{the blog}

old file, pleasant surprise

I love it when I go back into old files in my computer and find surprises.  I was hunting down a photo to visually demonstrate a tapered island leg for an out of town client... when suddenly I spied a little black and white spotty-dotty terrihuahua...

 

Back when this picture was taken Penelope was an only child.  And because I have to be fair... here's a picture of Paisley that Chance took last night.  It was storming and storms make the girl very nervous.  She is only allowed on the sofa and upstairs when it storms, she milks it for all it's worth.

 

I cropped out my big bare pregnant belly.  When Paisley isn't digging her terrierfied little chin into me she's panting excessively.  She's scared to death, but it looks like a smile.  Bless her heart, she makes us laugh so hard. 

We love her to pieces... but she's gonna be in for a rude awakening in 6.5 short weeks.

another one bites the dust

Well folks, I'm wrapping up another project.  I kinda have a taste of motherhood with these "babies" that I labor over for months on end.

I took these pictures on Monday and it's amazing how much has been completed since.  Such as- countertops are now complete (notice missing piece on the right side of the kitchen below), draperies are being hung, painting is being completed, and the list goes on.  When I took these pictures construction was still wrapping up, so you might see strange things, like boxes or electrical plates not yet put into place.

 

The backsplash was a custom order, which we are still waiting for... should be here in 3 weeks.  The tv mounted in the front facade of the vent hood will be covered with a painting... a special painting where the canvas rolls up inside the frame to expose the tv.  Because no one needs a big tv in the kitchen... but morning coffee with the news is a must in most households... right?  When the painting is down, no one will know it's a tv.  Except me and you.

 

My all time favorite faucet.  Times two.  This house at the beach sleeps 12 people.  Two families of 6 could rent it and be in heaven in this kitchen.  While you may think the two fridge, two sink deal is overkill... I've done it before and had great responses.  It is nice to have lots of workspace (countertop area) and also room for two cooks.  Not pictured is the big screened porch right off the kitchen... in the first photo above I was standing in the french doors that lead to that porch.  I envision my clients leaving those doors open as they prepare the meal and set the table.

Through those doors flanking the range (first photo above)- to the right is a home office and to the left is a big walk-in butler's style pantry.  A home office at the beach?  Yes, because who honestly goes on vacation and leaves work (or email and web-surfing) at home?  And something else often over-looked in local beach houses - pantry space.  Perhaps some may think it's unnecessary for short term vacations, but should someone want to actually live in this house, they would be thrilled with this pantry space.

The home office on the right...

  

The floors throughout the first floor are antique reclaimed barn siding (pine) as is the countertop in the office above.  They came from the old cotton mill in Albany that I mentioned at the end of this post.  The grasscloth is by Phillip Jeffries.  The cabinetry and floors throughout were done by Arre's husband - Matt Fuller of Kay Fuller and Sons (Albany, GA). 

Like that fridge wrapped in plastic?  I told ya it wasn't 100% complete yet. Oh and I mentioned electrical plates I'm sure you eagle eyes will spot those too. 

 

Tomorrow the furniture and rugs will start to arrive and the window treatment installation will continue.  All the while the painters are still painting and the cleaning folks are chasing their tails trying to keep it looking good. 

 

These clients live alllllll the way in West Texas.  They have trusted me with their baby and I am very appreciative of that.  They are humble, kind, and generous people.  Just last night I opened a giant box of the cutest baby girl clothes from the wife... she said she couldn't resist.  (She has 3 boys.) 

By the end of (most) all of my projects the relationship feels more like a family-relationship than a working-relationship... which makes this profession passion of mine, all the more worthwhile.

I'll leave you with that... and a promise to show you more as the house continues to wrap up.

And a postscript.  I start every project by telling the homeowner that the most energy and effort (and $) will go into the master bathroom and the kitchen.  And of course, those always end up being two of my favorite rooms in every project.  This being no exception.  I will say- the laundry room in this house is pretty darn cute too... will show you that room next time.

Architect on this project: Archiscapes 

Building Contractor: Baywoods Development Group

worth the wait

 

I'm at my sister's for the weekend and thoroughly enjoying a little bit of time off.  Of course the day I left town (Wednesday) a rug was due to arrive that I ordered months ago.  My clients patiently waited while this beauty was custom made (color and size) for the sunroom that is adjacent to their master bedroom (bed in foreground).  I was beyond delighted to see a few snapshots from my clients once the rug was put in its forever home.

I'd say it was well worth the wait!  I think they'd agree!

The rug is the Dragonscale by NIBA Rugs.  The green is wool and the ivory is silk... I can't wait to see it (and feel it) in person!

 

bar none

 

Meet Scout.  A Border Terrier, who is not only cute, but pretty darn smart too!  Scout lives here.  Not a bad place for a little Border Terrier to call home. 

Today Scout anxiously looked on as his parents and his designer (that would be me) watched a big ole 18-wheeler drop off something we've been waiting a very long time for...

This.  You see I sent the check back in May and as the months have gone on, the more nervous I have become.  It had to be custom made, in France no less, so that always ups the ante.  Today they called to say it was here- in the neighborhood, ready for drop off.  My heart skipped a beat.  A lot of expectation comes along with a 7 month wait for a custom piece of furniture.  I was thinking on my short 5 minute drive over to meet the delivery guy "what if the appliances don't fit?" , "what if they didn't convert my measurements in inches to the metric system?", "what if they couldn't read my notes in English?", "what if the built-in sink is the wrong size?", "what if they didn't allow for adequate space for the electrical outlets in the backsplash?", "what if it doesn't fit up the stairs?". 

All is well folks.  It's not upstairs yet... but where there is a will, there is a way.  I asked my clients (in the background there) if they planned to have their first wet-bar cocktail out in the garage tonight... I wouldn't put it past them, they've been anxiously waiting too. 

   

The cool tag was a surprise... an artist definitely created this, so I'm glad he left his mark!

Happy Weekend!

in the kitchen and more

I am wrapping another project up and since we are on the subject of kitchens I thought I'd give you a sneak peek...

 

 

 

The counters are oyster terrazzo... they are absolutely beautiful (if I might say so myself)! The cabinets are "Macadamia" by Sherwin Williams, the hood and sink are from Texas Lightsmith, the range is Wolf, the fridge is Kitchen Aid, the faucet is Newport Brass, the hardware is Restoration Hardware, the tile is Barbara Barry for Ann Sacks, and the lights are Visual Comfort.  Whew, I'm sure I forgot something...??

 

The photo above is a close-up of the beams in this house... you may recall back in November of 07 when I posted photos of the cotton mill in Albany, GA that was being diassembled for the wood and brick?  Well, that's where the beams and brackets came from- you can see more in this post.  Pretty amazing though to have seen your 'house parts' in their original form:

The rest of the house is not 100% photo-ready just yet... but here are a few more sneak peeks...

    

Thomas O'brien "Julia" rug by Safavieh, chair fabric is LuLu DK contract, lamps, sofas.

   

The iron rail in this house the best I've ever seen... it looks as though it's 100+ years old... it's patinaed and smoothed in areas where hands would have rubbed it down over the years.  Floors are wide plank walnut from Carlisle.

 

   

All bathrooms have soap dishes and washcloth towel bars, fog-free mirrors... all the nice little bells and whistles.  I forgot to photograph the master bathroom... I'll save it for later!

 

 

 

 

This above is the "sand room" - it is the entry off the outdoor shower where guests can drop their towels and even use the potty in the adjacent powder bath.  These clients have been amazing... it's been a long journey, but nothing short of wonderful from start to finish!  (Not that we are done yet... but we are close!)

Something else I think everyone will enjoy... Joni just did a fabulous post on kitchens.  If you haven't seen it yet, head over to Cote De Texas!!  She posted great pictures and then gives readers tips on how to implement this look in your own house! 

my little cafe curtains

Some inquired about my cafe curtains over the sink in my design studio from yesterday's post.  Well, I will share some more info with you... first I should tell you this - it took me a long time to pick out a fabric.

   

You see, when you do what I do for a living, you are surrounded by new fabrics daily.  My fear was real: what if tomorrow something I like better shows up?  So for a few months it looked like this in my windows.

 

I'm glad I didn't go Katsugi (above left), considering Maison 21 has plenty of excess that he bought cheaps and is going to send my way.  Do you think I can do this without honest opinion of blogging friends like Joni & Courtney?

No.  Of course not.  (I had on white pants - it was summer) I had to snap random photos to send off and bother someone else with my 'window issues'. And every so often when I had a second of me-time I'd throw up a new sample and give it the ole "eagle eye".

 

You know I love the Luca by Scalamandre (above right), I hold Scalamandre near and dear to my heart.  This has long been one of my favorites, but I really would rather use it in my house than my office, although I adored it up there... I ruled it out.  BUT I knew I was getting close when I had these 2 up.  I wanted something feminine, soft, warm, and blue was looking good to me. 

My friend in NY, Beth, she's my go-to girl.  If I had a D&D I'd be set, but I don't... so thank you Beth for helping me.  One day this explosion happened next to my desk and I was thinking about my own windows. 

 

In the end I went with Suzanne Rheinstein's Ikat for Lee Jofa.

I had installed the natural woven roller shades when I moved over a year ago.  They are just cheapies from Linens & Things... RIP.  I love them though.  Simple and great color.  I did not want to do away with them... so I left them in the windows (they are inside mounted).  I simply added a rod for cafe curtains.

 

Now, don't have a heart attack... the rod is a shower curtain rod. Ghetto fabulous, I know.  Wouldn't Suzanne Rheinstein be proud?  I had it left over from a job, and it matched the stainless cabinets perfectly.  So I just ordered these brackets to hold the rod and mounted it to the cabinets.  The rings I got at this great retail chain we have here called Tarjay (remove the clips- remove the clips - remove the clips... clips are not your friend).

   

I wanted my curtains to fall on the window sill... and they do.  Which makes me happy. They are linen... linen grows... so when I first hung them, I gave them a 1/4 - 1/2 of an inch to grow. I hung the rod at the top of the window... although I toyed with the idea of hanging them 1/2 way down (in the middle of the window)... but when I opted to keep my roller shades I knew it would look best for them to be at the top.

 

See the shower curtain bracket... not too bad aye?  The curtains are what I call "2 finger euro pleat"... see the 2 folds in the pleat... yes.  That's all that means.  They are black-out lined... because I think bolder patterns look better with black-out lining. 

 

You remember how I mentioned "remove the clips"... if you desire to be a little more sophisticated... behind your curtains, whether they are pinch pleated or not... you can use a drapery pin or a drapery hook (same thing) then you attach your rings to those.  Wah-lah!

Random other information you may or may not be interested in:

Yes, I decided to keep that painting from way back when for myself.  Which unfortunately I do a lot of times when I buy something I like with the intent to sell to a client. 

I think I've mentioned before, but incase I forgot... the stainless cabinets are all old.  Reclaimed/salvaged from 2 different places.  The uppers came out of a hospital via a friend who knew we would like them.  The lower- sink system we found at a side of the road flea market.  Opposite of the sink wall is a range and either side of the range are undercounter refrigerator (on the left) and freezer (on the right).  The cabinet hardware (unlacquered brass) I made myself out of plumbing parts.  Someone asked me about brass plumbing parts, and I can't find the email?  This is similar to what I used, or go to page 50 of this catalog. My mini dishwasher is by GE and my icemaker is by Kitchen Aid... the ice that the Kitchen Aid icemaker makes is one of my favorites. My faucet is by La Toscana.  The crazy looking valves that look like a science lab came on the sink... I love them.  My walls are Benjamin Moore White Dove OC-17 and my ceiling is Benjamin Moore Camouflage 2143-40.

Happy Friday!!

PS: my Dr.Nut (a soda that used to be made in Louisiana) crate came from Round Top when we went last March.  Courtney talked me into it, but didn't buy one at the time.  She regretted it and so when she went back to Round Top this fall- she found one for her kitchen too! 

we eat candy and oatmeal

 

My pantry is kinda like a circus... and I love it.  Obviously I don't have anything too exciting to share today if I've resorted to showing you a picture of the inside of my pantry?  I hope you like it as much as I do! It used to be a laundry room, which was horrible.  Doing laundry in your kitchen is not cool.

I left my coffee in the microwave in there this morning... bummer.

Do you spy what Alston sent me?  A print of my girls.  The John D "E" is from Court... love it too.  Oh and my paper is Phillip Jeffries. 

Happy Hump Day friends!

thankful x 2

Four years ago when I began this adventure it was me and my computer (and Penelope).

 

Of course I should mention my husband was my cheerleader.  But really it was me, myself and I.  I had an office in the house and I did not understand boundaries - I worked all hours of the day and night (it was definitely unhealthy, but I love what I do, so I did it). 

Then came Joan (above right)... praise the Lord!  I needed her help.  She had been working for one of my clients and every time I saw her I asked when she was going to start helping me with my accounting?  She is a die hard number-cruncher and keeps my finances in order.  An over-achieving rock-star who has resume with places of employment such as Mobil Oil (and I ain't talkin about the service station on the corner)... I can only assume that furniture, draperies, fabrics, lights are more exciting than oil?  However, it is certain that my bank account will never look like Mobil's.

 

Did I mention she's a certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor?  Gotta love her.  Joan cares about accounting like I care about design- it's her passion- and that makes me very happy.  We don't always speak the same language... but I sleep at night because I can rely on her expertise (and occassionally she seeks mine).  She's as square as they come... which I love and appreciate more than she knows.  She walks a fine-line between "really organized" and "riddled with OCD" - you should see her house (and her fridge and her closet!).  I often get looks like this (above) when I lose receipts, check stubs, or fail to get a W-9 signed by someone.  These two keep me in line.  I could not run this business without them. 

 

This time last year I was on the verge of a melt-down... I thought I needed to clone myself or I'd never make it through another day.  Busy is a 'happy problem', but my 'happy problem' was starting to kill me.  "What are we going to do?" (Joan gave me a look like that one above) and then answered her own question "you need Paula!" (Paula above on right)  

 

Paula is a total Godsend.  Paisley adores her too (sometimes this makes me jealous).  A QuickBooks whiz and an organized-type (like Joan) she keeps every aspect of this business under control... from placing and tracking orders to organizing project work, to making sure I don't leave for a meeting without my phone, my keys, my tape measurer, my camera... and my brain.  Paula is compassionate and loves the Lord, she spends multiple nights a week voluntarily leading a small group at her church for middle and high school girls.  She is not easily frazzled and keeps everything in perspective- something I unfortunately struggle with.

 

These two beautiful women are such a blessing to me.  This Thanksgiving I want them to know how thankful I am for their help.  They are tidy, organized (don't touch Joan's pen (yeah, the one with her name on it) or else!), they care about Urban Grace Interiors as much as I do, and are genuinely hard-working women... I could not ask for more!

Joan and Paula, thank you for all you do!

I'm leaving today for a week-long much-needed break... I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!!   

I am alive (I think)

Hi friends.  Sorry for a lack of posts!  I've been out of town, wrapping up this project in Tallahassee.  I love these clients (I am blessed and grateful- most of clients are pretty darn fabulous)... these two are delightful and warm and caring beyond words... I think their house suits them well.  This project has been in the works for about 2.5 years and  I am honored to have been included in their journey.  I posted photos earlier... but here are some of the final product.  While I was there doing my thing, some students from the FSU Film School stopped by (the FSU film school is pretty well renowned) and they wanted to shoot a film in the front yard and on the porch... which is pretty fun!  Here are some pictures of my adventures last week...

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clarence House fabric, one of my absolute favorites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

*If I owe you a phone call, email, hug, note, something tangible... sorry, I'm catching up, please have patience with me.  One more busy week this week (another installation)... but after Thanksgiving I plan to be back to business as usual! We are going home for a whole WEEK for Thanksgiving and I seriously cannot wait!!!  For now, I'm off to bed as I've had a hard time keeping my eyes open all day!

PS- I gave up Diet Coke.  I've been afraid to tell you, my imaginary cyber friends, for fear of a relapse... but so far, so good... it's been well over a month! 

 

checking in on my peeps

in Boston:

 

 

 

in DC:

 

 

   

and here:

 

 

 

 

 

Hi friends, I'm super busy week this week and next... so if posts are few and far between... I'm sorry!  Promise to come back with pretties to share!