February 17, 2012 by Meredith
I’ve mentioned before that we hope to move in the next year. Our home, which Chad bought while we were dating, just isn’t sized for our current needs. We need more office space, somewhere for guests to stay, a yard for Rigby and room for children. I’m fortunate that my husband has very good taste and furnished the house with our future in mind. He started with a neutral base and I brought in the layers of color, art, pillows, etc. that reflect our personalities. As a designer, I have to admit I’m really excited about a new project! We will keep a lot of our furniture, but I’m planning to add to it with some new pieces (quite a bit of which is being stored at my parents’ house… thanks, Mom + Dad!).
When I think about what I want our next house to look and feel like, Ashley Putman’s Texas home probably encompasses it the best. The house might look familiar, since it’s been featured in Lonny, The Nate Berkus Show and multiple blogs. Lauren from Semi-Designed Life actually toured + posted about it a while back… complete with tons of photos. Be sure to check it out to see how it looks without a magazine stylist’s touch.
Enough wordiness — let’s get into why I love this home so much. By the way, Ashley is a graphic designer… not interior designer. Even more impressive!
It’s a nice mix of modern + traditional. I like to combine antiques, transitional pieces and a touch of sleek. The result definitely steers away from the “I got this all from the same catalog” look and shows some personality. Plus, it’s a great way to marry my traditional taste with Chad’s contemporary preferences.
She isn’t afraid of dark colors. Bold paint choices don’t work for everyone, but there is a time and place for them. In the dining room, Ashley offsets cobalt blue with the light panels, slip-covered chairs and rug. The powder room is a small enough space that you can get away with dark paint. It’s meant to be cozy and no one stays in there long enough to feel claustrophobic.
There is art EVERYWHERE. I love filling up the walls with art. It’s a great way to show off personal photos, souvenirs from trips, your own creative talents… the options are endless. You can frame just about anything and it doesn’t have to be expensive to do so. As long as you allow for some negative space for the eye to rest, you can go crazy with at least one wall in every room.
Nothing is too masculine or too feminine. This home strikes the perfect balance between the two. A dark geometric wallpaper paired with soft (but not too girly) bedding is what makes this master bedroom work. Another example is the soft blue drapery with the textured woven shades.
The accessories speak for themselves. With the exception of a navy sofa, the kitchen and family room are practically all white… walls, furniture, shelving, etc. A neutral backdrop makes everything else stand out. As much as I love color, sometimes it’s nice to keep it simple and showcase the little vignettes that reflect your character + style.
Happy Friday, everyone!
all photos via Lonny
February 14, 2012 by Meredith
Happy Valentine’s Day and a VERY happy birthday to my oldest friend, Melita!
Did you know that Chickfila had heart-shaped biscuits today? Someone sweet brought me one this morning.
We don’t make a big deal over Valentine’s Day, but it can only get better from last year when we had H1N1.
I’ve been trying to use the Instagram app on my phone more often. It makes even the every-day-life shots look cool. See?
We ran away to the beach recently and it was worth it for the sunsets alone. Not much can beat the deserted beach in winter when you want to unplug.
While at the beach, we discovered iced coffee at McDonald’s for $1… any size! Why don’t they have that around here?
How great were the Grammy Awards the other night? Paul McCartney, Beach Boys reunion, Adele swept the awards (love her!) and a touching Glen Campbell performance. Could’ve done without Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown and Rhianna… but that’s just me. I was obviously meant to live in another era!
It’s official… he’s just not going to age.
I almost cried when I saw Brian Wilson playing with the band.
This won’t mean much to y’all, but it gives me hope in a world filled with hostility. You’ve come a long way, Bridget!
If they can become friends… anyone can. Hope your day is full of love!
February 6, 2012 by Meredith
I’m blogging about projects out of order, but Bridget + Shaun’s big day actually took place back in October. However, we still haven’t photographed their wedding invitations… so today I’ll just share their Save-the-Dates.
Bridget was referred to us via an old coworker of mine, so I had to get to know her a little to get a feel for her style. The venue was set at The Cotton Room in Durham, North Carolina, which is an industrial loft space. Her then-fiance Shaun is a pilot and they wanted to be sure to incorporate his career into their day. They had already chosen a color palette of metallic charcoal gray + orange with touches of navy, so I created a mood board to make sure that I was on the right track before we started any design work.
I compiled some images I found online with selections from the wonderful Snippet & Ink boards. I’ve mentioned it before, but Kathryn puts together some inspiring combinations. Some favorites that I included on my board…
This isn’t the direction that we ended up going for with this project, but I love these invitations by MaeMae Paperie.
This image seemed appropriate (photo credit unknown, but you can find it here).
These invitations are by Hammer Press, via Snippet & Ink.
The final product is a memorable Save-the-Date that sets the tone for the event. The front is punchy + fun, while the back has a simple image of the venue.
A big thanks to Bridget + Shaun for letting us be part of their wedding. I’ll be back soon with Part II!
January 28, 2012 by Meredith
So, Schoolhouse Electric isn’t a new company. I’ve actually admired their reproduction lighting for a while now. I mean, just look at these retro cords. Have you ever seen such a pretty cord on a lamp? Back in November, Design*Sponge blogged about their expansion into furniture, bedding and housewares. Someone did a great job styling their products and I was drawn to the photos on the blog post. Schoolhouse Electric shows a lot of pictures on their site, but they aren’t very big… so I actually requested a catalog and scanned the images into my computer. Haven’t done that in a while!
The cover’s crisp navy, bright yellow + mismatched neutrals are just perfect. This would be an adorable boy’s room.
There’s a great mix of classic patterns, vintage modern, reclaimed & industrial elements going on here. *Click photo for larger image.
Those inky blue walls are so nice.
Although obviously not appropriate for all rooms, the use of clipboards (above) and binder clips (below) to hang art is simplicity at its best.
The juxtaposition of a modern fixture + chairs with traditional wallpaper keeps a dining area from being too serious.
Their products even make a jade green bathroom look awesome.
I have a blanket like the buffalo plaid below that I keep in my car, but now I’m inspired to put it on our bed.
Love the mix of art that covers the entire wall behind the bed. *Click photo for larger image.
Check out their site to see more!
January 20, 2012 by Meredith
I really love having live plants around the house, for both aesthetic purposes and health benefits. My mom has what I would call a green thumb. In the winter, she has plants on every surface of the house. I, on the other hand, am not so great about remembering to water them… which is usually pretty important. Unless the plants are virtually indestructible.
I am by no means an expert on horticulture (although I did take a class on it in college), but here are my suggestions for black-thumbed plant enthusiasts. These are actual photos from our house that have not been styled. I’m including the scientific name since some go by different common names.
ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)
I’ve kept one of these alive for a while now and just bought another yesterday. Mine only gets watered about once a month at the most. I’m a fan of the long stalks and waxy leaves.
Mother-In-Law’s Tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata)
Despite the harsh name, this plant really is tough as nails. Its leaves are stiff and sword-like. Mine gets watered once a month at most and doesn’t seem to need much light. I also think it makes a good “guy” plant.
Dragon Tree (Dracaena reflexa ‘Anita’)
This guy lives on our kitchen island, because it does need sunlight & more frequent watering (maybe every couple of weeks). I pull off the dead leaves every once in a while and it seems pretty satisfied. This photo also implies that we live in a rainbow-colored house.
Jade Plant (Crassula ovata)
This cute succulent is a new addition to our house, but is supposedly very resilient. It does say high sun on the tag. As a bonus, the little gray pot was included with this one (from Lowe’s).
Schefflera (Schefflera arboricola)
Also called an Umbrella Plant, I was told that it can grow to be pretty large. It looks dainty, but will hopefully be sturdy enough to last at our house. One site said that it will start to droop if it needs water… which is good when I need a reminder.
A quick search for “plants that are hard to kill” will bring up most of these. Any others to add?
January 13, 2012 by Meredith
I’m hard at work on invitations for some very special clients (maybe I’ll post a sneak peek this weekend), but had to take a break to post some things that are too good not to share…
I love the organic arrangements from Ariel Dearie that are featured on Design*Sponge. They look so lush and effortless, even though I’m sure a lot of hard work went into creating them.
World Market is having a big furniture sale right now and I saw some pretty pieces when I stopped by yesterday. This drum table looks familiar. If we were already in a new house, I would snatch it up in a second!
This daybed would be great with a ton of pillows.
I like the finish on this desk.
I couldn’t find it online, but this chair is super cute.
Lastly, Calypso is having a sample sale with some great deals. I’m still obsessing over billowy shirts.
Happy Friday!
January 8, 2012 by Meredith
This couple allowed us to be involved in their wedding day before Amanda was even aware that a wedding was taking place. Grady is a friend of mine from college and part of my favorite group of guys… a group that I spent a lot of post-college time with as the lone girl. I didn’t mind that so much, but I’m still very glad that they’re bringing lovely ladies like Amanda in to even things out a little.
When Grady decided to propose to Amanda, he asked us to design a telegram to help him do it. They were taking a trip to Chicago and he wanted to ask a stranger to hand it to her while they were out and about downtown. We even printed it on paper from an old book to give it an aged look. It’s the little things!
Once Amanda was in on the planning, we were honored that they wanted us to design their invitations. They went for a romantic + classic look for their wedding, with mostly neutral colors. Skeleton keys popped up in a lot of the little details, like the wedding cake and favors. They also incorporated lots of great hand-crafted touches to make the day extra personal. We used kraft envelopes for a nice textural contrast and to keep things from getting too serious.
The ceremony took place at a sweet little chapel in Wilmington’s Airlie Gardens, while the reception took us downtown to The Balcony on Dock Street for a fun night of dinner + dancing. I only had my phone for pics, but you can see how cute the chapel is below. I wish I had more pictures of the gorgeous styling by Kickstand Events!
Inkspot Crow Films created an awesome documentary-style video that really captures the heart of the day, if you’d like to see. I highly recommend it! If you look closely near the end, you can see us dancing.
Thank you, Grady + Amanda! It was a privilege to be part of your wedding and we look forward to many more memories with you!
January 4, 2012 by Meredith
We had a great Christmas with both of our families, along with some much-needed down time.
Rigby enjoyed his loot on Christmas Eve.
We surprised Chad’s parents with a Chad-designed replacement panel for their vintage juke box.
Chad’s brother was a fan of the Star Wars art we ordered from Etsy.
Emmie Claus + Bridget Claus indulged us for a photo.
My brother got a Max Dalton print of guitar greats. Max is the designer of my beloved Beatles print and deserves a post all his own. Do you seen a pattern here? We also gave my parents art and received this print from my brother.
The newest addition to my extended family found a friend in my dad and Bridget.
The next-to-youngest kept us all on our toes.
Of course we played lots of games. A Christmas Story was a running theme with us this year… that’s Fragile, Italy.
Chad’s favorite gift was tickets to see the Miami Heat play in Charlotte, where they pulled out a win in the last 2 seconds. Chad has been a Heat fan since the ’90s and his enthusiasm has rubbed off onto me.
I hope your holidays were happy and healthy! We’re still sick around here and are ready to be back to normal.
January 2, 2012 by Meredith
Can you even believe it?! Happy New Year!
We had a wonderful Christmas and I promise to post about it & TWO wedding projects as soon as I can. Unfortunately some sickness has come to visit our house and I’m not interested in doing much of anything right now. I haven’t felt like this since the Swine Flu of ’11. At least it waited until after Christmas!
Santa brought me a new point-and-shoot, so that we (and you) can now enjoy more pics like this from New Year’s Eve:
Apparently Santa thought that we weren’t taking enough pictures… wasn’t that sweet of him? Be back soon!
December 22, 2011 by Meredith
Chad is convinced that I create wish lists on my blog to get presents, but I really don’t. If I happen to help someone who was already going to buy something for me, then so much the better! Last Christmas I made up this little list of things that I would enjoy under the tree, so I thought I would make it a tradition.
I’ve been loving some moccasins lately. Just casual enough without being too casual.
This laptop decal is too cute. The Giving Tree is my very favorite book.
I think this acrylic monogram necklace is pretty much perfect in navy blue.
There’s a place in every room for a little leopard. I have a bit of a pillow addiction, too.
My friend Brad has this print and I would really love one of my own. They’re based in Raleigh, but have several cities to choose from.
Rifle Paper Co. has the prettiest notepads ever made. They also make a gorgeous calendar.
We don’t own a nativity and I think this one by Willow Tree is so classic (and kid-friendly!) in its simplicity.
I think Chad and I would both like to try out this little letterpress kit.
If you’re still shopping, good luck!
