28 February 2013

OUR NEW COTTAGE KITCHEN.

So, by now you've probably conjured that Maple and I have acquired a new living situation. And yes, we've up and moved from our seaside Charleston back to the bluegrass we know and love so well--our home sweet home of Lexington, Kentucky. Work and business opportunities have called us home...and we decided to follow. And, if you follow me on instagram (@hannahmaple), you've seen a little sneak peek into our historic, 1800-era cottage that Maple and I now call home. She needs some work, but has an unbridled amount of potential. Not only will she house my ever-growing design studio, but she'll be our living quarters for the next year-or-so. Right downtown, amidst the historic district, surrounded by an up-and-coming restaurant/local shop/entrepreneurial scene. We're rather excited...to say the very least. I can't even believe the opportunities that have been rolling our way!

But...she needs a kitchen. She sort of already has one, but this girl cooks nearly seven nights a week, and let me tell you: an old shallow sink, one upper cabinet, and a floating range will not do the trick. But, our long-term plan is to sublease the space as a commercial property, so we don't want to invest high-dollars into a kitchen. And, I've always dreamed of a quaint (but functional) cottage kitchen that's clean, simple, and well-designed. So enter in Martha Stewart and her Home Depot cabinetry line, and we'll soon have a new kitchen that will consist of simple lower cabinetry, glossy white appliances (I am so over the constant upkeep of stainless!), and no uppers--only open shelving.

And, of course I have some inspiration photos to share with you:


Perfection. In every way. 
Gray cabinetry, white + gray counters, black accents, open shelving.



Clean and simple, but not overly new. We not only love old, character-filled spaces, but we're wanting to work with the historic bones (aka janky plaster walls) that lend so much life and interest to the space.



Old world charm mixed with clean lines and high-functioning furnishings and details.
My kind of kitchen.



A little gleaming and 'new' for our space, but you get the idea: gray lowers, clean white walls, open shelving, and black window mullions. It's love...


And here, some details I've pulled together:
Gray wicker baskets for storage / our heirloom butcher block in place of cabinetry next to fridge / marble accents / antique brass drawer pulls and hardware / black and white painted diamond floors / my well-loved cobalt Le creuset / gray lower cabinetry / brass french press / Blanco single bowl undermount sink / white appliances / a classic chrome bridge faucet 



As mentioned, we've sourced Martha Stewart's line of cabinetry at Home Depot. I'm super impressed with the well-designed lines, colors, and quality. And my excitement cannot be contained for new, clean feeling cabinetry that actually opens and shuts! And drawers. Swoon.




So, Maple and I fell hard for the clean, classic, shaker-esque lines of Martha's 'Maidstone' cabinetry. Again, we're wanting a style that's simple and will lend well to this historic bones of our little downtown cottage. But..a conundrum does ensue. We'd decided to go a bit bold and order our cabinetry in the rich, green/gray Ocean Floor hue, since we won't be actually living in this space for all that long. But, now I'm having second thoughts, mostly due to our white appliances. Sharkey Gray would be less of a contrast with the white, and could therefore make the space feel larger. And it would go so well with the pops of natural wood, black, and cobalt blue we're wanting to incorporate. But that Ocean Floor...it is so pretty.

So, dear readers, this is where you come in: Ocean Floor, or Sharkey Gray? What would you choose?
Would so love to hear your opinions!

With that said, HAPPY THURSDAY. 
It's almost the weekend :)



26 February 2013

THE HOME DEPOT PATIO CHALLENGE.

Friends. I can't even begin to contain the excitement of design-related happenings 'round here. For instance: I'm really still pinching myself that Home Depot even knows that I exist, but even more than that, they've asked me to partake in their spring Patio Style Challenge for their fabulous design and DIY-centric blog, The Apron.

So, that means this girl will be rolling up her sleeves and working hard to revamp our new city-centered courtyard and patio area (as yes, we're finally moved back to Kentucky!). In fact, the uber-fabulous patio set that was so graciously provided by Home Depot arrives on my doorstep today...so I guess this challenge can officially begin! Being that we're nestled into a historic downtown cottage with a walled-in courtyard, I'm thinking I'll stick with the property's traditional roots, and garner a space that begs to be lived and entertained in...both day and night.

Here's a little prelude to what I'm envisioning for our new patio:








Relatively classic and tailored, but with unexpected punches thrown in (of course, if you know me well). Light gray/blues, green, black and white, and those cabana stripes! Painted concrete. Chippendale railings. Planter boxes, trellises, and plantings galore. And other little additions that I have hiding up my bound-to-get-dirty sleeves :) Planning starts NOW.

So, yes...this girl has some work to do. In a pretty major way. Our patio is...umm...old. And quite abandoned. Can't wait to make her into an outdoor living space that beckons for sipping ice cold cocktails in the sunshine. I'll be posting updates as I make major progress, but if you want to stay plugged into the nitty gritty of the #PatioStyleChallenge, you can follow me on Pinterest and Instagram (my handle is@hannahmaple), and keep an eye out for the official Patio Challenge hashtag #HeartOutdoors. All of us challengers will be avidly working to keep you well-informed and involved! So cheers to the arrival of springtime, and to the arrival of my patio set. And an amazingly huge thank you to the staffers at Home Depot! I'm more than excited to be working with such an amazing company, and sincerely flattered that they even asked!

HAPPY TUESDAY. Already?!





18 February 2013

LATELY.

Well, it's been a week since I've last blogged, and really...for good reason. It's been an insanely busy (and insanely good) one. Filled to the brim with amazing opportunities, business happenings, exciting projects...and a little thing called life happenings. But back to Monday...back to the office...and back to the grind. Here's a little update on what's been happening lately:

  Pretty food photos. Yes, I am one of those. 


  Crafting session with best girlfriends. 


   We jetted out west to explore all that is Park City, 
 and the Sundance Film Festival. Maple and I watched that little 
nugget while his dad (our bro-in-law) won best documentary 
for "Blood Brother" -- a crazy, crazy accomplishment!!



I paid a visit to Atlanta for my project #newbuild, where we finalized exterior selections and construction orders and made initial interior design decisions. Including this ahh-mazing mosaic(colors will be altered) for the stove backsplash.

 Really can't wait for install. 



And we made flooring selections. Again with the to-die-for tile. 


We navigated lighting selections, 
and chose stones for our custom mosaic colorway. 


   Poppy and I found a tree-top hideaway while scouting a venue
 site for a local client. 

I received approval and finalized orders for my #Nashville client. 
   We're mixing masculine, modern-lined leather with jewel-toned rugs. 


  Again...really can't wait. 


  Oh, and let's not pretend like life is super-peachy. Did you know 
we are moving in a week? And renting out our house? 

  Perfect timing for a plumbing fiasco that forced me on the
 roof in my cool blue sweats. And see that mud pit? Yes, that 
used to be our firepit. At least our renters will have perfectly new
plumbing and a newly landscaped yard. The silver lining...

But never fear...life is always good...no matter what trials you face.
And valentines was such a nice reminder of this. I'm not much of a V-day girl, and spent most of my day working in Atlanta and traveling, but Maple greeted me with the most amazing little spread as I walked in the door. All of my favorite things, and one little pink heart on my pillow.



So there you have it. My lately. It's been nothing short of amazing, trials and tribulations included.
Still pinching myself over my thriving business, and the realization of so many dreams, and this upcoming move and amazing opportunities we're embarking upon.

And stay tuned, my friends. I have several exciting blog and business things in the works, and can't WAIT to start sharing.

HAPPY MONDAY.
Hope your lately's been just as blessed.


08 February 2013

07 February 2013

THINGS I HAVE MY EYE ON:

Les Indiennes fabric  /  brass and lucite sconce  /  Free People pumps  /  The Food52  /  
gold striped hair tie  /  amazing abstract art  /  rich, supple rug  /  a fresh-faced Kate Moss  / 
   Magnolia candle  /  hlack and white wooden utensils



Up super early (my favorite). Lots and lots and LOTS to get done. My day is already getting away from me. I've reheated my coffee three times already. I love my work...and also my life. And also these things. All so pretty, am I right?


05 February 2013

PROJECT NEW BUILD.

Well, friends (and fellow design-obsessors), 2013 is off to a crazy exciting start. Truly. I can't even believe all of the opportunities that have started unfolding, and the incredible ventures I'll be sharing with you in the upcoming few months. I'm sitting here...pinching myself...incredibly thankful for my talents, my passions, and my abilities...and my support system (aka my Maple. I couldn't ever do it without him).

Sooo...I. am. busy.
(And super thankful for that.)

In fact, project #NewBuild clients and I have just hit the ground running...hard. We're in the midst of the schematics phase, which means lots of research, planning, initial design scheming, and sourcing going on. And oh how I love these clients--especially their impeccable taste and instincts. Seriously. They've been amazing. And I hope they know I go to bed thinking about their project...dream about it...and wake up with it on the brain as much as they do. It's going to be a gorgeous, gorgeous end result: classic (with a few twists, of course), polished, refined, but comfortable--with tons of personality, albeit neutral and elegantly muted.

Check out my favorite inspiration photos thus far. These are the gems that are helping define the direction of the design, and the selection of the materials.


Our official kitchen inspiration photo. 
I know.



Black and white mosaic anyone? And a hint of brass?
Yes. And yes.


Muted neutrals. Lots of texture. Small print geometrics.
Please and thank you.



Subway tile. And basketweave...in a dark colorway.
Okayyy.



What? Large-scale geometric tile floors in the master bath?
I'll take it.



Kelly Wearstler's confetti?
Must. Have. Somewhere.



Oh, just another flooring inspiration photo. Hex...large-scale...all the way.



Or maybe we'll flank guest bath walls with David Hicks' hex wallpaper.
Less commitment. All perfection.



Warm neutrals. Bold contrast. Polished surfaces...and again with the geometrics.
I will live vicariously through their house.


My level of excitement cannot be described...and...hardly contained.

I mean, they have amazing taste...am I right? I mean, that's sort of important when working with a designer. Your tastes must align with your clients'--for how else will they be happy in their finished space? I foresee unfathomed amounts of happiness for #NewBuild. (Thank you, clients, for being so amazing, and so fun to work with so far.) 

I can't wait to reveal what we devise...but that shall be months away. Guess it's time I learn patience...


01 February 2013

OUR HOUSE: OUR KITCHEN.

So, I never really give much insight into what our humble little abode looks like, but have had several requests to do so lately. You see, we designers are our own worst critic. And, due to limited time, budgets, and so forth, our personal homes aren't always the best representation of our talents or our tastes. With that said, what the heck. I shall show you a little peek at our kitchen.

Do you recall the before? Gahh.





Disclaimer: I love my kitchen. It is old--yes. And the cabinets are original, and somewhat janky, but they are flush with the ceiling, and there's uber amounts of storage. And I don't think I'll ever tire of the color we painted them: Urbane Bronze, by Sherwin Williams (I also painted our interior doors this color. It's amaze). We had allotted mulah to install a gas range and a better hood, but...homeownership is dang expensive, and that mulah quickly got eaten by lawn mowers, ladders, diamond-encrusted ceiling fans (ok, kidding, but no really...there is a money pit somewhere in our backyard, I swear it.)

I love the terra cotta tile floors. They're original to the home as far as we can tell. And I love that large picture window that looks out to the front, and yes...those windows crank open. I love how our butcher block fit oh-so-perfectly in the center, and how the crisp white walls simplify, brighten and warm the space. And oh how I love that clean white subway tile my handy Maple installed...and the contrast of the dark gray grout. Perfection...on a budget...oh, yes.

I'll miss her. We're actually in the midst of packing our house, our bags, and our Charleston life up, but I'll cherish all the time I've spent in this kitchen. All the days and nights I've spent simmering meals atop that stove...sipping coffee in front of that window...and gathering best friends and family within those walls. On a related note--if any Charlestonians want to rent this kitchen, and therefore the rest of our house--shoot me an email :)

With that said, enjoy your kitchens...and enjoy your weekend.
HAPPY FRIDAY.