FarmHouseUrban

Summer - is there a road trip in my future?

Serena Armstrong — Mon, 21 May 2012 17:41:10 -0700

A week from today unofficially marks the beginning of summer. It snuck up this year, did it not? With the kids now going different directions as well as our house demo (and preemptive move-out) about to begin, the possibility of a vacation is remote, and more realistically, ain't gonna happen. But what about the annual road trip??? The new issue of Garden & Gun came this past weekend, so last night I cleared the evening to curl up and savor it. My favorite article was 'The Art of the Road Trip' by Daniel Wallace. Read it here. It's a delightful...

Super cool vintage kaftan

Serena Armstrong — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:10:55 -0700

I've been on a major vintage scouting binge lately (more on that coming shortly...) Normally I skip over the clothing booths, but this time something caught my eye and I knew I had to have it. To me, this is the Hampton's circa 1969. Love the sleeves. One pocket. The fabric is so frickin' cool I'm tempted to make it into pillows... It's a size 6, which is a joke because I could barely zip it. It's going on the shop website when it goes live in two weeks, so if you're interested before that, email me.

colors on the cusp: gray + lilac

Serena Armstrong — Sat, 05 May 2012 15:41:55 -0700

It's a beautiful thing when colors collide creating something completely ambiguous... Vincente Wolf via House Beautiful Blurring the lines and softening the edges. My current favorite mash-up is gray and lilac. Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Phoebe Howard I don't often remember or even know where the seed that started the inspiration flower to bloom originated from, but this time I'm absolutely certain it was from the room below. It's the nyc apartment of Canvas Home and Ochre owners Harriet Maxwell Macdonald and Andrew Corrie featured in Elle Decor almost two years ago. It was the first time I recall seeing...

An evening (or three) in wine country

Serena Armstrong — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:17:44 -0700

Despite the fact that the Napa Valley is only about an hour away, I rarely attend evening events there. It's just a little too far to make the wine + dark roads doable. That said, this past week there happened to be three occasions that I simply couldn't refuse. And they were on consecutive nights. I know, poor me, right? The first (and only that I took photos of) was at Scribe Winery in Sonoma. I've been hearing so much about this place lately - not just the wine being amazing, but the setting/vibe sounded pretty cool too. So on...

Staycations and Jean Paul Gaultier

Serena Armstrong — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 20:44:31 -0700

It was Spring Break this week for the kids. We stayed home for a variety of reasons, so in between work obligations I spent a rainy afternoon with my daughter attending the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit at the De Young Museum. This is a must see if you're in the Bay Area and have even the most remote interest in fashion and/or you raged in the 80's. The exhibit featured mannequins with flat faces, except for a nose. Videos of models making facial expressions, eye movements (sometimes they even spoke) were projected onto each one. It was incredibly realistic and...

Strawberry Fields

Serena Armstrong — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 19:43:52 -0700

My daughter Lily's bedroom is long overdue for a makeover. Not only did her brother's receive one this year (click here to see it), but she turned thirteen in December and has had basically the same room since she was five. Like her mama, she's a pink girl, but is ready to do away with pastels and go for a deeper, strawberry-like shade. She chose pale gray as the contrasting color with some zebra accents (biting my tongue on that one...) Her room is currently lilac - chosen during a brief moment of frivolity... Pink is beckoning her back. Except...

Newest obsession...

Serena Armstrong — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:14:31 -0700

Korean artist Lee Jung. Gallery and info here.

The week in review

Serena Armstrong — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 18:44:03 -0700

Wow, sorry for the radio silence. It's been far too long since the last post and I feel way out of touch. Needless to say, things are hoppin' around here. We (as in me and my new Assistant; Margaret who is AWESOME!!!) are busy getting the store Spring-ified, sourcing and designing the debut collection for the FarmHouseUrban Home Store online, working on several hefty design projects and... dare I say it... our house plans are...no, actually I won't. I look forward to sharing all the details in the upcoming days and weeks, so please stay close by! If you care...

Shopping Heaven - Unionmade

Serena Armstrong — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 21:36:33 -0700

This one's for the boys... But the store's look is so darn fab, I think ladies will like it too. Incidentally, my husband got me a fantastic new camera lens, however my photos suck with it... Old one will be back for next time... If I were to pick out an outfit. Oh yeah, I just remembered...I've been schooled by my 16 year old son that boys/men don't wear 'outfits'. So if you have a teenage boy, don't say for example, "Good morning honey, I really like your outfit!" it will backfire. Anyway, if I were to pick out what...

FarmHouseUrban - Spring Market this Sunday!

Serena Armstrong — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 21:56:07 -0700

Lots of great finds to be had! If you are in the area, please do come by!