Monday, October 29, 2012
#Sandy
We are hunkering down here along with everyone else on the east coast awaiting Sandy's arrival! We stocked up on wine, chocolate and other important survival elements. Although I'm not excited to see what Sandy will bring upon us, it was nice to have a slow morning. Cozy is a favorite word around our house, so that is what we will be doing the next few days....getting cozy and riding the storm out.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Drybar Comes to Washington!
I kept reading updates on blogs and various local websites touting that the well-known Drybar would be putting down roots in DC this fall. However, an opening date was never mentioned. So when this little photo shoot I had yesterday was booked, I prayed that the Drybar would be open as I now had a great excuse to try it out:) Lucky for me, they debuted last Friday.
If you have been living under a rock, and haven't heard of Drybar, its goal is simple. Blowouts for $40. That's it. You can select from 8 different styles, and they will wash, dry and style your hair. Brilliant!
Their studio is sleek and chic in design, and as I sipped my Starbucks and watched The Devil Wears Prada while simultaneously reading the details of the awful break up of Jef and Emily in the latest US Weekly, I thought to myself...I could get use to this!
You can get an appointment as early as 7 am. My appointment was at 7:45 am and I walked out about an hour later. I was running a bit late as my appointment was scheduled to be over at 8:20 am, but I couldn't get testy because it was worth the extra 25 min to finish reading my article....
If you have been living under a rock, and haven't heard of Drybar, its goal is simple. Blowouts for $40. That's it. You can select from 8 different styles, and they will wash, dry and style your hair. Brilliant!
You can get an appointment as early as 7 am. My appointment was at 7:45 am and I walked out about an hour later. I was running a bit late as my appointment was scheduled to be over at 8:20 am, but I couldn't get testy because it was worth the extra 25 min to finish reading my article....
Monday, October 22, 2012
MANIC monday!
I only WISH I looked this put together, calm and graceful today. Instead, I'm running around like a chicken with my head cutoff!!!!! If I had this outfit on, I'd have a long, coffee drip on the front of that beautiful white shirt by now...
I've been rushing around all day to prep for a photo shoot at Chez Ivey tomorrow!! Details to come soon, I promise ;)
Monday, October 15, 2012
Think Outside the Box
There are definitely rules to follow in design such as don't push all your furniture up against a wall, ambient lighting is always a good idea over harsh overhead lights and balance, scale and proportion are elements that cannot be overlooked.
However, there are rules you can and sometimes should break such as everything does not have to be symmetrical (try using odd numbers 3,5,7 etc), negative space can be as powerful as positive space, and the one rule I want to talk about today is that a space doesn't always require a sofa. I'm a firm believer that a room will often tell you what it wants....you just have to listen to it, and a room should function based on how you and your family live in it, not based on what all the blogs or magazines are showing.
So to exercise my point, I want to share a project I finished up last year. My clients had just relocated from a loft in Chicago to a row house on Capitol Hill-two very different spaces. As much as I love the patina, character and quirks of old row houses, they can also pose some challenges to modern day living like really small rooms and off-centered fireplaces.
Exhibit A: The Before
EEK! The house had been "flipped" by a developer, and my clients loved the house except for this front room. Don't let the floor to ceiling bathroom tile around the fireplace charm you, because we ripped that sucker out. It was like a huge, ugly wart that "welcomed" you into the house. Apparently, the said developer was very proud of this masterpiece. I wish I had a picture of the "fireplace" in use as it was basically a mirror that reflected an orange light when the switch was flipped. Are you kidding me??? My clients and I had a lot of fun laughing over that one.
Besides the fireplace, the room was also a bit challenging because the fireplace was in the corner, a radiator sat between the windows on the opposing walls, and the other four walls were open to the hallway and kitchen. Thus, leaving us no suitable wall to place a sofa or even float a sofa as we'd cut off the entrance to the other adjoining rooms.
My clients said this room would be for entertaining as they used another room as their TV/family room. So the solution....
Exhibit B:
We used four, comfortable chairs around a fabulous coffee table instead of the usual sofa and chair combo. This round floor plan maximized the space in the room without making the room feel crammed. I'm sure you also noticed the wart is gone and replaced with a custom, traditional mantle and stone surround. We added a console along the back wall and tucked two small storage ottomans underneath that can serve as additional seating if needed.
I don't have a great shot of their small hallway, but if you look through the mirror above you can see that we used a fabulous printed Phillip Jefferies wallpaper that really makes that area sing upon entering the house.
So if you are stuck on the layout of a room, think outside the box a bit. It's more fun to break the rules anyway:)
However, there are rules you can and sometimes should break such as everything does not have to be symmetrical (try using odd numbers 3,5,7 etc), negative space can be as powerful as positive space, and the one rule I want to talk about today is that a space doesn't always require a sofa. I'm a firm believer that a room will often tell you what it wants....you just have to listen to it, and a room should function based on how you and your family live in it, not based on what all the blogs or magazines are showing.
So to exercise my point, I want to share a project I finished up last year. My clients had just relocated from a loft in Chicago to a row house on Capitol Hill-two very different spaces. As much as I love the patina, character and quirks of old row houses, they can also pose some challenges to modern day living like really small rooms and off-centered fireplaces.
Exhibit A: The Before
EEK! The house had been "flipped" by a developer, and my clients loved the house except for this front room. Don't let the floor to ceiling bathroom tile around the fireplace charm you, because we ripped that sucker out. It was like a huge, ugly wart that "welcomed" you into the house. Apparently, the said developer was very proud of this masterpiece. I wish I had a picture of the "fireplace" in use as it was basically a mirror that reflected an orange light when the switch was flipped. Are you kidding me??? My clients and I had a lot of fun laughing over that one.
Besides the fireplace, the room was also a bit challenging because the fireplace was in the corner, a radiator sat between the windows on the opposing walls, and the other four walls were open to the hallway and kitchen. Thus, leaving us no suitable wall to place a sofa or even float a sofa as we'd cut off the entrance to the other adjoining rooms.
My clients said this room would be for entertaining as they used another room as their TV/family room. So the solution....
Exhibit B:
We used four, comfortable chairs around a fabulous coffee table instead of the usual sofa and chair combo. This round floor plan maximized the space in the room without making the room feel crammed. I'm sure you also noticed the wart is gone and replaced with a custom, traditional mantle and stone surround. We added a console along the back wall and tucked two small storage ottomans underneath that can serve as additional seating if needed.
So if you are stuck on the layout of a room, think outside the box a bit. It's more fun to break the rules anyway:)
Friday, October 12, 2012
Happy Friday!
I'm loving these new bowls from Ikea! With it's dark, glamourous finish, they look like something Zara Home would carry. These would be fantastic to use for a fall table setting as the warm brass interior would warm up any tablescape!
So sorry for the lack of posts this week....it was a busy one! I'm working on some exciting new projects that I hope to share in the coming months. I also have a fun surprise to share in a couple of weeks.....hang in there. Happy Friday!
Monday, October 8, 2012
It's Coming...!!!!
Zara Home is coming to the US TOMORROW! I first walked into a Zara Home years ago when the Mister and I were in Rome. I could have bought everything, but we were on a back-packing trip so while I did entertain the thought of finding a way to stuff blankets, bowls and other what-nots into my bag, I decided to pass. However, I emailed their customer service asking if a USA location was in the works, and I got a big fat no. So you must understand how thrilled I am that we will have online access beginning tomorrow.
If you aren't familiar with Zara Home, it's similar to Ikea but with a more chic, European influence rather than the clean-lined, Scandinavian vibe Ikea offers. So please go check it out so you don't miss out!
Friday, October 5, 2012
YEWOW! It's the weekend!
I love my job, but I love 5 o'clock on Friday evenings too:) It's been a long, full week and I'm looking forward to our weekend routine of sleeping in, taking Max to the park armed with pastries and coffee from P&C Market!
I see that it will be chilly on Sunday, so I'm begging the Mister that we have our first fire of the season...Have a great weekend!
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