copycat

I LOVE just about everything from Oly studio. My bank account however does not. 

I've long been drooling over the gorgeous Owen dining table from Oly. 

I think those big fat legs are the best thing since sliced bread. 

So I was delighted when I spotted the Calmont dining table from my old frient, Pier One.

 Okay okay, so these legs went on a little diet but you get the idea. Take it in black or give it your own twist with a coat of paint. You can bet this table may be making an appearance in one of my rooms sometime soon. 

bookmark

I've had this souleiado wallpaper bookmarked for quite some time. I'm just waiting for the perfect spot to use it. I love that the motif is traditional, but the colors are bright. And the price is just right. 

Another reason to think Candace Bushnell is really cool

Because she lives here. I love it. Of course it would have lots of pink. 

via elle decor

art

I always tell my clients to look for affordable art on etsy. 

Case and point. 

letterpress poster by rollandtumble

  bees by Rozart

   retro owls via ferntree

   Telephone pole via elisaann

  fall pond via Larry Ney

monogram via goodpaper

Cottage

All I can say is that I think this house has beautiful bones. 

Those checkerboard floors are to die for.

I'll be sharing the inspiration for this gorgeous property soon!

Pretty Pelmets

One of my clients made adorable pelmet boxes for her bedroom and they were featured on Little Green Notebook today. Don't you just LOVE that fabric? I have a stash of that print in my storage room and I still can't decide what to do with it. 

Splish Splash

If I was in the market for a new shower curtain I would snatch this one (one sale right now for $59.00 through ruelala) up in a second. 

If you want an invite to Ruelala leave a comment with your email and I'll add you on. 

Baby Jane

One of my best friends had a beautiful baby girl this week. The gender was a surprise and everyone sort of had a boy in mind so we were delighted when the little darling showed up. 

Since I was in the mood I drummed up a little nursery design for Baby Jane. Her mama's style is practical and simple so I went for a pared down look with touches of pink. 

I would start with curtains made of Rubie Green's East Village. I love this fabric and the modern use of pale pink. We'd set that against cool grey walls in Benjamin Moore's Cloudy Sky. In keeping with simplicity and softness we'd do a lighter grey crib and bedding by dwell studio. Since we're just playing and not worrying about comfort here we'd do an Eames Rocker (which mama loves) and amp it up with a pink moroccan poof to kick the heels up. All of these gorgeous pieces would sit atop this stunning (very Madeleine Weinrib esque) Safavieh rug which will give Jane a soft place to play. Since Jane is a city girl a needs lots of storage this dresser from Ikea will double as a changing table and storage. 

To accent this modern room we're going to throw in some fun. This darling sheep mobile will give Jane something to look at when she's lounging in her oeuf bouncer (one of my personal favorite baby products). These butterfies add a bit of whimsy to a pretty simple space. I love these and will be using them for a client soon! I also had to throw in these darling bottles for Jane to play with. 

We'll throw in a family silhouette to adorn the walls by Le Papier Studio and some galvanized bins to store toys for easy clean up. They'll also double as toys for Jane when she learns how to bang! 

The Maskros light fixture from Ikea will illuminate all these lovely things (did you see how Jamie used hers). And of course our girl needs some cute jammies to give her sweet dreams. 

All this Nursery talk is making me ache to hold Baby Jane! 

If you are planning a nursery and need some help, let me know. As a mama myself I'm full of ideas and sources to add that special touch. 

Lovely Lattice

I just discovered these lovely curtains  at the Land of Nod. 

I love the robin's egg blue and you can't beat the price either. 

Look what I found!

$10 a piece. Thrifting doesn't get much better than this. 

Now for the decisions, Should I keep them for myself or 

use them for a client? Should I paint them or leave them?

Oh the possibilities.

In my parent's home they have a beautiful glass table with steel sawhorse legs. The home is a very rustic craftsman style with a lot of natural elements and this dining table has always been the singular modern element in the home. Someday I'll have to post pictures. 

Anyway...When I saw these saw horse legs I was instantly reminded of that dining table. And when I saw the price I just died. Can you imagine all the wonderful ways you could top these? 

Since I have a little one I think I would go with a hardwood in chalkboard paint like the one pictured below from ohdeedoh. 

Personal style, defined.

I'm visiting over at La Dolce Vita today as 

part of Paloma's series personal style, defined. 

Stop by and say hello. 

By the way, don't you love my new business cards pictured above?

Black & White

When I saw this hutch I had instant visions of a fabulous dining room ala Kate Spade. 

I Love the fresh stripes on the classic piece. I feel a little DIY coming on.

Cottage

For the last couple of months I have been working on furnishing this property from scratch. This country house is located in Western Connecticut and when you see the inside you will want to move right in. I'll be doing a tour next week of the interior. We are still in the preliminary stages and have just ordered the first pieces of furniture to go in the home. I'll keep you posted as the project develops. I think even Eddie Ross would be jealous of this place. It is right out of a dream.

And the winner is...

Brooke who said...

Happy Halloween...Ah ah ah ah ah (in a spooky haunted gourd voice).

Congratulations Brooke! Email me your info and we'll get the gourd on it's way. 

Thanks to Jeni for making this possible. If you have a chance stop by the show tonight or tomorrow. I was there last night and the place is brimming with darling things. 

Calling All Utah Readers!

Mark you calendars for the Jeni Gochnour's 7th Annual Autumn Art Show!!
We are excited to announce our new show location - it will be at the
beautiful Holladay Gardens Condos located at 1706 e. Murray Holladay Road
(4800 s.) right across for the Holladay Lions Club. There will be a
collection of SPOOKTACULAR artists the likes of which will knock you socks
off. YOU don't want to miss this fun event. The Show starts Thursday,
October 15th from 6pm to 9pm and runs through Friday, October 16th 9am to
6pm. Go to our new blog at http://jenigochnour.blogspot.com/ 
for more information. See you there!!!

Don't miss this event! You may just run in to me there

 with my arms full of goodies I want to buy! 

Giveaway-don't forget to sign up

The giveaway closes tomorrow night at midnight. 

Don't procrastinate any longer. Your house needs something spooky. 

Sign up here

Speaking of affordable art

A few pages of this lovely book  from ModCloth would make wonderful affordable art in simple frames. 

Perfect for that cabinet of curiosities look. 

Art done simply (and cheaply)

image above via John Derian

From project to project I have learned that one of the most challenging and expensive things is coming up with affordable art that is unique and personal. I find that wall decor is usually the thing that breaks the budget (or really stretches it). Even buying target frames can add up. 

Most of the wall art in my house is falls in to four categories;

 thrifted paintings and sketches, family photography, botanicals or personal mementos. Any of you who have tackled this same issue know how much custom framing can cost, which is why I almost never do it. 

A great alternative to custom framing is buying ready made or vintage frames and then having custom mats cut. A standard mat for an 8 x 10 costs about 10-12 dollars. This is dramatically lower than custom framing would be and you get a really similar look. 

Often times I am working on projects that don't even allow room to purchase any matting. A perfect example is the groupings I had framing the fireplace at the Delta Gamma House. We were spent on the budget so I took pages from old Delta Gamma newsletters and mounted them on nice linen art paper from Michaels. The frames cost me $5 a piece and the paper was 3.50 for an 14x20 sheet. So for roughly $6 a piece, I have semi custom art on a budget. 

Happy Halloween Giveaway

My schedule the next few weeks is packed with fun autumn activities, in fact I am heading to the pumpkin patch tomorrow. Halloween just happens to be one of my FAVORITE holidays and to celebrate that, I'm kicking the season off with a giveaway.

Meet Jeni Gochnour, gourd artist extraordinaire! Jeni is the real deal, and this talented girl  wants to give a lucky reader one of her DARLING halloween ghouls! 

Leave a comment here by MIDNIGHT on Wednesday and you might be the lucky one! 

Jeni is also hosting an art show this week that I'll tell you more about tmw! Not to be missed! 

Spots to shop-Maison Midi

Have you ever walked into a store and wanted to move right in? A few months back when were vacationing in California, I stumbled into Maison Midi and this was a exactly how I felt. French + Anthropologie = Maison Midi. These pictures don't even do the place justice. Unfortunately they only have stores in California but they do have a website with a limited sampling of their beautiful goods. 

If you love tolix chairs like Stephanie (who just completed an awesome renovation of french cottage) Then you will LOVE Maison Midi! 

Catching up

This weekend was spent tying up loose ends on a few projects. 

I have a bad habit of giving away the goods 

before the project is really to a finished point. I can't help it! 

Here are a few spaces I just finished at the Delta Gamma House and a private residence.

Now more time for my new projects, and hopefully some new clients!

FUN

I have a new client who is FUN.  I think we are kindred spirits. 

I'll be posting pictures of some of one her personal DIY projects soon. 

Her front room is getting an overhaul our inspiration is pictured above.

I am loving these autumnal colors that came straight from the leaves outside my window.

in a city near you-Chicago

Okay and if you're feeling spendy I couldn'y resist sharing this beauty in all here mirrored glory either. I wonder how hard a mirrored cabinet DIY project would be!