Deal of the Week: Hadley Headboard

While scouring the Internet for fun bedding ensembles for guest room makeover I'm working on for Christy over at A 'Lil Welsh Rarebit (stay tuned next week for more details!), I came across DwellStudio's new line of bedroom furniture for Target. The entire line is cute, modern and functional -- everything you'd expect from DwellStudio -- but the Hadley headboard is downright stunning.

The Hadley headboard comes in a bold charcoal/white stripe (with white trim) or brown/white stripe (with brown trim). Either way, at $299 it's a deal you can't beat. Even better, with Target's current online promotional that gives you a 15% discount when you spend more than $125, it's a downright steal at $254.15. My only complaint is that currently the headboard is only available in Queen size, but fingers-crossed they'll roll out other sizes later on. After all, wouldn't a pair of these in a twin size be just the cutest?

Harvard {Yard} Sucks: A rant

I'm not entirely sure why, but I find the idea of an internationally-renowned university signing on to "design" its own fashion line to be fundamentally distasteful -- and a little bit sad. Rather like seeing a formerly A-list celebrity sign on for his or her own reality show, Harvard's new mens' clothing venture, the uncreatively named Harvard Yard, is tantamount to a public admission that money is its prime motivator (reputation be damned).

Of course, just about every college in the country has licensing agreements with a host of clothing and accessories' manufacturers. These days, you can buy just about anything emblazoned with your alma mater's name, insignia or mascot (longhorn cufflinks, anyone?). In truth, these traditional licensing deals are more akin to sports merchandise: in other words, they're catering to their own fan base, their own students, and their own alumni. It's not fashion, it's a t-shirt. But I'd argue that Harvard Yard is fundamentally different.

Not only does Harvard's forway into the fashion world smack of opportunism, it also appears to champion (in potentially unflattering ways) an image that Harvard and its rivals have been battling for decades. Like many fashion labels, Harvard Yard is selling a lifestyle just as much as its selling a shirt or pair of slacks. And, with its prepster/Gossip Girl style and its higher price point, this lifestyle is precisely the type of elitist, prep school image that Harvard and its peers have been trying to shake for the past few decades. While Harvard, Yale and the like have made great success in the past thirty years or so transitioning from blue blood, mens' clubs into true meritocracies, these institutions still carry with them a reputation for being elite (for all the wrong reasons). Besides, if my experience (at Yale in the early 2000s) is anything to go on, most Ivy League students dress as casually as any other college students. T-shirts, jeans and flip-flops are the order of the day, not smart plaids, trench coats or loafers. In short, I find it incredible that Harvard is willing to cash in on this somewhat unflattering (and in many ways unfair) reputation simply because being elite and preppy carries a certain cache for a subset of the über-trendy.

But I'll get down off my soapbox and get down to the heart of the matter: is Harvard Yard any good from a fashion perspective? As is the case with most celebrity fashion designers, Harvard Yard is fairly ordinary and unoriginal. It's also predictably preppy --almost to the point of caricature. Sockless penny loafers? Check! Seersucker? Check! Plaid? Double Check! All in all, you could find just about all these pieces at your local J.Crew (and for a good bit less, to boot).

So what do you think? Am I being overly sensitive? Or lacking in vision? Is this really just a genius move by Harvard that other schools will be sure to follow? (In my mind's eye, I'm currently envisioning what great fun schools with partying reputations could have with their own fashion labels....)

Peacock Stationery

Rust and Teal Peacock Enclosure Cards ($5/set of 5)

Ever since I blogged about my newfound love of all things peafowl, I've continued to see peacocks (and peacock feathers) pop up just about everywhere -- from the hottest fall fashions to upholstery fabric and now to stationery -- so I know I can't be alone in my obsession. Fortunately for peacock-freaks like me, Michelle Brusegaard's Etsy shop offers up an array of gorgeous and inexpensive fixes. Card enclosures, personalized notecards, birthday cards, sticky notes and calling cards all feature gorgeous peacocks or peacock feathers in a variety of thoroughly modern colorway like fuschia/gray, rust/teal and chocolate/curry.

Personalized Flat Notecards - Twin Peacocks in Gray and Fuschia ($17.50/set of 10)

Happy Birthday Flat Cards with Peacock Feathers ($17.50/set of 8)

Twin Peacock Sticky Notes ($3.50/set of 50)

Teal Peacock Feather Calling Cards ($25/set of 50)

I'll take one of each please. Be sure to check out Michelle's entire peacock collection over at her Etsy shop for the full array of colorways and products.

The Wedding Diaries: The Dress

As most of you already know by now, my second major extracurricular activity (after decorating the new house) is preparing for my younger sister's wedding next May wherein I am the matron (ugh) of honor. After Jane set the date, booked the church and reception location and hired the photographer, the next task on our "to do" list was to find the dress -- and we managed to make quick work of it last Saturday.

Bright and early on Saturday morning, my mom, sister, cousin, aunt, friend and I all headed into town to check out the dresses at Priscilla of Boston. After a rather ho-hum (and slightly frustrating) experience at Louise Blum a few weekends earlier, I wasn't sure if we'd find what Jane was looking for at Priscilla either. Fortunately though, after only the trying on two other gowns, Jane managed to find "the dress" -- a gorgeous ivory gown covered in Chantilly lace by Melissa Sweet. You could just see by the way she lit up that the dress was precisely what she was looking for and I think, given her slightly bohemian, slightly vintage style, that it suits her perfectly. In fact, I'd argue the dress looked better on her than on the model (I think this dress calls for a more hourglass figure). Regardless, you'll have to wait until the wedding to see the dress actually on her -- after all, I don't want to spoil the surprise for her fiance (or the wedding guests, for that matter).

As luck would have it, I also managed to find a bridesmaid dress that we all could agree on. This dress reminds me a lot of the Erin dress from Vera Wang that I blogged about a few weeks ago, but the color choices for it better suited a spring wedding. The color I'll be walking down the aisle in is called Nectar, and is really a brighter coral than the picture above shows. Sure, it's not a color I'd necessarily pick out on my own (that'd be the peacock blue I tried to talk everyone into), but it's a lovely color for a May wedding and it works well with Jane's ivory gown.

And last, but certainly not least, the flower girl (or girls -- I believe that's still under discussion) will be walking down the aisle in this dress. Isn't it just the sweetest?

Next up, we'll be tackling (or rather tasting) the wedding cake. I expect that to be my favorite part of the job.

The Family Room

I've been mulling over what to do with the family room for weeks now and it's been driving me crazy. For some reason, I've been having a complete decorator's block on how I want this space to turn out. The majority of my creative endeavors are ignited with a great spark of inspiration -- a certain "Eureka!" moment, if you will -- and I'm off like a shot, generally completing the project, blog post, essay, whatever, in short order. Sure, I'll go back over what I've done and tweak things slowly, but the core of the work is done in one fell swoop, almost as if by magic. But sometimes, this type of inspiration just doesn't come and, when it doesn't, I'm forced to slog through a project slowly, painfully and with a lot of hand wringing and second guessing. Unfortunately for me, decorating the family room has come about through this latter, far more painful, process. I've put it aside for weeks at a time and scrapped everything and started over again at least twice, but at the end of the day, I'm fairly pleased with how it all turned out.

But enough of my blather about my creative process. Here's the plan:

Way back in July I won a contest over at Room Remix for a new room layout. After trading emails concerning the dimensions of the space as well as our functional needs, PK sent over the general layout shown above and I think it's the most logical use of the space. It was also extremely helpful in getting me focused on actually designing with an eye to scale, something I definitely need to work on. In any case, I've tweaked PK's plans just a bit to reflect the exact dimensions of some of the pieces I've purchased/plan on purchasing, but otherwise all the credit for the nifty layout and professional-looking plan should go to her.

For the built-ins on either side of the fireplace, PK suggested that I have the bottom cabinets faced like the dresser shown above (which is actually the Mandarin Sideboard from Crate&Barrel, but colorized in white as my cabinets would be). Imagine then both my and PK's surprise last week when I spotted a nearly-identical version played out by Brown Design -- but then again, great minds must think alike, right? That said though, I actually like this cabinet face (and the idea of adding a similar foot) more and I do think having the upper cabinets open for display will help keep the built-ins from overwhelming the fireplace. And speaking of the fireplace...

I'm actually rather happy with how it's currently styled (I'm a more is less kind of person generally), though I may add another piece or two from my accessories closet (aka my pantry). Playing off the blue and white of the porcelain urns, as well as the silver foil of the mirror, my first task was to find a large area rug to anchor the room.

The initial criteria for a rug was to find one that brought together the light blue of the breakfast area with the navy in the dining room. I also wanted it to feel modern while still referencing either traditional oriental or ethnic motifs. When I first saw this rug on Madeline Weinrib's website, I knew it would be perfect -- my only fear was that, since I needed at least a 9 x 12, it would be out of my price range. With fingers crossed I sent an email to the MW rep at ABC Carpets and was also pleasantly surprised to find out that Weinrib's cotton rugs are actually reasonably priced, especially given the quality, and that shipping wouldn't be prohibitively expensive (in fact, I think it was less than $30). Thrilled, I placed my order over the phone last week and I couldn't be more pleased with the product when it arrived only days later. With the rug in place, my task for this weekend was to purchase at least one or two of the major furniture pieces so that the room could start being used as more than a pass-through from the kitchen to our bedroom.

As luck would have it, I managed to hit the jackpot at Ethan Allen on Sunday and purchased not one but three pieces. For seating I picked up the Rand wing chair (upholstered in a gorgeous ivory cotton blend shot through with silver and light blue) and the Avanti sofa (upholstered in a sturdy chenille that has both dark and light blue elements). To give my gorgeous Kate table lamps a home, I also purchased a stunning chinoiserie console table from Ethan Allen as well, which will nicely anchor the floating sofa. If you haven't been into an Ethan Allen store in a while, I think you'd be in for a pleasant surprise. Many of their pieces are very current and the prices are a lot more reasonable than I had imagined, especially given the range of fabric and wood stain choices you have for each and every piece. That said though, the downside to going semi-custom is the lead time necessary for construction -- I won't be getting my new purchases until early November, which will be just in time to host the in-laws for Thanksgiving.

At some point, I'll purchase a second side chair to complete the room -- I'm thinking a slim, skirted style like this one, upholstered in a durable navy would be a nice balance to the other leggy, lighter pieces. To play up the Moroccan pattern in the rug, I selected the small silver-gilt side table from Ethan Allen (which would go next to the skirted side chair) and the larger Marrakech side table (love the light blue underside!) from Baker Studio (which would go between the sofa and the wing chair). Dave's one request for the room was that we have a leather ottoman. I thinking about getting this one (currently on sale!) from Restoration Hardware. The rolling casters would be extremely convenient when we have company as it could be easily moved about to create more seating. Plus, it's ample size means it's large enough to work in front of the 87" sofa. My one concern is that it's too heavy/dark for the rest of the furniture. I don't want it to look like a giant brown blob plopped down in the middle of my family room! Alas though, because of my determination to go for quality over quantity, the purchasing of any additional furniture pieces are on hold until next year.

As far as other accessories go, I'll either use what I have or buy slowly over time -- either way, I haven't seen anything new out there that I think it just perfect for this space (for which my wallet and husband are thankful). There are, however, some fantastic pillows over at John Robshaw that might be great for the sofa, though I'd like to wait until I have the sofa in the house and see how the colors all work out before purchasing any.

So what do you think? Given the difficulty I've had putting this together, I'd love to hear your feedback, comments and suggestions (though if you tell me to return anything I've already purchased, I may just have to chuck myself out the window...).

Flipping Out for Brown Design

I've been a huge fan of the Bravo reality series Flipping Out since it first aired three years ago. And, like most people, it's not so much the design/flipping aspect that entertains me, but the characters, especially Jeff Lewis, who is so eerily like a dear friend of mine from college that it's occasionally creepy. Yes, Jeff is OCD, anxious and sometimes just downright mean, but I suspect he's a softie at heart (just as my friend is). In any case, when the third season premiered a few weeks ago I was interested to hear what Jeff, Ryan, Jenni and Zoila were up to now that the bottom had fallen out of the California real estate market. So far I haven't been disappointed; it's been fascinating to see how Jeff and Ryan's businesses have evolved to reflect the down market. In fact, watching Jeff and Ryan develop their respective design businesses has been more interesting than house flipping -- at the very least, seeing Jeff have to make clients happy is priceless.

Design-wise, I find Jeff Lewis' style to be a bit too sterile for my tastes. Admittedly, he uses exquisite finishes, buys only the best, and has, in a technical sense, excellent taste. And yet there are very few surprises -- and very little color -- in his work. I'd also venture to say that he takes it all a little too seriously. Jeff's friend and business partner, Ryan Brown, on the other hand, is far more my speed. His eclectic modern style is a great blend of mid century modern, graphic pattern and plenty of bold ethnic and/or chinoiserie accessories to keep things interesting. After all, design is all in the mix.

Apart from his dealings with Jeff, Ryan Brown also has a separate design business that he co-owns with his brother Joshua called Brown Design and I highly suggest scrolling through Brown Design's online portfolio (and blog) for some inspiration. One of the recurring themes in their rooms is the tendency to include one large element of surprise -- be it a large colorful painting in an otherwise neutral room or a giant orange chinoiserie china cabinet (which I love and want for myself) in an otherwise very modern kitchen. The tension created between this large focal point and the rest of the (often quiet and understated) room is interesting and also very personal. As with the kitchen above, this kind of visual tension lends some much needed warmth and personality to what otherwise might lean towards too modern and sterile.

This room is one of my favorites -- and not just because it appears to be just steps away from a gorgeous beach. In particular, I love how the mix of furnishings and accessories are beachy without being your standard-issue shells, rattan furniture, etc. I also love how the very modern, streamlined sofa works so well with the grain sack pillows (which seem to be everywhere this season) and even the "found" objects (or fish hooks) hanging as art on the wall. The vivid blues in the art work are also brilliant as they relate to the turquoise ocean visible through the glass doors without competing with the stellar view.

I absolutely adore the giant Shinto garden shrine in this bathroom -- together with the large potted tree (is that a ginkgo?), it really helps to blur the line between the indoors and out in this light-flooded space. I just wish the Browns hadn't decided to throw a cowhide down in front of the tub. All I can think is how smelly that thing must get when it gets damp. All in all though, this bathroom is still lovely and serene.

There's probably a good argument that Imperial Trellis is a bit overplayed at the moment, but since I still love the fabric, I'm always happy to see it pop up somewhere. Here, the pattern works beautifully with the fantastic shape of these chairs. The real star of this space though is the architecture, and I really appreciate how the designers didn't try and compete with it. Overall, the furnishings, lighting and woven blinds (that don't cover up all that gorgeous woodwork) compliment the room and highlight its best assets (the curvature of the walls, the height of the ceiling and the windows to be specific).

I'm admittedly a sucker for a giant Union Jack, but I think it's a great focal point for this small guest bedroom and a nice contrast to the very simple, almost rustic, linens. The tribal pouf in the corner is also great fun.

Love the wallpaper, love the bed, love the chairs -- in short, I love this room. The layer of patterns is particularly adept here, but by keeping the patterns in the same brown tones, the bedroom remains serene. Now I only wonder what's on the outside of that door. From the reflection in the glass, it looks to like a killer view.

Just had to share this photo for its amazing floor tiles, which keeps this from looking like an add for Restoration Hardware vanities and fixtures. I also love how they painted the outside of the bathtub a glossy brown.

The subtle layering of styles, periods and textures in this dining room is really quite masterful. The three lanterns highlight the incredible length of the table, and I love how the slickly painted white chairs play off the more rustic tabletop.

A very modern, clean dining space to be sure, but you can't really go wrong with classics like a Saarinen table, Imperial Trellis or Jonathan Adler's Meurice chandelier now can you?

One thing I've noticed on Flipping Out is that both Jeff and Ryan tend towards very masculine styles and very muted (and often very brown) color palettes. That said though, someone over at Brown Design (and maybe it is Ryan, I don't know) manages to work in some color now and then. I absolutely love this pink sun room with its sophisticated pops of gold and dark brown.

I adore these built-ins. In fact, they're exactly what I want to have built into the niches on either side of the fireplace in my family room. Only thing I think I would change would be to make the upper cabinets open for display (and paint out the back in a great color). Otherwise, I'm taking this picture with me when I search for a contractor.

The rest of the room is pretty great, too. The pink and green is very California preppy but again the layering of patterns is very sophisticated and well done. I'll also take both of those giant white ginger jars on either side of the door.

I've saved the best for last. Isn't this just stunning? I love the mix of Chinoiserie wallpaper with Moroccan pillows and rug (which looks like a rug West Elm used to carry...and the daybed looks like the West Elm overlapping squares daybed). I love to see high-end designers use moderately priced goods, don't you? And the orange, brown and gold color palette is fresh and not overdone. Overall, this room gets a big "A+" from me.

Inspired by Brown Design's portfolio, I thought I'd pull together a modern, eclectic mood board. In homage to the Browns love of, well, brown, I kept the palette fairly tight in shades of chocolate, tans and golds. Many of the Browns rooms are also wallpapered, so I decided to go with the classic Stella print in a soft champagne and gold to bring in some subtle geometric patterns. For furniture, I started with a strong, modern sofa with clean lines, I layered in a traditional wing back chair in an amazing graphic print in muted browns, a modern console table with a Chinoiserie feel, and a large coffee table with a strong industrial feel. For accessories I pulled in soft gold lighting, ethnic print pillows with a modern twist, classic gold and white ginger jars, and some natural elements like a cedar stool. And as for artwork, a single large piece like this gorgeous map of Paris is in keeping with the Browns' style.

Source list:

1. Vintage Paris Map from Restoration Hardware ($1795).
2. Collector's Classic Console from Ethan Allen ($849).
3. Gold and White Ginger Jars from Williams-Sonoma Home ($175-$195).
4. The Perfect Wingback Chair from Woodson & Rummerfield ($2950).
5. Meurice Chandelier from Jonathan Adler ($750).
6. Oslo Spheres from ZGallerie ($9.95/piece).
7. Sophie Brown Bentwood Butterfly Chair/Stool from Overstock ($87.99).
8. Assorted Pillows from John Robshaw ($75-$165/piece).
9. Furniture Factory Cart from Restoration Hardware ($1495).
10. Movie Sofa in Walnut from CB2 ($999).
11. Quatrefoil Table Lamp from Circa Lighting ($420).
12. Natural Tree-Stump Side Table from West Elm ($229).
13. Stella: Gold & Taupe Wallpaper from Graham & Brown ($75/double roll).

September 2, 2006...

Three years ago today Dave and I got married. In celebration of our third anniversary, I thought I'd share with y'all some memories of The Big Day. To be frank, I have never been one of those women who had been planning her wedding since she was a little girl. In fact, I'd given it little thought up until Dave and I got engaged in January of 2006 and even once we got engaged, I didn't really morph into a bridezilla. All I knew was that I wanted something elegant, gracious, and personal.

After a very traditional ceremony at my childhood church, we held a reception at The Richmond House, a Southern-style plantation home situated in downtown Richmond, a once rural (and now suburban) town about thirty miles southwest of Houston, Texas. As soon as I saw The Richmond House, with its gracious wide porches, white Ionic columns and giant oak trees covered in Spanish moss, I knew it was the perfect place for Dave and I to get married. It exuded a gracious Southern hospitality that felt both elegant and warm.

Our wedding party consisted of four bridesmaids (my sister and three college friends), a junior bridesmaid (my cousin's eldest daughter) and four groomsmen (Dave's brother, high school best friend and graduate school housemates). I kept things simple with strapless a-line bridesmaid dresses in navy that were similar to the cut of my own dress. I went a bit bolder though in my flower choices, and I still love how bright and happy the bouquets turned out.

My father-in-law and his granddaughter (my niece) with her beautiful mother looking on. Who can resist a little redhead in a green Tinkerbell dress?

My flower girls were the youngest daughters of my cousin. My longtime hairstylist weaved these flowers in their hair in lieu of them carrying any and I just think they look darling. This photo is, perhaps, my favorite of all my wedding photos.

My mother and I. It's been said (many times) in my family that while I look like the second coming of my mother, my personality is 100% my father's. Both somewhat overgeneralizations, I think, but I'll grudgingly admit that they do have some merit. I actually really loved my mother's outfit here -- the color and cut were gorgeous on her and it was eminently appropriate for the occasion without being overly matronly. As for my dress, I do wish I had pressed on in the wedding dress search a bit longer as I wasn't completely in love with it. But since I don't really plan on wearing it again, I suppose it just doesn't matter that much in the end.

Dave's one request was that he not be required to dance -- and since The Richmond House is, in fact, just a house, there was little room for a dance floor anyway. As a result, we decided to hire groups of classically-trained musicians to serenade our guests on both floors.

Dave and I were blessed with friends and family coming from all over the country to spend the day with us. I was particularly touched by the high turnout of college friends I had in attendance -- many of whom were poor graduate students at the time and had precious little money and time to trek across the country for the occasion. And yet, they did it anyway.

The all-important cakes. Because our reception venue was a one-stop shop kind of place, I had to use their in-house baker. Fortunately though, the cakes were both beautiful and delicious.

My father is, without question, one of the best public speakers I know and his toast was both humorous and touching. On a less touching note, his blackberry (which he had somehow managed to get a hold of after it had been confiscated at my mother's orders) went off during his speech.

The ritual of newlyweds feeding each other cake always struck me as a bit ridiculous, but it certainly makes for entertaining photos.

After I threw my bouquet (straight at my sister, as it turned out), Dave and I made our exit, surrounded by well-wishers waiving sparklers.

Our getaway car took us to the Magnolia Hotel in downtown Houston where we spent the night before returning home the next day. Because of our schedules, Dave and I took a delayed honeymoon in early October to Banff, Alberta, where we had a wonderful time taking in the breathtaking views, hiking, and eating our weight in fondue.

I look back on my wedding fondly, though much of it is a blur. While the day marks the official date that Dave and I began our lives together, in truth it began much earlier as we became inseparable within weeks of meeting. Today, the past four and a half years together feel like a lifetime and I sometimes have trouble imagining my life before Dave -- and I hope that I won't have to live with such a future. Dave is my best friend, my confidant, my rock, and my biggest cheerleader and I am so thankful that we met. In short, he keeps me on my toes and Lord knows I need that!