Rethinking the Look of Things No. 51 - So You Have Grandma's Stuff, Now What?

There is something to be said about cherishing family heirlooms. But I say cherish does not mean wrapped and carefully put in a box in a closet, basement, or attic. What is cherished about that? One definition of cherish is to "hold dear". So let's rethink Grandma's stuff!

Most likely the reason these treasures are tucked away is because we think they don't work with our design style. I challenge that. With the right designer's help you can enhance the treasure or rethink placement of the treasure. Why not put Grandma's clock in the upstairs loft at the beach house?

Why not use Grandpa's vintage mail sorter bench as a desk or potting bench? Whatever tickles your fancy. 

Rethink Grandma's favorite foot stool or chair. Grandma would smile because you are cherishing a treasure of her's and it looks like you.

So you inherited the bedroom suite you used to sleep in at Grandma's. Now what? Who says you still can't paint the walls black, layer a sisal and a faux zebra rug, slipcover a desk chair and hand a crystal chandelier?

Quit hiding that carved console from Grandma. You know the one whose carvings you have memorized because you used to trace them with your finger when you'd visit.  Give it a prominent place and go ahead and put that chrome pharmacy table lamp on it, and yes that great modern piece of art will be just fine above it.

Grandpa's antler collection? Bleach or paint them white. 

Another treasure that can be tucked anywhere all decked out in faux fur!

And who doesn't remember seeing a different tea up in Grandma's hand every time you visited.(See the wall clock?) Rethinking the Look of Grandma's stuff. 

Image Sources: Mix and Match Chic, Wild Chairy, Home Bunch 

Rooms I Love No. 18 - Don't Worry I'll Share the Love

I am happy to share the love of these rooms. They actually all come from the same home and my love is due to the expression of freshness in this revived Georgian-style home. This expression is done with a nod to the architectural elements of the home. 

Colors known as sea pearl and white dove and a shade of black create serene backdrops for the rooms furnishings. These colors also flirt with the traditional architectural details of the home. 

I love these rooms because rules are broken without apprehension.

A gorgeous high end desk sits with mid range leather chairs with no apologies. Light pours into the library because the definition of a library doesn't include a must for the dark and dreary.

The master bedroom flourishes with comfort and rejuvenation. It's a beautiful, no fuss haven in a formal home.

I love these rooms and I'm sharing the love because I believe it is time for a reviving of classic architecture in a fresh way, a livable way.

Image Sources: Traditional Home

Rethinking the Look of Things No. 50 - Artwork in the Kitchen

Funny how we can subconsciously do things just because it is what we know, what we are familiar with, and what everyone else does. Let's rethink that. Are we just hanging cabinets on the wall of the kitchen because, oh I don't know, that's just what you do in a kitchen? Are we adding tile to the blank spaces on our kitchen walls because that's normal? 

Let's rethink the look of things and save those spaces for artwork that is that special we want to enjoy it even in when we are in the kitchen. 

Our kitchens are the heart of our homes. It is full of chatter, aromas, creative cooking and baking, experiments, entertaining good friends, the best place to share a piece of pie late at night with two forks! This room is full of inspiration why skip this area when contemplating where your treasured artwork should go?

Don't get me wrong, the most important design element of a kitchen plan is having all the needed storage. Just keep in mind places to put things doesn't always have to be cabinetry. It can be bistro shelves, a marble or granite ledge, suspended wooden shelves, glass front cabinets - all great places to display artwork that has a special place on the list of your favorite things.

I love artwork and when I am placing it in the home, I'm not thinking of its appropriate spot, for it is the artwork we place in the most unexpected places that sometimes we appreciate the most.  I have even hung oil paintings in a client's garage. 

Artwork is truly at home in the kitchen. Give thought to your artwork selection for the kitchen, consider the best way to install, do it without hesitation; you survived having a band aid ripped off, you can do this. Now enjoy!

The rethinking of artwork in the kitchen may seem like a tough challenge. After all, if one puts an oil painting in the kitchen is that like wearing flip flops to church? Why yes it is and neither has anything to do with irreverence, its about including it because its not a rule breaker.

Choosing and hanging (or propping) artwork in the kitchen does still have the same considerations as other art placement, excluding the subject matter. Remember scale, size, height at which it is hung,and practicality. Don't go overboard and hang art right above your stove! A good cook is most times not a neat cook, the mess happens as the menu is being created and mastered. If the art is just filling the void without thought then you picked the wrong piece.

Okay, my troops you have your challenge! Go put some artwork in your kitchen and do me proud!

Image Sources: Elle Decor, Pinterest, Deb and Danielle, Studio McGee, Glam Pad, Instagram

Garden Design No. 20 - The Pergola

The pergola can offer a beautiful architectural element to many outdoor living spaces and can also add curb appeal to a home. As in adding any structural element to our home and landscape, great thought and research should be done prior to starting the project of adding a pergola.

There are pros and cons to the pergola, I tend to think the pros outweigh the cons. But then it could be the beauty of the structure that sways my opinion too! The pros are obvious so I won't get into those. Some things to consider if planting vines over the pergola:  attracts butterflies and hummingbirds (also attracts bees and spiders), provides shade but can be messy (vines may drop leaves and debris), maintenance (requires sweeping and trimming).

One advantage that can prevent some other cons like the promotion of dry rot because vines retain moisture are the innovation in wood alternatives. However, the beauty of a plant-free pergola might just create another dilemma in your decision to plant vines or not to. The vines to add weight to the structure as the grow and mature which is an important factor in the design and maintenance of the pergola and its location.

Sometimes the landscaping around your planned pergola location has already provided planting, like trees, that create that shade factor that is so appealing. No need to add vines, but then I say potted plantings are a must. 

The play between shadows and light that the architectural design of a pergola offers is such a delight whether plant free or vine covered. So you won't miss out on that no matter your decision to plant or not.

Vines will bring your structure to life. Living, breathing plants not only contribute to the shade factor, but they also bring color and fragrance. Here are some of my favorite picks: Bougainvillea, Chinese Jasmine, Wisteria (careful can be toxic to dogs when eaten), Passion Flower, and Royal Trumpet Vine.

The function of the pergola will dictate the final design, structural materials, vines or no vines, placement on the property and flooring, should it be a pergola for seating. I also love the entrance pergola, awning pergola, pergola over the garage doors, and by the pool.

Just as one's design style doesn't effect the feel of a room inside our home, neither does the architectural design of the pergola. Whether traditional, rustic, or modern - the pergola still holds those appealing benefits of shade, warmth, comfort, cocooning, and beauty.

Yes, I could totally see myself spending many hours under a pergola. But I also love the stunning look of a pergola over the garage, at the entrance to a home, and as an awning. Restraint is important, too much of a good thing is just that; too much!

Image Sources: Houzz, Elle Decor, Pinterest, Brabourne Farm, Home Design Collection, Beyond the Picket Fence, Only for Girls, Indulgy, Better Homes and Gardens, Squidoo

Rooms I Love No. 17 - Starting with the Architectural Elements

Loving the great, but understated window.

I am a big fan of layering in a room's design. Whether it happens all at once or over time, it doesn't matter. It just needs to look like it all just happen. Not forced. What I love about these rooms first is the architectural elements in each of them. Strip them down and the architectural character sets you on a journey that can only lead to a room to love.

Loving the unique window, the window seat, and the paneled walls. This is a 

room to love from the very start.

Love the arched doorway and all the great mouldings painted white.

But most of all I love the story in this room. The inherited window 

panels used on the backs of these beautiful chairs.

I love the brick archway and the beams. I love that these were

not interpreted into a dark and 

stuffy room.

I love the natural light from a great window, the uncommon size of

this bathroom, and the terrific ceiling.

I love the black painted archway. And I'm freaking out about the map 

collection hanging in the most unlikely of places. I always knew someone

brave enough to paint their trim black was brave enough to add 

another element of uniqueness in the same room.

Image Sources: Home Bunch, Greige, VT Interiors, Zsa Zsa Bellagio