Peek-a-Boo!

Of all the projects I am lucky enough to work on, I have to say that children's rooms are often my favorites -- they tend to allow for the boldest color choices, most whimsical patterns, and certainly the most direct clients. People seem to be more willing to take risks in kids' rooms, perhaps because they feel more temporal, knowing that the kids will at some point paper it with posters of the future Robert Pattinson, or paint it all black right before they stop speaking to everyone in the family and padlock their door.

I recently completed a nursery project that was special for a number of reasons, which I am pleased to say you'll be able to read all about in the next issue (April 2013) of Seattle magazine!

Here's a sneak peek:

Royal Albert

As those of you determined enough to follow along despite my infrequent-of-late posts may know, I grew up in the South -- Nashville, Tennessee, to be exact -- where gorgeous, old, traditional homes abound; I was even lucky enough to grow up in one myself.

A few days ago I learned one of Nashville's most beautiful homes recently went up for sale, and I was finally able to peek inside. Built in 1931, the home is rumored to have been decorated by the legendary Albert Hadley of venerable interiors firm Parish-Hadley. (Full disclosure: said rumor comes from a family member, but I am unable to verify this in Hadley's work history.)

Despite my lack of written proof, the home smacks of Hadley's genius and could be straight out of a recent issue of Veranda or Architectural Digest.

I love the various furniture groupings -- the perfect way to make a large space more intimate.

The window treatments here, in what appears to be the Library, are stunning, as they are throughout the home.

Love the table stacked with books.

Probably my favorite room -- guessing this may be the lady of the house's office...? The black lacquered walls, the lucite table and the pops of green throughout = pure chic.

The apple-green walls are so fresh and vibrant, set off by the white furnishings and woodwork. Love the trim on the closet doors!

The pool house. The pool house! I could die a happy woman in this image.

What I can only assume is the pool house interior. Isn't it perfect? The coral and white are so cheerful, and I would arm wrestle someone for that coffee table.

Stripes!

Not sure what is happening on these walls, but I like it. And the curtains? Perfect.

Lucite luggage racks? Yes, please.

Can you imagine this as your driveway? I can.

In researching the home, I was thrilled to learn that Albert Hadley was also born in Nashville, which certainly strengthens my suspicion of his involvement in the project. Hadley has also designed interiors for other Nashville luminaries, former Vice President Al Gore and his (former?) wife, Tipper.

I find that the older I get, the more I am drawn to these traditional interiors that cry out to be filled with family and friends over drawn-out bridge games, swimming parties, and political discussions that go into the night. Scotch on the rocks, anyone?

All the Small Things

Sometimes in life, and in interiors, it's the little things that bring you the most satisfaction.

Take, for instance, my entryway. As I have previously discussed here, I have grand plans to paint giant charcoal and white chevrons on the walls with a little help from my friends at The Stencil Library, but the stencils still sit in their packages, right next to the cans of paint. Since it will apparently be years before I have two uninterrupted days in which to complete this project, I thought I'd tackle the rest of the room in the interim.

Last week I moved one final piece into place--the fantastic hand-blown tequila decanter (called a tupi, I think) from a wonderful local glass art shop called Vetri--and I think I'm ready to call it good...at least, on one wall.

What do you think?

This painting, called "Walla Walla Onion Field," is one of my favorite things I own; I purchased it a few years at our neighborhood art walk and paid a whopping $20 for it. The frame, however, cost me about 10 times that, but it completely makes the piece, and I still spent less than $300 for the entire artwork.

What I like most about this vignette is that it contains little pieces of me--my history. The stack of books by Faulkner remind me of my Southern roots, the yellow urns and white ceramic orb from my shop remind me of the experience of starting a business and working every day toward its success, and the glass tupi is a gift from an old long-term boyfriend, which conjures nice memories of a previous chapter in my life. And to top it all off, the wooden and iron desk on which it all sits sat in my childhood home throughout my life!

Of course, I couldn't have pulled it all together without my invaluable (and ubiquitous) production assistant, who you can catch a glimpse of below in the mirror:

Another "small thing" I am currently enjoying is a great artwork score from the local Goodwill, a petite oil painting of sailboats in happy shades of blue. Again, I broke the bank on this one, spending $5.99. It wasn't until I brought it home and put it against our glass mosaic-tile backsplash in the kitchen that I really fell in love.

The colors really pop against the tile, and it leads me to a dreamy place of oceans and sailboat races. Not bad for $5.99!

From the Mouths of Babes

Decorating advice from an 8-month old:

Be bold.

Don't be afraid to mix patterns and colors.

Shop vintage, then make it your own.

Buy what you love, then enjoy it! (Life's too short for too-precious things.)

Be confident, and you'll pull it off.

A little drool never hurt anybody.

At least, that's what I think she said.

By Design

Wanted to share pics of this fabulous chair I recently helped a client customize...we added a new coat of lacquer and a fantastic textural fabric from one of my favorite fabric houses, F. Schumacher, to transform a sweet vintage French side chair into a sassy, fresh focal point of her guest bedroom.

I was so pleased with how it turned out that I briefly contemplated keeping it for myself and telling her the upholsterer lost it...but in the end, she got her chair.

If you want to breathe new life into your furnishings, let us know; we would love to help!

Celerie Stalker

Firstly, how good is that headline? (I hate to toot my own horn, but it had to be said.)

Normally I tend to single out more substantive items like chairs or vintage patio sets or the like to create an entire blog post around, but after spending some time hunkered down with a new book we just welcomed to the shop, I couldn't resist.

The book in question? Fab decorator Celerie Kemble's new book, To Your Taste. Many of you may be familiar with Celerie's work from her numerous projects featured in top mags like Domino, House Beautiful, Home & Garden, etc., or with her line of furniture for LaneVenture (which we sell, incidentally), or with her new line of fabrics for F. Schumacher (which we also sell, incidentally!)

I, too, had long admired her work, but seeing it all together in a compilation, along with her surprisingly helpful design tips and insight into her design process, has transformed me into a huge fan. There are so many fabulous rooms in this book, and (in a rare happening for design books) the text is alone worth the purchase price. There is much to enrich those of you (including me!) preparing to tackle a design project, or perhaps in the midst of one.

Come by and pick one up, or at the very least, sit a spell on our fancy MetroSofa settee and take it all in. We think you'll be stalking Celerie soon, too.

The Domino Book of Decorating...

...is currently in my hot little hands, and the rumors are true: it is indeed *fabulous*! Now I may be able to recycle the hundreds of tear sheets I've been hoarding since the magazine's inception, because--and I am not exaggerating here--almost all of them seem to be represented in this book.

Not only is the book itself wonderful, but you get a free one-year subscription with the purchase of the book...

AND it has a chinoiserie-esque cover!

What more could one ever want from a book? I can think of a few other things, but I don't know any books that could do them.

Come in and ask for a super-secret copy. The official publication date isn't until October, but I'm willing to make an exception, just for you.