My Style Today: In a Picture

Alek of the new & super-stylish blog From the Right Bank to the Left Coast tagged me and a few other bloggers to do a post feauring 1 photo (only 1!!!) that sums up our style. [WARNING: I will use the word "love" way too much in this post!!!]

I chose this image of Chaffee Braithwaite's living room (featured in Cottage Living- I've posted on it before). But I love everything about it: It's light & airy, natural, textural, there's lots of white , gray & an ethereal quality to it... The room is focused on the outdoors & nature. The coffee table (not sure of the material) has a beautiful texture & I love its strong clean lines. Of course I love all the slipcovered white upholstery & my sofa at home is almost exactly like the sofa pictured. (LOVE shelter sofas for hanging. lounging & cuddling!)

The wheatgrass on the coffee table along with the branches on the desk over looking the window probably make this space for me. I'm working on some wheat grass for a client right now.

I also can't think of a place I've ever seen a ghost chair where it made more sense than this: You can see that beautiful view straight on through the chair. (My opinion on ghost chairs is that there should be a reason for using them, like in this case.)

I also love the casual vibe in the room: The books piled next to the chair, the throw "tossed" on the chair... I like that the throw on the chair could be replaced with virtually any color and it could change the feel of the room. (I'd probably have some pillows on the sofa too)

I also love the draperies right up there under the crown molding with the small rings on a white rod. They blend right into the walls [color: Benjamin Moore "Revere Pewter"] and it works perfectly here because the focus is on the gardens outside, not the draperies. The lamp is prefection to me & reminds me of my own glass lamps. And finally, I love the sisal carpet. [Fiberworks Island's Color Collection from Jobson's Carpet ] It brings in more of that natural feeling I love.

SO- now I'm tagging YOU to choose just 1 picture that sums up your style. You can either put a link to it in the comments section or you can put a link to your post. Can't wait to see what you come up with!! :)

I'm off to one of my best friend's wedding in NY this weekend so I'll be back Monday!!! Have a great weekend & I also wanted to let you know that the house people came back & might be considering our offer now!!! So we'll see!!! :)

xoxo,

lauren

Entryway Plans

I was putting together a little entryway design together for a client & thought I'd share. Below is the mirror I chose, which looks beautiful in both traditional & contemporary settings:


Here's the demilune console: (which I LOVE & have ordered from Ballard but isn't available until May 28th!!! I have been scouring for something like it & haven't been happy with what I've found. Any ideas anyone??) She needs lots of storage for her dogs' leashes, their "plastic baggies" for walks, and for the jumble of things that naturally collects near the front entry.



I've purchased a mix of garden cloches in 3 sizes & will be putting potted plants in them for the top of the table. My client has a much greener thumb than I do & will hopefully be able to keep them alive! :)

Below is the lamp in a dark bronze finish. It's got a more contemporary feel to pull in the modern art that will be filling the large stairway across from the console table. (16 paintings framed in shadowboxes done by the client's brother- I can't wait to show you pics of this!!!)

And here's the little entryway design all together: (Click on it to see it larger)

( The image is a PDF saved as JPEG & I can't get it to show up any larger on blogspot. Does anyone know how to make it larger??)

Also, I just wanted to thank Camila from High-Heeled Foot in the Door SO MUCH for being such a sweet (crazily sweet!!) friend. I was feeling a bit down about the whole house situation yeterday & there was a knock at my door. There were flowers!!! She sent me a beautiful bouquet of hydrangea, snapdragons, roses & carnations!! Really, if you haven't gotten to know her yet, you must go check out her fun, stylish & witty blog, where her sweet, exuberant personality just shines through the pages/ screen.

Anyway, thanks everyone so much for all the kind wishes, advice & support. I feel silly for getting so emotionally involved in a HOUSE when there are real issues going on in this world & we've got so much to be thankful for. I'll get over this & just wanted to say thanks.

xoxo,

lauren

Nina Griscom

Ok, deep breath. Here are some gorgeous images of Nina Griscom's country home featured in Elle Decor. I fell in love with this house when I saw it. Her style in this house is perfect to me: a natural mix of traditional & modern... lots of sculptural elements, interesting things, whites & naturals... just love it. Below is the living room:

Below is the sitting area at the back of the living room. Nina admits that the gorgeous wooden chaise is not comfortable & it's there purely for its looks. How gorgeous is this part of the room?!! I checked out the price on her horned chair ($5000 eesh!!- sold at her store) and decided I could live without it.

Here's a view of the living room from the dininig room:

Below is the dining room. It's full of my favorite things: the huge urns, the wine rack... I'm on and off about the chandlier- love it for the photo & for certain seasons but am not sure I could live with it all the time. How beautiful is the table setting?!! The horn candlesticks?!!! LOVE. And check out the chalk board placeholders. Such a whimsical mix of nature & luxury.

The halways in this home are treated as beautifully as the rooms. This is something that can be tough to do in small spaces & lucky for Nina, this was not an issue. They're just so airy & interesting. LOVE the shelves below. Cheaper versions are definitely on my shopping list. (Endless seasonal accessorizing opportunities!!!)

Below, the sphere on the slavaged pedestal makes this study. Picture reading a book on the windows seat in there on a lazy afternoon...

How great are these floating shelves (below)?
The walls in her library are made from dried tobacco leaves applied by hand to wood panels. Amazing, huh?!
Below, the master bedroom is simple & luxurious. How pretty are the Greek key benches at the bottom of the bed?
Below, the guest bedroom. I really love this room: the seagrass rug, the mini zebra hide, the facing geese, the caning = so perfect. And the color on the walls?!!! Anyone have any ideas (Maria, if you're reading?!!! you usually know!!)

Well, have a beautiful day. I have a house to get over. :(
xoxo,
lauren

The Search for Home: Rejected

Well, got a phone call from my realtor today and they didn't take our counter-offer. And guess what else? Now they're not even willing to go as low as they said they would before.

wow.

I promise I'll put up a real post up soon.
xoxo,
lauren

Atlanta Bartlett: Starvecrow Cottage

Ok, so after this crazy roller coaster of a day (and posts- sorry!!) I just wanted to show you another great Atlanta Barlett location, Starvecrow Cottage (love that name!)

This one is a contemporary bungalow in East Sussex. Obviously a bit too minimalist for me personally, but I can still appreciate its beauty & its nature-focused spaces.

The living room, below: The hide rug & painting warm it up a bit but I'd still need some more.

The all-white bathroom. There is some strange GI-Joe/ action-figure/ cartoon stuff going on in this house: (?? don't get it.)

Below, the crazy kids' bedroom. Very space-age but could you imagine how cool it would be to stay there as a kid???!!

The master bedroom is below. See the army fatigues???!! Anyone get this?? (Because I totally don't)

Below is a scary wild pig. It adds some spunk to this place though.

I would love this only if I had a LOT of land:

Below, the vintage/ mid-century modern kitchen:

And, finally, I'm actually LOVING this shower:

Anyway, have a great weekend & thank you (SO MUCH)all again for your help & advice!!!

xoxo,

lauren

The Search For Home: A Counter Offer

I just wanted to thank everyone SO much for the advice. I really haven't felt that low in I can't remember how long. (When I thought we might be letting the house go... I just felt sick.)

Anyway, after doing a bit more research (on the comps), more soul-searching & realizing we really do have to follow our gut, (we're the ones who have to live here, right?) we made a counter offer.

We'll be waiting to hear back, but I just can't tell you all how much I appreciate all of your advice & stories & I really do consider you all my friends- thanks so much :)

have a great weekend!!

xoxo,
lauren

The Search For Home: HELP WANTED

hi guys,

just wanted to let you know that the sellers have come down a bit on their price but not as low as our offer. we love the house so much but have our agents & some of our parents telling us to let it go. We're really torn right now. The number they came down to was the number we originally said we wanted it for but now we have family & ppl telling us that amount is too high. my dad, who's a dreamer/ entrepreneur like me, is thinking we should go for it...

I know most people giving us advice don't see the potential we do in this house (some of them haven't even seen the house) but I also know we're young & unseasoned.

I know it's pathetic but I feel like I'm getting dumped. sucker punched. letting this house go feels wrong in my heart & I just don't know what to do.

If we let it go at this point I will feel like we're being told to let it go, not like we let it go because it felt right.

xoxo,
lauren

Design Persuasion

Design Decisions. We all have to make them. And except for the lucky few of us, most of us have to make these decisions with some type of approval, agreement or acceptance from a spouse, partner, boyfriend or girlfriend or roommate. (For the rest of this post, I'll simply say "partner")

It's often difficult to convince your partner of your vision & to come to his or her "senses" and agree with you. ;) (I have to say right off that I am one of the lucky- my husband may not always agree with me, but he does completely trust me now & even if he doesn't "get it" at first, he lets me go ahead--- to date the only thing I think he's hated is that white feather wreath.) Needless to say, many of my clients are couples, and many of my friends & family require "2" yes's before moving along with a project so I do have a lot of experience in dealing with partners who disagree design-wise.

Just now when I was giving my toddler breakfast, I thought of what my husband had told me last night. (Our toddler has gotten into the stage of shaking his head 'no' (actually he shakes his head and says "uh-uh" in this strage squeaky little voice that's very unlike his normal deep, scratch voice- it's pretty funny but anyway-- when we offer him a choice of food.) My husband reminded me that offering Christian 2 options instead of just picking food up and asking him if he wants it works perfectly.

(I remember the same worked really well for my litte sister when picking out outfits to wear-- "This one or this one?" not "What do you want to wear?") Anyway, I'm sure most of you parents out there do this, but I was just thinking today how much it also applies to design decisions.

There are certain clients who want options to decide from, while there are others who want to know what I think is the best option & present only that option to them. Some clients LOVE to see options & others are overwhelmed by them. Some clients want to be very involved & others want you to make most decisions with approval from them. When presenting design decisions to your partner, I think it's often the same thing. You have to figure out how your partner is most receptive. If you bring something home & have it all set up, will he or she freak? not notice? love it because now they can see what you're talking about??

I think it's important for partners to make decisions well together. To be efficient. To make design decisions based on the issue at hand and not because he or she wants to win or have a compromise or whatever... Most of the time there's one partner that is the design-lover (I know there are those cases when BOTH are & there are usually AMAZING results) and it's probably the partner reading this blog right now. She or he is constantly brainstorming, looking for ideas, creating design solutions & presenting them to his or her partner. Now, the partner, can be receptive, hesitant, unwilling to spend the money, gung-ho, completely against CHANGE (a biggie) and a lot of other things when presented with a new design idea.

Now you can't change your partner's personality, but you can change how you present your design ideas to him or her. Think of the way you can present your idea that will most likely get you a positive response. Figure out what type of decision-maker your partner is & present your ideas accordingly.

I have seen cases when presenting two options & showing both sides of the options & letting the partner (or client) come to his or her own decision (which is usually yours) works. I've seen cases when both partners need to be equally involved & if one partner is not there at the spawning of the idea, he or she later is against the idea because of his/her lack of involvement. (I think in these cases it's really important if you notice something like this going on to just bring it up & say what you're noticing so your partner can realize that he/she needs to focus on the issue at hand and not on his/her negativity towards the idea.) Some partners need third party opinions. (There have been cases where I'm called in simply because couples cannot agree between themselves.) There are (lots!!) of cases where one partner hates change. And then theare are other parties that do better when the plan is simply told to them & they don't have to be bothered with the decisions/ details.

The important thing here is to figure out what type of design decision-maker your partner is & how you can present design options so that they'll be accepted. Here are some decider- types I came up with:

1. Does your partner need to be presented with options & be an active decision-maker? [If so, rresent 2 options you like.] or2. Do options scare him? [ Show him or her your plan.] 3. Does he or she need to think they came up with the idea on their own?? (Oh good luck here and please watch "My Big Fat Greek Wedding'--- "The man is the head of the family and the woman is the neck who can move the head any way she wants it.")

4. Is money the determining factor? [Present your idea and explain how you've made it with finances in mind: "I LOVED this one but I found this very similar one for $60 less. What do you think?"]

5. Does your partner simply want to disagree with your ideas? [ Again, all kidding aside here, there are bigger issues going on here & I really think being up front about your partner's disagreeableness is important for your relationship. If you feel that this is going on, the best thing is to be open about it & try to get to the root of the issue here so you can be happier... but sometimes it can be as little as someone having a bad day(really, don't present design decisions when someone's not into it or has had a tough day.)]

6. Does your partner hate change? [ This is another tough one. People get into routines & get used to things and a lot of them don't like change. I think sometimes the best thing here is make it clear to your partner how important it is to you and how much you need this change.]

7. Does your partner just believe something or have an opinion about something that is kind of illogical? [This is a tricky one... sometimes people form opinions/ beliefs about things they don't really know much about based upon one situation or hearsay. "So and so hated having marble countertops... I'll never get them." or "I don't like all-white bedding." or "I hate flowered material." Sometimes people haven't seen all of the options or heard all sides of the argument. I think when you are presenting here it's best to start out with, "Now I know that Johnny didn't like his marble countertops, but read this article on the pros and cons & see if you think they might work out for us." or "I know you're against all-white bedding, but it's going to be easier to clean because we can just bleach it. We can also add in some color with pillows and blankets so it won't feel sterile."

or "I know you don't usually like floral fabrics, but check out this fabric. It's not the traditional floral you would think of & it's not feminine at all. "]

8. Does your partner just think you don't "need" something? [ First make sure that you really do "need" it before proceeding & then explain why you think you need it & why it'll improve things & what it'll do for the space.]

The important thing is to be really respectful of your partner & to make sure that you & your partner don't take opposing sides. Sometimes when someone gets it in his/her head that they've made their decision & it's final, there's no winning. Or at least not happily. He or she might always look at that lamp & be reminded of the battle & hate it. I'll never forget that I asked my friend to take a look at a lamp I was returning. I had purchased it for a client who didn't want it & I called her over & she loved it. She brought it home & when her hubby came home (who is VERY involved in design-decisions.) didn't like it. I felt terrible & was like "I'll take it back." and she was like "no," hahaha and so I left & told them they could decide & let me know. A week or two later, I was over & it was still in the living room with the tags on it and I asked her what the deal was and she said they were still arguing. Eventually she won but I still sort of feel bad and kind of laugh when I see it. (And they are a really happy, healthy couple, it was just the way the design-presenting went down. "Look what I did honey," is never really going to fly with them.)

So anyway, figure out how you and your partner work together. What's the best way to present a design idea for him/her to be most receptive? What type of decider is your partner?

xoxo,

lauren

[I also have to say I'm sorry about all the bad-grammar: "them" and "they" when referring to 1 person but him/ her got really wordy!!!] *images from real simple & fabric & furniture from calico corners

ps- STILL waiting to hear back (3 days! arg!!) about our offer!!!