This weekend my brothers and sisters and their families have been together at my parent’s home in Snowflake, Arizona. After we were all burnt out from the lake, we decided to take a little day trip to Gray’s Rock Shop in Holbrook near the Petrified Wood Forest. It was the coolest place, full of the…
This weekend my brothers and sisters and their families have been together at my parent’s home in Snowflake, Arizona. After we were all burnt out from the lake, we decided to take a little day trip to Gray’s Rock Shop in Holbrook near the Petrified Wood Forest. It was the coolest place, full of the most incredible gems and rocks. Mother Nature really knows how to put together a color palette!
I loved these crystals that looked like a cityscape.
Wearstler-esque petrified wood stump chair and gorgeous mollusk fossils.
The shop had the most beautiful agate all over the place. This little bowl was full of pieces already banded in gold and ready for stringing on a chain.
I wanted these petrified wood bookends so, so bad!
Malachite boxes and trinkets were everywhere!
They also had an awesome selection of brass and acrylic pieces for displaying your rocks. I liked these petal-shaped ones.
The girls helped me pick out this pretty piece of petrified wood and the minty green crystal to take home with us to NYC next week. I’m so crazy about the colors! And aren’t the brass and acrylic stands great? It will be fun to have little souvenirs of this trip and reminders of our old home in our new home.
PS Did you know petrified wood is estimated to be between 50 and 200 million years old! Amazing.
We flew to Arizona earlier this week and we’ve been busy in full-blown vacation mode since. Today’s our last day at the lake. We are all sore and even a little sunburned (that AZ sun means business!), but we are all happy and feeling excited to be here. Happy weekend! See you on Monday.
We flew to Arizona earlier this week and we’ve been busy in full-blown vacation mode since.
Today’s our last day at the lake. We are all sore and even a little sunburned (that AZ sun means business!), but we are all happy and feeling excited to be here.
Michael and I have a goal of bringing more art into our home over the next couple of years. I’ve mentioned before how it can be a little daunting to know where to start looking for artists. But have you ever been searching, and then all at once an artist’s collection or piece of art…
Michael and I have a goal of bringing more art into our home over the next couple of years. I’ve mentioned before how it can be a little daunting to know where to start looking for artists. But have you ever been searching, and then all at once an artist’s collection or piece of art just sings to you? Your heart is doing backflips and your mind is racing? That happens to me a lot in museums, where I feel a connection with an artist, but it’s (obviously!) harder to find that in the art market in a real and affordable way.
I’m so, so thrilled to share today’s (HUGE) give away from acclaimed artist and philanthropist, Jessie Mackay, and artist who makes my heart sing. Her work has been praised by NYT art critics and hangs in celebrity homes (check out her paintings in James Carville and Mary Matalin’s home featured in Architectural Digest). Here are a few of my favorites currently available on Jessie’s site.
Today she is generously offering up this 24×30 gallery-wrapped abstract painting called ‘Soft Thoughts.’
Here are some close ups of this lovely painting, just sitting in my loft, waiting to be shipped to your home!
I love the bits of bright, almost neon paint peeking through the soft grays and creams.
Lucky you, there are a couple of ways to enter your name into the pot.
1) Simply leave a comment on this post sharing where you would hang ‘Soft Thoughts’ in your home.
2) Like Jessie Mackay Art on Facebook and leave a comment on this post saying so.
3) Pin your favorite Jessie Mackay art from her site and leave a comment on this post saying so.
The winner will be chosen at random from the comments here on July 25 at midnight. Good luck!
****CONGRATS TO WINNER JAMIE LUNT! THANK YOU ALL FOR ENTERING****
I fell in love with this $190 trash bin featured in the June 2012 Elle Decor, but I figured I could make my own. I finally got around to doing the project this weekend using a $3 Target plastic trash bin that I randomly saw at a thrift store. I actually had bought a round…
I fell in love with this $190 trash bin featured in the June 2012 Elle Decor, but I figured I could make my own. I finally got around to doing the project this weekend using a $3 Target plastic trash bin that I randomly saw at a thrift store.
I actually had bought a round bin for this project a few weeks ago, but realized after the fact that the project really only works on bins with squared off sides, or else there’s no fooling anyone that that marbleized paper could be real sheets of agate.
I bought the paper from Paper Mojo for about $5 ages ago and used it in a frame for a while, which was pretty, but I was fine with giving it up for this project.
When you’re ready to get started, look at your piece of marbled paper (I only needed one sheet for my whole trash bin), and figure out which pieces of the pattern you want to feature. Keep in mind that it looks best if you can alternate the direction of the swirl on each side of the bin.
Use just a pencil to trace out the sides while holding the bin perfectly still. Cut out the pattern directly on the pencil line. Your cut pieces will end up being a hair to big, which is just what you want – a little overhang.
Use a soft brush to put down a layer of Mod Podge (no need to prime or sand first – just a clean surface) and then carefully lay the paper piece down. The top edge of the paper should be perfectly flush with the top edge of the trash bin, but the three other sides should have a little overhang.
When the top edge is perfectly centered, use your hand to smooth out the paper. Make sure there are no air bubbles. It’s okay if there is a little mod podge spillage on the sides, that actually helps the extra paper on the side lay flat.
Don’t forget to crease the bottom edge under too.
I let the pieces dry for an hour or two and then I sealed it all with a top coat of mod podge.
One lesson I learned for next time: use a light or white trash bin. The paper is pretty thin, so my finished project is a little blotchy with the black base peeking through. A white base would have been clear and bright though. Bummer.
Still love it though and am glad I tried the DIY route and saved the $190! Plenty of other places to spend that money these days. :)
This content series is in partnership with smartwater. smartwater, simplicity is delicious. Click here to learn more. Do you work from home like I do? A ton of my friends and their spouses do, too. And here’s another question: Do you work from home… on the couch? Be honest! I do sometimes even though we have…
This content series is in partnership with smartwater. smartwater, simplicity is delicious. Click here to learn more.
Do you work from home like I do? A ton of my friends and their spouses do, too. And here’s another question: Do you work from home… on the couch? Be honest! I do sometimes even though we have an office space here at the loft. Sometimes I even work from bed when the kids are playing loudly and I need some quiet. I used to work really long hours in a more traditional office setting, so I know how lucky I am to get to answer emails in a sea of feather down and soft cotton (that is, until one of my arms falls asleep and my back starts rebelling!).
For the first time in almost seven years of working from home, when we move to Brooklyn I will have an office space that is very separate from our living and sleeping spaces (on it’s own level, and in a room with a DOOR!). While there are trade offs there too, it will probably be better for my mental health and productivity levels to have more separate work space. It’s just time, I think. Working in the loft’s office for the past two years has been great, though. It’s pretty and functional and I like that the look of the space compliments the living room and rest of the house, which is all open to each other.
Anyway, all this to say, I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of home offices, or maybe, more like a home base, where you can keep all your office stuff and maybe even sit down at when you really need to get things done. One of my consulting clients has an adorable, but teeny apartment in the cutest neighborhood. She sometimes works from home, so we had to carve out a niche for a desk/console table that also functions as a dining table. That’s a hard-working table! And it looks great! It really is possible to fit in a work space into even the smallest city apartment. I’d love to share some ideas, but first, I’ll lay out some completely-biased-and-probably-not-fair-to-all-of-you personal opinions.
What I think you need in a home office:
– A pretty desk, with a place to put away your computer
– A cool-looking filing cabinet or other storage piece with large drawers (love the look of this one)
– An armoire or cupboard for storing your printer/scanner (vintage preferred – scour your craigslist!)
– A comfortable chair that provides good support (if you must have an “office chair”, invest in something good with a name like Miller/Eames)
– At least one lovely and interesting table lamp (sort of obsessing over this one)
– A rug to keep things soft underfoot
– Inspiring art
What I think you don’t necessarily need in a home office:
– A boxy, cubicle feeling computer desk unit with a million drawers and cubbies
– A cheesy, gooseneck “desk lamp”
– A rolling office chair
– A rolling chair plastic mat thing
– An inspiration board.
I can feel your eyebrows raising over the inspiration board comment. :) I think inspiration boards are cool. I even put up a couple cork boards in our old office. Here’s what I discovered though. It was just one more thing to keep up with. I never ended up changing or adding to the things on the board and I never really used them for work ideas. Looking back, some beautiful, inspiring art would have been a way better choice for me. Also, there’s this thing called Pinterest… :)
So, here are some options for you, depending on your space constraints.
If you have no floor space to dedicate to your home office, you can use your dining table to work on during the day. This wall-mounted laptop storage unit would be really helpful for putting everything away at night and keeping organized, and it requires absolutely zero floor space. I would paint the wall unit the same color as your walls so it blends in nicely.
IKEA also makes this great little laptop desk with a drop down, perforated bottom drawer. Cute as is in gray, or would paint up fabulously like any of the colorful options above or maybe try the DIY inlay painting?
If you have even just a little bit of floor space, try using a secretary desk!
Elle Decor/Carrier and Co
I am a huge, huge fan of the secretary. Especially for us laptop users that like to roam around the house. Write a blog post during Conan and then shut that laptop away for the night. Out of sight, out of mind.
I also like what Jordan and I came up with for her SF apartment.
If you do have room for a desk in your living room or bedroom, try adding a beautiful, leggy writing desk with just a couple drawers for lighter storage.
Sara Tuttle in High Gloss
Style at Home
Make the desk a focal piece instead of an eyesore. I would opt for a vintage or antique desk, something like these:
Also don’t forget the bedroom as an office option! Try using a desk as a nightstand, just make sure you have a place to tuck away your work at the end of the day. It would be miserable sleeping next to a big pile of stress-inducers!
House and Home
And if you have an extra closet, by all means, have the hardware store cut you a piece of thick MDF to size and make a desk nook! This is an especially good idea for less-organized people. Just shut those doors when you want the mess gone.
Elle Decor
Domino
What’s your home office set up? Did I miss any small space/home office tips?
If you work from home, do you feel like it’s necessary to actually have a home office? Or are you more relaxed about your set up? One of my blogger friends technically works from home but she goes to a cafe everyday for a few hours to get her writing done and for a little change of scenery. What do you do?
I have a bunch of vintage furniture that I’d like to reupholster and use in the new house. Some of it I’d love to do myself to help reduce costs, but there are a few pieces I’ll likely send out once I pick fabrics. Emily just posted today an EXCELLENT break down of the ins…
I have a bunch of vintage furniture that I’d like to reupholster and use in the new house. Some of it I’d love to do myself to help reduce costs, but there are a few pieces I’ll likely send out once I pick fabrics.
Emily just posted today an EXCELLENT break down of the ins and outs of hired-out upholstery (and even some tips on fabric choices)! Check it out here and enjoy the eye candy (she is getting ready for a One Kings Lane sale and her vintage finds are crazy-awesome).
PS Emily loves Grayline linen as much as I do. It is my favorite source for really affordable linen in almost every color including metallic linen! Can’t beat $9 a yard!
Have you ever noticed that movies come out in theme waves? Like all of a sudden there will be two movies out the same weekend about deadly meteors, or volcanos, or illusionists, or computer animated insects. Two Snow White movies?! Weird. Anyway I’ve been noticing over the years that my inbox works the same way….
Have you ever noticed that movies come out in theme waves? Like all of a sudden there will be two movies out the same weekend about deadly meteors, or volcanos, or illusionists, or computer animated insects. Two Snow White movies?! Weird. Anyway I’ve been noticing over the years that my inbox works the same way. I’ll get multiple requests for the same very random thing around the same time . And lately it seems everyone needs cute little chairs for their cute little kiddies.
We’re doing a mix of four different kid chair styles in the girls room at their play table, and I needed to pick up two new ones, so this post was helpful for me too! Win-win!
Last night I ended up buying the pink Bertoia and an orange Panton S chair from this site. The prices were the lowest I’ve seen for modern kids chairs. And of course, if you’re not wanting to invest a little cash in kid’s furniture, IKEA and Target always come through for me. I bought a pair of these bubblegum pink chairs a couple weeks ago on clearance for $20 (I only need one though – anyone want the extra chair?). I’ve got a fun project idea planned for the pink chair. And one of these old Louis style chairs is getting reupholstered. Won’t that be a fun mix of styles?
Have you seen any really cute kids chairs out there lately? I think I like little chairs to be a bit on the modern side. You?
PS Can you think of other movies with similar themes that came out at the same time? (#TriviaNerd)
PPS I love love love Evie’s little chubby thighs. She’s two and a half and is starting to lose some of the baby rolls. It is breaking my heart. :(
I find myself falling down the design rabbit hole a lot lately. I’ve been looking for a red spotted fabric for my girls room. I was thinking of Les Touches in red, but the background is a little more tan than white. Then when I was shopping on the Furbish site the other day, I…
I find myself falling down the design rabbit hole a lot lately. I’ve been looking for a red spotted fabric for my girls room. I was thinking of Les Touches in red, but the background is a little more tan than white.
Then when I was shopping on the Furbish site the other day, I saw this little swatch on the mood board on the home page and remembered how much I love Quadrille’s Rio fabric. The color in real life is more coral than red (I think they actually call it ‘Shrimp’), but it might just work for my purposes.
Check out how great Rio looks in black and white. Good stuff.
domino
Reminds me of how much I love KWID’s Confetti fabric. PS if you’re looking for a great pair of slipper chairs, House of Pemberley is selling a gorgeous set all done up in Confetti. The price is a STEAL considering the cost of the fabric!
Which, by the way, if you love the small dotted look of the Confetti fabric, I think this fabric for less than $9 a yard could be a great substitute. I’d use this lighter weight fabric for curtains, pillows or a table skirt.
PS Another spotted look from the Quadrille site! (the squares fabric in the background is theirs) The image is from Celerie Kemble’s new book Black and White (and a Bit in Between) and what an easy DIY this lampshade could be! Just splatter a linen shade with some watered down black paint. But be sure to practice a little first to get used to the right moves.
And don’t forget the ribbon trim. I think it makes all the difference in the look. I trimmed out a shade just like this one ages ago (here’s the post from early 2009. Dang! I’ve been blogging for a long time!). I wonder if I still have that shade somewhere so I can try this splatter paint idea…
This post is sponsored by got milk? in partnership with THINK Together, Bay Area Community Resources and Central Valley Afterschool Foundation, nonprofit organizations that support after school programs for kids and educates them about the importance of proper nutrition and healthy lifestyle. Is there anything cuter on a kid — or grown-up, for that matter — than the…
This post is sponsored by got milk? in
partnership with THINK Together, Bay Area Community Resources and Central
Valley Afterschool Foundation, nonprofit organizations that support
after school programs for kids and educates them about the importance of
proper nutrition and healthy lifestyle.
Is there anything cuter on a kid — or grown-up,
for that matter — than the frothy white mustache that remains after a gulp of
ice-cold milk?
The latest got milk? campaign is all
about embracing the quintessential classic in its purest and simplest form. And
in today’s world, dairy milk is one of the few that has remained real and
simple just two basic ingredients: milk and vitamin D3.
In an effort to promote good
nutrition and good work, got milk? paired up with THINK Together, Bay Area
Community Resources and Central Valley Afterschool Foundation, community-based
organizations that fuel nutrition education programs throughout California, the
epicenter of American dairy.
Beginning July 9th and continuing
through August 5th, head to gotmilk.com/glasses to purchase a
pair of limited edition drinking glasses that are retro cool, for a worthy
cause, and won’t break the bank. (Who says functional can’t also be
fashionable?)
The $15 set (price includes shipping) is comprised
of a “real” milk glass, etched with the duo of ingredients mentioned earlier,
and an “imitation” milk glass, etched with a much longer list of
tongue-twisting ingredients. Can you say gluconate and carrageenan?
Every dollar goes directly toward helping kids
understand the importance of nutrition and healthy lifestyles. It’s the perfect
way to do your body good, and do something good for your soul… definitely a
glass-half-full way of living.
I think, more than any other item in a home, you can tell the most about a person by the art they hang on their walls. No other home item tells more of a story, which is both cool and a little bit stressful. What to buy? How can I find something that reflects me…
I think, more than any other item in a home, you can tell the most about a person by the art they hang on their walls. No other home item tells more of a story, which is both cool and a little bit stressful. What to buy? How can I find something that reflects me and my story? How can I be original?
Have I ever told you that I usually don’t buy art for clients? It’s like buying lingerie for a friend or something – it’s just too personal. Or at least I think it should be.
In the past, when I’m shopping for my home, I sort of let art come to me. I buy pieces that really resonate with me when I come across them at flea markets, auctions, and online. I think that is a good method, but sometimes you just need a certain color or subject matter for a room, and I think there’s been a real hole in the art market there. Especially for people on a budget.
Art.com approached me and a few other design bloggers about coming to San Francisco to preview their new site redesign and total rebranding. I saw a sneak peek of the site before agreeing to come, and it really looks great. But more importantly, it really works great. So I decided to do a little experiment.
I quickly flew through some of the loose image files on my desktop that haven’t been archived yet, and I pulled aside the first 10 images that featured exciting art. Then I gave myself 10 minutes for each image to find a print or original work on art.com with a similar vibe. I thought I’d be able to find something at least close for about half of images.
I couldn’t believe that in less than half an hour total, I found something close to or exactly the same as the inspiration art for every single image! And, truthfully, I would be ecstatic to hang any of these prints in my home.
Want to see what I found?
1) I really love this bedroom and I think the ethereal art is just perfect for the spot. I thought it might be tricky to find something similar – wrong!! There are so many great, dreamy black and white botanical photographs on the site, but the photograph below stood out to me the most. It reminds me of one of Michael’s and my favorite films Ugetsu. Wouldn’t this be great in our black bedroom?
2) Finding the right color or texture in a piece of art is especially important when putting together a gallery-style art wall. A little bit of red is just what this wall needed.
The Red Flowers (Marc Chagall) // Green Office (House and Home)
Search terms I used: Red, Botanical, Floral, Fine Art
Find similar here
3) Isn’t this a fantastic bedroom? I love this space. And the art is amazing, of course. I thought for sure I couldn’t find anything similar to the modern, edgy, oversized floral photographs. I think the French artist I found (he actually silk screens on the photographs!), is a great style match.
4) This Miles Redd room is a great study in colors and lines. I also love Mark Rothko’s paintings and I’m so glad art.com had a very similar print available for us! The peachy coral and icy blue colors are just perfect together.
Untitled, 1969 (Mark Rothko) // Miles Redd
Search terms I used: Rothko, Abstract, Fine Art
Find similar here
5) No one does pop art like Warhol, and I love that art.com has such a great selection of Warhol prints available (I actually got one for the girls room – more on that later). Thinking about adding this heart print to the mix as well. Maybe for their bathroom??
6) Just like every other person in the world, I’m fascinated by the strange, dark story of the Kennedy family. I love this print, another by Andy Warhol. It adds just enough edge to this lovely, but pretty traditional space.
7) We all know neon has been hot the past couple years especially, but I love when the bright colors are used in more classical forms – like with figurative abstracts here. I am so, so in love with the Diana Ong print below. Maybe a birthday present for myself this fall? :)
Abstract #8 (Diana Ong) // Christine D’Ornano in Elle Decor
Search terms I used: Figurative, Abstract, Yellow, Fine Art
Find similar here
8) I’ve mentioned before that I’m a little sensitive to the overuse of portraits. To me, the portrait should be either really, really lovely or really cheeky and not-so-serious. This Sargent print is both I think. I’d frame it in something very modern to make it even less serious.
Sally Fairchild, C. 1890 (John Singer Sargent) // Elle Decor Christine D’Ornano home
Search terms I used: Fine Art, Figurative, Women
Find similar here
9) I love all of the Josef Albers squares studies. The colors! But if you’re a bit color shy, try painting your walls a neutral color, and keeping all your other furnishings in the same quiet color family. Then throw in a large print like this one and the space will come alive, but still look grounded and mature.
10) Here’s another print I plan to order for our house! My Grace is super into stars and constellations – I think she’d love this poster in her room. Isn’t the blue background fantastic? There’s a black option too.
11) I was so excited to learn that Art.com owns many original works and edition collections. I’m absolutely aching, dying for this vintage Chagall print. Gah!
La Bible – Lang (Marc Chagall) // Kristin Buckingham for Elle Decor
Search terms I used: Abstract, Figurative, 20th Century
Find similar here
I had so much fun with that little game. You guys should totally try it. It’s a simple way to find art that speaks to you, that you can actually hope to afford!
Any prints/pieces you’ve been eyeing? Do you have an inspiration piece of art you’d like me to find a match for? I’m up for the challenge! Bring it.
And of course, a HUGE thank you to art.com for partnering with me on this post series. I can’t wait to share more (stay tuned for a really cute project I’m working on now!)
PS This tv spot gave me goosebumps when it was unveiled at the conference…
What a strange week it’s been! We haven’t quite had the chance to adjust to the summer schedule yet, and then with the holiday right smack-dab in the middle of this week, it feels like one long, weird drawn out weekend! Our heads are clearly not in the game as we did the unthinkable and…
What a strange week it’s been! We haven’t quite had the chance to adjust to the summer schedule yet, and then with the holiday right smack-dab in the middle of this week, it feels like one long, weird drawn out weekend! Our heads are clearly not in the game as we did the unthinkable and took the kids to Time Square (always a bad idea).
Yesterday was nice though. We have family in town, so we did a lot of cooking and baking and eating, and really, what more could you want from a holiday? The girls helped me make this cherry pie. They did pretty good with the stars, huh?
Last night we walked to the west side and watched the fireworks display, which they orchestrate from a barge in the middle of the Hudson River. We were lazy and stayed downtown (the view was much better I’m sure in midtown). Given how many people were sitting with us down in Battery Park, I’m glad we didn’t bother making the trek up. The kids were pretty wiped by the heat and mosquitos by the time we got home.
It’s a rough life and the party must go on, so we’re packing up to head to Delaware for a reunion with the clerks and judge Michael used to work for. I am excited to get out of the city for a couple days and hang out at the beach. And I’m extra excited about going to the Amish flea market again! I’ve missed those beautiful whoopie pies and farm fresh cheeses dearly. Not to mention the sour dough rolls, soft pretzels and homemade ice cream. And the doughnuts. (and the cinnamon rolls). Oh my.
When we get home, it will be almost time to head to Arizona for two weeks. And then – the MOVE!!! Finally. It’s been such a long process, I can’t believe it’s time to start packing! And there are still so many decisions to make. Like the color of the floors. I’m still liking the idea of very dark, almost ebony. But part of me wants to do a lighter, almost ash color. I was inspired by the floors at Toys R Us. And hopefully that will be the first and last time I will ever write that sentence.
Signing off for the week! I’ll be updating instagram all weekend though if you want to follow along on our little trip to Rohobeth. (@jennykomenda).
My favorite way to set a table is a really basic, solid color dinner plate with a fancy, colorful, patterned salad plate layered on top. If it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas, I like to pull out the gold chargers and the table linens. It’s sort of fool-proof and even fun to set the table with this…
My favorite way to set a table is a really basic, solid color dinner plate with a fancy, colorful, patterned salad plate layered on top. If it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas, I like to pull out the gold chargers and the table linens. It’s sort of fool-proof and even fun to set the table with this method. It’s just a matter of figuring out which salad plates will we use this time and what the flowers will look like.
So whenever I come across salad plates for a fun price, I have a hard time passing them up. It was pretty much impossible for me to not buy these tumbling blocks porcelain plates from CB2. $2.95 each! Won’t they be perfect for outdoor dinner parties this summer? Eight are on their way to me (along with a couple of these (cute hostess gifts!) and a handful of these (love yellow!)).
How do you set your table? Do you have one china set or many? Growing up, we used my mom’s beautiful wedding china for holiday meals and sometimes just for Sunday dinners. I always liked that my mom was willing to use her nice china often, even when we were young kids.
