The Lucite Trend

Well, I can't say that I'm up on the trends. At all. Because sometimes when I go to write a blogpost about a trend or something I think is really great, and I'm googling images, I come accross a post on the very subject I was planning on writing about... and quite often it's over a year old. That makes me feel behind. So, I know there are probably a million posts out there about lucite coffee tables, and maybe I didn't even get the memo and the trend is over, but I write posts as much for me as for you. And for now I'm going to indulge myself & hope you'll join me.

I just bought the lucite coffee table above from cb2 and can't wait for it to arrive!!! (The "Peakaboo Clear Coffee Table") I had originally planned on keeping the old toolbox -below- we had for a while... Then Christian fell off the sofa and whacked his head on the corner of it and I started to consider some softer options. (I'm usually not this much of a wimp, but since the dog bite accident I find myself being a bit more paranoid.) I was also looking to go for something a bit more modern juxtaposed against the traditional sofa, let's be honest.

I really love this one from Elle Decor but of course glass had me more more terrified than the wood. (haha I really am scarred right now.) But it really got me in the mood for clear. According to the internet, our all-knowing source, "Lucite is a material that has both properties of plastic and glass and mirrors the clarity of glass. It is heavier in “feel” as compared to traditional plastics and is of the highest quality." So I decided to go with lucite to get my clear fix.

I thought I'd share with you a bunch of eye-candy rooms with lucite coffee tables. Most are really similar to the one I ordered and I'm loving them. It might be something I tire of eventually, but I was really happy with the price & what it'll do for the space. (Below, House Beatiful)

The room below (decorpad) has a nice mix of traditional & modern...

Loving this room below (found at decorpad) & I think the lucite is just a perfect surprise in the middle of the room.

The room below (House Beautiful) has two lucite tables pushed close together and I love how the striped rug comes through the tables. (I'm definitely going to be looking for a special rug to layer over the natural woven one we'll have.)

And here's the same concept again (from Materialgirls) and how cute is the pup under there?? (okay, i don't know if he's real or fake!!!)

Here's the coffee table I ordered. Not loving the room but am still into the table:

Ok and this one might be glass but I love it so I'm including it anyway. I'm also crazy about what's going on above the sofa. So interesting. (decorpad)

Here's another one from Leslie Klotz's cottage (featured in House Beautiful)... SO fresh & fun:

LOVE the room below. It's so big & I love al the separated areas the designer created. (pic from inglenookdecor.blogspot.com) I also love views of lucite tables from above because it's almost like the objects on them are floating.

And I found the one below on my good friend Camila's blog (High-Heeled Foot in the Door) who I'm sure most of you know & love. Just two stacks of books on it- so pretty & simple!!

Soon I'll be laying across my sofa & smiling for the camera too. soon.. soon...

xoxo,

lauren

ps- my thoughts on trends: If you love something, get it whether it's "in" or "out"... don't ever get something just because it's "in" or "trendy," get it because you love it. (Then, who cares what happens when it goes "out" because YOU love it?!)

Love Life.

Simplify your life
Live one day at a time

Less is more

Slow down and take it all in...

Quality over quantity

Forget about the mess sometimes & be happy there's someone there to make it.

Don't worry

Paring down makes you feel free...

Take pleasure in the day to day

Appreciate the little things in life

Find beauty in every day things...

Don't click away the time

You never regret taking the time to do something nice for someone

They grow up before you know it

Keep your goals in mind but don't forget to appreciate what you already have...

Each day is such a gift to us and we should treasure its beauties: nature, our homes, our friends, our families...

Take nothing for granted. You will be happier, I promise.

A little girl drowned in the ocean this week while we were at the beach. I can't imagine how horrible it must be for her family right now & I'm heartbroken for them. Please say a little prayer & remember what's really important in your life. Don't take even one day for granted.

xoxo,

lauren

*images- 1. Real Simple, 2. Baby Christian 3.Atlanta bartlett 4. Atlanta bartlett 5.Real Simple, 6. real Simple 7.Mine-FL Rocking Chair 8.Atlanta Bartlett 9.Mine- wild chickory 10. mine- Froggy 11.real Simple 12. Mine- Ashby 13.Atlanta Bartlett 14-16. Mine - family

Pear Tree Cottage Design Seminars!!

For any DC area readers, I wanted to let you know about Pear Tree Cottage's Design Seminar Series. (For non-DC area readers, just enjoy the pretty eye candy ;) The super-sweet & creative owner, Frances Brayshaw has gotten together a group of local designers to do a month-long series of design seminars on every Sunday in September. I'm so excited to be a part of the series & am the first one up on Sunday, September 6th at 4:00 pm at the shop in Vienna. Spots are limited, so if you'd like to attend, email Frances at RSVP@ThePearTreeCottage.com

Pear Tree Cottage
130 Maple Avenue
Vienna, VA 22180
RSVP@ThePearTreeCottage.com



I'm doing a workshop on arranging your accessories and will be starting with empty surfaces & demonstrating step-by-step how to create artful tablespaces, bookshelves & mantle arrangements.

Here's the schedule of Seminars:

Sunday, September 6 @ 4:00- Lauren Liess: Arranging Your Accessories

Sunday, September 13 @ 4:00- Toni Principe Korby: Defining the Look of Luxury

Sunday, September 20 @ 4:00- Kimberly Stein: From Photo to Finish

Sunday, September 27 @4:00- Rebecca Ilgenfritz: First Impressions: The Foyer

Everything in the shop is displayed so beautifully & they carry antiques & one-of-a-kind items as well as new items. The merchandise is always changing and it's one of those places you'll want to go to often to see what's new. (Not to mention you'll want everything in there!!!) Check out The Washington Spaces Blog for much more detailed description. (image below from Washington Spaces Blog)

It's going to be so much fun & I'd love to see some of you there!!! (It's my first time speaking in public since college so wish me luck!!- eeeeeek! ;) Again, spaces are limited & are booking up quickly, so email Frances at RSVP@ThePearTreeCottage.com to reserve your spot!!

Hope to see you there!!

xoxo,

lauren

Grisaille Murals & Wallpapers

OK, all I can say about the entry in one of Martha Stewart's homes (above) is LOVE LOVE LOVE. I've been attracted to large-scale murals & etchings & toiles lately as you can see here.



Grisaille is a term for painting executed entirely in monochrome, usually in shades of gray or brown, particularly used in decoration to represent objects in relief. (I'm not going to lie, until I heard this term I always called them toile-like scenic murals ;) The 7 feet by 4 feet blown up Durer print on fabric that we're going with in our dining area (above) is my way of getting the look of a handpainted wall mural on a budget. (With the feel of a tapestry).



I thought I'd share with you a few beauties I've found along the way.... The image below from http://www.michaeldute.com/images_chinoiserie.htm:



This one below from House Beautiful has been floating around a lot lately biut I just can't get over it. I love the shades of green against the warm, rich browns of the furniture. perfection.



Here's one found in a restaurant by frenchbutchic.blogspot.com:

And of course, we needc to include some hand-painted wallpaper from de Gournay:

SO GORGEOUS!!!! Here's another one, below:

The image below from http://charlottesullivan.com/portfolio/murals/index.htm and I love how soft it is, receeding in the background:

Remember this one??? More of a large scale toile but I'm in love anyway. I contacted the company about this handpainted paper but never heard back. (Just as well, I'm pretty sure it's just a smidge out of our price range. ;)

The warm-toned Chinoisserie mural below is from http://kathleendeyo.wordpress.com/2008/11/ :

And here's just one more from de Gournay... Maybe one day I can replace my "tapestry" with the real deal???? Oh just so beautiful....

Hope you enjoyed these beauties. As soon as I get my "tapestry" up I'll post pics!!!

xoxo,

lauren

ps- If you didn't get a chance to weigh-in on the question in the previous post (below), I'd love to hear your thoughts!!!

Another Question: In-Home Design Offices

We're still at the beach & I've been going to bed & waking up earlier & ealier. Today it was around 5 something when I actually gave up on trying to go back to sleep & decided to turn on the computer and I ended up going to one of my favorite places, The Skirted Roundtable to listen to 3 of my favorite bloggers. Well, I was so surprised when a favorite design icon, Vicente Wolf was the interviewee!!! (haha LOTS of "favorites!") You've got to go check it out here.

Anyway, I was just so impressed with Vicente's confidence (okay, I think I'd be really confident if I were him too! ;) & willingness to share his experience with other designers. As a lot of us know, this industry can be really competitive, which is why I think so many of us like-minded designers have begun to blog. Blogworld is a place where we can come and connect with other professionals who want to share knowledge & experience with each other. We like it when good things happen to other designers & we support each other & help each other become better. Anyway, Vincente seems to share in this philosophy and if you check out his blog, http://vicentewolfblog.com/ you'll see just how generous he is with his experience & design practices. (SO much valuable information!! image below from Vicente Wolf Home)

One of the things Vicente brought up at The Skirted Roundtable was that when you first meet a potential client you BOTH have to want to work together. It's not just, "Oh please pick me!!"... it has just as much to do with you wanting to take on the client as it does with them wanting to hire you. I think the confidence to make this clearer to potential clients comes with experience & also with reputation. It's important to have a balance of power when client & designer first meet so you're on equal playing ground & respect one another.

Another aspect that plays into this balance of power is having the first meeting (and possibly other meetings) with clients in your office, not their homes... even if your office is in your home. (It MUST be completely professional dedicated space & he said you need to show that you're serious about your work & the office must convey this.) Currently, I meet with clients only at their homes, but as my house is nearing completion, I've been considering having them come to my office at home. (There's a conference table & also a seating area but below is my old office without all of that... will be showing pics of my new one soon- promise!!)

So my question is, what if your house is really just a "normal" house? A modest home in a modest neighborhood... Not a big beautiful showhouse in an affluent neighborhood? Do you still invite the client for the first meeting at your home office? (I'm sure many of us use our homes to showcase some of our best work and people usually walk in & love it, but what about potential clients??) If they have a huge, expensive home, will they be turned off by your "normal" albeit beautifully-done modest house??? (image below of random house, not mine)

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Designers, what do you do? Non-designers, how do you think you'd feel as a potential client? Would potential clients be turned off by a "normal" house?

*** Let me also say that I will most likely never have an out of home office... I (obviously) work at crazy times and need everything right when I need it and also, it's just an expense I wouldn't want to take on at this point... Add in kids & needing the flexibility of an in-home office.. and well, there you have it.***

Would love to hear your thoughts!!!

xoxo,

lauren