Design.Wine.Dine.

Think Pink!

As I’m sure most of you know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month (as I mentioned here) and every year I’m pleasantly surprised at how much more cause consciousness is increasing during the month of October.  From pink cleats, towels and mouth guards in the NFL (how cool is that?) to pink LED lit towers all over the world, hundreds of industries now strive to raise awareness of this horrible reality that strikes 1 out of 8 women and will effect every one of us in some capacity at least once in our lifetime.

As an interior design geek, I was thrilled to hear that SUITE New York was going to be raising awareness in their own creative way through the The Pink Swan Project.  This is the second installment of their Pink Project, featuring the iconic Swan Chair originally conceptualized by legendary designer, Arne Jacobsen.  Nineteen of the world’s leading designers including Karim Rashid, Alexandra Von Furstenberg, Madeline Weinrib, Jonathan Adler, Margherita Maccapani Missoni and Nate Burkus, to name a few, participated by creating their own rendition of the shapely, historic chair which are being auctioned throughout the month of October on Charitybuzz.com.  Proceeds are benefiting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  Check out the entire collection here as well as the touching stories of inspiration behind the individual designs. Here are a few of my favorites:

{Vicente Wolf}

{Madeline Weinrib}

{D.B. Kim of PYR for Swarovski}{Victoria Hagan}

Gallery Wall Love

Our entryway in our apartment is comprised of a long hallway with the right wall opening up into our living space.  Right now it’s horribly empty and screams at me daily for a few big pieces of art or a gallery wall.  Since I have several empty frames laying around that are dying to be filled and hung, I decided to take the gallery wall route and I can’t wait to get it completed.  What better way to display memories, art and a few inspirational typography quotes?!  The space is currently taped off (and I’ll share images in a “how to” over the course of the next few weeks) as we wait for a few final items to pull the whole look together, but here are some of my inspirations that I keep coming back to for organization reference.

{I saw this wall last year in Pottery Barn and have been hanging onto the image ever since.  Love the paint color, the textures, the varying frame sizes…. Swoon!}

{Gorgeous!  Great mixtures of ledges, lighting, photography and art. Via}

{Layering technique obsession!  Via}

{While I wouldn’t want to use all mirrors, I like the idea of incorporating a few of them to add some light and reflection. Via}

{So chic.  Great black and white prints. Via}

{Simple and elegant. Gilt frames… yes please!!}

{Love this hallway with frames all the way up to the ceiling.  Via}

Welcome Fall!

Call me crazy, but I just can not get into the fall swing-of-things this year.  Friday was the first official day of fall in the northern hemisphere and I’m usually counting down the days to sip on Pumpkin Spice Lattes while bringing out warmer decor and autumn hues.  However, this year I’m finding it increasingly hard to trade in my oceanic blue/green Ikat pillows and summery coral for faux colorful leaves and gourds galore.  Perhaps I just didn’t get enough of summer or maybe it’s the persistent heat that’s totally killing the mood for me.  Determined to find some sliver of autumn-love within me, I grabbed my favorite fall themed latte and scoured Etsy for some autumn pillow covers that would transition seamlessly and still allow for accents of blue and green throughout our home.  In my quest, I found a few that I just LOVE and I can’t seem to make up my mind… and now I’m finally excited for my favorite season 😉  What do you think?

{Beautiful yellow damask… $25 for a set of two 16″ covers.  Found here}

{Divine velvet.  $46 for one 12×20″ lumbar cover.  Found here}

{Gorgeous orange.  $25 for one 18″ cover. Found here}

{This combination has almost everything that I like.  Ikat, geometric trellis, yellow…  $45 for various sizes and prints found here}

{Always a fan of grey and yellow combinations.  $38 for a 12×16″ cover found here}

{I am L-O-V-I-N-G the vibrancy of this Robert Allen print.  $40 found here}

{Also a fan of how effortlessly it pairs with blue and green.  $35 here}

{After searching around for this Robert Allen fabric, I finally found it here for $14.98/yd.  Awesome deal!  Do you like it?}

Home in a Box

There comes a point when all (or most) of our parents must move away from our childhood home.  I think the initial reaction is usually selfish… “But why?”, “But that’s where I grew up”, “Where am I going to go ‘home’ to this Christmas?”  For me, this news has been a long time coming and while it was expected at some point, the emptiness that followed the news was much tougher than I’d imagined.  As a child of the automotive industry, I’ve watched my parents dreams crumble with the economy under the wrath of corporate restructuring, downsizing and government bail outs.  I know we’ve all felt the economy slap us in the face a few times over the course of the last few years, but no one has felt it like Michigan.  I’ve watched good people lose their homes and family friends struggle to pay for college because the keys to their educations were wrapped up in bad investment portfolios that shattered in 2008.  For those of us who stepped out from under the roofs of our parents these past few years, our reality checks were quite a bit different than I presume they were 10-15 years ago.  “Our parents’ notion that we’d get out of college and make $80K a year was the biggest fallacy of the 1990s,” a friend of mine recently told me.  But who could have predicted?  We were all prepared for the best – not the worst.

My parents are moving into their new home this week and while I’m happy for their sake that they’re finally downsizing to a much more manageable house and yard both in terms of physical effort and finances, I’ve been quite determined up until this point to just not think about it.  Our family home is where I listened to countless life lessons from my dad, learned to cook, buried our family dog, gardened in the summer with my mom, basked in the sun by the pool and shoveled snow in the winter.  That home is where I played with Barbies for hours, decorated our log cabin (playhouse), learned to drive and constantly broke curfew.  It’s where I tried on my first pair of toe shoes with pride and practiced my barre work in the basement in front of the mirrored closet doors my dad installed.  I remember walking into that house for the first time in 3rd grade knowing my parents had found our home.  I couldn’t wait to paint my room pink with my grandpa and play in my two dormer windows that felt enormous as a little girl.

But what’s really effecting me emotionally about their move this week is the countless lessons of design and homemaking that I learned from my mom in that house.  It’s where she taught me the art of picking out materials, space planning a room and effortlessly mixing prints.  It’s where she and my grandma taught me to sew and where she made all of our pillows and (absolutely pristine) window treatments by hand.  There really is no place like home and the feeling of home that my mom created for our family over the years is something I struggle to recreate in my own little home daily.  How did she always make it look so easy?

I received a box while I was in Austin of a few things my mom came across while packing and decided to pass along to me… a set of her gorgeous wedding glasses with silver rims, my great grandmother Ida’s cordial glasses, her set of watercolors, a colorful cigar box that used to hold my jewelry as a teenager, a tasty sangria mix and a pair of earrings since I can’t ever seem to find mine.  While the box of ‘home’ brought a smile to my face, it also forced me to finally think about it… something I’ve been avoiding for weeks.  Soon the family home that I grew up in will just be a memory and it will be up to someone else to truly make it theirs.

In the interim, I’ll focus on how to help my parents re-do their new place.  The kitchen needs updating, the floors are outdated and there is a hideous purple staircase (to be ripped out) that I haven’t stopped hearing about.  There are new window treatments to be made, old wall coverings to tear down and paint to replace.  I’m excited for the two of us to finally collaborate on our first real project with her wisdom and my new design education… and I have a feeling it’ll be a smashing success.

Cheers to learning to embrace change and to cherishing the memories.

{City Guide} I Left My Heart in Austin

Last Thursday I left for Austin City Limits for a long, Texas weekend with the ONEHOPE Wine team (wine sponsor of this year’s festivities).  I was hoping for a relaxing few days of music, wine and sleep following a treacherous week of finals, but I was in for a little surprise.  I FELL IN LOVE with Austin.  Every moment that wasn’t spent enduring the 104 degree heat in Zilker Park (watching the likes of Coldplay, Arcade Fire and Foster The People – can we say best music festival ever?) was spent scouring every inch of the Texas city I’m just dying to get back to.  Future home?  Yes please!  Check out a few of my favorites below:

Disclaimer: Our trip was overly food-filled so scroll down and get hungry… and then book a trip to Austin – STAT!

FOOD

{Located on South Congress, Home Slice Pizza offers some of the best pies I’ve ever tasted.  As a Chicago style deep-dish girl, I thought there was no way I’d fall for their famed New York style, but I was so, so wrong.  Something else to love?  Check out their menu for the perfect beer and wine pairings for each of their ‘zzas.  Home Slice knew the path straight to my heart}

{Home Slice: White Pie with Spinach: Olive oil, garlic, mozzarella, ricotta, provolone and romano.  This particular pizza came highly recommended by several Austin friends so I just had to give it a try.  SO. GREAT.  I was worried that the ricotta would weigh down the thin crust (and the flavor), but every bite was just as fresh and bursting with Italian zest as the bite before.  The garlic absolutely makes this pizza.  My ‘chef’ father always says, “when in doubt, throw in another clove of garlic” so I’m a huge fan of the stuff and this picture is making me seriously hungry all over again}

{Home Slice: Italian Meatball and Bell Pepper: Italian meatballs, bell peppers, mozzarella. This was one of their Pizza by the Slice options (that change daily).  With a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, this pizza has everything you could ever want… Savory meat, crisp peppers, a perfectly balanced sauce and a tiny bit of spice.  The flavor was so amazing that we ordered another slice to split.  Hey!  It’s thin crust.  Less carbs.  Right?}

{I’m the world’s biggest shameless female burger fan…  and I’m not kidding.  I make an honest attempt to try burgers at the locally famous joints in every city we travel to, but hopdoddy Burger Bar might have just won my lifetime award for BEST burger EVER this past weekend – twice over.  Created to “honor the perfect union of beer and burgers” hopdoddy offers several craft beers (including my new favorite: Bucket Head IPA) to pair perfectly with their all natural, daily ground, hormone and antibiotic free Black Angus.  Does life really get any better than this?  Umm… try one of their milkshakes and you’ll see}

{hopdoddy: The Prime Time: Perfectly prepared Kobe beef, slightly sweet caramelized onions, a touch of horseradish to give it just enough kick and a mouthwatering homemade steak sauce.  The scent reminded me of Christmas Eve at my parents’ house with a prime rib roast in the oven.  Simply amazing.  No “Prime Time” knockoff will ever compare}

{hopdoddy: Buffalo Bill: Bison, Blue Cheese, Frank’s Hot Sauce, Apple-Smoked Bacon, Sassy Saucy.  I think I bit into this burger and said, “is this a joke?”  The flavor was so incredible that we finished the entire thing before I could even snap a shot.  I’m usually a little leery of bacon on burgers simply because if it isn’t prepared perfectly, it has the potential to ruin the entire meal.  Obviously, hopdoddy pulled through with perfect prep in every way.  Perfect zing with the perfect level of rich blue cheese (not overpowering) to create a perfectly balanced burger. Perfection}

{hopdoddy: Oreo Shake: Homemade spun custard with real whipped cream and Oreos.  HEAVEN.  This was the single best milkshake I’ve ever had in my life.  I’m pretty sure the homemade spun custard is the secret, but I’ve never tasted anything like it}

{Snack Bar was a fun, little retro restaurant we dropped into for breakfast one morning.  They describe their cuisine as “globally inspired, locally sourced, chef-driven and made with organic, raised-right & natural ingredients.”  Love it already.  The menu offers everything from Avocado Quinoa to Egg and Gravy Biscuits so there is a bit of something for everyone.  The casual environment is super inviting with a kind, hospitable staff.  Awesome spot!  Why the Michigan map you might ask?  Every table had a map of a different state under the glass and we happened to sit with Lady Mitten that morning.  I’m definitely taking it as a sign of Austin welcoming yours truly with open arms}

{Snack Bar: Egg & Gravy Biscuit:  Housemade buttermilk biscuit, two farm eggs any style, meat-free dirty cream gravy.  Don’t judge.  This was a Texas weekend and I was going to eat like a Texan.  I’d never had meat-free gravy before and was a little worried it would be lacking flavor, but I was pleasantly surprised.  GREAT dish (if you’re a fan of biscuits and gravy, of course)}

{Snack Bar: OhM Sandwich: 2 over-medium farm eggs, cheddar, bacon or avocado (get both!), lettuce, tomato & onion, sourdough.  My perfect breakfast, right there.  Unreal sandwich.  Mouth. Watering.  Get it}

{W Hotel/TRACE: Grilled Cheese Sandwich: Deep fried in pig fat and sliced into perfect bite size pieces.  Can’t say that I’ve ever had someone offer me something “fried in pig fat”, but one piece wasn’t going to kill me.  Absolutely incredible. Creamy inside with a perfectly crisp outside…  It isn’t offered on the restaurant menu, but was part of the VIP section food at ACL on day one.  We were all really hoping it was going to be there on day two and three but it’s probably better that it wasn’t ;-)}

Other eateries to visit: Franklin Barbeque (World Famous BBQ), The Salt Lick Driftwood (BYOB)

SHOPS

{I’ve been looking for blue mason jars EVERYWHERE at a reasonable price and have had the hardest time.  I finally found some at this amazing antique/thrift store, Uncommon Objects.  I could have taken home a million other vintage finds, but sadly my suitcase (and bank account) just weren’t big enough}

{Uncommon Objects: I can just picture a wildflower centerpiece in these vintage glass medicine bottles}

{Uncommon Objects: Wire baskets = LOVE. Vintage Edison bulbs, chemical jars and candlesticks.  As much as animal head/skull decor freaks me out, I could have definitely brought home a pair of antlers (or two).  Getting them on the plane would have been a nightmare, however.  TSA had a Ball with my mason jars… no pun intended}

{Uncommon Objects: Vintage costume jewelry.  Gorgeous green!}

{I can’t help it… I just really love West Elm.  And after hearing about their Austin store a TON over the course of the last few weeks in the blog world, I had to drop by.  Out of all of their stores, this one is my favorite – complete with a super friendly staff}

{I think my shelves might need a revamp ;-)}

Other shops: Anything on South Congress… tons of little boutiques with great clothing and decor.  I could have spent an entire day on that street but sadly we only had an afternoon.

SITES

{We took a stroll around the state capital.  It was beautiful to say the least and there is just so much state pride in Austin and throughout Texas – It’s contagious}

{Gorgeous}

{I came across this old, deserted florist during one of our walks to the festival.  It still had the original glass and paint and the inside was covered with dead plants hanging along the rafters that had long been left to wilt away.  It was as though someone packed their bags and left town one day and this is all that remains.  I would just love to fix that place up and call it my own}

Other sites: University of Texas (what a FUN school), Lake Travis (I’ve heard it’s beautiful, but we were unable to make it), the downtown Austin bar scene (hundreds of bars – old and new – line the streets near UT).

Unfortunately, we couldn’t see EVERYTHING in Austin, but we will definitely be back for more.  I was blown away by the friendliness of the people, the sense of welcome that I received and the overall lifestyle which is a world of difference from LA.  I’m very lucky to live where I do, but I’ve got to say, I left my heart in Austin.

xoxo
Meg

Office Space

I’m currently in the middle of wrapping up an office project so work spaces have definitely been on my mind lately. I can say without a doubt that they’ve quickly become one of my favorite spaces to design simply because there is an absolute science to human productivity.  Your environment can make or break the amount of work you’re able to get done in a given day (as well as your overall mental state) and organizational methods vary so much from person to person.  As a former Hollywood assistant, I thought the toughest yet most interesting parts of the job were not rolling calls, running (physically running) errands or dealing with celebrities – it was getting inside your boss’s brain and understanding their organizational methods (or lack thereof) so that they’re able to function in such a high-stress environment.  Clearly I was meant for a desk job in the Hills – not.  But in all seriousness, what I discovered was that no two agents’ methods were ever remotely close to being the same and I think that fact alone lays ground for an argument against identical, dull, grey cubicles in which so many Americans call home for 8+ hours a day.

In comes the inspiration… The new WhoWhatWear offices in LA have found a flawless balance between functionality and personality and I’m completely obsessed.  Check out some of my favorite images of their offices below.

{I love the clean, white palate… and the peonies add the perfect punch of color}

{The inspiration boards are the first thing you see upon entering the office and set the professional tone while a custom settee with accent pillows keep the space comfortable and personal}

{Close-up of inspiration board and accessories on top of the credenza}

{I LOVE the coral accents!  Looks familiar, no?}

{Add a punch of personality to your office with a fun business card holder}

{Really loving this mirrored fireplace/mantle idea… and not just for an office!}

{The chair and accent pillow keep the space comfortable while this book case from West Elm with magazine holders keeps everything clean and organized}

{Great way to store (ahh-hemm!) “necessities” that are just too pretty to put away}

{I spy vintage lamps, a jute hallway runner and ghost chair… Need I say more?  Obsessed!}

{All images taken via WhoWhatWear and The Coveteur}

San Francisco

Every time I travel to San Francisco, I’m more and more convinced that it’s my favorite city.  There is truly no other place like it with the hills, architecture, spurts of sunshine, views of the clear blue bay… and I always leave wishing we had another day to explore all of the secret little gems the city has to offer.  While out and about on Sunday morning we discovered FL!PP (Fashionable Living in Petite Places) and I was instantly in love.  With an incredible selection of both modern and vintage architecturally inspired furniture, great upholstery and an impressive assortment of gorgeous lamps, I could have walked out with every item in the store.  Leave it to me to become completely captivated with the quaint garden out back, rich with succulents galore, garden stools and vintage letter signs that I will certainly be back for in the future.  We spent the remainder of the day strolling around the city and enjoying every breath of crisp, fresh air.  And per usual, I haven’t stopped thinking about San Francisco since.

{I love these letter signs!}

{Succulents for days…}

{Perfect juxtaposition of bright, shiny yellow ceramics and weathered vintage elements}

{Stockpile of more vintage letter signs}

{Great combination of chic trellis shaded table lamps and vintage furniture and accessories}

{Original tile work at 1299 Lombard}

{Gorgeous view (albeit slightly too foggy to see the Golden Gate) from my friends’ rooftop}

{I am in love with these flowering trees!  Their vibrancy is breathtaking and they’re all over San Francisco and LA.  Does anyone know their name?}

{If I were to build a home in San Francisco, this would be it.  I love the common brick, the balconies, the gorgeous French doors and windows… and of course the flowers}

Garden House

Weeks like these deserve a vacation or at least a little tiny retreat to come home to at the end of the day.  There’s no doubt I’ve inherited my mom (and grandma’s) green thumb and I’m fascinated with not only growing my own food, but with filling up every available inch of our balcony space with beautiful blooms.  The careful nurturing that is required for gardening is really soothing to me and is one of the few moments in my busy schedule when I feel truly at peace.  Garden houses like the ones pictured below make me so happy and excited for the day when I can hopefully have a similar little space to call my own.

{So beautiful!  I love all of the glass, mullions, and ornate woodwork. via}

{Gorgeous climbing flowers. via}

{Side view of the above picture. via}

{So enchanting! via}

{Inside view of the above… Truly a retreat.  I love the chandeliers and beautiful chairs.  via}

{Same house as above… another view.  I love the ladder, stacked vintage suitcases, huge blue hydrangeas, chandelier and family photos.  An absolute dream.  via}

{I just want to peek inside! via}

{Stunning.  Bright, airy and plenty of hanging space.  via}

All photos were gathered on Pinterest.  Some of the original sources may vary.  For a daily dose of inspiration, follow my Pinterest boards here.


Design High

I took a bit of a hiatus to make it through a few stressful projects last week, but I’m back in action and ready to share some of my latest inspirations.  I visited the LA Mart for the first time and goodness gracious!  I  have been missing out.  The PDC has always been my go-to for sourcing, but I was pleasantly surprised that the LA Mart far exceeded my expectations.  Two words:  Haptor Barrett.  I will definitely be back!  Below are a few of my favorites that still have me giddy with design high excitement.

{Checkerboard floors, Benjamin Moore grey walls, beautiful white wainscoting, crystal lamps and those HEAVENLY tangerine, leather chairs with nail-head trim.  Need I say more?}

{Detailed view of the chair… I’m in love}

{Neutral palates are my thing so I was a fan of this arrangement with subtle pops of green through simple accent pieces… and I’ll take those mirrored cabinets any day}

{Gorgeous}

{Neutral palate + tangerine accents + the clean lines of the shelving unit paired + white upholstered chair + industrial inspired coffee table = LOVE}

{Putting book shelves behind a bed is something I’d never thought of doing.  Not only is it a great functional storage solution, but would add so much visual interest to a space with some careful accessorizing}

{Classic indigo/white, porcelain Chinoiserie lamp paired with coral atop a mercury glass end table.  Classic, fresh and beachy all in one.  Yes please}

{Upholstered book case with nail-head trim.  Original and elegant}

Chalkboard Paint

I have a confession.  I have spent a serious amount of time daydreaming about which of my kitchen walls to paint with Benjamin Moore’s Chalkboard Paint.  Being that we’re renters, I’ve ruled this urge out time and time again, but it’s always tempting me and saved in the back of my mind for when we are hopefully owners one day.  When a reader messaged me about the chalkboard in the background of one of my photos seen here, I figured it was time that I reveal my chalkboard paint obsession with the world.

As I was gearing up for an afternoon of entertaining, I scoured the internet for a chalkboard that could fit above our wine cabinet/buffet that would serve as a menu for our guests.  Whatever I found was either entirely too large or much too expensive so I opted to make my own (similar to the bulletin board shown here – thanks again student budget!).

{I had a picture frame that I wasn’t using so I removed the mat and glass, purchased a piece of panel board from Home Depot for $4, had it cut there to the size I needed and painted it with Benjamin Moore’s Chalkboard Paint – about $15/quart}

{I hung the finished product over our buffet as a menu and it serves as a space for inspirational quotes when we aren’t entertaining}

{Chalk Ink is AMAZING.  It’s about $7/4 pack at any arts and crafts store, writes like a marker and looks like chalk without the dust or mess}

{I was on a Chalk Ink kick so I finally labeled my garden markers}

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