So yes, we are all spending a lot of time at home these days, and maybe our bedrooms have become our multi purpose office/ yoga space/ netflix binging location?!
Well it might be the perfect time to make some easy changes to revamp your bedroom for a quick upgrade. Head over to the Redfin blog to read some of my tips on how to take your bedroom escape to the next level with just a few fixes. Lots of great tips here!
A few months ago I welcomes the amazing writer Lelani Marie Lebong into my little Treehouse for some tea and to talk about my home and what I have been up to. We had the best time talking and laughing about all kinds of random stuff- I usually think I have the best job in the world, but after a morning with Lelani I realized she just might, we had so much fun! You can read my interview here. Thanks so much Lelani for the great article and for making the trek up my 47 stairs!
Art is such an important aspect to any design project. Art can set the tone of a space- it can completely transform the vibe of a room based on the subject, the color and the way you display it. Its always amazing to me the way adding a simple art piece to the wall or combining things together in a gallery wall can totally change the direction of a design. There are so many great artists out there, and discovering new artists is never ending- so I figured I would break up this subject into 2 blog posts, how to display and my favorite sources (I have a lot!).
Gallery walls will never go out of style. I promise! Its a great way to combine multiple styles and sizes to create an impactful focal statement in a space. I created the gallery wall above in the Decorist office and it was such an inexpensive and one of kind option. I went on a little buying trip to one my favorite local vintage shops and sourced some cool abstract art pieces and displayed them above a vintage credenza. Instant gallery wall!
For me gallery walls are great because I have a knack for collecting odd and mismatched pieces for the wall- tassels, horns, convex mirrors are some of my latest finds, so creating unique gallery walls mixed with my latest favorite artists is a great way to keep the space fresh and rotate my ever growing art collection. I created this fun gallery wall for San Francisco advertising agency Partners in Crime because my client also loved art and wanted a way to display his amazing walking sticks from the Mill Valley Walking Stick Company that he creates (more on my favorite art sources coming up!)
So besides gallery walls how else do you display art? Don't restrict yourself just to displaying art on the walls. I love the idea of over-laying art on bookshelves or on other built in architectural elements. It immediately adds depth and unexpected interest in a room.
Leaning art is another favorite of mine. Its feels so casual and sophisticated and has an easy Parisian flair to it. Best part is no nails in the wall so if you are a crazy art collector like me. you can easily change out without feeling like its too permanent.
So thats the skinny on how I like to display my art, stay tuned for some of my favorite (current) art resources!
credits: Hollywood Hills/ Decorist/ Union Street / Prospect Street
Seems like I have been working on a lot of kitchen designs lately and wanted to share some of my tips when it comes to designing a kitchen and also what I am loving right now! There is a lot to think about when you are re-modeling a kitchen, unlike many other spaces in the home kitchens and bathrooms are usually spaces that need to do a lot of jobs as well as withstand the test of time because they typically end up staying put for a bit! Case in point the 1970’s kitchen that I am currently working on! It hasn’t been touched in a couple of decades so its finally time for a facelift!
Top Tips
Be practical! Think about all the functions for your kitchen- how do you use it? Are you a super cook? Do you love to entertain? Do you want to just make your kitchen disappear? These are all important things to consider when starting on your project. Although you love the look of carrera marble, its tough to maintain and if your countertops take a beating a quartz or other manmade material might be a better option for your lifestyle.
Steer Clear of the Trends! You want your kitchen to withstand the test of time. In kitchen’s and bath’s I tend to recommend that my clients go with neutrals on things like the cabinets. Although a lime green cabinet looks amazing in a magazine this wont necessarily translate for many years and if you are planning to live with your new kitchen for awhile I recommend staying with the basics on the major pieces.
Treat your tile and hardware like jewelry! These are the places you can have a bit of fun with. Be more adventurous with your tile choices and know that nickel, chrome, rose gold.. you can change up your hardware easily over the years.
Brighten it up! I love me some lighting! In all spaces! Lighting in a kitchen is especially important. Here you have to consider decorative lighting as well as task lighting. A vintage pendant can make any space interesting and again this is an area that can be changed out of you keep your kitchen for 30 years!
Trends that are not Trendy!
I’m loving a lot of whites, natural stone and light woods. There are so many amazing materials out there to choose from and dont even get me started on tiles! But truly I am really drawn to the direction of the kitchen being a space that takes its inspiration from nature, it should be a beautiful backdrop to create delicious meals for family and friends to enjoy.
I love thick natural wood open shelving.
Hints of brass or gold mixed with a surprising rich color.
I have been seeing a lot of islands that are different material than the rest of cabinets and that is a trend I am really loving.
Bench seating is always a hit with me! Anywhere you can lounge to drink your coffee is a plus!
Ok I am going to go back to pinning incessant inspiration pictures. Follow along with me here! And in the meantime I hope you are inspired to create your own perfect kitchen oasis.