laundry room

talk about an under-appreciated luxury.  i've been without a laundry room for a little over a month now and i'm literally counting down the days until i can have it back!  however, the temporary loss is not for naught.  the new laundry room will be larger, with more storage, and, best of all, i had carte blanche in designing it as jim new he hadn't earned much say in the design of a room he never enters.

here's the plan.

walls, cabinets, and trim in this: (benjamin moore gray wisp 1570)

counter tops in this: (honed carrara marble)

sheers on the little window in this: (f. schumacher melinda sheer check in aqua)

with a charcoal gray floor laid in a herringbone orientation with an inset border of small carrara marble bricks.

so pretty.  it will certainly make laundry days much more appealing.

playroom

one of the things i'm most looking forward to with this addition is the playroom.  here's what i'm thinking.

i've loved the irregular stripes in this room for so long.  so i'm committing to them.  it just looks like the perfect, playful wall color/pattern.

as for some inexpensive art, i found this artist on etsy and i'm in love with her watercolor animals...i mean, look at that sweet little bunny!  she's in italy (so that makes her automatically cool) and says things with those oh-so-lovely "english-is-my-second-language" grammatical inaccuracies.  so, i've purchased 12 of her mini watercolors ($5 each...can't beat that) and i'm going to have them framed and hung together.  

and, then, for good measure, i bought the watercolor of the bull because i just think he's so handsome and would look fantastic in my office.

i can't wait for holden's toys to have a home other than scattered under foot in the kitchen/family room/really everywhere that i'm running around.

a little update

as usual, it seems like our days are brimming with activities and duties, and yet, nothing much changes.  alas, things are finally changing.  i found out today that my brother and sister-in-law are expecting a baby girl!  it was all i could do to not rush to every baby store in town and leave with armfuls of everything precious, pink, ruffled, and scalloped.  needless to say, i'm so excited for my precious little niece-y.  she is so loved already.

also, tomorrow begins the demolition of our existing garage/laundry room.  it's going to be dicey, for sure.  schlepping laundry is something i've been so blessed and grateful never to have had to do.  but, this will be a good reminder of how luxurious in-house washers and dryers are.

as for holden, he's not lost a bit of his charm in his old age.  he's like a fine wine.  the sounds he makes get crazier, the things he learns get more dangerous, and the defiance (very sadly) only gets greater.  he's the best thing in all the world and..i guess i'll keep him.  i mean...look at that face!

first haircut

well, this is embarrassing.  i can't believe it's been over two months since i last posted but this one may be redemptive...it's that cute.

holden got his first haircut yesterday at a child-centric place.  it had lots of fun activities and colorful tv stands blaring cartoons...everything a young boy could want for his first experience in the barber's chair.  alas, holden wanted nothing to do with it.  maybe he's samson-esque, maybe he was tired (it was 5:30pm), maybe the cartoons on air weren't up to snuff.  i'm not sure but i do know my usually-joyful baby was clawing to get out of that chair.

so, while it wasn't met with unbridled excitement, it was a rite of passage nonetheless.  here is the documentation.

note: due to pitiful pouting, i waited until this morning to take his "after" shot.

nerd alert

about a month ago i finished knitting a baby blanket for holden. he's not a huge fan of blankets but i'm hoping he'll come around. if not, i'll just have to force it on him (which may or may not have already begun...judge for yourself below). maybe if i make it more like a cape, he'll warm up to it. either way, i think it's beautiful and simple. on to the next creative outlet.

excuse the wonky eyebrow in the last picture...looks like mama missed some banana cleanup after breakfast.

lonny highlights

an endless resource for inspiration, lonny magazine is as close to a replacement of the now-defunct domino magazine as i'm going to get.  i just finished pouring over the latest issue while the little man sleeps and found these goodies:

1. ruthie sommers' fantastic brick paver design, her amazing de gournay grisaille wallpaper, and that great faux-croc bathroom (click here if you're interested in either wallpaper):

2. these sharp little black-painted shelves that really make the contents pop in the home of sasha gold of nate berkus associates:

3. all of the simple, sophisticated draperies from the heidelberg suites in germany that have given me a great idea for holden's room (will elaborate on that later):

if you aren't familiar with lonny magazine...familiarize yourself here.  it's free and chock full of fun, creative ideas for the home.

my little european

i think holden may have been born on the wrong continent. he's got a good dose of european in him. for instance, he doesn't feel like men can't wear scarves:

he also enjoys his birthday suit (he's going to kill me for this one):

even a speedo is too much coverage for this little guy.  he also talks with his hands incessantly and with a lot of passionate inflection in his voice.

my italian grandmother used to tell me stories of her father always saying, "coraggio, coraggio, mia figlia!" (courage, courage, my daughter) whenever she was worried or discouraged.  maybe i'll start passionately telling him, "corragio, corragio, mio figlio!" to better encourage his lovely european sensibilities.  love this little boy.

love. this. rug.

click here to inquire

house lessons

over the course of studying and executing numerous interior design ideas and visions, i've learned a few things along the way. here are three of many:

1. the color wheel will not let you down
use the color wheel when creating a room/home's color palette. i like to choose one dominant color and refer to the color wheel for a good secondary color in the room (accessories, accents, etc.). it's always best to look at the colors opposite your primary color. for instance, in this dining room, the beautiful mustard-orange wallpaper is the primary color. however, the room is instantly more interesting when the opposing color of turned copper (a blue/green) is introduced. you don't have to always stick with the same saturation/strength of color. in fact, it's usually a good idea to take a different tone of the opposite color to create a more peaceful juxtaposition. however, some rooms call for an intense pairing of color and those are more likely to have saturated tones of each color.  just use paint chips or another good color source to help you make the best color pairings to help you execute your vision.

2. personalize, personalize, personalize
my home is located on a lot that abuts a 30-acre plantation & horse farm built in 1853.  it housed many famous horses on its grounds (grounds that are now my own yard!).  so, it was important for me to keep a piece of the home's intriguing history visible.  now, this horse triptych hangs on a wall that faces the back of the mansion...plus, is there any animal more beautiful than the horse?

3. finally, a few drapery tips (clarence house "arts & crafts" linen)
i am, by no means, a professional seamstress but i can whip up a very basic drape in no time.  so, over the past few years i've sewn every single window treatment in my home because it's not only cost-effective, but also allows for complete creative freedom and is eternally rewarding.  that said, here are some things to keep in mind if you're thinking about attempting your first drapes:

1. always calculate the width you need by, ideally, multiplying the window's width by 3.  if you're looking to save a little money and the drapes will remain open the majority of the time, you can get away with 2.5 times.

2. if you're using a print, always match the print before sewing the panels together.

3. drapery tape is a life saver and can be found for any type of pleat you'd like.

4. the biggest & most noticeable difference between store-bought drapes and custom drapes is interlining.  always, always use it unless you're making sheers.

5. always pin the hem as the drape hangs.  it's best to let it hang a couple days so that any settling that's going to happen does so before you hem it.

6. for most drapes, you want them to be about 1/2 to 1 inch too long so that they sort of "kiss" the floor.

if you have any questions about sewing drapes, send them my way!  i'll do my best to help you and, trust me, you'll be so glad you made them yourself.  every time you see them or feel them or use them, you'll be so proud.

maps

i've long loved map walls in children's rooms.  it's great to think about teaching holden about the big, big world in which he lives and establishing an awareness of this world and his greater surroundings.  as everyone who loves to travel knows, there are so many unbelievable things to see and experience on planet earth and instilling a sense of adventure and excitement, one of life's great joys, seems like something a map wall could initiate.

the two best map wallpapers i've found are both by ralph lauren.  one is more playful and one is more sophisticated.  a playful one seems more fitting now but a sophisticated one seems like it could get more mileage as holden grows up.  decisions, decisions.

any thoughts?

vs.

 

steven gambrel

elle decor

little rascal

holden is such a little boy.  he already loves sticks, dirt, dogs licking his hands & face, insects...basically, the whole "frogs, snails, and puppy dog tails" rhyme is dead on.  being that it's so hot, i've been thinking, naturally, about fall.  this heat is so oppressive that changing leaves and a nip in the air is so palatable right about now.

most items via crewcuts, hat via here

i so miss...

...the days when supermodels were on magazine covers and not celebrities.  remember when amber valleta and shalom harlow were gracing vogue every other issue?  it's always surprising how much better a photograph of a model is versus a celebrity.  models really make something of interest while celebrities just sort of...stand there, smiling?  i am so tired of our country's obsession with celebrities.  so, i'll have to admire european taste sensibilities until we can grow some of our own.

i'm not expecting...

...BUT i keep seeing the cutest things for a baby girl.