California Cottage Cool

I am loving this latest design project of Bonnie Miller and Laurie Furber! They have worked their magic on redesigning this gorgeous 1870's cottage in California's wine country which was recently featured in Country Living Magazine. There are vintage accessories and furniture sprinkled throughout the home which add a warm cozy feeling to the updated modern feel of the farmhouse. Below are a few of my favorite design features...

Farmhouse dining table in eating area with eclectic vintage reproduction lighting

 Antique bench and wire basket paired with a animal skin rug in entry.

A vintage map folded into a dress made into a unique piece of wall art for the bedroom.

 Clever arrangement of baskets on wall in living area.

Flower garden landscaping make the perfect contrast for the black/white exterior.

 

photos: David Tsay, styling: Heather Bullard

New kids on the block

Just added to The Brushed Bureau in Blacklion ......

Mirrored frame bird prints

 

Vintage hand-painted desk with milkglass knobs

 

Metal silhouette cameo art

 

 

Chalkboard clipboards

 

 

Hand-painted tan/blue vintage french side table (pair available)



French style 101

It's no surprise that traditional French Country is one of my favorite decorating styles. I can barely pass up a French piece of furniture when I spot one in an antique store or auction! Below are some of my tips for duplicating this timeless Parisian look...

Gilles-et-Boissier-house-Paris

Tip 1: White walls and moldings. Authentic French homes almost always have tons of decorative moldings on ceilings and walls.

 

 

Just imagine-ddoc.com

Tip 2: Add some statement lighting. This is one area where I would splurge. You can not go wrong with a great chandelier! Just make sure that the size of lighting fits nicely with the size of the room.

 

 

Rachel Ashwell

Tip 3: Include a gilded piece of vintage furniture or an antique mirror. A pop of antique gold complements white and pastel colors nicely.

 

 

Annie Brahler (House Beautiful)

Tip 4: My last and favorite tip is to repurpose or paint a piece of antique furniture. This vintage dresser was re-purposed into a beautiful kitchen island.

 

 

 

Hold on to your "drawers"

I love dreaming up new purposes for discarded junk. My most recent find is a pair of rejected drawers from a cabinet shop.

I painted one of the drawers a moss green color, added a vintage French Provincial handle and covered the inside with wallpaper.

The finished product makes an excellent display for the handmade soap line that I sell in the store. I also attached hooks on the back so I can hang on the wall. I have tons of fun transforming trash into treasure!

Back to School Cool!

It's that time again when college kids are thinking about getting organized for back to school. A college freshman client has asked me to come up with a few cool creative ideas for her dorm. Here's a few of my favorites...

 

Retro turntable from Urban Outfitters
 

Comfy seating from Joss and Main

 

XL wall poster from Art.com

(perfect for dorm since most colleges will not allow painting)

 Wall lighting above the bed from Urban Outfitters

Under bed storage from Dormify.com (This is a must!)

Petite French Chest

Check out this cute petite vintage frenchie! I painted it in ASC French Linen, kept the vintage gold hardware, gave it a good scrub and re-papered the drawers. It has vintage charm including a brushing shelf which was popular during the early 1900's when gentlemen would take out their slacks and give them a brush before wearing. This little French dresser is now for sale at Blacklion #370.