Haddon Musing

Office Space

2012-01-30T08:06:00.000-08:00

The only time the Mister (Ron) and I "work together" is when he decides to work from home. I love these days as we tend to get a lot done separately, but it's nice to call the other over to ask an opinion. I always thought we'd be good work partners in the future, and we are always dreaming up new business ventures or projects together...we'll shall see!

Ron certainly has a very creative side, and although he is a "consultant," his firm is very creative in their business model and approach to solving problems. They use a lot of visual tools such as capturing a meeting's outcomes through the use of graphic facilitation. The firm is also getting ready to undergo a rather large renovation to make the space larger, more functional and aesthetically speak more to their brand. They are using OTJ Architects who are a group of wildly talented designers, and they have come up with an impressive space design.

Living Social Headquarters designed by OTJ

The interior design aspect of it needed a bit of tweaking, so Ron asked me to come on board to help collaborate with the overall vision. Ron is a founding partner, so I've been in and around conversations relating to their brand and aesthetic. I love that he is passionate about this piece of the design and we share an appreciation for aesthetically pleasing environments. We met together with the architects last week to revise the interior plan a bit. It was so much fun working together on this, and it made me inspired to write a post about how important the design of a workspace plays into not only productivity but just being excited to go to work every day!

I think DC, historically, has been labeled as a either a cubicle world or with a good ol' boy traditional aesthetic. However, things are changing, and I'm excited to see the recent introduction of more creative, modern work spaces. My first job was in cubicle land, and the design-minded part of me hated it! It was so uninspiring and mundane. I still remember walking in and thinking, "How do you come to an office like this every day for 10+ years!" Thankfully, I was only there for about 2 years. Being young and not yet clued-in that interior design was my calling, I chose my next job based on 60% "the job" and 40% on location and aesthetic. I know, it sounds shallow - but my work environment directly correlates to my productivity! I swear. I ended up landing at a fun, nonprofit consulting company that created strategic development plans and planned large fundraising dinners and events. I loved it. Even better - the office was house in an old carriage house in Georgetown and my workspace was in a large room with windows all down one wall. I looked forward going to work every day even if I had a stressful schedule that day. I was motivated by my workspace.

I think a space needs to be creative and exciting regardless if the company you work for is in an artistic field or not. Your space says a lot to your clients when they walk in the door - it's your first impression.

via Inc.

A new medical group, One Medical Group, has come to realize the importance about the design of their space. They offer wonderful health care in a beautiful, relaxing space. Gone are the cold, hard chairs in the white and brown waiting room. Instead, they offer flannel robes and soft sheets in a colorful, fresh setting. Sign me up!

via One Medical Group

Interior design is not just for homes - it affects all areas of life. And I bet, even if you are a pure function over design type person, that you would choose to work at the "prettier" office :)

I'd like to make an introduction....

2012-01-19T10:45:00.000-08:00

Virginia Johnson, meet my ~~five~~ readers. Readers, meet Virginia Johnson.

Virginia, who graduated from Parson's and worked for Helmut Lang, as come to be well known in the fashion world for her illustrations. It's no surprise that Kate Spade scooped her up as her illustrations are a perfect visual display of the Kate Spade brand. In 2001, she began her own line of textiles and books where she creates designs using watercolor which are then silk screened onto scarfs, bags, clothes, children's wear and home wear.

I may be late to the ball game, but I just discovered the famed illustrator and textile-creator, Virginia Johnson. It all started when I went to the book signing for Deborah Needleman's new book, The Perfectly, Imperfect Home. I salivated over the interior illustrations, and immediately googled the illustrator. Thanks to the web, I was opened to the world of Virginia Johnson where I discovered she had done work for Kate Spade - fitting!

Then, it wasn't until my recent trip to New York where Viriginia and I met again. I was roaming around the John Derian store, and picked up the most STUNNING scarf. I oohed and aahed over it. Then as if the stars aligned, I noticed the scarf was signed, Virginia Johnson. How could this be? I could now find constant enjoyment of her work by wearing it every day! Alas, the price tag beckoned for $195 buckaroos. Having already spent way too much in the Big City, I pushed myself out of the store without said scarf in hand. I have continued to dream about it, and am now considering making the purchasing plunge since it's 30% off on her site. I told the Mister that this would be an investment piece. He scoffed when I said "investment" as there is no financial return on investment. However, I beg to differ - the return on investment is pure joy every day.

images 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

Blank Canvas Day

2012-01-16T14:57:00.000-08:00

This Saturday I'm teaming up with Cary Umhau and Joey Katona who are the creators of a new movement called Spacious to lead a very fun event. Cary and Joey launched this initiative a few months ago, and their vision is one that every person NEEDs to be a part of!

The Spacious mission says it all, "We’re engaged in a playful revolution to help people bust out of the straitjackets, cubicles and little boxes we all find ourselves in from time to time." Their vision is to help people realize that there is more to life, but in order to discover what else is out there we have to be willing to have fun, engage with people who may not be carbon copies of ourselves, challenge ourselves to do new and even unusual things....or as Spacious eloquently puts it "bust out of our straitjackets, cubicles and little boxes."

I love this idea, and it may seem a bit radical for some folks, but those are probably the folks who really need to experience some Spaciousness in their lives.

So what is this intriguing event going on this Saturday you may ask? Well, it's called Blank Canvas Day. It's a bit of a mix between a party, art therapy, and reuniting with your inner child. I was inspired to do this event because so many of us (artists or not) have a fear of starting....of putting the first dollop of paint on the canvas, or typing the first letter on a Word document, or even reaching out and just saying hello to someone. We fear we'll fail, or do it wrong, so we don't do anything at all, and that is where we miss out on the "more" part of life.

Even as an interior designer where my job requires me to be creative every day and churn out new ideas, I can get paralyzed when I've hit a creative block or my perfectionistic tendencies win out and I just can't move forward. However, I tend to break through when I take the pressure off myself, go for a walk, and just start creating design schemes. I can then take my time to edit, change, move, fix, etc. But I have to start somewhere...

So this Saturday, we plan to do just that - challenge each other to just start. It's going to involve a bit of play, some drawing, some painting, and some laughing. At the end of our time together, my hope is that people will walk away a bit freer, a bit more lighter and ready to just start somewhere!

Space is limited and if you'd like to sign up you can do so here.

I hope to see some of you on Saturday!

images 1/2/3

I ♡ New York

2012-01-10T14:55:00.000-08:00

I returned from NYC on Sunday night with an extra pep in my step, ~~a desire to move there~~ and a brain flowing with creative motivation. The trip was just what I needed to get this new year off to a good start. I've decide that I'm going to start budgeting in at least 3 trips to NYC a year for professional development/inspiration! We had a super productive weekend, and I thought I'd do a quick recap of the weekend via my iPhone photos.

We started our mornings off with large, nutritious breakfasts. I had the best Florentine Benedict at Alice's Tea Cup paired with lavender and bergamot Earl Grey tea.

We admired the fabulous, outrageous architecture of this building - can you imagine that being your office building? You'd feel inspired every day you walked in!

Took short breaks to do a little clothes shopping. I fell in love with this mohair coat at Paul Smith's.

Was tempted do a little shopping for Max and considered purchasing these PUGZ for him until the Mister put the kabosh on them.

Fell in love with the wallpaper and feminine little chair in the Paul Smith dressing room.

Swooned over this wool and silk rug at ABC Carpet and Home. I need a project where I can use this stunning piece of art work! Photos don't do it justice.

Loved the simple design of this high chair and the fact that it allows the child to color all over it using crayons. Brilliant!

Dreamed of purchasing this punchy print at Paul Smith's. Anything with a sketched or watercolor quality makes me weak at the knees.

Stopped for a late lunch at The Smile. I'm obsessed with not only the food but the ambiance of this quaint little restaurant.

Was inspired by this wall hanging at John Derian's. You can never have enough decoupage!

And of course John Derian even has cool hardware on his front doors. I'd love to use these in someone's home.

In Need of an Inspirational Weekend

2012-01-05T11:10:00.000-08:00

This week has felt like I've been slogging through it. I still am not back on my regular sleep schedule, which affects me greatly. My body is one that needs a sleep routine much like a newborn baby. We had one of our water mains break yesterday afternoon, which caused me to spend the afternoon in my Hunter boots with a mop, and all the towels we own dashing around trying to soak up the 1" water all over our basement (and tenant's apartment) floor. Thankfully, I think we caught it at the right moment. Crisis averted.

I mention all this because I'm in need of an inspirational trip to get my creative juices flowing again and get back into the swing of things. Luckily, I had scheduled a trip to NYC with a good friend of mine who also happens to be a client. She is building her first house, which should be done next month, and we are needing to do a bit of last minute furniture shopping.

Source: sunsurfer.tumblr.com via Elaine on Pinterest

I absolutely love New York, and I ask the Mister about once a month if we should think about moving there for a couple of years. Of course, I dream about the small little apartment we'd keep up there so we could keep our "home" in DC, but have a comfortable place to stay when we go up. Sadly, I don't for see that happening in our near future, but a girl can dream, right?

I hope to have some fun posts next week when I return. Have a great weekend!

images pinterest/selby

I'm Gonna Be Honest...

2012-01-03T12:08:00.001-08:00

It's been hard to get back on the horse today. I just want to return to this moment:

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2012-01-02T13:25:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I can't believe the new year has arrived, and I just realized that I need to apologize for the lack of posts. It's been a whirlwind since Thanksgiving (as you can clearly see) since my last post was Nov. 21. All I can say is that I'll try better in 2012 :)

I'm not one to make a strict list of resolutions and try to check them off by the end of the year. However, I prefer to use the new year to reflect on the happenings of last year and loosely make goals for what I'd like to do/change/add for the upcoming year. I've spent today doing just that, and I'm excited to see what adventures are in store for 2012.

This past year, I continued to grow my business, which I am very thankful considering the economy these days. I think that when the world feels like it may go to hell in a handbag, people have more of a need to surround themselves with beautiful things. I'm thankful I'm in the business of providing that beautiful respite for clients.

I wish to you all a year of beauty and enjoyment of the simple things in life. Cheers to 2012!

1. matchbook magazine/2. pink wallpaper

Transformation Sneak Peek

2011-11-21T10:37:00.001-08:00

I'm so excited for a short week and for Thanksgiving! I'm headed out of the office on Wednesday to spend the holiday with my family in NC, and I'm a bridesmaid in one of my best friend's wedding this weekend. Celebrations abound!

To start off this fantastic week, I wanted to share with you a sneak peek of one of my projects. My clients relocated from Chicago and bought a row house that had been flipped by a developer. The developer did a pretty good job with his material selections, except for this ol' eye sore you see right when you step into the house:

My clients told me the fireplace was the developer's most proud accomplishment. I beg to differ, and so did my clients. It literally looked like he had applied bad bathroom tile from the 1980's from floor to ceiling. Seeing that this room would be a guest's first sight upon entering, we knew this room had to be priority. So for the past few months we've been transforming this space into this:

So we demo-ed the fireplace, put in a custom mantle with a beautiful stone surround, painted the room, added four chairs around this Oly coffee table, put up a gorgeous grasscloth wallpaper from Philip Jefferies (my favorite!) and added window treatments. My clients wanted a soothing, spa-like atmosphere so we chose a color palette of soothing grey-blues and taupes in a variety of textures to keep the room from looking one-dimensional. We are about 90% done as we still need a few things i.e. mirror, window treatments installed, console table, art and accessories. I hope to have this room professionally photographed in the next few months so you can see the room in its entirety. I literally just got back from checking on the wallpaper installation and shot this photo with my iPhone.

Seeing drastic transformations like this project is one of the most rewarding parts of my job. Plus, my clients are the most delightful and fun couple to work with...I feel spoiled!

Happy Friday!

2011-11-11T07:29:00.000-08:00

(via Matchbook Magazine)

Every Friday is a good day! So happy for the weekend. I plan to relax in front of the fire this week and maybe take a few strolls among the leaves with the Mister and Max. Ciao!

The Perfectly Imperfect Home

2011-11-10T06:27:00.001-08:00

"What is the goal? A house that is like the life that goes with it, a house that gives us beauty as we understand it- and beauty of a nobler kind that we may grow to understand."

- Elsie de Wolfe

I was excited to attend a book signing last night at Room and Board for Deborah Needleman's new book, The Perfectly Imperfect Home. Deborah, the former founder of the beloved Domino magazine and current editor-in-chief of the Wall Street Journal Magazine, was incredibly delightful. The wait to meet her and have her sign my book was long, but it was worth it when I realized what was taking so long. Deborah was taking the time to engage with each person, asking them questions about themselves and having fun. I was impressed. I've been to other book signings where I felt it was all about moving the line along. After conversing with the down-to-earth author, I couldn't wait to dig into her book.

First, the physical book is a work of art. The pages are filled with water color paintings of familiar rooms you've probably seen published in magazines. The talented illustrator, Virginia Johnson, has captured these rooms and vignettes in such a charming way that I want to rip the pages out and frame them all around my house!

(bedroom designed by Jacques Grange)

(Rita Konig's Living Room)

(an inspired vignette)

Deborah has also scattered throughout the book fabulous quotes by renowned designers such as Elsie de Wolfe, Albert Hadley, Dorothy Draper, Billy Baldwin, etc. All of these carefully collected quotes are reminders of what I consider the true, real rules of design - your home shouldn't look or feel like a museum. I love how Albert Hadley puts it, " Make your home as comfortable and attractive as possible and then get on with living."

I haven't finished reading the book, but I highly recommend purchasing it. Deborah has created not just a practical guide to a furnishing an perfectly, imperfect home, but an entertaining read on not taking our ourselves and our homes too seriously!

To Market, To Market....

2011-11-07T07:15:00.000-08:00

It's taken me about a week and a half to catch up on work since I've returned from market. I usually go to the High Point Market in the spring as it occurs twice a year, but I decided to go this fall to see if there was a difference. I found some wonderful new items and vendors, but I felt the energy was a bit lower at market than typically in the spring. I'm sure the economy has something to do with it (you can blame the economy for most things these days...you are having a bad hair day? Blame it on the economy:). However, I still came away feeling inspired and excited about incorporating some of these new furniture items into future projects.

I thought I'd just let the photos do most of the talking with just a few remarks from me:

BeeLine Home

The BeeLine Home showroom was probably my favorite discovery this market. The renowned designer of this furniture line, Bunny Williams, is a true artist. Every piece in her collection is unique and has a successful combination of sophistication paired with whimsy.

I love the base on this table. This would be perfect for a banquet/breakfast nook.

Love the scale and smart personality of this stools.

This small side table is a great balance of masculine and feminine. I'd take that rug too!

BOBO INTRIGUING OBJECTS

I have long been a fan of Bobo Intriguing Objects since they hit big on the market scene a few years ago. I always look forward to seeing what treasures have been discovered on their European expeditions.

I can easily picture a pair of these fabulous chandeliers outside on a loggia or sun room.

I was captivated by these chemist beakers turned into pendants and the way the natural light made them sing!

This carved Indian door would be amazing in a specific-project. I could see a pair of these mounted on rollers (similar to the barn doors we've seen all over the magazines) that would lead into a dining room. If you have a house that fits the bill, please call me!!!

NATURAL CURIOSITIES

If I could fill my entire house with art from Natural Curiosities, than I would have died and gone to heaven. The masterminds behind this company have mastered the concept of object d' art. Every year, I literally run to this showroom to see what creative new pieces they have found to portray as art. This year did not disappoint.

I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw this pair of preserved moss panels. The texture and color just burst off the wall. I overhead one of the sales reps explaining it took years for them to figure out how to preserve the moss so that it didn't turn brown. How awesome would these be in an large, glassed-in sitting room? It elevates the idea of" bringing the outside in" to a whole other level!

Again, a diptych of an over scaled botanical. In this case, go big or go home, is the way to go. I want these for my dining room!

DURALEE FURNITURE

I kept hearing wonderful things about Duralee's furniture line, but I was not familiar with it. After taking a tour through their showroom, I cannot wait to use this line. Duralee has found a way to offer wonderful upholstery pieces that are quality-made at a reasonable price.

This ottoman isn't just a looker, but watch what it can do. Wait for it...

Bam! You've got a twin size bed ready for guests! This piece is perfect for small, city-living.

WRIGHT TABLE COMPANY

Wright Table Company is a family owned company that exudes the pure spirit of American-made furniture. Their designs are beautiful in their simplicity.

I fell in love with this gorgeous coffee table. Wait until you can see what it can do...

By lifting the table up and towards you, this coffee table turns into a dining table! Perfect for a bachelor pad. I love how they have made the weights below look industrial chic so it doesn't take away from the overall design, but rather it's part of it's beauty.

WORLDS AWAY

This company has found a way to create furniture and accessories that are glamorous but still feel accessible.

Love, love, love. Reminiscent of mid-century modern, this coffee table is not only functional but it's sculputural in its design.

These pendants are just flat out amazing. What a statement piece!

Hermés orange was a huge color at market this year.

Love the fresh take on this classic chair.

OOMPH

Talk about furniture with personality, Oomph has created a line of fun, preppy furniture that can be customized in more colors than you can imagine!

"THE" Gossip Chair by Oomph. If you have a large, long living room, using a chair like this would be a great way to break up the room into two conversational spaces. I could also see this in a child's playroom in a little reading nook.

*All the furniture highlighted above is available only to the trade. If you are interested in any of these pieces, please contact me for pricing.

Post Chat Published

2011-11-03T09:04:00.000-07:00

If you missed my live chat last week with the Washington Post, you can check it out here or find it in today's Living Section. Happy Thursday!

Well, hello there, November!

2011-11-01T10:49:00.001-07:00

(via Pinterest)

"November comes
And November goes,
With the last red berries
And the first white snows.

With night coming early,
And dawn coming late,
And ice in the bucket
And frost by the gate.

The fires burn
And the kettles sing,
And earth sinks to rest
Until next spring."

- Elizabeth Coatsworth

Kinfolk Magazine

2011-10-28T13:19:00.001-07:00

I just got back from market, and I'm turning around to head out for the weekend! We are heading out to Wintergreen, VA with some friends for the weekend. We've rented a house with TWO fireplaces, and I'm looking forward to making some delicious meals, roasting s'mores and catching up with dear friends. They are calling for snow too, so we may take a snowy hike in the mountains! I will post about market once I get back next week and have my pictures uploaded.

I wanted to leave you with a fantastic online community and magazine that a dear friend passed my way. It's called Kinfolk Magazine, and it had me from the moment I clicked play on their opening video. This community of people are passionate about small gatherings around a table of food, a garden, tea time, etc. They desire to celebrate the beauty in simple gatherings and have successfully found a way to visually display this desire through their stunning website and magazine. The photographs and music are an aesthetic masterpiece. I literally want to jump into the screen and hang out with these people. Thankfully, I'll be doing a bit of this small gathering with my friends who appreciate simple gatherings. Enjoy!

(ps. the music is hauntingly beautiful too)

vol. 1 from tiger in a jar on Vimeo.

Have a Stylish Weekend!

2011-10-21T14:44:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends! I'm off to High Point, NC this morning for market. I'm excited to see what is new this fall and to discover some new vendors. I look forward to sharing photos and the new trends with you when I return late next week. I'm also looking forward to catching up with my dear friend, Anna Applegate, who is a designer in NC and meeting my dear friend Kelly's fiance for the first time! I love it when I can mix business and pleasure!

I leave you this weekend with a fantastic site I came across called The Glow. It documents stylish moms and their kids (you'll recognize some of the moms). I love how they did short interviews on the side that allows you a glimpse into their lives as moms and working women. It begs the question-do they have it all? I only hope to be as stylish as these moms when we have our ~~five~~ kids! Maybe I should just keep my expectations low, like at least have clean underwear on every day. TMI, sorry.

Cynthia Rowley -

PS. Check out her amazing dining room "homework spot" - I love everything about it!

Jenne Lombardo

Athena Calderone

Washington Post House Calls and Chat

2011-10-19T15:52:00.000-07:00

Good morning, friends! Just a reminder if you'd like to join in on the live chat with me and Post writers, Terri Sapienza and Jura Koncius, grab a cup of coffee (or your second or third cup!) and click here at 11 am.

I'm also grateful for having the opportunity to provide a quick design solution in today's Post House Calls for a couple in their new home. You can check out the full article here.

Let's Chat!

2011-10-18T07:01:00.000-07:00

Join me tomorrow (Thursday) from 11am -12pm as I join Washington Post staff writers, Terri Sapienza and Jura Koncius, to answer readers' questions about interior decorating and home improvements via a live chat. Thank you to the Post for asking me to be their guest!

Dating + Design

2011-10-17T07:24:00.001-07:00

Dorothy Draper said it best, "Decorating is Fun!" And it should be a fun process for both client and designer.

The key to a successful interior design project is finding the right match between a client and their designer (and vice versa). When meeting with a potential client, I often refer to finding an interior designer is similar to dating. It's important to find someone who "gets" you - where there is a natural chemistry and someone who is going to make the project fun! There are a lot of details, time and money that go into a project, however, I believe that the client should enjoy the process. A designer that makes you feel comfortable, allowing you to trust them is a pretty good indicator that there is a spark!

When meeting with new clients, I do my best to explain the full process of hiring an interior designer and how a room is completed from start to finish. Many of my clients have never worked with a designer before, and educating the client about how the industry works and how you, personally, run your design business is foundational to getting the relationship off on the right foot.

Of course, once you think you've "met the one," it still takes time getting to know each other and fully articulating the vision you have/or don't have for your project. As a designer, I always encourage my clients to flip through magazines and pull out pages that have jumped out at them. It may not be a complete room they've fallen in love with, but maybe it's a small element such as a mantle design or a specific chair. Interior designers, unfortunately, are not mind readers, so any feedback and information we can pull from the client helps us to efficiently and accurately design your space. In turn, my job is to listen intently and then relay back to my client what I heard them say to make sure we are on the same page. Trust me, I've had some bad hair cuts even after I've shown a picture to my hair dresser what I want, but then have walked out with a horrible cut knowing that they didn't hear a lick of what I said! Which then costs me more money to find someone else to fix it!

I recently came across a great article explaining the beauty of finding an interior designer you've fallen in love with. It can be a beautiful thing both figuratively and literally!

I Always Love a Good Makeover

2011-09-30T05:10:00.000-07:00

I'm currently giving my website a total makeover which will include new project photos, and I can't wait to reveal it to you all! The talented Stacy Zarin-Goldberg has been running around with me shooting a few of my completed projects. Photo shoots are a lot of work, but totally worth it in the end. Here is a little sneek peek....

Birthday Week

2011-09-26T06:39:00.001-07:00

I had a milestone birthday last week, and instead of freaking out how old I was turning, I embraced the inevitable and actually had a fantastic birthday. The Mister was so thoughtful and planned a celebration of week long events with various friends.

We started the week off with a surprise dinner with close friends at Seasonal Pantry. This little venue has to be one of the coolest spots in DC, and I felt like I was spending the evening at a hip dive in NYC. Daniel O'Brian and his partner, Ali Bagheri, established this little delicatessen gem. By day, the store is a market where you can swing by and pick up their latest canned and jarred concoctions such as seasonal soups, confit tomatoes, and oyster pot pie. Then on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, the market turns into an intimate dining spot with 12 seats. Daniel has the menus planned, so all you have to do is show up at 8 am sharp! to be served an amazing 3-4 course dinner with perfectly paired wine.

Daniel and Ali have done an amazing job with the space itself as it lends an old world feel. You feel as if you've been invited into some one's personal kitchen with the exposed brick walls, long farm table, and Daniel cooking away in the back corner to the tunes of his choice.

The Mister told me we were headed to a undisclosed dinner location - just the two of us. I was pleasantly surprised when I walked in and was greeted by 10 close friends all seated around a beautiful farm table.

The rest of the week included dinner with an old friend from college, Zack, lunch at Cafe Bonaparte with dear friends and then dinner at The Tabbard Inn - one of my favorite restaurants in DC followed by drinks at the Hay Adams where I was surprised again by more friends.

So I guess you could say I ate my way through my birthday!

50 Space Saving Tricks

2011-09-15T06:23:00.000-07:00

( Haddon Interiors)

This morning I've shared a few small-space tips with several other local designers in The Washington Post. Thanks to Post writer, Terri Sapienza, for including me.

It's true that small spaces can pack a punch! Check it out here.

My Fall Declaration....

2011-09-05T18:40:00.000-07:00

(via J.Crew)

Just a short post-Labor Day declaration....You will see me wearing my white jeans after Labor Day. As I've been cleaning out my closet in preparation of unearthing my warmer frocks, I keep coming up with all these fall/winter outfits that include my white jeans. I personally think the whole "no white after Labor Day" rule is absurd as no color should be banned because of the seasons. I'm counting down the days until I can pull out my sweaters!

Is it Friday yet?

2011-08-25T12:24:00.001-07:00

Monika and I have been running around this week getting stuff for a photo shoot I'm doing tomorrow for one of my projects. I keep writing lists of what I need over and over again, and I know I'm picking up more than I need - here is proof:

I am praying my car is neither broken into or worst, stolen, as I have a lot of loot in my trunk! All this running around will be worth it though when I finally get the finished photographs. Stay tuned this fall as I plan to launch a new website with my portfolio finally up and running!

I'm Back...well I've been back.

2011-08-23T11:42:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the radio silence, friends. It's been a crazy two week since I've returned from vacation. I had an amazing, restful, and rejuvenating vacation and then reality smacked me square in the face as soon as I landed.

However, I'm back and looking forward to the fall season! I've already started dreaming about all the fall events I want to do i.e. apple-picking, wine tasting, s'mores in the fireplace, country drives...(I'm making my husband crazy). And I also started bookmarking a few things I need to add to my wardrobe, in which many of them come from J. Crew.

I've always been a fan of J. Crew and I'm also in the Jenna Lyons fan club. She is genius. Just when I thought my heart couldn't grow any bigger for all things J. Crew, I just discovered they have a behind the scenes blog. The photos posted on this blog may just give Pinterest a run for it's money. Check it out!

Leaving on a Jet Plane!

2011-07-27T16:09:00.001-07:00

That is right, my friends! By the time you read this email, I will be on a flight heading south to Turks and Caicos for a much needed vacation! I'm meeting my 6 best friends/roommates from college down there for an extended weekend, and then the Mister is flying down to meet me on Monday to stay the week to celebrate an early (November) 5 year wedding anniversary. I feel like it's Christmas Eve I'm so giddy!

My girlfriends from college have gotten together once a year for a reunion of sorts, which usually takes place at someone's hometown and consists of lots of talking and eating (especially Rice Krispy Treats). However, this year we decided we wanted to do something a bit bigger and found an incredible deal on Jetsetter.com (if you haven't been to this site, you must check it out!).

I look forward to these reunions every year as we are scattered all over the country, and catching up usually consists of can occasional phone chat or email. It's just not the same as seeing them in person, and I am not much of a phone person. However, I cherish these relationships because although we are not in each other's day-to-day life, we always pick it up right where we left off when we see one another.

Hanging in Central Park during our NYC reunion in 2009

It's been fun to see how life as unraveled for us all since we all met as freshmen at UNC-Chapel Hill. I may have gone a bit overboard with photos here, but I had too much fun digging up past photos (pre-Facebook days) and reminiscing over all the experiences we've had together. *WARNING - please excuse me in these photos as these were my "Freshman 15" days! It's amazing how much weight you can lose just by graduating college!

We thought we were so cute dressing up in matching pink and doing a "photo shoot" at the Old Well our freshmen year.

We spent many of nights hanging out in our dorms ~~eating Rice Krispy Treats~~ talking about who knows what. That is ol' Greg back there who just got married. Love your chain belt, Heath! Haha.

Beach vacations are not new to us as we took two epic beach trips in college. Our freshmen year we rented an incredible house in Destin, Florida with a larger group of friends, and then our senior year went on an amazing sailing trip down in the Caribbean for a week. So, I guess T&C would be an appropriate choice for us!

Destin, Florida freshmen year - when life was so carefree!

I am SO thankful this picture is dark so you can't see all my jiggly bits ~~from all those Rice Krispy Treats!~~

Sailing trip our senior year

A lot has happened since we've graduated, and we've experienced weddings togethers, babies, new loves, new jobs, new cities, and the list could go on.

Whitley's wedding to P-diddy Parke!

Heath's wedding!

So you can see how near and dear these women are to me! I'd better scoot and finish packing as my plane leaves at 7 am! I will share photos when I get back in a week and half.

*sorry for all the Rice Krispy Treat references - we seriously ate them a lot whenever we were together.

Good ol' Wayne

2011-07-22T07:39:00.001-07:00

It's hot. Temps have soared to 100 degrees here in DC, and the humidity has made it feel even hotter. I feel the heat has crushed my inspiration and motivation this week, and all I can do is sit under the fan and eat ice cream. However, I've been able to catch up on some of my favorite blogs and web sites as I sit and eat, and I came across this beauty from Wayne Pate that I'm lusting over...

I love the black ground and the pops of color. I can't keep my eyes off of it. My birthday is in September, so if you feel so inclined to get me a gift you can find it here. Make sure to peruse his other amazing pieces of art!

Happy Friday. I've got to run out and buy more ice cream ~~and some sweatpants~~.

Bobbie Medlin

2011-07-15T07:06:00.001-07:00

A few Saturdays ago, the Mister and I were in Georgetown, and I stumbled into a fantastic "new" store, Bobbie Medlin. I say "new" because Bobbie has actually had her store for a few years but she had been located in a more obscure store front in Georgetown. Her new location at 2900 M Street, NW is a beautiful space on the corner of M and 29th where she has created a stunning display of her jewelry and antiques that she curates from her travels.

I stopped in and ended up chatting with Bobbie for a good hour and half. She has such a wonderful, warm personality, and it's clear she is passionate about her store. Her passion lies with finding antique accouterments from all over the world and turning them into wearable art. Among many of the items you'll find creatively displayed in her boutique are Indian pendants strung on crystal beads, African ivory bracelets hung on beads made from buffalo horns, and a Tibetan prayer box hung among turquoise beads. It's hard not to ohh and ahh as you rove around her shop as each piece has such a interesting story.

A gorgeous conversation piece!

African trading shells make for a delicate necklace.

Bobbie also keeps her eyes peeled for antique, whimsical treasures as she travels and you can find these items tucked away in lovely vignettes in her store - each one captivating you as you discover them.

That wonderful antique, French wood pail would be the perfect complement hung beside a fire place.

I would LOVE to use this fabulous fixture in a foyer or in a dining room somewhere!

I'm an official Bobbie Medlin fan, and hopefully my frequent stops won't label me as a stalker. My birthday is coming up in September, and I told her I may just have to send my husband in....

Yawn

2011-07-11T07:38:00.001-07:00

I'm dragging my wagon a bit this morning, so bear with me. I hope to get a couple of posts up this week. The Mister and I tackled a quick house project this weekend...window boxes! I will post a photo this week once I get a decent picture taken.

Happy Monday!

image via Pink Wallpaper

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-01T14:05:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July! I'm so glad the weekend is here. What are your 4th of July plans? We are headed to Annapolis this weekend to hang out with friends, take a boat ride or two and eat fresh crab! I'm hoping to come back relaxed with a little sun on my pure white legs! I just hope I don't blind anybody!

Viva Porte Italia!

2011-06-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

Hi, Monika again! Kathryn and I went on a fun little field trip yesterday morning. We went to the preview for Porte Italia, a company available to the trade that does beautiful custom painted interior arts that just expanded into the U.S. market this past December. The idea for the company, which was founded 25 years ago, was first conceived when founder and head designer Ann Graham was on a trip to Italy and found herself inspired by the ornate Venetian furniture she saw there. Now, Porte Italia is a thriving business that prides itself on its fine craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail.

The company specializes in hand-painted furnishings such as doors, panels, bed frames, mirrors, sofas, chandeliers, etc, all inspired by old world Venetian furniture; in their own words, their furniture pieces are "modern presentations of that timeless golden age of painted furniture centered in the 18th Century". True to tradition, all of the handiwork is done in Venice, and the artisans they employ are amazing! They have a line of stocked pieces, but they can also create a custom piece, from frame to paint. They can even take a wallpaper or fabric sample and create a custom finish to match it--any interior designer's dream :) We got to see some truly stunning pieces at the preview, some of which are pictured below.

We were lucky enough to meet Ann herself, as well as Cindy Schwartz, the U.S. National Manager (and Ann's goddaughter!) They were both so incredibly sweet and gracious, and told us they really enjoyed the "family" feel of the company. Kathryn and I absolutely loved all of their beautiful work, and definitely plan on using them as a source in the near future! If you're interested in possibly purchasing a piece from them, feel free to get in touch with Kathryn.

Here are some of our favorite examples of their amazing work:

(all photos via Porte Italia)

The Magic of Mirrors

2011-06-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

Hi, Monika here! By now, I'm sure almost everyone is familiar with the mirrored furniture trend. However, done wrong, it can look tacky and a little dated--after all, no one wants their living room looking like a ballet studio. Using antique mirror is an elegant, textured twist on this overdone trend. It is a unique way to add age and personality to any room.

Recently we used antique mirror in a client's home. We decided to move an existing cabinet from the bathroom into the kitchen, painted it white to match the rest of her kitchen cabinets, and had the standard glass replaced with antique glass. Not only does this add a beautiful decorative element to her kitchen, it has several practical pluses: 1) the opacity conceals all of the dishes, bowls, etc. behind it, resulting in a more clean look (and you don't have to worry about messy cabinets!), and 2) using mirrors is a great way to make a smaller space look larger.

Before, and...

...After!

We also added the same antique glass to her other kitchen cabinets to maintain the mirror look throughout the kitchen:

What do you think? Here are some other great examples of antique mirrors being used in cabinetry:

Photo Credit: House Beautiful

Photo Credit: Apartment Therapy

Like I said before, using a plain mirrored wall can run the risk of making a room look like a ballet studio. However, there are many creative ways to pull off a mirrored wall. Again, texture can play a huge role; antique glass is a great way to go (or safety glass, like in designer Thom Filicia's own living room the last photo!). You can also try breaking up the space by using multiple smaller mirrors so it's not so overwhelming (see photo 3; very visually arresting, don't you think?). Here are some of my favorites:

Photo Credit:

Photo Credit: Elle Decor

Photo Credit: Apartment Therapy

Photo Credit: Thom Filicia

Don't forget they make a lot of great furniture in antique glass as well! Check out this great antique mirror console table by Schumacher we found on our latest trip to the DC design center:

Hello!

2011-06-22T08:27:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

Just wanted to quickly introduce myself. My name is Monika, and I’m going to be interning for Kathryn at Haddon Interiors this summer! :) I’m fresh out of college and have decided to change paths and try my hand in the interior design business. I have always had an innate passion for all things interior design (you should have seen how long I spent perusing Craigslist for those perfect pieces of furniture for my first apartment) and finally came upon the realization that it was possible for me to turn that love into a career. I stumbled upon the Haddon Interiors website and immediately knew Kathryn was someone I’d love to work with; the rest is history!

I will be blogging occasionally for the rest of the summer so keep an eye out. I could not be more excited for this internship! It’s already off to an amazing start, which is to be expected when you have such a great boss ;) Thanks everyone and see you back here soon!

Fun With Paint

2011-06-13T06:07:00.000-07:00

I'm currently working with a really fun client (and good friend of mine:) on redoing her main floor. She and her husband have a great sense of style and an adorable 2-year old. This project has been particularly exciting because she and her husband really value wanting their house to project who they are creatively and as a family, and so they are willing to take some "risks." I put " " around risk, because it's been an interesting process to see how different clients define that word. Let me give you some context.

We've decide to use the infamous Schumacher pattern Chiang Mai Dragon in the alabaster colorway as the jumping off point.

The pattern and colors definitely define this couple's bold, spunky flair. We have just finished painting the living/dining area, and lucky for me they decided to do a more unconventional paint job.

I pulled out the gray-blue color in one of the flowers in the pattern and used Benjamin Moore's Iced Slate in a high gloss finish for the crown molding, baseboards, doors and window trim. I used Benjamin Moore's Decorator's White on the walls. I couldn't be more excited about the finished product! My client's house is a row house that has an unusual floor plan that is long and narrow. She wanted to brighten, freshen and open up the space but also wanted to do something a bit different than the traditional white trim and this color scheme certainly does the trick.

In my own home, I wanted to do something a bit different with my paint scheme downstairs. I chose to paint the walls white, the ceiling a light blue and my window trim black. Trust me, my husband gave me a few dubious looks, but once the paint was applied he fell in love with it.

Paint is a great, inexpensive tool as it can mask, emphasize, obscure, widen or narrow a room. Farrow and Ball is one of my favorite paint companies, and they are a company that really understands the magic of paint.

As my client and I were deciding on our paint game plan, it was interesting to hear the feed back she got from many of her friends that came over. She said she got a lot of weird faces when explaining what we planned to do with the paint, which brings me back to my earlier point of how one defines "risk." I think most people default to the traditional paint scheme of white on the ceiling, color on the walls, and white on the trim. This isn't a bad look, but there are more options, ways to manipulate and apply paint to transform a room. However, if you aren't exposed to what those options are or have never seen it done, it most likely doesn't make sense in some one's head or they have trouble visualizing it. This is where an interior designer can be extremely helpful - especially if you are wanting to do something a bit off the beaten path - we are here to help create the overall vision and to give you confidence that it will work as I assured my client that I would never suggest an idea that I didn't think would look good.

My client was thrilled how it turned out, and at the end of the day the room looks and feels like she and her husband, and that is the most important thing.

A Diamond in the Rough

2011-06-03T06:51:00.000-07:00

It's been a year since we purchased our house, and this time last year the Mister and I were sporting goggles, masks and crow bars knee-deep in dust, sweat and lath and plaster as we began to gut our house. Oh, how I don't miss those days. I love that we put blood, sweat and in tears into renovating our home as our house feels somewhat like someone we took under our wing, cared for it and helped transform it into the person it was meant to be. However, aside from the sentiments we feel, we are so thankful that we can spend this summer enjoying our hard work and actually see the sun!

Although phase 1 is over, we are now embarking on phase 2 which includes smaller interior projects (replacing doors, hardware, adding bookshelves, etc.) and focusing on the front and back yard. It's been a bit of a tease for us as we walk around the neighborhoods oohing and aahing over our neighbors beautifully maintained yards with bouquets of every flower imaginable and then returning home to this (prepare yourself, it ain't pretty):

If you can believe, it looked worse about 3 weeks ago until the Mister took a jack hammer and removed the broken sidewalk/patio that was back there along with pulling up arm fulls of weeds. I actually felt encouraged by the scene above once all that was done.

I am thankful that God gave me vision as I think a lot of people would give up on a backyard like that. I do envision a space where we can sit outside on summer mornings, drink our coffee and read the paper and entertain late into the night. I've come to realize that living in a row house in the city where your neighbors are literally attached to you on either side creates an intense desire to have an outdoor space where you can stretch your legs and breath a bit. So we plan to build a wooden fence around the perimeter adorned with ivy and other vine-like plants, and then either brick-in the space or use stone. Grass isn't worth it for the small space we have. We plan to remove the current rusty stairs and relocate them alongside the house to create more space. So by the end of it our yard will look similar to this:

(via Domino)

As I was brainstorming about our backyard plan, I came across a few other images I had to share of outdoor spaces that were incredibly inspiring.

(image unknown)

I love the intimacy of this dining area. It reminds of Alice in Wonderland.

(image unknown)

(via Veranda)

Clever use of strategically sized and placed stone to make this garden seem ancient.

(via Veranda)

LOVE the potted hydrangeas lining the driveway - brillant! I plan to do this at our future home in the country - ha!

(via Veranda)

I have a brown thumb so this is the perfect use of a greenhouse for me!

(via Elle Decor)

You can never have enough arches in a garden.

(via Costal Living)

And this is what I plan for our future house on the Mediterranean. I'm sure I'm giving the Mister a heart-attack by now:)

Friday iPhone Dump

2011-05-13T10:28:00.000-07:00

I think I LIVE for Fridays and the weekends!!! Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but there is just something about waking up on Saturday and having the whole day ahead of you to do whatever you please. For us this usually entails a morning walk with Max to Lincoln Park (the proclaimed dog park) so he can hang with his buddies and run off some energy. We always take a pit stop to P&C Market to grab coffee and a fresh pastry, and then sit and watch as all the various neighborhood dogs play as we read our New York Times (The NY Times Weekend edition is fantastic!). I told Ron the other day that if this Saturday morning routine is the peak of life, I'm content:)

I also wanted to leave you guys with some pictures I recently took during one of our walks. The spring season on Capitol Hill is so alive with blooms around every corner. The residents here really take pride in their postage stamp-size yards, and I can never get enough of the colorful spreads. I came across this fuchsia the other day and was mesmerized.

The fuchsia that have yet to bloom remind me of pom-pom fringe or a Japanese lantern. I love how delicate they are yet bold in color - what a combo!

Isn't this amazing how it unfolds when it blooms? It looks like the roses you see on Harris Teeter birthday cakes (I always requested a rose when I was young when the cake was being cut!) Nature continues to put me in awe and it's such a great source of artistic inspiration. Whenever I am stuck on a project, I often head out the door for a run or walk to clear my head, and almost 9 out of 10 times I come back refreshed and with solutions and new ideas.

The last photo is from the recent DC Design House. Photos are permitted, but I snuck this one in. How I would love to have a room like this in my house (the Roman shades were made of burlap!). I can imagine returning from our Saturday morning walks and cozying up on this chaise to finish reading the paper.

I hope you all have a great weekend! It's suppose to rain here this weekend, but I think the Mister and I are going to take advantage of staying indoors and do a little tweaking around the house!

A SNEAK PEEK!

2011-05-11T12:51:00.001-07:00

I thought I'd give you a sneak peak of a project underway. We have just started to implement the design plan, so I'll share some photos of the progress so far.

This particular project entails redoing a dining room, living room, hallway and bedroom. We recently had the dining/living room area and hallway repainted including the stairs. It's amazing the difference just a little (well, relatively speaking) paint makes. My clients live in a beautiful row house on the Hill (with their absolutely adorable kids) that has most if not all the original architectural details. We are bringing in a new color scheme to the down stairs, hence the paint job, and we thought we'd give the stairs a little face lift as well.

Here is a shot of the fabrics and colors we are infusing in the new spaces.

As I mentioned before, these clients live in a beautiful row house with traditional details. However, their personal taste leans a bit more toward a modern, clean lined aesthetic. In order to mix the two styles (I believe that the architecture of a home needs to not necessarily match the interiors but they need to "speak" to each other) I selected a beautiful botanical embroidery that is a stylized, fresh take on the traditional botanical prints. I then paired the botanical with a great, textured, strie woven orangey/red fabric and pulled out the blue with a plain, woven accented with a graphic Greek Key trim. I can't wait to see these applied and in the room -stay tuned!

STAIRS BEFORE: I thought I had a picture, but I realized I didn't take one! Just imagine a walnut brown stain on these stairs....

STAIRS AFTER:

We are adding a sisal stair runner bound in a coral/red color, which will really pop against the black and white!

I also had two custom mantles designed and installed for this same client. When I first met with them, they had a fireplace in both the dining and living room areas downstairs but with no mantles. Now, they have a place to hang stockings!

FIREPLACE BEFORE:

FIREPLACE AFTER:

Adding a mantle really finished off the fireplace and gave the room more stature. There is a matching mantle in the dining area to the left of this one.

So that is a little teaser for now as there is more work to be done before the project is complete!

The Kiss That Was Seen Around the World

2011-04-29T07:07:00.000-07:00

(Via OK Magazine)

I was up with the rest of the country to watch the royal nuptials this morning. The Mister was sweet to join me after I enticed him with fresh coffee and bacon!

It cracks me up how the Today Show had a "count down to the kiss" ticker on the screen. Isn't kissing an expected part of any wedding ceremony? Rumor has it that Will is not a fan of PDA, so he was very gracious to offer up two kisses! Poor thing was blushing during the entire ceremony.

I only wish the best for Will and Kate. I cannot imagine what was going through Kate's head as she took those vows. She certainly looked the part of a princess and she seemed so at ease as she walked down the aisle.

PS. I love the little bridesmaid on the left in the photo above. It looks like she has had enough of the kissing spectacle!

Brillant!

2011-04-14T08:06:00.001-07:00

I know it's been a week or so since I lasted posted. Things are swimming along here over at Haddon Interiors. I'm juggling about 9 projects right now, and although I wish I could post some pictures to prove it, unfortunately completed, photo-ready projects take awhile to come to fruition. Soon very soon, I promise.

I'm in the middle of a kitchen renovation, and I look forward to sharing the before and after shots as it's a kitchen in a Capitol Hill row house (those kitchens are like playing a Tetris game since there is limited space). There are a few living room/dining room redesigns, a newly constructed breakfast nook and a fun basement project which entails chalkboard paint. So I hope you keep checking in for update photos on these projects.

I did want to share a fabulous ottoman I came across by the new Lilly Pulitzer furniture line. Even though I'm from the South, I was never a Lilly Pulitzer fan, however, I am loving their new furniture line debuting soon. I've been looking for a round, storage ottoman for a client for their living room. This has been somewhat difficult to find since storage ottomans are usually squares or rectangles where you can place the hinge on side. I was close to just designing something myself until I found this:

(via Real Simple - not available until this summer)

It's also the perfect size I've been hunting for - 36" in diameter. Of course I'm planning on having it reupholstered, but my client has a one year old and this will provide toy/shoe storage plus offer a safe, cushioned jungle gym for him to crawl all over. Thank you, Lilly Pulitzer!

A Few Inspirational Thoughts For Today

2011-03-31T07:43:00.000-07:00

Miami Heat

2011-03-21T10:32:00.000-07:00

It was hard to come back last week from Miami. Between the warm weather, sun, palm trees and salty ocean air coupled with the time change, it took me about a day and a half to get readjusted to DC. However, I'm grateful for the short stint down south, and I have a few memories to share!

I rented a car so I could explore the city while the Mister was working away, and my first destination was Miami's Design District. This area consisted of just a few blocks of showrooms and retail stores, and I stumbled upon some fantastic pieces of furniture and inspiration.

My first stop was the Christian Louboutin boutique - you couldn't miss this place as the exterior garden growing on the facade stops you in your tracks! I was first introduced to the store's exterior when I read about Habitually Chic's trip to Miami, and I knew I had to check it out for myself.

This is an interior wall of the boutique!

I immediately thought that the idea of growing a garden of orchids vertically would look incredible inside a hotel spa or even in a residential courtyard.

Next on my stop was the Ligne Roset showroom. Again, this showroom had an impressive exterior with its beautiful light blue tile work, Moroccan lanterns, and graphic balcony railing. This facade could easily translate to a personal home's beautiful loggia overlooking the ocean.

I love the painted blue ceiling to match the tile work.

One of my favorite stores I discovered was Monica James & Co. The owner has an amazing eye for selecting eclectic European antiques mixed with modern, fresh pieces. There wasn't much I didn't covet while perusing through the shop.

I spy some art from Natural Curiosities, one of my favorite art resources.

I love the color in these paintings by Paule Marrot.

Fabulous high-back love seat.

I love these fun side tables with the inlaid ivory sunbursts.

The manipulation of the wood on this mirror is stunning.

I also noticed as I traveled around Miami the abundance of flowering bougainvillea. The color was electric against the bright blue sky and vivid colors of Miami culture. You can never go wrong with hot pink. I loved how they created a wall using potted bougainvillea alongside this restaurant.

This was my first trip to Miami, and what I love about the city along with the amazing architecture was the international flavor. You are literally surrounded by all languages and rarely hear English. It happened to be spring break while we were there, which resulted in fun "people watching," but it also made us want to find the quaint streets. We stumbled on Española Way, a beautiful side street off of Washington Avenue, a few blocks over from the beach. This street was a haven in the midst of the skimpy bikini-and-stiletto-wearing-riding-moped types.

Española Way

We found a fabulous French cafe called A La Follie, and it is a must if you are in the South Beach area. The cafe atmosphere and food is pretty much straight from Paris. We ordered a savory and sweet crepe to share, and their fresh squeezed orange juice was topped with a bit of froth.

We decided to come back for one last breakfast before we flew out, and we spent the last few hours over our coffee, the NY Times and basking in the sun.

Fruits of Labor

2011-03-16T12:09:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite parts of my job besides creating the design plan for a space is picking up items from the workroom and delivering them to the client. It's like Christmas for me and I hope the same for my clients. I thought I'd share a few fun things I delivered to a couple of my clients today.

*I apologize for the poor quality on the photos - I just had my iPhone on me.

I've been working on a condo for the past year, and today I delivered a few more finishing touches.

I had this small secretary (utilized as a side table/desk) painted. It's a fun, whimsical addition to the room. Something to note - when having furniture professionally painted, it is best to use an oil-base paint as it creates a hardened layer and it is more difficult to chip than acrylic paint.

I purchased these coral velvet pillows a while back but added some tassel trim to make them a bit more exciting.

I had some lumbar pillows made in the same fabric that is on a club chair in the condo. The pillows add more color/print to the room and provides a comfortable seat for the window seats.

Last, I found this beautiful star burst mirror at Moss & Co. in Georgetown for another client. We are going to hang it over the headboard in a bedroom. I'll have to share a photo of it's final resting place once we get it hung.

Yes, I'm one of those...

2011-03-14T08:12:00.000-07:00

I watch the Bachelor. I've watched almost every season since it began when I was in college. I have fond memories of my best friends/roommates from college gathering around the television with wine and junk food anticipating the antics we would observe from this ridiculous show - and every year, we would yell at the t.v. at the insane girls who go on this show, throwing out our criticisms and opinions, and every year we would watch. I recall one year, my friend Kelly either had too much wine or just got too heated over the controversies that she broke a wine glass. We were loyal fans.

I just got in from Miami late last night, so I have lots to catch up on today. However, I will make sure by 8 pm that I will be situated in front of the t.v. to see who Brad picks. I think I can talk the Mister into joining me. He secretly likes to watch too:)

For now, enjoy this insightful graphic The Washington Post included today about the incredibly sad success rate this show has had in producing marriages. Still, despite statistics, I still watch.

Bienvenido a Miami

2011-03-08T08:31:00.000-08:00

I"m headed down to Miami tomorrow for a bit of sun and R&R for the rest of week. I hope to find some design inspiration to share with you when I return. Until then, I leave you with some Will "Fresh Prince" Smith lyrics as I'll be "jiggin it out" with the surf and sand:

Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah
Miami, uh, uh
Southbeach, bringin the heat, uh
Haha, can y'all feel that
Can y'all feel that
Jig it out, uh

Here I am in the place where I come let go
In Miami the base and the sunset low
Everyday like a mardi gras everybody party all day
No work all play okay
So we sip a little something leave the rest to spill
Bein' jolly at the bar running up a high hill
Nothin less than nil, we're addressed to kill
Everytime the ladies pass, they be like (Hi Will)
Can y'all feel me, all ages and races
Real sweet faces
Every different nation, Spanish, Haitian, Indian, Jamaican
Black, White, Cuban, and Asian
I only came for two days of playing
But every time I come I always wind up staying
This the type of town I could spend a few days in
Miami the city that keeps the roof blazing

Party in the city where the heat is on
All night on the beach till the break of dawn
Welcome to Miami (bienvenido a Miami)
Bouncing in the club where the heat is on
All night on the beach till the break of dawn
I'm going to Miami
Welcome to Miami

Yo I heard the rainstorms ain't nothin to mess with
But I can't feel a drip on the strip, it's a trip
Ladies half-dressed, fully equipped
And they be screaming out, (Will we loved your last hit)
So I'm thinking I'm a scoot me something hot
In this south-sea meringue melting pot
Hottest club in the city and it's right on the beach
Temperature get to ya it's about to reach
Five-hundred degrees
In the carribean seas, with the hot mommies
Screamin (ay, papi)
Every time I come to town, they be spotting me
In the drop top, there ain't no stopping me
So, cash in your dough
And flow to this fashion show
Pound for pound anywhere you go
Yo ain't no city in the world like this
An if you ask how I know I gots to plead the fifth

Party in the city where the heat is on
All night on the beach till the break of dawn
Welcome to Miami (bienvenido a miami)
Bouncing in the club where the heat is on
All night on the beach till the break of dawn
I'm going to Miami
Welcome to Miami

Don't get me wrong, Chi-town got it going on
And New York is the city that we know don't sleep
And we all know that L.A. and Philly stay jiggy
But on the sneak, Miami bringing heat for real
Y'all don't understand
I never seen so many Dominican women with cinnamon tans
MIRA this is the plan
Take a walk on the beach draw a heart in the sand
Gimmie your hand
Damn you look sexy
Let's go to my yacht in the West Keys
Ride my jet skis
loungin in the palm trees
Cause you gotta have cheese for the summerhouse piece on South Beach
Water's so clear you can see to the bottom
Hundred thousand dollar cars, every body got em
Ain't no surprise in the club to see Sly Stallone
Miami my second home

Party in the city where the heat is on
All night on the beach till the break of dawn
Welcome to Miami (bienvenido a miami)
Bouncing in the club where the heat is on
All night on the beach till the break of dawn
I'm going to Miami
Welcome to Miami
-repeat-

Party in the city where the heat is on!

"Lose Count"

2011-03-04T08:05:00.000-08:00

(designed by Penelope Bianchi)

I attended a designer's seminar last week at the fabulous shop, Timothy Paul Bedding + Home, on 14th Street. Grace, and the ladies, hosted a rep. from SFERRA to come speak about sheets and share some bedding tips and tricks. I walked away thinking, "who knew!?," and I had a whole new outlook on sheets and bedding, which I look forward to sharing with my clients.

SFERRA is a leading manufacturer in luxury bedding and they know their stuff! They currently have a campaign called "Lose Count," which challenges the philosophy that the higher the thread count, the better the sheets. Yes, my dears, that is actually incorrect! The rep. explained that the thread count is only part of the equation to luxury bedding, but the part that is of utmost importance is the quality of the thread. Makes sense, right?

You could buy 500 thread count sheets at Target, but if the thread is crappy, the sheets will feel crappy. SFERRA's sheets are made from the highest quality cotton, which is found along the Nile River in Egypt. This cotton is considered the best because the cotton fiber is one of the longest in the world, and the longer fiber produces a smoother, stronger, finer yarn when it is spun.

(designed by Alessandra Branca)

The other interesting tid-bits I took away is how you should select sheets. Again, it's not about the thread count, but what type of feel you want. Some people love crisp, ironed sheets and others loves soft, silky sheets. Both can have the same thread count and be made from the same quality cotton, but the difference in feel comes from the way the yarn is spun. There are percale sheets which gives you that crisp feel, then there is sateen, which provides an extremely soft finish and jacquard that creates a fine, subtle weave pattern. Another option is linen woven sheets. This type is more popular in Europe, and because it's a breathable fabric, it will acclimate to your body temperature. How divine! But they do get wrinkled really easy.

(designed by Michael Smith)

Last, the way you care for sheets is extremely important in maintaining the feel and longevity of the sheets. I'm sure most of you throw them in the washer and then dry them regularly in the dryer. I do! Apparently, the best way to care for your sheets is to wash them in warm water on a gentle cycle with a cold water rinse. Then to dry, put them in the dryer on low for only 3-4 minutes. Take them out and hang them either over a door, a banister, etc. and let them finish drying. I actually tried this out with my cheap sheets, and I could tell a difference. Plus, it helps with them not getting extremely wrinkled. If you choose, you can iron them. The SFERRA rep actually said he puts the fitted sheet on the bed, and then runs an iron over the sheets while on the bed. Brilliant!

So, bottom line is - a little bit of elbow grease makes a difference!

Come Away With Me....

2011-02-17T08:45:00.000-08:00

With the 70 degree weather in the forecast, I know I'm not the first to say that I'm ready for spring! I've never been a winter girl. The Mister knows there is no way I could move more north or farther away from the beach. So while I know that we have several more weeks of cold weather and no vacation in sight, I'm going to take these few days of warm sun and dream about being somewhere else.

When I die, I often hope that heaven is just like St. Barts. The Mister and I went to St. Barts for our honeymoon, and I honestly thought I had died and gone to heaven. He kept it a secret from me and didn't reveal the final destination until we had landed in St. Maarten and boarding a tiny prop plane. So let me take a few minutes of your time while I indulge myself and introduce you to St. Barts....

St. Barts is a small island, only 9 miles long, which allows you to easily go to a different beach each day - how luxurious! The best way, and to be honest the only way to get around the island, is to rent a car. We rented a fun little jeep that we took all over the island and discovered every nook and cranny.

The other interesting thing about St. Barts is there is a limited amount of hotels, and most people rent small villas or apartments. We used St. Barts Properties and rented one of their two bedroom villas that had amazing amenities such as your own pool, hot tub and ocean view.

(Villa Poirer)

Most of the larger hotels on the island are über glamorous and also über expensive, but they also host some wonderful restaurants. We decided to cook at our villa most of the week as we had fun going out to the supermarché every day and exercising the wee bit of French we know. However, we did make reservations during the end of our trip to have dinner at the Hotel St. Barts Isle de France ,which is located right on the ocean in the Flamands Bay. We dined at their delicious open-air restaurant, La case de l'Ilse that looks right out on to the beach.

(Le case de l'Ilse)

The hotel's rooms are beautifully designed, and you have an option to reserve either a single room, a junior suite, a bungalow or private villa - all of which have either a view of Flamands Bay or of the lush flora and fauna of the island. I would love to splurge and book a junior suite at this hotel for our next trip!

(Jr. Suite at St. Barts Hotel Isle de France)

As we spent the week exploring, we discovered out favorite beach, Colombier. You have to be a bit adventurous to find this beach because the only way to get there is park your jeep and take a 30 minute hike off the beaten trail. It's a beautiful hike as you really get a sense of the topography of the island, and right when you are too hot and sweaty to go any further, you emerge onto a beautiful, secluded beach. It's like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, I'm not kidding!

(Colombier Beach)

We also decided to poke around at the Eden Rock Hotel, located right off of St. Jean Beach. Eden Rock Hotels are located all over the world and are the go-to hotels for celebrities, and the St. Barts location is no exception. We literally walked by Usher as he was headed back to his lounge chair with then girlfriend, now ex-wife, Tameka Foster Glover. At first I didn't think twice, but then it hit me as he passed by. It was just me, the Mister and Usher. I could have done the typical celebrity-sighting response - run up to him in tears and ask him to sign my bikini top, but I chose to let him have his vacation. We ended up being on the same plane as we headed home, and let me just say that I think Usher owns every piece of Louis Vuitton luggage! Bottom line - even if you can't afford to stay there, you should be nosey Nancys like us and check the place out. You never know who you will run into!

Last thing to wrap up this long post (thanks for sticking with me!). I am mentally planning our next trip (I hope the Mister reads this post!) as our 5 year anniversary is coming up..ahem. I thought I'd pick out a few outfits from the oh so appropriate company Calypso St. Barts. Here are just a few things I would like to take on my ~~next~~ upcoming trip....

(all photos via Calypso St. Bart)

TGIF!

2011-01-28T07:26:00.000-08:00

It's Friday and snowing again! We are having a few friends over for dinner tonight, and I'm excited as I plan to play this game while enjoying our never-ending burning fireplace! Enjoy your weekend.

A Real Steal

2011-01-25T18:46:00.000-08:00

I'm a deal/bargain hunter. It's in my genes. I remember going to the grocery store with my dad and waiting as he compared the brand name cereal box with the grocery store brand cereal box. I do preface that statement with the fact that I do think money should be spent when quality is key like in a sofa or a good upholstery job, but I don't mind if my Apple Jacks are Apple Jokes.

So...when I came across these cute ballet flats from Gap that are almost identical to the ballet flats at J. Crew, I felt a wave of delight. I am a loyal J. Crew fan, but I'm usually a loyal J. Crew-on-sale fan, and these puppies are not on sale at $128. I think I may have to root for the other team and grab these Gap flats at $50!

J. Crew at $128

Gap at $50

Worth a Re-Post!

2011-01-20T09:40:00.000-08:00

I try and not re-post posts from other blogs, but when I came across the news via I Suwanne that Room and Board is offering the iconic Wishbone Chair by Wegner in a myriad of delicious colors, I had to post it! This is my dream chair for my dining table, however at $900 a pop, I'm looking at acquiring one every 10 years. For now, I'm just going to post this photo on my inspiration board at my office and start buying a few lottery tickets.

(via I Suwannee)

Look at all these delightful colors! I love the simple lines, and although it may look uncomfortable, I've sat in one and the chair truly embraces you.

(via Style Files)

(via Star Property)

Freshen Up

2011-01-14T15:43:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I know I'm a day late and dollar short, but I've been easing into 2011. We had a fun, but crazy holiday season as we had house guests two days before we left for Oklahoma for Christmas and house guests the day we got back from OK up until a week after New Year's. Don't get me wrong, it was a blast between visiting my in-laws and opening the doors to Hotel Ivey, but it's taken me a few weeks to recuperate.

However, I'm back, refreshed and excited about this new year. I met with my book keeper the first week back to work to make sure all my books were in order, ordered new business cards, office supplies, etc. I think the start of the new year makes me reminisce about the start of the school year - a great reason for new clothes and new supplies!

And speaking of new....I've added a few fun new things around the house. Our house seemed a bit empty once we took down all the Christmas decorations, so I was excited to quickly start sprucing things up.

First off, I've been hunting all over for a sideboard/bar for our dining room. I came across this beauty on Craigslist for a steal. The previous owner is actually a dealer in the decorative arts, and he had picked up this 1960's post-modern cabinet at an auction in Baltimore.

A similar cabinet was used in a room designed by Celerie Kemble. She had the medallions gold leafed, which look spectacular. I may have to think about gold leafing mine!

My fabulous husband also surprised me with the painting you see above the bar for Christmas. I walked into one of my favorite home furnishing stores and locked eyes with the beauty as soon as I stepped through the door. Being it Christmas, and you are suppose to be shopping for others, I decided to take a picture of it and just dream about it in my house. However, the Mister snuck away one afternoon bought it for me as my Christmas gift. I look at it lovingly every day.

Last, but not least, we finally got our fireplace renovation completed! When the Mister and I were hunting for our house, a fireplace was listed as top priority. Unfortunately, when we bought the house, the fireplace had been plastered over. However, we soon discovered that we could restore it. So we pulled the plaster off to expose the beautiful brick, built up the brick so it would be a proportionate, safe opening and did a little internal chimney work. It's small, but it puts off a lot of heat and a lot of ambiance!

I'm looking forward to these next few quiet, cold months by the fire and the bar!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T11:40:00.000-08:00

See you in the new year!

Christmas at the Iveys

2010-12-13T09:43:00.000-08:00

We kicked off the Christmas season with a little party thrown at our house Saturday night. Ever since I was little, I've been obsessed with the 1940s, '50s and '60s. Talk about a child born in the wrong decade. I even had a huge crush on Elvis when I was 12. I have no idea where this love came from, but I always have loved the glamour and the air of formality that followed in those decades. Women took time to dress up, parties were top notch and the music during that time was fabulous. So I tell you all this because we decided to have a theme with our party - "Festive and '40s." We asked everyone to dress up in their best 1940s Christmas attire, and we had Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Louis Prima and the like serenade us into the night. Our friends really got into it, and the last person left around 1 am! Sadly I didn't take a ton of photos as I was having too much fun, but here are a few:

(me and Meriwether)

(Laura and Amanda)

(the dapper Gatewoods and Meriwether)

(Rita Hayworth, Grace Kelly, and Katherine Hepburn)

(Collins, Cassidy, and Austin)

The weekend before we spent getting the house decorated. We got our Christmas tree from a great farm out in Round Hill, VA called Snickers Gap. It's a beautiful ride out to the countryside, and the farm provides you with a saw and rope. Then you can either take a hay ride out to the trees or just walk to find your perfect tree to chop. I went with a Blue Spruce this year because I loved the color of it. However, I don't think I'll go this route again as the needles are extra sharp. We had to wear gloves when decorating the tree!

I decided to go simple with our decorations this year, as the renovations took it out of me. I did a simple garland going up the stairs, garland on the front door along with a wreath on the front door and wreath over the fireplace. We weren't able to get our fireplace and mantel fixed in time, so next year I look forward to hanging stockings. It's amazing how just a little Christmas greenery makes a house light up. I wish I could keep it all year round!

TERRAIN

2010-12-08T09:05:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty sure I'm not alone when I tell you that I can spend hours in Anthropologie. Between their fabulous clothes, quirky home goods and genius visual displays, time easily escapes me. I try to add a few pieces from the store to my wardrobe a couple times of year, but I consistently go back to see what kind of new baubles and what-nots they have in their home section to bring home with me. So, I was excited when I heard that the over arching company Urban Outfitters, Inc. (who owns Anthro, Free People, and Leifsdottir) has started up a new lifestyle brand, Terrain, which hones in on home and garden products.

Since I have not visited Terrain (yet), I did a little Google research and found some photos from the great blog Oh Joy!. You can go to her blog and read in more detail about this little jewel.

(image via OhJoy!)

Their flagship store is located right outside of Philadelphia, and my friends Melissa and Ian had the opportunity to pop by. They came home with beautiful poinsettias and a gorgeous arrangement of paper whites.

Here is what my wish list:

I think this calls for a weekend trip to Philly soon so I can see what all the hype is about. I know I won't be disappointed!

An Early New Year Resolution

2010-12-07T11:01:00.000-08:00

Where the heck have I been you ask? Busy. Plain and simple. I do hate that my blog posts have been so infrequent, but the good news is that I've been busy with client work. I also just returned from hearing Micheal Boodro, the Editor-in-Chief of Elle Decor magazine, speak at the Washington Design Center this morning. He spoke about Elle Decor's efforts to keep up with the new-media frontier aka. the Internet and the demands that the Internet puts on the design world. Let me tell you, it was a kick in the pants for me!

With the so many great design resources online now, both clients and designers have inspiration and resources at their fingertips. Immediacy and instant gratification are the new expectation. I have a whole other post to write about that, but just note that for now. Elle Decor is staying ahead with their recent revamp of their web site Elledecor.com. It now offers "look books"of different rooms, links to popular articles that are in their current issues, archives, and even a Designer Registry where a potential client can search within their area to find a designer that fits their needs - this is obviously a great tool for the designer to in reaching out to new clients.

All this got me thinking. I'm on Facebook, I try to Twitter, and well, I struggle to blog. Michael's lecture has put a fire under my rear, and I'm publicly committing to blog and Twitter at least 3 times a week. I think that is fair. I am a designer first and foremost, so my client work takes priority, but I also desire to share with you my projects, resources, and experiences. I've got some exciting projects to share in the near future plus some past experiences I need to post. So stayed tune. I promise!

Font Fun

2010-11-10T11:08:00.000-08:00

Having graphic design in my background, I have always been fond of fonts. I love stationary, cards, posters, signs, etc. Fonts are the body language of letters - a curve here, a funny angle there - a font can communicate so much about a place, a store, a restaurant, a person. You get the picture.

So I was estatic when I came across this awesome, easy to use new online tool that allows you to write in your own personal alphabet using your own handwriting style to create a personalized font that you can use to send emails. The website is called PilotHandwriting.

You simply print out a template, write in the letters, then scan/or photo the template, upload it to the computer and voila! Your own font. Here is the how-to video:

Here is what mine looks like, although I think I wrote them in too small:

Now I just can't get distracted all afternoon creating new fonts!

William Yeoward

2010-10-13T05:48:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago I attended a presentation/book signing at the Washington Design Center starring the British designer, William Yeoward. Yeoward was in DC to debut his third book, William Yeoward At Home, which takes the reader through his home in the Cotswolds and his urban flat in London. Both homes are filled with his fine crystal and beautiful upholstery and textiles. He was also here to debut his furniture line now available to the US!

I was not very familiar with Yeoward before he came to Washington as all his designs were sold only in the UK. However, he has recently established a relationship with Edward Ferrell + Lewis Mittman to bring his products to the US and, they are available to the trade through showrooms in NY, Atlanta and DC.

William Yeoward at the EF+LM showroom

William is not only a charming Brit (his presentation was hilarious!) but an amazing designer as well. His humble philosophy of what makes good design makes me want to buy as much as possible from him. He began making furniture because he didn't have the means to buy expensive, hand-crafted furniture, so he thought, why not just try his hand at making it!

His designs have a unique quality that balances a respect for the British traditions with a modern, whimsical approach to the design. I'm actually using his Asti Extending table in a current project of mine, and I'm excited as it was the perfect table for the project. I've posted several pictures of his items below that will give you a good sense of these cheery designs.

A chair with some personality! I love the lines and how the curves of the top are repeated in the cushion and seat of the frame. Leave it to William to take "paying attention to detail" to another level!

Love the scale of this chair and the use of mixed patterns.

This handsome table is the one I'm using for a client project. Isn't he dashing? One of Yeoward's crystal lamps on top - truly a work of art.

I can just picture this as a banquet for a dining nook. Perfect proportions.

This is a chair you could sit in for hours around a long meal with lots of wine.

Another fabulous crystal lamp.

Also, the most recent issue of Elle Decor highlighted Yeoward and his new US presence.

Come On In!

2010-09-28T16:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I've finally taken a few shots of the house since phase 1 has been completed. I say phase 1 because we have about 5 more phases to go (my poor husband:). I do have to put in a disclaimer that these shots are not styled, our house has a long way to go, and I only had a few minutes to take these pictures so they are not the best. I feel a bit vulnerable opening the door for you all. It feels a bit like an artist showing a painting that they haven't finished yet, but I guess a house is like a painting in that it's never done and always evolving. However I had a lot of you ask to see updated pictures so here it goes:

Here is the front of the house. We still need to do some more landscaping, but mulch comes in handy when you don't have much time and your first house guests are showing up in a few hours! If you don't remember the "before" photo, the house was painted red with peeling paint.

Max likes his new digs and loves visitors! Here is a shot of the finished tile work - I love it! It's perfect for muddy paws and shoes.

The "foyer" - I was so excited to get my star light hung - this is one of my favorite pendants! The design of it fits a variety of styles. We plan to get a radiator cover made for the hall so we can have a entry table with a mirror - a place to drop keys and make sure your lipstick is on straight before heading out the door!

Here is another shot of the front hallway. I chose to paint the stairs black and white to add a graphic punch to the entry. Stairs are a great place to have a little fun.

The living room - This isn't the best photo as I was in a bit of a hurry. I know some people think it's crazy to have all white furniture with dogs and future-kids, but you CAN do it when the furniture is slip-covered. I'm a believer that you shouldn't be afraid to use your furniture. Let's be honest, no one lives in a showroom.

We are going to put in built-in bookshelves on either side of the fireplace that will house all our books and our television. I'm on the hunt for the perfect piece of art to hang above the fireplace. For the mantle, we are going to put up a simple, reclaimed wood mantle. Our house has clean, modern lines, but I wanted to warm up the interior by using lots of natural materials, so this type of mantle fits the bill. Here is an example of what we are going after:

(photo via Amy Morris Interiors)

The dining room - We still are in need of furniture for the dining room. Again to go along with the rustic yet simple design I chose a farm table for our dining room. Our house is not formal, and I've always had visions of enjoying dinner around a long farm table with friends packed in like sardines. I am still looking for a sideboard so I can put up a mirror and lamps, and I need a set of 8 chairs. For now, the dining room houses my bike:) I think the bike is an accessory itself!

This French lantern is going over the farm table. Unfortunately it's been back ordered 3 times! Good things come to those who wait.

The kitchen - The orignal kitchen had new cabinets and new appliances, but the cabinets were oak and the floors were old linoleum. I couldn't wait to change this room! While we were gone on vacation, we had the walls painted Benjamin Moore's Edgecombe Gray and the cabinets White Dove. It's amazing how paint transformed this kitchen! We also getting rid of the table in there and putting in an island/bar. The design of the kitchen is not ideal for cooking, so to save money I'm adding an island that will provide more prep space but it will also be a place for friends to pull up, sit and chat.

I also had the painters pull down four cabinets because we are adding open shelving on the large wall space below.

Chalkboard paint...gotta have it!

The office - I'm just showing you the office upstairs as the bedrooms are not ready at all for any type of reveal. Our guest room is housing all our books in boxes until we can get the bookshelves built and the master bedroom, well, I'm having a creative block with that room.

This room is where I work most of the time, but I do share the space with the Mister at times so I couldn't go too feminine. I wanted a cozy room but still something creative and playful. It's still a bit of a mess as I we haven't fully organized it yet. I need to find another desk for the Mister as he is using the small drop-leaf table for now.

Again, gotta have the chalkboard paint!

I love sitting by the window as I work. There is something psychological about being near a window in a room. My desk is a mess - don't judge.

So there you go! We still need pictures hung, pillows to buy, and a few more minor construction projects, but I'll make to sure to post our progress.