i have been tagged....

I was tagged by carolina eclectic. Thank You! Here are the rules.
Link to the person who tagged you and post the rules on your blog. Share seven random and or weird things about yourself. Tag seven random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. i like to listen to the same song over and over again until i can't stand to hear it any longer...

2. my favorite outfit is a black patagonia puffy vest, seven jeans, and my cowboy boots

3. when i was pregnant i was put on bedrest (pure hell) and so i watched the entire series of felicity (i had never seen it before) and now i feel like they are my bestfriends...i miss them so much...

4. i could eat mexican everyday

5. i am a really messy person...i drive my husband insane b/c i can live in complete chaos and be fine (i think this is my way of rebelling from my mom making me clean my room everyday before i went to school)

6. i am scared to try the boots over the jeans trend even though i have a new pair of boots that would work perfectly...

7. i am in need of a major makeover...sometimes i dream of stacey and clinton showing up on my doorstep and telling me that they have a visa card w/ my name on it....

i am tagging brillant asylum, girl meets glamour, house and life, j'adore decor, suzanne marques,
the scoop, sgm.

orche

i love it when i stumble across something that takes my breath away; orche does just that. this company offers a line of furniture, lighting, and accessories that are beautiful. the lines on the pieces are modern with elegant, classic propotions. the company is headed by british couple harriet maxwell macdonald and andrew corrie and you can go to their store in nyc (462 broome st. to be exact). i love the earth tones that are found in the upholstery and the sleek wood finishes. another thing they are famous for are their beautifully handcrafted lighting. i inquired about this company and immidately got a response back (thanks dana) to see if they worked with the trade. it seems like they are very designer friendly.

pickled white oak

one of my favorite things about having this blog is that i feel like it keeps me in the "know"; i am challenging myself to want to keep up with the latest and greatest, as well as educating myself on things that i may not have known previous to this....which leads me to today's post on pickling... i think we are going to be seeing a lot more of the "pickled" look in wood finishes. it seems like the weathered, distressed, almost drift wood look is where designers are heading- and i love this. maybe it's because i live in a beach town but i love the soft, gray hues that are given off by the wood and the rawness that it produces. i guess i am kind of over the really dark stained cabinets and this is my way of opening myself up to a new evolution of wood cabinetry. i adore this kitchen done in the pickled white oak. it is so clean and crisp...something that i find myself gravitating to much more in design. pickling is definitely not limited to cabinetry; it looks amazing on furniture, applied on floors or ceilings (oh, love it on the ceilings).

i was intrigued on how they actually do the pickling stain to the wood so i researched it a little. it was created to make new wood look old or "dusty". stainers took the wood, generally oak, and created a formula...take a handful of rusty nails and soak them in vinegar for 3 days; this would produce a gray solution that was then applied to the raw wood. today, they have come up with a much more calculated approach to pickling...it involves primer and paint thinner. either way, the look is gorgeous and i think something we will be seeing a lot more of....

making small spaces work best for you....

some people see a small space as an obsticle but what you need to know is that you can make the smallest space a perfect opportunity to make a major design statement! one thing that you might keep in mind is going monochromatic with your color palette...too many colors in a small space may make it seem choppy and broken up. I think an all white color palette looks amazing...i love using a crisp white for everything...try Ben Moore navajo white. to create dimension use a flat sheen on the walls, a satin or semi-gloss on the trim and to step it up, try a gloss on the ceilings! this gives added depth and texture to your space. you should also try to capture as much light as possible; keep the window treatments simple like side panels which allow the maximum amount of light to enter the room. Also, reflective surfaces like mirrors, polished solid surfaces, or shiny finishes like chrome give added light. Avoid a lot of visual cutter from bulky furniture. This would be a good time to play with furniture you can see through. Another benefit of a small space, means you might be able to splurge on some lavish materials you otherwise couldn't afford...like marble countertops, or an elaborate backsplash, high end appliances, wallpaper, etc. so take your small space and tackle it with beautiful design elements...then sit back and close your eyes and pretend you are in your upper east side apartment and it makes everything seem so much grander!

backsplash envy (well actually entire house envy)...

suzanne from simply magic totally makes me envious of her kitchen backsplash tile, custom designed by her super fab design team woodson & rummerfield...i noticed this little beauty in a display of her christmas card. i emailed her and told her it was amazing and that's when she informed me that ron and jamie had this ann sacks tile custom colored green, gray, and white for her space! the top pic is a view of her entire kitchen/ dr/ lr space. lucky lady! i read in one of her previous posts that her husband had mastered the art of tile installation...wonder if he installed this? btw, great talent to master. tile installation can get pricey, especially the decorative, art inspired tiles that are now available. finding someone who has this talent is a true gem! (you can check out other pictures of her house at w & r, it is to die for...love the powder room wallpaper!!)

a coat of polish...

(picture Southern Accents Dec. 2005, Miles Redd)

i love it when people share experiences or things they have learned in the industry. that being said, courtney at in(side) the loop left a very informative comment on my painted chairs dilemma: I JUST had a refinisher come out and look at 3 antiques I recently inherited from my Dad's side. When I mentioned "painting" them, he almost fell over. HOWEVER, he also thought they would look better "painted" but he educated me. Lacquering does not mean it has to have a high gloss...it's just a finish but it can be matte or shiny. That said, it costs a bit more to have your furniture professionally lacquered but if you ever wanted to strip it and refinish the wood, it comes off very easily. If you were to paint it, paint would always be in the wood and you'd never be able to get it back to the original condition.

this led me to think more about this process...i love the look of lacquered walls and furniture. it can be placed in a tradition or modern home and is virtually timeless in it's appearance. it is an extremely labor intensive process therefore, the professional painters can charge out the you-know-what to achieve this look. a quality lacquer paint job should allow you to see your reflection in the sheen of the paint! this can require up to 30 coats....but man, you cannot replace the beauty of this look. walls look magnificent in both candlelight and day light. i did research to see if there was a DIY way out there and came across this article...basically to sum it up- NO, consult a professional and your accountant when contemplating lacquer to grace your home.

i love this...

the idea of a family style bathroom featured in House and Garden...great for children who are sharing bathrooms. i especially like the idea of everyone having their "own station". my husband and i could benefit from this...he always leaves a glob of toothpaste in the sink and i get water everywhere when i wash my face!! i especially adore the long drift wood top that the sinks sit on...kind of makes you feel like you are at camp!