In our grown-up pursuit of “timelessness” (which gets more intense as we get older), it sure is fun to see a time capsule of our youth. The year was clearly 2013, and two “internet famous” bloggers collabbed on what now feels like OG vintage influencer content. When I stumbled on Bri Emery’s apartment from 2013, I gasped and then wanted to gossip about it with you. So much to talk about. It still pops so hard and is full of pieces that I love, while also just screaming “2010’s blogger time capsule”. It’s a real lesson in where to bring in trends as well as demonstrating the power of vintage and color. This was my last “blogger collab,” where I designed/styled famous blogger’s homes (who would be called influencers now) to cross promote, garner press, more followers, etc (I decorated Cup of Jo’s apartment, Oh Joy’s (multiple times), Nicolette Mason and then Bri Emery, aka DesignLoveFest, Green Wedding Shoes nursery, and many more). Bri redesigned our website (which has since been redesigned and is DESPERATE for a new redesign – coming soon, I hope), and I designed/styled her living and dining room. If you want to read the original post, check it out -it’s a funny read. That’s Bri, aka DesignLoveFest, and if you haven’t seen her new kitchen in upstate New York, you MUST. She, like most OG design/style bloggers, made a lot of life shifts, and after taking a long creative/personal sabbatical from social media, she is posting again and collaborating with other old friends (which is so fun to watch on stories). She has always been wildly creative and such a visionary, so I’ll follow her forever. I dream of doing a “Bloggers: Where Are They Now” series because most of the OG crew that really took off in the 2010s, have changed careers and are thriving in such different and interesting ways (I think like 10 of us are still here, spoiler – social media caused burn out really fast). That’s a whole other story, but today let’s look at Bri’s 2013 apartment transformation: I swear we didn’t try to take low-light befores back then… But here’s the super bright after! LOL My first gut reaction: this room is undeniably still so fun. If I walked into this apartment now, I would think this person has so much style and creativity, an eclectic, even eccentric, point of view, and we are about to have fun. And then, of course, I’d want to edit it a bit, tweak it for 2025. So let’s talk through the main trends that were big then: 2013 Trend #1: Bright White With Pops Of Bright Colors I was so guilty of this, doing it over and over in that decade (and still am!). The formula: all white walls, big pops of color, drenched in natural light. And the thing is, this still really works in Southern California. Of course, now we’d do a warmer neutral, and employ darker, more subtle greens and lots of muted pinks. Heck, my brother and SIL wanted a version of that in their bedroom (see here). I think for the most part it works, it’s just some of the colors here that make it feel a bit 2013. I would definitely get rid of that scalloped pillow on the sofa and reduce the amount of hot pink (the vintage ottoman could be more of a neutral). 2013 Trend #2: Fig Trees And Whimsical Plants Galore (In Whimsical Pots!) Again, I still like fig trees, but my goodness, they were EVERYWHERE in the 2010s (mostly because of me, I think – remember DesignStar?), so I really don’t think we needed two here. And while having plants galore is more popular than ever, I don’t think doing it like this is working. I think it’s just a bit messy, the pots are a bit eclectic, and it feels generally over the top. If I could do it again, I’d do one big fig tree and a smaller green plant on the coffee table. Also, not sure we need a decorative piñata… 2013 Trend #3 Palm Springs Style Mid-Century Vintage Everything In Bright Colors Again, I don’t mind this trend!! Mid-century is never out, and I don’t think that there is too much of it here. It’s just combined with the big saturated colors and the Moroccan rug and brass that make all the pieces feel 2013. But yes, in the 2010s, before any of us had a budget to buy investment pieces from adult stores, we bought anything from the Rose Bowl flea market, which was full of midcentury vintage from Palm Springs. None of these are dated; it’s just within the context of so much stuff and bright colors that it screams 2013. What’s Not Working?? What Would I Get Rid Of? That’s pretty easy – the black chair with the more Navajo-inspired woven pattern feels like we were trying hard to dip into that next trend (I’m not sure what to call it, I apologize if I’m not accurate here). At the time were really seeing the rise of African mudcloth and Aztec-style prints, and now we know better and to never buy them in a mass-produced fashion. Purchasing from the actual people whose culture these textiles belong to should always be a priority, like with my Boro fabrics. I do like the idea of the pattern, but it belongs somewhere with less bright, saturated colors or trendy pieces. I’d also nix the gold drum table (very 2013), and I’d reduce the amount of stuff by 1/3rd AT LEAST. And I really, really don’t like that colorful pillow on the sofa. I think this was during my “miniatures” phase that I’ve never really grown out of, TBH, but I don’t force it on my friends as much now. Those flowers are WAY too big and busy in here, IMHO. I still love those vintage lamps and would use them in the right project now. The art was from the flea market, and the Blu Dot table is so simple that it’s hard to call it in or out, but the collective vignette just feels very 2013 due to the color palette. Now I’d change the drum shades to be more tapered or pleated (or a color). Nothing really dated here except all my EHD vintage whimsy, which I still love, but it’s a younger version of me. That lamp is still pretty darn cute. The midcentury shelving unit is rad still, just needs to be styled with less stuff and with more grounding colors (i.e. less teal and yellow). So many plants shoved in this shot!!! I really think the culprit here is mostly just the accessories and the styling, both of which were obviously 100% on me. And in a lot of ways, that is refreshing because those are the things that are less of an investment and easier to change. I still really like this!!! It’s just a bit too much, too many small trends that inevitably read as 2013, and too much “stuff”. But those are almost all in the smaller pieces and would be so easy to tweak to make them work. It’s visually so fun and stimulating,g so while it seems like I’m tearing my own work apart, it’s actually really easy to see that with a few tweaks it could feel 2025 really easily. We kept with the same styles and colors in the dining room – that vintage dining set is still so rad, and Mid-century teak is having a big comeback right now, so do NOT sell your stuff, people. Besides me holding the plant hostage in that cage, I think most of this works, but maybe just too much altogether. The Brendan Ravennhill light fixture had just launched, and Max Wanger’s photography was so popular (they both pioneered a LOT of copycats). While I wouldn’t go back to 2013 Emily, I think this room actually has a lot of timelessness. The Lessons In Trends And Timelessness: You will not be able to avoid leaning into some trendy design elements if you are super into design (no one is immune to the zeitgeist), but if you want to avoid looking dated, buy the high quality version of it or just do it in accessories that aren’t as much of an investment to change out. I think the squiggle or amorphous shapes are great current examples – bring them in in limited amounts to avoid looking dated real fast. Bright colors will always be more likely to be “dated”, but that doesn’t mean we should avoid what we love right now. Will they call 2022 the year of dark moody green everything? Yep! But I don’t know how you avoid any color trends without just being so boring. Will warm pinks, browns, and burgundies also be less exciting in 10 years? Probably, but again, there is no such thing as timeless colors, and for the most part, there is a way to make them still work with styling. A well-designed room with high-quality materials done in a balanced way will likely still be very pretty in 20 years. Sure, there are some navy blue tones that feel fresher than others, but for the most part, blues, greens, and neutrals are timeless (coming from someone who has and will always love blues and greens, so I’m very biased). Although if you live in Texas or Arizona it’s likely warmer tones that feel timeless there. It’s so nuanced, folks. Good luck! LOL. Too much stuff can really overwhelm a room (and in this case, make it feel dated). I think this can be blamed on youth, especially when we are younger and we can’t afford the more expensive design elements, but we love to shop, we are drawn to smaller things that we love, because it’s what we can buy. Nothing wrong with this, but just know that displaying it all, on every surface, especially when they are all super eclectic, can just look a bit cuckoo. I had to learn this lesson over and over and over. Authentic Vintage will always be in style – it’s just context, styling, and color combinations that can make the pieces look dated to the specific era that it “came back” in. For the most part, I think that this room could be tweaked so fast to make it feel “in” right now – the main “dated” culprits are in the accessorizing, which feels pretty harmless to me. Thoughts????
Read More
This is a real pleasure to introduce you to an eclectic cool dining room I helped design for one of my best friends. If you haven’t seen their living room, dining nook, or basement go check those out afterward, but what you’ll see is a continuation of this “traditional with a big edge” style, employing some classic elements along with a few contemporary twists. I LOVE how it turned out so much. When they bought the house everything was neutral and pretty tame, so they amped it up pretty quickly with this green paint color (Bancha from Farrow & Ball chosen with Max Humphrey) then I came in and furnished it all (spending other people’s money on Saturday mornings is really my favorite hobby and satisfies my shopping addiction without the personal damage!). As you can see the dining room can be viewed from the living room so the colors really had to work together (and dare I say, they do). The green really pulls you in and then the colors once you are inside speak to the living room so clearly. I feel like it’s impossible to not feel happy looking at this photo. The rug was game-changing – the colors and pattern are perfect in here and really livened up the room. I had been eyeing it for a long time so I was so happy when I finally got to use it somewhere. The dining table is a really pretty walnut oval, with awesome curves (and I love how the curves talk to the light fixture). I opted for two captain’s chairs in a soft green velvet, then punched up the side chairs with these from Soho Home (the multi-color upholstery is so pretty, especially on the more classically shaped chair). FYI, they normally don’t leave a beautiful book open on their dining table when not being used:) This room is used as a home office at times (especially with all the shelving) so we added this cabinet (more oval shapes offsetting all the grid of the window and the stripe of the rug). And that punch of red in there with the lamp keeps it feeling moody and unexpected. The colors really did all work so beautifully together – the greens, blues and warmer red tones create such a cozy and yet totally modern palette. It was also such a refreshing room to design – so different than my light/bright Scandi vibe. That green paint color has a lot of yellow which I typically don’t choose (not sure why) but I really LOVE it in here (but be careful in a really bright room it might be really bold/jarring). For the shelves, I mostly just styled with what they already owned. I edited it and curated it a bit, only bringing a few things from my prop closet that I was wiling to part with. I do love a before and after and this one really shows how layered and warm this room became: So again, if you haven’t seen their living room, dining nook, or basement go check those out. I just love how this house turned out so much and hanging out in here in person is even better. Cheers to friends who give me free rein to do cool stuff (and who have fantastic taste in making the project so seamless).
Read More
Apparently pink rooms are having a moment over here (my guest room, my brother’s guest room) and while technically this room was painted before I took over decorating I will happily take credit for how pretty it is. Nicole and Curtis, two of our best friends, chose Dead Salmon by Farrow & Ball for this super classic and beautiful dining nook. This room is so beautiful and was frankly pretty easy to furnish and decorate because they had a great start with that color, light fixture, and the black shelving. This was the room before. The windows are just as beautiful but those brown walls and ceiling really weren’t their style. It just wasn’t living to its full potential but I feel pretty confident in saying that now it is… See?! Ok, let’s get into some of the main pieces. The shape of the window lent itself to a large round pedestal table, but I didn’t want it to be white which was harder to find than predicted. I found this table randomly on Frontgate, and it’s 60″ with a pretty dark marble top and a lovely traditional base. There are a lot of trendier post-modern pedestal tables out there, and certainly mid-century styles but they didn’t feel right here (plus, we wanted to use these more modern chairs) so I love how the base is so classic and traditional. The chairs are from Soho Home and the color is perfect (it talks to the green in the more formal dining room) and the cut-out in the back is a really lovely detail. Because this room is small and pretty simple, design-wise, we decided to set the table to add some styling elements. I really love that vase (with green interiors) and used Crate & Barrel plates with Anthro bowls and World Market glasses to deck it out. See how the two (well, three) spaces talk to each other? All have their own personalities but are definitely a part of the same family. Nic and Curtis had this black shelf/cart already along this wall which totally works but we recently talked about adding more pantry space to the nearby kitchen (which they desperately need) and bringing in two deVOL-style cupboards here. I like this vignette, but I think a prettier piece with closed storage would work better. The photo art is one they’ve had for a long time which reminds them of when their girls were little on skateboards:) I mostly edited and curated what they already had there, making it look better (which is my favorite thing to do), and added that pretty footed bowl, and a live jasmine plant which we all became obsessed with. The chandelier is so perfect in here – it holds the space so well, but it’s reflective and airy (not visually heavy) which keeps the room balanced. I will never tire of this room and the only thing better than looking at the photos is being in here in person. Thanks, Nic and Curtis for making my job so easy. xx And as a reminder, here’s a pretty great before and after:)
Read More
This dining room reveal is one of my favorites ever, and not just because it was for one of my best friends in the world (but that probably helps). It turned out so gosh darn elegant and yet livable. If you missed their living room reveal (which you’ll see a peak of below) head there first for the background and the befores) because today is focused on this jewel box of a room that I’m so proud of (and jealous of, TBH). Remember, the move-in before was colorless, pretty charmless, and cozy-less. So we had a clear directive – but that doesn’t mean it was fast, cheap, or easy (nothing ever is). It took a year, a fantastic partner (yes, perks to being my friend), and a lot of meetings squeezed in to make it happen. But you can see the potential, right? The big window that frames Mount Hood, the pretty original floors, the built-ins – all just needed some color and point of view. The dining chairs were 10 years old (and falling apart), the chandelier was honestly fine (but sold on FBMP now), and the rug felt too boho for this elegant room but the table? Oh, that heirloom table that’s been in her family for generations was so pretty so we knew that we’d keep that. You can see here the connection between the living and dining room here, with a shared color palette of such warm tones, mixed with so many blues and greens. The dining room properly draws you in, while being totally balanced with the living room – not one room feeling heavier than the other. Almost like magic! (but not magic at all, LOL, it’s a hefty combination of effort, intuition, risk-taking, mistake-making, time, money, and experience…so easy!). Introducing The Dining Room… Kaitlin Green blew me away with these photos – the vibe is captured so perfectly! I think my favorite thing here is the rug with the wallpaper – neither “matching” necessarily and both rather busy, but because they are both classic and even historic, it now looks so vintage and original in here. I feared that it would be too much (especially with the other Persian rug in the living room) but now I see that when you are using such classic motifs and are wanting an old-world vibe, this is the way to go (and let’s be clear the tones and colors work really well together – a lot of complementary tones, not just random). See the full video tour here (just wait for the ad to play…thank you!) The Pretty Brass Chandelier We almost kept their chandelier because it was “fine” but boy am I glad we didn’t. This one is so incredibly beautiful and the slate blue shades make it feel so updated, while the finish and the shape are classic. You can customize the drop, the finish, and the color of the shades (we almost did the burgundy but Robyn got scared and I complied). We kept it high enough to see the view from the living room, but low enough to still feel connected to the table. It’s perfect. And I apologize to those of you who hate it when we photoshop out recessed lights – While I didn’t ask Kaitlin to I am so grateful she did as they can be distracting if they are wrong, stylistically. One thing we could have done is replace them with brass spotlights but they were done spending money and making decisions, and since they didn’t mind the recessed lights we left them and just photoshopped them out for cleaner shots). New Dining Chairs + Antique Table FTW The wallpaper is a classic William Morris pattern (that Rejuvenation sells!) and it was Robyn and Ryan’s first choice so YAY!!!! I loved it too so it was a real win. The chairs are a nice modern pairing to the more detailed/decorative table legs and the black finish added a nice depth and edge to the room. The wishbone shape is not only super ergonomic but the roundedness always adds a nice contrast to a rectangle table. We knew that we couldn’t do a bold piece of art in here, and no gallery wall (too busy + there is one in the living room) so we hung this gorgeous huge mirror which obviously reflects a lot of light and adds so much elegance. The brass frame works so well with the hardware and the chandelier (obviously) and that rounded cut-out detail in the corner keeps it from looking too simple and modern (by giving it a vintage vibe). I know I’ve been harping on the dark blue paint color, but it sure is so perfect, especially with the unlacquered brass handles popping off. I styled the credenza with winter branches, a big bowl of mixed pears, family photos in frames (From World Market), and a vintage set of the perfect-toned glassware and carafe (from Stars Market in Portland – although I saw very similar ones from World market the next day that were much more affordable lol). We put a nice classic candlestick lamp in the corner to balance out the branches, draw your eye, and provide a nice ambient glow. We brought over my beautiful inventory of tablescape pieces (that are from Anthropologie for the most part) to style it all out and boy did it look so pretty. Again, all the tones just work so well together. I think this tour isn’t complete without some before and afters: What a difference a year makes. They are sooooo happy and grateful (me, too). Here’s one more of Robs and I for those of you who like to see best friends being unabashedly affectionate :)
Read More
Shame on the market for having so many cream or white boucle seats for dining chairs – I mean, what fantasy land do you think we live in? Should we put a white rug underneath it??? Use white cloth napkins? Wear white on spaghetti Tuesdays? Where am I supposed to I wipe the marinara after eating penne arrabbiata with my fingers? A “napkin” you might suggest and sure, whatever, we have “napkins”, but if you have kids or have friends with kids or neighbors with kids or grandkids, dogs who eat at the table (true story) or just general marinara fingers then a light fabric will not do – napkin or not. Sure, we could cut marinara from our diets. Shun teriyaki and soy sauce from our sushi. Only drink clear sodas or “water”. However, light or white fabrics are generally a bad idea when you have children nearby. Oh, and please don’t suggest a flat mid-tone gray fabric. What is this – 2007??? I’d LIKE A NICE COLORED FABRIC DINING CHAIR PLEASE!!! And NOT one that’s a million dollars. So today I’m going to show you all the ones I found – high, low, and in between. I wish I could say there were more but I’m hoping after this there will be (for the love of God a good modern pattern PLEASE). Of course, my history with colored upholstered dining chairs is long. Let’s start with these vintage beauties from 2011: These are still some of my all-time favorites. The chairs were vintage from MidcenturyLA, I think $300 a piece including the new blue upholstery that I chose. Not nothing, but they were perfect. If I could go back in time I would not have sold these with the house. They are awesome and brands try to knock them off, but can’t quite do them as well. RIP. Then when we moved to Los Feliz we had these chairs with Crypton fabric. The color was nice and sure Crypton cleans up WAY better than non-performance linen but they were still too light in color and had too many arms to withstand my marinara-filled double toddlers at the time. Sure the marinara comes off but not without a parent cleaning it off (stains aren’t physically repelled even when you have performance fabric). In short, the toddlers won, I lost and my best friend got the chairs. But only after I found my dream chairs at the flea market (shout out Cherner), redid them in leather and while I LOVE THEM SO MUCH, Brian couldn’t handle how fragile they were on a daily basis. They creaked so badly and I’m super sensitive to that stuff. And it wasn’t easy for the kids to get in and out of them. I still have them and plan on putting them somewhere someday (see? I learned my lesson about selling my favorite things) but they couldn’t be our daily dining chairs. Brian’s dad joined the complaint choir about them, the kids acted like they didn’t know how to get in and out of them and I had to come to terms with the fact that perhaps these aren’t good family sit-for-hours chairs. FINE. At the mountain house, we had that huge built-in dining nook and then bought three chairs that worked well with them. When I say huge, people come from all over the country to see the world’s biggest dining nook. SHE FAMOUS! It’s comically big (but I love it). They are all good/fine but the chairs are pretty heavy and the kids (until previously) would act like getting into one is like wrestling a shark – like they scrambled and wrestled and the noises of the grunts and the wood legs on the floor – it was always a thing, ALWAYS. Once sitting, they were locked in, imprisoned temporarily, which was nice for us parents, ha. The leather and wood repelled all marinara easily, but the arms and the heft meant work for me to get them in and out every single time (god, this sounds like my kids have no motor skills, but trust me, even when they are older pulling out a chair on a wood or tile floor is so loud and annoying! And then having them scoot themselves in by jumping the legs forward, just no. You want them to be able to pop in and out without assistance! Where we have currently landed in our dining room is truly excellent. The tone of the green is so pretty (enough blue in it to not look primary or collegiate), and they are extremely comfortable. They are pretty from the back (because that is how you see them the most!) and are easy to pull in and out or slide into. I sit in one for 6 hours a day on my writing days. 10/10 But for my brother’s river house (with two young kids) I didn’t want to use the same ones (and yes, they would work PERFECTLY with the green island, but c’mon, I can get more creative than that). So here is where we are with the room: It’s pretty but very neutral, with the only color coming from the trees outside. Now, the kitchen and living room will both have color (all TBD to be honest) so I can’t just design in a bubble. I did lean towards black chairs for the longest time (and at the time of publishing this post nothing has been decided) but what I really want is a colorful, patterned chair that isn’t busy but is just more interesting. There is truly nothing on the market, readymade that is under $1k a chair. But I did find a decent amount of green, blue, and pink dining chairs (basically non-neutrals) for those of us who have dreams of upholstered colorful dining chairs (i.e. not painted wood or metal). Wait, Why Do You Just Use Wood Or Metal? This is less of a comfort thing because there are a lot of comfortable wood or metal chairs. This room wants and needs texture, softness, and color. I could get metal/wood and buy cushions but I’d rather find an upholstered mid-toned colorful chair. OK, here is what I found after hours, days, weeks, and months of shopping online and in person:) There’s a range of budgets but honestly, dining chairs just don’t come cheap. Blue-Toned Upholstered Dining Chairs Green-Toned Upholstered Dining Chairs Pink-Toned Upholstered Dining Chairs
Read More
I’m helping two of my best friends decorate their new homes and I feel like the luckiest person in the world to use my time/talents/connections to relieve their stress and help them love their homes more. I guess thirty years of extremely close friendship warrants some perks:) And because we are all busy moms with demanding jobs, this is a guaranteed way to be able to see them frequently. So today I’ll show you R’s dining room highlighting the only piece of furniture that I think we are keeping (all the rest were starter pieces that she is ready to part with after a decade – please note the sun damage stripe on the back of that sofa – isn’t that nuts!!!!??!). Her dining table is a family heirloom and we really love it but the chairs she had were really lightweight and felt cheap/old (while admittedly they didn’t look bad). I ended up pitching this whole project to Rejuvenation and the plan for it looks so perfect for them I can’t even tell you. Here you’ll see some that we played with. To be honest many of these are above our budget and some just aren’t going to be right for the rest of the design, but I figured I’d show you all the ones I pinned and talk through why. Monte Ivory Performance Fabric Dining Chair Ugh, I love this chair. It felt a bit delicate to them and the shape at the top might be too trendy but the undertones of the wood worked well with the table. But hot tip – performance fabric doesn’t mean that they can’t get dirty, just means that when they do they are easier to clean (so to be clear – you still have to really keep white furniture clean). This was a no-go for their family (two boys and a dog). Zoey Caned Armless Dining Chair This is a solid choice – I love the simplicity of the lines of the legs against the turned table legs. And the mix of materials is really nice. Molina Dining Chair This chair is def on the hyper-traditional side (feels very 1940s) but those lines are so pretty and classic. Dalton Leather and Cane Dining Chair Again, above our budget this time (when you times it by 6 it’s like GEESH), but I think that leather and the caning is so lovely. I think that it might actually be too busy and a simpler chair would let the lines of the table stand out. Easton Dining Chair I’ve GOT to use this chair somewhere – incredible. Out of our budget here but my goodness it’s awesome. Ambrogio Dining Chair I mean, the joinery on this one… so simple and pretty. We might actually use this in a different project stay tuned. Biscoe Wood Dining Chair We shopped for more budget options and Studio McGee/Target is killing it. I want to see one of these in person to better understand the scale (again, three big boys in this family). Lana Curved Back Dining Chair Another great and affordable Target option. The lines are simple but elegant. Comes in black too which I might prefer. Enzo Solid Oak Wood Dining Chair My SIL just bought these for their house that is super high-end, and these (very affordable) look so good in there. They look far more expensive than they are and are super comfy and classic. Pottery Barn also has a version that is much more expensive but looks very similar. Sandia Leather Dining Chair I LOVE these chairs. They seem like a modern version of a cozy pub or library chair. Ida Dining Chair Now these might be too simple for you, but remember that the rest of the room isn’t designed yet and we are likely putting a wallpaper, and adding darker paint. So the room will have a lot more going on and thus the dining chairs (at least the side chairs) could be simpler. Byers Arm Chair This is a solid contender because not only is it beautiful but we sat on them and they were a really good size, super ergonomic, and substantial. Plus the curve is pretty and will stick out a little bit – enough to see it, but not so much that it obstructs walking. More to come on this project. I’ve been soooo busy (lots of trips) and very busy in life, so hopefully you’ll see more of this very very very very soon.
Read More
Back in 2020, I dove deep into inspirational non-fiction/self-help books geared toward creative people. One of my favorites was “Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert and I’ve held on to the notion she shared in it that ideas are living things that jump from person to person until they get realized. I’m sure we all get ideas constantly, but I know when I get one that leaves me with no option but to move forward with it. It feels different. Like a pulsing glow inside my chest, a nervous energy that feels as if it’s buzzing out of my skin. It’s the only thing I can think about, determined to figure out how to bring it to fruition. I had one of these ideas two weeks before Christmas this past December. A little thought that made its way out of my mouth in a conversation with my husband, Charles, which instantly breathed life into it. “What if I redo my parents’ living and dining rooms for them when we go back to Florida for the holidays?” There it was. Alive. I was simply going to have to figure it out…from California…with essentially a week before everyone who might be willing to work with me on this would disappear for the rest of the year. Cool. Easy, right? You see, my parents were in deep need of at the very least a new sofa. Their two beloved cats had done what cats do best: gone to town on their upholstery. Besides that, their sofa and loveseat were about five years old but looked like they were at least twice that in age. I’d always joke that I felt like I was crawling into a crater because each cushion was so severely indented. I had also heard my mom mention in passing that my dad wanted and needed a recliner, as he had been suffering from some health issues that required him to elevate his legs regularly. (They were fresh off an 8-day hospital stay for said health issues and both feeling very down, exhausted, and burdened.) My siblings and I had toyed with the idea of pooling some money to just get them a new couch both because they needed it but also to lift their spirits and make them feel comfortable and excited about being home. But, as you already know, I had a better option: work with all the brands that have been so generous to us here at EHD to see if they might be willing to help us go further with a whole new living room setup, a new dining table (which they also needed), and some other decor to freshen things up on the first floor of the townhome they live in. I ran the idea that same weekend by Jess, and by Monday, I got to work emailing everyone I knew was wonderful to work with but most importantly had great furniture that could get to Florida immediately. Our friends at Article came through for me BIG (HUGE!) TIME, and I rushed to get a mood board together to send them final picks within a day or two. The only problem was that I didn’t know any of the dimensions of my parents’ spaces, and I would have to be very creative to make sure everything fit properly without them finding out as the plan was to keep this whole thing secret until Christmas morning. I ended up asking my dad for a video walk-through with the excuse that I was getting “some pictures printed and framed for Mom as a gift,” and I needed to see all the walls to find the right spot and size. Another lie: I needed to know the dimensions of their tile so that I could guestimate how big the frame should be. Maybe he suspected that the request was a strange one, but he played along—18”x18”. From there, I could roughly measure out the spaces and their existing furniture, and make some educated guesses as to what might work. There were a lot of nerves involved on my part, asking my brother and sister if they thought my parents would be offended I was going to come in and revamp everything without their approval. They both assured me my mom would love anything I did and my dad would be so grateful no matter what (both true statements). Almost nothing in their home was anything either of them cared for. Mostly hand-me-downs from me when I lived back east, thrift store finds that were never quite right, every imaginable sign that read FAMILY! FRIENDS! YOU’RE IN A HOME IN CASE YOU MIGHT BE CONFUSED, or homemade wall art my mom crafted with her Cricut. While there wasn’t necessarily anything wrong with any of that, the space didn’t get very good light and everything felt a bit dark, cluttered, and heavy with the hodgepodge of things; not descriptors you’d want for two people who could use a fresh start. The furniture order arrival was going to cut it VERY close, and I had a lot of limitations due to this short delivery window, but we were able to nail down a design, all the appropriate pieces—World Market, Juniper Print Shop and RugsUSA were also on board to help fill out the rooms—and we just had to wait until the big day to tell my parents. The plan was to print out all my designs (see below), put them in a box to wrap, and present them with it on Christmas morning. Then, we’d wait a week until delivery (January 3rd), I’d install and style it all, shoot it and leave on the first flight out January 6. I was SO excited, nervous, and highly anticipating their reactions. Spoiler alert: They were in such awe and disbelief, and, of course, my mom’s nearly instant ugly cry when she realized what was going to happen was amazing (I’m posting a Reel on Instagram of the whole thing today so check out my profile for it). Seeing their pure joy and appreciation was the absolute joy of not just our entire family’s Christmas, but personally of my whole year. Being able to do this for my amazing parents who truly needed it was an unbelievable gift I was lucky enough to be able to do. After a week of scrambling, running around to World Market (THANK YOU AGAIN!!), Target, IKEA, Home Depot, and beyond to get the finishing touches, picking a ton of photos to print and frame—my parents’ favorite art will always be family photos—and a marathon two-day install plus photoshoot with Charles, it was finished. Meer hours before we boarded a plane and headed back to California. But the final result is one that my mom and dad are over the moon about. I want to talk you through it all, so let’s start in the main space: the living room. Creating A Cozy Lounge Area My parents have never owned a sectional. They were always traditional sofa and loveseat people, but my siblings and I knew they’d end up loving something that was one solid piece so more of us could sit together when we came over. Emily has been singing the praises of the Burrard Sectional from Article for years, and it was just the right size for them. I opted for the forest green color because, if you couldn’t tell from the before photos above, my parents are not afraid of color. Green is my mom’s favorite, in fact, so I knew this would be something she might have picked for herself. It’s 112″ which ended up being an ideal size for this area and by my count, my mom could be joined on it by all her grandkids with room to spare. Remember that need for a recliner? Well, THANK GOODNESS Article sells an option that actually looks good. A rarity, people. A rarity. The leather version I wanted wouldn’t make it in time but the fabric Ellow Recliner worked out great. My dad was so, so excited about it and it was just what he needed. This sits where the loveseat used to be, so I added in the Matrix Yarrow Gold Chair to fill out the area and also give more options for seating when more people came over. We all instantly fell in love with the chair. It’s cushy, gorgeous, and just the right size for a small corner. When the furniture arrived and was set up by the Article team, Charles asked me why I chose a left-facing chaise for the sofa. It was a fair question, as I went back and forth about it. The right-facing chaise would have probably made more sense in a space that was more closed off, as you never want to walk into a chaise when entering a “room” but my parents have one giant great room downstairs that needed some help to feel cozier. The left-facing chaise closes off the living area to the dining area, essentially creating a room without any walls. Plus, I know if the chaise were on the other side, the recliner and accent chair would have to float in the middle of the room with their backs facing out and I didn’t love that. This was the right solution given the circumstances. I love all these side tables from Article. The wood, glass and leather sling one is SO GOOD, and I want it for myself except that my living room is tight and it wouldn’t fit. The black one between the chairs adds some visual softness. Article’s Agotu Walnut Coffee Table was one of the only ones that could make it on time and it serendipitously worked out because it’s a great size and shape paired up with the sectional and also happens to be SO pretty IRL. It’s massively heavy due to the marble and super sturdy. I noted to my mom that we didn’t have a ton of options in terms of coffee tables but she kept saying, “It’s okay, I would have picked this one!” though I’m guessing she would have said that even if a cardboard box showed up. Moms, am I right? :) Let’s talk about this TV gallery wall situation. So many of my parents’ storage pieces were open, so you could see everything from every angle and it made me itch. I knew they’d love the Oscuro Walnut 73″ Cabinet both because it’s lovely but also the ribbed glass still felt light and open while masking what was inside a bit. Above it, the walls were ITCHING for a statement. The ceilings are pretty high, and again, there is no room delineation here, so I cooked up this gallery wall for a one-two punch of creating a big statement to balance the large sectional, line up the living room, and also satisfy my parents’ preference for photos photos photos. I weaved in some beautiful art prints from Juniper Print Shop, an old Jane Denton x Emily piece I had, and a watercolor of Old San Juan my parents have owned since my youth. That’s another thing. I really wanted to honor some of the things that were already here that did mean something to all of us. Some art, lots of blown glass pieces (like the one by the TV), souvenirs from their travels, and porcelain figurines my mom has collected over time. None of it is necessarily what I would have picked for the sake of styling the room, but this is my parents’ house, not a model home and it was so important to keep “them” in every little space and vignette. I drew the line at all the random birds and word art though. Sorry Mom, but you’ll have to fish your 17 frames with the words “family” and “grandchildren” on them out of the garage, okay? WAIT! Before moving on…there isn’t a good photo of it but it’s worth a mention. My parents’ townhome is a rental, and their landlord is very strict against making changes. No painting, no changing out lights, no taking down vertical blinds, no making holes larger than nail holes for art. But the giant sliding glass door in the back was screaming for curtains. After tons of research, I found these brackets-slash-curtain rod holders that attach to the top rail of vertical blinds. They fit the extra-long rod I ordered from Amazon which does a pretty nice job of covering the front part of the rail so it just looks like traditional drapery hardware. GENIUS!!! Especially because they’re like $20. I had curtains I never got around to using that were the right height so I brought them with me in my suitcase and now they hide the ugly verticle blinds. Make New Friends, But Keep the Old (Furniture) Moving on…I decided not to replace my mom’s existing cherry credenza (or a display cabinet in the dining area) because I knew she loved them and the richness was nice to add some depth to the new things I brought in. Her beloved Aura frame, which shuffles through digital copies of photos, stayed where it was before but I swapped out the lamp for something better scaled to the piece, added some pattern and color with Juniper Print Shop prints, and fished out some glassware from the China cabinet. A plant was also very much needed. Okay, let’s talk about this giant bookcase unit. I don’t know if the story I have of it in my head is accurate, but I doubt it’s too far off. Basically, my mom saw it at a charity shop she used to volunteer at and it sat around forever so she eventually got to take it home for either pennies on the dollar or for free. That, or she got it from her friend who got it from a thrift store. I don’t know. What I do know is that it was painted the absolute worst shade of beige with this bizarre brown brush stroke treatment that took it from blah to very bad. The area was far too large to get rid of this, plus they benefitted from the storage, so I came up with the idea to paint it a bold mustard yellow (Lamplit by Behr specifically) to make it a feature rather than something we all wanted to hide. I did the whole thing one night after the baby went to sleep and filled in streaky parts the next morning. Some restyling of the shelves was in order, and as easy as it would have been to go to a place like Target, and buy a bunch of random “pretty” things to fill it with, that would have been, uh…meaningless. The top shelf houses some books as well as two vintage cameras that were my grandfathers’ (each belonging to a different one). The metal trio are brass pharmacy mortar and pestles my dad—who worked in pharmaceuticals a great part of his career—has had forever, the gold Elton John-like glasses are a tchotchke my mom insisted we keep and display (“Sure mom, whatever you want”), the snowglobes were all given to my mom over the years by us kids, and the rest can tell a similar story. Porcelain angels from decades ago, collectible plates from cruise locations visited, diecast vintage cars from my dad’s Corvette enthusiast phase…etc. etc. etc. It’s uniquely my mom and dad, and even if it’s still a little cluttered by Instagram standards, I love it because it represents so many parts of their life and our family. These units used to be nearly flush with the right wall, leaving too large of an open area to the left of them before the living room area started, so we shifted them over just enough to fit in a little seating area. I grabbed art from the entryway and even the downstairs powder bath to fill it out, and added in this pretty swing-arm sconce from Article in case someone wanted to sit in the chair (from World Market) and read. Funny story about the rug you see in the foreground. Rugs USA was kind enough to supply me with four rugs for the spaces I needed to revamp. I shopped entirely from Emily’s line for them (more on that in a bit), and I made a mistake with the dining area. I ordered a 5×8 Blue Jay which is far too small for a 6-8 seater table. I know this. I know this without even seeing the size of the table. But everything was so rushed that this one got by me. RugsUSA tried to rush me a new larger 8×10 but it sadly didn’t make it in time for the shoot. I used the small 5×8 rug creatively just for the photos to get it in in some capacity. A Dining Room Fit For Family Speaking of the dining room. I could regale you with yet another thrift store find story, but I’ll skip the details just to say that my parents have wanted a 6-seater table for years. However, at the time they moved in here after selling my larger childhood home, they settled on a metal and glass 4-top they got for free (I think) with chairs my mom reupholstered with a friend. It was too small for the space visually but also for their life and needs. I was so happy Article had a large table—the Conan Oval Dining Table—that was available to ship on time so I could give them what they wanted. You’ll notice the table is light wood and the chairs are dark wood, and that’s again due to the limitations of the turnaround time but it actually looks pretty okay in person and brings together all the varied wood tones throughout this floor. The blue chairs tie back to the navy part of the living room rug (the Rowena from Emily’s line which I’ve loved since the first moment I saw it—it’s out of stock right now but there are more on the way!). The stools they had were in bad shape and also just felt too visually commanding, so I opted for the beautiful short-backed leather Sede Toscana Tan Walnut Counter Stool from Article. Honestly, no one really sits here anyway, but the wall felt too blank without them (and these turned out to be so comfortable that maybe they’ll get more use). Breathing Life Into A Dark Entry Moving on to the entryway. It is quite dark but at least it’s a good size. The furniture that lived in there originally was not, though. Kind of dinky, tbh (sorry Mom), and adorned with all the metal scrollwork Kirkland Signature had to offer my parents in years’ past. I knew I wanted a slightly larger console table with a place for them to store their shoes and was so happy when I found this Lincoln Wood and Jute Console Table at World Market. It’s really, really beautiful in person; everyone was fawning over it including my dad who normally pays no mind to these kinds of things. The bottom shelf now serves as a landing spot for shoes, while the top shelf houses a mail holder and some options for where to plop keys and garage door openers (they were on the kitchen breakfast bar previously). One of my sole missions in my redesign of their home was to bring in some bright, happy moments since it all felt heavy before, and this great framed canvas by Amira Rahim from World Market livens up this foyer. I love it and so do my parents. In the little wall nook (a builder’s special here in Orlando), I went with a pretty vintage-inspired brass mirror also from World Market to help spread whatever light it can around the space. Another cute rug from Em’s line, this time the Blue Oregon Plaid Wool Rug in a 4×6 works far better than a small red bamboo doormat they had. (HOT TIP: If you don’t like your floor but can’t change it, just get rugs to cover most of it. When in doubt, hide.) And finally, the hallway leading from the entry into the rest of the home also houses an office nook (to the left in the above photo) where my dad works occasionally. I didn’t get around to shooting it because I didn’t really do much in there but I did add some pretty curtain panels on a tension rod (tucked behind a wall arch) so they could hide it away…and all of my dad’s papers. I moved the original foyer table into the hallway because it fit perfectly, grabbed some random things my dad had in his office nook to style it, and also placed my dad’s laptop, tablet, and mousepad/mouse on the second shelf because he normally just leaves it on the dining table (he has both a work computer and personal laptop for those wondering why he wouldn’t just put it in the office…no space). Wondering About Emily’s RugsUSA Line? Oh, and because I mentioned talking more about the rugs, I just wanted to say quickly how much better these are in person than they look online. Not that they don’t present beautifully, but I was pleasantly surprised by both their quality and designs when they arrived. They do not read “affordable” by any means. These are great quality rugs that would sell for probably twice what they retail for here anywhere else. So if you’ve been on the fence about any of them, hopefully, this helps to convince you to give them a try because I think you’re going to be very happy with them. We were. (No one paid me to say this, just thought it would be helpful to share.) Two Very Happy Parents And that’s it! I think I got it all. These two smiling people are genuinely so happy with their new home, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. My dad ended up in the hospital again recently for just a few days and when he got out, my mom said they were both so happy to arrive home to spaces they loved so much. His medical episodes should hopefully stay in the past now as he’s on the mend and we’re all so relieved. There’s no more helpless feeling than when your parents (or any loved ones) are having health issues, you’re on the other side of the country and your only life line is a phone to check in daily. This has been one of my greatest pleasures, and while I would have loved a little more time to make even more improvements/swaps, all that matters is how happy my parents are with it all. The two of them have given their kids their everything all of our lives. Constant outpourings of love and support, and I am who I am because of it. Mom and Dad, if you’re reading (I know you are), just know how much we all love you and appreciate you both. Your kids, your grandkids, your cats (don’t let them destroy that sofa PLEASE). Enjoy your new home, and hey…maybe next Christmas I can surprise you with an upstairs makeover! We’ll see… :) Your friend in make-it-work-no-matter-what design, Arlyn
Read More
LOOK!! Another fun peek at my apartment before it goes live!! Today I’m showing you one of my favorite corners of my 500 sqft apartment (unstyled, of course, you’ll have to come back for the full reveal for all of the pretty pretty photos…aside from the one above!!). It’s my almost no-effort, renter-friendly DIY dining nook!! I see so many incredible custom, built-in dining nooks on Instagram and in design magazines, but I wanted to create one that’s renter-friendly that we can take with us and repurpose as we go house to house (because we won’t be in this studio apartment forever). This DIY is the complete opposite of my bed wall (which took LOTS of effort and many o’ days) and it maximized my small space SO much I can’t even tell you. I spend the majority of my time sitting at this nook whether it be working from home or hosting a dinner party (we’ve fit up to 7 people at this table before lol). It’s custom, cool, and hopefully, it inspires you to try something similar if you have an empty corner that’s in need of maximizing!! Now I’d like to point out that this dining nook is on the splurgey side because I got to work with some INCREDIBLE brands that I wouldn’t have been able to work with if it wasn’t for this incredible job I’m so lucky to have. Because of this, I’m gonna link some more affordable options as well and some more budget DIY versions if you want to give this a stab in your own space for less cheddar. ALSO, note I have no space to cut wood/use a real saw/etc so this tutorial is a non-messy, fairly hands-off way to get a dining nook look in your apartment without custom-making a bench and whatnot. Plus it has storage. OKAY, ENOUGH SPOILERS LET’S JUST GET DOWN INTO THE NITTY GRITTY!!!! First off, here’s the corner of my studio apartment I’m talking about today: The Inspo One of my fav spots in LA is Gracias Madre and when I first moved here we went for a bite to eat and immediately fell in love with the back cushions (peep them in the back of this photo above). The subtle grey pinstripe with the contrast of the cognac leather SPOKE to me. At the time we had no table to eat meals in our apartment, so we dreamt of bringing a version of this setup home. SPOILER: That’s exactly what we did and here’s how we did it!!! Let’s get into the step-by-step on how I created this nook. It’s so easy you guys WATCH THIS!!! (just wait for the ad to play) So the first thing I did was create a rendering (I love a Photoshop moment) so let me show you the vision: Step One: Order The Base Benches (And Be Sure To Measure, Measure, Measure!!) When shopping for base benches, I wanted to find something that A. Had storage B. Came in 2 different sizes (to be more square and not too long on one side) and C. Was sturdy enough to hold people and D. Looked cute, of course. The laundry list was long and the search took a while but once I found these Line benches from Design Within Reach I knew they were the PERFECT!!!! I ordered one small and one large bench in black and the quality is insane. They have a ton of storage space (which is critical for my 500 sqft apartment that only has one closet) and a soft close (who doesn’t love a soft close). You may be thinking: wait, aren’t benches all different heights?? How did you know what height to get? Why yes Kathy, this is true. These benches are 15.5 inches high which is much lower than a dining chair should ideally be. That’s why I wanted to find cushions that were at least 3-4 inches thick and I knew I wanted them to have a comfy back cushion to match. I got LUCKY in finding the perfect company to create my cushions…which takes us to step two!! Before we get there, here’s a more affordable storage bench option if you’re in need of another rec! It’s paintable which is awesome :) Step Two: Order Cushions After the benches arrived, I posted in our trusty Link Up asking for help on how to DIY custom cushions or where to find someone who could make them. The next day I received an incredible email from the lovely Taylor, who set me up with the company Stitchroom. Y’all this company is IT (just look at their work on their IG!!!) I was immediately blown away and was so lucky that they were able to create the perfect cushions with the leather straps already attached!! They sent me some incredible fabric choices and I ended up going with this Schumacher ticking stripe fabric (the one on the far left in the below photo): And then for the leather straps, we went with the saddle color shown below. If you’re curious here were our options! The next step was to figure out the size of the cushions. We wanted it to be comfortable and high enough where the bar wouldn’t hit you in the middle of your back, so we ended up going pretty high with the back cushions. I don’t regret it AT ALL because when you’re in this nook you really feel enveloped in it and it’s soooo cozy. If you’re curious about specific dimensions, I’ll attach the exact ones I sent to Stitchroom below!! One thing I didn’t take into consideration beforehand was the seat depth – when you put the top cushions on it’s important to remember that you lose 4″ of your seat, so because of this we scooched our benches out from the wall a hair when we installed the cushions (which you don’t even notice) and it makes it a little easier to lean back and really get comfy. I also work from home in this spot and like to sit criss-cross-apple-sauce sometimes so having a deep seat here is really nice. It’s honestly been great having the freestanding benches so we have the flexibility to move everything around (just make sure if you’re a “build the bench into the wall type of person” that you remember that the cushions will make you lose seat depth!) If you’re looking for some affordable cushion options, I love these (they come in like 25 colors and you could totally cut and resew them on one side if you needed to fit them perfectly to size) or these if you wanna go with the stripe moment like I did. Or if you wanna go the custom route, etsy has a bunch of great options like this one! Then if you’re looking to recreate the leather straps try this or DIY them with this! Lastly, if you wanna get crafty, here’s an easy DIY tutorial for you that doesn’t even require sewing! OKAY NEXT! Step Three: Velcro The Bottom Cushions To The Base + Hang The Top Cushions This is the easiest part honestly!! To start, I took some velcro and secured it to the bench and then matched it on the bottom of the cushion. It’s held up fairly well and makes it so the cushions don’t slip! Then for the top, I found this $18 adjustable curtain rod from Target and hung up the top cushions with command strips (for a moment) to make sure the placement was all good to go. Once we were happy with the placement, I ordered these affordable U-shaped brackets to hang the curtain rods with. Now if you want to go custom and have someone cut down a black metal pole perfectly to size so it looks cleaner by all means be my guest!! I chose to go the easy and inexpensive route and I love the way it turned out. Note the pole is much skinnier than the hole for the bracket but literally no one notices and I don’t mind, but if you want to find one that fits perfectly that’s also great!! Just want to give you all the deets :) And then finish it off with a fun gallery wall, a pendant light, a table, and a cool chair and this is what you’re left with!! VOILA!!!! The best part about this is that I could copy and paste this into a lot of different apartments I move into throughout the years OR I could separate the benches and use one or two in an entryway, or at the base of a bed, etc. Then top cushions could be transformed into a headboard in the right space or I’m sure we could find another use for them. The main concept that I tried to stick to throughout this apartment is that everything is flexible and can move and grow with us (which is a concept everyone should take for big investment pieces!!) I’m excited to share more on how this mission was accomplished in this space in the reveal (coming Monday!!) but for now, drop any questions you might have in the comments and I’ll be there to answer them!! Thanks for coming along on this journey, I can’t wait to show you the rest of the space!!!
Read More
Shopping for dining chairs isn’t easy! There are SO many options where even the “most affordable” ones still add up to A LOT of money because you at least need four for most dining tables. But Emily discovered one easy way to narrow your search…The curved-back chair. There’s honestly no downside. They feel great to sit on, you can comfortably converse with the person next to you, AND they look great. Why do they look great, do you ask? Well, if you know us, you know we love to mix and match shapes (ie. you don’t want all squares or all curves in one space). What a curved-back chair does, especially for a rectangular table, is nicely contrast that shape. Your guests will ask you if you hired a designer! Isn’t that what we all really want?? But the truth is you are just smart and learned all this good design advice for free, here:) It’s all about visual interest baby (and comfort)! This green mohair dining chair from Crate & Barrel was an INSTANT love match for Emily and her sunroom. It’s also what really made her “team curved-back” dining chair after getting some real use out of them. Sure, they are clearly beautiful, but more than that, they are so comfortable to sit in. And I can attest to that! I usually sit in that middle one on the right (my unofficial farmhouse sunroom work chair). So while this table is a pill shape and isn’t technically a rectangle, there are SO many other straight, graphic lines in this room. These chairs really soften the overall look. Then when you want to chat with the person next to you, that little curve gives you a really comfortable armrest. 10/10! So in hopes of helping you find a functional AND beautiful dining chair. Here are our favorites online right now: Sienna Boucle Dining Armchair Let’s start out real strong with what looks (and is rated high) to be a beautiful and comfortable dining chair! The color is gorgeous and also comes in three other more neutral options. At $399 it’s not cheap (few good dining chairs are) but it is a stunner and a bestseller so that is saying something, right?! Also, it could easily be a great accent chair:) Malin Whitewash Ash Wood Dining Chair A modern take on the classic wishbone that I truly love. The light ash wood is so pretty with that natural flecked wool-blend fabric (which also looks very forgiving with spills). The curved back may not be upholstered but I’ve sat in wishbone chairs because and love how they feel. Originally, this chair was $349 but Crate & Barrel is having a Dining Room Event (aka a good sale) so right now this puppy is $279 each. Oh, and it’s made from sustainable wood! Dame Dining Chair Back to upholstered backs! If you know me you know I love this one. The scale of the tubular back is slim and chic but still looks substantial enough to be comfortable for maximum eating and conversation time around the dining table! While this cutie is $648 each, it’s a very special and unique chair. If you go to the product page and see it in people’s homes you’ll see what I mean. Inesse Boucle Dining Chair Modern and moody! This is the same fabric in a different color as the first one but this one is clearly more sleek and minimal. I also think the style and color are wildly versatile and can work with a ton of different home styles. This cutie comes in at $379 with a 4.6-star rating! Mathilde Leather Dining Chair What a vintage Shaker-inspired stunner. But I also feel like the design very much took cues from the Scandinavian vintage dining chairs we saw Em considering for the farmhouse. Honestly, it makes total sense since the style/vibe of Emily’s house is Scandinavian Farmhouse:) It’s also a beautiful dining chair that looks comfortable and is easy to clean up with that leather seat. Carlyle Dining Chair More leather and more modern shapes! This pricey ($995) but beautiful chair would elevate anyone’s home. It’s current yet timeless at the same time. I just think it’s the coolest. Orion Luxe Dining Chair I found an affordable AND colorful option at $100 a pop! Target came through with a simple, luxe, and fun dining chair. A gently curved back with a gentler piece tag. It also comes in cream and green however those colors seem to be sold out online but you can check back for them. Lennox Karissa Dining Chair Man, I love this one too! Very similar to Emily’s chairs but the wooden, darker, warmer version. Look at that joinery detail that says “modern” instead of “only farmhouse”. The seat also comes in a cream but I feel like this color is a bit more forgiving. Both are beautiful though. Love the options! Solid Real Wood Leather Cushion Elbow Dining Chair Another vintage-inspired piece that is made from real wood and is still only $269 (I know that is still a lot but it’s a great price for a piece like this). It also comes in a few different colors if you love the shape but want another tone. Rimrow Dining Chair I clearly needed to add in some other materials so rattan it is! This chair truly looks like it’s giving you a hug and how the seat is shaped also looks really comfortable. It comes in this natural color, black as well as white, and is $520 each. It would add not only that beautiful contrasting shape but also help you mix in another texture into your home! Valissa Armchair For this one, it’s a little less rattan and a little more cushion which is nice for you and your guests. It’s neutral but still interesting and again looks really comfortable chair! The price tag of $600 isn’t nothing but if you have the budget and want a beautiful chair, this could be it. Lana Curved Back Dining Chair Another far more affordable option at $130! No assembly is required and this sleek but rounded design is perfect for almost every home. It also comes in a light wood:) Raleigh Dining Arm Chair Yikes, I also love this one. You can lean back with extra cushion and comfort, the frame wood is kiln-dried which they say makes it sturdier, and it’s gorgeous. Not the cheapest but not the most expensive at $449. Reid Wood Upholstered Dining Chair (Set of 2) How good is that wood detail under the arms? It’s super simple but a nice touch. This one also comes in a handful of other colors and for two chairs it costs $750. Frederique Cerused Natural Oak Wood Upholstered Dining Side Chair This one might be cheating because calling this a curved-back dining chair is a stretch but look how COOL it is. The shape of the back is too good and that dark mauve color is just to die for. This chair comes in at $349. That’s it for curved back chairs! More than anything I hope this helps you think about mixing shapes and profiles when designing a room. This is a great start if you are in the market. Love you, mean it.
Read More
This week we are revealing the most incredible house, built by the owners of the design/build company we hired for our farmhouse – ARCIFORM. This is the house that sold me on hiring them. They typically don’t do new builds (they specialize in restorations of more historic properties) but they built this from the ground up, using the trees that had fallen on the property after years of camping on the land. It’s on a bay in Southern Washington state and I had the pleasure of staying there twice (once with my family and once with my team to shoot). Anne, like a lot of interior architects, stopped at the styling so we had it in our deal that I would help them style and shoot it all out – bedding, pillows, vases, flowers, etc, in exchange for a discount on her design time. We shot this last year before I had my team up here in place and I flew up Sara to shoot it and Emily Bowser to help me style (it was a lot of schlepping and labor and fine, maybe I also wanted an excuse to hang out with my friends). So this week you are going to see the full reveal of this incredible house – the moodiest black bathroom I’ve ever seen, the pretty stained glass doors, and architecture that stops you in your tracks. While I had nothing to do with the design of this space, I am going to go through and call out what is so incredible about it, point out my favorite things and just generally show and tell. When you first walk in the architecture is obviously STUNNING – it almost feels like it’s a secret industrial building that has always been here, but nope – it was designed and built by them from the ground up (over 10 years). Domino did an awesome story last week (we pitched the exclusive on their story) so head over there at the end if you want more information on how they built it (fun facts like the trees had to take two years just to dry out before they could use the lumber and Anne’s barn inspiration for the architecture). All the details wowed me – the hinges on the secret doors under the stairs, the railing. And here you can see the same 12″ horizontal bead board idea that we stole for the farmhouse, but Anne used milk paint and I’m still kicking myself for not doing that (so you can see the grain underneath and just feels warmer). The flooring is incredible – a combination of unfinished Spruce and Hemlock…with a dash of Alder – was again chopped down by Richard or had fallen on the property. The wide plank is so pretty and is obviously patinating so well. The island was custom-made by Versatile Wood Prodcuts, their sister company, who does high-end cabinetry and windows (DID YOU SEE THE WINDOWS IN THIS PLACE???). Anne is obviously a huge antiques collector so most of the furniture was sourced by her. I loved her combination of marble on the island and a darker soapstone on the cabinetry by the range. We added that vintage painting of theirs (and you probably recognize a lot of our styling pieces from my prop house). I LOVE this tiny little door. This goes into the pantry and was salvaged and refurbished. It has a back door to the outside that is bigger should you want more space to bring something in, but I think the scale of it is so quirky and cute. Those chandeliers are so incredible – Anne has such a gift for taking risks and just mixing old-world antiques together. Please note all those stained glass windows – so incredible. The table was also made from fallen wood on the property. The sheer volume/scale of the space is big, but because of the wood and the double-paned windows, it still feels really cozy. It gets really windy outside there, but inside you can’t hear it so being there during a storm (with the fireplace on) is so magical. Please note the door within that huge window that was custom-built by Versatile Wood Products (the other company Anne and Richard own) – I wanted to steal this idea so badly and we tried to get it into the house, but didn’t make as much sense for us. Anne laid it out so that the fireplace was in the middle of the great room, versus just serving the living area. When staying there you could see the benefit of this – you can see/feel the fire when in the kitchen, dining (where they play a lot of games), and living areas. Bowser and I foraged for huge branches for this shoot (instead of flowers) and boy does it make the shot (the terracotta pot is an antique from Rejuvenation). Anne used Idris White Zellige by Ann Sacks throughout many of the tiled areas which I truly never get tired of seeing when done appropriately (and super appropriate here). As you can see they used tinted plaster above the paneling which creates so much warmth. Again, how incredible are those doors and windows? Not surprising as this is what Versatile specializes in, but they are just jaw-dropping. Anne is originally from Germany and she and Richard met in their early twenties and started this company together, and I think her European aesthetic gives her such a fresh point of view. I just love the bravery and risk-taking in this house – and the attention to detail continues to impress me. Here they are – Anne and Richard De Wolf (owners of ARCIFORM and Versatile). As I said at the beginning of the post, this week you’ll see more and more of this home that I can’t WAIT to show you/talk about. It’s so inspiring and I wish we all, as design enthusiasts, had the opportunity to actually experience these spaces in person. There’s me, sweaty from styling all day – something I only do for my projects these days so it was so fun to work with Emily B. and bring some EHD styling to this gorgeous space. Come back tomorrow for their main suite. And if you are in the PNW and looking to hire a team to restore your older space (commercial or residential) this is the team :)
Read More
