Newton, MA Guest Room Redo

1. Hagalund sofa bed, Ikea; 2. Threshold Natural Core Solid Window Panel, Target; 3.  Blåst finial, Ikea; 4.  Benjamin Moore Gray Owl wall paint; 5.  Assorted throw pillows, Target; 6.  Hemnes chest of drawers, Ikea; 7.  Global Views Nugget Bud Vase, Horchow; 8.  Threshold Iron Wire Table, Target; 9.  Threshold Hand-woven Wool Tie-dye rug, Target

I've been working to help some good friends of mine reorganize and redecorate their condo in Newton, MA.  They've been living there for quite a few years and while there is plenty of room in the condo, they have begun to feel like the space is closing in on them.  To help them reclaim their home and sanity I'm helping them rethink the way each room is used and select furniture that better fits each space.  We're also adding lots of new organizational solutions and a clean, refreshing, gender-neutral color palette.

One of the first rooms we've tackled is the main guest room.  This room functions on a day-to-day basis as the husband's dressing room, serving as a guest room on occasion.  Since it's a secondary space we're keeping things budget-conscious and sourcing lots of Ikea and Target items (see key furnishings and accessories above).  Ikea is a great source if you remember to keep things neutral.  Focus on texture rather than color and keep the lines of the furniture simple.  You can get really great basics at Ikea, like neutral linen window panels and wool or natural fiber rugs, at prices that you truly just cannot find anywhere else.  Just make sure you use the shopping list/check stock features on their website before you go into the store, and get an ice cream cone on the way out to make it bearable!

Here are some before shots of the room.  They are weird panoramas but you get the idea.  Stay tuned for final project photos!

before

before

Instant Attraction: Manhattan Apartment of Nate Berkus

The November 2012 issue of Architectural Digest ran a great before and after article featuring Nate Berkus's gorgeous Greenwich Village apartment.  I love the neutral color palette and the mix of graphic and rustic elements.  Nate is always amazing with giving his spaces character.  I've included a couple of my favorite shots here, and there are loads more over on the AD site.

Love the way he super cleverly disguised the oddly placed and proportioned windows in the office (above) (see the "before picture below).

Elle Decor: London Assurance

I love a good neutral palette, but lately I'm trying to push myself to pay more attention to color.  I loved the use of color in this interior featured in Elle Decor October 2012: London Assurance.  Rich jewel tones are layered over a great neutral base full of black, white, grays, and neutrals.  Great styling too!  More photos of this project below and after the jump.

Interior design by homeowner and fashion editor Kim Hersov and interior design Hubert Zandberg.  Photography by Simon Upton.  Images from www.elledecor.com.

Now THIS is a bathroom...

House Beautiful: California Cottage

Image from House Beautiful: California Cottage, July/Aug 2012.  Interior Design by Stephen Shubel.  Photos by Luca Trovato.

I love this platform seating.  Very casual yet sophisticated.  Great collection of pillows on top and who doesn't love a good box cushion?

Jayson Home Sofas and Chairs

Flipping through the Jayson Home catalog reminded me of what lovely upholstered sofas and chairs they have.  I think what appeals to me is that they all seem to have a story behind them.  They feel approachable, inviting, classic, and lived-in.  Makes me want to curl up with a book.

Above: Theodore Sofa.  Image from www.jaysonhome.com.

Below: Kempton Sofa.  Image from the catalog, via www.ifthelampshadefits.blogspot.com.  Clarke Chair.  Image from www.jaysonhome.com.

And just for fun, how about this gold-plated wishbone they have on offer?  Why not?  Gold Wishbone, image from www.jaysonhome.com.

Heath Ceramics Single Stem Vase

Heath Ceramics Single Stem Vase in California Poppy and Birch.  Love the dipped look.

Sourcing: Plantation

Plantation is a GREAT source for lighting, furniture, and loads of other luxe decorative touches (fur pillows and throws, hide rugs, etc).  Materials wise, there's lots of nice metal work, carved wood, glass, and beautiful inlay details on their decorative boxes.  Lots of nicely crafted stuff here.

Top row, L - R: Barcelona Chandelier (wooden beads, cerused white oak, oil rubbed bronze); Victor Iron Side Table (iron base with gold leaf finish, glass top with gold leaf edge); Hues Clear Bottle Vases #1 (hand blown glass, other colors available).
Bottom Row, L - R: Redmond Brass Pendant (antique brass finish); Bongo Wood Table (teak and sheesham); Dominic Sconce - Antique Brass (antique brass, mirrored glass).

All images from www.store.plantationdesign.com.

Facet Bowls by Joseph Gower

Love these cool faceted bowls by Joseph Gower.  I like the contrast of the flat, matte outside and glossy inside.

Image from www.gdgstudios.com.

Wolfum

Love these coyote bookends and everything else by Wolfum.  Below: a screenshot of their selection of coasters.

Instant Attraction: Anthropologie Reading Nook

Saw this image in the Anthro catalog and thought I could definitely spend a few hours sitting in that corner.  It also made me want to listen to Fleetwood Mac's Rumors.

Image from Anthropologie.com

Sourcing: CB2 Standouts

Dylan Dining Table:  I love the simple materials used to create this dining table (shesham wood planks, powdercoated, sandblasted iron) and the graphic look of the base.  A nice departure from a standard vertical leg, but still simple and easy on the eye.

After the jump, a roundup of more furniture, fixtures and accessories that stood out to me while flipping through the latest CB2 catalog.  All photos from www.CB2.com.

Deborah Needleman: The Perfectly Imperfect Home

Amen, Billy Baldwin.  An image from Deborah Needleman's book, The Perfectly Imperfect Home: How to Decorate and Live Well. Image from Amazon.com.  

Today I found out about about a talk that will be given by Deborah Needleman (former editor-in-chief of Domino magazine) on February 2nd at ABC Carpet and Home.  Naturally I decided to attend, and then I started reading up on her and saw that she put out a book last October called The Perfectly Imperfect Home: How to Decorate and Live Well.  The title really struck a chord with me - I always judge interiors by my initial gut reaction, and the thing that affects that reaction most is whether the room or home is inviting or not.  Do I want to go plop down on that deep, cushy sofa that actually looks like people have sat on it before, or is the room barren and stark white with little soft material to provide comfort?  Does the room tell me anything about the people who live there, or were things just chosen and put into place because they "look good"?

As I was looking around, I found an article that Needleman wrote in WSJ in conjunction with the release of her book (it's actually excerpted from the book) in which she lists "10 Odd, Yet Essential, Elements of Style."  I agree with her on all ten of these essentials - as I was reading along I found myself mentally checking off all of the ones that are in place in our apartment.

See her list and snapshots of my home's embodiment of these elements after the jump.  How does your place stack up?  Do you agree with Deborah's elements?

Read on after the jump...

Sourcing: candy-like doorknobs

These gem-like doorknobs look like candy to me.  Available from hautedeco.com.  From left to right: kunzite, citrine, smoky quartz.

Sourcing: West Elm roundup

I really love the West Elm's aesthetic of clean, fresh, classic lines combined with lots of natural materials.  Here's a roundup of a few of my favorite things from their latest catalog.

Rustic chairs and glass jar pendant lights.  So much beauty in the simplicity of that chair.

Wood tiled 3-drawer dresser.  The wood tiles on the front remind me of bone.  I love the pairing of the intricate wood tiling detail with a simple shape, hardware, and frame.

Floating wood floor mirror.  I love the reveal between the edge of the mirror and the wood frame.  Such a refreshing change from a regular old framed mirror.

Y-base coffee table.  Again, simple, clean lines and beautiful materials.  Marble is one of those materials that has the potential to look very tacky and overly extravagant.  Cut with a simple flat edge and paired with this simple raw steel base, it looks understated and classic, and could fit into a wide variety of decorating schemes.

Large curved basket.  Ohmygod I luuurve a chunky, well-made basket.  I love the curve to this one.  It would be great holding firewood, blankets, kids' toys, loads of flowers...just about anything.

Good idea: Vase display

Flipping through the most recent CB2 and West Elm catalogs, I saw SO MANY beautiful vases.  In a perfect world I'd be able to collect them all and display them in all their glory like this lucky woman, Nikki Tibbles.  Her home was featured in the January 2011 issue of Living Etc.  The feature included the below shot of the living room, where she displays her collection of vases and glassware.  I love the idea of the object that is typically used to display something (flowers) becoming the object on display.  It's a trend I've also seen happening with frames.  Some of my favorite vases after the jump.

Photo scanned from Living Etc. January 2012.  Photography by James Merrell.

Photos of my favorite vases after the jump...

Good Idea: Photo Ledge

A photo ledge is a great way to display artwork or photographs in a flexible way.  You can layer them over each other or leave space in between each piece, depending on how casual or formal you want the display to be.  The best part is that you don't have to worry about where you place the nails for the pictures!

Above photo from www.djimenez.com/.  Interior design by David Jiminez.  More photo ledge examples after the jump...

CUSTHOM wall coverings and prints

CUSTHOM is a British design collective that creates a variety of products, including ceramics, textiles, and their standout wallpapers and art prints.  Their CMYK embroidered print is shown above, at left (detail at right). 

Some shots of their lovely wallpapers and another print after the jump...

Sourcing: Scientific tableware

I am a complete sucker for anything diagrammatic.  I love biological illustrations, catalogued collections, maps, etc.  

Left: Memento Mori plates by Animal Fabuleux.  I love this take on the very tired skull trend.  I'm so sick of people slapping skulls all over everything.  Thanks to Animal Fabuleux for reconnecting the skull with the rest of the skeleton and rendering it in a more scientific light.  Love, love, love how they've broken each skeleton out over a series of three plates, and that they used two different poses.  Image from www.animal-fabuleux.fr

Right:  Bone china butterfly plates by RE.  These remind me of cases of pinned butterflies.  I like how accurately drawn and un-flowery these butterflies are.  Image from www.re-foundobjects.com

Good Idea: statement necklaces as wall art

I'm loving all of the statement necklaces I've been seeing lately.  They're so gorgeous that you shouldn't have to wait to wear one to show them off.  Showcase them as wall art in your home and hit two birds with one stone.  Here's a great example from Lauren Liess of Pure Style Home:

Some necklaces I wouldn't mind showing off on my wall after the jump...

Skultuna

Skultuna is a Swedish firm that produced high quality silver and brass objects.  Here is one object that I am definitely coveting:

Belle brass jewelry holder.  It's only a matter of time until my wedding ring gets stolen in the night by my cat.  This would help to keep it safe.  The top part also comes off to store other small objects inside.  Designed by Claesson Koivisto Rune.

I poked around their website for a bit and discovered that they produce lots of great gift-worthy items.  A couple of standouts after the jump...