This weekend, I delivered my latest custom client piece, a corner linen cabinet, so I’ll be sharing photos soon! For now, enjoy a few things that caught my eye this week, including a VERY full apartment, a stunning but simple kitchen update, and a few favorites from the just-finished One Room Challenge.

I’m mostly impressed that 5 adults can share 100o s.f. in harmony, but I also think it’s pretty wonderful how this group of friends live together in a space that doesn’t feel terribly cramped or inharmonious. The neutral color palette and abundance of plant life certainly helps, our only question is whether or not they’ve got a shower schedule…

Brady’s kitchen is a showstopper. Everything is just so well mixed- the powerful black and white, the warm wood tones, and those gorgeous copper pots! There are so many things I love about this small space: the powerful gallery wall, the DIY flooring upgrade, and the fact that he kept the original cabinets but spiced them up with simple and gorgeous brass fixtures. A true testament to making smart changes instead of gutting a space.

The One Room Challenge wrapped up this week, and there are so many inspiring room transformations to take in. My very favorite: Jo’s Living/Dining Room. It’s such a gorgeous, colorful space, you can’t help but crack a smile taking it all in. I love her idea of using a unique baseboard trim as the wall cladding, and something about those peach curtains is so unexpected and wonderful. I wouldn’t change a dang thing about this stunning room!

Erin’s kitchen underwent a HUGE transformation, and I’m so impressed with what she did. The end result is simple, thoughtful, unique, and glamorous. The contrasting cabinet materials are so special and creative, and the brass transitions are a super-glam fix to the challenge of bringing two types of flooring together, but the real showstopper is that custom hood. Those are individual metal rods welded into that gorgeous pattern, people! This is not a drill!

Another incredible kitchen: Abby’s green-infused makeover. Her project reminded me a lot of my goals for our someday kitchen renovation: the “before” was very workable, no major complaints- but it didn’t reflect her family’s style. The “after” is SUCH a win. Repainting her lower cabinets that bold green- it gives me all the heart-eyes! The bright white details elsewhere let that gorgeous green take center stage without being too bold. I’ll be referring back to these lovely photos often once I finally roll around to redoing our kitchen!

That’s it for this week- have a great one!

Happy Friday, y’all! I’m working on some big things behind the scenes, but wanted to stop by and share a few fun things with you: several impressive renovations, the coolest house ever, and a project that we’re so proud to be a part of. Enjoy!

I honestly love to read anything Daniel talks about, but it was such a treat to read his recap of a crazy blog project: a full kitchen renovation in 3 days! He partnered with Chris Loves Julia and Yellow Brick Home to transform a 100-year old Baltimore kitchen with a $5000 budget. And y’all, they nailed it. The best part was how they solved a tricky ceiling situation- the beadboard + trim is such a stunner!

I am SO IMPRESSED with this apartment renovation in Brooklyn. The designers took an outdated, cramped space, and opened it up in such a good way. Instead of going whole-hog with the open plan, they gave the kitchen some breathing room while still maintaining some separation, which I think works so well with this space. The clever design of the wrap-around kitchen counter functions as a brilliant built-in buffet in the dining area. The whole apartment is light, bright, and it looks about 5 times bigger now!

Pencil and Paper Co. did such lovely job with this modern southern home! There are several black rooms, and yet not one of them feels dark or dreary. The kitchen is simple and luxurious- the black and brass range is a showstopper! The whole home is so well-designed and definitely a tad glamorous, but the end result is totally family-friendly and livable.

Have you been keeping up with the One Room Challenge so far? I’m especially excited to see Christine’s basement, which is sure to be wild and so, so chic, Dabito’s dining room, which is bold in the very best way, and the super-special project from Dwell with Dignity, which I had the great pleasure of helping out with on a volunteer day! I’ll be there for the final set up and the reveal, and I am so honored to get to be there in person and share in that special day!

My last issue of Architectural Digest featured the COOLEST. HOUSE. EVER. The Green Village, outside Ubud, Indonesia, is a community of planned homes, constructed entirely of bamboo. Not only is the engineering incredible, but the way that they found to use bamboo is so many unique styles is just straight up stunning. One day, when I’m rich enough for an Indonesian getaway…

That’s it for now, have a great weekend!

 

Welcome back! Apparently it’s April, because 2017 is determined to just zoom by!

The One Room Challenge is back! April totally snuck up on us, so we’re just participating as observers this go-round. We’re using it an inspiration to pick up the slack on some projects around our house, like tidying up the front yard, finishing some window treatments, and working on that mudroom bench. I think it’s the spring vibe that makes you want to get stuff done. We’d love to be back as linking participants this Fall- let’s just hope September doesn’t sneak up on us too.

 We love how Nicole advised a reader on her tricky mantle styling. She gives several great options that allow for more traditional symmetry, and some modern elements to dress up a space that is formal and could feel “fussy”. Keeping things simple lets the space breathe a bit, and playing up an asymmetrical look modernizes the formal mantle.

We’ve been a little over the open kitchen shelving trend lately, but that was until we saw it done JUST RIGHT by Serena Mitnik Miller’s Topanga Canyon home. It’s unfussy and so well-collected here, it’s a space that is both incredibly stylish and well-lived in. We wouldn’t have though that we’d think a plywood kitchen was so chic, but here we are. Go ahead and just prove us wrong on everything, Serena.

The teeniest, tiniest, castle in the UK is for sale, and WE NEED IT. The exterior and grounds are absolutely charming, and it wouldn’t take too much work to breathe a little life into the simple interiors.

The interiors at the office for Slack Melbourne are a bit moody, but in a really really good way. The designers at Breathe Architecture kept the palette simple with lots of green, black, and wood tones, and let the drama of the plentiful foliage and stunning wood work steal the show.

That’s it for this week- we’re delivering our big console project today, and we can’t wait to share it with you next week!

We’ve got another big mix for you today: some BIG tv news, a kitchen project from one of our favorite voices, a new art obsession, a very necessary craft project, and the drool-worthy home of the queen of daytime tv. Enjoy!

Stop what you’re doing RIGHT NOW because this is very important. Trading Spaces is coming back, people. This is not a drill! The O.G. home makeover show is slated to make its return to TLC for the 2017-2018 season. No word yet on whether any original cast members/designers will be involved, but if Hildi’s there, we’ve all been warned.

Possibly my most-favorite blogger ever Orlando Soria is back on Emily Henderson’s site with a series featuring his “Chateaulondo”. Come for the chic and stylish projects, stay for the hilarious, honest and self-effacing commentary.

 Thanks to a great feature from Architectural Digest, we’re now officially obsessed with artist Jennifer Guidi and her mixed media paintings. The multilayered pieces are gouged with handmade dowels and finished with contrasting sand appliqués to create an incredible sense of movement. You better believe she’ll be on our list when we’re rich one day and can collect grown-up art 😉

As if I didn’t already think I needed a cutting machine, this baby-shower invite pushed me over the edge. Somebody buy this lady a Silhouette, ASAP! My brain is running haywire with ideas already!

Ellen’s stunning Santa Barbara home is on the market for a mere $45 million. Ellen has been flipping beautiful properties for a while now, and we have to applaud her latest effort. The Italian-inspired villa seamlessly blends the interiors with the incredible landscaping, and the entire property is chic, stylish, and cozy. (As cozy as 10,500 square feet can be)

Have a great weekend!

Last week was a bit chaotic over here- we had to do some site maintenance, and had a very devastating delivery of our jazzy wine rack. Luckily, I had insurance on the project, and the clients were incredibly understanding. Since this is their winter home, we’ll be rebuilding them a new piece and delivering it when they head back down to Florida this fall. And you better believe Ben and I are turning it into a road trip and delivering it ourselves. I might have severe shipping trust issues from now on..

BUT! On to the more exciting stuff- a fun roundup of discoveries this week, including a helpful look at the realities of flipping, an incredible AirBnB, dated design trends, the most sophisticated kitchen EVER, and some teeny tiny things to obsess over.

We’ve followed Jenna Sue since the very beginning, and were so thrilled when she took on her first flipping project! She has been so honest and open throughout the entire process- and of course, she KILLED the renovation. It’s such a wonderful transformation, but we particularly enjoyed this financial breakdown of the project, and her takeaways of what it was like to work on this kind of project for the first time. We can’t wait until her next flip!

Casa Tiny just might be the world’s most delightful AirBnB. This minimal home is a beautiful, Walden-esque retreat: the locale combines views of the nearby Sierra Mountains, a lush vegetative property, and the ocean just 200 meters away. Designed by then-25-year-old architect Aranza de Ariño, the home features a stunning concrete gabled roof and a wall of parota-wood louvered doors that fit perfectly around the mammoth indoor-outdoor kitchen table. Particularly impressive? It only cost about $4,500 to build!

We loved Lonny’s list of what design trends were popular the year you were born. We were worried about what we might find, but luckily 1988 did us proud with Philippe Starck’s Royalton Hotel. It’s also clear that the 70’s were a scary, scary, time, and that in the late 90’s beige was the name of the game.

This kitchen from Carter Williamson Architects stopped me in my tracks. It’s incredibly sophisticated and sexy- I don’t feel grown up enough to actually cook and make a mess in there. Matte black cabinets? YES. Black penny tile? YES YES. Those turned wooden pendants? YES FOREVER AND EVER.

We’re officially obsessed with Miniature Co. Don’t try to tell me that this chic (and tiny!) kitchen scene isn’t just incredible. The mini Thonet chairs, blue Aga, tiny scalloped tiles and itty bitty KitchenAid mixer? We have lost the ability to even.

So, we’re off to build our dream home, completely in miniature form 🙂

Have a great weekend!