pretty pieces

bet you didn’t know i wore glasses. i do. actually i wear contacts but once in a while, i need glasses. and the last time i bought new glasses was in 2004. so i got me some stylin’ specks from warby parker that are swanky! can’t wait to try them on and rock my inner librarian

the fabric was the inspiration for the entire room. my client had the hospital bed, we just painted it gray and added in the fabulous frette linens. the gorgeous valence frames the space & sheers make the room very soft. a collection of plates adds whimsy & an original work framed in drift woods completes this room. i love this room so much & so do the guest who visit it!

the little girl who sleeps in this room is very sophisticated. in fact, she picked out the wallpaper herself. it has jewels and fish kissing and butterflies and flowers. it’s very ornate and intricate- not your typical princess room and don’t we love that. i used serena and lilys trellis fabric is grass for custom made bedding and for the window treatments. the orange pom pom trim adds a bit of whimsy. my favorite piece in the room is the rattan swing. it’s a perfect reading nook or thinking corner. i took her land of nod bed, once white & painted it turquoise. i added in large coral tone letters and a west elm bookcase to display her treasures. pattern on pattern sometimes works beautifully & this is one of those times. it’s my favorite room in the entire house!

in this master bedroom, we wanted a wow! factor. and i think that’s what we got. the graphic sun wallpaper works so well with the room to warm the once dull space with color & compliment the wood paneled ceiling in perfect tones of orange, yellow, blue, and brown. we kept the windows bare to allow the landscaping to act as the headboard. we chose low, modern furniture that has such perfect lines and functional artimede sconces that bend in amazing ways. the gray painting is custom by the talented artist, chris wyrick and a vintage piece by richard olson hangs over the modern day bed. we added in the dwell bedding to complete the look

with my amazing contractors- john & bob cown- we tore down the brick fireplace, added in recessed lighting, & resurfaced the walls and ceiling, i then started with the paint color, a beautiful green by ben moore. i wanted a color that would pop when you walked into the house but i also wanted a color that did not overwhelm the space. we added in a crate and barrel sectional in a kid friendly tweed to ground the room, two eclectic chairs from anthropologie, a parsons desk with a fabulous antler lamp and a natural fiber rug. we wanted the space to be wide open with lots of seating. in this house, the only place for the TV was over the fireplace as it is a multi-purpose space. we added in the william sonoma home bar that is cream and black lacquer and the edison standing lamp

this is the living room before:

over the next several days, i will be revealing my finished project in crawford, georgia. it has taken me over a year to complete this house & i am very very proud of the results. the clients wanted modern and eclectic, young and happy, bold and bright. the house itself is not significant. there were no amazing architectural details to pull on for this houses style is solely based on the decor. it is a simple, tin roofed cottage set on 77 acres of land in the country side perfect for a small family of 3. but once you step inside, the personality of the home now takes you over. every corner has been redecorated, repurposed, restyled. i’ve loved this project & my amazing clients & the friendship i have with them. it’s been awesome. enjoy!

for my 32nd birthday, S arranged a surprise trip to mexico onboard Royal Caribbeans brand new ship, oasis of the seas. upon hearing this news, i was less than impressed. i know, i know. most people would be thrilled. most people love cruises. all my friends told me i would love it & they knew the oasis to be the nicest ship of them all

but honestly, my first thought was: gag me with a spoon. i’ll pass
my second thought: I don’t do crusies. private yachts, yes. small charter boats, yeah. 6,000 people on a floating mall, no way
my third thought: what the hell do i know? do it

we were invited by a friend of Stephens, a gracious French host who personifies elegance and style, to try it out and since it was a gift from my husband who is so sweet (see previous blog entry) I decided to follow my third thought and just go for it

but the only way S could actually get my onboard was to bribe me with a stay at the Ritz in West Palm Beach before hand, which was fabulous and i highly recommend. but anyone with multiple stamps in their passports and expired visas from extended international stays really does not have any reason to get on a cruise liners (or so I thought). it is the biggest boat in the world? that’s kinda cool. so with a lot of deep breathing, i packed the wee ones up and we were off

tonight we returned our 7 day cruise, and I must admit, i had a swell time. the boat is so high tech, watching us set sail from the bridge with the caption, it blew me away. we loved the onboard entertainment, the state-of-the-art kids clubs that are open late, late (yes we left them there as often as possible and they loved it! we could barely get them out to come home), and we certainly abused the concierge lounge (martinis anyone?) which has a lovely view from high above and is a nice place to cocktail with cruise loving high rollers. we did not enjoy the excursions but that’s just us traveling with 3 kids and not wanting to be slaves to them the whole time. really, there’s really no reason to leave the ship at all

onboard the oasis, we were wined and dined. we ate in beautiful restaurants. we watched broadway shows. and from the warm and welcoming staff to the running track that covers the half mile long outer deck to the iphones with monitors for your kids using a royal caribbean exclusive app, I have been awaken by the cruise culture. for it is not about getting from point A to point B. to cruise, and to cruise in style, is an experience unto itself. royal caribbean has figured it out. they have something for everyone at many different price levels and if you are into cruises, the oasis of the seas is the only way to go first in style, first in class. i personally suggest booking their gorgeous two story loft suites which were aMaZiNg and booking a loft suite could possibly convince me to venture back onboard

tonight going through the list of things we did on the boat over a period of seven days, i have to say my favorite was our last night, watching the sun set over the ocean, on the empty VIP deck with the girls playing and the bar to ourselves. the champagne flowed until way past midnight & it was a lovely, lovely moment in time

will i cruise again on such a big ship? i doubt it.i don’t know if its exactly my thing. but i enjoyed my experience, i love royal caribbean, and i love that my family had a unique trip together that was seemingly effortless = all thanks to the oasis of the seas …

merci, francois

sorry i’ve been away, loves. we’ve been on a boat. a really big boat. sailing to haiti and mexico. and now we are coming back. we’ve had one hell of a summer. and it’s coming to an end. and i am so ready for fall. but for sure, i’ll miss the beach, the sun, the free flowing fun. more tomorrow when i’m rested and ready to take on the world again (right now i’m having a bloody mary at 11 am and savoring the last minutes of my vaca)