LATELY.

My 'lately's' been quite the whirlwind: filled with travel, design happenings, renovation thrills (...and headaches)...and easy summer weekends well-spent with family and friends.

Here's a little glimpse:

 I made my way to Atlanta, where a new build project is in the throes of tile installs (as seen above). 

While there, we made some rug and furnishings selections, and established the overall direction of the interior aesthetic. It's going to be nothing short of chic and gorgeous! Clients are happy, which means designer is uber-happy.

And...lighting selections have begun to make themselves at home in Atlanta. 

This above gem is #1 of 2 making a gorgeous statement above the kitchen island.

And, Ricardo made his way home with me from Atlanta. He's quite the travel companion. And thank goodness he has good taste in fabrics. I have a feeling he won't be mine for long (sadly)...

And neither will this little number. Gold rope arm chair upholstered in an emerald (nearly black) mohair? Come September, she's likely to find a new home as well. 

So yes, goodies are being corralled for an exciting little venture...

Of which I don't think I can flat out tell you about yet? But I will drop hints, don't you worry...

So, back in Kentucky territory, I had a most unusual client meeting. Involving little missy. A bulldog. A horse. And a miniature horse named 'Baby Diamond.' 

But, custom upholstery is happening...

And I quite like it.

Lots of coffee accompanied a weekend of house happenings (umm..we FINALLY have a semi-functioning kitchen!), hours of Lost (yes, we are like eight years late in discovering, I know), and How To Make It In America. 

And we walked around the corner of our new hood to cheers Bastille Day at Le Deauville, with Mussels and amazing convo with newly met locals.

And we topped it all off with blackberry + banana soft serve with a brown sugar rum glaze...made in my blender with goat milk fresh from the Maple farmstead:

So there you have it.

My lately.

It's been busy. And amazing. 

And I hope the same holds true for yours.

HAPPY MONDAY.

THE LIGHTING FILES.

Want to see me get excited? Like, unreasonably so?
...Just tell me you need some lighting...and that you want it to make a statement.

I mean, there are things you should invest in, and things that aren't much worth it. I take the former stance when it comes to lighting and interior design. It's worth every single pretty penny you're willing to spend on it. Did you hear that? E-v-e-r-y one of those shiny coins. Because if you skimp, and have cheap / boring lighting...that doesn't shed the proper wattage and warmth...well...suddenly everything else in the room looks just as sub-par. Spend those pennies, people. Get you some good lighting, to highlight the good interior.

Speaking of lighting, here's what's been illuminating current projects of mine. I am living vicariously through these clients, you see....because these fixtures are all insanely gorgeous/unusual/perfectly perfect...and I pretty much want them all. See?

Notice a theme, here?
Yes, you are right--aged brass, it is.
And iron.
And just overall goodness.
Flush mounts don't have to be boring, my friends. Or ill-designed.
And over-mirror bath lighting doesn't have to be your standard contractor's special.
And can we talk about these pendants and chandys? Amazing, I know.

....So, take a hint from these clients' ceilings and walls...and go invest in statement-making lighting.

HAPPY MONDAY.

INSPIRED BY: THE ALDRIDGES.

Surely you've seen/heard/read about the mother-daughter style duo of Judy and Jane Aldridge. They're pretty highly revered within the blog + fashion world, and daughter Jane has made quite a name for herself via her Sea of Shoes personal fashion blog:

And yes, Jane is beautiful and has an incredible sense of style, and is well on her way to making it big in this cut-throat industry, but let's pay some homage to mom Judy, who inevitably played a significant role in the development of Jane's amazingly 'collected' sense of style:

Isn't her personal style unreal? It's so effortless. So chic. So out of the ordinary.

And, as if my wardrobe doesn't aspire to be Judy, 

just check out her meticulously-contrived and collected interior:

The epitome of 'well-collected.' 

And, just like her wardrobe: effortless, chic...and bold.

Amazing, right? 

Thanks to those Aldridges for all the style inspiration.

(images via The Coveteur and Atlantis Home)

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WALLPAPER FILES.

It's Friday...and it's been a heck of a week. All sorts of happenings have been had. Lots of those happenings were good--including a site visit that gave me a peek into the install of a client's breakfast nook wallpaper:

We're all just a tad excited with the way this area of the house is evolving :) These clients are young, daring, and modern...and their new, sprawling home situated on a gorgeous Kentucky horse farm is anything but that. It's super formal and traditional, so we've been busy melding their unconventional style with the home's traditional architectural (see the mass of arched spans and corinthian columns just beyond the light fixture?).

Hope your week's been just as exciting!
Cheers to wallpaper...for making my week nothing short of amazing.

HAPPY FRIDAY.

IN THE WORKS: MY STUDIO.

So, if you've been following along with the daily craze that is my life, you most likely know that my Maple and I are busy renovating a little historic 'cottage,' as we call it. Well, countertops are getting installed tomorrow, and I can't even begin to tell you how antsy I am with anticipation! After nearly four months of attempting to be patient, we'll finally finally have a working kitchen. With new cabinetry, and counters. I am pinching myself.

But, aside from working on the cottage, we've also been renovating my design studio. And she was in bad shape. She's a little A-frame rectangle of a space...with tons of potential...in an amazing locale...she just needed a lot of help to realize what a hidden gem she could be. So, we started by ripping out the dingy paneled ceiling, to expose those original rafters:

Looks daunting...but she's on her way to coming along. The next step is to spray some insulation between the rafters, and get those beams and rafters painted. Then the walls will get a gleaming new coat of fresh, white paint--which has been a huge debate, but I want it super clean and open since the natural light is really lacking. Then will come the fun part--the lighting install!

And, in terms of design inspiration, here's a few images I just can't get out of my head: 

A simple, yet extremely well-designed facade. Street cred is uber-important, in my book. Passerby's need to know you're a design studio, and you're good at what you do!

 Doors and windows are a simply way to amp up any facade. And again, I'm craving some major curb appeal, as my little studio is currently lacking in that department. To the point that I'm reluctant to even put up a sign. And this architectural doorway is absolute perfection!

  

Well-planned organization and storage is an absolute must, so I'm lining the entire back wall with a shelving system, then containing it with a wall of gray linen drapery. Easy access to samples and paperwork, yet totally concealable when we want a cleaner environment to work and create within. 

And I mentioned the natural light is really lacking. I have one measly window, and a solid metal door (that's of course seen better days). Simple, effective solution? A dutch door, I think! 

And, for the interior: white slipcovers, warm woods, and a hint of brass...

Warm white walls, and a gray-washed A-frame ceiling will provide the perfect, neutral, uncluttered backdrop for all the design-doings we have going on.

I'm thinking antique mirrors will go a really long way in reflecting the natural light...

And I'm just dying for the installation of a bold, geometric floor to happen! 

And so that's my studio--very much in the works, but coming along. July 1 is the finish deadline, as I have an exciting new addition to welcome into my studio space! ... An intern... :) So fingers crossed all goes according to plan. Can't wait to share the finished space with you!

So, until next time...

HAPPY MONDAY.

LATELY.

Yes, I've been bad on the blogging front again. But, for good reason (or, so I think). So here's some of those 'why's', and a bit of what I've been up to lately:

I hopped a flight down to inspiration-filled Austin...

(I die over this front stoop tile!)

...for a girl's trip.

(yes, we have lots of good stories to tell, and a few pirate tattoos to show).

Austin, of course, is amazing...and I came home incredibly refreshed and inspired, especially by beckoning restaurant patios such as this...

...and so many other well-designed patios, businesses, food trucks, and things in general.

I ate my weight in tacos...

And brought home a shipment full of antique and vintage goodies.

(Keep your eyes peeled, people...as these goods will soon be for sale.)

And, in the meantime, a client's very boring brown bathroom went from this

(that's the unpainted paneling we installed)

...to this.

I am happy. They are happy. We are all dang happy.

And, this show-stopper was installed.

Good lighting makes all the difference in the world. Especially in a looming entryway.

The contractor thinks the dark blue /gray canopy looks like a hole in the ceiling.

But he's a guy. And I think it's perfection.

Furnishings are being delivered, so now comes the fun part: making them our own. 

And creating the perfect backdrop for such loveliness with amazing wallpaper.

...it's coming along...

So there you have it...

my lately.

Hope yours has been perfection, as well!

DESIGN ICON: LORENZO CASTILLO.

Lorenzo Castillo. A man of sheer brilliance. A Spaniard with an incredible, artistic sensibility of style, sophistication, proportion, scale, and visual interest. His ability to elegantly yet casually mix aesthetics is unreal. His spaces always look so collected, so uncontrived, yet so well-planned. A refined Kelly Wearstler, if you will, with his bold use of patterns, ornate furnishings, and sculptural elements. And this is why I will forever revere Mr. Castillo as an absolute icon within the design industry:

...And I had to stop myself...

Seriously, his designs are brilliant. All of his rooms have a way of drawing you in, keeping you inspired, without overwhelming your senses. They're warm, they're grounded in classicism, yet they push the boundaries in so many intriguing, unorthodox ways. That balance is quite a feat...a mastery, if you ask me.

So...Lorenzo Castillo. Amazing, right?

And with that, HAPPY TUESDAY.