Bohemian style with a modern twist

These pictures are of a family room I recently completed for a client. They were taken by the lovely Sara Bateman a few weeks back. One of the things that I love about what I do is that each project presents a new challenge, and ultimately a new style. My client Stacy wanted a space that felt bohemian and eclectic, but modern at the same time. What I love most about this space is the detail, pattern, and interest in it. Between the art, objects, and textiles there is so much to look at but because it is all unified by a simple color palette, it pulls together.

We used a microvelvet on the sofa (feels like velvet, holds up like microfiber and is great with kids) to soften the look and add coziness and a modern lacquered coffee table.The chevron rug is from Calypso Home.

My client Stacy had a great collection of art and prints that help bring an eclectic vibe to the space.

I love the texture these woven chairs bring in. These were the client's own, but I knew I didn't want this space to feel too new of contrived so we decided they would stay and just added some sweet little pillows to tie them in.

The media piece and coffee table are both by Bungalow 5 and add a sophisticated and modern feel to the space.

Little Lila was our assistant on the photo shoot. We're just finishing up her room

upstairs with the most gorgeous Thibaut wallpaper. I can't wait to share it with you!

The key to getting an eclectic look is all in the mix.

I love searching out interesting accessories to add some unexpected details.

So what do you think? I want to move right in.

Stay tuned later this week for another spot in the house!

Inspiration overload

I'm still trying to process all the great experiences from Alt Design Summit.

I'll be posting a recap later this week, but for now I wanted to share

some inspiration for some client spaces I'm currently working on.

You may remember this bohemian living room and dining nook I posted a few months back.

I'm working on finishing up that house with my client and our current projects include her guest room, office, and son's room.

She already has some great foundation pieces so we are just building on

what is already there and bring in some fun pops of color and accents.

Here is the inspiration board for the office

And here is the concept for her son Liam's room.

I'll let the guest room be a surprise. I think it might be my favorite.

We're using this fab pillow with an awesome vintage turkish rug.

Juxtaposition

One of my favorite stores to visit when I'm down in California is Juxtaposition Home in Crystal Cove. I love the mix of styles that are effortlessly executed in their aesthetic. I'd call it a mix of industrial, classic, bohemian, with classic and coastal accents. I love this litte tagline from their website:

I'm meeting with a client today who wants to incorporate the "justaposition look" as she called it, into her family room. So to prepare for the meeting, I was getting inspiration from some photos I took at Juxtaposition when I visited last summer.

I'll let these pictures speak for themselves:

I'll be posting tomorrow about some recommendations I have about

how to incorporate the Juxtaposition look, in your own decor.

The dining nook

Here are some pictures of a cute little dining nook I completed for a client earlier this year.

This little space is just off the bohemian family room I posted about a few weeks ago.

I love the texture of the grass shades and the mix of patterns in the pillows

And don't even get me started on the gorgeous chairs!

Seeing an outcome like this is one of the many reasons I LOVE my job!

Photos by the fabulous Sara Bateman

flame stitch

I've decided flame stitching is new the thing. It seems as though these slightly

 bohemian/slightly kitschy prints are showing up everywhere these days. 

I think this pillow from Urban just might be my favorite sighting yet. 

Bohemian Bird Houses

Birds are a big trend in home decor right now, whether they are on a pillow, in a painting, or living in a sweet little bird house on your wall. A while back I posted the image above on my blog, CC Interiors. I'm not normally a scissors and glue girl, but when I saw those birdhouses, I knew I had to get to work. I thought they were so delightful, and sometimes you need a little fun and whimsy around. These bird houses are a darling decoration for spring or for a little girl's room. They're easy, fun, and best of all affordable. 

Materials needed:

Unfinished wood bird houses (available at any craft store, from $1.00-$6.00 depending on size)

Modge Podge

Various prints of scrapbooking paper

Scissors

Paint Brushes

Ruler

Acrylic paint

Loose Change

Velcro tabs or some other adhesive to attach to wall. 

Decorative birds available in the floral department at any craft store

Step 1: Prep your materials. 

Set materials out on a clean flat surface. Pull out any posts from the front of the birdhouses and save them for later. 

Step 2: Cut and trace front panel out of scrapbook paper

If you are doing multiple bird houses in the same style, you may want to make a template out of card stock. Trace the outline of the birdhouse on your decorative paper and cut outline. 

You will have to trim to get an exact fit. Make sure all your edges are covered but do not have excess paper bleeding over. 

Step 2: Cut and trace hole in front panel, tracing around a coin to get a perfect circle

Lucky for us these tricky circles happen to be the same size and dimes, nickels, and quarters.

 Place the paper on the bird house to make sure the placement of the hole is correct. You'll be able to feel where the hole is behind the paper. Trace around coin, and after poking a hole in the middle of the circle, cut it out.

 Make sure to do your best not to leave any jagged edges. 

Step 3: Adhere front panel to bird house using Modge Podge

Using your paint brush, spread the modge podge glue across the front panel of the bird house and attach paper. Smooth out any bubbles and make sure the placement is correct. 

You can poke a small hole using a pen, where the post should sit and push the post back in. 

Step 4: Repeat steps 1 and 3 for roof and side panels:

Using different patterns of paper for the sides and roof, cut out paper and adhere using modge podge. 

Step 5:

Paint the trim on birdhouses using

 corresponding colors of acrylic paint. 

If you are planning on using these for outdoor use, coat the birdhouses with a polyurethane sealant

Step 6: Arrange bird houses in a grouping and hang on wall using Velcro tabs or other adhesive strips. The wood these are made of is very soft and a nail is likely to split it. 

Step 7: Affix birds randomly on posts for a little whimsy. This step is optional if you like the birdhouses plain. 

To make this project with younger children, you could have them paint the birdhouses using acrylic paint in varying colors. 

the look for less-inlaid mother of pearl

I've been spotting lots of gorgeous pieces lately with inlaid mother of pearl. 

I love the timeless and bohemian look of these pieces, but their price tags usually leave me running the other direction. 

The other day when watching HGTV I was reminded of an awesome project that Kim Myles of Myles of Style did when she was a contestant on design star. She used tiny sticker labels to block out a design on simple white coffee table and then painted over it. Once the labels were removed it gave the effect of an inlaid piece. 

SO genius. My mind is spinning, too many ideas, gotta go! 

Looking back on 2011

2011 was a crazy year for me.

I had a baby and moved to a new office,

and all while my business was growing.

Here are a few of the highlights for me:

In January I prepped for the baby to come,

attended ALT, Started redoing my master bedroom,

and hit up market to check out the new goods.

In February I shared a few of my favorite things,

did a breakdown of Sarah Richardson's amazing yellow room,

and we welcomed Baby Elliott into our family.

In March I laid low with the new baby but I did share some

of my designer confessions over at 6th Street Design School.

In April I shared a few snippets of my house,

including some progress on my master bedroom,

and hosted a giveaway from Joss & Main.

In May I posted some pictures of a client project I worked on,

shared some images of a new construction project I worked on with Tiek Built Homes,

and had a little online tag sale.

In June , I shared my tips on beachy living, and my love for nooks and crannies.

In July I had a remnant sale with Caitlin Wilson and Kirsten Krason,

showed you a lavender nursery that I did for a client,

and shared the details from my sisters wedding.

In August I shared pictures of a dining nook I did for a client,

a bohemian family room, and some pictures of my kids.

In September I shared images of the Spring Lane home

I worked on with Tiek Built Homes, all of which can be seen here,

shared a sneak peak of little girl's room that I worked on for a client,

and went to Texas for the Round Top Antique Market (post coming soon).

In October I shared the news about moving to my new office,

announced the debut of my friend Caitlin Wilson's line of textiles,

and shared my love for pinterest.

In November I moved in to my new office,

hosted a giveaway from Lewis and Sheron Fabrics,

and went to Hawaii with my family.

In December I was pretty much missing in action,

mostly because I was busy with work and wanted to enjoy the season with my kids

(here they are in their Christmas jammies from under the nile).

I did manage to post some snippets of my Christmas decor and a glimpse at my new office.

And let's not forget about those Holiday sales.

All in all it was a very busy but great year.

Thanks to your wonderful support as readers and followers.

I'm hoping to share much more with you in 2012,

including a bunch of projects I worked on in 2011 and never got around to sharing.

Happy New Year!