Crisp and Clean dining...

I totally fell for these images when the sweet Angela sent them my way for some kitchen nook inspiration!  So clean and really just perfect.  I am pretty sure I would loose my voice from yelling at the kids not to get anything dirty if I took this road, but it would look great for a few days!

Stay tuned for the design ideas for Angela's home coming next week...

Also, this week starting tomorrow I have some wonderful guest posts coming up!

images via

Hanging at Brooklyn Limestone

Today I am blogging over at the fabulous Brooklyn Limestone blog where I will be sharing my favorite “nook” in our house.

Here are some hints...

xo,

Dash of Modern, Pinch of Traditional Interior Design

This sweet modern nursery room was featured in a previous Simplified Bee blog post focused on Girly, Girl Bay Nursery Room Designs. I recently came across the article in Style at Home which featured images of the rest of this Vancouver Arts and Crafts style home and wanted to share them with you.

To help decorated the home, the owners turned to designer, Peter Wilds from boutique, The Cross. His task was to artfully blend the couple’s modern taste with the home’s classic look. A neutral white & gray color palette with blue accents is carried throughout the central living spaces. In the family room which is open to the kitchen, the walls and trim are washed in white.  A tobacco leather sofa is paired with the Oly Studio Pico Cocktail table. This round table has a beautiful scalloped shell top and industrial iron base. The spectacled cow hide rug provides wonderful texture and contrast.

Here in the all white kitchen you can get a good sense of how dark the wood flooring is. The classic white kitchen cabinets are paired with white ceramic subway and carrera marble. I love the white wooden stools with gray cushions selected for the kitchen island.

In the dining room, a midcentury style Saarinen table is paired with traditional ballroom-style chairs. Painting the chairs a gray-turquoise is a wonderful way to carry the color palette throughout the space. The full length mirror and crystal chandelier add playful touches of glam to the room.

In the living room, the furniture arrangement emphasizes on the room’s focal point, the traditional fireplace and the painting by Douglas Walker. Again, cool whites and grays are mixed with bright pops of blue. The clear, modern coffee table helps keep the space light and airy.

Across from the sofa in the living sits a pair of white upholstered armchairs with contrasting nailhead trim. They flank an Oly Studio Pipa side table in pierced resin. The side table’s squiggly pattern is repeated in the Elisabeth bedside table also by Oly that features a beautiful woven pattern over an antiqued mirror. The same side table and silver lamp is placed on the other side of the fireplace for symmetry.

In the bedroom, the cool color palette continues, however the cool blue accent color is replaced with warm and rustic reds. Centered above the bed is a modern, white flower mirror. You can find one similar here. Large ikat pillows are a perfect finishing touch on the bed.

Is this modern classic home fit your personal style?

*all photography by Janis Nicolay via Style at Home

Domino magazine love - great dining rooms

oh I still miss Domino...enjoy this little taste of the past

Living and dining room project

Hello, I hope you are having a relaxing Sunday after a wonderful weekend! 

I wanted to share a project that I have been working on with the lovely Jennifer for her home. She has a wonderful space that is perfect for making a cozy family atmosphere.  I am so lucky to have wonderful people to work with and I am so excited to see how it all turns out!

More details to come....

.....

Grateful for You!

This has been a busy time for me.  I'm hosting a small dinner for Thanksgiving and I've been setting up my shop space for the opening of Merchants on Main Dec. 1.    I'm not complaining, I love being busy but it's left me very little time to work on my blog or to visit all of my favorite blogs. 


I hope to have some photos of my shop for you by next week - I have some great vintage pieces and can't wait to share them with you all! 


I wish everyone a safe and beautiful Thanksgiving celebration!  I'm spending time with the people that mean the most to me and counting my many blessings.  I'm so thankful for everyone who takes the time to visit my blog.

Have a beautiful holiday!

Holiday cheer...

 

Are you ready??  I know I know.  I should not forget that next week is Thanksgiving... but I am ready to toss out the pumpkins and bring in the greenery...  You?  Have you started your Holiday shopping??

image via pinterest

...

Boho at home...

 

Loving the feel of the sea in this space.  It is but it is not at the same time..  

images via atlanta homes and lifestyles

Dining room changes...

Here is my dining room as it is now... With dark brown paint and the mirror collage. I am not in love. We have an ugly ceiling fan that was existing and most of the furniture was new. I had the drapery made and put in just after we moved in a couple of years ago. I have been dying to change this room for a while now but have been kind of undecided on what exactly to do. (I have had a square of Slate Grey from Restoration Hardware painted on the wall for 3 months or so waiting for my husband to give in.)

So we will paint and I have decided to sell the mirrors to make way for a large reproduction clock face with zinc. I am so excited! I am hoping that the grey on grey will work for the space. I would really love to have some mirrored window panes here - but a clock face will do nicely for now.  I am going to recover the chair seats too once the painting is done.  I found a great settee at the Long Beach Flea Market a few months back that I was thinking of putting in here but it is too low so I have another location planned for that.

The floor will remain unfinished concrete as I am still deciding if we should stain it or just wait for the wood flooring I liked to be within my budget.

I have decided to go ahead with the Slate paint from Restoration Hardware- I love the dark contrast with the white trim. As we progress I will have to give you an update...

(I know I never did do an update on the front door project- they look amazing- I will have to take some pictures and post them.)

What do you think?

Don't forget to join us on facebook we will keep you updated on the latest happenings with greige and our upcoming shop opening!

images via me

A bit of sparkle...

This is such a gorgeous combination...Here's to a new week...

image via trouvais

Dining with John Saladino

How can one person be so talented and make me want to sit and stay awhile??

I need the glass door in the top photo...

images john saladino via cote de texas

DC Designer Liz Levin's Kid-friendly, Stylish Home

When Washington DC-based interior designer, Liz Levin became a new mom she discovered few stylish furniture options that were kid-friendly. As a result, she founded Nesting - an all-in-one resource for contemporary, high performance furnishings specifically selected and designed with children and pets in mind. Yippee!

Liz used her own home as a laboratory and many of her furnishings are from her store's collection. In the living room, Liz mixes design styles and balances feminine and masculine elements beautifully. The table skirt was made custom by Liz Levin Interiors in Rogers and Goffigon {cream texture} with trim fabric by Schumacher. A fun Lucite waterfall coffee table from CB2 serves as a coffee table {note the rounded corners - kid-friendly!}. Liz sells a higher end version on Liz Levin Nesting. The most striking element in the room however, is the stunning wallpaper by Cole & Son  behind the dark chocolate sofa. The colorful print {Fornasetti Collection Frutto Proibito} pulls together the room's color palette brilliantly. The remaining walls were painted in Benjamin Moore's Manchester Tan and is a nice contrast to the dark remnant wool wilton area rug.

The Murano glass table lamp and round brass vase add just the right vintage touches and were purchased at Sixteen Fifty-Nine in DC's Georgetown. The red, pink and white t.v. time chair {"deliciously comfortable" as Liz puts it} is covered in a cutting edge, stain-resistant upholstery fabric that uses Nano-Tex technology and adds a punch of color. Stylish and functional - love this!

Above the living room's fireplace hangings original artwork by Barbara K. Buer. I love how Liz flanks the fireplace with highs and lows - an antique Chinese garden statue from Qi in Old Town Alexandria, VA and a sweet child's rocking chair found at a local flea market. The fuchsia nesting chair {Hollywood 2} is also made in high performance fabric, yet has a fashion-forward look. {We need to know how she sold her hubby on the bold, feminine color choice!}

In the dining room, Liz opens up the space visually with a large custom mirror and floor length drapes in a fun brown and white geometric print. The dark wooden dining table was a passed down from a family member and looks amazing with the Design Within Reach white leather chairs Liz scored off of Craig's List. The drum pendant lighting is by Visual Comfort and is available through the trade.

This fun and colorful space is Liz's "catch all" room. It serves as a home office, play area and guest room so the design needed to incorporate furnishings that were functional and flowed visually. The striking red and white "Merlin" wallpaper by Albert Hadley {through Hinson/Brunchwig & Fils} was a splurge and sets a playful tone. Liz selected the sleek white Parsons desk from West Elm and paired it with an Ikea chair - both very affordable. A fun red bamboo style floor lamp from Arteriors {available through the trade} helps with needed task lighting and balances the space visually. Artwork stacked above the cherry red file cabinet are finger paintings by her daughter and set in frames from Pottery Barn. I love to see children's art framed and showcased for all to see.

Keeping within a tight budget, Liz selected the children's table and chairs from Ikea - can't bet Ikea prices! Liz hung a whimsical poster that beautifully picks up a yellow and white zigzag accent pillow on the West Elm Storage Bed Frame {pull out draw provides more storage options}.

In the bedroom, Liz covers the bed in dark brown bedding by DKNY. The turquoise and white circle print accent pillows were made custom while bolsters were from West Elm. A sweet Lucite tray table from Alba Interiors Lambertville, NJ is the perfect bedside table. Framed artwork from Liz's travels to Brazil and Hong Kong are stacked, while a larger "For Like Ever" print hangs above the bed.

 

Liz mixes styles and adds ethnic touches on a dresser. The vintage turquoise Chinese Foo Dog from Qi in Old Town Alexandria, VA is handsome next to the modern Paris lamp from good old, Target. The rrom's walls were painted a soothing Palladian Blue by Benjamin Moore.

In the baby's nursery room, Liz keeps it bright and cheery with the walls painted in Farrow & Ball Hound Lemon. She placed a white classic spindle crib from Land of Nod {before many of the crib recalls of this type - please make sure if you are given a crib it has not been recalled} centered between a glider and toy bins. The sweet and sassy curvy side table in white is one of my favorites and is available at Liz Levin Nesting. It is perfect for any room in the house! 

Floor length drapes in yellow with a green panel nicely frame the windows. While large, colorful stuffed animals in the green and yellow color palette add to the playfulness of the room's decor. Liz keeps the amoire and changing table {Land of Nod} neutral white and consistent with the other furnishings in the room.

I am still drooling over the Cole & Son wallpaper in Liz's living room? What caught your eye?

Be sure to check out Liz's lovely design portfolio and visit Nesting for kid-friendly furnishings and great design advice.

*images courtesy of Liz Levin Interiors