I went with the wheels instead...

I turned the big 3-0 on Wednesday.  Some of you may laugh at the "big" part of that statement, but I truly did feel this birthday more than others.  Perhaps it's because I'm no longer "in my twenties" or maybe it's because entering into a whole new decade sounds so surreal. Whatever it may be, this birthday hit me more than most.  

The good part about having a birthday, however, is the presents.  I'm convinced that's why we have birthday presents.  It's not to celebrate another year of life (unless you're under the age of 25), so much as it is to help you cope with adding another number to your age.  

My husband had been asking me for weeks what I wanted for my birthday and for weeks I told him I wasn't sure and needed to think about it some more.  I know it's silly, but I felt like whatever I was getting needed to be different since I was turning 30.  Something memorable and I could enjoy for a long time.  See how much it got to me? :)

Well one night lying in bed watching TV, he asked me again, and this time I actually had an answer.  

"A light fixture!" I exclaimed.  I thought I'd come up with the perfect gift-- a pretty little new piece in my home I could stare at each time I walked by for years to come.  He looked at me like I had three eyes.

"Light fixtures?" he said perplexed.  "Really?"

"Yes, a light fixture," I countered.  "But just one will do for now.  No need to get crazy."

I told him that the one I'd like to replace the most was the dining room light.  Allow me to give you a visual--it looks like an octopus holding beautiful (sarcasm) swirled, frosted glass sconces in each tentacle with a ridiculous looking oversized matching frosted cup and spear coming down in the middle of the bottom.  You want one too now, don't you? :)

Sure, the normal person, including my husband, would say "What's wrong with it?  It's fine.  I like it." But the designer in me that hates all things in a builder supply catalog just can't.

Jon was on board with my final decision (and by "on board" I mean glad I'd finally told him a gift idea), but I could tell he was hoping I'd settle on a new idea eventually.  And I did, but not before creating my dining room light fixture favorites list first.  Since I'll wait until later for the light, I thought I'd at least show you guys what I love...and will hopefully replace the octopus with one day soon :)

MY TOP 8 DINING ROOM LIGHT FIXTURES

View fullsize

1 MidCentury Modern $348 2 Prism $450 3 Wood Bead $270 4 Times Square Shade $249 6 Rope $211 5 Stiletto $229 7 Fiona $299 8 Large Orb $499

P.S. If you're wondering about what I picked instead of a light... here she is in all of her mint paint, cognac oversized seat, cup-holder, basket-wearing glory.

I'm all for pretty new things for my home (I am a designer after all), but I felt that getting to feel like a kid again was one of the best gifts I could have entering my 30's!  Plus I've been wanting a beach cruiser ever since we moved to the beach over two years ago!  I'm glad I went with the wheels instead :)

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Etsy artist roundup

Searching for the perfect piece of artwork can be challenging sometimes. A great resource we often use to source art is Etsy. You can find some great artists and affordable pieces. Here are a few of my current favorites.

Leigh Veiner

Leigh creates a lot of fashion illustrations and has a great since of color and movement.

As seen on on set The Steven and Chris Show in Canada.

Love the colors in this print!

Michelle Armas

Michelle creates beautiful abstract, expressionistic paintings. Her art has a softness about them. Some of her pieces can be purchased as a canvas or print.

Samantha French

Samantha has a stunning series of swimmers both above and below water. My favorites are those where she captures the ripples in the water. She sells the original pieces on canvas and than more affordable copies in varying print sizes.

Minagraphy

The photographs that Mina creates have a dreamy and nostalgic quality about them. My favorites being her beach series.

As seen hung.

Who are some of your favorite Etsy artists?

a good day read

Hello, friends.

My apologies for the delayed post this week. I've been under the weather the past few days, and I'm still not 100%. So today I'm taking a brief moment to share with you my new book friend (if you follow us on Instagram you saw me reading it a couple of Saturdays ago with my morning coffee).

And foreword by Tina Fey? Can it get any better??

My husband found it on Amazon and bought it (yes, my husband--I'm so grateful we share a love of design and architecture) after he flipped through it in a bookstore and thought "we need this in our possession." One great thing about him working in an established architecture firm is their library. And I don't mean a room full of samples. I mean their real library, with books (complete with Windsor chair, but I digress). Books and magazines on all areas and topics of design and architecture, at our fingertips. While I love the ability to borrow, ownership has its place, too. And I'm glad this one came into our hands.

You may be familiar with Thom Filicia in the design world. If not, I would highly recommend it. Trust me, you won't be sorry. The best part about the book is not that I loved every ounce of every detail; there are a few things I would have done differently. BUT, his reason for how he did everything, and the detail he put into it earns 100% of my respect. Every room is complete. Each room reads as its own AND as part of a whole.

Now before I make this longer and more winded than I have the energy for, I'll keep it brief and share with you my favorite room and quote(s) from the book:

The powder room should be a "wow" moment, a gift for people who only come over for a cocktail or only stop by briefly. these drive-by guests should not be denied--they deserve an intense dose of the entire design. Every architectural element of the house is represented here....

-Thom Filica

This is the sunroom. From the glorious mix of textures to the unexpected color combos and patterns, this room is a glorious mix of masculine and feminine. If I could pick one room in the house to spend all day in, it would be this one. 

In the end, the lifestyle you create for your house is the final piece of decor. How you use your house--or, more accurately that you use it--is what gives your home a soul. All the time and effort spent collecting and purchasing is just the beginning. The design is in the living.

-Thom Filicia

That's it, y'all. If that doesn't entice you to at least flip through this book in Barnes and Noble (or come to my house and read it), then I don't know what will. 

Until next time :)

A Rug Affair with West Elm

If you haven't stopped by West Elm or westelm.com to check out their sale, you're missing out!  They have a bunch of deals, but some that really caught my eye were on the rugs!  Oh how I love a good rug...especially one on sale.  Here's a few of my favorites:

Phoenix Wool Dhurrie- 8x10 $349

This little pink beauty would be awesome in an office, little girl's room or playroom.  And that's coming from a girl who is not a big fan of pink.  I typically shy away from bright colors in rugs due to the price and longevity I'd like to achieve when purchasing one, BUT I don't think you can go wrong here, especially in a fun, inspiring room.  Who needs a room designed around this rug? I'm dying to use it in a space!

Bazaar Wool Dhurrie in Ochre- 8x10 $399

This one too would look great in a kid's space or even a living room (especially a beach condo). Dhurries are great for wear and tear and typically can look brand new with a quick vacuum!  And they are much softer than most natural optional like sisal and jute.

Key Wool Dhurrie in Iron- 8x10 $299

This one is a combination of two of my design favorites--black/white color combination and classic greek key pattern.  And the price tag makes it even prettier!

Offset Stripe Wool Dhurrie in Sable- 8x10 $219.99

This is another classic but with a twist.  The offset print adds interest and the stripes bring in a little sophistication.  I'm tempted to buy this one for my own house!

Those are my top four rug sale picks.  Be sure to check out their website to see all of the other deals they have going on.  Get ready for the urge to empty your wallets too! :)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  This will be my last spent in my 20's!  Ahhh!

Sunroom e-design

Recently we had a couple contact us who needed help with their sunroom. They wanted a light and comfortable sunroom where they could enjoy breakfast but also a place where friends could gather to watch the game.

Here are a couple before pictures of the space-

The first recommendation we made was to paint the brick white to serve as a neutral backdrop. The TV is being replaced with a flat screen that will hang on the left side of the kitchen window and the grill is being moved outside.

As you can see, painting the brick made a big difference.

Since the space needs to double for entertaining guest, we selected comfortable upholstered dining chairs that could be moved around on game day. We suggested a console table under the TV for storage of blankets and board games but could also be set up as a bar during gatherings.

For the large blank wall right of the french doors, we were inspired to create a gallery wall hung by rope similar to one that Ashleigh Gilbrith created.

We kept a light a neutral color palette utilizing natural materials. The daybed fits a standard size twin mattress, which will make a great place to take naps or read a book.

Our clients were thrilled with our e-design. We can't wait to share with you the after pics once everything has been installed.

nursery turned toddler room

This weekend we ventured to a family reunion for the day, and in addition to seeing lots (and lots) of extended family members, we also picked up a couple of cool family heirloom pieces. 

Twin beds! Slept in by my mom and her brothers and sisters, as well as my sister and myself, and since then have been in the possession of my uncle who's sons slept in them.  And pretty soon (but not too soon) my 16 month old will make her way into one of them.

I would post a pic for y'all to see, but they are currently still in pieces and wrapped up from the journey home. But they are solid mahogany post beds, somewhat similar to this:

Not only is it special to have a family antique like that, but it's not often you find children's furniture that's made of solid wood. I'm excited to get them put together (although they'll need a little work).

Little nugget is still in a crib so that means I have to rearrange her room to work in a twin bed until she's ready for the transition. The guest room has a really comfy queen bed in it, so there's no use in changing anything about that.

Here's her room now (also don't mind the few discrepancies--by no means is has the room been styled or professionally photographed; I just cleaned it enough to look decent in a quick photo):

The crib is a mahogany Jenny Lind; the chair an 1880s re-upholstered French antique store find named Charlotte (I have a thing for chairs and naming things); the crepe paper pom-poms were hand-made decorations from my baby shower. I still need something behind the crib, but since the whole layout of the room is changing soon, I suppose that doesn't matter for the time being. The mobile will come down, since she's long outgrown it. I'm honestly surprised it's not broken; she yanks on it all the time.

There she is in all her bed-headed glory, upon her rocking horse that her grand-Papí made (shortly after this photo she was wailing for me because she decided climbing over the front of the horse was the best way to dismount.) The chair is an antique "kindergarden chair" that she got for her first birthday from my uncle (and don't tell her but it's probably going to become the Time-Out Chair). Obviously I haven't painted the walls, but I don't plan on it anytime soon. I figure, soon enough she'll have her own personality and then we can pick a color. Why create more work for ourselves? I mean I already have a half painted navy bedroom. 

And here's how the room is laid out in plan view:

And here are the options for incorporating the twin bed:

This option moves the changing table into the closet to be used for storage. Let's be honest, when you have a toddler, changing tables get used once a day, and even then it's a battle. The floor is your best option. Anyway, this is similar to how I would arrange the room if for some reason I kept both beds (my sister may take the other for her daughter).

This option repurposes the changing table as storage. It's open shelving so I would just move the toy baskets onto the shelves. 

So what do you think? 

Right now I'm leaning towards the first option, but ultimately it will depend on what it all feels like once I get it in there. It may end up being nothing like the way I've drawn them. Even still it's a good excuse to give that room some attention since all I've added since we moved in were the draperies and the photos for the gallery wall.

As usual, I'll keep you posted!

Until next time!