the color that is everywhere...

as i flip through magazines the color that is really standing out to me is gray. i see it used in a ton of design elements right now. i use to feel like this color was cold and i couldn't imagine using it on the walls but i have a new outlook on gray. it seems so peaceful and pairs beautifully with blues, browns, corals, etc. i will say, i tend to lean to the brownish/ gray version of the color...i think that the added brown pigment gives off a warmth that makes the color not seem as well, how do you say it- gray! i was thrilled when a client/ indecisive friend of mine wanted to use the color. we looked at a ton of paint for her walls. we wanted the house to feel neutral but not look like a "spec home" where the walls seem like an institution. i can't wait to see how it reads on the walls.

another great thing about the color gray is that it looks absolutely beautiful with marble... marble on the counter top, on the bathroom floors, or as tile in a shower. i've looked at a lot of wood flooring lately and the darker shades tend to have purplish gray undertones in it- they are gorgeous. this color also looks great with another trend right now, metallic. so if you are in the market for a change in paint or a new color exploration, try gray....you'll be in for a pleasant surprise!

diamonds are a girl's best friend....

so every time i get a new Cottage Living, i get another inspiration. last month, it was fran's letters (which i need to show y'all) and this month it's kitty's dining room. i love the diamond wall treatment....however, i think it's over my head. the homeowner, kitty, did this by hand, three times until she finally got this result- which i think is stunning. i would go absolutely crazy trying to perfect this look. for pete's sake, i went crazy trying to paint 6 letters...can you imagine the stress i would be under! plus, it's all about the straight lines, good painter's tape, and math. i love the white and chocolate...my dining room would look more like a tiffany's box b/c it's robin's egg blue and i can visualize the diamonds in white....my husband would kill me...i can see me now, on a ladder attempting to get a straight line...yep, this project isn't going to happen. but way to go kitty!

Happy Turkey Day!!

who wants to waste their time reading a blog when it's thanksgiving holidays?? i hope everyone has a wonderful time eating lots, drinking lots, and spending lots of quality time w/ your family!! i can't wait for everyone to get here! see y'all next week! loveage!

bubbles and wine can totally clear my mind.....

after my daughter had her meltdown last night, i needed some time for ME....what do you do when you need time to veg? my husband thinks i have turned into an internet nerd...i love searching it for ideas, reading other people's blogs, celebrity gossip, etc. but after 2 hours of crying (just b/c she could) i wanted to relax. my poor husband took the brunt of the crying...which i hate b/c he only has 2 hours with her when he gets home from work and when she is crying bloody murder, it doesn't make it pleasant. especially after working all day in a place which in my mind is identical to the office.

so you ask what i was doing while my sweet hubbie tried to calm our daughter....i cleaned our bathroom. i think that this is quite possibly the worst job anyone can have and to have your background music be a very unhappy baby, only makes the job that much more painful. now, i NEVER voluntarily offer to clean the bathroom...but i knew that i wanted to soak in a bath after our screaming kid was down and so i had to "do it for the family". my husband and i hate cleaning the bathroom so much that when we got married, we hired someone to help us clean it. unfortunately, when i decided to start my own company, that was the first thing that had to go.

so back to my story, my way to veg is a bubble bath. in the winter, i love to take a bath every night w/ lots of bubbles and to read my magazines. last night, i giggled to myself b/c i felt like "the reverend" on run's house...(ok, i love mtv- it's out in the open now). you know you have seen the end of the show, where he sits in his bubble bath and types on his blackberry about the lessons he has learned from the day's events....good thing i don't have a blackberry b/c who knows the things i would have written last night! this is the time of year to give thanks- therefore, i am thankful for a sleeping baby and a clean bathtub....

my evolving taste....

it's so funny how your taste evolves over the years being in the interior design business. i started working in interior design back in college. i worked at a well-known design firm downtown for 7 years before taking the plunge (well maybe cannonball) into starting my own design company. now, it's safe to say that Charleston can be very traditional. it's a town surrounded by its love for historic preservation and we take pride our historic homes. so there was a lot of swag and jabots going on in window treatments...something that made me want to throw up (and still does make me a little queasy). i remember my boss laughing at me b/c i hated them so much! and balloon shades- oh my, those were just terrible....maybe it was the application of them in a lovely chintz or some stuffy floral. i use to think that osborne and little would always be my favorite fabric company and i would never grow tired of my Manchu wallpaper. granite was the best thing since sliced bread and that distressed wood was really a "hot" look...flame stitch use to make my skin crawl and contemporary was not even in my realm of thinking for design....

it's just funny how things change...i laughed at myself last night when i was laying in bed looking at House Beautiful. i fell in love with a house done by betsy burnham (love her) and i actually liked the window treatments that at one time would have made me cringe. i think they are so classic and peaceful....i would never have suggested something like this for a window treatment two years ago; maybe not even two weeks ago. but staring at this picture made me realize how my taste has evolved and how everyday, i learn something new about my style and love for design....i can't wait to see where i am in twenty years...probably loving the swag and jabot look b/c you know, that's the thing w/ design everything old comes back in style (ummm hello, 80's fashion..did you ever think it that could make a comeback??)

Oh my gosh, KELLY WEARSTLER did an interview for PW!!

i am soooooooo excited that my number one design hero agreed to do an interview with little ol' me!! kelly wearstler is the mecca in the design industry...in fact, i think she could be the 8th world wonder!! thanks so much kelly for taking time out to do this interview! this truly made my year!

Q: What inspired your draperies at the Estrella, the crisp white panels with the exaggerated Greek key motif? You must have an amazing seamstress!
A: The Greek key is such an iconic form, so I went for a neo-classical meets post-modern-in-the-desert aesthetic. I chose to keep color way black and white because it feels so crisp, airy and refreshing – perfect for Palm Beach.

Q: I love the bookshelves in the Viceroy study, how did you come up with the concept of doing the shelves on a diagonal?
A: My goal was to present the books in an unexpected way. When we were actually fabricating the prototypes, they were laid on their side and looked more interesting than just straight on, so that’s how the design came to be.

Q: What do you think is the most overdone trend in design right now?

A: Looking as if you bought all of your furniture in one place is so overdone. I know people find this to be an easy way to decorate, but choosing pieces you love from a range of sources creates a richer, more textured look.

Q: Describe your ideal client….
A: My ideal client is someone who has a program and a vision, but trusts the designer to run with it - that’s why they hire a designer in the first place. I like a client who has something to say and something to give because they’re the one living in the space.

Q: What do you miss most about South Carolina?
A: The people, they’re just so nice. (i agree)

the saks of baby stores

if you want to know what makes my heart melt, its b. braithwaite. i fell in love with this baby boutique when it was featured in southern accents last year. i loved it so much that i drove to atlanta just to go there and buy my baby's crib. the store is gorgeous and why shouldn't it be...it's creator is nancy braithwaite who has been an interior designer for 35 yrs before starting the store. she and her daughter chaffee, decided to open a baby boutique after going on a shopping trip to paris(i would kill to go on a shopping trip in paris). the layout of the store is amazing....very classic and sophisticated. a lot of baby stores can be junked up with whimsical aspects, but not here. the "nurseries" are set up in a monochromatic look, beautifully showcasing each of the contemporary cribs they offer. one of the best parts about the whole experience are the beautiful topiaries that you are greeted by at the entrance of the boutique....a huge teddy bear and rabbit. it is truly a pregnant woman's shopping dream....if you are ever in atlanta and are craving some baby bliss, stop by b. braithwaite!