Formal Living Room Unveiled

The formal living room at our house has been a long time in the making. I've previously written about my finds for this space--a mirrored chest scored for $200 at Homegoods, a pair of mirrored tables snatched off of clearance at Pier One. But not until a few weeks ago did I finally feel like the room was finished. (A relative term, of course, since I would love to have hardwood floors in there, a different piano, and maybe even taller crown molding, but it is finished enough for now.)

Here's what the space looked like shortly after I moved in. We'd already painted the walls Sherwin Williams Pearl Gray. The sofa had recently been recovered--breathing new life into a piece I bought for my first college apartment. I originally thought my scheme would be brown, white, and blingy. But I kept finding better things in black, so the brown rug moved to the study, the brown pillows moved to the great room, and the antique side chair, covered in brown and blue tapestry, made its way to one of the guest rooms, and the walnut end tables got a makeover in black and silver.

And here is the after. The painting is one of my favorite pieces. Since the piano is in this room, I wanted an abstract with a subtly musical motif. I scored this one at a furniture consignment store in town. The coffee table is the old end tables--a weekend project that turned out beautifully. The pillows are custom made, and the lamps are another Homegoods find. (I just love black lampshades!)

The window treatments are off the rack from JC Penny. I took their roman shades and added the ribbon detail with a little stitch witch. I'll eventually add some sort of embellishment to the drapes--a Greek Key tape on the leading edge or some fringe. The scroll arm chair was a find on a trip to High Point, and the architectural prints over the mirrored chest once hung in my high school bedroom.

The view coming down the front stairs. The upright piano isn't as out of place as this picture would indicate, but when it was last tuned, the technician told us that it couldn't be tuned again--so it will be replaced in the not-to-distant future. The mirror-framed mirror is flanked by two mirrored sconces (another Homegoods steal) that are still waiting for the perfect objects to grace them.

As always, I am linking to the Metamorphosis Monday part at Between Naps on the Porch. Every week, BNOTP brings together some of the best before-and-afters on the web. Click over there to check out more!

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Let's Roll

There are few of us who can't remember exactly where we were this morning ten years ago. I was working at my first job out of college when a coworker sent me a message that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. Even as another airliner slammed into the second tower, we struggled to find a more reasonable explanation as to what was happening. After what seemed an eternity, several of us broke for an early lunch and watched the news unfold on the TV screens of a nearby Applebee's. There was a collective numbness that day, and for weeks that followed.

A friend summed up her feelings on the anniversary of the 9-11 tragedy beautifully this morning:

"For all of the hurt & pain this day brought to us 10 yrs ago, it also brought perspective. For a short while, we lived in Unity, simply, as Americans. We flew our flags & were patriotic. We valued each other more & hugged loved ones a bit tighter. Our churches were packed with people praying for our country. We contacted long, lost friends & let them know we think of them often. We worried less about the small stuff & were thankful for our own tiniest blessings. Perspective...a gift out of tragedy!"



Never Forget!

Two of a Kind: A Look at Twin Beds

When I was growing up, my grandmother's guest bedroom had two twin sized beds in it. I suppose that early connotation left a mark on me, because anytime I hear "guest room" my mind instantly conjures up an image of matching twin beds. Now, for the most part, I would say that offering your adult guests a twin bed is a sure way to guarantee they won't overstay their welcome, but if your guests often include children, couples who live as though they are in a 1950's sitcom, or several single folks, a guest room with twin beds might just make some sense. And if you're lucky enough to have more than one guest room, setting one of them up with twins will give you a lot of versatility.

While a child's room is where many people would put a twin bed, the following images show the more mature side of them. Which is your favorite?

A subtle color scheme, and restrained use of pattern makes this a very soothing room.

An absolute favorite of mine...the large bed canopy over both beds gives this room a unified look. And the Greek key  motif is perfectly done.

Here again, the two twins are unified by the use of upholstered panels above them. Great slightly overscaled chest in the center serves as a nightstand.

I love red with Tiffany-box blue, and the bold rug here really makes for a beautiful space.

A decidedly masculine room by Ashley Goforth. Not so sure about that deer, but I love the wall color and the overall simplicity here.

Matching bed canopies with suspended light fixtures make for a breathtaking room.

House Beautiful featured this guest room which has a wonderful patina about it.

Twin metal canopy beds turned heads at this year's Oakville showhouse.

Phoebe Howard put together this grown-up nautical bedroom. Wouldn't this be perfect at a beach house?

Southern Living featured this guest room several years ago, but it still looks fresh. Those upholstered headboards could be easily recreated by even novice DIY'ers.

So what do you think about twin beds, are they just for kids? Or do they still have a use outside of a child's room?

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Expandable Round Dining Tables

I spent much of this week tracking down an expandable round dining room table for a client. Round dining tables have grown in popularity the past few years, but there is certainly nothing new about them. A square, round, or octagonal dining room almost demands a round table, and in any space they are great for easy conversation among everyone enjoying the meal.

The space I was shopping for this week is ideally scaled for a six person dining room table, but gracious enough to handle 8-10. An expandable table was really what we needed for those special occasions when larger groups were getting together. And because the space was an octagon, we needed one that would expand in the round--a round table that turns into an oval with the addition of a leaf was not going to cut it. Luckily, there are a  host of tables that do just that, and most of them are absolute marvels of furniture engineering.

My client had her eye on the expanding round table from Theodore Alexander's "Althorp: Living History" collection. I love that collection of furniture--all reproductions of pieces found at Althorp House, the seat of Princess Diana's family. One store I was at this week had a console table from that collection at a tremendous price. If my client doesn't take it, I may. At any rate: here are some pictures of expanding round tables to drool over:

Theodore Alexander's Althorp table retails for around $15,000. Beautiful piece with flame mahogany, rosewood, and burl inlays.

From Top: The Althorp table closed. The expansion pieces fold out of the way under the table top when not in use. Opening the table to full size reveals the artistry and craftsmanship in the piece. Considering that it's a reproduction of a table originally made in the 1800's, is even more remarkable. At full size, the table will seat 8 to 10 guests.

Century Furniture carries a couple of expanding round tables by Oscar De LaRenta. The extension pieces do not appear to be stored within...but just take a look at the works inside!

The De LaRenta table, which retails for over $20,000, is a thing of beauty...gorgeous details.

And finally, you have to check out this one from Western Heritage furniture (which operates much like the Althorp table that's going to my client's new house)

Pretty impresive, isn't it?

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Drive By Shootings: Graceful Details and Proportions

Introducing a new recurring category here at Southgate: Drive-By Shootings. What house lover hasn't driven past a gorgeous home and been tempted to whip out their camera or cell phone and capture it for their idea file?

First up, a gracefully proportioned and perfectly detailed house that I pass every day on  my way to work:

The cast stone entry of this house is to die for! The subtle banding that dileniates the first and second floors, and the gracious dormers clad in the same slate as the roof make this house drool-worthy.

Ivy Covered Houses

I love the look of a house covered, at least partially, in ivy. It's a look of permanence and solidity and a house covered in ivy seems as though it has always been there and always will be. There is a school of thought that says allowing ivy to grow on a house is an invitation for trouble, and lots of it. Certain types of ivy can invade mortar, pry loose siding, and become so invasive that they can literally eat a house. Others say that if that were the case, the centuries old University buildings and homes dotting Europe would have long ago been reduced to piles of rubble.

From what I have learned, that charming look of ivy growing over a house can be safely done if certain care is taken. Using a type of ivy that climbs using "suckers" (little suction cups that allow it to cling to a surface) is relatively safe, whereas ivy that climbs with tendrils (little roots that dig in and wrap around whatever they can) can quickly turn into a sort of cancer.

In any case, care must be taken, and pruning must be done. I would not recommend any type of ivy for a house clad in siding. The ivy can too easily get behind the clapboards and cause real problems--water intrusion, loosening of the cladding, etc. Masonry is a much safer material to train ivy up. But it should always be pruned away from window and door openings, and stopped before it gets to any wood cornice work, downspouts, or chimney flues, where it can easily work it's way into places it should not be and result in expensive damage.

English Ivy, for these reasons, is best avoided, but a Boston Ivy that is properly cared for, can give the house that charming appearance. So weigh the issue of ivy carefully before you plant it, most ivys propegate very easily and can be quite difficult to get rid of.

At any rate, here are some wonderful ivy covered houses to inspire:

Notice how the ivy has been kept away from the windows and shutters here.

The facade of this house in Savannah is nearly completely covered in ivy, and feels as if it has been there for centuries.

A gorgeous ivy-covered Georgian.

A classically detailed cottage with ivy covered walls--is that wysteria or bouganville climbing over the portico?

Ivy lends a feeling of permanence to this Tudor, and has been carefully pruned to stay on masonry walls.

The first floor of this Dutch Colonial is anchored to the site with climbing ivy.

The stone walls of this house are softened with ivy. Love how the oval windows "pop" in the greenery. (via The Enchanted Home)

So, what is your take? Is ivy worth the risk?

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Here's The Story

Last week I showed the floorplans and elevation of a large Georgian style house and hinted that I would be writing more about it. Well, I wish the story behind it were more engaging, I would love to tell you that we were about to break ground on our dream  house, or even that a wonderful client was planning to call it home, but the truth is much less exciting.

I imagine anyone who works in design can relate to what I am about to say, particularly those who, like me, work in relatively small towns. My work comes in waves of "sameness"...a particular style takes hold of the collective public conscience, or the architectural guidelines of a new neighborhood dictate a certain "look." My career has seen waves of "Craftsman-ish" houses, "European-ish" houses, and what I like to call "High Mountain" style houses. These might be sprinkled with some unusual variants here and there--an infill lot in an established neighborhood, a large scale renovation of an older  home, or just a client with a very unique vision, but at times I have found myself screaming for something to design other than a stone and stucco house with a walkout basement and heavy timber accents (in the upstate of South Carolina and Western North Carolina, where many of the custom  homes I've worked on are--this is the expected look and palette for so many of the newer homes in resort communities.)

And so, every year or so, I force myself out of the box and do something different. A couple of years ago, I grew fascinated with Tudor style homes (a style I have never had a custom commission to do), then with the beautifully detailed but smaller homes of the 1920's-1940's. These studies are my way of doing some self-directed continuing education, and sometimes make it to my portfolio of pre-designed houses.

I recently re-read the book "Get Your House Right", I am working with a client on the design of a classically detailed low-country style house, and he had recently finished that book, along with several others on Federal, Greek Revival, and Georgian design elements. I have always loved a classic "Five Over Four and a Door" type house--to me, a properly designed one never loses it's appeal, and there is just a definite sense of "home" from them. So that was the defining idea for this house. I did NOT set out to design a house this large. In fact, I decided that my partner and I would be the fictional client for these plans, and we decided that the layout of our current house suits us just fine, but our wish list would add a few things...a music room for a grand piano, "wouldn't it be nice if all the guest rooms had their own bath?", "I've always wanted a huge library with those rolling ladders.", and "I would love a dedicated home theatre in the basement.", and after seeing dual staircases in a house online, someone just had to have them.

So, 14,000 square feet later, there it is. A little something to stretch my design muscles, and a springboard for exploring various topics in design. (Check here for a growing list of topics that have spun off from this plan.)

•  Ivy Covered Houses
   

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