Friday Crush

Design by Ivy & Vine

I am keeping my promise with the blue theme. I usually pick blue + gold over blue + silver, but I am into this silver-gray look paired with that fantastic wallpaper. I should know this wallpaper - it's on the tip of my tongue...who can make a positive I.D.??

I already want the weekend to slow down. They go by so fast! Mine should be equal parts fun, chores, and downtime...I'm hoping. Hope your weekend is lovely...see you next week!

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Putting the Blue in Bluemercury

Let's stay on a blue theme this week.

Loving this Bethesda, MD sunroom designed by my girl Sally Steponkus Roche and home to Bluemercury founders Marla and Berry Beck.

Photo by Gora Kosanovic for The Washington Post

The particular shade of saturated blue on the walls is the perfect anchor for all that wonderful natural light. And the chippendale chair + table combo is right up my own alley. Also loving those oversized lamps.

I know I say this every time I write about her, but Sally is so charming and delightful. Really. And her work is always tailored, elegant, and refined. She's a great DC area talent.

Sidenote: You should check out the full Washington Post article here because they have one of those awesome 3D tours of the house - you can literally use your mouse to walk through the various spaces. If you don't know what I mean, you should really try it - such a great use of technology.

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Aqua Walls

I typically don't take my blues this cool, but my jaw dropped at this ensemble by designer Cortney Bishop. That aqua grasscloth on the walls is 100% good. Paired with the painting by Lynne Hamontree of the Charleston Artist Collective, that waterfall console, the lilac bench and those floors...it's all a watery blue dream come true.

Where do you land on pastels? I LOVE them. I could use them all day long...and I love what Cortney did here with that gray leather chair - she anchored it all so it didn't get too cute. Same with the curtain rod - simple, slightly industrial...if that had been a gold scrolly situation, this room would start to feel splenda sweet.

Balance, y'all.

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Friday Crush

Elizabeth Lawson Design

I think I will always, always love a black and white kitchen. And this black-on-the-bottom-white-on-top way of doing it is very modern yet oh-so classic. The brass is totally perfect. Open shelving and I would probably never get along, but it's beautifully styled in this scenario. And the rug + hardwood floor combo is on my short list. 

Spring is here and the sunshine has been a welcome change...I'm trying to embrace my open-toed shoes (but it's a struggle putting away the boots). Hope you have a great weekend - see you next week!

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Herend Forains d'Orient

Let me be clear that I have fallen in love with many a china pattern in my lifetime. Many.

But this week, I found my soulmate.

Herend's Forains d'Orient:

The Chinoiserie motif is obviously on point....but the gold borders, scalloped edge (!), polka-dot background and saturated hues are what make this pattern above and beyond anything I've seen.

Like so many things I love, these items are luxe. So instead of setting my table with various sets, I'll need to pump the brakes and narrow in on one statement piece that I can own.

[insert heart-eyes emoji]

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Traditional Twist in Richmond

It's rare that I post photos from an entire home. But this home 100% deserves it. Because every single space is fantastically fetching.

And, bonus points, it's located in my hometown of Richmond, Virginia.

Designed by Charlotte Lucas, it's true to Virginia tradition with a striking nod to modernity.

Photos by Laurey Glenn for Southern Living

Every space nails it. The wonderful mix of color, the touches of brass and gold, the wall treatments, the floor coverings...it's all so balanced and so mixed and so everything.

And let's talk about the lighting which is phenomenal - the mustard lamp pair, the acrylic chandelier, the glass foyer pendant, the brass kitchen pendants...literally the lighting alone makes me love these interiors.

Can you tell I completely dig this house? Do you like it as much as I do?

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Friday Crush

Photo by Eric Piasecki, Design by Gideon Mendelson, via House Beautiful

Now this is a gem. Those walls and that baseboard! Would you ever be so bold as to do something like this in your home? It's a risk but it certainly pays off. I'm also loving the painting (by Vittorio Masoni) and how it looks hanging against a colored, tactile backdrop. Also note the height of that baseboard...I'm a fan of hefty baseboard, even if your ceilings are low. Gives the room dimension.

This has been a whirlwind of a week...I'm ready for some downtime. Hope you have a restful 48 hours planned. See you next week!

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Simple Chic Denver Kitchen

My tastes usually don't skew this modern or clean, but this kitchen remodel in Denver very much caught my eye. I think it's that touch of green that reeled me in:

Photo by Chandler Kim via Design-Sponge

It's the home of Austin and Anna Smith...and they did the renovation themselves. 

That's pretty impressive. I L-O-V-E the light fixtures they chose and the sprinkling of brass throughout with lots of white, warm wood and that oh-so-cool touch of army green. So incredibly chic. And I always want to high-five people that see an old home as an opportunity for renewal...property savers.

See more photos and their list of sources here...

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Friday Crush

Let me tell you that I had one of the most astonishing, sensory-shocking experiences last week when I visited the Wonder exhibit currently at the Renwick Gallery in Washington, DC.

The entire exhibit is great and evokes what it implies...Wonder.

BUT THERE IS THIS ROOM. THAT IS HOT PINK AND FULL OF BUGS. And it's bananas.

I hate bugs. And skulls. But I fell madly in love with this room. I could have legitimately stood in it all day long.

Photo by Ron Blunt

Both photos do it no justice. Its creator is Jennifer Angus - an apparel and textile design professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her travels through Thailand and Malaysia inspired a fascination with the beauty of insects, which she marries with her craft of pattern design. 

The bugs are real, y'all. Dead (obvi) but real. And that wall color is from bug juice. It's both terrifying and beautiful. Very Frida Kahlo. 

If you're in DC, go see it. I think it closes May 8. If you're not in DC, read this article and watch this video and this video.  

This one stirred up a lot in me. Grateful that I got to experience it!

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Scalamandre Shantung Garden

Change of season usually brings new fabrics and I am particularly happy about Scalamandre's Spring 2016 fabric, Shantung Garden, in the Verdance colorway.

The range of greens with touches of gray is oh-so fresh and I always love my classic Chinoiserie patterns. This one is a winner, folks!

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Catalog Pick: Carleton Varney Patio Umbrella

File this under luxury items that I will never own...Frontgate's Hampshire Designer Umbrella designed by Carleton Varney.

The scallops, bows, and florals are so wonderfully girly and delightful. I get this may not be your jam, and I have to say that I understand, but personally, I love this.

But it's also almost $3K which puts it out of the realm of reality. So it's just a fun little something to get us over hump day!

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Friday Crush

Design by Michael Boyd, Photo by Emily Followill for Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles

Well, now that's clever. Take a great striped fabric and turn it horizontal for the pelmet box. Wonderful statement. And did you even notice this is a nursery? Those walls are amazing.

I am pretty happy to lay low this weekend. Hope you have some fun plans. See you next week!

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