An Amazing Find--"Imperial Trellis"

Along with practically everyone else, I love Kelly Wearstler's "Imperial Trellis" pattern from Schumacher. It's such a versatile print...I've seen it used successfully in a variety of room styles. The crisp geometry of it speaks to me...the $180 per yard price not so much.

I toyed with the idea of doing the drapery in my living and dining rooms with it, but 24 yards plus fabrication meant investing over $3,000 for four windows--quite out of my budget. Drapestyle sells a geometric almost identical to Imperial Trellis, a relative bargain starting at $220 per panel,but it was still more than I hoped to spend.



I ultimately decided that these would be too much pattern for the windows in those rooms, but still hoped to use it on pillows or an accent chair. The decorating Gods had different plans, though. I was browsing through Z Gallerie today looking for a few accessories. I'd once gotten a glimmer of hope when an online search showed that Z Gallerie had a very Imperial Trellis-like line of drapery panels and throw pillows. I was let down to discover they had carried it very briefly and had since discontinued it (amidst some copyright claims as I understand it.) So imagine my joy on seeing a pair hanging in the store today! They were the wrong color but the saleslady tracked down a pair in chocolate and ivory at another store, and they are on their way to me, where they will hang on the windows in the study. Not for $600 a panel, not for $220 a panel, but for $25!

Z-Gallerie's "Tango" Panels

Transitional Chandeliers

The hunt has been on for the perfect chandelier at my house. I hoped to find one that was silver and crystal, not too modern, and not too traditional.

I love these selections from the Walt Disney Signature collections at Metropolitan lighting: (Who knew a name best known for theme parks and cartoons could come up with such beautiful fixtures?)

I also like a few of the chandeliers that Candace Olson designed for AF Lighting:

And I love the black detail on this tuxedo chandelier from Uttermost:

Elk's Pembroke chandelier could have been another contender:

Then a friend told me that one of her favorite shoe stores was closing, and the owner was selling all of the furniture and fixtures. She said I HAD to see his chandeliers. And so (for a tenth of the price) I found the perfect transitional chandelier in the unlikeliest of places:



The medallion comes with it, but I'm torn on whether or not to use it. I have to wait a few weeks until the store actually closes to bring it home, but I think it will do very nicely.

DIY Ribbon-Edged Roman Shades

While the rest of the world was watching the Super Bowl, I tackled a little project I've been meaning to get to for a few weeks. Pottery Barn used to sell roman shades edged in grosgrain ribbon. While they are no longer available, they were around $100 a piece, and finding anything similar now means going custom at several hundred dollars a window. I love the clean lines of those shades, and found several DIY'ers on line who had tackled making similar treatments themselves.

So, armed with an off-the-rack JCPenny white roman shade ($20 on sale), a spool of pewter colored grosgrain ($3.50) and an assortment of no-sew products ($5), I got to work on my no-sew ribbon edged roman shade.

First, I lightly penciled in a line 3" in around the shade. (If you're planning to use these behind a drape, you may want to set the ribbon in more to account for the drapery hiding the edge of the shade).

Now, the next part is where it got tricky. I first tried to adhere the ribbon with a regular washable fabric glue. Bad idea! The dry time would have turned this into a multi-day project, and it soaked through the grosgrain and created permanent wet spots. (OK, confession, because of this I had to buy a second $3.50 roll of ribbon) Next, I tried heat bonding tape. It worked great for the first length of ribbon, but for whatever reason, there were spots along the second length that would not adhere. A little heat-activated liquid stitch did the trick. My final recommendation would be to use the iron-activated tape, but run a thin bead of the heat activated liquid stitch for some extra bonding strength.

I was hoping that making this shade for my guest bathroom would act as a dry run for doing four more similar shades in my living and dining rooms. Since I worked the kinks out, I figure I can knock those out in about a half hour apiece.

What do you think of the final result?

Incidentally, that trio of prints beside the window is one of my oldest cheap decorating ideas. Back in college, I found a set of different greeting cards and popped them into discount store silver frames. I hadn't used them in years, but they seem to work in this bathroom.

Linking to: Metamorphosis Mondays at Between Naps on the Porch

Echos of Another Era

I designed this house to blend seemlessly into an established neighborhood. The exterior--a mix of stone, brick, and half timbers, speaks to the sort of homes that were built in the 1930's and 1940's. There is a definite sense of arrival here, with the charming half round front door accented by rusticated stonework. Cast stone door and window surrounds, brick banding at the foundation, and copper guttering and conductor heads are some of the exterior details.

Inside, a traditionally arranged floor plan is mixed with elements and spaces that keep this house current. Formal living and dining rooms flank a foyer with a gently curved stair. The family living spaces are at the rear of the house, a large kitchen with a large island for gathering and food prep, and a comfortable hearth room that is overlooked by a built-in breakfast banquette. A mudroom with generous built-ins provides a spot for dropping off bags, shoes, and coats. And a large walk-in pantry could also be called on to serve as a family computer room. The main floor is rounded out by a handsome library (a built-in murphy bed allows it to serve double-duty as a guest room) and a brick-walled sunroom. Many of the first floor rooms open to the terraces.

Upstairs, a book lined loft is the perfect spot for bedtime stories or a lazy afternoon spent catching up on the latest bestseller. The master suite, with a luxurious spa bathroom and room-sized walk-in closet, is to the left, while two family bedrooms share another bath with walk-in shower on the right. The laundry room is positioned ideally to make clothes-cleaning chores as efficient as possible.

While the house has a small cottage feel from the street, it's actually right at 3500 square feet. And the space over the detached garage could be finished off for even more space. If you're interested in this plan, please contact us!

Another Day, Another Find

A wrong turn yesterday led to another great find! I was spending a few hours of the rainy afternoon out "hunting"--a stop at my favorite fabric store, a cruise through an antiques and interiors market, and was attempting to make a stop at a local shop that imports some very nice Eastern pieces. When I turned into the wrong driveway, I decided instead to stop at Pier One, I'd seen an interesting lamp on their website that I made a mental note to go see in person.

And there, just inside the front door, was an incredible find! One of the things on my "list" has been a set of new side tables for the formal living room. I'd toyed with the idea of mirrored ones, black ones, or metal and glass ones.

One of the possibilities I'd found, Crestview Side Table for $529

Another possibility, Ethan Allen's Collector's Classic for $629



Rill Bunching Table from Baker

But what I found, at an almost unbelievable $79 a piece, were Hayworth side tables from Pier One's collection named for the iconic Rita Hayworth. They were on clearance and have been discontinued, and I was able to snatch up the last pair they had. 

They are the perfect size and height, and they were the perfect price. The silver leaf accents go great with the other things I've found for that room, and the traditional detailing on the legs and edge keep it from looking to contemporary.

Today's Find--Mirrored Chest

Little by litte, the formal living room and dining room are coming together. I have a vision for both of these rooms--picture all the sparkle and geometry of Hollywood Regency but just a bit more streamlined. The walls in both rooms are Sherwin-Williams "Pearl Gray" a shade I fell in love with after seeing it in a tour of homes several years ago. Everything else will be black, not-quite white, silver, or mirrored.

I love this room. The restrained color palette, the touches of "bling", the clean lines of the drapery. I definitely want black shades for the as-yet unfound lamps.

Another as-yet to  be found item is an accent chair. I have in mind something along these lines, though I haven't decided if I will do a white frame and black upholstery or a black frame and white upholstery.

So one of the things on my "to find" list for the living room has been some sort of side table that would sit between the accent chair and the larger one I already have. Ideally, this piece would have some sort of storage to hold sheet music for the piano.

And, today, I found it:

It's a perfect size for between the windows, holds all of the piano music, and adds just the sort of sparkle the room needed. (It's almost identical to one offered at Horchow but I got it for a fourth of the price!)

As an aside, it's nearly impossible to photograph a mirrored chest. I had to make the photo black and white just to make it legible.



Evergreen

Evergreen is a 14,000 square foot estate in Greenville, SC  by respected designer Jack Thacker. Situated on a parcel of land that was originally planned to be five separate lots, Evergreen (both the house and the gardens) represents a level of detail rarely seen. While Evergreen is no more than 15 years old, it has a timeless quality that makes it seem much older.

The house is approached by a long, winding driveway that terminates in a pea-gravel motor court. I adore pea-gravel drives. They tend to soften the "edge" on more formal styles of architecture, and the sound of a car's tires over pea-gravel adds an aural element to the arrival.

The front facade is a very symmetrical composition of limestone capped by a slate mansard roof and accented with copper guttering. Here, the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts, but the details at the windows, the subtle line of the banding, the well-articulated cornice, and the repeating arched motifs are all carefully considered and worthy of appreciation in their own right.

The rear of the house is unrestrained by the symmetry that governs the front facade. Here the play of shapes is more fanciful. From this view, it's obvious that the design of the grounds has been given every bit as much thought as that of the house. I love the juxtaposition of the more tactile stone garden walls against the smooth limestone of the house. Here, one of many bronzes on the property anchors a terrace.



Another view of the exterior reveals the concealed guttering system. The green-gray of the trim is a subtle but appropriate choice.

This auxiliary is clad in the more rustic stone that is used throughout the grounds. The conservatory serves as a potting shed and overlooks this koi pond with another bronze.

The interior of the house carries through the same impeccable level of detail. The Chinese slate floor is an unexpected feature, but like the gravel motor court, one that I think softens the formality.

Gorgeous trimwork throughout the house. Notice the hidden door in the corner. I love how this room has an almost "accidental elegance", all of the pieces work together beautifully,  but it doesn't look contrived or over-decorated.



Here's the sunroom (pictured from the exterior a few shots up). It looks like one corner serves as a home office. Quite a view to work in, isn't it? The sky blue barrel vault is yet another playful touch that shows the house doesn't always take itself too seriously.

The house was on the market a year or so ago. A website was built for the marketing effort that is still up, and it features dozens of photos and much more information on the estate.

(all photos here by Stephen Vitosky)