Now you see it...

Now you don't!  Have you ever wondered why electricians are required to install so many flippin' electrical outlets through your tile or granite backsplash?  I am not sure why you are required to put in so many according to code, at least in our area.  We installed oil rubbed bronze cover plates where the walls are chocolate brown, but I knew they would take away from the tile if I did that here. 


Here is what our tile backsplash looked like before I purchased the incognito-style outlets and cover plates.

And the after...what a major upgrade for such a minor purchase!

The products used are all made by Lutron.  They have an extremely wide range of colors to custom match any application.  Check out their website here.

Have you purchased anything small recently that resulted in a major facelift?  

Antiquing in the Mountains of VA

My in-laws have a cute and quaint little home in the mountains of the Shanandoah Valley.  We finally had a free weekend and packed up the kiddos to head there for a little R&R.  Or should I say G&A, golf and antiquing (golf for Jeremy and antiquing for me).  Once the babies were down for their afternoon nap on Saturday, I headed out in search of some cute accessories (my sweet mom-in-law offered to stay at the house with the babies).


My first stop was the Strasburg Flea Market.  I came across lots of milk glass and snagged one sweet little vase for 6.00 along with an owl I plan on spray painting for a dollar.  Total amount of money spent was $7.35.  Score!


My next stop was the Strasburg Emporium, which is right next door to the flea market.  They have really stepped up their game in the past couple of years, and I was surprised to find one building full of actual 'displays' and a fair share of shabby chic furniture.  While I am not really in need of any furniture, I did manage to snap a few pics of some things I wouldn't mind having if I had the room or need.  

If you can distract your eyes away from the wooden box on top and the antique sign underneath, I loved this desk.  Unfortunately, it was sold.  It would have looked great in my craft room/office!

When I first saw this antique oriental rug I thought it would look great in a mudroom or outdoor space.  I am currently loving it for a smaller bedroom or entryway.

This antique sofa has been recovered and repainted and I couldn't help but picture it in a master bedroom sitting area.  

I loved this tiny little writing desk.  See - clover patterns are timeless!

I LOVED this Mission style sette.  The picture really doesn't do it justice.  I do wish the frame was stained a little darker, but it was upholstered in the most gorgeous worn brown leather.  I think it was around 1295.00.

Reminds me of the interview Mary McDonald did here.  There are so many ways to use a daybed or sette.  Crammed for space?  It would even be nice to combine a nursery and guest room without actually having to use a bed frame.

I found a pair of these gorgeous and lanky lamps for only 110 a piece.  

Now, this stool I love.  It was stained in a rich dark brown, had a leather top, and was studded!

This mod desk had been restored with a fresh powder coat and is an original Norman Bel Geddes for Simmons.  His line of metal bedroom furniture was introduced in the 1930's.  I can picture this in my son's future bedroom: so simple and clean - love.

Last, but not least, I fell in love with this hand carved wooden dough bowl.  It would look perfect on my dining room table.  It was about four feet long and so worn and beautiful.

Have you been to any great antique haunts recently?  Please share - I'm always looking for great places to check out!

Built In Shelving: Restyle

My girlfriend and her BF just purchased the cutest house in a historical section of Richmond. It is full of character and charm, nestled on a quiet little tree lined street.  I was thrilled when she asked me to come over for a tour and to help her out deciding what to do with the built in shelving in the family room. She definitely doesn't give herself enough credit in the "eye for design" department.


Here is the room originally with terra cotta and a yellowish color paint.   Not really her jam.  

The room is still a work in progress, but has a fresh coat of paint in a more neutral and loveable color.  Here is how I styled the built-ins after shopping in other rooms of her house for shelf jewelry! Gotta love backwards books...

I only took pics up close and personal because I don't want to give away the entire room before she has it completed.  I think she was surprised at how many treasures she already owned.  So many people think they have to go out and purchase items for their shelving or decor and don't realize you can make something ordinary look really cool just by arranging it differently.

This coffee table was scooped from a local consignment shop and was already distressed in this yummy blue-green.  The detail is so sweet in person.  LOVE!

Don't you love the console and Parsons chairs she has near the entryway?  She also plans on hanging the mirror higher to show off the ten foot ceilings. 

She snagged some AH-MAZING candle sconces at a boutique and is going back soon for a wire sculpted urn for over the fireplace.  She also has her eye on a fab Dhurrie rug that will help anchor the furniture in this room.  Stay tuned for updates on the finished room once everything is hanging!  

Ramblings on Design TV

How sad are you that Million Dollar Decorators' first season is over?  I didn't get to watch the last episode until last night and it may just be me, but it seems as though the inaugural season was too short!  I am sure they will get signed on for another season, so I am not worried.  I am still having trouble deciding who my favorite designer was since they all have such different styles.  Any picks?

Designed by Martyn Lawrence Bullard

Designed by Mary McDonald

Designed by Kathryn Ireland

Designed by Jeffrey Alan Marks

Designed by Nathan Turner

If you are craving another dose of design reality TV, fear not.  Bravo has signed on many more great reality shows.  I don't know if any of you are fellow Rachel Zoe fans, but she is coming back in full force.  

via

Rachel Zoe's old assistant, Brad Goreski, has signed on for It's a Brad Brad World, which I am assuming will be similar to RZP, but with the spotlight on Brad.  Although both of these shows focus on fashion, I love seeing how current fashion trends spill over into the world of interior design.  And who can resist the fast-paced fashion industry pulling together all of the stars' looks for the red carpet events?  Bananas.

via

Charleston Chic Master Bath

House by the water?  Yes, please!  This fab beach chic home belongs to my little brother who lives in Charleston, SC.  I don't really know that I can call him my little brother anymore since he flies planes larger than our house, but he asked for help with his master bath and hopefully I delivered.

I loved visiting Charleston last summer and am hoping to make it back soon!  Do you have a favorite beach you visit during the summer?  Ever dedicated any decor in honor of it?    

Trellis & Ikat & Greek Key, Oh MY!

Where do I begin with all of the patterns I am in love with?  It seems as though every way I turn, there is another printed fabric, pillow, or drape with one of these prints on them.  Do you have any favorite prints right now?  Have you jumped on the pattern bandwagon?  I'd love to see any printed purchases!

Trellis lamp shade

Trellis pillow

Ikat pillows

Greek key pillow

Greek key iPhone covers

West Elm Ikat drapes

Jonathan Adler Greek key file folders

Nursery walls and baby fever!

So many of my friends seem to be pregnant right now and I am stoked! I am helping a few of them with their nurseries, so stay tuned for upcoming baby posts.  I thought I would share a mural I did for my nephew's nursery in DC. They have since moved to San Francisco, but I can hardly wait to go visit them in the fall and see his new room!

Here is the small painting of our dogs my friend Susan and I did in our nursery.

I am really digging wallpaper and hand stenciled patterns in nurseries as well. Check out Liam McDermott's first nursery.

via

Speaking of decorative walls, feast your eyes on this stenciled laundry room. I'm contemplating stenciling our master or the guest room. Hmmmm... So many ideas, so little time.

via The Mustard Ceiling

What do you think of murals, patterns, and wallpapers? Love 'em or leave 'em?

What's In a Spray?

I'm referring to body sprays.  Body sprays, shower heads, hand showers, and any source outlet for water you can think of for your shower is all the rage.  The eighties were spent focusing on whirlpool tubs for your master bath, but this era is all about the shower.  Some tubs take over 90 gallons to fill and depending how often you use it, that is A LOT of water.  Body sprays come in different variations ranging from 1.6 to 2.5 gallons of water per minute.  I usually recommend going with the low flow if you are on a well or worried about your water pressure.  The 2.5 gpm sprays are more common and have more designs to choose from, such as the flush square mounted design in the Kohler shower below.  

Kohler's DTV System

You can really design a custom shower system to be as small or grand as you can imagine.  It can be as basic as a shower head, hand shower, and a few body sprays.  Or you design something much more fab, like the Kohler DTV system above.  This system features more than you will ever need, but isn't it so cool?  I am attending a designer even tomorrow and will get to test this bad boy out!

So many homeowners say that they would still like to put a tub in their master bath for "resale value."  If everyone is saying that it is just for the resale, but no one truly wants or uses a tub, what is the perceived value?  I highly encourage clients to splurge inside of the shower.  In our fast-paced society, most people do not have time to sit in a tub and love the idea of tricking out their shower even if they only take quick showers.  At least they will be enjoyable, right?

Brizo's Siderna System

The only tubs I truly love that, in my opinion, will never go out of style are the ultra classic soaking tubs.  There are all different variations in style and different materials available for a freestanding tub.  They can seriously make a bathroom.  

Native Trails: Copper soaking tub

The copper bath is hand hammered and in an antiqued finish.  Perfect for any farmhouse or rustic vibe.

Victoria & Albert: Volcanic limestone soaking tub

Volcanic limestone is solid surface all the way through and a great alternative to cast iron because of it's light weight.  Cast iron is a great classic material, but can often need extra structural support.

Kallista: Michael Smith for Loft Freestanding Soaking tub

This acrylic tub is also another alternative to cast iron.  The clean and classic lines in this tub scream timeless perfection to me!

Kohler: Cast Iron Birthday Bath soaking tub

Kohler's most classic design and probably the most popular style: claw foot.

Do you have a shower you love or wish you had invested in a shower system rather than a tub?  What about your favorite style of bath?  Do tell!

PHOTOGRAPHY: the best decorative investment you can make

I am a huge fan of creative photography and a firm believer that you should invest in it.  As cliche as it may sound, times passes us all by so quickly and I love being able to reflect back on those precious memories captured by a lens.  My parents have always been big into taking pictures and videos, and I followed suite by asking for a camera for my birthday in second grade.  I quickly became the go-to for my friends when in high school and college because I take pictures of everything.


It wasn't until I got married and mistakenly hired a photographer without much experience that I realized it is truly something you need to invest in for those special moments you can't ever recapture.  We really thought we were hiring a "photojournalistic" style photographer, but the shots just weren't up to par in my mind once we received the prints.  Don't get me wrong, my parents definitely forked out some cash, but with no prior wedding planning experience I really didn't know what to look for in a photographer.

Six years later and pregnant with twins, we knew this was the opportunity to seize the moment and find a photographer we love.  Enter our girl, Ashley Glasco.  I actually grew up with her husband, but didn't really get to personally know her until over the past year.  We hit it off immediately and fell more in love with her work each session.  We decided to do a maternity shoot and then follow up with a session every three months after they were born.  At first, I thought every three months may be a little overkill, but after seeing how much they have changed and how gorgeous the pictures are, I have no regrets.


We use photographs all over the house and they are the most important and my favorite personal touch.  From gallery walls to canvases to table top frames, I really love them in all forms.  Displaying photographs of your family, friends, children, and pets are the most personal and intimate touches you can add to make your house a home.  Here are some of the pictures from our three month session up close and personal.

Three month session

Ashley Glasco Photography

I am no expert, but based on my experiences, here is what I looked for in a photographer, and happened to find in Ashley.

• The style of the photographer reflects your own personal taste.  Our photographer is an on location natural light photographer.  She specializes in taking pictures outdoors and truly captures reality.  I fell in love with her vintage, rustic vibe.  Being that we live on a farm, this fit our family perfectly!
• Your personalities mesh and you feel a personal connection with your photographer.  We clicked right away personality wise and she is able to handle my husband's humor.  I really did not want our pictures to look forced and because she keeps us at ease and we are comfortable, she is able to capture our true personalities.
• The photographer has multiple examples of their work for you to view or references for you to contact.  This is the mistake we made with our wedding photographer.  He only had two weddings for us to reference, one of which was a friend's wedding.  Our bad.  We should have continued to do more research.  Our new photographer has dozens of sessions on her website, blog, and Facebook page.
• Know what to expect up front and call him on it if he doesn't deliver.  Our wedding photographer promised us "beautiful leather bound albums," which actually turned out to be the pleather albums you slide snapshots into from Target.  Unfortunately, I was young and at a loss for words when he handed them over.  Thankfully, our new photographer, Ashley, helped Jeremy by re-editing our pictures so he could put together a professional album using our wedding negatives for my Christmas gift last year (better late than never, right?).  When communicating with her for the baby sessions, she gave us every last detail for our package and delivered everything as promised every time.

Six Month Session

If you live in the Richmond, VA area and are looking for a photographer, check out our latest session with Ashley on her new blog!