Marble Moment

Whether good or bad, a movie can keep me interested based purely on the quality of its set design. While watching The Only Living Boy in New York recently, I found myself generally enjoying the views I was getting of various New York city locations. But when the above scene came up of the protagonist returning to his family home, I almost swooned. Since I'm tall, I've always been a fan of kitchens that opt out of over-hanging cabinets, preferring to have an unencumbered prep area. Seeing the bare space above the counter tops used as a canvas for the beauty of slab marble was a first for me. Now my eye is trained to notice gray and white marble slab and I'm loving the dramatic effect. Though it's most often found in kitchens, bathrooms and commercial spaces, I'd love to employ it on a wall in a woman's dressing room/closet. It would allow for the hard/soft textures and masculine/feminine contrast that creates balance in residential spaces. 

         

       

Images: 1) Roadside Attractions. 2) The New York Times. 3) Jeremiah Brent Design. 4) Yabu Pushelberg. 5) The Zhush.                                        

Feeling Pink

The color pink hasn't played a prominent role in my wardrobe or decor since my late teens when I deliberately abandoned it in favor of more grown-up hues. But the rose gold trend drew me back in to such a degree that I even covered one wall of my living room with a soft blush wallpaper (below). Ever committed to keeping a feminine/masculine balance, I planted a vintage Texan leather rocker in front of it to keep the pink from feeling too sweet. The wallpaper, it turns out, now represents the point of no return. For better or worse, I have embraced the pink.

 Images: 1) Anthropologie. 2) She Moves the Furniture. 3) Sazerac Stitches. 4) The Decorista. 5 & 6) Pinterest. 7) Instagram. 8) Remain Simple.

Mineralism

Maybe it's because 1970s boho style represents a vital strand of my design tastes, but I've recently found my eye drawn to design elements that incorporate or find inspiration from agate, geodes and other minerals. I received an agate cheese plate for Christmas (which I love despite the fact that I'm vegan) and I've since been paying more attention to other pieces I might add to what I hope will become a small collection. Agate is essentially quartz and it occurs in bands of various colors. I'm drawn to plum and eggplant shades but there are plenty of neutral options for those who prefer a muted palette. Our senses are engaged by contrasts so an element of agate is the perfect addition to an otherwise soft, feminine space. When used as a wall slab or art, it centers a space and needs no embellishment.

 

Images: 1) Emporium Home. 2) Anthropologie. 3) 1st Dibs. 4) Dasha Design. 5) Wisteria.              

Dressing Rooms

The last time I wrote a post about dressing rooms was 5 years ago and it makes me laugh to see that I had a good sense of what New York living would entail. At the time, I wasn't even considering a move to Manhattan. But when I closed my vintage furniture store in 2013, I began considering all options and New York quickly became the best one. I've lived in a couple of apartments now and clothing storage has proven challenging. So the dream of a big closet that can hold not only my clothes but an armchair and vanity table continues to be elusive. While these versions are practical and elegant, mine would be a little less formal. I would need boho and industrial touches to feel at home -- maybe a mudcloth armchair and a copper pipe wall-mounted fixture. But chances are that when I finally realize my dream of a big dressing room, my design scheme will have been revised several times over.                       

Images: 1) Tidbits & Twine. 2) Apartment Therapy. 3) Architectural Digest. 4) Hooked on Houses. 5) Traditional Home.                        

Looking Back: RevivalSmith

Once in a while I find myself scrolling through photos of the vintage furniture shop I had in Philadelphia and I get a bit nostalgic about it all -- the pieces, the people I met and the creative freedom it allowed me. Though it was a struggle to stay in business, I gained too much from the experience to ever regret it. And ultimately taking a step towards my passion for creating inspiring spaces led me to a job I love, working as a visual merchandiser for ABC Carpet & Home. I have no desire to reverse the clock and be back in the shop, but I do get a lump in my throat looking at old photos and being reminded of the day-to-day moments that made up my time at RevivalSmith. These are just a few of the pieces that I got to live with for a time (some of them just cleaned up and others refinished). I'll admit I had a hard time letting the seltzer bottle lamps go -- definitely the ones that got away.

Images: RevivalSmith.

Old + New

My appreciation for vintage decor is long established: I discovered after college that flea market finds satisfied both my limited budget and my desire for originality, and later took my passion to the next level when I owned a vintage furniture and home goods store in Philadelphia (RevivalSmith). Having worked as a visual merchandiser for ABC Carpet & Home for almost 2 years, I've now come to see the beauty in sleek modernity. The most interesting spaces to me are those that combine disparate styles that shouldn't be compatible in a way that enhances the qualities of each. In the bedroom above by PROjECT Interiors, the weathered doors behind the bed keep the modern furnishings from feeling cold and serious. I've always had a penchant for the underdog so when an expensive space is inclusive of distressed salvage, it feels like a win. When I renovated a rowhome in Philadelphia a few years ago (featured in this post), an old barn door was the first addition to my living room. In my home there will always be room for the decorating equivalent of the velveteen rabbit.     

     

Images: 1) Home Adore. 2) Apartment Therapy. 3) Nicety. 4) Blog 'n' Blogs. 5) We Heart. 6) Architectural Digest. 7) Indecora.                                   

Picnic Season

Images: 1) Gloss! 2) Party Picnic. 3) 100 Layer Cake. 4) Sunset. 5) Houzz. 6) Heart Handmade UK. 7) Bicyclette Boutique.                          

Pastels: Not Just for Easter Eggs

Though pastels are often associated with children's rooms and Easter eggs, muted peach tones and robin's egg blue can actually be very sophisticated. The bedroom above, designed by Dyer Grimes Architects of London, proves that these shades can be used to create a restful, grown-up space. A hint of pink or yellow in a gray or black and white room, keeps it from feeling too serious. I don't naturally gravitate towards these colors, but spaces like these make me think I need to at least consider them an option the next time I have a painting project. Check out this previous post for a more youthful take on pastels.

Images: 1) Remodelista. 2) Jelanie Blog. 3) Camille Styles. 4) Habitually Chic. 5) Mon Cahier d'Images. 6)  Bohemian Wornest-France.  7) Refreshed Designs.