just be kids. And of course, if they're put together to look good to a big person's eyes, organized and "designed," all the better.

the storage and symmetry are so perfect here

sometimes a little reading nook is all you need, via decorpad

absolute perfection, by steven gambrel

art room

graphic black and white scheme keeps things looking neat

teepees are everywhere these days—what kid doesn't like hiding out?

if you're feeling adventurous, the rope ladder is very cool

tented ceiling has a fairy tale feel

love the idea of recycling a large spool as a table

Do you have a playroom for your kids? Is it a whole room or just part of one? Would love to hear how you pulled it together or if you don't have one, what you're dreaming of for your little ones!

patio diy dreaming

noreply@blogger.com (casey at loft and cottage) — Wed, 01 May 2013 13:24:00 +0000

Spring is definitely here (finally!) and as always I'm looking to my backyard and seeing just a few things that need tweaking. Any yard needs some hardscaping to provide definition, and ours has very little. We've got a deck but could use a stone walkway. And I've dreamed for a years of a pea gravel, paver, or cobblestone patio—really almost any material would do. How much better would our backyard look, and how much better would summer life be, if we could diy something like this?

pea gravel is so charming & seems so easy to achieve, though i know it still requires a lot of labor to prep the ground underneath

great checkerboard design with grass growing between the stone

pavers look diy-able, if perhaps a bit too clean and perfect-looking for my taste

i like the varying shapes and sizes of these stones

brick in a herringbone pattern=perfection

gasp. i am pretty much speechless here

Sadly, a backyard patio is not in the cards for us this year. We have too many other projects and not enough dough to go around. But if you're inspired and have the muscle, determination, and budget to do it, check out these how-tos from This Old House, Style at Home, and DIY Network and see how John and Sherry did it here. And then come back and let us know how it turned out!

catching up

noreply@blogger.com (casey at loft and cottage) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:54:00 +0000

I know I have more than a little catching up to do, folks. Here's a little roundup of what we've been doing instead of blogging!

practicing our yoga (okay, just playing in the living room). and oh yes, recovering the ottoman

enjoying a little spring color on a warm evening

learning to crawl

having a blast on vacation with the family

loving the water

enjoying this south carolina view

Now that our spring vaca is over, I really am looking forward to getting back into organization, client work, and blogworld again. Also looking forward to spring in the Northeast. Has it come to you yet?

tone on tone

noreply@blogger.com (casey at loft and cottage) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:30:00 +0000

It may take work, but creating a room in shades of one color does not have to be boring. I'm working on a design for a very neutral, very monochromatic (no pops of color, really!) bedroom right now and have been looking for some inspiration. I think these may be tough rooms to achieve, but they are ultimately my favorite. Instead of relying on different colors for interest, you get to play with pattern and texture and scale and form. Here are some of my favorite rooms to study when it comes to working in similar tones.

Amid very soft neutrals, the striking chandelier stands out.

Another neutral room, this one rich with pattern and texture and many shades of beige. So cozy and not boring at ALL.

Simple, pretty in whites, caramels, taupes, and golds. Shapes stand out.

Shades of blue are far from predictable with lots of pattern, large-scale art, and high contrast of dark woods and whites.

Lovely soft, rosy pinks. Plenty of white and dashes of gold make it sophisticated.

Tone on tone lets you play with pattern.

You can do monochromatic boldly too. Berry red is so great all over this room!

But I really prefer neutrals like the blue grays here. Thinking monochromatic often means you're going for soothing, and soft neutrals work so well for this look. Textures play on chairs and walls, patterns play on draperies and rug, and form and scale have fun on the chandelier. Subtle AND interesting. Tone-on-tone perfection.

fast & fresh spring fixes for the bath

noreply@blogger.com (casey at loft and cottage) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 14:25:00 +0000

I don't think I ever showed you all some decor changes I've been making in my bathroom, and it's high time! And last month I was feeling the need to make a few quick and easy updates to bring a springy fresh feel to the room.

The new shower curtain is actually two drapery panels, opening in the center, hung from a bamboo pole. The panels are longer and wider than a traditional shower curtain, and hung high up, they give a tiny bath some height and drama. The bamboo is a nice natural element too, tying in to the others in the room, like the baskets.

I love a clear glass container for displaying anything in the bath, especially if it's white, like soaps, cotton balls, and cotton swabs. White=fresh. Filling a container=fast.

The cut boxwood is a nice dose of green for spring and took all of about two minutes to cut from the yard and stick in a cup. I picked up the emerald color too in the soap dispenser and votive on the vanity.

I got tired of trying to coordinate tissue box designs (all not-pretty choices!) to my decor and instead bought a little basket to hold the tissues instead. Buy regular tissues, take out of box, insert in basket. Voila! This works best with the tissues that come in the reach-in tissue boxes instead of the single-pull-out boxes. And the picture above is a quote is printed from the web on regular printer paper and tossed in a frame. Instant art.

I also painted my own art, modeled after so much of the black-and-white abstract stuff that's out there now. This way, because it was cheap and quick to make, I won't feel so bad when I get tired of it and want something new! Making it was a super-fast and super-impact project I loved. I am now obsessed with creating my own abstracts for every room. And as long as you don't look too closely, they are pretty great-looking! Do you do the seasonal freshen-up in your bath, or bedroom, or kitchen like me? Please share your fast fixes for spring!

photographer michael partenio

noreply@blogger.com (casey at loft and cottage) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:16:00 +0000

I've been wanting to share the photography of Michael Partenio with you guys, who I had the pleasure of working with on the Better Homes & Gardens shoot. He does some gorgeous interior photography (actually exteriors and still lifes too, and all of it is phenomenal) and as a bonus is incredibly nice and easy to work with.

When I knew my room would be shot by the person who took these pictures, I knew I was in very good hands! See more of his work here.

etsy artist tracey kafka

noreply@blogger.com (casey at loft and cottage) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 13:11:00 +0000

There's so much original art to be found on Etsy, but not all of it is great. One of recent my lucky finds is Tracey Kafka. Her pieces are simple, bright, bold swaths of color and perfect amounts of negative space. I was looking for a large-scale abstract, and a few her of works definitely fit the bill. She also does smaller-scale work.

I'd love to be able to find a place for her art, or even design a room around a piece, sometime soon. Who are your favorite finds? It's not easy to sort through the vast numbers on Etsy to find the rare gems!

the issue is out!

noreply@blogger.com (casey at loft and cottage) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:18:00 +0000

This weekend I found BHG's April issue on the newsstand at Barnes & Noble and pretty much bought them clean out!

The feature looks amazing. It was totally exhilarating (and surreal!) to see my name in print and to see this humble little room that I first took on over two years ago on the pages of a national magazine. When I began working as a designer, I could never have imagined having my work published. It's incredible, and rewarding, and I'm so grateful to all my clients, but especially this one who has been so patient and supportive through this whole process, and of course the editors, who made this possible.

Hope you all enjoy it. And I'm looking forward, as usual, to hearing what you think! Did you get your copy yet?

my work in better homes & gardens

noreply@blogger.com (casey at loft and cottage) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 15:28:00 +0000

Since the April issue is almost out, I thought it was about time to share the news of my work being featured in Better Homes & Gardens! It's way too exciting to think about, a total dream come true. When this magazine hits the newsstands, as early as the end of this week, I'll be there with bells on snapping up more than a few copies.

Remember this guest room I did a long while back? Well the awesome editor Lisa Mowry spotted it here on this blog and sent it BH&G's way. They loved it and this past December we did a photo shoot with stylist Stacy Kunstel and photographer Michael Partenio, both super talented and completely sweet and fun to work with. I'll be featuring more of their work here on the blog. In the meantime, keep an eye out for your April issue and let me know what you think! I'm thrilled and feel so lucky to have one of my favorite rooms plucked out of obscurity for so many to now see!

the most mundane post you will ever read

noreply@blogger.com (casey at loft and cottage) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 13:52:00 +0000

Yes, I'm talking paper towels. Can it get more boring?! But with a new kitchen, mundane details like this have been on my mind quite a bit. I haven't wanted to clutter things up on the countertop, and yet I still feel the need to have not-so-pretty items like paper towels on the counter and easily at hand. Add to this that I am not a fan of paper towel holders. Even the most modern ones (you know, without the rooster finial on top) seem somehow dated or clunky.

Then I spied what HGTV did recently in their dream home. Not the best pic here (it's more visible in the tour and on the tv special), but perhaps you can see the roll of paper towels floating free on the island. Of course they have miles of countertop and can afford to have the paper towel roll sitting out on a large wooden platter. But I fell in love with the simplicity of this look. And it gave me an idea.

So far I'm loving my paper-towels-on-a-plate. They look good, simple. They're easy to grab. So good looks plus functionality works for me. But tell me, on this most critical of issues, what are your thoughts? Do you stand them up, hang them, hide them, or have you gone so green that you've ditched your paper towels altogether? I wish I could get rid of them, but with a baby in the house now I feel I need and use them more than ever! Maybe in the next kitchen, I can make them disappear completely.

shelves and more in Emmy's room

noreply@blogger.com (casey at loft and cottage) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 12:25:00 +0000

Big news here. The shelves are done! And we are so thrilled with them. The room feels finished now, and so warm, cozy, and full of character.

At first I agonized that my weathered grey stain seemed too blue, and did not match at all the brown-grey of the dresser. Now I am quite happy that they don't match. I like the variation.

I also added some seasonal flavor to the room. Instead of art over the dresser, which I've been hunting for but haven't quite been able to settle on yet, I threw together a garland with some jute string and old wooden Christmas ornaments we've had in our family since I was little. Emmy loves watching them spin and click together when she's up here for diaper changes.

The chalkboard also got a more wintery look. It took til February to get some real snow up here, but we're celebrating it!

traditional chic powder room

noreply@blogger.com (casey at loft and cottage) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:54:00 +0000

Remember the powder room redo I've been working on? Well, it's on its way to a new look, and I thought I'd share the idea board with you guys to keep you interested til we get some final pics!

Isn't she lovely? Some very classic elements (the vanity, marble top, grey walls) are coming together with a few unexpected ones (the colorful Persian rug, the handpainted cabinet knobs, the distressed yet subtly glam mirror) to create a totally traditional, timeless room that is also visually compelling. Hope you like! And stay tuned for more.

If you're interested in creating a new look for a bathroom, or any room in your home, email me to discuss design services for clients near and far. I'd love to hear from you!

love

noreply@blogger.com (casey at loft and cottage) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:45:00 +0000

happy valentine's day!

what to do with a house full of bare windows

noreply@blogger.com (casey at loft and cottage) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:05:00 +0000

Moving into a new home is overwhelming enough. Then you arrive to find that among the many and formidable tasks you face is what to do with your completely naked windows. Most likely an entire house full of them. I've talked about the beauty of undressed windows before, but let's face it: unless you live in a completely secluded setting with no need for privacy and no need to control the light, this is really unfeasible. You must put something on your windows.

Lovely undressed windows let the light stream in during the day in what would otherwise be a dark space,
but unless you have no neighbors, you might feel exposed here at night.

I was recently asked by a friend to help with window treatments in their new home, and I made a visit earlier this week. The house isn't massive by any means—a typical family home with four bedrooms—but even for someone with experience in this sort of thing the task is daunting. I left with measurements for 12 rooms and 19 different window sizes and styles. I started thinking about how to best tackle this for them, and what I'd do if I were in there shoes. Here are some strategies.

1. Start with the most exposed rooms.
Tackle window treatments first for the rooms where privacy is needed most: bathrooms, bedrooms. Let the public spaces wait.

2. Start with function.
I always love layered window treatments (drapery panels over a fabric shade, valance over a bamboo shade), but the layering doesn't have to happen all at once. Start with the functional window treatment and later on add the decorative. Shades, blinds, or shutters come first, to keep out prying eyes and bright sunlight.

3. Move on to "living" rooms.
Tackle window treatments for the rooms where you spend the most time: kitchen, family room, living room.

4. Finish the lesser used rooms.
Lastly, work on rooms where you spend the least time and have the least need for privacy and light control: guest room, laudry room, home office.

5. Get creative.
You've got the basics covered with shades, blinds, or shutters. Now's the time to get creative and add layers of decorative treatments in rooms where you want them. This is the time to add drapery panels, valances, and cornices. This is the fun part, and if you haven't yet, you can finally enjoy the process!

upholstering an antique bed

noreply@blogger.com (casey at loft and cottage) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 14:32:00 +0000

I had such a great response to my post about refreshing a vintage bed that I had to keep the conversation going. Thanks for all your comments! Several readers shared their favorite images of antique beds that have been livened up with new fabric. Here's their inspiration, plus another I found.

Elizabeth shared this adorable bed with upholstered inserts. The headboards were a $10 yard sale find. Holy moly.

Camille reminds us you can slipcover an old (not so pretty) bed. The bold fabric and crisp color make for a fresh new feel. And it's washable too, which is a huge plus.

Fran found this Gustavian bed with what looks like a simple linen panel. A classic look that can't go wrong.

Plenty of tutorials will show you how to upholster a headboard, but have you ever thought to do the rails? Jane did, and it looks amazing! What a great way to salvage a bed that's seen better days.

Makes me want to hit the flea markets. And buy a bigger house with a few more bedrooms to furnish!

a second look at interior shutters

noreply@blogger.com (casey at loft and cottage) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 14:13:00 +0000

Ever since Fran posted about her lovely cafe shutters on the windows of her new home, I've been taking a second look. She's been living with them and loving their look and function.

Isn't this little vignette so pretty? And the cafe shutters instantly add an architectural gravity. You could hang a curtain here or a Roman shade, but if you were lucky enough to find a home that had interior shutters, would you remove them? If you had a period home that didn't have them, would you consider adding them?

My newest project is a small powder room that's got some very dated woodwork. My initial thought was to remove the shutters and replace with a pretty fabric shade. I thought the shutters were dating the room. But really, it's the wood tones that date the room. And I'm now taking a second look at the shutters. Perhaps just painting them white, along with all the trim, will instantly freshen them and create an even lovelier (and high-end, custom) look. And it'd have the added bonus of keeping in the style of the period of the home.

Fran also pointed me to High Street Market's recent post about interior shutters. Tons of inspiration there, and here's just one example.

In the end, I'll leave the decision to the client as to whether the shutters stay or go. What would you do?

organizing the junk drawer

noreply@blogger.com (casey at loft and cottage) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 15:44:00 +0000

We have a new kitchen, so you'd think everything in it would be perfectly organized. But for certain cabinets and drawers, it's amazing how quickly they can become a complete disaster! The junk drawer is one. I'm sure everyone has one. And maybe it looks as bad as ours did.

It was literally driving me crazy. Not only did it look terrible, it didn't function at all because things were impossible to find quickly. I'd had a plan to fix it, but Michael was against it. He insisted that a junk drawer was just supposed to be messy. I know he was just being contrary. Because if you know me, you know that was not going to fly.

So, where to start? With some dividers so you can easily group like items together. There are lots of drawer dividers out there (Container Store is a good place to start), but I loved this one I found at Marshall's. Stylish. And cheap too.

First: I threw a bunch of stuff away. Second: I moved some things that belonged in other places to the places they belonged. Third: I got organizing, putting things together that seemed to belong together. Pens, pencils and scissors; matches and candles; gum and mints; coupons and gift cards; sticky notes and paper; postage and return address stamp; paperclips and pushpins; and so on. The organizer didn't perfectly fit the space (it'd be hard to find one that did) but I filled out the empty spaces with a small notecard box, a small dish (I find lots of these in cute styles at Pier 1), and a larger bowl where Michael empties his pockets at the end of the day (the mix of coins and screws/washers/etc drives me crazy too and I want to organize them, but you have to let some things slide, right?). Anyway, life is sooo much better now with just one more organized drawer in my life. And I even think Michael agrees.

So, have you organized your junk drawer? Need more inspiration? I get way too excited when I see totally organized drawers, like these.

martha stewart

Go for extra credit when you stencil the drawer bottoms, like a brooklyn limestone

real simple

centsational girl

bhg

building a better diaper bag

noreply@blogger.com (casey at loft and cottage) — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 16:34:00 +0000

To me, a good diaper bag is anything that doesn't scream "I'm a diaper bag!" Who's with me? I mean, you still want to look like a somewhat chic person and not a mom who's turned the corner and not coming back to the land of style, right?

The truth is you don't have to settle for trying to find something somewhat normal-looking and cool that's marketed as a diaper bag. You can make any bag a diaper bag. No compromising your style.

This is Boden's oilcloth shopper (a Christmas gift) and I'm in love with it. It's a bag I'd use even if I didn't need to tote around diapers and wipes and pacifiers and toys and an extra change of kiddie clothes. And it's made from oilcloth (read: wipeable), with a surface that makes it ideal for baby stuff. Turns out it's no longer available, but they've got another option for spring that I love.

And I might need this colorway too.

Cute right? Would you use this even you didn't need to tote baby gear? I might like it even more than my original choice.

Now here's the best part: make any great bag a diaper bag by using it with a changing pad like this one from Skiphop. It folds up nice and compact to fit perfectly in a tote.

And now you're good to go, Mama!

refreshing a vintage bed

noreply@blogger.com (casey at loft and cottage) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 13:41:00 +0000

A few months ago when this first appeared in House & Home, I promptly fell in love with this girl's room and ripped the page out and just finally got around to scanning it in. It's worth saving, pinning, remembering. The entire room is charming and classic (the canopy! the art!) but it's the vintage bed that really caught my eye. The homeowner/designer Nicola Marc painted it a rich deep blue and upholstered its seen-better-days cane panels with pretty fabric.

This is why flea market finds are such an excellent idea—taking a traditional style and giving it new life, you retain all the original appeal but replace all that's old and out of date. In a growing girl's room, I love a vintage bed makeoever and would love to do this someday for Emmy. In a new bigger room for her, in a new house, perhaps? If you've seen something else like this painted upholstered bed, please share. I couldn't find anything else like it on Pinterest.

bring on the powder room

noreply@blogger.com (casey at loft and cottage) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 15:46:00 +0000

I'm so excited to have a new project to dig into and couldn't wait to share with you all. It's a powder room that needs some serious updating. To my eye, what this space needs is some new fixtures and finishes (okay not "some" but "all") and it will positively shine.

everything must go!

check out that floor; yup, it's on the list for replacing

My client has excellent taste too. Here are just some of her inspirations.

textiles and antique mirror {anyone know the source?}

gray painted floor {via farrow & ball}

traditional vanity & marble top {via houzz}

Excellent, right?! Stay tuned as we dive in to this sweet little bathroom redo!