Periwinkle and Red Nursery

Love Sarah Richardson and most all that she does and this nursery is no exception. Her designs are always so crisp and colorful - classic (North) American style (she's Canadian).

This nursery is bonkers good...I was looking at it when thinking of Baby Irwin because, truly, a little boy, girl or both could inhabit this space. A great example of how color can still be used in a gender-neutral space.

Design by Sarah Richardson, images via sarahrichardsondesign.com

The light periwinkle is totally brilliant paired with a saturated red and lots and lots of white to keep it clean and sweet. Love how the ceiling is painted and the wallpaper is adorable. So much to love in this little space.

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Friday Crush

image via Jenny Castle Design blog (more info welcome if you know it)

Oh my. This de Gournay-like (likely the real deal) wall in this kitchen is so striking in cobalt blue. I love it paired with the open shelves and the cool marble counters. How could you not be delighted every morning walking into this kitchen??

I hope you have a delightful weekend. See you next week!

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DIY Starry Ceiling

The first image that popped into my head as I started planning baby Irwin's nursery was this one:

Aloe walls and a starry ceiling...it was exactly where I wanted to start because I knew Tyler would love it. And stars are sweet and childlike without being indicative of any gender.

Now, being clear that putting stars on a ceiling is not an original idea, I did try and think through how to accomplish it, as papering the ceiling in Osborne & Little's Coronata wasn't really in the cards. I know folks have painted those stars using a stencil - a possibility, but I thought Timmy would curse me for all eternity if I gave him that assignment. There had to be an easier way...

Enter wall decals. Easy to put up, easy to take down, easy to fix if you mess up, not permanent, inexpensive - so many bonus points. And a quick Google search gave me exactly what I was looking for:

I found 8-pointed wall decal stars here...initially I was bummed thinking they just came in this large size. But no! They come in a 2" size in gold metallic. Done and done.

The room's ceiling is already white so this should be an easy afternoon project for us (read:Timmy) to knock out. I'll let you know the success factor.

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Sweet Neutral Nursery

It's baby season! Lots of ladies in my circle are rockin' a bump and I love it. More friends for Ana Claire!

My dear friend Tyler and her husband Timmy are among this crowd of new parents-to-be with their first due this August. And they aren't finding out what it is...such restraint.

T asked me to help her come up with a nursery plan that could fit a baby girl or baby boy and work around a gray crib and dresser, which are about the only things she knew she wanted.

I present Baby Irwin's future digs:

Aloe walls, gray furniture, a starry ceiling and elephants will all combine to create a soft, quiet space that will be as sweet as this new baby. Tyler has ordered the area rug, is getting paint swatches and the furniture is narrowed down. So we are off and running!

I told T I wouldn't give away all her sources as this room was created especially for her, Timmy and baby but I'll divulge one fun DIY from this board tomorrow. Stay tuned!

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Easter Table

We had a lovely Easter. I snapped some photos of my table which, miraculously, I put together Saturday...as in, not 5 minutes before everyone came over.

This actually gave me time to pull out several beautiful things that I constantly have stored away...

Highlights include:

- My $1 yard sale vase that had the perfect pastel palette to work with.
- One of my favorite sweetgrass baskets.
- A striped tablecloth that was a yardish of fabric I had stashed away.
- Gorgeous white scalloped placemats that just don't come out often enough.
- Silver chargers that I believe were Mama Jo's (Carter's grandmother).
- Our wedding crystal (p.s. Today is our 7th wedding anniversary).
- My favorite fig napkin holders.
- My Christmas present plates.
- Tiffany candlesticks - also a wedding gift.

Really love how it turned out...an entertaining win.

And then there was this nugget of Easter joy:

At first, she didn't quite get that you were supposed to pick up the eggs - she preferred to hang on to two I had given her and walk around the yard. But once she realized the eggs were to be collected and placed in a fashionable basket, there was NO stopping her. She cleaned up.

Hope you had a lovely weekend.

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Friday Crush

image source

Easter table inspiration from Caspari. Lavender toile and spring green! Perfect for my dining room. And I love the little bunnies and that peek of a turquoise pagoda. The Caspari stylists at their flagship in Charlottesville are masters at layering their finery to create these bananas tablescapes...it's a pilgrimage all Chinoiserie lovers must make.

After putting off Easter plans, turns out brunch is at my place! Love an excuse to put together a last minute table to share with family. Hope you have a wonderful Easter if you are celebrating. See you next week!

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Catalog Pick: Coventry Rug

Back to the convo about yellow, I think if you had a neutral room with lots of shades of white and off-white and soft wood tones, this yellow would be the perfect floor accent:

It's the Coventry area rug from Home Decorators. Love the gray border and touches of orange. And it's wool so I imagine it'll last ya. And I stand by my desire to mix it only with neutrals - an off-white couch, an antique secretary - maybe an orange lamp if we want to go nuts.

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Northern Virginia Magazine

A big thank you to Northern Virginia Magazine for including me in their April issue! The feature profiles five area blogs - also including Young House Love, Pretty Handy Girl, JWS Interiors, Pure Style Home - and I'm thrilled to be in such great company.

You can read the little blurb on AO here... (seems to be a slightly different feature online).

This issue also features a craft beer trail from Northern Virginia to Richmond...double bonus.

I'm always so proud when I hear of recognition for my blog - I love writing it and knowing that others are enjoying it is such a reward. As always, thank you for reading :)

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Wee House

I broke down and bought Ana Claire a play kitchen. I was sure my will power would hold at least until she was two, but alas, 'twas not so.

And of course going down the path of the kitchen sent me down the path of the imaginary world of play that I want to create for her as she gets older. Including a legit mini-house. So, thanks, Pinterest for showing me this gem:

image source

The shrubbery!

This wee house is just too much to take. The painted door and the shutters - too adorable for words. Not to mention it would create a delightful focal point in a yard. I doubt our (read: Carter's) skills will be quite up to creating something like this but that doesn't mean I can't put it in my inspiration folder.

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Friday Crush

Jen Langston (design), Heather Wilson (architect), image source 

Our country jaunt has me dreaming of my own farmhouse in the mountains. Though I am not an outdoor bathroom kind of lady, the look of this one is so striking. That turquoise lantern is everything...and love all the white punctuated by metal and wood. Now, as to whether I could actually go here is another matter. But very pretty to look at.

Hope your spring is off to a fantastic start. See you next week!

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Catalog Pick: Vintage Vibe Floor Tiles

I always peruse the Flor catalog because I think the concept is a good one - essentially carpet squares - but I typically don't find anything to my taste. Until the new catalog arrived...and I saw the new Vintage Vibe tiles. Hello pretty!

A great take on the classic (or trendy?) Beni Ouarain rugs:

I love to see a real-deal Moroccan rug in a room but these tiles are great for a wall-to-wall look which is hard to achieve with an area rug. And although these tiles aren't bargain bin options ($11.16 sq/ft) they are likely much easier on the wallet than a large area rug with the same look. AND, you can interchange them should your dog/husband/toddler/tipsygirlfried mess one of the squares up.

That first picture with the blue sofa is pretty fetching and my favorite use from the catalog. I am definitely bookmarking this one for myself!

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Country Weekend

We escaped to the country this weekend...

Our cottage.

 Truth.

Carter, his girl and the Blue Ridge mountains...all this man needs. Well, besides me.

Moo!

Windblown ladies.

Sunset's coming, Ana Claire.

 See it?

Neigh!

 Glorious.

Property peacocks saying good morning.

 Pancake breakfast.

Signaling her approval for one of our favorite wineries.

 Let me at them horses!

 He loved AC.

 Special stop at our alma mater, the University of Virginia. Where I almost shed tears looking at this baby standing in such a magical place.

 Just two Hoos. Walking the Lawn.

Lunch on the steps of the Rotunda, courtesy of Thomas Jefferson.

As you can see, the weekend was bliss.

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Friday Crush

This week, a client alerted me to a delicious green trellis wallpaper that led me to discover that Dana Gibson has paired up with Stroheim for a whole collection of fabrics and wallpaper boasting her signature colorful Chinoiserie. And of course Beth had the full skinny on the collaboration on her blog yesterday - including an interview with Dana. This week's must-read. You'll love seeing everything in the collection, trust me!

We are off for a family weekend of R&R and I'm quite thrilled. Hope you have a fantastic weekend...see you next week!

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Yellow

image via Quadrille (designer/photog, anyone?)

I do not gravitate toward yellow. Not because I don't understand its merits, but it's just never a color I want anywhere. Until I designed Ana Claire's nursery and yellow was the ONLY choice for her dresser. It was a no brainer and, thus, the first dose of true yellow was introduced to our house.

Since then, it's poppped up in a couple of projects and I'm finding that I really dig using it with earthy neutrals. Tan, taupe, brown and gold...yellow and gold is an AMAZING combo (I put gold bamboo pulls on AC's yellow dresser and I stared at it for a couple of days it was so good). Try it.

Above image features Quadrille's Sigourney wallpaper in a crazy pretty neutral paired with delectable pops of yellow and it's totally working for me.

Do you use yellow? How do you like it?

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The Setter

This weekend, I saw THIS fabric on Nick Olsen's instagram feed. Tell me you are not dying over this amazing chintz coupled with red piping and leopard. The stuff dreams are made of:

Thank you, Internet (and Nick Olsen), for introducing me to The Setter from Cowtan and Tout.

I'm not really into dogs (I know, I know...sorry) but I can get on board with dogs on fabric. Though it has to be a pretty great textile for me to want to use it at the risk of feeling like a poser dog lover. Because a lover of dogs, I am not. I think I already said that.

There is so much to love in this one. The combination of colors, the tight pattern, and the little black dots that emanate from one of the buds - it's all just ridiculously good and Nick's use of red piping completely puts it over the edge.

WANT. I'll be keeping my eye on this one...

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