touring urban electric....

well i know that i have covered them in the past but i just can't say enough about urban electric. missy lappinen was nice enough to invite me to the showroom for a personal tour of the space and to get another look at the amazing lights. i must say, the showroom is awesome. the company fits right in one of the warehouses that belong to the old naval yard. the front is the where the offices and lights are displayed but then you look over and there is an entire glassed in wall and behind that are the craftsmen making the actual lights. it's really fascinating. there is nothing better then seeing a craftsmen at work locally. each craftsman has a set of lights that they specialize in so anytime they see it in a magazine or home, they have the honor of knowing they made it. the lights really do speak for themselves- i just can't stress how beautiful they are. the mirror accents, milk glass, and detailing in them are remarkable. another cool aspect with the company is that you can customize the lights with any ben moore color for little up charge. urban also makes a line for baker and i just would die to get my hands on tatiana light (is person it is unreal). thanks urban for the wonderful tour and lunch! and keep up the amazing work!

my ultimate find....

there are many reasons why i love living in the "lowcountry" but this week i love living here b/c of things like this- my find of the century! my parents have a house in beaufort, sc ( kind of a "mini charleston"). the town is surrounded by water and beautiful old trees, thus making it a perfect setting for many "designer showhouses". which brings me to my story- my new dining room table.

my parents and i love going to yard sales and if the sales are a bust (which if you go enough you know this definitely happens) then we usually stop by the local habitat for humanity resale store. my mom opted out of going this trip which was fine b/c usually its my dad and i that really dig the place. you just never know what you will find. we walked around the entire store looking at old doors, random electrical cast offs, some odds and ends and it wasn't until the very last second that i discovered it...there hidden under some ugly china and behind a tapestry screen was my luca table in all it's glory. a donation from this designer showhouse that had been sitting in the store for two months....needless to say, i flipped out! i wanted it sooooo bad but i knew i had a hard sale...i had to convince my HUSBAND that we needed that table. being semi- new parents this is the last thing we need but w/ a little twisting of the arm and telling him what a "deal" it was, we are now new owners of the table....unfortunately, we can't get it from my parents garage to our house b/c it's so big but i am just as satisfied w/ it sitting in there b/c i know it now belongs to me!! (btw, i owe a huge thanks to my dad which is why i featured the table w/ his prize possession on it- his dog)!!

some kind of wonderful....

i am in love with the projects that the architectural firm bosworth hoedemaker create. just feast your eyes on these beauties! wouldn't make a bad spot to have to hangout for the weekend... happy friday!!

feed the dog!!

needless to say, i adore the name and the work of australian artist carmel killin!! feed the dog is a great example of how "simple" can be wonderful. and the fact that the artist doesn't even have a dog makes her work even that much more intriguing. love the sheep- want to own it.

laura bohn's home...

so thank you "google image" (i am in love w/ that silly little thing). it takes me to the craziest places! have y'all used it before?? well, this is how i got to the NY social diary and ran across this article on laura bohn and her freaking fab home! so laura is a funny lady- in this article she describes how she got started in the design world and her clients (it seems like she totally rolls her eyes at them)! she says the only thing that they are worried about is impressing their friends- they aren't interested in bargains in the least. she said she had to teach one of her clients how to fold a towel! anyways- i love hearing other people's stories and seeing how they live...not to mention her home is amazing and use to be an old bank building in the village. how fab!!

julian chichester....

so this is a company that i have used and think they have some amazing products. they do a fine job of giving a contemporary feeling to classic designs...that fish scale finish on the chest of drawers is gorgeous! and the polished nickel base on the Dakota dining table- hello!! if they have it in stock, the product is yours very quickly (it comes from NC). if you happen to be hitting High Point, you should checkout their sample sale...the beautiful chocolate velvet library sofa will be there!

wings.....

i think that this is a great photograph by clifton henri, available thru shop SCAD. i would love to have it in my daughter's room so she would know with a little imagination anyone can have "wings"....

having a fam doesn't make style stop....

if i had to "classify" myself as the type of mom i want to be then make me a cookie mom. that magazine just screams stylish when it comes to having a family. and that is where i found these "fierce" homes (i had to do a shout out for christian...i won't start using that word)!! they have a whole section of house tours that features their readers' homes. i don't know what it is but i love some online house tours...its like you are spying on someone...taking in how they live. i'm a total sucker for that!

wonder cabinet...

you know when you get lost in a "search", well that is how i stumbled upon these amazing silkscreen prints by wonder cabinet. i love them and the fact that the etsy artist, amy walsh, does the screening on old book pages just makes them that much more special (some of the books go back to the mid 1800's)! i can so see a grouping of these on a wall in my house (maybe my bedroom w/ its vastness of blank walls)....

bringing the outdoors in...

the items you see at marsh, a new orleans shop, just might have you rethinking exterior decor...i can see so many of these pieces translating beautifully inside of a home. this month's cottage living featured b. braithwaite's own, chaffee braithwaite, and her bungalow is all about bringing the garden indoors.

are you a victim...

of over design?? when i reached this page in southern accents, i just stopped and stared. i fell in love with the simplicity of this look. it just felt right. so many times, we get caught up in getting things "perfect" that we tend to overdo...here is a perfect example of how nice modesty can feel....oh, and a hint of patent leather never hurts....

shut the front door....

omg, thanks a billion seattle times for including me in your design watch!! this is the BEST WEEK EVER!