downtown

i love this quote that house and garden used to describe this slightly offbeat and fearless furniture and accessory store..." For a glimpse of coming currents in interior design, ...Downtown may be as good as a crystal ball..."

nobody does it like jim....

my brother is off on one his trips to thailand (he travels there at least twice a year, lived there for about 7 yrs, and has plans to return there eventually)...which makes me think about jim thompson and my love for his gorgeous fabrics. there is nothing as beautiful as the thai silk fabrics this company produces. when i was a freshman in college, my family went on a trip to thailand and i passed up the opportunity to go tour his home....probably to do something lame like layout by the pool. of course, my mom came back just totally mesmerized by his beautiful residence...10 years later, i am kicking myself for not going and seeing it. but you know, i guess at that time in my life a tan was more important...my how times change.

one of those days...

i wish i was here....instead i'm here....but then she army crawls into my office and i can't help but smile.

love at first sight....

pink smeg dishwasher is like a girlie girl's dream come true (i mean check out that utensil holder)! you know what is really funny about this- last night i was sitting at the dinner table w/ my husband and i ask him "did you picture yourself marrying such a girlie girl"? which seems like a weird question to ask your husband of 4 yrs but this was my thought process...when i was driving home from a job yesterday, i started recapping "the hills" in my head as i was loudly singing along to what my husband calls "a high school mixed cd" i made. i got a smile on my face thinking about my poor husband and wondered if 10 years ago did he picture himself marrying someone who would love to own this.....

*the bottom pic is of my husband (probably 10 yrs ago) on his road trip across country. he slept in a tent for two wks and showered maybe twice in a river...do you think he thought one day he would have to share a bed w/ someone who wanted to own a pink utensil holder?

driving myself crazy....

ok, i am not one that has this compulsive instinct about matchy/ matchy...in fact, i am far from that. but i am driving myself crazy trying to figure out if i feel like the lighting, hardware, and plumbing fixtures have to match....like do you think that if you have oil-rubbed bronze lighting and hardware, then should your plumbing (faucets, shower heads, etc.) be the same or are you at peace w/ making them something completely different like satin nickel?? i don't feel like in a house you have to be alllll one way or the other but in a space/ room i'm torn....

angie hranowsky...

i was so excited when i was flipping through a magazine and ran across angie hranowsky. i was even more shocked that she was a local designer. the interiors of her mother's home was so hip that i couldn't resist emailing her to find out more....angie couldn't have been any sweeter and agreed to do a little Q & A....

Q: I totally stumbled upon you while flipping thru house beautiful looking for something inspiring for a current project. I almost fell out of my chair when I saw that you lived here! You are a breath of fresh air in a town full of traditional designers…what inspires your design style?
A: I would say the main things that inspire my design style are vintage/modern furniture and architecture and color. I have been a collector of vintage furniture for years. I am constantly seeking out interesting pieces and furniture designers that are more rare.

Q: You had a wonderful client to work for- your mother! Her house is so hip and with it…did you both come up with the feminine concept or did you just tell her to trust you!??

A: Doing my mom's house when she moved here was a great experience. We did talk first about what she wanted, feminine and comfortable. She was great and really followed my instincts. I would show her what I was doing for her approval, but she was pretty open about it all.

Q: I have to know more about the amazing chandelier that you painted for the master bedroom….i think I read that you did it yourself…please share!!

A: Yes, I got a glass chandelier and painted it myself with car paint. Getting paint to stick to glass even with priming it first was not easy. I loved the idea of a colored glass chandelier and decided I could get the look for a lot less and make it more interesting.

Q: I adore the hallway with the O & L paper…everything looks so effortless…are the lamp and console vintage?

A:Yes, the lamp and cabinet in the hall are vintage, although I had the cabinet refinished with a
fresh coat of white lacquer.

Q: What is your favorite local place to shop?
A: My favorite local place is Antiques in South Windermere in the South Windermere shopping center. I stop in there almost every week. There are really no places in town that sell a lot of vintage, but that antique store always has a good mix of furniture and accessories and I have been fortunate to stumble on some good finds. Ultimately I don't get a lot things in town. I am constantly searching and looking for good finds when I am traveling.

Q: What is the one design trend you can’t get enough of and what is one you hope to never see again??

A: I'm not sure it's a trend, but I can never get enough of turquoise. I love the color whether its paint, fabric or jewelry.
I don't like country... themes, decor, nothing country.

Thanks so much for taking time out angie for this interview! Keep up the great design!!

happy b'day....

sunday is easter and my husband's b'day! he has the day off and we have a babysitter for the weekend so i am playing with him today. have a great weekend.

love her....

for obvious reasons...victoria's interiors are far from contrived and the furniture exudes coolness.

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!