Serenity Now

Oh boy! Things are starting to look good around here! The painters/workers left for good yesterday and some mad unpacking happened. I feel bad for the recycling and trash pick up guys. There's about a million garbage bags and boxes and rolls of old carpeting waiting for them. :/ But the house is suddenly feeling bigger and brighter and more clean! A great feeling after living in a box cave for two weeks.

Monday I'll start sharing more befores of the new house. The projects have started and I feel better about sharing the ugly before shots when I know at least some progress photos are not too far behind.

Aren't this pictures from our loft shoot peaceful? I'm missing that settled, content feeling that happens when your home is clean and decently decorated. While I'm ripping out disgusting old carpet on the garden level in between coats of paint on the kitchen cabinet frames, I'll be thinking of the serenity that's hopefully headed my way soon. :)

Happy weekend!

(Photos of our old dining room by Nicole Franzen. Styling by Kendra Smoot - who says sunflowers are making a comeback! Love these black ones she used. And how cool are the figs?)

Copy Cat Design: Caitlin Wilson's Dining Room

Colleen is on fire - I love seeing what she is up to on There Comes A Yes. Also, did you hear that she is now the head graphic designer for Lonny? She is so talented and I feel really lucky that she works with me! She's joining us today with a copy cat version of a room designed by another lovely friend, Caitlin Wilson. Here's Colleen:

I really love Caitlin Wilson's dining room in the July issue of Matchbook. It's a pretty mix of traditional and feminine pieces!

1. Laura Ashley Ava Table Lamp with Taylor Shade; Wayfair, $115

It's pink, but the shape isn't overtly girly, so it works well in a dining room.

2. Cabbage White paint; Farrow & Ball

A fresh, light wash of blue on the walls enhances the navies and pinks.

3. Yellow Dynasty Teapot; The Teapot Shoppe, $35

Chintz makes me happy. That's all.

4. French Empire Crystal Chandelier; Gallery Lighting, $297

A very traditional and formal chandelier--it's best paired with a mix of furniture styles.

5. Porcelain Flower Pot; Oriental Furniture, $39

To stuff with hydrangeas, of course.

6. Lucite Square Knob; The Paris Apartment, $34

Dress up a run-of-the-mill buffet with glam lucite knobs.

7. Liatorp sideboard; Ikea, $350

A basic sideboard perfect for customization.

8. "Bordighera" by Monet in Parma frame 37"x31"; Art.com, $245

Scour church garage sales, thrift stores, and fleas for a framed oil painting--you'll get the best deal!

9. Karges French Regency Dining Table; Ebay, $1595

Rarely can you go wrong with a vintage dining set. If you're searching Ebay or Craigslist, try adding "regency" to your search terms.

10. Chandler Caned High Back Chair; Ballard Designs, $299

To get that Regency look, search for high back chairs and caning.

11. Sofia Fabric in Dark Blue; Ikea, $8/yard

Upholster the dining chairs in a navy and white/cream stripe!

12. Grant Wing Back Chair; Home Decorators, $900

Use wing back chairs as host chairs--it breaks up the matchy-matchy look of a dining set.

13. Navy Fleur Chinoise Fabric; Caitlin Wilson Textiles, $60/yard

Tie the room together perfectly with this floral fabric.

Room Tour: Anne's Living and Dining Room

I am so excited about today's room tour! Reader Anne enlisted the help of my lovely and super-talented friend Lauren (who is due with her third baby any second now!) for some eDecorating advice. I LOVE how these two collaborated to make Anne's home bright and cheery and polished. It's a nice mix of modern and traditional and I think they did a beautiful job of putting money where it counted. Here's Anne... 

Being a graphic designer is a blessing when it comes to creating a look on paper, but translating our style into home decor proved to be, well, challenging.

So when I stumbled across Lauren Liess from Pure Style Home, I knew I wanted her to help me. With a brief over-the-phone consultation, she was able to give me direction on the larger paralyzing decisions...like "Buy something modern for the second buffet," or "Fill this wall to the ceiling with art." She's a genius! 

I then spent the next ten months collecting furniture and art (Lauren also helped us with our master bedroom) and putting the pieces together to create a look that truly reflected our style. My husband is traditional and I like a bit of quirk. Voila!

When we started this transformation, many of the larger items were in place, but the rooms felt unfinished and off balance. Lauren's advice to create symmetry (around the picture window and couch) and filling the space with 'pretties' proved to be the key to making it feel cozy and inviting. 

My husband was afraid that filling the walls with art would make the space feel smaller, but in fact your eye is now drawn up and around the rooms, creating the illusion of more space. 

And adopting the mindset that 'it might get broken, but it's worth having out and not hidden for the next ten years' helped with creating table tops suitable for a toddler (we have since moved the cactus-ha!). As long as we have a few things out that our two year old son can touch, he is happy to leave the breakables alone.

Another key piece to pulling things together was a color 'theme'. I wanted the rooms to connect, but I didn't want to be matchy-matchy. The pillow on the sofa (which I just LOVE) was a gift from missionary friends in Bosnia and it became my 'go to' when I was tempted to purchase something. If it didn't jive with the pillow ... I had to pass. 

The conversation starter in the room is definitely the large black and white image in the dining room. It's an image of my dad as a boy and we just love it! I sat for months on the couch wondering what do with that space and now having it filled with a little piece of family history is a treat. 

In fact, if you look around, animals play a theme in most of the vignettes. A happy accident I guess, but we love the subtle 'lodge' feel. 

Well, there you have it. Our living and dining rooms. Thanks for looking! 

I will list sources below. 

All images by amymajorsphotography.com

P.S. I added a photo of our nursery here too. It was finished when I spoke with Lauren and I told her 'THIS is our style'. Amazing how nesting will kick you into gear to get a nursery ready while the rest of the house sits undone. :)

Resources: 

Sofa -  Ethan Allen

Rug - West Elm

Drapery - JCPenny

Club Chairs - Thrifted

Round End Table - Overstock

Campaign Side Table - Urban Outfitters

Three Drawer End Table - Antique

Coffee Table - Overstock

Lamps - Target/JCPenny

Living Room Art - Collected over the years

Sofa Pillow - Bosnian rug turned pillow (gift)

Pink Throws - West Elm

Coffee Table Baskets - Target

Coffee Table Tray - Target

Elephant - Thrifted

Floor Lamp - Antique

Chandelier - Antique

Dining Table - Thrifted

Dining Chairs - Ikea

Wood Buffet - Antique

White Buffet - Ikea

Buffet Lamps - JCPenny base with Target shades

Books - Thrifted

Art - Collected over the years

Large Print - Photo printed at Canvas On Demand

Vases - Thrifted

Dog - Thrifted

Buffet Tray - Target

Bar Glasses - Williams-Sonoma

Silver Cheese Server - Thrifted

Cigar Boxes - Local Cigar Shop

Host and High Chairs

Hi! I hope you had a great weekend! We played catch up after a crazy week. So many changes coming our way!

I've already mentioned this one, but one of the big changes is a move later this summer! Exciting! So obviously it doesn't make sense to buy anything more for the loft. In our new place, the dining room isn't suited for a long table like this one, so I decided to let go of the host chair idea. We pulled the minty Italian chairs up to the table when I bought the little bergeres a couple weeks ago (those are now flanking the red console) I love the way they look against the chinese wallpaper!

A couple of people have emailed me about our high chair. I bought our Stokke Tripp Trapp chair on Craigslist for $75 right after we moved to the city. It's a really great little chair for older babies (we use a Bumbo for the first six months or so), toddlers and even young kids. I love the shape and color and it's great for us to have Evie sitting at the table with us rather than dealing with a huge big high chair situation.

Do you have a high chair you love? 

Room Tours: Callie's Home

Are you ready for photo overload? Callie emailed me a couple weeks ago and I saw a little peek of her house. I practically begged her to show me more! And I'm so glad she agreed to do a full tour here. I think her home is the *perfect* way to do neutrals. I'm always harping on the finding balance with warm and cool tones in a room. That's true for neutral rooms too! This means you should mix your black and brown tones, your creams and grays. And if you want to throw in a random splash of color by way of a vase or small piece of art - well that's all the better!

I hope you enjoy Callie's house tour as much as I did. Here she is sharing some of her approach to decorating her lovely home (with a list of sources at the very bottom):

We built our home about a year ago, and I really took a lot of time to think beforehand about the look I wanted, both in the design of our home and in decorating it. Looking at images on blogs really is what gave me inspiration for my home, and I spent A LOT of time doing it. Images that I kept on coming back to were rooms by Ryan Korban and Mary McDonald. I really didn't want an overload of anything TOO bloggy or trendy though, because I knew I would get tired of looking at it!

-I signed up for emails from a bunch of sites... then I waited for the sales to happen. :) Because I live in an area where there aren't a ton of different stores, I bought a lot of items online. And because I was (mostly!) patient, nearly everything I ordered online I either got on sale (sometimes MAJOR sale!) or free shipping. Even the items I picked up at local stores were mostly on sale.

As much as I love the look designers create, I LOVE getting good deals! Nothing is better than telling someone, "Originally that was $XXX and I got it for $XX!" I've tried to see decorating my house as a marathon, not a sprint.

-I really only tried to purchase something that I could see in a specific spot in my home-- what I found was that when I didn't have a particular place in mind, I ended up not really liking what I picked up and felt like I wasted my money.

-Antique stores! And antique stores! And antique stores! I typically found a similar look to what I had seen online by going to a ton of antique stores... sometimes it took a little digging and patience, but I usually found what I was looking for at a fraction of the price I would have spent online (and usually even cheaper than on etsy, eBay, or One Kings Lane, although I have found some awesome deals there). AND I love the fun little things I came across as I was looking for something specific! That is where I got my instant gratification as a reward for all that waiting I'd done for online purchases. :)

-Where I really saved-- accessories (by doing what I typed above), artwork (Hobby Lobby does custom cut mats for really cheap and I did most of the artwork by myself... and I am NOT an artist by any means!!), drapes (discount fabric sewn by my mom), and dressers/consoles (again, mostly all from antique stores and painted by my me or my dad).

I splurged on both of my sofas and on my coffee table-- I saw the Hutton sofa from Room & Board and immediately knew it was the one because of its look and length (even though I looked for a cheaper version for about five months), and my husband sat on the leather sofa from Restoration Hardware and there was no changing his mind. I'm still a little uneasy about those splurges though!

ENTRY
navy dresser- antique store (paint is Benjamin Moore, pulls from House of Antique Hardware)
gold mirror- craigslist
W mirror- Pottery Barn Kids
black lamps- Target
white shades- Target
greek key trim- Walmart
gold Asian bust- antique store
zebra wood frame- Pottery Barn
blue bowl- World Market
silver plated bowl- One Kings Lane
navy rug- One Kings Lane (Thom Filicia)
drum shade- Andrews Lighting in OKC
bird box- Anthropologie


LIVING ROOM
media console- antique store (painted by my Dad with black automotive paint)
gold lamp- Horchow
blue vases- antique store
antler- my parents' barn
pink orchid- TJ Maxx
small sunburst mirror- Hobby Lobby

coffee table- Horchow
burl wood tray- ebay (Williams Sonoma Home)
horns- Jayson Home and Garden
silver lacquer box- One Kings Lane (can buy at Plantation Home)
foo dog- etsy
blue vase- Goodwill
gold bamboo frame- One Kings Lane (Lunares)
floral notebooks- Anthropologie
lucite nesting tables- CB2
foo dog lamp- Tuesday Morning
wood root- antique store
horse statue- etsy
burl wood box- Teavana
Chiang Mai print tray- Furbish Studio

gold vintage chair- antique store
mink fur pillow- Restoration Hardware
leopard pillows- made by my Mom from fabric from Interior Fabrics in OKC

cream nailhead chairs- Gilt and Overstock (Safavieh)
blue handblocked pillows- West Elm
greek key side table- One Kings Lane (Worlds Away)
grey ginger jar- Williams Sonoma Home
Asian gold horse- antique store
zebra wood box- ebay (Williams Sonoma Home)
white vase- Mockingbird Manor in OKC
leather tray- World Market
white coral- Pottery Barn
blue vase- antique store

velvet sofa- Room and Board
pink Insignia pillows- Furbish Studio (Windsor Smith fabric)
wool and coral cotton pillows- Anthropologie

large gold sunburst mirror- Williams Sonoma Home
black jars- Pottery Barn
coral ginger jars- Williams Sonoma Home

silver task lamp- Williams Sonoma Home
brown rug- Wisteria
cream drapes- my Mom made from fabric from Interior Fabrics in OKC
curtain rods- Target
black frames and grey mats- Hobby Lobby


DINING/KITCHEN
dining table- Williams Sonoma Home
chairs- Horchow
silver ginger jar- One Kings Lane
graphic rug- Williams Sonoma Home
cream pendant- Horchow
black frames- Target

black bamboo dresser- craigslist (paint is Rustoleum, pulls from Lee Valley)
cream porcelain lamps- Williams Sonoma Home
Asian ladies- antique stores
gold box- antique store
green vase- Pottery Barn
gold bamboo frame- antique store
white vase- Pier 1
lines paintings- me, frames from Garden Ridge, black mats from Hobby Lobby
eagle mirror- antique store

lucite counter stools- CB2
blue vases- Wisteria
silver rim utensil holder- Pottery Barn
circles painting- me, frame from antique store
coral butter dish- Anthropologie
blue pot- TJ Maxx
Silver bamboo frame- TJ Maxx
Cream frames- Target
fuschia orchid- TJ Maxx
copper greek bust- etsy
white pineapple- White Barn
ikat bowls- Anthropologie
various white, glass, and metal serving pieces- Pottery Barn, Anthropologie, Target, and antique stores
black and gold mums paper- Paper Mojo
silver sphere pendant- Horchow (Solaris pendant from Crystorama)


MAN ROOM
leather sofa- Restoration Hardware
red plaid pillows- Ralph Lauren
wheat rug- Pottery Barn

round coffee table- Pottery Barn
brown leather tray- Pottery Barn
decanters and glasses- Pottery Barn, antique stores
vintage National Geographics- antique store
patch- Rugby by Ralph Lauren

wood side table- made by my brother-in-law Roger
silver lamp- picked up by my husband Russ somewhere before we met!
marquetry frame- Williams Sonoma Home
metal R on wood stand- Anthropologie
silver microphone- from my Dad
small white H letterman's patch- antique store

duke painting- antique store
vintage baseball print- antique store
large red H letterman's patch- antique store
fox hunt print- etsy
black mirror- Target
small black and white print- picked up by my husband Russ somewhere before we met!
metal W- Anthropologie

NYC Census Bureau map- One Kings Lane (Barbara Cosgrove)
subway sign- Pottery Barn
curtain rod- Target
cream drapes- my Mom made from fabric from Interior Fabrics in OKC
all books are from random places

Copy Cat Design: Celerie Kemble Dining Room

I'm so thrilled you guys seem to love these copy cat posts from Colleen as much as I do! Colleen has the best eye and knows when to splurge and when to save. She also is a FANTASTIC flea market partner in crime. We always find gems together. My favorite find was these midcentury chrome and brass coffee tables for Colleen's living room. So gorgeous!!

Here's Colleen with an amazing dining room redux:

I'm so excited to do this reader-requested Celerie Kemble dining room; I worked on the issue of Lonny in which it was featured! It was absolutely my favorite interior.

1. Bowmont Chandelier; Circa Lighting, $1260

If this room were for a client, I'd trawl the flea market and Ebay for a vintage option, but I'm quite enjoying this new chandelier that nods to the original Murano. For a different but still lovely Murano-style look, try the Calais Chandelier from Z Gallerie.

2. Alexa Limed Oak Chair; Zinc Door, $500

Celerie used shagreen chairs of her own design in this room. Grey chairs with Mid-Century lines are still faithful to the look. Another option are these Klismos chairs from West Elm.

3. Java Mohair; Decorator's Best, $50.25/yard

Complete the chairs with plush mohair in a chocolate hue.

4. Bamboo d'Oro Flatware; Barney's, $125

I've been dreaming of this flatware for months now. It's on my "when I'm rich and fabulous" list. Target fortunately has an interpretation in stainless.

5. Lucite Curtan Rod; The Paris Apartment, $255

One of the Jonathan Adler decorating tips I've taken to heart is to replace your hardware with lucite. It's instant glamour!

6. Pinch Pleat Curtains in Sulfur Green Linen; I Dream of Drapery, $138

To keep window treatments from being over the top, pair the lucite rod with linen drapes.

7. Artichoke Candle Holder; Sears, $38

These ceramic artichokes would be cute on a mantel too.

8. Vintage Floral Wallpaper; SecondHand Rose, $150/roll

The art in the room is by Alex Timchula, but framing wallpaper is a great option. You could also get botanical prints from Etsy.

9. Dakota Dining Table; Crate and Barrel, $1400

Most lightly-stained farmhouse tables would do the trick here. Top with simple glass plates.

10. Nautilus Shell Paint; Benjamin Moore

This pale peachy-pink evokes just enough glamour.

11. Torsby Sideboard; Ikea, $300

Spray paint the hardware a brass shade and you'd be good to go! For something a little more Regency, try this buffet from Home Decorator's.

Copy Cat Design: Eclectic Dining Room

My super-stylish assistant Colleen, who blogs at There Comes A Yes, is the queen of sourcing. She always knows where to find the pieces I have in my head for our client projects. I'm so excited that she's going to join us on LGN for copy cat design posts! Email us if you have an inspiration room you'd like to see interpreted.

This dining room from Elle Decor is one of the first I saved to my computer many moons ago, so I was quite excited when Jenny asked me to break it down for you today!

1. Wire Hare; CB2, $70

This little guy adds just enough humor to a mantel. At 2 feet tall, he's a statement too!

2. Louis XVI Square Back Side Chair; Ballard Designs, $329

Classic Louis chair.

3. Skintex Ostrich in Mustard; Auto Trim Store, $34/yard

Faux ostrich for the dining chairs. Love a leather or faux skin for easy clean up.

4. Vintage Portrait Woman in Red; Ebay, $230

Ebay is a great source for vintage oil paintings, especially quirky portraits like this one. Really dig the shade of her shirt and lipstick too!

5. Embroidered Ikat Stripe Pillow; Urban Outfitters; $34

Urban is so on the ball with trendy and inexpensive home accessories. Perfect way to add a little extra color to your room.

6. Trilight Floor Lamp; White on White, $475

The inspiration room has quite a bit of traditional going on, but breaks up the look with the MCM lamp. It can be hard to find a stylish brass floor lamp new, and under $1000, so I really like this version.

7. Docksta; Ikea, $179

Oh the ubiquitous Docksta. For the price point, its stylings are excellent, and it's not too tiny either at 48 inches wide. Definitely prefer it paired with traditional chairs.

8. Quiet Planes by Tod Seelie 11"x14"; 20x200, $60

Always love a mix of mediums--buy three or four photos and hang them vertically for a similar look.

9. Ginger Jar; Pearl River, $12.50

Pearl River is an excellent source for little doodads if you need to style your room in a hurry.

10. Navy Ikat Pillow; Etsy, $37

Another fun pillow to add to the mix. I'm not the only throw pillow addict, right?

11. Chester Tufted Sofa in Steel Blue; West Elm, $1099

This sofa is an excellent option if you're striking out on Craigslist for the real deal. Plus, it's a lot more apartment-friendly than most chesterfields!