Summer in Review (and other random musings)

I can't believe that summer is coming to an end.  We received school registration information last week for the junior high.  Needless to say, it has been a very different summer for me.  With my Mom's surgery and lots of challenges with her recovery, it has not been the summer I envisioned it would be last Spring.  But, we have had many moments of sheer summer bliss, along with lots of blessings from her experience.  I'm totally grateful for these as they've helped me to see that God is good, even in the mist of our suffering.    

So, before I get back into all things interior design, I wanted to share a few highlights of our summer.  I hope yours has been just as interesting and full of fun.

Ok, first up, I've been obsessed with this artist's ability to paint water.  These paintings evoke memories of my childhood and jumping into a pool or lake.  Just love them!  Since I'm not a painter, I marvel at this kind of talent.

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Look at this one and the reflection of light on the waves the swimmer has created.

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Totally digging these botanical blocks of resin.  They are the perfect accessory to place on a stack of books on a chest or coffee table.  

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I always love to see an oddity included on a coffee table and this is a great example.  Any of these would be perfect for the Fall.

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I've been rocking out in the car to this song all summer - Get Lucky.  You know how certain songs make you think of certain times of the year.  Well this one will forever remind me of summer! It's totally a throwback disco song and I'm so hoping it will start a trend for more disco songs!  My son found this youtube video where they have dubbed this current song onto the dance moves of some kids on Soul Train.  Just look, it totally fits!  Thinking that's why I love this song - I watched a lot of Soul Train and American Bandstand when I was a kid.  The bow ties are cracking me up on this!

While at the lake with some sweet friends this summer, we toured the only Frank Lloyd Wright House in the state of Alabama - the Rosenbaum House.  A real treat for me to see it.  Remember, I toured his studio on a trip to Chicago last Fall so it was interesting to see a slighting different design in this Usonian (named for the United States of America) style home.  Btw, the man who gave us the tour was so knowledgeable, and you could tell he loved his job! 

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We had dinner at the 360 Grille which is a rotating restaurant atop a beautiful hotel overlooking the Tennessee river.  My kids had never seen anything like this and were completely mesmerized trying to figure out the mechanics of the whole thing!  I just enjoyed the food, wine and view!  It was really special. 

This photo of 360 Grille is courtesy of TripAdvisor

We've had many discussions this summer about the Green Flash.  To date this elusive phenomenon has totally escaped us, but I am determined to see it in my lifetime!

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On this same trip we were treated to an outdoor production of The Miracle Worker at Helen Keller's birthplace.  

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The production began just at sunset, and it was a wonderfully cool evening in early summer - perfect for sitting outside.  During the first half of the show, we looked up and saw hundreds of June bugs attracted to the spot lights.  A real summer experience (sort of like smelling cut grass).  But by the second half of the show, they had completely disappeared.  This is not the actual actress who played Helen, but I have to say the child did an amazing job.  

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I just discovered Lewis and Wood fabrics - particularly "Cobweb" . . .

There's something classic yet midcentury modern about this fabric.  I think it could really blend those two styles together in a great way.  Always love a fabric you just don't see everyday. 

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We were turned on to this comedian named Brian Regan.  What I love about his routine is that it's completely clean and hilarious - a very rare combination for stand up comedy.  My kids can quote almost every one of his routines.  The walk around our house quoting him and laughing.  My favorite is this one on "I walked on the Moon." (it's at the very end of this standup routine and it makes me laugh out loud!)

Our July 4th beach trip was a total wash (literally - there was major flooding on 30A).  So, we celebrated the 4th here in Birmingham.  We found a wonderful vantage point to see the fireworks and the rain stopped just in time for the show.  It turned out to be a lovely evening. 

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Then we were off to the mountains with my husband's entire family to Montreat, N.C. for a week with all the cousins.  We do this trip most summers, and my kids love it!  

We ventured out to sliding rock, lookout falls and a new jump off place.  The water feels like you've jumped into an ice chest!

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Then, I took the girls to the Biltmore House for a self guided tour.  We then enjoyed a "ladies lunch" in Black Mountain where we discussed our favorite rooms and then things in each room that we loved!  There was a close tie between the Breakfast room and Mrs. Vanderbilt's bedroom as our favorites.  

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I think I've eaten my weight in this completely delicious avocado egg salad this summer.  It's good on a bed of mixed greens or as a sandwich.  Very Yummy.

recipe here

My summer read has been this (very dense) book a friend loaned me called At Home - it's a history of everything in your home that you use everyday and probably have no idea why it's called what it's called.  Very interesting.

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My kids also spent some quality time with my brother and sister-in-law.  It's always a party with them -  fishing, lounging, movies, swimming, water slides, you name it!   

They even have an underwater camera - love this shot of my daughter!

So, now it's time to get back to my favorite subject - interior design!  During my summer break, I've seen lots of inspiring things, along with some really great installations of some of my projects.  I'll be sharing it all with you here at the Muse in the next few months.  I'm going to slowly build back up on my number of weekly posts.  It's great to be back! M.

An E-design Project

Many of you know I offer e-designs for clients who live outside the Birmingham area.  These are a great way to get a plan in place for decorating your spaces.  With access to the Internet, this type of design has become a very cost effective way to get a high end look for your home.  Recently, I completed an e-design for a client who lives in Hunstville, AL.  The home is in a much sought after neighborhood in Huntsville.  Here is a picture of the exterior of this incredible house.  

While the exterior of this house is very Victorian, the homeowners are a young, hip couple who are actually drawn to a more modern aesthetic.  So, I was asked to come up with a new design for their family room that would satisfy their modern taste while still blending the Victorian style and antique pieces in the rest of their home.  A tall order!  But, I was completely up for it.  I do confess, I spent several sleepless nights working on this project.  The layout of the space was very difficult.  These older homes have lots of little niches and details which add tons of character to the overall look of the home, but make furniture placement for practical living incredibly challenging.

Here are a few before pictures of the family room.  .  .
While the space was very pretty and open, it was not was not really working for their family.  The doorway you see to the right of the fireplace is coming in from the garage.  So, their rug was getting lots of wear from this traffic pattern.  

Due to the placement of the TV(in the picture below), you had people crossing between the sofa and the TV which can be distracting.  Also, if you wanted to sit in these chairs, you had to swivel them around to see the TV.  

This built in area was serving as their breakfast table and at first glance seemed to be working for the space.  However, the banquette was completely throwing off the main seating area and was making it impossible to line things up on the fireplace which was the focal point in the room.

Also, if you were in the kitchen, you could not see the TV which is not any fun when you are hosting a football game party!

Here's a close up of the bookshelves  - the clients were at a loss of what to use the deeper cabinet to the left for in the space.  They already have a fantastic bar area in the space.

So, after several sleepless nights (and I do mean several), I came up with two options for the space. 

And Option 2

My clients decided to go with Option 1, but with one small revision (based on option 2).  They made the decision to go ahead and remove the pass through to the bar. This allowed for more wall space in the new design for artwork, and for the addition of upper cabinets in the new butler's pantry (rather than "bar") area.  Also, notice in both designs, we removed the banquette.  Now, I realize this move may seem counter intuitive to some of you; but, the banquette (which was put in by a previous homeowner) was really limiting our ability to create a large seating area centered on the fireplace.  Sometimes, you have to really evaluate what is working in the space and what is not to create the very best layout possible. 

OK, so now for the fun part!  With most e-designs, I never get to see the space in person.  It's one of the biggest negatives for me in doing e-designs.   However, since Huntsville is not that far away, I had the rare opportunity to see the space in person!  My client asked me to come up and style the new space. Additionally, they asked for a complete redesign of the other rooms on the main floor of the home.  This is a great way to make the other rooms in your home (that are not getting any new furnishings) feel fresh and new.  You will have to wait to see the redesigned rooms (that's a whole post in and of itself)!  But for now, here are the images of the family room. 

  They are still working on some of the furnishings for the new space; however, they have made huge strides on the implementation.  So, far, they have removed the banquette area, closed up the pass through to the bar, reworked the bookshelves, and purchased lots of new items for the space.  We did complete the styling of the bookshelves and table tops, but some items are on order.  So, the space is not completely finished.  Here are a few shots I took while we were there.  The new dining table is still to be installed, but the leather bongo stools (and the new fabulous chandelier) are in! 

The swivel chairs in their new home (coupled with a table we moved in from the living room and a lamp from the foyer).

The amazing piece of artwork was hanging at the top landing of the stairwell, and it was just too fabulous not to be seen.  So, we pulled it into the space.  There are still a pair of small scale chairs that have yet to be delivered.  They will go on the left side of the sofa.  Also, notice we have included a new glass top coffee table to give the illusion of more floor space.  Any trick you can to make a small space feel larger!

Now, for the bookshelves, we had the uppers finished out to match the other bookshelves (removed the doors too) and moved the AV equipment to the lower cabinets.  This created a more cohesive look.  We also painted the backs of the bookshelves for some contrast.  Now, they simply wrap around and allow for the inclusion of more books and accessories.  Since this space is not huge, we really needed one more spot to display accessories.

This is a shot looking into the kitchen - please excuse all the accessories on the kitchen island.  That's what it looks like when we are styling a space.  That is cute Laura Cope who helped me with the styling on this project!  We had the best time in Huntsville!  Sorry to digress!  There will be linen drapery panels on the windows to the left to soften this area.  Also, I wanted to show you this Chesterfield sofa and new pillows.  What I love about this sofa is that it can read modern or traditional depending on the space you include it in.  This is the perfect combination for a traditional house with homeowners who like a modern vibe.  

That's it for now! As for the rest of the rooms we did a redesign in, you'll just have to wait!  Have to save something to look forward to, right?! M.

Project in Progress -

At the beginning of the summer, I shared a renovation project I'm working on for a very cute couple in Vestavia Hills, Alabama.  Here are the previous posts to get you up to speed - Part I and  Part II.  So, fast forward a few weeks, and there has been lots of progress.  The walls between the old dining room, family room, kitchen and porch have come down to reveal one fabulous open concept living space.  Here's the design board of the before with the original walls in blue.

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Just look how great this space is beginning to look!  In the below picture I am standing in the "old" screened porch area (now part of the family room) looking into the kitchen.

Here is the before view of the back of the house.

And here's our progress . . .  the original screened porch is now part of the family room and the new screened porch has been added across the back of the house. 

Now for a few of the details (this is my favorite part).  Here's a view of the fireplace wall with a set of french doors which go out onto the new screened porch.  These doors will be stained a dark tone to balance the fireplace which, if you recall, we were unable to move in the new design.  I love how it turned out.

Since the homeowners had to move out for this renovation, we took the opportunity to refinish the hardwood floors throughout the house.  They were originally a honey tone, but now they are much darker.  I always love the darker toned floors; but I do think you can go so dark that the floors show every single speck of dirt.  So, you do have to be careful.  Love how these turned out (the walls in the hallway will also be receiving a fresh coat of paint).  Sorry this image is so blurry!

Hard to see in this image, but we chose a herringbone pattern for the backsplash.  It's one of my all time favorites! We also decided to paint the island a contrasting color from the other cabinetry.  It looks almost black in this picture but it is Ben Moore Iron Mountain which is a dark grey that actually has some blue in it.

The new farmhouse sink.

Another view and you can also see the ogee edge of the Quartz countertops.  The Quartz is one of the most durable materials for countertops on the market.  You get the look AND feel of marble without any of the negatives.  Just love it.

Can you tell I love the countertops!

  

 Another detail that has made a huge impact on this renovation - We enlarged the doorways off the foyer (one leads into the new family room and the other into the dining room.  For the dining room, we added a pair of french doors.  Hardware is still to come (it is fabulous and I can't wait to show you). 

We also added a new front door.  The old door had side lights and was much more ornate.  So, we filled in the side lights with trim work to be painted the house color.  Then added this simple, six paned door which will be stained the same as the back french doors.  Again, these small additions are going to make the entire house feel fresh and new - not just the addition. 

That's it for now!  Hope you summer is going well.  Ours has been a whirlwind!  M.

Exciting News and a Winner!

OK, first, we have a winner of the Shabby Apple dress giveaway!  It's comment number 4 from  Malfaldo.  I hope you enjoy the dress, and please send us pictures of how you decided to style it for early Fall.

Now, for the exciting news!!!  Back in the Spring, I had one of my projects photographed for a possible feature article in The Cottage Journal!  As many of you know, a photo shoot does not always mean your project will end up in the magazine.  So, while it's very exciting to be a part of a shoot, there's always a bit of cautious anticipation (aka breath holding).  Well, I just got news my project made it into their Fall issue, and I'm beyond thrilled about it!  If you are not yet familiar with The Cottage Journal, you are in for a real treat!  This magazine is a bi-monthly publication which allows the staff to devote more time and energy to each issue.  Let me just say - it definitely shows.  The images are true eye candy.  I just finished pouring over the Fall issue, and honestly, it will have you craving a cup of hot chocolate, even in August!

The Cottage Journal is just one of eight amazing magazines under the Hoffman Media publishing umbrella which was founded by Editor-in-Chief Phyllis Hoffman DePiano.  While they are based in Birmingham, each issues includes features from all over.  The Fall issue alone features stunning homes from New Orleans to Carmel, plus some fun tips on antiquing in Brimfield, Massachusetts just to name a few.  So, I can't tell you how honored I am to have one of my projects featured in the issue!

While I can't show you the images included in the issue (you'll have to get the magazine to see these), here are a few photos I took during the shoot.  These ladies were a ton of fun to be with for the day.  Here's the very talented Marcy Simpson getting just the perfect angle of the family room looking into the kitchen.  Believe me when I tell you there is a huge difference in pictures taken by a professional!  Truly amazing what this girl can do with a camera in her hands.

The kitchen and breakfast room are the main focus of the article, so I'm showing you some images from the adjoining family room.  You'll have to pick up the issue to see the images they captured for the article!  Here's a picture of Marcy checking her shot, and Editor Linda Wright giving her wonderful feedback to the take. 

Here's a shot of a reading nook tucked into one of the corners of the family room. 

And close up of the linen accent pillow in the leather winged back chair.

My client, Rosa Hooper, has the most stunning back yard.  So, I had to snap this picture of these beautiful windows that look out on her garden. 

Here's a close up of a french styled bench which we reupholstered in a striped fabric to give the entire piece a more casual, rustic feel.  We also created a pattern with the stripe for one more point of interest.  

I'll share more of the details on this project once the fall issue of The Cottage Journal is on newsstands.  In the meantime, if you want to subscribe to this amazing publication, click here for the details.  Enjoy your day! M.