Studio Freas

Inspiration for Casual Living Spaces

2012-01-07T13:23:00.000-08:00

Love everything in the home of Cosima von Bulow Pavoncelli designed by Markham Roberts. The whole home has a warm, layered feel. It appears effortless but in reality is harder to achieve. Keep in mind, Cosima is a Dutchess, I don't think any of this is from IKEA. It takes some investment but I would like to lean into this aesthetic. I like this English sofa with nail head trim and ikat pillows. It is flanked by modern end tables layered with books and topped with gourd lamps.

Peter Dunham's one day makeover of an LA home. Linen block-print fabrics from his own line provide muted color. The chairs are from a Paris flea market. He adds more texture with a natural woven rug (from IKEA!) and cowhide from DWR. This room leans masculine but seems to have a good balance which I appreciate. I want my three boys and husband to feel comfortable in our home.

Bookish. Mercury glass vase from West Elm converted to a lamp, clever.

More from Peter Dunham. Linen textiles, natural woven rug, layers. Nice.

Den Dreams

2011-12-22T14:47:00.000-08:00

New sofa, perhaps a tightly slipcovered English roll arm sofa in linen. If I go light I'll need to be able to wash it.

Offset the traditional with some modern end tables that could hold our coffee table books and robert abbey lamps.

Chang Mai fabric for our ottoman. Love the teal, greens, yellow and bold pink hues and it mixes well with what I already have.

Chocolate graphic rug...needs to handle the traffic of four children as the den leads to the backyard.

And then I would lounge around in this gorgeous blue dress...

Library Design Board

2011-12-22T13:56:00.000-08:00

Playing with ideas for our front 'library'. It's a small space, the original cozy cottage-sized entry plus living room with fireplace.

Considering...

Tufted and skirted lee chairs flanking the stone fireplace with Suzani Trellis pillows.

Herringbone sisal layered with a zebra rug.

Mohair sette.

Motega lamp or similar in a color from the accent fabric.

Small x-stools for under the console.

Makeshift Mudroom

2011-12-22T13:26:00.000-08:00

Before....blank wall, pile of jackets and backpacks.

After....added wainscotting to match the rest of the house and hooks. Everything has a place and in it's place. Joy!

Peek into my Kids Rooms

2011-03-18T20:07:00.000-07:00

Here is a peek into how the kids rooms turned out. There was a moment that they were fairly tidy, so I quickly snapped some pics. Still a work in progress but getting there...

There is something about looking at a room photo that helps me figure out the final touches. After seeing my photos, I bought zinc, slightly industrial letters from Anthropology to fill that space over the boys beds.

I love how the Annette Tatum monogramed shams came out. And the Serena and Lily sheets and cabin quilts have been great. The blankets on the ends of their beds aren't part of the design plan, but they are the boy's crib blankets that are super soft and they are still very much attached to them.

More photos of the other rooms over on my family blog.

Art work by David. This is part of a pair he painted while I was pregnant with our trio - featuring our cats Max and JoJo doing some amazing tricks.

Stunning

2010-11-27T17:06:00.000-08:00

Another tablescape with metallics. This room from Erika and her team at Urban Grace. They are so talented, I love getting to see their work. See full story here.

Holiday Table Inspiration

2010-10-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

This fall table by Eddie Ross found in Lonny Magazine is great inspiration for the holidays. These golden colors look would great with my blue china. Those birds are from hobby lobby! then painted in gold.

Mottehedeh Imperial Blue

Kid's Room Update

2010-10-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

Big kid beds and bedding have arrived. H's room and trim painted. Shams are being monogrammed and curtain rods primed and painted for hanging.

I'm working on the finishing touches and the fun parts that make the rooms feel like kid's spaces. I will be able to share some pics soon.

Although we have three new fun rooms in the making, most of the time the inhabitants find their way to our room and new bed. So although we now have a 'roomy' king, it can get quite crowded. I've resorted to bribing our kids with a quarter if they can stay in their own beds until the sun comes up.

More Kid's Room Designs

2010-08-29T14:02:00.000-07:00

I *think* I've finally settled on the kids room designs. Baby Coco near our house carries a great line of bedding by Annette Tatum that mixed well with the Serena & Lily that I liked. It was also much easier to decide with the fabrics in hand than just shopping online.

Everything is ordered and I look forward to sharing photos of how their rooms turn out with you in September.

Holden's Room

2010-08-17T14:23:00.001-07:00

Sanctuary

2010-05-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

I've been distracted by new job, kids, life in general and I've neglected my hobby, my design blog, which also means I've neglected my own home design.

But a creative spark has been ignited. My husband has one request, that we get a new king bed. One that can be our sanctuary but also accomodate our four children in the morning or on stormy nights, when they crawl in bed with us.

So of course, this opens up a world of design questions. For a new mattress requires a new bedframe, new linens and well, makes me take a second look at our bedroom as a whole.

David knew he wanted a Westin Heavenly bed. The W Hotel bed, which appears to be identical, is 35% off so we ordered it last night. The offer expires today, but I believe they run big discounts from time to time.

I knew right away I wanted a fabric covered headboard, the question is only what shape and fabric. My inspiration photos are included in this pos.

For linens, I have an inclination towards white sheets and a white duvet covers with some detailing. Pratesi, Leontine or Frette would be my first choices if money were no object. I am particularly font of the Pratesi chain design shown on the middle two photos.

Good options that are better on the budget include Serena & Lily, Restoration Hardware and Sferra.

J.Crew Sneak Peek: Spring Collection

2010-01-22T20:30:00.000-08:00

catalog sneak peak (to be released in stores Monday)

The big spring collection arrives in J Crew stores Monday and they will begin stocking their shelves. My sales associate said everything should be on the floor by Tuesday evening.

I can't help myself, I am addicted to J Crew and am eagerly anticipating this collection.

Besides, spring has nearly sprung here in Austin. We had temperatures in the mid to high 70s today. I'll have to pack any coats and wool sweaters away in about 10 minutes.

I'm eying this Loulie Ruffle Tank in cotton/silk poplin and Rossio lightweight cashmere long cardigan. All the spring watch strap colors are great but I think this neon coral is my favorite. And of course all the baubles are fun.

Hand cut flower art tee

Meyers Movie Home

2009-11-14T17:51:00.000-08:00

It is starting to feel a lot like Christmas. Nancy Meyer is releasing a new movie this holiday season. You don't have to be a design aficionado to appreciate the homes in her movies such as Somethings Gotta Give and The Holiday. Traditional Home is show casing the newest set home in their December issue. I'll be looking forward to getting my issue in the mail. Meanwhile, I'll have to settle for a few images I've combed from the web.

The house is warm, a bit eclectic, traditional but with a few modern influences. I recognize some Lee and Oly furnishings mixed with antiques.

Large oval table in the dining room open to an inviting kitchen with open shelving, Carrara marble on the console and zinc pendants. Meyers designs gorgeous houses but they also feel real, not like showcases. I'd like to sit at this island with a glass of wine and catch up with old friends.

The master bath with claw foot tub.

And master bedroom. This cozy room may be my favorite. I like the fabric headboard and simple bedding and colorful throw, mismatched bedside tables one of which is a writing desk, and the addition of an antique dresser and mirror.

Little Girl Room

2009-10-29T20:08:00.001-07:00

Lily is quite content sharing a room with her brothers but I still cant help but plan for her big girl room. (btw, one of my triplets broke the apostrophe key on my laptop today). At some point I would like to move Lily in baby Holdens room (who is not really a baby anymore), and when he is ready move him in with his brothers.

Holdens room was designed with that trade in mind. The walls are a serene pale shade of turquois blue, BM Glass Slipper and the curtains are a cream linen. The chandelier is a bamboo lantern. It suits a baby boy but will be great for Lily with the addition of some feminine details and a healthy dose of pink. I'd like to add a trim to the linen curtains, perhaps with pink velvet ribbon (thanks lisa for the idea).

Im envisioning a full bed dressed in a pink quilt and polka dot or floral linen. Ive been eying this Serena & Lily pink quilt and their melon polka dot sheets.

courtesy of Porchlight Interiors

This iron bed from IKEA is darling.

courtesy of Swish and Swanky

I also like this low profile wood painted bed.

courtesy of Urban Grace

I was inspired by this adorable room and bought my own birdhouses at Michaels. Lily's, I mean Holden's walls just happen to be the same color, although it looks much more grey in this photograph. Holden even has the exact same crib, from Walmart of all places. It has the look of the modern and very pricey crib lines and even converts to a cute toddler bed with its own half side rail. The only thing wrong with the crib is that Holden never actually slept in it. He slept with us until 18 months. Then he moved to a twin bed that I pushed up to the crib to try to transition him to the crib. But he never would stay in that crib. And so he never used the cute dwell bedding either.

A happy coincidence occurred, when reading Erika's design blog Urban Grace I learned that she wanted to use his same polka dotted sheet in her nursery design, but then it was sold out so I was able to send her mine. I didn't charge her, it seemed like it was just meant to be. She said she was going to send me a little thank you. I thought it would be some small token but she surprised me with a $50 gift certificate to Sephora. Wow, so generous.

Anyway I digress from my little girls room daydream. In any event I have plenty of time to plan as shes not ready to separate from her triplet brothers anytime soon.

If you are interested in checking out more childrens rooms look over at my blog roll (right) and visit Swish and Swanky.

Simple Pleasures

2009-10-23T19:51:00.001-07:00

This modest home conjures a grand emotion.

Delicious olive living room with electic furnishings.

Surprise, a bold splash of aqua doesn't feel forced in this small abode.

A mercury collection adds some sparkle. Perfect for the holidays.

Cozy quaters.

Want to recreate this room? Start here at Garnet Hill.

Room with a View

2009-10-19T19:22:00.000-07:00

photo courtesy of Elle Decor

Need a place to unwind?

The All New Restoration Hardware Store

2009-08-25T19:35:00.001-07:00

RH has completely revamped their collections for fall 2009. They have turned about 360 degrees and have embraced the Belgian/French antique look which has been all the rage by top designers in places like Houston for a while. It is gorgeous, I would love the vintage french square chairs (if I didn't have four toddlers with sticky hands of course).

I wonder...now that RH is making this look highly accessible and essentially mainstream, will designers take a significant turn of their own and forge new interior frontiers for their clients?

Before & After: Dining & Den

2009-08-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

Before

Middle
This is a bit of a random photo, from the triplet's baptism party at our home. But you can see where the windows were, now there are french doors in their place.

After
Dinning room, peaking into the den. The new french doors give us access to our side yard and are flanked with Windsor Smith's Riad fabric in ming that she used for her sofas and chairs in her own living room. You can check out Windsor's gorgeous home in this month's Traditional Home. The lime green booster seats were not part of my design plan, but are a big improvement from our plastic high chairs.

A snapshot from the den *sigh*. The Thomas the Train table is not part of my design vision, but is part of my plan to survive a record hot summer with four kids under three years old. Notice the colorful paint on our white sofa? I'll be holding on to my white slip covered (aka bleachable) furniture at least until the kids are all over five. My pretty pillow with fabric from Raul Textiles made it out of the study just for this quick photo. Again, not a great photo, but the kids are in bed!

And finally a view from the dining into the kitchen so you can kind of get a feel for the floor plan. I have dreams for a lovely painted antique hutch here in the future. Something blue-gray or green-gray, not matching my drapery, but complementing.

Before & After: Front

2009-08-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

I went way back for this one. Here is a photo of our house when we first purchased it. Initially we just repainted the trim and the door. We replaced the hunter green and purple with a more mossy natural green.

The homes in our neighborhood tend to be eclectic and I am all for the fun colors but they work best on the wood homes. Our stone house calls for more earthy Hansel and Gretel colors.

After remodel:

We added a second story, increased pitch of the roof and added dormers in the front and sides.

We used BM Fairview Taupe for the woodwork trim, which I adore. The siding is BM Manchester Tan. We were trying to go with a color that would blend in with the stone. But if I were to do it over again I would go a tad richer darker, or paint all the woodwork Fairview Taupe. Overall I'm still pleased with the results. And I am very happy with the mossy gray shingle color. This isn't the best photo, taken in the middle of our record setting hot summer. It is not even 9am and the sun is too bright for a good shot. It is surprising that anything is still green.

You can see the colors a bit better in this photo taken later in the day.

Before & After: Library

2009-08-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Entrance/Library Before

These are photos from when we were about to purchase the house...we lived in the house a couple years and changed all the paint colors before remodeling.

After our remodel.
Our front 'library' - totally real life here. The kids have pulled down all the books so many times we don't bother arranging them, we just toss them all on back on the shelves. I'd still like a new front door, the one we have is cute, it's just that the Victorian style doesn't fit with our English Cottage home. And while I'm on wish lists, I'd love to have two more chairs to create a set of four around a round coffee table, instead of the small sofa.

We had actually repainted the shelving when we first bought the house, during the remodel half the shelves were destroyed to put in a gas fireplace, then we rebuilt and repainted the same dark grayish brown BM Black Fox.

Before & After: Kitchen

2009-08-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to post some 'before and after' photos of our house remodel, but it has been challenging to find time to take photos with four tots underfoot. I decided to go ahead and post what I have, even though my photos aren't that great. Over the next few days I will share different areas of the house.

Kitchen Before

Kitchen After

Gorgeous Kitchen

2009-06-20T07:46:00.000-07:00

I've been following the tale of an Australian designer/blogger A-M, building her own custom home. She is just wrapping up and the results are amazing. Look at this gorgeous kitchen with creamy white cabinetry and cream stone countertops. The island is perfect for serving up grilled cheese to a hungry crew. Early on in the drawing design phase, I suggested she move the stove so the windows flank it rather than off to the side. It was a small thrill to contribute a tiny bit to a project half way around the world.

Her blog is listed off to the right in my sidebar but I think she is keeping it private for now.

Charcoal

2009-06-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

Loving HGTV's Kristan Cunningham's kitchen with charcoal lower cabinetry and creamy white uppers.

The library bin pulls are Restoration Hardware, I considered the same for my kitchen but went with the more traditional pulls but these do look fabulous. To break up all the wood she removed the doors from under the stove top. She replaced them with a curtain of tea towels stiched together.

She continues the moody colors in her hip living room.

Swim suit by J. Crew in dark charcoal.

Design Delimma

2009-06-12T16:46:00.001-07:00

Hmm, what should I do with my blank dining room wall? I haven't been able to find any inspiration to fill it.

My latest idea is to hang four or six vintage prints of birds, ferns or something (not terribly feminine since there are four guys in the house) in frames with just clear glass around the prints, versus a mat, so you see the wall color. Above is a pic from Amanda Peet's house, check out the framed bird prints.

And I like these framed ferns in a grouping.

Bachelor Pad Update

2009-06-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a rough unstyled photo of the bachelor's living room in progress. I helped him select the sofa, console, coffee table and rug. Before I snaped this pic on my phone I threw a few books on the table just to show him how he could warm up the space and personalize the room. But I didn't have the time to make it pretty.

He picked up some great photography when he was in Cuba and is working on getting that framed. On the sofa now are pillows he previously owned but I'd like to see a suzani draped over the back. Perhaps something similar to Nate Berkus's suzani - see it on the sofa at the bottom of the photo.

There are several interesting suzanis on ebay like this one.

We ordered this gorgeous Oly leather chair which should arrive soon.

Spied Raoul Textiles

2009-05-04T20:14:00.000-07:00

Lovely living room by Palmer Weiss. Note the center pillow fabric by one of my favorites Raoul Textiles. I have two large pillows for my living sofa in the same fabric, one day I plan to get a similar colored sofa for them to rest on. But for now my pillows are relegated to the study out of reach of my four toddlers. And good thing too, my white slip covered sofa has taken much abuse. The latest of which is today's abstract art with green, pink and chartreuse paints. I'm wondering if the bleach will work on today's masterpiece.

Lulu DK

2009-02-25T21:55:00.000-08:00

Lulu DK has been one my favorite fabric designers for a while. Here is a fabulous room showcasing some of her lastest fabrics.

I have been enjoying having a bit of her clark fabric on our window seat bolsters.

Digs by Katie

2009-02-19T18:48:00.000-08:00

While searching for Nate Berkus photos yesterday for the bachelor I stumbled upon a fabulous design blog, So Haute, and have fallen head over heels for a designer she featured.

This must be how the fisherman feels when he captures that dream fish. Instead of trying out every waterway and variety of bait, I search blogs and design magizines for the big catch, a room that is so inviting and artistic that you want to move right in. Here are a few photos from her firm Digs By Katie.

Bachelor Pad Basics

2009-02-13T14:09:00.000-08:00

First things first, we needed to get a sofa on order so the bachelor could have a place to relax. I ordered this Lee Sofa with blend down cushions from Caffrey's Furniture here in Austin. They have a great selection of Lee furniture on their showroom floor and have all the fabulous Lee fabrics on display. Even though the sofa is custom we are expecting to receive it in a little over a month. I couldn't ask for more.

We went with one of the new linen/polyester blends in this dark charcole, graphite. It is a gorgeous handsome color and a great fabric with the look of linen but more durability. And no glossiness that sometimes appears with the more sturdy synthetic fabrics.

For the floor we ordered a large seagrass rug. I like sisalrugs.com, they are nice quality and have great prices including free shipping and speedy delivery.

Then we picked up this mid-century media cabinet from Crate and Barrel that we will stack with his coffee table books and a few treasures from his travels.

Bachelor Pad

2009-02-12T14:04:00.001-08:00

I'm helping a friend with some design ideas for his new home. We are going for casual eclectic, bohemian with a dash of industrial. He has lived abroad and enjoys travel and literature so I want to give him a layered comfortable look that reflects his personality and interests.

I like to see something a bit unexpected in the entryway like this twisted vine lamp from Jaime Young. I spied the top photo at Brock Street with a similar lamp. The artwork in the photo is by Rosemary Warner.

Obama bed

2009-01-27T19:26:00.000-08:00

Rumor has it that this is the bed that Smith purchased for the Obamas. Thanks Cote de Texas for this tidbit.

Here is another Michael Smith bedroom also posted by CdT which is traditional, peppered with high end American antiques yet still warm and cozy. Brilliant.

Presidential Design

2009-01-23T21:22:00.000-08:00

images courtesy of domino

It's official, Obama has appointed Michael Smith Secretary of the Interior. Interior to the white house that is. Appologies, I'm feeling a bit punchy.

Anyway, we are in for a treat as we see what Michael concocts for the Obamas. Here are a few glimpses of his portfolio to whet your appetite.

Cozy Bath

2008-11-30T06:16:00.000-08:00

photo courtesy of domino

Carolina Herrera Jr. wanted to create a dressing room she could hang out in. The petite floral fabric on the walls, pink striped lounge chair and layered cow hide rug on carpet create a cozy atmosphere for wardrobe and tub. An inviting way to start or end the day.

Fall Flora

2008-11-22T09:13:00.000-08:00

photos courtesy of domino

Pheasant feathers look great with brown transferware dinner plates on a mostly white background.

This is and easy and pretty arrangement of Nandina, we have a ton in our yard. If you aren't careful it will take over, but it does have pretty folliage and berries this time of year. I never thought of bringing it indoors.

Love this natural table with driftwood and crab apples. I wonder who makes those blue plates? My china is a similar cobolt blue from Mottaheda, Blue Lace.

Election Day

2008-11-04T07:12:00.001-08:00

Serena and Lily are having a election day sale on their red and blue Nate collection. They have beautiful baby and children's room linens and have been growing their business. It has been fun to see all their new creations. What talented gals.

Slow Blogging

2008-11-02T07:18:00.000-08:00

It has been a slow few weeks on my design blog. We moved back into our house and I've been trying to get unpacked and settled.

Here are a few snapshots of our new house. I love our dark wood floors, a 50% mix of antique walnut and ebony and our fresh walls in linen white. We used more color in the bedrooms and study.

As for decorating I started with the basics, fresh paint, drapery and accent pillows, a new dining room table and lighting. Over time we will add the finishing touches, a few more pieces of furniture that I don't want to rush into, plenty of art and some accessories.

**Updated to add that this curtain fabric is one of Windsor Smith's designs that my friend Lisa found for us.**

Bath Inspiration

2008-10-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

Our house remodel project is almost complete. The floors were stained this week and we are waiting for them to dry. Next week appliances will be installed and the final paint touch ups will be completed.

Here is a bathroom photo that inspired a bit of my own bath. I love these sconces and the subway tile. We also used a similar shade of pale gray on the walls.

Brunschwig and Fils

2008-08-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

Gems

2008-08-16T22:11:00.000-07:00

I like the mix of low priced furnishings along with higher end pieces. It keeps the room from being too contrived and certainly is friendly to the budget. I've posted a few inexpensive finds below.

Line two of these up side by side for a modern dresser that can live happily among more traditional pieces.

Ikea's version of the Saarinen dining table, a few thousand less than the reproductions at Design Within Reach and various other modern furniture lines.
This piece is modular. Picture just the base, without the top piece. I spied it in a Domino article under a bank of windows - they left a few of the cubbies doorless and stacked with books.

I like the clean lines of this chest for a boys room.

And finally the very popular and versatile parsons console from West Elm. Their similar parsons desk is nice as an end table by the bed.

Sit Back & Relax

2008-08-14T20:04:00.000-07:00

photo courtesty of Architectual Digest

Looking at these photos takes all the remodeling stress away. Poof!

At first glance I thought this was overlooking San Francico GG bridge, but no...

Look at that blue water. And although a suspension bridge, this one is a bit different than Golden Gate. This home is overlooking the Bosporus, I'm not sure if they are on the Istanbul side or more likely on the Asian side overlooking the city. Istanbul is the third largest city in the world. Amazing place, I had the opportunity to visit when I was living in Den Hague. The mosques with their calls to prayer, the bazaars the food, all of it is great.

Tablescapes

2008-08-12T19:32:00.000-07:00

Tablescapes have been catching my eye, now more than ever. Maybe it is just because I can't have any because we have three toddlers roaming the house who are now just curious enough and tall enough to grab or climb up to anything table height.

What is a tablescape? Just a collection of stuff that is interesting and pretty, your treasures, arranged artistically with varying heights, textures and depth. Often books are used as pedestals to elevate items and add color or convey a mood (think travel or art books). Add a flower or a branch or other natural element and you are done.

I imagine my new house dotted with lovely tablescapes - all 42" or higher off the ground and incorporating toy cars, sippy cups, binkies and baby wipes, properly propped of course with books 'Toddler 411', 'Love and Logic' and 'Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child' and finished off with a found stick from the park.

Enough chat...let's get to the pictures.

Let's start with the master David Hicks.

And then of course there is his daughter India Hicks who inherited the talent.

An office tablescape...forget where I found this one.

Well crafted shelf display by Lili Diallo.

And the talented Anna Spiro at her store Black & Spiro (Australia).

Displaying Art & Photos

2008-08-08T18:40:00.001-07:00

Holden and I are watching the Olympic ceremony so here are just a few quick wall photo and art collections for inspiration.

Enjoy.

photo courtesy of Oprah

Home of Nate Berkus.

photo courtesy of Domino

Amanda Peet's stair way display.

photo via Decorno

Happy Chic Design contest winner Michelle Adams inspired by Johathan Adler.

photo from Nate Berkus

Art on a grass cloth covered entryway from Nate's portfolio.

Grieving

2008-08-03T14:43:00.000-07:00

Oh, the pain of an ebay loss.

I found a twin version of this amazing Robshaw quilt shown here in Amanda Peet's guest room on ebay.

Even though I had my eye on it I got outbid in the final moments. My guard was down because no one was countering and I was happily day dreaming about 'my' new quilt and playing with Holden...but indeed people were watching or had auto bid or something.

I got out bid at $63, I quickly tried to counter but had to log on and the auction expired by a mere few seconds. I've learned my lesson, it you have found an ebay treasure you better be on your toes. This treasure would cost around $300 new -- if you could find one.

In my mind it already looked fabulous on a daybed in our study, inspiring the whole room pallet. Just add a black striped rug like the one in Amanda's room on the dark wood floor, a dusky grey wall color and hang framed sketches on the wall.

Oh, what could have been.

To Zebra or Not to Zebra

2008-08-02T20:24:00.000-07:00

The Zebra design trend has me on the fence. While I appreciate the look and the instant update Zebra's bold stripes can give to a room I still find myself having to push aside thoughts about the dead cow pelt adorning the floor. Not that I don't already have leather in my home. This is merely more blatant.

photo courtsey of Horchow

What do you think? Go wild with Zebra or put to pasture?

photo courtsey of Domino

Interior designer Schuyler Samperton's free spirited West Hollywood home. (This Zebra is actually an authentic family heirloom purchased from a Hemingway's Gallery.) I'm not cool enough to own a rug from a Hemingway but I did go to university with a Heminway (no 'g'). David and I visited in him in his hometown of Monaco. His godmother was Grace Kelly so it leaves some suspicion that he is actually related to the Hemingways. That leaves me with shades of coolness. Appologies for the digression.

Another sidenote: notice the fabulous Bennison 'Dragon Flower' curtains.

photo courtesy of Domino

My friend and very talented up and coming designer Margaret Ann McEver of MALI Design own Houston home.

Bennison Fabrics

2008-08-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

Another fine fabric maker Bennison tops my favorites. They are well know for their custom dyed and hand silk screen printed linen and silk fabrics.

I'm quite fond of this Bennison Pandaranda on beige linen. At around $240/yard that would be somewhere between $3500 and $4000 for two curtain panels.

A rectangular boudoir pillow would be a mini-splurge and look great with my dark chocolate painted bedroom (Ralph Lauren Tortoise) and white with flax stitching Restoration Hardware hotel bedding.

I'll have to settle for inexpensive yet pretty Oyster Tuscany linen for my curtains and roman shades.

John Robshaw Fabrics

2008-07-30T18:39:00.001-07:00

I've noticed a lot of these handcrafted textiles from John Robshaw in home design magazines lately.

These fabrics have beautiful colors and an ecclectic world-traveler feel. The Robshaw website describes each textile as a story, a drawing of an adventure in a far–off place–from Yogakarta to Rajasthan, Bolivia to Vietnam.

Duvets

Ready made curtain panels

Pichhwai Pillows

photo courtsey of Domino

Amanda Peet has a similar Pichhwai pillow in her daughter's bedroom paired with Elizabeth Allen pillowcases.

photo courtsey of Domino

John Robshaw handpainted 'Sunbird' perches in Thom Filica's living room nook.

Charcoal Dining Room

2008-07-25T09:14:00.000-07:00

photo from House Beautiful

Love this look for a separate formal dining room. The rich charcoal walls with same trim are gorgeous. Gilded frame display over buffet and gilden mirror are nice contrast agains the dark grey.

The casual french farmhouse chandelier and natural fiber rug keep the room from becoming too stuffy for today's modern lifestyle.

I'd ditch the fabric table covering to go for a more youthful feel. The white fabric makes the room feel less liveable to me. I don't like museum rooms.

Without the white table cloth this room may need some white accents, perhaps iron stone on the table to keep from going too dark. Good lighting, a lamp on the buffet or sconces would help.

I can't really get a good view of this art. But I'd go with modern sketches, to balance the antiques and deliver a more youthful modern ecclectic vibe.

Nate

2008-07-18T14:41:00.001-07:00

photo courtesy of Nate Berkus

Ahh, a room by my favorite designer Nate Berkus. I'd love for darling Nate to show up on my door stop with plans to decorate my entire home. His portfolio leans towards the formal but he his tailored collected design style can easily translate to casual family spaces as seen through many of his Oprah makeovers.

I particularly like how Nate makes rooms personal by injecting mementos in an honorable way, framing to making art or displaying in an interesting way rather than letting those precious items languish in a drawer or attic. It gives the home a soul and appeals to my desire to make a house a home.

Gas Lanterns

2008-07-17T14:16:00.001-07:00

Our new gas lanterns from Bevolo in New Orleans arrived today....they are stunning.

Living Spaces

2008-06-04T09:12:00.000-07:00

I'll kick off my living space images with one of my favorites, designer Tia Zoldan's own living room. This photo is a few years old so I am sure Tia has changed things up but I love the eclectic casual feel. This is a space you can really live in. It is not contrived and has an injection of youth to keep it from being too serious. Perfect for a family.

Welcome

2008-06-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

This is a design blog, a playground for musings on my favorite things - home design or specifically homemaking, creating a comfortable warm and fun home, organization, and sourcing the coolest products and the best deals.

Disclaimer, I'm only a scientist and business woman by training. I have an undergrad degree in Engineering from UT and an MBA from Berkeley. I don't have any formal design training but I have a passion for creative design.

My style lands somewhere between Domino and Cottage Living (and I own every copy neatly cataloged in acrylic magazing holders - well, most of the time). I'm midway through our own home remodel project of our 1930's English cottage so I've quickly ramped my knowledge of plumbing and electrical fixtures, paint colors and flooring. I'm also a mother to four children under two years old (check out my other blog Team Freas) which has bolstered my love for organization and driven my interest in childrens rooms and cool family spaces.

Enjoy!