GET THE LOOK: Serene & Modern Bedroom

I have a confession to make – I am so ashamed at how little I have blogged since our move in May. I got so swamped with our home renovation, that I completely neglected to share little details along the way. I've had a lot of requests for it, so I promise promise promise to share a full before & after home tour very soon. I believe that we still have a long way to go, but our home has come so very far. Our contractor has finally finished the messy construction portion of our sweet Bungalow (except for the Kitchen, which is Phase II), and I'm now focusing on the details of furnishings and accessories. I'm going room-by-room and imagining the best version of each space – for both my husband & I, as well as our guests.

We have the 'bare-bones' that make a great Master Bedroom, but I'm working on the finishing details that will make things come together. I first saw this bedroom in Domino Magazine, and have kept it close to my heart & soul ever since. HOW GOOD IS IT? I am currently mildly, nay – VERY, obsessed with deep green tones, and this simple room just captivates me. It has everything that I consider important in an amazing interior – a simple backdrop, something modern, something vintage, and an element that is gilded or metallic. This space is the inspiration for our new master bedroom, and I thought I'd share the things I've found to execute this beautiful look!

GET THE LOOK: Trinity Ventures

Happy Thursday, folks! Today I thought I'd share a quick "Get The Look" post on one of my favorite recent projects – Trinity Ventures in SF. I've gotten a lot of sourcing inquiries on this one, and I really wanted to share a detailed list of resources to help you get started! I think that the bold accents really make this particular space, so play around and find the rugs or throw pillows that represent your style! The furnishings are affordable, and really provide a blank canvas to get creative with. Enjoy! xx

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8

p.s. If you have the guts for Ebay, here is another
GORGEOUS Heriz Rug currently up for grabs @ $410!

Photo by Julia Robbs for Homepolish.

 

Last-Minute Style

Hi friends! I can't believe that we're already into the second week of NOVEMBER. Whaaaat?! It already feels so crazy & hectic as we begin to prepare for Holiday travel, but I couldn't be more excited for the celebrations to come. EEEEEK! On top of the typical end-of-year CRAZY-BUSINESS that we're all experiencing, Sean and I have been in a mad dash to finish designing & installing our NEW LOFT! It's seriously been the project of a lifetime, and I'm growing more and more anxious for the day that I finally get to share the big reveal!

Over the last week or so, we've really focused on the finishing touches for our home. Sean and I have worked as a team to fuze our styles and include pieces that resonate with both of us as individuals – and that's no easy task when you're both very opinionated designers. It's been a really fun process to shop together, design together, and learn a few quirky details about one another. Sometimes we agree on a certain product or piece, and sometimes we don't. It's been fun to learn how our preferences on art & furniture differ, and also how similar we are in so many ways. Sean and I have really strived to only make purchases that we're BOTH happy with, and it has made our home feel like a true reflection of our brand new little family. I really don't think that you can fully know someone until you build a home together, and I'm loving this process & phase of life that we're in. 

I decided to show you some of the things that we've recently purchased and given a spot in our new home. From books to mugs to plants, it's the finishing touches that can really make a space feel complete. I've been dying to frame a few of my favorite vinyl albums, so I finally found frames for my beloved Rumours and Eat A Peach records. The rest of the items were purchased online or from our favorite shops around town, and they're all affordable. ALSO – since it's the Holiday season (aka the season of mass gift-giving) – all of these items would make incredible gifts for that Design-loving friend or family member of yours! Emjoy :)

1. Leather Planter - this little guy lives on our desk and holds our favorite cactus plant.
2. Book - seriously, just buy it. it's so practical and such a breath of fresh air.
3. Hand-Poured Candle - I'm addicted. I've purchased it in Brass, as well.
4. French Press - this was a wedding gift - I'm in love!
5. Mother-in-Law's Tongue - you can't kill 'em.
6. Mug - this is Sean's "Man Mug." It's man-hand sized and I'm not allowed to touch it.
7. Mousepad - it wears beautifully and it's so well-made
8. Concrete & Brass Table - this functions as my just-girly-enough bedside table!
9. Kitchen Towels - thanks, Mom. I love you.
10. Serving Bowl - our leftover Halloween candy lives here.
11. Vinyl Frame - these are so perfect & minimal.
12. Ceramic Bud Vase - that perfect shade of nude. I love pairing ours with a "Pincushion" flower.

 



Renter's Woes: Ugly Stairs

Congrats!! You've officially survived the Craigslist hunt of your nightmares and found the Renter's Paradise that you dreamed of!!! It has all of the 'majors'  – a dishwasher (um, WHAT!?), those to-die-for built-ins, and the right number of bedrooms with proper adult-sized-ish closets. Soon after you sign your lease, you move in and discover ALL OF THOSE annoying details that actually grind your gears every single day!! Hark – I come bearing good news!

Most people don't realize that you don't have to live with everything that you hate about your rental. I'm here to share a few of my favorite tricks & quick fixes that will make all of your renter's nightmares evaporate into thin air – kiiiinda like last week's stash of Halloween candy. OOPS.

The first installment in my new 'Renter's Woes' series involves an easy makeover for wooden stairs – correction: REALLY-REALLY-UGLY wooden stairs, like mine. When we moved into our Loft, I sat around for months hating every single trip upstairs. Oh trust me, I almost broke down and painted those suckers on multiple occasions. If you live in a renter's market like mine, though, you're probably not willing to forfeit that absurd security deposit. Thankfully, I recently discovered an amazing and truly magical product and I decided to use it to solve my Heinous Staircase Dilemma.

stairs_before

See what I mean? All that awful wooden-chip subfloor nonsense is just too much. The magical product that I discovered is Hygge & West's Removable Wallcovering Tiles. Hey Renter's, your keyword here is re-move-able....MAGIC! You can slap these babies on your eyesore of a staircase in a few easy steps, and easily take 'em off before you move out. I'm about to show you how...

Step 1: You're Really Gonna Need A Template. Nobody wants to sit there and hand-measure wallcovering for each and every riser. A standard template, cut to the size of your riser, will make all of this a lot easier. Tip: the riser is the 'front part' of the stair and will typically be around 7" high x 30-36" wide, but I'd pull an exact measurement using a tape measure.

  • Measure your stair riser. I guarantee that there will be one or two stubborn risers that are a little off in size. That's okay – we'll fix it later.
  • Grab a piece of cardboard. I used the hardback of a large-scale drawing pad. Shoot for a denser material – it'll make things easier when we get to the cutting process.
  • Cut the cardboard to the size of your riser. Depending on the width of your stairs and the size of the wallcovering tile you're using, you might need two pieces of wallcovering per riser. This was the case for my stairs, so my template was actually cut to fit 1/2 of my riser.

Step 2: Trace & Cut Your Wallcovering

  • Place the template over the wallcovering tile, and trace a piece for each riser.
  • Remember, if you're using two pieces of wallcovering per riser, I'd recommend matching the pattern in the center. It can get a little tricky when you start cutting, but just pace yourself and lay the pieces out on the floor.
  • Use a cutting mat and an x-acto blade, and carefully cut your wallcovering along the lines that you've drawn. This is the part where I'd be EXTRA careful. These wallcovering tiles aren't cheap, and you really don't want to mess this up.

Step 3: Get Ready For Install

  • To keep things organized, I laid out each piece before installing. My wallcovering style has a pretty intricate pattern match, and I wanted to be sure I didn't mix up the pieces.

Step 4: Peel And Stick. BE PATIENT. Here comes the frustrating part. 

  • I installed my pieces starting from the bottom riser and worked my way up the staircase. 
  • Tip: most removable tiles are multi-use. This means that if you mess up, just gently pull the piece off and re-apply. I would try not to do this multiple times, but it's going to be fine if you accidently stick something crooked the first time.
  • Be sure to apply extra pressure to the corners and work out any bubbles (there won't be many).

Step 5: Trim As Needed

  • Remember that pesky riser that I mentioned? The one that is annoyingly 1/2" shorter than the rest? Keep a pair of scissors handy and trim manually when you get to it. 

Step 6: Take A Step Back And ENJOY!

What do you think?! It makes a big difference, huh? In my own life, this is definitely one of those drab-to-fab Cinderella stories that I fully intend to recount to our grandchildren. Enjoy!

*All wallcovering was generously provided by Hygge & West.

 

The Sofa Series: Part I

Okay, ya'll, let's talk about furniture. Today, I want to begin addressing one of the most difficult decisions one faces when crafting a living space – selecting the right sofa. Seems relatively simple, right? I mean, it's just a sofa. Wrong.

I recently learned this, firsthand, while selecting the best sofa for my own space. Yes, even Interior Designers struggle with decision-making in their own homes. No kidding, ya'll, I lost sleep over this decision. There is an endless list of companies selling "the perfect sofa" – and then you've got to deal with size, shape, color, foam density, and the list goes on. For me, everything got easier when I found the right manufacturer, but there was still a long way to go. For Part I of this series, we're going to focus on Form. We'll get into the Pretty Nitty-Gritty (color, style, fabric, etc) in Part II. For now, let's chat about manufacturers, size, function, and shape...

Where do I even look?
If you've ever considered purchasing a sofa, you've learned that those suckers can get expensive. Unless you can afford that perfect $10,000 sofa at the name-brand luxury furniture store, you're going to have to do some hunting. Like I said – everyone is going to tell you that their sofa is superior, but most are lying. With many of the other mid- to upper-tier furniture companies,  you're dealing with the poor construction of really bad materials that happened to be wrapped in an okay-looking upholstery. From the outside, some aren't too terrible looking – especially when styled within that ideal in-store vignette.

These "value" pieces just aren't going to hold up, though, and you can bet on that one. When starting the process of designing my own home, I quickly learned that I wouldn't buy my sofa from the mass-retailers that most turn to. I began searching for something new and different, and eventually stumbled upon Interior Define. FINALLY! I know where I will buy my future sofa. Let me just tell you – finding this company was like breathing a big gulp of fresh air. The customer service is transparent and personalized, and the staff is knowledgable, accomodating, and friendly. Best of all, each sofa is completely custom and bears a price tag 30-40% lower than many comparable high-end brands. SOLD. 

Size
Now that you know where you'd like to purchase your sofa, we need to think about sizing. Obviously, this decision hinges drastically on the size of your space. I'd begin by thinking about the focal point of your room. Do you want your sofa to serve as the main feature of the space, or would you like to include other statement pieces of furniture? If you've already invested in large-scale heavy lounge chairs, I'd consider a smaller sofa with a lighter frame. If you're like me, and already own smaller-scale lounge pieces, you're in the safe zone for a large-scale hefty sofa that demands some respect. My lounge chairs are a set of vintage Bertoia diamond chairs, so I opted for a bulky sofa that would offset the dainty frame of the chairs. It's all about balance and identifying a feature for the space.

Besides considering the shape of the room, I'd also consider your ceiling height. Most people don't weigh this major factor into their furniture selection process. Did you know that your furniture can make your ceilings look higher or lower, depending on their scale? Ultimately, you can create a room that seems bigger than it actually is – you just need to know how to choose the right furniture! What is the height of your ceiling? If you're on the lower end, I'd go with a sofa with legs and an airy frame – like the Owens or Asher. The lightness of the sofa will give your space the illusion of higher ceilings. If you've got a space with higher ceilings, like a large and open loft, I'd select a lower sofa that will deliver the illusion of a more intimate space with lower ceilings. The Ainsley and the Gray are great options for this type of space.

Function
Knowing the desired function of your sofa will help you make decisions about the components of its construction and its orientation within the space. We'll get into upholstery options in Part II, but seat density is something that you'll want to consider early on. Fortunately, Interior Define offers countless custom options online, but they offer even more options over the phone or in person at their flagship Chicago showroom. If you want your sofa to be oriented for TV-watching and serve as a big fluffy cloud to cuddle with a bowl of popcorn, consider requesting a low-density foam with mega-softness and "give" in the seat- and back-cushions. It's a recipe for daytime naps and movie marathons. If your living room will be a place used primarily for conversation or family games, I'd request a firm high-density foam construction that will allow more upright sitting. Both construction types will be extremely comfortable, but Interior Define's high customization let you take things to the next level. Each sofa is available in 3 different cushion-fill options, so have some fun exploring and choosing the right one for you!

Shape
Finally, let's chat about shape. For this part of the series, we're not getting into "style." For now, let's talk about shape in its most simple sense We've got a few options to look at. Most sofas are made with one of three basic shapes – straight, straight with a chaise, or full-on L-shaped. Round or curved sofas our out there, but their application is far less common. The size of your space and desired function of the sofa will help you make a decision on shape, but it's good to consider a few more factors. With the right shape, a sofa can serve as a great separation between two spaces. If you're dealing with an open floorplan, use an L-shape sofa to separate the living and dining areas. The Crawford is the perfect shape to act as a divider. If you're interested in adding a collection of lounge chairs and side tables, I'd go for a clean straight-run sofa that will consume less square footage. I love the simplicity of the Sloan and the Lucy. These sofas will also prepare your landscape for the execution of almost any style. For you nappers and movie-watching moguls, a straight sofa with a chaise simply can't be beat. If you've got the space for it, this shape will deliver supreme comfort and flexibility. Shape is typically the easiest part of the sofa-selection process, especially since most of Interior Define's designs are available in 5+ configurations. Fortunately, if you've fallen in love with a style, it's likely available in many different shapes and custom sizes. 

Stay tuned for Part II, ya'll – we're going to chat about all things pretty! In my next Sofa Series post, we'll get into upholstery materials, color, and style. 

 

Accessory Roundup: Raw & Californian

Hello, Friday! I'm so glad to greet the weekend again. It's been such a long and fast week, so I'm just looking forward to some relaxation. I probably worked for 15 hours yesterday (but like the boring kind of work), so I was excited to wake up this morning and prepare an accessory package while sipping my coffee. For this project, I'm executing a laid-back Californian aesthetic for a family living in the Mission. For the living space, I've selected an assortment of objects that feature natural materials and organic lines. I can't survive without some contrast, so I've complimented the warm Californian tones with rich & graphic pops of black. I hope you'll find this roundup inspiring & helpful, and I hope you have a great weekend!

californian eclectic.jpg
 

Atocha Design

Vinyl enthusiasts, BEHOLD. I've found the perfect furniture for your record playing shrine. I can't get over the quality and detail in Atocha Design's pieces. Each one carries a timeless elegance – it seems like the only proper way to display and store your hard-earned vinyl collection. The cherry on top? Each piece is handmade in America. You can't beat that.

Imagery c/o Atocha Design

 

Sean Woolsey

Good morning! Today, I want to share an incredible resource with you - Sean Woolsey. I actually discovered him through my boyfriend, and have been a lover of his work (and Instagram feed) for some time now. He's a maker-extraordinaire from Southern California, and his designs are fresh & wildly unique. It's his approach to his work, though, that really captured my admiration. Sean builds each piece to last - not just for a year or two - but for generations. I also admire his quirky approach to, well, everything. How about the super cute photos of his furniture? Those might be the cutest kids I've ever seen. I've had the opportunity to discuss projects with Sean in the past, and he's very kind and insanely easy to work with. I can't wait to use his wonderful work in a project soon, and hopefully check out his studio someday. On a personal note - I'm absolutely dying over his Rosso Marble table. If I don't get to use it in a project soon, I might just have to buy it for myself. Enjoy!

All photos provided by Sean Woolsey

 

How To Create The Perfect Gallery Wall

Last month, I had the privilege of partnering with Homepolish & Mountary on an installation in one of my current Interiors projects. The client, a photographer based in San Francisco, wanted to use her friends' artwork to populate the gallery of frames. I love the final collection of subtle & interesting photography & graphic art. This feature wall will definitely be the most dyanmic component of the dining space, and I can't wait until I am able to reveal the finished design! If you're interested in installing a gorgeous gallery wall in your own home, head over to Mountary's blog post for a full how-to!

All frames provided courtesy of Mountary
Photography: Helena Price