Skirting the Issue

I love the skirted table that Erika had made for her daughter's second birthday. The fabric is very inexpensive, and she chose red so that she could use it again on holidays (how festive will it be on the 4th of July?).


Our dining room table's surface takes a beating when we have guests and it would be nice to have a floor-length cloth to use when we pull the chairs away. Ana Spiro has a lovely ticking-stripe cloth on her desk.


A box pleat would be pretty, too, and that might be a little more in-line with my sewing abilities. Now, where's my measuring tape?

A Favorite Charleston Home

I love to get a closer look at homes I admire, and was excited to see this Charleston house Michelle featured recently. The historic home was decorated by homeowners Mark and Melissa Maresca, and I first fell for it in the pages of Southern Accents. It's classic and beautiful, yet interesting; a real grown-up house (the likes of which I will never own - but love to look at!).

Ticking Stripe Sofas

I have a small hand-me-down settee in desperate need of a makeover. Right now I have a piece of fabric tossed over it to hide some of the heinous 90's burgundy, navy and hunter green postcard-print upholstery. Yeah. As usual, I won't have a ton of cash to spend on the project, so I'm thinking a simple ticking stripe might be the answer.


How cute are these two ticking stripe sofas? The welt on this one seems to have been cut on the bias. Fun!

Photos, from top: Traditional Home, Katy Elliott.

A Closer Look

I love to look at Lonny, but honestly, not many of the homes have much practical inspiration for me. Ashley Putman's Houston home was definitely an exception. It doesn't look overly-designed, but is filled with personal style that's magically kid-friendly -- the perfect stylish family home. Which is why I nearly fell out of my chair when I spotted again on Holly Mathis. It was featured in a Houston holiday home tour last season, and local blogger Lauren offered a closer look. There are some new spaces, like a great hallway gallery wall and an adorable nursery, but it's the kitchen I keep coming back to (no surprise there).

Dreamy Desk

Holly Mathis recently turned her breakfast space into a desk space. It's visible from the front door, so it's also pretty. A pair of spray-painted lamps (with new shades) from the thrift store, a linen skirt, file boxes from Wal-Mart, and a few pretty accessories do the trick.


Between the kitchen and dining room, the desk would also make a great buffet when cleared.

Buffalo Check

I came about thisclose to having the chair in Elliot's room upholstered in a buffalo check. I wimped out and went with linen in the end (it's finally coming back from the upholsterer today!), and now I'm seeing buffalo check all over the place.


At Simply Seleta.


And Amy Meier. PS you are all reading Amy Meier, right? Okay good.

Fall Color Inspiration

Fall color in our neck of the woods has been a bit lacking, probably thanks to our end-of-summer drought. But I still love the muted grays, greens, and browns of the leaf litter constantly falling onto our deck (and everywhere else in our yard).




There are plenty of ways to use the colors when decorating for fall, which is great for our house, where an orange pumpkin stands out like a sore thumb.




Photos: top three are mine, Colin Cooke, bottom three from Saipua.

Dressing the Dresser

My dresser in our bedroom is tall, and has always kind of perplexed me. Right now, the small television set I had in college is sitting on it and since we never really use it, Wes is getting his wish and the TV is getting the boot. Now that some space is free, I'm thinking about what else I can do with the top (right now I have a tray that holds my jewelry and an alabaster urn). These three in particular are inspiring me.



This one is especially appropriate since Wes bought this crewel bedspread (for my birthday in February) from Kelly's fabulous shop!

Photos: Jordan Ferney, Lonny, High Street Market.

Day 1189's pretties

Last night was a real treat. Doug and Paige of Tracery Interiors hosted a lovely garden party at Doug's home. Not only did I get to hang with some lovely ladies (Brooke, Marianne, Paula, and Megan) and make some new friends, but I got an in-person look at Doug's adorable bungalow. I have oohed and ahhed over his renovation on Tracery's blog, but I have to say, it looks even better in person!






Thank you for having us Doug and Paige! And did you hear the great news about Tracery's second shop? I have yet to visit the Rosemary Beach location, so this is very exciting!

For the Love of Lamps

I was catching up with my friend Kim yesterday and read her post about buying her first lamp. Yes, her first lamp. Kim is great at lots of things, like growing a fantastic garden and sewing cute bags and the progress she and her husband Ryan are making renovating their second house makes me look like a sloth. But she is mystifed by lamps, which is mystifying to me because I love them.

I had the one above, and its mate, for at least two years before we bought the sofa they now sit next to. They lived in my closet for a year after I bought them for $17 each on sale at KMart -- they are of the old Martha Stewart Everyday collection.


She asked her readers to leave a comment with how many lamps they owned. I counted ten in my house, and actually thought for a moment that that number sounded a little low. Until I read the rest of the comments. Many people were in the 3-5 range, and there was just one more double-digit lamp owner like me. So who exactly is in the minority here?

This pair of antique/vintage murano lamps were kind of a splurge for me ($120 for the pair, I think) but I fell in love with them and Wes gave them to me for my birthday. I have just recently found shades to fit, though I think I still need a smaller harp. I hope we will have these forever.



I've heard it said that lamps can be the jewelry of a room and that they can really update a room, and I think that both are true. I always notice a great lamp in a room or in a photo. I also love to use a pair of lamps (on either side of a sofa or bed, or just on a long piece of furniture like a dresser, console table, or buffet) because it's a simple way to introduce symmetry, which can give a room a more finished look. I'm also a big fan of NOT using overhead lights on full-blast (dimmers are your friend!), and just generally think that lamps offer more flattering light (both to you and the room). I could go on an on about lamps, but I'd rather hear from you -- how many lamps do you have?

This lamp is my most recent acquisition. Again, it was love at first sight when I saw it on a blogger's Craig's List round-up, and I immediately e-mailed the seller to see if he was interested in shipping it to me from Minneapolis. I think he thought I was crazy, but it was totally worth it!

Late Summer Lovelies

Mother Nature is doing some serious teasing lately with cool(er) mornings interspersed between hot, hot afternoons.


It kind of makes me want to do like Lauren did, and spruce up the house a little to reflect the coming change.


I started last night by burning my favorite fall candle -- for $5 for the big jar, I can afford to burn it 24/7 until Christmas (Mulled Cider at Wal-Mart).


Not that I'm rushing out to buy pumpkins or anything, but you know ... some dalhias or sunflowers for the table sure wouldn't hurt.

Photos: Antonella Arismedni, Pure Style Home, Jodi Miller Photography, Saipua.

Tia Zoldan, Before and After

I am sure you will recognize one of my favorite stories from Cottage Living magazine as Tia Zoldan's California house. Julie of Milk and Honey Home recently profiled her and featured some new pictures of her house. Which of course made me immediately dig out the old pictures to compare! The new look is definitely more sophisticated, and in many ways more glamorous than the version that was featured in Cottage. Have a look.


Living room, Before: I think we can all agree that this is "the mix" done so well. It looks chic but not overly decorated.


Living room, After: Tia often chooses large scale and interesting artwork, and it looks like this new piece inspired a new color palette. The once-white walls are now a soft gray. The coffee table seems to have been painted, and the sofa recovered. Looks like some of the popular ikat on the throw pillows. She still uses an ottoman as extra seating and layers a rug over the seagrass. It's interesting to see the same basic idea in different incarnations.



Kitchen, Before: The mostly-white kitchen had a classic subway-tile backsplash with a pretty border, and warm accessories.


Kitchen, After: The walls got a coat of green-gray paint, and it looks like the window trim and sashes are darker. The two upper cabinets are painted as well. I love this look, especially the floors (laid in a herringbone pattern before it was so trendy) and that great rug. I don't know what the banquette looked like before, but I suspect it wasn't black.


Console, Before: I'm actually not sure this is the same area, but let's pretend. I'm looking at the console in the left side of the photo.


Console, After: The sconce is updated, and I love the round mirror. I usually prefer symmetry, but this arrangement is cool.


Dining room, Before: I've always loved the mix of chairs, and I also love to see a generous rug under a table. Bare floors can look a little naked!


Dining room, After: I'll be honest, this is not my favorite -- I'm just not glam enough for gold chairs and zebra, I guess. But, I can see its appeal. In the very left of the photo, it looks like one of the striped barrel-back chairs is still around, even though the host's chair has been changed (is that burlap?!). The table is the same, and again, it's fun to see the different ways to use it. The wall color looks different, though photography can really play tricks with color. This does appear to be the same color as the kitchen, so maybe it is new. The curtains are definitely new, and while I'm not sure how I like them cutting off the top window, I think this faces the street, so they are probably necessary. I'd love to know if that big green armoire is still on the wall to the left!


Bedroom, Before: I've always liked this. Again, not an over-decorated look.




Bedroom, After: The bedroom also got a dose of glam with gray paint instead of white, and new lamps and bedside tables. The new curtains look more tailored, and the darker fur throw is sexier (for lack of a better term). The headboard and sconces remain, and I love subtle mix of patterns on the bed.


Daughter's room, Before: The girls' bedroom was sweet, but not overly so. I love the mix of feminine florals and mis-matched furniture.


Daughter's room, After: She has definitely grown up! I believe the girls are nearing their preteen years, and this room reflects that.

I've loved seeing this transformation -- it's as if the house has grown up with the family. As I am still making decisions on our first house, it gives me hope that even a designer has to start somewhere (where those Ikea chairs in the dining room?) and that upgrades can be made as you go. Even if Cottage Living has already knocked on your door!