Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Candi D: Young Girl's Clothing Line

I was able to work on a new project over the past few weeks for a local client. I was so excited when she contacted me because her concept was so unique! She is starting a clothing line for young girls and while it is fashion, I loved that it wasn't geared toward only girly girls. She wanted a fun, fresh logo that was simple yet reflected the brand name. After many different renditions, process work, and back and forth emails, we settled on this design and color scheme. I really love it.  What do you think?

Thursday, January 16, 2014

My 1950's Ranch: Foyer | Living Room | Dining Room MAKEOVER

This is my second "Makeover Post" for my 1950's Ranch. (If you missed the first, it was on our hall bath and you can check it out here.) I grouped three spaces into this post because they all somewhat lead in to one another so bear with me on the length. It's mainly pictures because that's what we really want to see. 

The entire home was pretty much as it was when it was built. Stained wood trim on both the ceiling and bases through out every room as well as all the doors. So we painted and we painted and we painted, and then we painted some more. (When I say 
"we" I mean my awesome husband, family, a friend who is pretty much a painting professional {thank goodness} and my {at the time } very pregnant self. I think that took the most time out of anything we did. (except for the Kitchen...but that's another story!)

So here are some "before's"...






 





 And now for the "After's"


So as you can see, the paint really brightens up the space. We also added another light fixture in the hallway so that helps too. A geometric runner in the hall also matches the rug in the foyer.




I used a bright turquoise blue in the foyer. The one wall that remains white will get a special treatment later on.  I chose black for the door's coat of paint and we replaced the stain glass with clear panes to give the door a fresh look. A vintage table greets you when you enter in... it was passed down from my husband's mother.  I thrifted the geometric mirror and painted it a mustard hue. The lamp was also thrifted and I covered the shade with a Dwell Studio geometric fabric that I had used on a chair in the adjoining space. The oversized "W" is a hollow cardboard letter that I spray painted with some silver metallic paint.





The living room is a mix of new and old. Some pieces are thrifted, some are retail, some I made, some I rescued and revamped, but my favorite pieces here are the Italian marble mid century end tables and coffee table that were my grandparents from when they got married. The art on the walls are prints of downtown Memphis that hung in my Papou's restaurant downtown for over 30 years. The bench in the corner now has a new home in the den, but that was a piece I designed and built while I was in design school.


Here are some process pictures...


The black shelf was made by my Mom and Dad as a Christmas gift for me years ago.


These chairs were Habitat finds (even the amazing faux tweed fabric was thrifted!) which I had recovered. The turquoise credenza was a craigslist find that I painted.



The Living Room and Dining Room are pretty open to each other, but the dark navy walls in the dining room  create a visible separation while allowing for the spaces to still be open.





The dining table was another piece passed down from my Grandparents, while the credenza was a thrifted rehab piece. 








 
(click on image to view larger)

Artsy gallery wall. The ferris wheel photograph was a picture I took during a summer visit to Santa Monica on the pier. The painting was a collaborative effort between my step daughter and I. My mom and dad made and painted the chevron frame that holds a picture of my step daughter Karmyn. I got the faux antlers at Hobby Lobby and spray painted them white. The gold artichokes are from design school. I used an artichoke as my concept for a project in second year and so I went out and bough the vegetable, cut it in half and set int on my desk to study its layers and to inspire my process. It actually didi not rot but dried out nicely, so I spray painted it and have displayed it on m walls ever since. The stippling drawing in the middle was one of my mom's art pieces from high school. The graphic print is a piece I created from a favorite quote that serves as a nice daily reminder.  It's a picture of downtown Memphis and features a some shops, one of which is a jewelry shop that years later would be where my Dad bought her engagement ring.



And that's the end of these spaces make over. Stay tuned for the next space!






Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Trash to Treasure


This past summer, while house hunting around town, I found something even greater than a potential house candidate. (Ok I might be exaggerating a bit, but this find was free.) This beauty had been neglected and thrown to the curb! And I was there to jump right in and grab it up. My husband thought I was crazy of course, (and told me I didn't need another chair... but you can never have too many chairs!) I had to have and I knew I'd find a place for it somewhere. Obviously the upholstery would need to be stripped away, but I would do that anyways with a curb find. The wood was in pretty good shape, just a few scratches. My dad helped me sand down the arms and legs and then add a few coats of tung oil to the wood. I had bought this dwell studio for Robert Allen fabric about a year ago and thought it would look great on this piece.

 So I took it to a local upholsterer in town and a week later I was the proud owner of this beauty!


They ripped off all the old fabric, foam, and batting and basically made it a new chair. It looks great and is really comfortable. It still has it's squeaking character but I think that gives it some charm. It's actually more than just a chair, it's a tilt back rocker... so I spend a lot of time rocking the baby here during the day.

So overall, I think this was a great project. I never turn away a great chair, especially if it is free! It just needed a little love and attention. I would take a unique, quality made vintage piece that has been revamped over a new production any day.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Mixing in Some Mid Century Modern Goodness


I don't think it's any mystery to those of you who know me or who have followed my blog or other social media outlets...that I love me some mid century modern design. It inspires me, intrigues me, and it makes me happy. I love everything about it...the lines, gestures, textures, colors, and forms. I get excited when I see mcm chairs sprinkled throughout today's modern interiors. But as much as I love this genre, I think what I love to see even more is it mixed in with other styles in the home.

 {source}

How great are these wide planked floors? I love how clean this space is. So fresh. The Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair and Naguchi table look so great with the rustic floors and traditional fireplace. The pops or orange are fantastic. I want to be here!


At first glance, I get a more "traditional" vibe coming off this space. But wen you start to take a closer look, there are a lot of mod pieces being used. Proof that these modern classics work well in any interior, and can even flourish in a more conventional setting.


What a fun space. Oh so Scandinavian.  The crisp white walls are the best compliment for bold and bright pops of color and texture. That chair is perfect.


Yum. I love orange. I love how they have mixed the funky metal chair with the rustic old desk and newer plastic ikea chair. So many different levels of design being mixed.


Look at that lamp...not too modern at all huh? Or the cozy slip covered sofa...But that Bertoia diamond chair fits in perfectly. And that acrylic coffee table cart? Yes Please!



Thursday, January 2, 2014

Hall Bath Makeover Featuring a Custom Countertop



This project definitely evolved over time. At first, I was simply going to paint the vanity, change out the hardware, and add a new light fixture. In a perfect world we would gut the space and start over, but with all the work we wanted to do on the house before we could even move in...that was not an option. But when we started working, we thought of a few more changes that could be made that would help this space be more suitable for us until a complete renovation could be made.

We painted the space in a light grayish blue that matches the tile which helps the tile kind of fade into the walls. It seemed like the best way to work with the tile until we can rip it out. We also painted the trim around the window and door frames as well as the doors. We also ripped out the blue toilet and nasty floor vent and added a fresh white toilet and shiny clean vent. It really helped freshen up the space.


A new shower and bath will be great...but while we are waiting to take that plunge there is no reason we have to stare at the etched swan sliding door. We pulled out the doors altogether and added a curved rod and this shower curtain from Dwell for Target. 

A custom shade in this great fabric softens the window.


There was no mirror or wall light at all, so we added this vintage walnut framed mirror from Stanley furniture that is actually a part of our bedroom suite that we weren't going to use (which you will see why in the future post on our master bedroom). 


I found this simplistic yet modern light at a discount store here in Memphis.
The ceiling light is a vintage piece my mom had thrifted and set aside for me.


The biggest change comes with the vanity. My husband, who started a concrete company when we moved to Memphis in the Spring, created and produced this amazing counter top. It was a labor of love...and I definitely love it. We have received a ton of compliments. I love the thickness of it and its rough and raw characteristics that contrast the sleek vessel sink and faucet. We added the piece of walnut as a backsplash after we decided that the tile toothbrush holder and soap dish had to go as they were just so bulky and took away from the vessel sink and faucet. The walnut conceals the void in tile, adds another texture, creates a nice juxtaposition of forms.  I painted the base an ultra dark chocolate and added some simple, modern hardware from ikea. The rug is a funky, chunky wool rug that has a shag feel in a nice blue that again works with the existing material.

 



I love the exposed aggregate in the countertop.



The last little detail are the bottles of sand in the window sill. I have had these sense college, they are glass bottles, each filled with sand from different beaches I have visited. My sister gave me the idea to add them to the space and I l think its the perfect final touch.

It is not "perfect" but we do love the  'temporary final' which will more than do until that big renovation can happen.