Inspired by Ballard Designs

 

Good Morning.  Did you get the new Ballard Designs catalog recently?  I was so impressed with all of the goodness inside.  My favorite pieces?

 



Dodie Drum Shade



 

 

And of course, what animal-print-loving-girl wouldn't want the Dodie Cosmetic bag?

 



Dodie Cosmetic Bag



 

 

I was on the hunt for a new sofa earlier this year and never found anything that was just right... maybe until now.  I'm loving everything about the Spencer Sofa.

 



Spencer Sofa

 

 

And, last but definitely not least, the Voltaire Sconce.  A steal at only $99.  Run and you get a pair because this goodness will definitely not last long!

 



 

Voltaire Sconce

 

 

I was so inspired by their items that I decided to create a room using some of my favorite Ballard Designs items. 

Inspired by Ballard room details here

 

What did you think of the new catalog?  Did you find anything you couldn't live without?

 

Have a great day!

Fighting The Good Fight

Good Morning!  I hope that you had a fantastic Labor Day weekend!  I have been working with a friend-turned-client to help re-create his bedroom. 

The path that we took to get to this point is a bit funny.  I was telling him about my biggest pet peeve in interior design.  Can you guess what it is?  If you guessed brown everything...bonus points for you.  Now, I'm not saying brown is a bad thing.  It is fine...In doses...And when paired with other colors. 



Brown Living Room via (see what I mean?)


I mentioned that many times when I go into prospective client's homes I notice that almost everything is brown...floors, furniture, walls, cabinetry, etc., and that when I point it out (diplomatically, of course), people really begin to see their space with a different perspective.  Well, guess what?  He immediately looked around his home and noticed brown, gave me a call and asked if we could start with his bedroom. Um...yes!!!

Growing up and living in South Alabama, my client loves to hunt and fish, but has a definite preppy side.  Keeping this in mind, I created these two rooms as a starting off point.

Option #1 details available here



Option #2 details available here

He immediately fell in love with Eric Cohler's "Antlers" fabric designed for F. Schumacher and selected the second design.  I'll be sure to post some before, in-progress and after shots soon.

Which would you have chosen?  Do all brown rooms bug you too?  If not, what is your decorating pet peeve?

I hope you have a great week.  Here's to fighting the good fight and eradicating the world of ugly brown, one room at a time.

 

 

Ashley Woodson Bailey

Are you familiar with the artist Ashley Woodson Bailey?  She is a self-taught photographer whose work captivates me.  I am absolutely obsessed with her Dark Collection, created to capture the transition of a blossom to dying stem. 

Abundance

Dream

Dutch Love

 

Each of these photographs is so heartbreakingly beautiful and moody.  I need Abundance in my life. Yes, it has transcended from want to a definite need.  Her work is so powerful, that it makes me equally breathless and tearful.

 

I could gladly build an entire room around an Ashley Woodson Bailey piece.  Couldn't you?

 



Chairish-Inspired Living Room Design

Hello!  Do you know Chairish?  I certainly hope so because, if not, you are missing out!  Chairish has fast become one of my favorite go-to sites for amazing vintage furniture and home décor.  Not only are all the items curated by those with impeccable taste, but the pricing is great too!  I was thrilled when I was contacted by Chairish and asked to design a colorful room using one of their accent chairs as the starting point. 

I had quite a few amazing pieces to choose from, including

Mod Yellow Tufted Chair

Pink Zebra Louis Chair

 

Red Arne Jacobsen Style Chair



In the end, I selected a pair of green high back tufted chairs by Broyhill as inspiration.  As soon as I saw them, I knew immediately where I wanted to take the room.

Green High Back Broyhill Chairs

Chairish asked that I design a space that incorporates color.  Um, hello!?!  They were certainly speaking my language.  I love the apple green of these chairs and immediately envisioned them partnered with a favorite colorful floral Hot House Flowers by Celerie Kemble for F. Schumacher.

Pillow available here

Next, I simply used the colors from the Hot House fabric to layer in additional color and pattern.  How do you like the end result? 

Chairish-Inspired Room

 

Thank you again for inviting me to design a room.  What are your favorite pieces at Chairish?

Monday Pretties

Good Morning.  Mondays suck.  So why not do a little daydreaming? 

 

Tory burch boots
toryburch.com

Tory burch purse
toryburch.com

Studded bracelet
cartier.us

Hermès bangle bracelet
usa.hermes.com

Tiffany Co sterling silver jewelry
tiffany.com

Tiffany & Co. cat eye glasses
tiffany.com


The center of it all is the iconic Cecil Beaton photograph of Charles James gowns, taken in 1948.  Then my besties Tiffany and Tory joined the party.  Followed, of course, by Hermes and Cartier.  What girl wouldn't love one of each?  Did I  mention I have a birthday coming up?  ...if only.  *sigh*

Back to my regularly scheduled Monday.  Make it a great day! 

Gold Lotus Hanging Pendant

I interrupt this summer blogging hiatus (sorry about that) to bring you this amazing goodness from World Market.

World Market Gold Lotus Hanging Pendant

I'll take a pair for my closet, please.  Thank you and carry on.

KT xoxo

Colorful Breakfast Room

 

I've been working with one of my favorite clients on her breakfast nook.  She originally contacted me a few years ago to help with her foyer.  After we completed that project, and became great friends in the process, she sent me pictures of the rest of her home.  I noticed something that she hadn't...brown.  Everywhere.  I mentioned it to her and she began to notice it as well.  And it began to drive her crazy.  So, we began the fun process of adding color to her home. 

 

Here is the room currently.  We plan to change the curtains and pillows, paint the bar, add a rug and art.  My jumping off point for this room was the curtain fabric, Premier Print's Jo Jo.

 

via fabric.com

When I saw that fabric I knew that it would be perfect with Gray Malin's new series Aqua Glam.  *By the way, I am OBSESSED with this work.  It is perfection.*   Choosing just one photograph was so difficult.  In the end, we selected Poolside Elegance.

 

via Gray Malin

I think the design turned out great, don't you? 
 

 

If you would like help with your home, please feel free to send me an email.  Have a great day!

 

 

One Room Challenge - Week Six

 

Well...I. Did. It.  I feel like I am a freaking Rock Star.  Why?  Because I participated in Linda from Calling It Home's One Room Challenge Linking Event.  What is that, you ask?  It is where each crazy motivated person is given six weeks to completely makeover a room in his/her house.  Sounds simple, right?  Let me tell you, it kicks your ass.  If you would like to see my progress, click to see Week One, Week Two, Week Three, Week Four and Week Five.

 

I know you want to scroll to the pretty after shots (you probably already have), but let me tell you what all I accomplished during these six weeks.

• Demo'd and removed a closet
• Removed builder grade shelving
• Removed and replaced craptastic brown tile where the closet used to be
• Replaced sheetrock where the closet had been
• Sanded, feathered and worked the shit out of said sheetrock...for what felt like years
• Added board & batten moulding in the laundry room
• Added crown moulding in the laundry room
• Continued the wainscoting from the dining room/office into the hallway that leads to the laundry room
• Scraped and repainted garage entry door
• Caulked all the new moulding and filled all the nail holes
• Painted the new moulding in the hallway & laundry room
• Built a table for folding using hairpin legs and butcher block
• Created a shelf and clothes rack
• Styled & photographed the space
• Had the hallway and laundry room wallpapered
• Replaced the light in the hallway with one I found in my front room  and then made pretty

That is quite the list, isn't it?  Do you know what I am most proud of?  The fact that I did every.single.thing. by myself.  Yes, just me.  With the exception of two things...my parents added a few layers of sheetrock mud and I had a professional hang the wallpaper.   Oh and my kids are having a fit reading this post because they "helped".  Lauren helped paint (a little) and they all helped fill some nail holes. 

Now that you have read what all has gone into the room, let's take one last look at the before.

That's some ugly shit, right?  Not anymore, my friends, not anymore.

Thank you so much for following along during these six weeks.  Your constant support was the only thing that kept this tired girl going.  No, really.  And I'd also like to thank my children who have lived on takeout and tv.  Actually, I don't think they minded that too much.

 

Please be sure to check out the other One Room Challenge Linking Participants and the One Room Challenge Participants.