Market Review

I returned from Market in High Point, NC last week, but I'm just now having time to sit down and sort through my photos to share with you. I had such a great time, and Market is always an inspirational event. I found some great new vendors that I'm excited to work with in the near future, and I did a "pretty" good job with just looking and not buying for myself:)

I was able to fit in visiting with friends and family too during my trip to NC. High Point is in between Mooresville (where I grew up and where my parents still reside) and Raleigh (where my sister lives), so I was able to meet up with them for dinner one night. I also got to shop with one of my close friends, Anna of Anna Applegate Interiors, who is 6 months pregnant and absolutely adorable with her baby bump!

Here are a few pictures of some fun finds:

Fabulous pillows and little Moroccan tables from Dransfield and Ross.

Oly has come out with a line of children's furniture...small-scaled versions of some of their signature chairs and tables. I love the little lamb hair stool!

A fabulous mirrored credenza and mirrored floral sconces from Oly.

I love these pagoda lamps from Bungalow 5.

I also stopped by Jamie Meare's wonderful little shop, Furbish, in Raleigh. Furbish is a fantastic kaleidoscope of colors, prints and unique furniture. Jamie was there and was so sweet. I look forward to stopping into her shop again on my next visit to Raleigh!

Happy Friday! P.S. Don't forget to enter the giveaway. I'll choose a winner today at 5 pm.

(all images via Kathryn Ivey)

Time for a GIVEAWAY!

*Congratulations, Lindsey Moore! I will be emailing you your gift certificate!

I'm excited to announce my first giveaway hosted by CSN Stores! They are offering a $40 gift certificate that can be used at any of their 200+ online stores where you can find everything from cookware to cribs, bar furniture to briefcases, and so much more!

I took some time to peruse through some of their sites, and I love their Thomas Paul pillows and rugs.

(images via allmodern.com)

To enter, leave a comment below, and I will randomly select a winner on Friday after 5 pm. Good luck!

Modern Country

I was at the gym the other day and while reading a past issue of DWELL magazine, I came across a couple of interesting articles on people who have moved from the city to greener pastures and have built farmhouses and cabins but in a modern design. The article discussed how many urbanites are finding a marriage between living among an urban-like environment and living out in the country by designing "modern farmhouses."

(image via DWELL magazine)

Now at first, you may feel there is some dissonance when you put together "modern" and farmhouse." However, the more I thought about it, I believe there are more similarities between those two terms than differences. Follow me here for a moment....

Modern design supports simple form, intelligent function, use of space and negative space, and often minimal furnishings. Now if you think about the styles of furniture historically found in rural settings such as farm houses, you'll notice the furniture styles are often Shaker, Mission and Prairie. All these styles share the same elements of "modern" design in that they are simple in form, and innovative in both construction and function. Also, the designs of the Mission and Prairie styles, largely supported by Frank Lloyd Wright, are purposely designed to be integrated into the landscape around the home.

Shaker dresser

Shaker chair, table and tray

Mission table

Even though when most people think of modern interiors, images of urban lofts, high-end hotels or sky-scraper offices may come to mind. However, I think the modern farmhouse may have been the original modern interior! Just a thought.

Off to Market!

Today I'm heading down south to my ol' stomping ground, North Carolina, for market! I am excited to see the new lines from my favorite vendors and hopefully discover new resources. I hope to have some pictures to share when I return on Tuesday. I think I'm going to have to duck tape my wallet as I'm headed down there with a big empty car trunk....

(image via Merci Store)

Just a Peek!

I finally have a few pictures to share with you of a project I did this past fall. I had so much fun as my client was willing to take a few risks with a fresh color scheme, and the space was a condo which meant we had to put our heads together to plan a space that provided storage and multifunctional furniture. I didn't take overall room shots as there are a few outstanding things that need to be done, but you'll get the idea:) Enjoy!

Fun Facts

Fun Fact #1

I recently read over at Style Court that Mrs. Sommers has launched her new web site, and

it. is. beautiful. She has taken a fresh, artistic approach to her site (love her bios!), and her portfolio has been updated with gorgeous new projects.

I've been an admirer of Ruthie Sommers for some time now, and even though I never made it out to her L.A. store, Chapman Radcliffe, I was saddened when I heard they had closed. However, news of Ruthie's new web site cleared my tears, and I plan to sift through her new portfolio this evening. Enjoy!

Fun Fact #2

The new issue of Lonny launches in just a couple of days! I'm gonna need to go ahead and tell the Mister not to bother me for about 2 hours while I peruse the new issue with a magnifying glass:)

A Beautiful Partnership

As I was leafing through the latest Canadian Home & Garden magazine, I saw that two of my favorite companies are partnering to produce a limited collection of candles. Jo Malone, who I consider to be among the experts in scent, and Farrow and Ball, again who I consider to be the expert in paint, are teaming up to produce a line of scented candles. Five candles are being produced: Lime Basil & Mandarin, Wild Fig & Cassis, Grapefruit, Pomegranate Noir and Blue Agava & Cacao. These will be available in May and you can order them at JoMalone.com.

I love candles and always have them burning around my home. I feel they bring instant atmosphere! I just can't decide which one I'd choose. What would you pick?

(image via Bellasugar.com)

MOOMAH

I've read a few things about the wonderful, whimsical cafe in NYC called Moomah, and I've always thought it was a brilliant idea. I just read over the weekend in the recent HOW magazine they that have won an outstanding award for their letterhead/branding. I couldn't agree more with HOW. The design firm, Apartment One, based in Brooklyn is responsible for the eclectic, imaginative images stamped on Moomah's retail bags, coffee cups, business cards, letterhead, etc.

Moomah describes themselves as a "creative arts cafe for parents and children." Founder, Tracey Stewart, says it's "a place where imagination is king, where we are inspired by our children and we hope to be able to inspire them teach them that anything is possible."

Moomah's mission is to be a place where kids and parents can connect, discover, nourish and create. They even go so far as to creating the cafe menu to be an opportunity where kids can discover new, healthy foods. They present the meals in fun designs to entice kids to dive in, regardless if it's spinach or brussels sprouts!

I would love to find out who designed the interior of the space. The cafe's interior is an inviting atmosphere that encourages the patrons to come and play. There is a hint of an industrial feel with the factory lighting and the impenetrable counter tops. Kids feel the freedom to roam and not have to worry about breaking anything or "accidentally" creating a piece of art on the table.

I just wish we could get Tracey to put a Moomah location here in DC. I have so many friends that would love to take their kids to a place like Moomah. Gosh...I would want to go hang out myself!

(images via Moomah.com and HOW)

Happy Easter Weekend!

(image via Mary Ruffle)

Happy Easter! It's going to be sunny and 80 degrees in DC this weekend! The Mister and I are planning to check out the cherry blossoms, attend our church's Easter service and hopefully do a little al fresco dining with friends.

Ah, Spring!

The sunshine is shining and I'm excited to sport my red toe nails! I'm feeling really inspired. Why you ask? I will announce that soon...I promise! I love heading over to Mary Ruffle's blog for inspiration, and these photos below make me smile:)

(all images via It's Mary Ruffle)