Rolling in the Deep

Repinned this painting after I saw it on Kerry Steele's boards.  God bless etsy and moody blues.

Happy weekend!  Stay cool.  LYLAS!

-Bethany

If you are looking for help with your home, we'd love to work with you! Contact us for a listing of our services and prices. 

 Nancy and Bethany

Why it Works

When I poured over the new Traditional Home in the mail, my eyes quickly skimmed the pages and forgot this image as soon as I saw the next.  Except when I went back for a second look.

My first impression as I glanced at this room was "model-home" decor. But as I started to notice a few personal faves (the covetable Hermes throw, the La Fiorentina romans in the background) I realized I really love this room (by Jeff Andrews).

It's not this room, busy and interesting and full of movement.

But I love it separately.  And my first impression was wrong.  I love when that happens!  That's how you I learn.

Why it works:

It's BRAGG at its best!

Black accents (coffee table legs and pendant lighting) ground the room.

The sisal Rug adds texture.

The painting on the right wall adds a touch of Art

Greenery around the room, from the topiaries to the floral arrangements, gives life to the space.

Glass front cabinets and stainless appliances give a reflective glow in the room.

Do you ever see a room that doesn't strike any kind of chord at first, and then upon second glance, has you changing your mind?

-Bethany

If you are looking for help with your home, we'd love to work with you! Contact us for a listing of our services and prices. 

 Nancy and Bethany

Art Tour Part IV: Versailles

 We've been seeing a lot of posts about Paris, and clearly those who have gone, or lust to go are growing in leaps and bounds.  I just did a post about the Musee D'Orsay last month, so I don't want to reiterate too much.  (Is that possible to overdo Paris? I don't think so.)

Here is a photo journal of the day my son Michael and I went to Versailles.  Enjoy!

a typical parisian breakfast

The trip took about an hour by train from our hotel in Paris.

The walk to the Palace from the train brings you through this lovely town.

The lines to tour the interior of the Palace were miles long, so we opted to tour the gardens...

and

we

were

glad

we

did!

The grand pool is a mile long and 203 feet wide.

You must include a stop at a boulangerie on the way home!

Au revoir!

-Nancy

If you are looking for help with your home, we'd love to work with you!

 Contact us for a listing of our services and prices.

 Nancy and Bethany

New Project Alert : One Room Challenge!

Thanks to our dear friend Linda, we've signed ourselves up for yet another project of massive proportions :

Here's the deal : We signed up to participate in a month-long challenge offered to 20 fearless bloggers to finish or re-do one room in their house.  You know how that goes…. everyone seems to have at least one room in their abode that they keep meaning to update, or are just almost there but not quite.  This challenge goes out to all of you us that need to have a fire lit under us to FINISH THAT ROOM.

When :  The challenge kicks off today and will last 6 weeks.  Each Wednesday, the participants of the challenge will post an update complete with snags, snaffus, progress reports and pics!  The 'reveals' will be posted on August 1st.

Who : See list below of my fellow gluttons for punishment.  Be sure to check out their progress and war stories, too! 

What Room :  Bethany's master bedroom!  

I read a fabulous quote from none other than American apparelist Michael Kors that really struck a kord … He asked why it is that we always leave our most treasured, private area [the master bedroom] to last?  We spend too much time there to not have it dressed properly.

So true I thought when I read it and have been thinking about it ever since.  When this challenge presented itself I figured it was the perfect way to just get it done. Nothing like a little peer-pressure (and a professional photo shoot for our portfolio later this summer) to light a fire.

The Plan(s) : 

Neutral Territory.

-OR-


'Switzerland in Coral'

I want a generally neutral room.  The first option is just that.  But after falling in love with the perfect chenille velvet this weekend (see Instagram pics at right), I'm leaning towards incorporating an arbitrary pop of coral in my room.  It makes me happy.  And I like that the smokey neutrals don't necessarily "go" with the coral.  But I don't know which one to choose.  Mr. Switzerland is going to require a lot of work from our workroom to do a roman shade and curtains.  And the zebra rug is a bit distracting.  But I might get bored easily with Neutral Territory.  The plus is that the curtains can be store-bought and the sheer roman would be pretty easy to do ourselves. 


 The walls will be a light grey-white with a smokey brown-grey on the ceiling.  The rattan light fixture is being converted to hardwire as we speak so the only decisions left to be made are which rug and which window treatments to use.


Your input is welcome!


Wish me luck.


Check back next Wednesday for an update.

And be sure to check out what everyone else is doing.

Goodluck to:

Beth - Chinoiserie Chic

Lauren - The Cottage Mix

Sherry - Design Indulgence

Lindsay - Everything LEB

Barbara - Hodge:Podge

Kim - Kim Macumber Interiors

Lisa - Lisa Mende Design

Tiffany - Living Savvy

Jessie - Mix & Chic

Linda - My Crafty Home Life 

Danylle - Nana Moon

Nicole - Nicole Scott Designs
Julia-Pawleys Island Posh

Jennifer - The Pink Pagoda

Lindsay - The Pursuit of Style

Emily - Rue de Emily 

Lindsay - Sadie + Stella

Lisa - Trapped in North Jersey

-Bethany

Check out the updates each week:   Week 2,  Week 3,  Week 4,  Week 5

#decisionmakinghell

#eekimexcited

#anotherproject?

If you are looking for help with your home, we'd love to work with you! Contact us for a listing of our services and prices. Nancy and Bethany

Sunroom Pillow Update

I needed pillows for my sofa that I upholstered with drop cloths here, and I asked you all to vote here.  I totally loved hearing your input!  This is the pillow grouping you all voted as number 1:

The pillows in this picture total about $400.00, and since I only paid $60 in materials to redo the sofa ( which the cats and dog lounge on daily)  this is what I ended up with from World Market for under $50.00. The orange pillow is a dotted fabric that reverses to gold-ish yellow dots.  The floral is very similar to Schumacher's Hot House Flowers I've been dying over.   I had the two navy faux-imperial trellis pillows from Home Depot already. I need to get a throw with orange/rust colors next.

Thank you so much for your votes, and I am happy with the look I achieved for less.  Now I need to come up with the PERFECT pillows for my living room sofa, and I am willing to spend more on those.  I've spent as much as $200 on a Trina Turk pillow before and felt a tad guilty about that.  What's the most expensive pillow  you've bought?

-Nancy

Happy 3rd Anniversary to my darling Bethany and her husband!

If you are looking for help with your home, we'd love to work with you! Contact us for a listing of our services and prices. 

 Nancy and Bethany

Irrepressible Freshness

I saw this phrase in the May issue of Traditional Home and it stuck with me. It brings to mind these beautiful images.

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

Have a great week! Look for our next GIVEAWAY coming soon!

-Nancy

If you are looking for help with your home, we'd love to work with you! Contact us for a listing of our services and prices.

 Nancy and Bethany

My "happy place"

Funny how you're so attached to "home" you feel you can't leave. Now after a week's vacation at the beach, I'm home, but I don't like it! You know how it takes a few days to get rid of your old routine and into the new, well, it's going to take the weekend to fall in love with my home again.  Here are some pictures of a day at Bethany Beach, DE.  My perfect day starts with a walk up to McCabes for  a latte and white chocolate raspberry scone.  

Then a short hike up to the beach ( through blazing hot sand!)

I love this beach which is on state park land. There were just a handful of umbrellas this week; pretty empty for mid June.  They say the rush starts the week before the 4th of July.

Dolphins graced our view.

Back to the family beach house 'til dinner.

 We either cooked on the grill, dined at Blue Coast Restaurant or grabbed local crab cakes and boardwalk fries.

Just quiet, relaxing and absolutely beautiful. 

Have a lovely weekend. I hope each of you gets to go to  your happy place this summer!

-Nancy

If you are looking for help with your home, we'd love to work with you! Contact us for a listing of our services and prices.

 Nancy and Bethany

Week in Review : Animal House Edition

Happy Friday people!

I know I'm excited for the weekend.

The Mister and I have been staying at my parent's house while they are away at the beach.  We love to do it, usually it feels like we're the ones taking a vacation.

I love walking out the bedroom door and feeding the horses in my PJ's, cooling off in the pool or soothing aches in the hot tub and just enjoying the piece and quiet of their property.

But there's no vacationing for us this time.

This time, the animals are revolting.
Archimedes has taken to trashing the house while we sleep.

The pool is like bath water because of the sweltering heat.  I found I'd rather just take a bath and be clean than sit in hot chemicals.

Back at our homestead, the water heater called it quits on us.

Oh and I had the vet out because my horse has an infected tick bite in his armpit.  Poor guy.  But nothing that 50 pills twice a day can't fix.  Yep, 50.

I had to wait to post this, since lord knows Mom would be reading from a far, and I didn't want her to think twice about vacation.  Luckily for me she comes home today.  I'm missing my partner in crime.

By that time, I think I'll need a drink.

Of this this variety.

Back to all the glittery, wonderful things in blog-land.  

You all are familiar with Coco and her fabulously trendy textile line and adorable blog penned straight from the Hollywood Hills, right?

She posted a great article on how to 'throw' a throw.

I heart this post so much. Just like the tutorials online about the '80 ways to tie a scarf'.  I love tutorials.  It made me wanna get my throw and try it.

Except that I accidentally included my mohair throw in a load of linens to be washed and it is now the size of a small place mat... so I will not be testing these throw positions any time soon.

Try 'em out, though, and tell me your favorite.  Mine's the Lady Like Cross or the The Tailored Tuck.


Oh, and I made this soup last night for dinner and it was ahhhmazing. If you like Tom Yum and other variations of a coconut soup, you'll love this bad boy.  I added some thinly sliced red onions, some pad thai noodles and some hot chili oil to top it off since we like things a bit spicy.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead.  TGIF!

-Bethany

If you are looking for help with your home, we'd love to work with you! Contact us for a listing of our services and prices. Nancy and Bethany