One Year

One year ago we started out on our journey as 3A Design Studio.  It's hard to believe we're back in another September.  What a year it's been!  Along with giving birth to our company, two of us have given birth to new babies as well (Dana had a 9 month old when we started!), and all of us taken on the title of stay at home working mom, one of the hardest there is if you ask me.  To say that it's been a year of new beginnings, exciting journeys and stressful trials is an understatement.  But we made it, and we're stronger for it!  We're so proud of all that we've accomplished and want to keep dreaming bigger and better.  

And we could not do any of it without you.  Yes, you.  You on the other side of that screen taking the time to read our blog, comment on our Facebook page, like our Instagram photos.  You and lots of hard work are what keep us going!  Anyone that's started their own business knows that it is hard work and work that can't be done without the help and support of others.  And we are so thankful for all of you that have been with us on this journey.  We talked about it a little bit here, but we honestly can't express our gratitude enough.  We've learned so much and grown so much since we first started, and we have all of you to thank!  

Every single one of our clients this year was amazing.  Every. Single. One of them.  You all made our job feel so rewarding.  We loved being invited into your homes and helping you make it a place you love.  We can't wait to continue our work in some spaces and begin to help more of you do the same in yours.  Getting to do what we love is such a gift and getting to use our talents to benefit others makes it so worthwhile!

In honor of our one year anniversary, we had a little photo shoot to celebrate (with cake of course!)  We ended up having to blow out the candles several times during our photo shoot, and I like to think that means we'll have a lot of wishes coming true in the next year.

Here's to another year on our journey!  Another year of chasing dreams and meeting new friends.  Another year of beautiful spaces.  Another year of living the dream and fighting for it every day.  We love y'all!

And to show our love and say "thank you!", we have a giveaway coming up soon (it was part of our shoot yesterday as well!).  Stay tuned because I promise you won't want to miss it!

Recycled barns and ships, oh my!

To follow-up on Dana’s post on Faux Bois, today we are going to discuss a unique application using reclaimed wood. Reclaimed wood wall tiles to be exact. Intrigued?

Everett & Schilling, a company out of Colorado, makes handmade, re-purposed wood tiles from barn-wood. They like to say that their tiles are made in America, twice :) . The tiles are attached to a patent-pending backer for easy installation and then coated with a low VOC, water-based ceramic finish. The end product is quite stunning.

Here is a kitchen back-splash belonging to Erin of Suburban Bitches (got to love their name).

Gorgeous, right? She used E&S's herringbone tile in whitewash.

Erin also used E&S's tile on a wall in her livingroom. This tile is called Timberline Barn Planks.  She has such great taste.

Here are few more install images:

Images Via E&S Tiles

Another recycled wood tile on the market is called ship-wood. It is made from old, salvaged Vietnamese ships. The end product is a beautiful tile with high variation in color.  A company called Natural Mosiac Tiles sells ship-wood tiles and states that they can be used both indoors and outdoors. Here are a few of my favorites:

Images Via Natural Mosaic TIles

Barn-wood tiles and ship-wood tiles, two different looks but equally stunning.

I would love the opportunity to use reclaimed wood tiles in an upcoming project. They add such a great textural element and warmth. Not to mention, they are environmentally friendly.

Well, I hope you discovered something new. Until next time, lovelies.

P.S. Need help designing a space that you will love? No matter how big or small we can help. Contact us here so we can talk.

let's put some fake wood on it

Faux bois. 

(That's french for fake wood--for those of you who took Spanish and not French and are seeing "fox boys" like I did, it's pronounced "fo bwah". That's your daily French lesson. You're welcome.)

I have a feeling this trend will be something we uncover 30-40 years down the road in an outdated house and go "oh my gosh, I can't believe people liked this!"

But guess what, y'all? We do. We are eating up some fake wood in the design world. Trendy or not. Sometimes it just looks good. 

And something about the arrival of fall(or non-arrival, if you're down here on the Gulf Coast with us) has me really into wood things. Real or fake. I don't care. 

When done right, I think the point of faux bois is not to make someone wonder whether it's wood or not. It's intended to be an impression of wood. Some faux bois products are more literal while others get creative with it.

Here's some faux bois done right (click on images for source):

Tom Scheerer uses a ton of faux bois wallpaper in his stunning interiors. Please spend a while browsing his website. You won't be sorry.

This one is a How-To from Martha Stewart!

Very bold floors, but it works well in this eclectic beach cottage.

Great addition to a well-styled bookshelf

LOVE this unique children's room

How do these examples make you feel about faux bois? Some choices are bold while others are subtle worked into the backdrop of the overall design. Think you could live with it in your home? 

Here's some small doses of faux bois I found that would be very easy to personalize and incorporate into a space. Check them out!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 

Pretty good stuff, huh? 

You can also get creative by painting your own faux bois pattern on something around the house. Maybe the top of a painted dresser, a chalkboard menu, your last name initial for a DIY wreath, the wall behind your television. 

Be creative! 

6 Place Card Ideas for Fall

I don't know about you, but there's just something about fall and all of its gloriousness that makes me want to gather up with friends.  The cooler temps, the football games, the groups of families at the local pumpkin patch-- this season just brings people together.  It's a time of gathering and a time to enjoy a slower pace before the hustle of the holidays--and that makes it the perfect time to throw a dinner party.  

We love dinner parties here at 3A Design Studio and have some big news coming up in regards to throwing a great one, but until then, I wanted to share with you a tip on how to make your dinner party stand out from the rest.  Making your gathering personal is easy to do in one simple step--thoughtful place cards. 

You can eliminate the "Where should I sit?" awkwardness and greet your guests with a personal place card with these simple fall ideas.

Pine cones are simple and free if you live anywhere near a pine tree.  Use craft paper to create a name ribbon for your guests. Source

Opt for dark card stock over light and write out guests' names in a gold gel pen.  Embellish with simple dot patterns and rounded corner for an added touch. Source

Leaves are another freebie you can use to create.  This magnolia leaf with white writing is perfect for a golden fall table.

Make your place card double as a favor for your guests to take home.  Since it's fall, s'mores seem like the obvious choice.  Source

Pick up a bag of feathers from the craft store and dip the top of them in paint--simple and beautiful.  Source

Fruits and veggies make great place card stands.  Grab seasonal favorites at the farmer's market or local grocery.  Pumpkins (I prefer white) are a great choice as well, but I love the green these pears bring to a table.  Source

Easy enough right?  So get your craft on and gather your friends for a dinner in!

Stay tuned for our big announcement coming soon!

Trend Alert- Tropical Leaf Print

Known more commonly as the Beverly Hills Hotel wallpaper, the iconic Martinique Banana Leaf wallpaper was created originally in 1942 by decorator Don Loper for the Beverly Hills Hotel.

The Greenbrier Hotel in West Virginia made famous a similar wallpaper known as Brazilliance, which was created by the legendary American decorator Dorothy Draper.

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Draper's print can be distinguished by clusters of grapes.

Recently, the print has taken off like wild fire and can be seen in countless interiors as well as in fashion.

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Interested in purchasing some banana leaf wallpaper? Both original designs can be purchased here .

Not quite ready to go bananas and cover an entire wall in your home? Get a piece of the trend with these items.

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

navy bedroom progress

The post you've all been waiting for is here!! 

I kid. 

But seriously, this room has been the recipient of the majority of my design efforts since we moved in. I thought you deserved a peek into how far it's come!

Things I've done:

• Painted Walls
• Upholstered my own headboard
• Added curtains and DIY gold dipped wood curtain rods
• Added pussywillow branches above headboard

Things still to be done:

• Add large upholstery tacks to top of headboard to give a semi-tufted look (something like this, but more on that later)
• Find a rug for the foot of the bed or in front of the dresser (yesterday I found and fell in love with this one but it's not currently in the budget)
• Refinish dresser and replace hardware
• Hang artwork
• Find something for in front of the bed--preferably a bench of some sort

(You can find my original moodboard for the room here)

I finally feel like I'm on the downhill with this room. It's to a point where I'm satisfied with how it looks overall and I don't have that constant itch to get things done. The dresser will be my next big project to tackle. And I've never refinished wood before, so that should be interesting.

The room feels inviting, cozy--like the retreat that a master bedroom should, instead of the vast emptiness that it gave off when we first moved in. It's really the pride of my house so far. I still love my guest room the most, but I've put the most work into the master, hence my satisfaction.

Take a look at this side-by-side.

What a difference some paint and a headboard makes, huh? It's nice when your hard work pays off!

Until next time!