Changes at out House...

Being so focused on the interior of my home has left our outside a bit less than desirable.  When we moved into our house, we set priorities &  so the poor outside had to wait.  We fell for our house because it has a large, private back yard...  the back of it sort of turns into a mini forest and a stream runs behind our fence. 

I like that the woods in the back feel really natural and a little out of control (wild roses, honey suckle, clematis, black berries & a ton of other things spill out the edges of it into our grass) but I've always imagined that one day it would be a tad more manicured & purposeful...

{See how crazy it gets back there??}

Last year (and the year before) we made a few garden beds around the yard like the one below for dwarf holly (which looks sooooo much like boxwood) and herbs...

  But we never edged them properly and they've gotten a bit out of control... 

{Here's the beginning of our vegetable garden last year...  THAT's how we edge....  It's more like:

me- "Hey Dav, let's make a veggie garden today."  (I've never mentioned this but I actually call my husband "Dav"...  an old college joke where we used to call him "Daveed" and "Dav" stuck)

him- Big sigh... "Okay."

And he starts digging...  But before he can finish, I'm in his way planting stuff and saying, "Forget about the edges... And don't worry about turning up all that dirt.... Yeah, it's fine that it's clay."

SO... as a result, my garden beds are full of weeds and the grass runs right into them.  I sort of have Scarlett O'Hara's "I'll think about that tomorrow" attitude with my yard. 

{Can I tell you how much I love this fabric???!!!!}

BUT we found some great guys through a friend & got a superdeal on having our entire yard edged & mulched.  I AM OVER THE MOON!!!!  They came yesterday and went to town...  They're back today and are working on edges like this:

{not my yard...  image from finegardening.com...   They're still working so I'll post pics as soon as I can}

I am soooooo  excited.  Then...  we were at our friend-neighbor's house borrowing a wheelbarrow for the guys and she mentioned she was planning on getting rid of her kids' swing set now that they're getting older and so they gave it to us!!  My 4 year old is giddy beyond belief. 

...And....  (ok, truly nesting here; I have issues) I think I'm ready to change up our downstairs family room again...  I love the blue that's on the walls but I've always felt that it doesn't really fit with the feeling of our house & surroundings (with the blue walls and some of our accessories, it feels kind of coastal...  I originally had it REALLY coastal with this old painting... 

But it was driving me crazy...  so I switched pillows & accessories to ones with more of the green I crave:

{the room's pretty trashed in this pic...  sorry!}

...But I stole the rug, educational chart & lamp for other areas of the house & now my room's back to blank and blue... 

I'll be a little sad to say goodbye to the blue walls but I think I'm ready for the change.  We're keeping all of our furniture and I'll just rearrange rugs & artwork we already, have but the big change will be painting it white...  I sort of want it to feel more like my boys' playhouse:

I want it to be a more casual version of what we have upstairs & I'm hoping we can buy the paint today.  (I am aware this is nuts to do with our life/ schedule right now...  but I'm okay with that.)  Will be back with pics!!


If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

My Room in Better Homes & Gardens Magazine

April has been a super-busy month so I'm a little late on sharing ,but I am thrilled about the article published in this month's (April's) Better Homes & Gardens Magazine!   The photo shoot took place last May in my room, at the 2011 DC Design House and my good friend, photographer Helen Norman took the photos. 

{The little aqua "one line a day" book is now mine & I use it to record funny things my kids say & little family stories.}

Here's a really pretty shot of the window seat we had custom-made by our go-to builders, CarrMichael Construction with custom layered cushions fabricated by Paul David Designs (our workroom, who we absolutely love.)

{The window seat is a mix of fabrics by Peter Dunham Textiles who generously donated their fabrics for the showhouse and some of my new fabrics.  The distressed silver llama sconces were donated by Porta Romana.}

Here's a shot of most of the room which shows off the grasscloth walls & diamond-patterned sisal rug (by Stark, fabricates by the Carpet Customizer)...

The article is by BHG editor Joanna Linberg {who is one of the kindest & most genuinely sweet people I've ever met} and I love how she broke everything down for the article & delved into the concept of "perfectly imperfect ." 

She listed a few of the must-haves I like to include when designing a room:

The oversize painting is by my good friend John Matthew Moore and I arranged the leather parsons desk (by Edelman Leather) so that was askew from the painting for a slightly "off" and more casual look.  I tucked the glass lamp with bright green tin shade (donated by Stray Dog Designs) right next to the painting to compensate for the assymetical desk arrangement.  I'm always really awkward in photos by myself and so I curled up in one of my Madhatter Chairs & it made me feel much better.  :)  The curtains are my Happikat in black & white and the Fabric on the back of the chair is by Michael Smith.

Here's a page they included at the end of the article about botanicals (which you know I'm pretty much obsessed with) and I'm loving the black backgrounds on a few of the botanicals & that pattern on the journal.  (#3)

The article itself includes all of our resources, but I want to be sure to mention that we borrowed antiques & artwork from some of our favorite local shops:  John Rosselli, Spurgeon Lewis and German Favorite Antiques.  Being a part of the DC Design House, which benefits Children's Hospital in Georgetown, was really such an amazing experience & through it, I made friends I know I'll have for life.  The 2012 House is open right now, so if you're in the area, be sure to go check it out!!

And finally, I turned 30 yesterday!!!!!  My 20s were over & I have to say they did not go out with a bang- 8+ months pregnant just doesn't put you in the partying mood ;) - but I will be sure to make up for it when I'm out of Baby #3 haze. 

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Renovating That Moldy Old Bathroom

However much you may have thought through the options while making that dream home of yours, it seems that there are always improvements that can be made at home. Taking a decision to renovate your apartment is not an easy one since these projects can cause havoc with your daily routine. One such project that can really disrupt your entire household is bathroom remodeling. This is especially so because once the project begins this room will need to be off limits for several days.

Although the bathroom is often the smallest room in your house, it is one of the most important rooms. Many aspects make bathroom renovating a serious project. You can save money as well as avoid undue hassles if a bathroom makeover is handled methodically.

The first thing required to be settled is to prepare a schedule for bathroom use to accommodate family members and plan for guests if any are coming over during the renovation.

To avoid overshooting your budget it is recommended that you finalize the fixtures that you would like to put back again and the ones that you need to replace before actually beginning the process of remodeling. Once you list the fixtures you will realize why bath remodeling often takes more time than anticipated and disrupts budgets. The main fixtures involved in bathroom remodeling include the tub, shower, toilet, sink, cabinets, lighting and flooring.

Storage is another aspect that needs to be kept in mind as certain decorative fixtures, like a pedestal sink, leave no room for storage under them. For a well functioning bathroom it is essential that there be storage space for storing towels, toiletries and cleaning supplies.

While going in for expensive fixtures like whirlpool tubs it will be better if you talk to friends, neighbours and relatives who might have installed these, as they take up a lot of space and are expensive to repair.

Lighting and flooring are two aspects of the bathroom that are often over looked. If you have natural light it will be better to go for lighting that will complement it and still retain privacy. In the absence of natural light, try to create one using the kind of lighting that you prefer. You could chose to have a bold, strong lighting environment or a relaxing, dim environment for your aroma bath.

Easy cleaning should be the foremost consideration when completing the bathroom renovation project. Although they cost more than other surfaces, natural stone or ceramic tiles are the easiest to clean and last a life time. Bathrooms are messy and in turn can mess up the house. Being able to quickly clean up surfaces is a great time saver and can also ensure that you avoid slipping on wet surfaces later.

Before & After: Client's Dining Room

Last year, we began working with our clients who were undergoing a major renovation to their home.  The renovation was a thoughtful reworking of the existing space with the only addition to the house's footprint being the new screened-in porch.  The entire floorplan of the first floor was reworked and my clients created a massive open kitchen with an attached dining room and entry out of what once was the kitchen, dining room, living room and entry.  The wife likes bold fresh colors & has slightly modern taste while the husband is pretty traditional so we were really after a blending of the two.

We did the full house but I thought I'd start out by sharing the dining room with you.  Here's a photo of the dining room "before" which was at the back of the house:

And here's the dining room now:

Like me, my client loves botanicals & we couldn't resist these two massive ones by Natural Curiosities.  I flanked them with large bright green lamps to balance out their size.  The trestle table is paired with lighter carved chairs and I love the detail on the seat backs.   We found the neutral Greek key rug at Stark.  On the table, I used modern garden cloches on the table filled with ferns and orchids.  

We had the existing sideboard laquered white and my client had the GENIUS idea of adding a wooden board painted with chalkboard paint to the top of it:

It looks like slate but was super-inexpensive.  (I know, I know, chalkboard is EVERYWHERE... but I still love it in enexpected places!!)  We had planned to use honed granite or concrete & I'm so happy she did this instead!!!  It's so convenient now to label food & drinks set out on the bar.

For curtains, we used an overscale blue paisley by Schumacher and throughout the house we used a combination of bright blues & greens.  This project was particularly special for us to work on for a number of reasons and the "big reveal" had me teary... I want to thank my clients so much for letting us into your home &  your lives. 

I'm off for the day- am having contractions and am heading in to doc to check it out & am doubting this is "it" but they make you come in anyway so we'll see.  I'll keep you posted!!
UPDATE:  I'm home from doc and all is good & contractions will be coming & going but they aren't painful enough yet to be very productive!  Will keep you posted & hopefully I still have a couple mroe weeks to go :)




If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Photoshoot in DC Rowhouse

I'm in the process of getting ready for a photoshoot of one of our finished projects in DC today.   This will be my last before Baby #3 arrives!!  The home is really special...   Here is a "before" picture of the living room:

{This room already felt great when we first walked in}

My clients have an amazing sense of style and some beautiful iconic pieces that we kept & worked the design off of.  We painted the walls a soft cream & the doors went to a warm black: 

{a mid-stage photo of the living room... I love what a difference the paint made.}

We reworked the floorplan a bit:

We added some more natural elements to the house, changed fabric & color schemes & added in some more eclectic pieces. Here's a quick pic of the original design plans:

I love my client's bold fabric choices...  We used them in small doses in the now-neutral spaces:

Anyway, I'll be sure to share "after" photos as soon as I can.  I'm especially excited about this project because my clients' style is much more modern than our typical clients' style and it's been so much fun to branch out & help create a home that reflects them & their taste.  I think my favorite part of being a decorator is creating spaces that feel really personal to my clients & getting to experiment with design styles that are different from my own personal style (which they all are.) 

Wish me luck!!

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Transforming Your Garden With a Natural Stone Patio

There is such a wide range of natural stone now available that whatever type of garden you have there is sure to be something suitable that will transform your outside space whether it is a small courtyard garden or has acres of space. But knowing that there are suitable natural stone tiles out there is the easy part - choosing which tiles are right for your patio is harder.

And it is not just the colour that you need to get right - the surface finish is even more important - does it need to be slip-resistant, will there be young children playing on it, does it need to be hard-wearing? These are some of the questions you will have to ask yourself before you even begin to look at the choices available.

In addition, natural stone will have unique characteristics depending on which quarry it came from and may also have a special finish depending on the manufacturer. So one type of slate, for example, may not be the same if it has come from different quarries or was cut and finished by a different manufacturer. Most natural stone has an indefinite life-span (think of all the ancient buildings made of natural stone that are still standing across the world) but if it has a special finish then another consideration is the longevity of the finish - will it be hard-wearing and last many years or will the special character of the finish disappear under the effects of harsh weather?

Clearly the choice of finish is not simply about its beauty at the time of laying the natural stone but also how it will look in a few years' time since a patio is not the type of structure to be frequently changed although one of the advantages of natural stone is that there is an active second-hand market for pre-used tiles if you do ever decide to replace them.

Depending on their size and thickness, most natural stone tiles can be laid as a patio onto a bed of sand although some slate tiles may require a bed of mortar. But any areas that will be used as a driveway or parking for vehicles will need a concrete base.

Natural stone tiles are available in a huge range of shapes and sizes from widths of 300mm and this range of sizes can allow you to design a unique layout for your patio. This might be a regular pattern or many people choose a random layout which can look equally attractive, particularly for a large area in a rustic setting. But even with just a single shape and size you can achieve a stunning patio, for example, rectangular tiles laid out in an offset pattern like brickwork can look particularly effective in a small area.

Although natural stone tiles can be expensive, the advantages of a natural stone patio are that it will look beautiful from the day it is laid for a lifetime and is available in such a variety of colours and styles that it will suit any type of home; rustic, traditional or contemporary. Its colour might weather but will not fade as coloured concrete alternatives do. It is resistant to harsh weather conditions and is relatively low maintenance, with only the possibility of the pointing needing replacing at some stage.

Whilst there are cheaper alternatives to natural stone on the market, and you can use porcelain tiles for a patio and even some ceramic tiles providing their water absorbency level is low enough, nothing quite beats the organic look of natural stone tiles on a patio.

DC Design- Lots going on!

This past week our good friends Brooke & Steve Giannetti of Velvet & Linen were in town visiting with two of their kids, Nick & Leila.  Thursday night, Dave & I went to an insanely perfect cocktail party in their honor thrown by Loi Thai and Tom Troeschel, owners of Tone on Tone, a beautiful antiques store in Bethesda.  Like usual, I forgot to take very many pictures (I'm usually having too much fun, let's be honest) but to say Loi & Tom's place was amazing is a serious understatement.  I have NEVER been somewhere like this house.  It completely transports you to another place.  You don't feel like you're in Kansas DC anymore.  Because I forgot to take photos, I've taken most images of these from Joni of Cote de Texas's blogpost of almost 2 years ago when the house was just newly renovated, so there have been a lot of changes since then.  The walk up to the front of the house is incredible.  Boxwoods and trees now surround the front lawn which is empty in this photo:

{The limestone pavers on the front porch are so beautiful...  I felt like we were walking around on Mt.Olympus here...  The doors were flung open and a Spring breeze flowed into the house.}

  The entire home feels completely open to the outdoors & to me, there's nothing better than that.

{looooove the skylights in this house!!!}

Almost everything is done in shades of white & neutrals (hence the name "tone on tone") and the floors are even bleached wood:

You feel like you're floating around the house...

There were small green accents throughout the home and I fell in love with these cheeky industrial green pendants in the kitchen:

I enjoyed the far right barstool as well...  With less than a month to go 'till baby comes, I REALLY loved the food & had a great little spot to indulge!!!  mm mmm mmm!

The kitchen & attached family room is where Loi & Tom do most of the "living" and it's a bit less formal than the rest of the home.  They have topiaries & ferns all over the house (which are my FAVORITE things to accessorize with & that I unfortunately can't keep alive) and they're so beautiful:

{This console bisects the kitchen/ family room so the TV is opposite the kitchen.  There's the most beautiful skylight above the topiaries.}

The pair of maiden hair fern may have been my favorite accessory in the entire home.  Here's one of them on a pedestal flanking the fireplace:

..But of course my favorite part of the night was seeing so many great friends & people all in 1 place.  The DC Design Community is full of amazing people & personalities and there's never enough time to see all the people, so it was so nice to get to see so many sweet faces at once. 

{Brooke, Leila, me and Leah Moss of Moss Eclectic}

 I'm so glad Brooke & Steve came to DC.  They were signing copies of their book, Patina Style, which if you haven't read yet, needs to happen.  It's full of beautiful photos & such practical hands-on information.

{Image from  Patina Style   }

We were able to steal them away from their busy schedule Friday for a trip to the Air & Space Museum (boys-only...  Leila & Brooke & I hung at home) and for hanging out & pizza & cupcakes.  (mm-mm-mm!!)  Of course I didn't take photos, but if I had, you would have seen me lying on the couch and Brooke lying on a chair having a "sympathy pregnancy" for me.  :)  Sometimes it's nice to just veg out. 

I'm off for the day but thank you so much to Loi & Tom for such a beautiful night!!  Here they are in their (perfect) living room towards the end of the party:

{They are so sweet & hospitable and I'm pretty much in awe over their house...  I'm one of those annoying people who ends up leaving a party last or almost last (I somehow don't notice when people are saying goodbye) so thanks for putting up with me Loi & Tom!!}

And, speaking of great DC people, the DC Design House just opened this weekend & it's looking beautiful!!  My good friend John Matthew Moore sent me  this photo of the gorgeous foyer he just completed:

{Yay Matthew!!!!   photo by Angie Seckinger}

For information on visiting the DC Design House, visit the website here: Dcdesignhouse.com

My room from last year's DC Design House is actually in this month's issue of Better Homes & Gardens Magazine too so if you see it on newsstands, check it out.  (As soon as I get images, I'll be sure to post!! :)

Also, for more images & information on Tom & Loi's home, be sure to check out Joni's post:  Cote de Texas Ton-on-Tone post 

I just realized Loi has a blog, Tone on Tone, and you can view it here.  The most recent post is about keeping his topiaries alive!! :)




If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Easter Pretties

We got home from a trip to Charleston Saturday night & were able to enjoy Easter at home.  Dave surprised me with these daffodils (I was disappointed because I never had the time this season to pick the ones from our yard so he came to the rescue.)

And it was such a pretty day!!! I love this weather... In the morning, I set the table with some antique blue & white china that my mom gave me years ago ( & that I'd almost forgotten I owned. )

Justin was being "helpful"----

I labeled the eggs with our names & set them in little bowls filled with reindeer moss:

The lucite & brass candlesticks with charteusy-green candles were a gift from Eddie & Jaithan the last time they visited & I love the vintage-modern feel of them:

Later in the day, my family came over & I had to take a pic of these beautiful mini strawberry flower cupcakes my mom & little sister made:

And my grandmother made these adorable bunny twist buns.  (below) Seeing them brought me back to when I was a little girl & she used to make them.  (She hasn't in years & I totally forgot all about them...  She now has to make them every year because I neeeeeeeed them ;)

We had enough family over that we put the leaf in the table & I ran out of blue & white china but there's something I love about getting a pretty table ready for a holiday.  (I guess maybe it's that I never really put any time into it & on holidays I have the time??  Or the reason for doing it??  Lately we've been so busy that mealtimes have taken sort of a backseat & I certainly haven't been making any pretty table settings.  A while back I was going to try to do at least 1 pretty planned meal a week but that sort of got forgotten.  BUT...  for the next few weeks before our Baby #3 arrives, I think I'll try to make a little bit of an effort... before the Baby Haze sets in & the thought of a pretty planned meal is laughable.)

We had an Easter Egg Hunt in the yard...

{I'll try to stop posting pics of my wisteria  arbor but I'm not promising it...  I cannot tell you enough how happy it makes me!!!!!}

And the boys (okay, me too) ate a disgusting amount of chocolate...

It was a great day. 

I'm without babysitting today so I have the boys home with me for one more day before the real work week sets in.  I've been feeling a bit anxious about the baby coming so soon and all of the work we have planned to squeeze in before that time.  With a last-minute photo shoot and a few design plans & installations for clients, I know I'll be able to power through it, but I have to admit, I'm a little nervous.  I'm feeling pretty good physically (we are just finally getting over that awful bug we all had at out house- arrgggg) but I can tell my body's about to try telling me to slow down a little.   My cankles come & go (ps- so embarrassed I misspelled cankles in a previous post.. I'll blame it on pregnancy brain ;)  and the baby's starting to make things pretty tight in there.  Bathroom breaks are a constant but if I can just keep running for a few more weeks, I should be good.  Both of my boys came early so I need to get things wrapped up as best as possible before the first week of May.  Fingers crossed for me!! 



If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.