These are a Few of My Favorite Things

It's true, I can shop and spend with the best of them, but the older I get, the more selective I'm becoming. I'd rather buy one special thing than ten just-okay pieces.

This year my goal is to edit out those pieces that I've picked up for cheap at thrift stores that I'm not completely, completely in love with. I'll be keeping my eye out for those really special things in the meantime!

When long-time LGN supporter, Chairish, invited me host a big giveaway today HERE and to curate 50 of my very favorite picks, I started to notice some patterns emerging. There are some pieces of art/furniture/lighting/accessories that I have and I think I'll probably keep for decades to come... and always want to buy more of! It's like a magnetic attraction, you know what I mean? Here are some of those things for me:

1) Accent chairs in a unique shape. I CANNOT EVEN HANDLE THESE. So, so good.

I seriously almost didn't post them so I could buy them for myself, but I am saving up for a new kitchen, so my loss is your gain. :) Plus I already have a pair of mid century Italian accent chairs that I really love.

2) Adorable little settees to tuck in small rooms.

3) And dreamy abstract art to hang above them.

Or in your bathroom.

4) Super-cool bent plywood statement chairs

5) That also look like exceptionally fabulous office chairs.

6) Footstools and benches to tuck in corners and under console tables.

7) Unique, modern lamps for sitting on even the most traditional furniture.

8) Clean, white lamps in organic shapes.

9) To place on side tables with funky, geometric bases.

10) Especially the ones with pretty stone tops.

10) And really cool accent chairs with special upholstery, like silk, mohair or leather.

12) And, last but not least, Italian carved mirrors, always and forever.

What are some of your favorite things in your home? I'd love to see! And if you're in the market for a few more special things - here's the link to my top 50 list on Chairish! Do you use the Chairish app? I buy and sell my design-y stuff with my phone all the time. They could not have made it easier for us!

PS Don't forget to enter to win the $150 gift certificate here! The contest ends April 15. Good luck! :)

Progress With My Parents' Remodel

One of the big projects I've been working on for the past few months is my parents' home remodel. We added on a new carriage house and a huge ramada on the back and then totally gutted about half of their house. Just this week the kitchen installation process started and my mom and I are so happy to see our vision come to life! She leans toward more traditional style, but really appreciates clean lines. This kitchen, featured on Domaine Home was one of our inspirations. Bright, clean and airy.

The cabinets started to get installed this week and my mom's been texting me photos along the way.

This image was also an inspiration, though we had nothing even close to this ceiling height. That was one of the two big challenges in the space. We had hoped to be able to open up the ceiling a little more and maybe do a coffered treatment, but it was prohibitively expensive to gain what would only be a few inches in the end.

We loved the large glass globes in the above image and thought they would be perfect for over the 8' long island.

These globes are 18" each and I think they'll really make a statement without making the ceilings feel lower or obstructing any views in the kitchen.

We used a local cabinet maker and I love the job he did here with our simple shaker style full overlay cabinets. There's going to be another row of cabinets here to the right over the prep sink area that will be the appliance garage. The electrician installed the lights too close to the cabinets, so we're waiting on that fix to happen first. :)

The kitchen is sort of landlocked in the center of the house, so there are no windows (which was the other big challenge of the room). We did add a couple of french doors just behind and to the left of this photo, but because the kitchen's not just completely flooded with natural light we went with a really soft white on all the cabinetry (Benjamin Moore's Swiss Coffee). We thought about doing the island a different color, but we wanted to keep the base colors very simple so we could add lots of color in accessories and other furniture. There will be a built-in banquette area to the right of this photo and we wanted some flexibility with color and pattern options with the upholstery and the finish on the table and chairs.

The appliances and counter tops will be installed in the next couple days. We went with a Macaubus quartzite for the counter tops and backsplash.

It's mostly a soft gray color and has the beautiful veining that we all love, but it wears much harder than a marble - more like a granite.

We're doing extra long polished nickel bin pulls on the drawers and small button knobs on the cabinets and top drawers. Some of the hardware was backordered, but everything should be in later this week, so in just a few days we'll have all the pieces of the puzzle in place!

The floors will be installed last. We went with an oiled French oak (thanks again for your input and reassurance!). I think it's all going to be so pretty together! Stay tuned for after photos...

Nursery Plans and Favorite Baby Products

Margot just hit the two-month mark and has started sleeping mostly through the night (bless that sweet angel!), which means it's really time to get going on a nursery! Cribs have come SO far since my last baby. Really, there was only the Ouef wren crib that was cool and modern back then, and it was stratospherically out of my grad school budget! I went with a $20 Jenny Lind crib from Craigslist instead and give it a fresh coat of mint green paint. I still love the classic Jenny Lind style, but it's fun that there are so many different crib designs available now! Some are still very pricey, but there are a lot of mid-range options that are total show-stoppers.

Amber Interiors

We've been having Margot sleep in our room next to our bed - sometimes in that cute bassinet I posted about, but honestly, it's usually in this little Rock N Play seat thing. It's not the cutest baby product in the world, but it has about a million five-star reviews on Amazon, so I had to try it for myself. And, WOW, it is like the holy grail of baby swings/bouncers/bassinets. It plugs into the wall and rocks itself for up to six hours. And it has a built-in white noise player! The seat hugs her little body and keeps Margot feeling tucked in and secure. And the angle of the back is perfect for babies that spit up - a new and not so fun experience for us!

It folds up easily for travel and just for moving it around the house. I bring it upstairs to the studio often so Margot can sleep nearby while I'm working. It's awesome for naps, but I think she'll be happier to have a crib soon and a quiet, dark space to sleep in at nights.

The playroom is going to be Margot's room since its next to our bedroom. There's a closet in there that is big enough for a crib and a small dresser. 

We're thinking of turning it into her (tiny!) nursery and that way we don't have to do much rearranging in the playroom.

We started taking down the (old and cheap) shelving, which has opened up the space so much already.

I'd love to do some sort of fun wall treatment in here, but I need to find something that would work with the bird wallpaper I have in the playroom on the ceiling.

Maybe some cool ikat upholstered walls like my friend did here?

And if I can find a lighter, neutral ikat, I'd love to paint my Draper dresser a fun color and throw a cute stripey changing pad on top.

Laure Joliet

I'm thinking the white Dwell Studio Mid-century crib would be fabulous in this small space. I love that it feels like a beautiful piece of furniture instead of a giant prison crate. :)

But it's also nice that there are a ton of other crib options that aren't as much of an investment. I really like all of these.

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I'm sort of leaning toward this one though, crate similarities and all. It's a new line from Fisher-Price (who actually also makes that Rock N Play that I'm so in love with??) and it's less than $250! I love the simple, clean lines. And I really like the warm gray color. So many of the gray cribs seem really blue.

I'd love recommendations on other cribs too, if you have a good one! We had to completely start from scratch with baby gear and I've been out of the baby mindset for so long now that I've had to rely on friends' suggestions for practically all of our purchases.

 

Uppababy Carseat and Stroller  // Shopping bag stroller hooks  

We splurged on some things (like a pretty car seat and stroller) and have tried to save other places - like in the clothes department. I've finally learned my lesson there and stopped buying a million outfits. Baby clothes are crazy expensive and really, babies are happiest in soft sleepers for the first few months anyway, right? I've found a few reliable lines that I know I'll keep coming back to as Margot is growing. They look cute, we only need a few of them to have in rotation, and I know she is comfortable.

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Also, this line of super-soft head wraps is adorable and makes me feel just a tiny bit less lazy for dressing my baby in mostly pajamas. :)

And just for kicks, here are a couple more of my favorite baby products, some newer to me and some tried-and-true. What am I missing here that you love?

 Organic unbleached ivory muslin swaddle blankets that are more beautiful with every wash  //  Make your baby smell like a French baby  //  The only socks that actually fit a newborn's feet  //  Wipes warmer (SO WORTH IT)  //  Adorable fox burp cloths that will get a million compliments every time you are out  //  Great and affordable baby monitor that doubles as a walkie-talkie (!)  //  The cutest kitty lovey around  //  If it's possible for a pacifier to be pretty, this natural rubber one is it! Also totally recommend this tutorial for a DIY paci holder.

Hiring!

Hi friends!!! Thank you for all your well-wishes and support about baby Margot and for letting me take a little breather after her arrival. I've been soaking up every second of these sweet first few weeks!

It's been a great time for me to reflect on my career too, and I've got some big plans. The blog and website redesign is almost done and we've decided to do an online store. I'll be selling some of my most favorite, really special pieces online - I'm SO excited to show you!

I've also been taking on more client work this year, so we're hiring! If you are an experienced interior designer looking for work in the Phoenix area, please email me! I'd love to hear from you.  xo