It's a beautiful day...

It's a beautiful Spring day here in Houston today and I'd much rather be lounging in a gorgeous poolside cabana than in the office. Unfortunately though, it's Monday and my backyard is still in the state in which we bought it (i.e., completely empty) so until we have the time and funds to turn our attention to landscaping, I'll have to make do with a little virtual daydreaming, courtesy of Kristen Hutchins Design.

I love how Kristen has infused classic hacienda style with other global influences like the Morroccan lanterns, the Chinese garden stools, the turquoise Ikat print and the British Colonial furnishings. Despite this cultural mix, the overall effect is seamless and tramquil, with the dark browns and creams providing a neutral base for the pops of turquoise.

And how awesome are these mini-canopies (with the giant tassels!) for the chaise lounges. Not only are they great aesthetically, but they're practical as well. I love getting a little bit of sunshine, but I'm always vigilent about making sure my face/neck are in the shade. The fabric on the pillows is called Tilbury by Laura Ashley and is available through Kravet. It's been making the rounds lately on the blogosphere and I absolutely love it.

One thing I would change though: I'd be trading in that Pellegrino for a glass of white wine or a margarita.

Formal Dining Rooms

Sherrill Canet

Earlier this week Cristin posted about decorating dining rooms over at Simplified Bee and it's gotten me itching to start decorating my own dining room (to get a feel for what I'm going for, see HERE). When we first moved in, we managed to paint out the trim on the lower third of the room to resemble wainscoting and paint the balance of the walls a deep blue (Farrow & Ball's Drawing Room Blue), but that's all the progress that's been made so far -- and unfortunately, until my budget recovers, that's all the progress that's going to be made for quite some time.

But that doesn't mean a girl can't day dream, right? In fact, I'd say a temporary cash crunch can be a good thing for designing a room as you're forced to window shop in favor of actually, well, shopping. This forced abstinence allows you the time to really get a feel for what you love most (rather than what you love today or what your budget allows you to buy today). And, when you finally do have the luxury of going out and buying new pieces, having curtains made, etc., you know the market, the trends and what it is you're really after.

So here are a few of my absolute favorite dining rooms, collected over the past few months as I continue to contemplate the transformation of my small dining room into something truly spectacular.

Kara Mann

For me, a formal dining space should be exactly that: formal. It should also be luxurious, dramatic and special. After all, these rooms are for special occasions, most of them occurring at night. So I say work with that and go for lots of drama: crystal, gilt, mirrors, silks, velvets, dramatic colors, hand painted wallpapers...you get the idea. If you're looking for a good guide on how to incorporate all that and more without making the room feel overdone or too stuffy, you need look no further than Kara Mann's gorgeous gray dining room (above) that was featured in last month's Traditional Home. I particularly love the silver-leaf finish on the mantle against the Carrera marble surround.

Hillary Thomas Designs

There are those that argue that formal dining rooms are dinosaurs; that the modern family does not need to distinguish between public and private rooms, formal and informal settings. And that's certainly true to an extent, but at the same time I love the idea of the luxury of having a formal dining room. The luxury of having a place at home to celebrate truly special occasions. The type of room that is filled with memories yearound, even if it is only "used" a few times a year (though certainly there is nothing stopping you from using your formal dining room -- and your formal china -- on a regular basis, and I completely encourage this!).

In this dining room designed by Hillary Thomas, I love how the trim and wainscoting is painted out in a high gloss sage green. It's such a great way to modernize very traditional architecture (and the very traditional wallpaper). The glossy green also works well with the dining chairs, which are done in a high glass black with a sage green seat.

Ruthie Sommers

Wainscoting and wallpaper (especially handpainted wallpaper) are two of my favorite design elements for a formal dining room. The sea grass rug and lack of window treatments make this room feel much lighter than many of the others -- and also more approachable. For me, this room is the perfect balance between formality and luxury, on the one hand, and practicality and comfort, on the other.

Christina Murphy

A simple formula for high drama in a dining room is dark bare wood floors, metallic wallpaper and a crystal chandelier. The mirrored insets into the paneled doors is a simple and inexpensive way to add a little extra sparkle and to dress up an otherwise standard feature. I also love the Kartell Mademoiselle Chairs, with their lucite legs and low backs.

Katie Ridder

Here, I love how the dark slate walls contrast with the high impact turquoise chandelier and hot pink upholstered dining chairs. I think my first inclination would be to pair colors like this with a predominately white backdrop, but Katie demonstrates here how success dark walls with bright furnishings can be. I also like how she kept it from feeling too cave-like by having a lighter colored rug on the floor. This lightness is similarly reflected on the ceiling, which appears to be papered in a subtle tonal damask.

Thad Hayes

Pastoral murals in dining rooms are very, very traditional. In fact, you can see many fine examples of them in homes in Pompeii. Here though, the brighter colors in the mural and in the fabrics lend a rather whimsical quality to Thad Hayes' space. So much so that it feels almost cartoon-like.

Ondine Karady

Anyone else remember Ondine from the second season of Design Star? [By the way, is that show ever coming back? I loved it!] In any case, Ondine is back and in the running for Traditional Home's Young Traditional Designer of the Year. Flipping through her portfolio, I fell in love with this dining room. I love the juxtaposition of the almost Medieval architecture with the vibrant pinks. In fact, I'd happily steal that set of Ikat chairs and the hot pink buffet for myself. How fabulous would that look against navy walls?

Nathan Egan

Nathan Egan is one of my favorite designers for subtle drama. Rooms like the dining room above show that you don't need bold colors or expensive, embroidered wallpaper to make a big impact. I also love how the oversized photograph is hung between the wall and wainscoting. The gesture feels almost haphazard, but the effect is incredibly striking. I also love the large wine barrel chandelier -- sure, it's been trendy, but there's also a nice rusticity about it that works so well with more traditional interiors.

Suzanne Kasler

One of my all-time favorite dining rooms, by the near-faultless Suzanne Kasler. While I usually prefer trim painted-out white, the blue lacquer that Suzanne applied to both the walls and trim here is incredibly striking. I also tend to prefer matching chairs (or at least matching side chairs with a pair of larger chairs for the ends), but yet again Suzanne proves here there's no "rule" that I can come up with that can't be successfully broken.

Annie Selke

This dining room was featured in a spread House Beautiful did last year on a beach house Annie Selke decorated and I absolutely fell in love with all of it. I love the mix of patterns here as well as the mix of blues. A deft hand is needed for this type of mixing, but Selke is skilled at mixing both patterns and colors in a way that feels very modern, without any of the eclectic-bohemian element that I'm admittedly not a huge fan of.

Family Room Update

Progress on decorating the once-empty family room has sped up in recent weeks. After much internal (and external) debate on ottomans and throw pillows I feel like the room is finally starting to take shape. Sure, I'd like a smaller swivel chair close to the fireplace (I'm thinking something with a skirt to counteract all the leggy pieces in the room already), curtains and dramatic built-ins on either side of the fireplace, but I feel like I'm finally starting to get somewhere with this room.

The biggest deviation from my original design (shown above) has definitely been the decision to go with a coffee table in lieu of an ottoman. Dave had initially wanted an ottoman for comfort's sake (he loves nothing more than a spot to put his feet up), but I had a lot of trouble finding an ottoman that I liked and that didn't feel too heavy or large for this rather narrow space. You probably don't want to know the amount of time I spent (okay, wasted) scouring my favorite online sources for ottomans or coffee tables that fit the bill. After all but giving up, the perfect coffee table managed to find me, on super sale at One King's Lane (which is increasingly becoming my go-to resource for decorating my new home). I need to get a piece of glass cut for the top (the table even came with a handy template I can take in to the glass cutter's!), but otherwise I'm loving it as its longer length and narrower width fits the space perfectly.

As the name suggests, the Raj cocktail table has an Anglo-Indian flair with its woven top, java finish, turned legs, and I think the British Colonial style plays nicely with the chinoiserie style of the other tables in the room (the silver leaf five-leg table and the collector's classics console table, both from Ethan Allen) without making the room feel either too eclectic or too theme-y.

And of course I can't resist a close-up of these gorgeous throw pillows (see HERE for the first half of the story). The three pillows I had made out of KWID's Imperial Trellis II really pull the room together for me -- the trellis pattern is the perfect compliment to the Chiang Mai fabric on the other pillows and the Madelaine Weinrib rug. I must thank Melanie over at Plum Cushion for making them so beautifully (and quickly!) and for even sending me back all my leftover fabric. If you're looking to get some custom pillows made, I can't recommend Melanie enough.

I didn't have a lot of time to really style the room, but I added a few of my favorite design books and candles to the coffee table to make it a little less stark. I also added the white orchid that Dave bought me after I returned from a business trip to the side table (it was living in our master bath).

As a final touch, I pulled out my Jonathan Adler hippo (scored last year off eBay), which had been sitting in our pantry since our move last August, awaiting his new home. Doesn't he look darling behind the sofa?

To illustrate the progress that has been made since August of last year (when we had absolutely zero furniture to go into this room):

On an only marginally-related note, Friday also marked the arrival of three rolls of this:

Osborne & Little's Summer Palace! Many thanks to Susie of Maddie G Designs for hooking me up with this wallpaper; it's even more fantastic in person. If you're not a design professional but are interested in getting direct access to trade-only products, Susie is a wonderful resource. Not only did she help me locate the product(s) and get a good price, but she was responsive and easy to work with as well. Thanks, Susie! Now the only task is to find someone to hang this for me -- anyone have any recommendations for good wallpaper hangers in Houston?

Mood Board Monday: Purple & Brown Nursery

The latest edition of Mood Board Monday (organized by the lovely Sarah of Pewter+Sage) focused on decorating from the ground up by centering a design around one of two fabulous, go-anywhere rugs. I remember reading an interview with Thom Filicia a few months ago wherein he suggested designing a room around a rug as its colors and patterns are great springboards for selecting paints and fabrics.

In any case, I chose the Andalusia rug (above) from West Elm in the rich chocolate brown. While this rug would truly work in just about any room in your house, I decided to do something a bit different and use it in a nursery room design. One of my favorite color combinations is a rich chocolate brown and purple. It's young and energetic, but doesn't feel overly sweet or kiddie. In fact, the combination can be downright sensual when the purple is as deeply saturated as the brown.

To whit, this bedroom designed by Amanda Nisbet:

So how do you translate this grown-up space into a nursery? I'd start by using less chocolate brown, confining it to furniture and fabrics instead of using it as the dominate wall color. But don't get rid of it altogether: the dark brown here is essential as it will make the room feel more grown-up and ground all that lavender and white. I'd also follow Amanda's lead and keep a lot of white in the room though as the crisp white furniture and bedding keeps the room from feeling oppressively dark and is a great contrast to the brown.

I'd start by selecting a cool and calm lilac for the walls, with enough gray in it that it doesn't veer into mauve {shudders}. Serena & Lily's low-VOC paint in Lilac ($45/gallon) is a great option. As with grown-up bedrooms, the focal point of a child's room should be the bed (or crib) and I love the bold statement this sleigh crib makes. I'd put it in the center of the room, allowing it to be viewed from all angles. For bedding, I adore Serena & Lily's posey collection, with its crisp lilac and white pinstripe and chocolate brown piping. I also love how the floral pillow has a slight ethnic feel -- and tons of other bright colors (like the hot pink, yellow or turquoise) to pull out if you decide to incorporate another accent color. To bring in more color and pattern, I'd have simple curtain panels made out of China Seas' Wildflowers II (I'd go with the brown and white colorway for the curtains with the purple and white colorway as trim and maybe an extra throw pillow or two).

To play up the Moorish pattern on the rug, I'd use a Moroccan key table, painted glossy white to match the sleekly modern ZGallerie dresser. For lighting, I'd keep it feminine but not frilly. I absolutely adore Barbara Barry's scallop pendant -- sure, it's expensive, but it's a "forever" kind of fixture; no risk of growing out of this light! The curvaceous lilac table lamp from ZGallerie is also a lot of fun and I love its lucite base. Since every new parent needs a comfortable place to sit (and sleep), I selected the Presidio glider from Serena & Lily, complete with coordinating lilac trim on the white slip cover. Most gliders are honestly pretty hideous, but I love the narrower arms and sleeker frame of this model.

Source list (clockwise, from top left): 1. Posey Collection crib bedding from Serena & Lily. 2. Presidio Glider from Serena & Lily ($949). 3. Simple Scallop Pendant from Circa Lighting ($525). 4. Anadulsia Rug from West Elm ($39-$649). 5. Jett 5-drawer dresser from ZGallerie ($699). 6. Moroccan Key Table from Serena & Lily ($350). 7. Wildflowers II fabric from China Seas in purple and brown. 8. Chloe Table Lamp in Orchid from ZGallerie ($139). 9. Marlowe Sleigh crib from Restoration Hardware ($999).

Don't forget to check out all the other inspiring mood boards HERE.

High versus Low: Pop Quiz Time!

It's been a while, so I thought it was time for another pop quiz. One of these mirrored-top tray tables costs $699. The other, $69.99. Can you tell the difference? Place your votes below and I'll let you know the answer tomorrow!

poll by twiigs.com

Update: The majority is right. Table A is the Mirrored-Top Tray Table from Horchow and retails for $699. Table B is the Country Living tray side table from Kmart and is currently on sale for $69.99. Sometimes it absolutely pays to shop around!

Housekeeping.

Sally Steponkus

I apologize from the outset on the randomness of this post, but I've been distracted by work and planning a bachelorette party the last few weeks and have been remiss in making a few "thank you's". First off, thanks to everyone for the overwhelming response to the credenza re-do. It's so gratifying to hear such a positive response after putting in so much of my spare time and effort into spiffing it up. [Update: I've gotten a lot of questions about the wallpaper in this entryway, so I decided to go straight to the source and e-mail Steponkus Designs directly. Both Sally and Sally's design associate Heather replied and let me know that it's the Moroccan grasscloth from Phillip Jeffries' Voyage Collection. I don't know about you, but it's a new favorite for me.]

I'd also like to say thank you to Jessica Nell Graves (graphic designer and blogger behind The Love List) for including me in her newest project: The Love List Library, which is a wonderful compilation of a top-notch group of design bloggers' favorite books, movies and music. This is a great resource if you're looking for gifts for the stylish women in your life -- or even just a little new inspiration for yourself. You can check out my own personal "love list" HERE.

Another thank you goes out to Sarah over at Pewter + Sage for giving me the "Sunshine Award". In the spirit of paying it forward, I'd like to pass this award on to 5 "new to me" blogs that I've recently gotten hooked on:

Acanthus & Acorn

Aesthetic Oiseau

Emily A. Clark

Good Life of Design

Holding Court

And last, but certainly not least, back in September I did a guest post over at A 'Lil Welsh Rarebit on turning Christy's office into a guest room. Well, a few weeks ago Christy has actually turned one of my mood boards into reality (with a few much needed tweaks to work for "real life") and it looks absolutely fantastic. Please be sure to check out the full reveal HERE.

I'll be back tomorrow with an update on my family room. With the Imperial Trellis pillows finished and coffee and side tables in place, it's come a long way since last fall.

Weekend Update: Credenza Completed!

Well, it took us two weekends, three coats of paint, one coat of polycrylic and a lot of elbow grease (and brass polish), but we finally managed to finish spiffing up the credenza I scored off of eBay last month for Dave's office. And despite this project being far more time consuming than I had initially anticipated, I'm pleased with the final results and consider it well worth the effort (especially given how little moola I ended up having to spend to get a look I am happy with!).

We ended up selecting Valspar's Scarlet Sun in a high gloss finish. We didn't prime the credenza because it was already painted white, but I suspect if we had used a tinted primer we could've saved ourselves one of the coats of paint. Given the smooth surface of the piece (and despite lightly sanding the top), we also had some issues getting the paint to stick in the first two coats. This could have been solved by using an oil-based paint, which will stick to smooth surfaces more easily than latex, but we managed to get a pretty scratch-resistant surface by spraying a water-based polycrylic (in gloss) over the final coat.

I decided to stick with the original hardware, primarily because it ended up being nearly impossible to find hardware that I liked that came in both 3-1/2 inch and 2-1/2 inch sizes (both of which are fairly non-standard as most hardware comes in 3 or 4-inch) and I didn't want to have to drill new holes (and fill the old ones). Unfortunately though, cleaning these babies up proved to be quite the task. We first soaked all the hardware in a salt and vinegar mixture for 30 minutes to an hour. After lightly cleaning them, we found that while this removed the first layer of tarnish, we still needed to go after them more seriously with a (very noxious, but highly effective) brass polish. Warning: the smell is seriously strong with this stuff, so if you use it, I'd work in a well-ventilated room (or outside) and take frequent breaks. The end result of our polishing isn't quite "like new", but I like how the hardware's patina preserves the piece's vintage-quality.

A few more close-up shots. What I love most about this credenza are the details; the faux-bamboo lattice work on the center and edges and the campaign-style brass corners really elevate the credenza into a statement-worthy piece. Even better, now that Dave has ample storage for his many, many collections, we've freed up a ton of closet space, dumped the cheap-o plastic storage bins that used to occupy this space, and given him 6 feet of display room for his favorite geodes and fossils. These pieces will be joined by a pair of table lamps (yet to be purchased -- any budget-friendly suggestions?) and a few more pieces of art to fill the large wall above the credenza. I promise to post follow-up pictures once we get the area styled, but wanted to share the makeover with you now rather than later.

How was your weekend? Did you get any projects completed off your "to do" list?