nest egg

Dream Tile

Apparently you all know me well because every time I get an email from a reader saying "I think you'll like this..." I open it up and my jaw hits the floor. A few days ago I get an email with a subject that reads "amazing tile"- I was skeptical only because I rarely find tile that really excites me. 
I clicked.....I opened..... I gasped.

 

These marble tiles from Studium NYC were featured in the recent House Beautiful... have you seen them? (last page or so) 

 

This one is called Maharajah Stripe..... I think I'd faint if I walked into a floor done in this. (Or I would atleast pretend to faint so that I could be lying on the floor closer to it)

 But I'm not going to lie- it's pricey. So while I am in my pricey, fantasy bathroom with my Maharajah Striped floors I'd like to throw in a few finishing touches...

 

This pretty chest from Tritter Feefer- I might darken the hardware a tiny bit and add a white marble top to match my gorgeous floors. With one of these for the sink...

 

Paired with this Rohl country wall mount bridge faucet...

 

Hmmmm... what else?....

 

an antiqued scalloped mirror from Windsor Smith Home and two Mel sconces from Urban Electric.                

 
Apothecary Jars from Restoration and the Sunwashed Suzani hand towels from anthropologie.

 I am behind on returning emails but I really do appreciate all of your feedback and design finds. You guys keep me on my toes! And thanks to Jeana for the tile email... you were right. It's amazing.

 

Paint Color Investigating

Have you ever looked through a magazine and wondered what paint color is on the walls of the room you're drooling over-- and then quickly flip back to the resources section hoping you'll find the answer there?

Well, I do.

About 20 times per magazine.

There are paint colors that I use over and over again (which I will share with you in a future post soon!) and some of them have come straight from the resources section. 

Here are a few beautiful rooms that had me flipping.... (no pun intended)

 

This is the picture that made me fall in love with Gray Cashmere, by Benjamin Moore. I've used it on several jobs and am pleased with it every time! 

(photo from Southern Accents)  

 
White Dove, by Benjamin Moore....another staple of mine.

(designer Jeffrey Bilhuber) 

Disclaimer: Paint colors are tough. They appear one way in the magazine but 95% of the time they will look completely different in your own home. I recommend painting several sample boards and hanging them in different spots around the room before making your decision.

Moving on...

Light Gray by Farrow and Ball 

(Ina Garten's home, via House Beautiful) 

 Creekside Green by Benjamin Moore

 (designer Amelia Handegan, from HB)  

 
Borrowed Light by Farrow & Ball

(designer Frank Roop, from HB)   

  Bone White by Benjamin Moore

 (designer Suzanne Kasler, from HB)  

Island and base cabinets are Tudor Brown by Benjamin Moore

 (designer Sandi Holland, from HB)  

 Cabinets and trim color are China White, walls are Indian White by Benjamin Moore

 (designer Jim Howard, from HB)  

Tobacco by Pratt & Lambert

(designer Barbara Westbrook, HB)  

Sag Harbor Gray by Benjamin Moore

(designer Bobby Mcalpine & Susan Ferrier, HB)  

Have a great weekend!

 

Gotta Get A Gourd

A bright, colorful gourd lamp will update ANY room. Guaranteed. I find myself recommending them almost as often as I recommend changing a paint color.

(The lovely ladies above are all from HERE, around $150-$200 each)

Some other affordable ones....

 

a few from here , $105

 

 two from here, $179

 one from here, $119

And if you are near a TJ Maxx HomeGoods store you should swing by to check see if they have any gourd lamps. Nine times out of ten you'll find an inexpensive pair. I always do. Then I pace around TJ Maxx trying to decide if I should buy them or not, finally manage to awkwardly hold them while standing in a line, get irrationally annoyed after 5 minutes of waiting, put the lamps back, and walk out frustrated and empty handed. (P.S. This is how Hoyt shops ALL the time) Anyway, don't repeat after me us. If you see some good gourd lamps, think of me and wait patiently in line. 

And last but least $

Target one, $25 

Get a gourd, 

Thank me later. 

 
  

Nursery Winner

After over 125 votes (WOW!) we have ourselves a nursery winner....

number twenty!!

Thanks to a reader I was able to locate the source. I apologize for not finding it the first time- I swear I tried!  The source is Theophile-Patachou..  If you liked this nursery you'll LOVE their website. 

So, like I promised, I recreated #20 on a budget...

 the walls: *please keep in mind that the digital images of paint colors vary from the actual color*

 
 
 

Benjamin Moore, HC-45, Shaker Beige... and OC-17, White Dove (ha, you can't even see it)

** I would paint the entire room one or the other. If it were up to me? Shaker beige. Baseboards and crown mldg. can be white dove (or existing trim color)

the rug:

  
 West Elm jute rug, $89

the furniture:

Crib from JCPenney, $179 

For the chair, the closest thing I could find for less $$ was this one:

  
the Louisa chair from Ballard Designs, $599  

  
The Leksvik Chest from Ikea is perfect for doubling as a changing table. And for only $249, I would paint it *white dove* and change out the hardware with these:

 

Classic Ring pulls for $5 each

the bedding:

White crib bedding? Easy.. go to Target. Or for a step up:

From pbkids white bedding 

 

Throw blanket in tan, from Overstock, $25

For the detailed canopy design over the crib... I'm actually going to choose to NOT copy this part. Not because I don't like it (I do) but because this part, on a budget, could get ugly fAST!! For an example of what I'm referring to click here. 

So I'd go with something similar but much more simple:

 

Indian Gauze Canopy from World Market, $49.99- I've seen this in person and it's great... very ethereal and not cheap looking!

And for the windows I would mimic the design of this canopy and get basic white drapes, apply grosgrain ribbon to the edges of the panels and make ties at the top as well....

  

White drapery panels from PB for $69 
Taupe grosgrain ribbon from here, or just about anywhere that sells ribbon. 
 

the lighting:
 

 

Whimsical chandelier on sale for $129

For the little lamp on the dresser I'd go with one of these 2:

 
 

Chelsea table lamp for $59 with your choice of shade color (an additional $16),

OR
 

 

A simple gourd lamp, $79.95

the walls:
When I saw the artwork the first thing that came to mind was: Eddie Ross. Have you read the post about what he did with baby clothes and accessories? Seriously, it's SO cool.

  As with most of Eddie's inspiring posts he will have you heading up to your attic in a heartbeat. Click here to read it. 

So if you can come up with something sentimental to frame, GO FOR IT. If not, these little prints from Etsy would be pretty cute:

    

 from Barking Bird Art, $18 each

 

5x7 frames, only $1.99 for a 3-pack! From Ikea, ofcourse. I repeat- One dollar and ninety nine cents!! I'm pretty sure I can't even buy a Gatorade for that much!

Paint them several shades darker than the wall color-

 
I'd go with HC-77 Alexandria Beige 

and wrap my mats in off-white burlap which you can find in pretty much any local fabric store. JoAnns for starters...

 
For a great DIY post on custom matted framing click here.  

the shelf:

 

peg shelf, $49
(paint it White Dove*)

OR add a little personality and get a basic wall shelf-

 

from Target, (paint it White Dove*)

with any of these hooks mounted underneath:

 
 
 
 all from anthropologie

accessories:

  

 
 

A pretty braided basket- for $19

Cuddle bunnies from Restoration... $10-$39 

AND just because they match are tooooo cute to pass up:

 

[cue baby voice]

baby Uggs. OH-my-goodness...

And just so you know, the runner up was number ONE:

 

It's good to know y'all like rooms with color. :) ....Hey, I'm with you.

Speaking of white- we have been covered in SNOW here in Nashville! 

Yes, that is Hoyt sledding face first on a piece of cardboard.

Thank you so much for all of your comments and votes! Have a great Monday.

 
 

 
 
 

 

Santa Fe Sky

I'm in Santa Fe for work...

 

The sky here goes on forever... 

and the new fallen snow makes it even more beautiful!

I have lost all concept of time and the internet was down for a few days so if you have emailed or called- this is why. And I promise I'll back in action tomorrow.

But seriously, look how pretty...

 
 

 
The house I'm staying in?? Amazing.....

 
The previous owner and decorator was Renea Abbott owner of Shabby Slips in Houston, TN. I'll post more pictures soon... Y'all are going to love it!!

In the mean time, you can find me over at Style Blueprint when I went on a shopping trip with Liza a few weeks ago. We perused through some of my very favorite antique stores in Franklin, TN. Check it out here.!!!

 Also, a big thank you to Holly from Things that Inspire for including me as one of her new favorite blogs for 2010. It meant so much coming from her because I find her blog to be one of my favorite inspirations. Check out some of her recent posts here.

One more thing and then I'll stop talking. I'm so excited about all of the nursery votes I've gotten in! Thank you for participating. I love how each of you has their own style and preference when it comes to decor.  I'll post the winner in the next few days so if you haven't voted yet there is still time! 

I leave today.

Goodbye Santa Fe sky...

 

Nurseries

I recently found out one of my cousins is expecting a baby in June! She has asked me to help with the nursery and I couldn't be more excited. She lives in my OUR great grandmother's old house so it will be even more special to help spruce it up for the little one. I've been looking through my 'nursery file' to find inspiration... and I want to share some ones that have appealed to me over the years.

So, please cast your votes for your favorite nursery! 

And like these previous posts you voted on :: (white kitchens) (twin bedrooms) ::  I will piece together the winning bedroom on a budget! So make sure you vote. (Even if you aren't planning on having a baby anytime soon- just pretend you're being held at  gunpoint and you HAD to choose one room!)... Really I'm just interested to see what you guys like. :)

There are 21 total nurseries... take note.

one.

 

two.

   
 three.>precious boy not included>

 

four.

five.

six.

 

seven.

eight.

 

nine.  

 

ten.
 

eleven.
  

twelve.

thirteen.

 

fourteen.

fifteen.

 

sixteen.

 seventeen.

 

eighteen.

 

nineteen.

twenty.

  

and twenty one.

 

This post is dedicated to all of my pregnant readers and friends: Lindsay, Brooke, Amy, Grace, Kim ::  I'm sure there are many more...

Here's to nesting!

 

 (1) Wendy Bellisimo via apartment therapy (2) via urban grace blog (3) via paul costello (4) via desire to inspire (5) via elements of style (6) via traditional home (7) Serena & Lily nursery seen at style blueprint (8) celerie kimble (9) via domino mag seen at  apartment therapy  (10)Jenna Lyon's nursery via Domino Mag (11) Suellen Gregory nursery via cote de texas (12) via domino mag  (13) source unknown (14) photo by Bill Kingston (15) Tannery O'Conner via blueprint bliss (16) Windsor Smith (17) Serena & Lily  Nursery (18) via ohdeedoh (19) via domino mag (20)source unknown-sorry!(21) via domino mag

Beams- Exposed

I started a post a while ago that just included pictures of rooms I liked. When I went back and looked through them I realized they all shared one common element: exposed beams.

There is something about this raw architectural element that screams 'cozy' and better yet 'rustic elegance'.... You know I love anything with that description!

A rustic, elegant tax return? Yes please!

 design by Erin Martin
  

Tom Scheerer via House Beautiful

Designer John Coolidge via Southern Accents

 

via House Beautiful

 
via elle decor 2007

via southern accents

 
 
Carter Smith's home via garden and gun    

 

 via House Beautiful

Designer Melanie Pounds via BHG

Ina Garten's kitchen via House Beautiful

designer Betty Burgess via Veranda 
 
Designer Victoria Hagan  

 

Sela Ward's home designed by Bill Ingram

 

  

Share your Nest

When hearing and reading about the conditions in Haiti I feel totally helpless. 

But there is still hope. And there are ways to help...

I have added a list of links on the right hand side of the blog under the heading "Share Your Nest." I encourage you to click through them and consider donating to any of these organizations. 

 

Chateau Love

A friend/reader sent me an email from Houston, Texas letting me know she now works at Chateau Domingue. After looking through the website she clearly meant to say heaven. I scrolled through the images sitting alone at my computer and said aloud

Oh.

my.

word.

 

Chateau Domingue is known for importing reclaimed materials and unique architectural elements from all over the world! All sorts of flooring, tiles, light fixtures and furniture. They have 15,000 sq. ft. showroom that I am going to need to see sometime very soon! I can't even imagine what beautiful pieces grace the floors.

I thought I'd spread the love before the weekend with some of their images that will make your heart flutter...

 

drooling yet ???


 

 

 
 
   
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

and my personal favorite...

 
    
Pick your chin up off the floor....

 and have a good weekend! 

<all images from chateau domingue- go check it out!!! The website a beautiful illustration of their unique vision. >
 

 

Knock Knock

Who's there?

Oh, it's Rachel....and she's moving in.

 I know this house has been all over the blog world and on the front of a magazine but I had to put it on nestegg. I couldn't help it! Must be love...

 

Jill Brinson, interior designer and creative director for Ballard Designs, has an knack for style. Her house is rustic, timeless... and effortlessly cool. 

I don't have time to tell you all the reasons I love this house so I'll just pick ONE favorite thing about each room. (deep breath- this is going to be difficult)
 

• the feminine (almost diva) touches to this room against the rustic, masculine pieces. EX: the splash of pink, the shiny sconces. Brilliant MIX!

 

• the white washed cabinets with chicken wire
• oh and the lanterns! AND the wicker chair... this is clearly impossible.

 

• the fact that she got this gazebo from the anthropologie store in the mall

 

• the UH MAY ZING iron window

 

• the different cased openings on either side of the fireplace. She's not matchy matchy-! We're going to get along great.

 

• the old shutters used as closet doors

 

• The soothing gray outdoor furniture....who is ready for spring?

 

• I don't know if I can choose just one. But I think the main reason I love this kitchen is the span of windows above the sink instead of upper cabinets.

 

• The fact that this beautiful wallpaper is unexpected yet perfect.

 

• The chairs... and the view. Are we seriously in Atlanta??

 

• The unique vanity with a small mirror (from Target) in between the sinks rather than spanning the length of the wall.

 

• The tub. (Everything about it.)      *I did not notice a guest room so I'll just put my things in here thank you. Wake me up in a few days...

Did you love this house as much as I did? Would love to hear your thoughts.

      

 Click here to read the article.

All photos taken by Simon Upton via House Beautiful