Hill Country Travel
Sometimes I need to leave Dallas to find the perfect piece for a home. I am currently working on a large project in Austin, TX that requires old beams and doors with character. One of the places I visited to look for reclaimed beams and doors was Fredericksburg. I found some wonderful beams that will add a dimension to the home that will make it really special.
While I was in the heart of the hill country, I took some time to check out the old Sunday Homes. The character these homes have is so indigenous to the area and I can’t wait to incorporate the vernacular architecture to this extraordinary project.
The next week after I visited Fredericksburg, I also ventured down to Round Top, TX trade days. My main mission was to locate some antique doors that we would use for the front façade of the renovation. The trip was a success. Although we didn’t purchase any old doors for the project, I was immensely inspired by the character and style of the antiques we did see. The builder is going to create a custom door that I drew, based on the inspiration from an old French door from the late 1800’s!
Spotlight on Design
Pantone Color of the Year 2017: Greenery
Every year since 2000, Pantone has chosen a color that reflects the current cultural climate. This year, they chose a greenish-yellow hue named Greenery.
I must say that green has always been one of my favorite colors. So much so, that when I was three years old, and my mom told me that I was going to be a big sister, she asked me if I would rather have little brother or sister…. My response was, “I don’t care as long as they are green!” I was really into the Incredible Hulk at the time, but either way, Green and I have a very long history of admiration. So Pantone’s announcement of Greenery, made me want to share some projects that will make you Green with envy!
- Book Shelves – In these bookshelves, I used a beautiful green grass cloth to line the backs of these shelves. This added depth to the shelf, which highlighted the client’s accessories.
- Laundry Room – In this laundry room, I used green two ways. The cabinets as well as a floral patterned material for the farm sink skirt and window treatment.
- Living Room – This fresh green area rug anchored the room and gave it a year-round spring vibe.
Backyard Update
Last post, I promised photos of my completed outdoor living area. Well here they are!
The area is everything I hoped for and we’ve spent countless hours outside having family meals (including Thanksgiving), watching football and entertaining friends and family. Oh, and did I mention I have an outdoor shower?!
One of my favorite parts of the living area is my custom table. Custom is not relegated to indoor pieces! My challenge was to find a tall table that wasn’t bar height. I didn’t want the table to interfere with the flow. Thus, I went custom. I had the table slab custom made to my measurements and had custom legs crafted. When it came to the chairs, I found bar height chairs I loved so all I had to do was have them cut to the correct size and add custom upholstered cushions. Viola! I got exactly what I wanted without breaking the bank. There is usually a solution to most design issues if you think outside the box and find a good craftsman who can get the job done.
In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, I always make sure my designs are functional. We can sit close to 15 people in this area at any given time and the console below the television provides us with storage space for plates, utensils, dish clothes and outdoor serving pieces. It’s been a labor of love but the amount of family time we spend outdoors sure made it worth it!
Personal Projects
Over the last three months I have been my own client. We decided to do some exterior work to our home including painting the outside and adding a backyard living area.
I took the time to pick out the perfect color paint and made the decision to move forward. Then I questioned my choice and questioned it and questioned it. In fact the paintwork was done while we were on vacation so I asked my assistant to send me pictures. Daily.
When I got home and saw the house, that still had the brown paper in the windows, I STILL questioned if I’d made the right decision. But then, the paper came down, the trim was painted and the final product was evident. And guess what? I. Love. It. It was the perfect color and it has transformed our home in an amazing way. I think this happens sometimes in design. A client gets nervous about choices but in the end, they love it and the transformations are exactly what they were hoping for. It was good for me to be in my client’s shoes for a few months!
Here is a before and after picture of our home. Look for pictures of our backyard transformation soon!
Spotlight on Custom Design
Even though I have wide variety of looks in my portfolio, I’m most known for my colorfully eclectic aesthetic. Color gives me energy and I feel it gives a home energy. We all need good happy energy to keep us going in life.
It is also important for me to have unique one-of-a-kind pieces in a home. It adds an eclectic quality that is unique to my clients. I like to create pieces that you can’t find in stores and have a story behind them. One instance of this is a Mid-century Modern bench I recently designed for a client’s lake house.
Most pieces begin with an inspiration. In this case, it was a serape rug I found in Round Top. I knew the rug would go great in the guest bedroom, but I wanted to incorporate it in a different way. My creative juices started flowing; I started sketching and designed a bench to go at the end of the bed. This bench is now a focal point of the room and adds an interesting piece that you can’t buy in a store.
This is the type of creativity I bring to all projects. I like to challenge myself to come up with something designed especially for that client and their individual home. Here is how the rug looked in the store and how it looked as a bench!