Hi,

My December turned out to be oh so exciting.  So, in my last post, I told you that my basement flooded.  Then, I broke my hand 4 days before we were expecting 70 people for a Christmas party.  Of course, I managed to break my hand in a way that only professional baseball players typically do.  Of course!! I love to be original. Hence the title of this post- I closed out the old year with a bang rather than a whimper!  Typing is a bit of a challenge, so I will be self-editing as my hand gets tired.

My basement flood has turned into a design opportunity.  At least that is how I am choosing to see the fact that my limestone floor was ruined, travertine fireplace hearth stained, walls, mouldings, furniture, all damaged or a total loss.  Even my wonderful clamshell that I had stored there temporarily for Christmas got stained – permanently.  Who knew that something that lived in water for so long could get water stained!   Any way, this is what my basement looks like now.  Sorry it’s so blurry – I took it with my phone on low res.  But you get the idea.

What a girl to do?  Create the ultimate man-cave, that’s what!  Starting from the entry, here is my plan.  I am placing this fabulous vintage sofa that I just had refinished at the base of the stairs.  John’s African prints will hang above it.  The flooring will be Champagne Peacock Pavers in a herringbone pattern.

In the main room, Champagne Peacock Pavers will be installed in a running bond pattern.  The walls will be painted a warm, deep grey-brown.  This is counterintuitive in a dark basement, I know, but since I cannot fake natural light and this IS a man-cave, I am going with it.

Our mantel will be replaced with this one, from American Masonry Supply.

I put together a mood board for the room so you can see what I am thinking.  Lots of Restoration Hardware pieces,  a Mitchell Gold sectional, Wisteria bookcase, a Timothy Oulton pillow or two – do you see a theme here?

These are all retail sources.  I am trying to get this room put together in a matter of weeks, rather than months, and so I am using what is readily available to me.  I really don’t feel I am making a compromise though – these are all great designs and in the colors that I want to use.  Plus, my teenage boys are not likely to appreciate, not to mention properly care for, custom upholstery!! I have a fabulous antique pool table, and I am accessorizing with some great vintage finds from Uncommon Market, one of my favorite stores in Dallas.  By the time that I am finished, I expect the room to have a unique feel, even though I am using lots of readily available pieces.  Here are a few of the one of a kind things I am considering to give the room a distinctive feel.

Vintage military flags.

I love the grey and honey tones of this one.

Apologies for the blur factor, but you get the idea….Would love to see the mannequin swathed in vintage rep ( striped )  ties – loads of them. I bet ebay would have a great selection.

I also am going to check out another favorite source, The White Elephant, to see what goodies they might have in store for me.  I am sorely tempted to use a London tube sign as it’s actually meaningful to the boys – witness the Union Jack and the pillow with the British stamp motif.  But it’s so trendy right now that I am not sure whether I will do it or not.

We are also remodeling the space a bit.  We are adding a powder bath and what I am calling a snack station.  Basically, I am specifying shelves and cubbies, with room for a built-in microwave and a mini-frig.  The snack station will not have a sink or ice maker, as I just don’t think they will get used often.  To save some money, I am going to use a remnant slab from my fabricator for the cabinetry and extend a section of about 18 inches to create an eating bar.  Add some industrial stools and vintage looking sconces and it should be really fun and functional, especially since it will wrap the pool table.

I have decided to divide the large space in front of the fireplace with a linen curtain which will hang from the ceiling behind the sectional.  Behind that curtain will be the ping pong table and the foosball table – if it can be repaired from the water damage.  I hate looking at the ping pong table and the room divider will make it less visible.  I am hoping to hang the linen curtain from industrial track lighting from Pottery Barn with small gauge chain.

I will be sure to update you as we make progress.  In the meantime, I have some finished projects to show you in the coming days.   Should be fun!

I wish all of you a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!!

Kristin

Hello!

I, like many of you, have been busy decorating my house for Christmas.  But all Christmas ops have been suspended due to a flooded basement.  Uggghhh.  The entire level got wet in the last 36 hours and I have been preoccupied with dealing with the aftermath.  I was intending to repost my photos from last Christmas for a little Christmas decorating inspiration for you, but my blogging software is getting the best of me just now.  So, I am going to give you the link to that post so that you can see if anything there inspires you.  I hope so!

http://covetabledesigns.com/blog/a-covetable-christmas-the-story-of-a-house-dressed-for-christmas-10-and-the-giveaway-winner

I hope you have as much decorating your house for Christmas as I always do!

Take care,

Kristin

Hi,

Do you remember sitting down at a Thanksgiving table in years past that boasted one of those wicker cornucopias?  The ones filled with gourds, leaves, and fall flowers?  Sometimes, they might boast a bunch of artificial grapes, or even occasionally real ones.  I love the concept of the “horn of plenty”, but as you know, I love to add my own twist to centerpieces, especially during the holidays.

I was inspired to create this centerpiece when I went to my local Whole Foods and saw the most lovely display of wild mushrooms. ( It reminded me of my shopping forays at the Food Hall at Harrod’s, where food display is an art that has to be seen to be believed. ) I decided to create my entirely edible centerpiece on the spot and began gathering the beautiful foods that would comprise my centerpiece.  Instead of a cornucopia, I decided to use the vintage drawer that usually anchors my center island in my kitchen. The wild mushrooms really shine against the texture of the vintage burlap feedsack remnant.

Here is my modern cornucopia:

On Friday, I am making either wild mushroom soup or sauteed wild mushrooms with a rustic pear tart.  I think we may very well roast some of those lovely chestnuts, too.

I have some hilarious Thanksgiving anecdotes to pass along and I will be back after tomorrow to tell you more.  Hopefully, you will have some to share, too!  Have a wonderful, blessed and gracious Thanksgiving tomorrow.  From my home to yours, I wish you all the best.

Fondly,

Kristin

….these beautiful handpainted drapery panels from African Sketchbook.  Some of you may remember Cote De Texas’s post on the Cape House Hotel, with the fantastical fabrics custom made by this wonderful company in Capetown.  They can customize their work in any way that one can imagine, and I can imagine several!  These panels were made for a residence and they are called The Forest on the website – so appropos.  I have been looking for a very special window treatment for a room with some very fine art pieces, and I am hoping that my client will consider using this resource.  I must have murals on my brain, as I stopped in to Joseph Minton’s wonderful and eponymous antique store.

These are handpainted cotton or canvas panels that envelope the walls of his wonderful store.  Aren’t they lovely?  Of course, the antiques are wonderful, too….

I found this image, too.  I have no idea who the muralist is, but I really would love to find out.  I know that murals are not “on trend”, but I think that’s why I am finding it so attractive right now.  I am feeling “trended” out just now.  What about you?  It feels to me as though we are on trend warp-speed and that no sooner do we see something new and different than we find it in every store and read about it on every blog.  Or really, it’s the other way around….

And you may think that Joseph Minton jogs your memory a bit.  He is the designer who was responsible for the last Southern Accents showhome in Ft. Worth.  The poor man worked himself tirelessly to get the showhouse finished – and to perfection- only to find in the end that the magazine would be folding in the very near future.  And I have long been a fan – do take a look at his website, here.  This image was one of my inspiration images when I was planning our house….

Not one thing in this photo ended up directly relating to our home, except that the light was stunning, the colors soft and welcoming, and the feeling is one of comfort and unfussiness.  That needlepoint rug looks so lovely rumpled ever so slightly on the sisal!

Do take a moment to look at the African Sketchbook website – you will be enchanted, I promise.  Wish me luck in getting my client to agree to use them for her draperies.  Now wouldn’t that be a workroom visit to cherish?!

Bye for now,

Kristin

Hello there,

No, I am not Porter Cooper, Kristin Mullen is not my nom de plume, but it’s been so long since I wrote a thing that you would be forgiven for thinking that someone named Porter Cooper had kidnapped me!  I am showing this darling calling card from Iomoi, which is one of my favorite websites for a chinoiserie fix.  I love the freshness of their colors and design and their things are SO affordable.

You can have anything you like added to their fabulous plate designs, your monogram, name, address, etc.  Darling and inexpensive, as they are melamine.

Their lucite trays are pretty wonderful, too.

And these pillows are so fun.  Guess which one I covet…

I do love the persimmon and fuschia monkey!  Another fun place to get a chinoiserie fix is Oomph!  Here are a couple of their delightful pieces.

Sorry for the weentsy size, but it’s so fun I had to show it.  This is the Newport coffee table.  It’s definitely not for the light of pocketbook, but it’s wonderful, isn’t it?

This is one of their Tini tables.  I didn’t show you the more traditional white, black and coral lacquered pieces because I think part of what makes this line so fun are the candy colors that they offer.

Designer Jennifer Connell, in House Beautiful, I think, has a fresh and young take on Chinoiserie.  The fabric is Quadrille.  Love the pagodas and chair.  Wouldn’t one of those Iomoi trays look right at home here?

And here is Mary McDonal’s guest room.  I love the chinoiserie stencils, the fun headboard and the moon rising over the “pagoda”.  So fresh, fun, and yummy…

Kristin

PS  I am not going to bore you with where I’ve been, what’s been going on, or why I haven’t posted.  Suffice it to say that life has been VERY FULL!!  I love what I do, which is a good thing as I am doing it seemingly every hour that God sends me!!! Or, for you secular types, I have been as busy as a one-armed paper-hanger.  I am going to do my best do post more often – not a very high bar for me these days – but simply do fewer photos and less fulsome commentary and perhaps show photos of a project or story over several days rather than trying to sit down and do very long posts as I had been doing, as all that results from that approach is NO story at all.  I hope you will bear with me as I get my bearings in trying out a more edited version of me!

Hi,

I have been fortunate enough to find myself extremely busy during these tough months for the economy.  My client list is robust and growing, and I am privileged to be working on a great variety of projects, from construction details to finishing touches, and from contemporary to unabashedly traditional.  It’s a whirlwind, but one that I am enjoying tremendously.  The downside is that I am not able to blog as often as I would like! (The fact that I have to write my blog against the backdrop of “Family Guy” and my 15 year old LHBO* does nothing for my creativity! Don’t ask….)

* Yes, I am aware that this is not the proper acronym, however, this is a G rated blog!

One of my projects that I am working on right now is a fabulous game room for a family with two girls, in elementary school and high school.  The family wants a game room that is functional but stylish, hardworking but whimsical.  No typical “bonus room” decor for them, they wanted a place where they can feel like they are getting away.  As my client described a home that she loved on Lake Austin, she said it was “Tommy Bahama meets Ralph Lauren”.  So, I started to think that building a room around Quadrille/China Seas fabrics might be the perfect choice.  The colors are candy store varied, and the patterns shout “getaway”.  Here is a preliminary look at that palette.

The stripe is called Cabana, the fretwork pattern in turquoise and navy is Edo, and the lime fabric is Java Grande.  We are doing a navy sectional from Crate and Barrel, and using the China Seas fabrics for throw pillows and possibly for a cluster of ottomans that will serve as a coffee table, too.  The navy is a practical and durable fabric that is easy to clean. The carpet is still up in the air, although we are thinking something that looks sisal-is, but with lots of stain protection is a good option.  The ceilings in the room are going to be clad in beadboard, and the dated entertainment built-ins will get some new mouldings and a bit of a “facelift”.  When all is said and done, I will be sure to take some pictures – hopefully I will be allowed to show them to you!  I love the colors and can’t wait for the project to be finished.

This project led me to think about “stay-cations” in design.  So many of my clients come home from a vacation or a trip inspired with a particular design idea, or several.  Some of these ideas are the basis for a room, a detail, or even a whole home, and for them those ideas are evocative of a memorable time in their lives.  I am really inspired by the notion of including a touch of vacation into a room that will be used every day, a design stay-cation, if you will.  There are a lot of different approaches to this idea, and I thought I would start with fabric.

I thought that I would show you some more China Seas fabrics, used in some really fun and eye-popping rooms, as I think this fabric line has some designs and colors that evoke vacation 365 days a year.  All images from Quadrille/China Seas website, here www.quadrillefabrics.com

I love this!  Navy and orange are a classic Asian color combination, but here the navy has such a strong purple component to it, that it really holds its own against that orange.  The fabrics are a great play against the very straight-laced dresser, blue and white porcelains, and nautical art.  Of course, I think the daybed is divine, too.  Very Indonesian meets New England, and both of those places are so picturesque.

Sorry for the small photo, but this was so memorable for me when it came out in House Beautiful.  The Lyford pagoda pattern on the chairs and pillows dictated the wild and playful palette in this room. The intensity of these colors is just so unexpected, and their use in a family room/sitting room is very, very brave.  I am guessing that this is not a household of boys, who would surely rise up in rebellion over a pink room.  I adore it, and I am sure many of you do, too.  I am thinking very Caribbean, with a British Colonial vibe.

The window treatment sport the Paradise fabric in a vibrant coral, and the designer popped that pattern onto the walls behind the bed.  I date myself in saying that this combination of turquoise and orange should remind me of Howard Johnsons, but it really doesn’t.  I haven’t met the client yet that would let me get this funky with color, but I await the day, I await the day!  Again, you can see how the designer took some very traditional and staid furnishings and  kicked things up with vibrant color and knock-out pattern.  I would wake up every day in this bedroom certain that I was on a private island somewhere, courtesy of a well-heeled host.

Not as vibrant as the above photos, the Henriot pattern on the sofa still commands center stage.  Not your grandmother’s sofa!  I also really like it with the ikat pattern on the opposing sofa.  Goodness, this room is no shrinking violet, even if its color palette is more traditional. The image is cropped so that the artwork above the sofa cannot be seen, and that may be why it hasn’t pushed me over the edge of just too, too much.  But it’s teetering…But, doesn’t it feel like a vacation in a room?  It’s sort of West Indies, sort of Hamptons, but it definitely doesn’t feel like a traditional American living room.

Fabric is a great way to set a mood, and depending upon how much of it you use, it can be a lot less expensive than any vacation!

Wow, looking at the rooms above makes me hanker for a real vacation, but my kids are getting geared up to go back to school.  Where did the summer go?? Oh yes, now I remember.  It went to Palo Alto, Napa, Vail, Philadelphia, New York, Rhode Island, Orlando and Amarillo! Back to reality now, and not a minute too soon….

Kristin

PS.I am really enamored with the China Seas fabric house right now, I must admit.  I just finished using the Java print in chocolate and another called Batik in chocolate and pistachio for a European client’s bedroom.  She is the lucky owner of those Adler tables that we re-imagined.  That is another project that I am excited to show you at completion, if she will allow it!

So, of course, I haven’t had a moment to do another post for you and now I am off to Orlando and everything Magical.  Now, please understand that for years our family made an annual pilgrimage to Disneyworld.  Darcy loved it, the boys loved it, and John and I loved that they loved it.  But after a while, Darcy stopped liking to travel and the boys could practically narrate every ride in the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and MGM/Hollywood Studios.  And if you ever need practical tips on Disney, I am your gal.

This trip is different.  For one, we NEVER do Disney in the summer.  Never, never, never, never.  Did I mention that we don’t do Disney in the summer?  Anyhoo, this trip is different because it’s for – wait for it- lacrosse!  Yes, I know, my entire summer has revolved around lacrosse and if my #2 son weren’t so passionate about it, as well as pretty good, then I wouldn’t dream of altering our lives to suit the sport. But Connor’s team has qualified to play in the National Championships for under 15 year olds and the tourney is in Orlando at the Disney Wide World of Sports.  So back we go, heigh ho, cheerio… Except that we are going to the dark side and will only be spending some time in Universal Studios and one of Disney’s water parks before and after the tournament. No Magic Kingdom, Mickey, nada.  Can you feel the enthusiasm bursting between the lines??? NO?  Really??

Here is where I would love to be:

This image is from House Beautiful from a few years ago.  It’s not at a resort or an exotic island, but doesn’t it look inviting?  I would be so happy to plunk down a glass of wine, fire up my Kindle, and read to my heart’s content, curled up on this wonderful bed.  A nice fan to billow the bedcurtains works for me.  No cell phone, no internet, no obligations….Ahh, well, that is NOT my upcoming getaway.

We will love seeing Connor play.  John and I love watching the grace and skill on display on a lacrosse field more than I can say.  And we know, all too well, how quickly it all goes by.  But while we are there, we will both be hankering for just an hour or two of a place where our heads can rest, our bodies relax and our spirits rejuvenate….Hope you can find that place for yourselves this long, hot summer.

Kristin

Have you ever felt so busy every moment of every day that you don’t think you can take a breath?  That, my friends, has been me for the last several weeks.  But today, I am breaking the surface and taking a giant, life-giving breath!  I don’t think I grew any barnicles while I was “underwater” like this beautiful beast though.

So, what have I been doing? Design, lacrosse, lacrosse, design, hospital, graduation, wine tasting, design, lacrosse, lacrosse, moving, design, lacrosse ,design, design, design!!!! Seriously, I have been alternating between family obligations with my mom and my boys and doing a lot of work on some really exciting projects. so I haven’t had a moment to blog.  And this one isn’t going to be very long as I must run out to buy a calligraphy brush, a spice box, and a piece of lucite.  I promise to get back to my usual longer posts with my next one, but I thought you might like to take a peek at a couple of photos of one of my latest projects.  It is not installed, it is actually sitting in glorious heaps here, there, and everywhere as it waits to be shipped to my overseas client.

These fun tables started their lives as shiny brass Jonathon Adler Nixon tables, and they still are technically Adler tables, but we distressed the finish and changed the top.  That is actually a stone top, if you can believe it!  Custom designed pillows in persimmon velvet and beautiful neutral linen will sit on an existing sofa in the living room.  Barely discernible through the plastic are the bolsters and shaped cushions for a fabulous pair of antique Chinese altar chairs.

Here is another view of one of the heaps.  This ottoman was also custom designed and will live in the study, along with the tray and some of the porcelains.  The apartment is on the smaller side, and we wanted to be sure that study and living room related in some way to each other.

More custom cushions in that yummy geometric with the zing of bright coral.  My workroom is just so wonderful.  I love you, Bobbie, Karen and crew!

I am unfortunately running off and leaving you with only these few photos, but such is my life just now.  Hopefully I will be able to pop back soon and do a proper post.

Bye!

Kristin

Hello,

The weather here in Dallas is exquisite right now.  After several days of storms and winds, the morning is sunny, the temperature in the 70s, and there is a mild breeze.  I am writing this from my “loggia” – a covered back porch to most of the rest of the world.  ( Dallasites, I started this post last week, when it was divine, now, not so much! ) Here in Dallas, I learned quickly that Dallasites love covered porches, pool cabanas, and “loggias”.  Almost every house that we looked at to buy or rent had one, large or small.  They came in all forms and sizes, and ranged from incredibly formal to quaint and rustic.  While our summers here can be unbearably hot, the well-kept secret here is how temperate and beautiful it is for most of the other nine months, perfect porch weather.

I think that most of these photos were taken from real estate listings – this one looks like it came from the Park Cities.  I love the mix of textures here in the smooth plaster ceiling, rough hewn columns, painted brick bases and irregularly cut limestone floor.  It is pretty common to have a porch large enough to have a seating area as well as an eating area as you see here.  And from what I can make out, it looks as though this homeowner didn’t buy into the whole “matched set” philosophy of furnishing her porch.  I read somewhere recently  that outdoor furniture is the last bastion of the matching set philosophy.  For myself, I love the look of an outdoor room, and for me that means collecting pieces the same way that I would inside my house. Do you see the arbor in the background?  It is so charming.

This is obviously a very formal home.  The homeowner has done a great job with the ferns in urns ( it rhymes!), which somehow feel right in this setting.  Again, the furniture is somewhat varied for interest, with a beautiful console table in the center of the space that looks like it’s an antique.  While I don’t much care for the teak furniture, I am sure it is comfortable.  Iron would have been my first choice.  The floor is beautiful, white honed marble with black cabochons.  And the yard?  Sublime.

Hmm.  Now I can’t figure out where this picture came from.  This looks more like a glassed in porch, which here in Dallas could get unbearably hot.  But, I am including it because of it’s great charm.  I like the stone archway, which adds great texture to the space.  The chairs and light fixture are very charming, aren’t they?  This reminds me a great deal of the glassed-in porch that we converted to a family room in our very first house in Short Hills, New Jersey. One idea that you can steal from this porch is to hang a great light fixture in the space.  It adds instant character and in my opinion, makes the space feel very romantic.

This is from an old real estate listing here in Dallas.  Do you see the lake?  That is White Rock Lake.  The homes scattered along the lake are wonderful and it is hard to believe that you are in the middle of the city, which is one of the things I love so about Dallas.  This is a cabana, I am almost positive, which is a fancy way of saying pool house.  Are you starting to get the lingo – porch equals loggia, pool house equals cabana.  We Dallasites like to show a little sophistication, don’t you know!  This has an outdoor kitchen on the left where the bar stools sit and an eating area.  The view makes this space, doesn’t it?  It’s also a popular design element here to vault the ceiling in a pool house or porch with rafters and usually rough hewn beams.  Staining it dark makes one feel instantly as though they are in the shade.  The irregular limestone looks like it extends out to the pool deck.  That is a look that I particularly like, the extension of the porch flooring into the deck for a seamless transition.

I adore the architecture of this space.  The doors and bell overhead give one the feeling of a mission, almost.  The light fixture is wonderful, and the stone clad arches and walls exude a coolness and romance that is irresistable.   I like the idea of grouping four large chairs around a table, so great for conversation!  I wouldn’t have used these pillows and cushions, however, and I definitely would change the table.  However, this is a small thing in the context of such a wondrous space.

OK, I just had to show this.  This is an outdoor walkway, an arcade, if you will, that leads from the guest quarters above the garage to the main house.  I drive past this house every day taking my boys to school.  It is amazing.  I adore the floors, especially when you see how well they relate to the clay tile roof.  The cut stone is beautiful, as are the plaster medallions from which the lanterns hang.  I even appreciate the moulding around the door – it features the “dog ear” corners that I have in my home.  Since this is a walkway, there aren’t any furnishings, but imagine what fun you could have furnishing this space if it were a porch or loggia. Again, this is in the middle of Dallas.  Can you believe how beautiful and green it is?

This is one of my favorite pictures in my inspiration file.  This is a house in Dallas situated on White Rock Lake.  I adore the enormous steel windows that allow you to see the view of the lake even as you sit on the huge covered porch.  The furniture is well in keeping with the style of the home – a great mix of plastered walls, metal roof, rustic beams, flagstone flooring, and those stupendous steel windows.  Here the homeowner mixed their furnishings well.  There is some nice interest here, and I like the fact that the pots look collected over time and do not match.  Since they aren’t planted, they become works of art in and of themselves.  This is a great idea.

This is a very unusual porch.  It looks like the wrought iron is not glassed in but rather more like gates that lead into the room.  I am wild about the iron daybed in the corner.  What a grand place to take a nap!  The fans in the corners are a great idea – at least I think so, because I did the same thing.  I, like this homeowner, wanted a wonderful central light fixture but didn’t want to sacrifice a much needed cooling breeze.  I also really admire the ceiling treatment that looks like shiplap, but I don’t think it is.  The tile floor is in keeping with the whole Mediterranean feeling of the space.  Notice the raised hearth and the fireplace.  Outdoor fireplaces are a great feature to have here – they allow us to use our outdoor rooms even on chilly evenings.  I can usually catch a the scent of pinon or mesquite in the air when our neighbors are using their outdoor fireplaces.  Heavenly!  Notice, too, that the space is furnished like a room, rather than a porch.  It feels so much more inviting, doesn’t it?  Even the raised hearth gets pressed into service as a serving/seating area.  Very well done!

This is a loggia for a new home that was on sale in the Park Cities a while ago.  It is a blank slate.  I thought it would be fun to use it as a backdrop for a fun story.  One of my favorite features in a now defunct magazine – maybe House and Garden or Met Home – was the high/low story.  They would create a set or photograph an empty room and fill it with wonderful antiques and high end furnishings and then re-create it with less expensive and more budget friendly alternatives.  While my photoshopping skills won’t let me directly insert pieces into the space, I did create mood boards for the high end furnishings and high end accessories, as well as mood boards for the low end furnishings and low end accessories.  Here is the really interesting thing.  I did the high end mood boards first, without even looking to see what I could reproduce on the low end.  You will be really surprised at the results, I think.

The loggia has a Mediterranean feeling to me, so I was inspired to use furnishings and accessories that reflected a Provencaal style.  I adored my anniversary visit to Provence a few years ago and that was a big inspiration for me.  But I didn’t confine myself to Provencaal furnishings, as I wanted a lot of texture and interest.  The wicker pieces are from Restoration Hardware, other pieces came from Authentic Provence, Mecox and South of Market.  It’s a real mix of high-end new furnishings and antiques.  But I must say, I am wild about the teak armchair from Restoration Hardware.  I am sort of obsessed with it, actually.   I am working on a couple of projects right now where I could see this piece being a show-stopper….But more on that later.  As you can see, I took some pieces from a furniture line from Restoration Hardware, but then really amped up the eclecticism by using pieces from other sources so that the overall feeling is harmonious, the pieces feel collected and curated.  I would place the round table and wicker chairs on the near end of the photo, the sofa facing the fireplace, flanked by those amazing armchairs.  The iron and wood coffee table and bleached wood side table complete the seating area.  The console table nestles against the wall closest to the fireplace, adorned by some fantastic accessories.  The beautiful blue planters sit at each corner of the loggia.  The wonderfully patinated zinc obelisk takes pride of place on the wall in the foreground, near the table and chairs.

These accessories finish out the look.  The mirror and sconces are hung above the mantel, giving great style to an outdoor area.  The baskets hold firewood for cozy fires in the autumn and winter.  The church “replica” reminds me a great deal of a church we saw in Normandy, near the D-day invasion site.  It is an antique birdhouse, as you may have guessed.  It would grace the top of the console table, along with the very fun oyster shell ball and carved wood finial.  I love the idea of the oversized lanterns serving as centerpieces for the limestone dining table when it is not in use.  When entertaining, they could be lit and placed behind the sofa.  All of these accessories came from Mecox, Authentic Provence and Tara Shaw.  I adore how this comes together, but the price tag for collecting all of these wonderful pieces would be more than many, many people would care to spend on their porch.  You could in fact, purchase a nice car for the same amount of money.  Not a Mercedes, mind you, but a Toyota, definitely!

This is my lower end furnishings board.  These pieces came from World Market, Ballard Designs, Pottery Barn and Target.  ( I apologize for the blurry photo of the Target wicker sofa!) I would use the same floorplan as above.  You can see that I was able to replicate a lot of the same look.  I did have to make a few changes.  The dining table is now a rectangle, versus a round, but I really like the finish on it, don’t you?  The stunning armchairs from Restoration Hardware have been replaced by very attractive teak chairs from Target.  I could have used a metal and wood coffee table from World Market, but since some of the drama of the design came from the “wing chairs” from RH, I decided to add some drama to this design with a trio of these great wicker garden stools serving as cocktail table.  I did use the metal and wood side table from World Market, so I still have that feeling in the design.  Pretty fun, yes?

These are my budget friendly accessories, and they are largely from Pottery Barn – of course!- and Ballard Designs.  These would all go in similar spots as their luxe cousins.  The mirror and sconces over the fireplace are less formal than the more expensive versions, but I think that they have great presence.  The console table still holds a wonderful finial, but I thought that this cloche was a fun alternative to the oyster ball.  The Pottery Barn birdhouse is very charming, isn’t it?  While it doesn’t have the same panache as the antique birdhouse, it is less than one tenth the cost! And speaking of cost, how much do you think that all of these budget friendly furnishings cost?  Any takers?  OK, now don’t spill your coffee on your keyboard, as it’s very bad for your computer, but all of these furnishings cost $3375.  That is right – the eating area, seating area, pots, tables, obelisks, and all the accessories totaled just over $3,000.  Amazing, isn’t it?

I know that if I were you, I would want more details on these pieces, so I am going to break all of that down for you in Part Two in the next few days.  So, stay tuned.

OK, I have a question.  Is anybody out there???? I mean, I know that you are because I can see you, but seriously, don’t any of you want some free design advice?  I haven’t gotten a single e-mail for my weekly advice feature.  Are you worried that I will be unkind?  NEVER!  My mother told me that if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.  So, Jan’s Rule is in effect.  Are you worried about a ton of people seeing a picture of your home?  Don’t be.  I won’t give your name unless you want me to.  And just think of it as a public service because if you are having a design dilemma, I can guarantee others are, too.  And besides, I know for a fact that my readers are incredibly stylish people,  so we are really only talking about how much MORE fantastic your space can be….

So, send them in, please!! My e-mail is on the right hand side of the blog, so click away.

Kristin

My mom won’t be reading this post.  She won’t log onto a computer now to save her life – or even to save mine!  She had to use computers back in the dark ages, lived through numerous crashes, memory wipes and the like, and it seared her soul such that she views computers with dark suspicion.  But I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to reflect on what Janet Anne Fredin Davis passed along to me, and how much of an impact she had on my style.

My mom was re-purposing long before it was cool.  Our middle class home was full of desks, dressers, endtables and bookshelves that had seen a lick of paint or five in their time.  Kitchen and bathroom cabinets got facelifts with new knobs, paint, and one time, paisley wallpaper! My mom is a night-owl and I can’t recall how many times I would wake up in the morning with the living room rearranged.  A rug or a beach towel was Jan’s best friend for dragging around the sofa.  Picture and mirrors never got to be too comfortable in their spots as my mom was a master at patching holes in wallpaper and painted walls.  For a very long time my mom was the trend setter in decorating for her group of friends.  She was fearless in her use of color, both in her house and in her fashion choices.  We called her the neon flash.

My mom found wonderful things for our home in unlikely places and she was never afraid to try something new.  After all, since she did all the painting, wallpapering, picture hanging and furniture moving, she knew she could rectify almost any mistake she made. I think that’s why I bring a fearless attitude to my own home, and a slightly tempered moxie to my clients’ projects. I can hear Jan saying to me ” Why not give it a try, you’ll never know until you do….”.

Today, there’s another reason that my mom won’t be reading this post.  She is suffering from dementia and it’s become difficult for her to remain focused for long on conversations or the written word.  It’s a terrible shame, as my mom was always an avid reader and a gifted storyteller and conversationalist.  But then this disease is a slow-moving tragedy that unfolds over years and unexpectedly turns out the lights in various rooms and hallways of her mind.

Now, my mom’s house can only be described as old lady style.  Lots of clutter and bric a brac everywhere.  Pictures are askew, furniture haphazard, riots of color erupt with no rhyme or reason.  She would hate it, if she could see it with her old eye for design.  But if I squint my eyes very hard, I still see her prized finds here and there, bearing pride of place amidst it all.  And to be honest,  I will not remember this incarnation of this house.  I will instead remember the houses I grew up in, the fantastic and orange (!! ) dining room of our first house in Amarillo, my whimsical and wonderful butterfly bedroom, or the hip kitchen of my high school home.  And that’s how I think Jan would like it.

Kristin