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

Hi,

I have such a backlog of wonderful projects to show you – some of mine, the work of other incredible designers at Tablescapes, and some great inspiration.  But, those are going to be longish posts, and I have time to do only a short one today.  I realized that I haven’t shown photos of our “family” powder room.  This is the one near our back door, pool area, and mudroom.  It is much more kid friendly than our Asian inspired powder bath, but I still love it very  much.  I shamelessly stole the idea for the sink from a photo that I had kept for years.

This is an aged and crusty looking urn that is actually fiberglass!  I had a basin made for it from hammered nickel.  The floor is that fun and inexpensive checkerboard ceramic tile with fabulous terra cotta accents.  My linen towel and soap dispenser have found their perch on an antique prie deau ( a prayer bench ).  I found the eglomise framed mirror at a consignment store and the sconces formerly resided in our family room in London.

This is a closer view of the sink.  I used some of the left over granite from my bathroom to make the diamond backsplash for the tap.

This is the prie deau.  I found it at Roundtop and fell in love with it.  I had no real idea where it would live, just that it needed to find a home with me.  After flitting around the house with it, I finally settled on this for its home.  The linen towel covers the carved cross on the back.  I am so happy that I found an answer for the problem of where to put the soap and handtowel in this bathroom – and it’s such a pretty solution, too.

This is a fun assemblage of garden and nature inspired pieces.  The antique print is a find from Treillage, Bunny Williams store in NYC, from a million years ago.  The other pieces are just bits and bobs from over time, and the type tray I have had since high school.  It’s now very sparingly filled, but I like the geometry of it.  The two drawings tucked behind the type tray are so sweet.

These are actually promotional pieces that were sent out by a local landscaping company.  I loved the look of them so much that I used them in the vignette.  That little matchbox is from my first anniversary dinner at The Box Tree in New York – over 28 years ago.  Goodness, how time flies….

I am a frustrated photo stylist.  I should have different colored soap in the dispenser, my towel looks very white against the creamy ivory of my walls, although it truly just caught the sunlight in this shot.  My Roman shade needed to go up a bit or down a bit so it didn’t have that funky little bulge in it….And this is the reason I don’t post more!! I make myself crazed and spend SO much time getting my photos to look just so.  I know I have to stop being such a perfectionist, so today I just shot, uploaded and posted.  I am closing my eyes and pressing the “publish” button right now.  OK, now.  Umm, now, seriously, now….

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

Hi,

Last weekend I had the opportunity to visit an open showhouse presented by Bella Vita Custom Homes.  They were serving mimosas in the morning and wine in the evening, and that was all the inducement I needed!  Seriously, I am always anxious to see new homes and to see what impact the kinds of design trends that are written about in the blogosphere are making on actual design.  Bella Vita means beautiful life, and I know that the builders, architect, and designer of this home envisioned the family living here to be living the beautiful life.  So, let’s take a look, shall we?

The entry sets the tone right away.  This is going to be a classic “Old World” style home, Texas style.  Special finishes, rustic elements, and earth tones will predominate.  While this is not my personal style, it is very popular here.

Just to the left of the entry is this great double height study.  It occupies a turret on the front of the house.  Hand scraped floors, toasty walls, tapestry and animal prints are all part of the Old World look.  I really like the idea of the hand tied half slipcover and will store that one away for future reference.

Here is a look at the spiral staircase that leads to a gallery above, lined with bookshelves.  There is a surprise at the top of the stairs, and a really fun one at that!

Back through the entry and behind it opens this fantastic space.   I LOVE this idea.  The arches are charming and separate the family room, dining room and kitchen in a stunning way.  I also think that the flow of this is wonderful for daily living as well as entertaining.  The family room is casual enough for daily use but formal enough for entertaining and the same goes for the dining room.  Again you see the stone, brick, and hand-scraped floors so prevalent here in Dallas.  The slipcovered dining room chairs tell me that the designer is working to include some of the new trends in her design.  The kitchen is a great entertaining venue and I am so bummed that my photos of it didn’t turn out.  I really like the selection of two different chandeliers in this space.  Many designers would have selected the same fixture for both, but this allows each space to have its own feel.  The detail on the arches is very well done, don’t you think? I also like the blue accents in the family room, which is unexpected and very welcome.  ( Usually this style of decor incorporates red or terracotta rather than blue )

Notice the open door on the side?  It leads to this:

A detail of a powder bath tucked underneath the stairs.  Stenciling in soft gold against toasty walls is another Old World touch popular here.

Back to the family room, dining room, kitchen.  I won’t call it a great room, as I think it’s such a cliche term and this is so clever.  Wouldn’t you love to entertain here?  Let’s go to the courtyard which leads off of the space from the dining area and kitchen.

This is from the kitchen doors.  There are two charming fountains flanking the outdoor fireplace.  This space is huge and it runs the entire length of the house.  It’s embraced by the master suite to the left and a guest casita/mother in law suite on the right. Fantastic for entertaining!

The courtyard can also be reached at the entrance of the house.  How smart is that?  So often if one entertains outside, our guest have to wander through the house to get to the back and the party.  With the courtyard to the side, you can make your way immediately to the outdoors and the party.

This “casita” has it’s own entrance from the courtyard.  It is perfect for guests or for an in-law suite.  I really like the walls – they are gray-washed tongue and groove, and finished with a creamy topcoat.  Very trendy grainsack pillows make an appearance here and the color scheme is more Belgian in feeling, although the designer wisely incorporated more of the warm taupe seen elsewhere in the house. People here really, really like this color, or at least I should say that many of the homes that I see here in Dallas incorporate this color, and I can’t imagine that it would be so prevalent if people didn’t like it so much.

We are back in the main house now, and into a charming hallway leading off of the kitchen.  The door out of the master leads to that great courtyard – so many possibilities, no? The double groin vaulted ceiling is a great touch and it echoes the groin vault in the ceiling above the dining area.  The stenciling really draws the eye to this detail, doesn’t it?

Whoops!  I almost forgot to show you another genius feature of this floorplan, which I am just loving.  The laundry room is directly behind the kitchen and backs onto the master closet.  That open door is a passthrough from the laundry room to closet for laundry, dry cleaning, shopping, etc.  I just think this is so clever.  The cabinet doors below open on both sides, too, with a laundry basket nestled there.

Back on track and into the master bedroom.  The rough-hewn beams here add a great architectural touch.  The designer added some nice blues and reds here, which is unusual in the typical color palette that we see here.  Yes, that is a ceiling fan.  Remember folks, this is Texas and we need those darn things!

This is the seating area in the bedroom.  I really like how it is set off to the side of the room with an alcove.  It’s a nice detail and one I would love in my master when I want to read and John wants to watch TV.  The print on the curtains is very pretty and again, unusual in the colors.  You can’t see it here, but there is a small room to the left of the sitting area that’s just big enough for a treadmill and looks into the backyard.  What a great idea.

The bed faces a gas fireplace and TV.  The raised hearth means that you can see the fire from the bed.  The ubiquitous flat screen is above it.  I make no judgment here, just an observation.  My John can’t go to sleep without a cable news lullaby.  I am just glad ours is hidden in a blanket chest most of the time.  But I am in the tiny minority on this issue.  And what they did with the fireplace is neat…

because it’s double-sided.  Very romantic.  The double archway into the bath is also very graceful and sociable.  You can easily talk to each other while you are brushing your teeth or getting ready to go out.  There are his and hers vanities in the master bath, too.  Let’s go upstairs for a quick roundup of the other bedrooms.

All are great fun for kids and each has their own bath.  These are all on the second floor of the house and there is still room in this floorplan for a media room and a game area…

This is at the top of the landing on the second floor and it makes great use of what could have been an awkward space.  The media room is through the doorway to the left, next to the bookshelves and the…

secret room!  The bookshelves are a false door that leads to the secret cigar room.  So fun.

This small room has a pair of chairs, and a TV on the opposite wall.  Not pictured is the door to the pool table area.  The second false door leads to the gallery overlooking the study.  I guess the idea is that you can head straight up here for a cigar or to catch a game from the study.  Really neat touch, and one my men would love.  Ladies, what can I say? The manfluence is strong here.  But we do get a double-sided fireplace and a jacuzzi, plus a great laundry room, so what are we complaining about, right?  I know all of us live to take bubble baths and do laundry (!!) ….Seriously, though, this is a great, great idea and layout. It is very well thought out, and no detail has been overlooked.  The quality of the crafstmanship is really top-notch.  My hat is off to Bella Vita, the builder, and also Andy Clem, the chief principal at Bella Vita, who came up with the architectural concept plan.  I think he did an amazing job, don’t you?   Interior designer Cindy King did a nice job interpreting the very popular “Old World” look. And for those of you, like me, who adore the floorplan, I have it for you here:

To find out more about the house, go to www.livingbellavita.com.  These are just the nicest folks you can imagine.  The open house was a family affair for the firm, with their children playing, wives helping wash dishes in the kitchen and all of the principals making sure that every question got answered.  True Texas hospitality and warmth at its finest.

Have a great week and stay tuned.  I have my first post with your design questions answered coming up this week!  Yeah – I asked and you answered.  Should be fun!

Kristin