{the little house that could}

A dear friend friend of mine recently purchased this run down little Tudor style home in Nashville. She already has a lovely home of her own but she was looking for a project to which she could put her creative hand. When she first saw it, she fell in love, not because of what she saw but because she saw what it could be. Six children were raised in here and recently the mother had to be moved to a nursing home. My friend called it a "happy home" because as run down and outdated as it was, you could feel the years of joy and laughter that had filled it's walls.

What my friend had was vision. She could see through the dated kitchen, the tired bathrooms, and the choppy floor plan. She promptly got to work, redesigning the space with it's history in mind and and within five months she had totally transformed the place into the most beautiful modern day family home. While she moved walls, updated old plumbing and knob and tube wiring, she stayed true to the 1930's architectural characteristics. One thing that my friend says is that builders and architects today often forget the importance of what she calls "transitions." In an effort to be more efficient with space, builders have left out the small spaces, the nooks and crannies, that carry you from one room to another. Rather, she says you get one large room after another without pause which lacks character.

Taking on a project like this takes determination, a spirit of adventure, and a good sense of humor. My friend lacks none of these qualities which is why her renovation was such a success.

The little house that could just starting out...

The house needed a new roof as well as an extra dormer to create balance to the exterior. My friend also added a small entry off the front with a copper roof.

The siding was in disrepair, so the builder pulled it off and put up new hardiplank.

My friend reconfigured the upstairs from a six bedroom "dorm hall" to a more spacious three bedroom two bathroom area. She also added a spacious playroom right above the kitchen.

The old staircases were quite steep, so new ones had to be built.

Looking into the old kitchen...not too pretty.

Within five months the transformation was complete. The finished product was nothing short of amazing. My friend has great style and a good eye. The light subtle color palette and beautiful (mostly) affordable materials gave the home a graceful feel. Not surprisingly, within three days of the home being on the market, it sold.

The charming new exterior.
It is a bit hard to see but the entry papered in Farrow and Ball's Silvergate.

The living room minimally staged with borrowed furniture and accessories from my friend's own home.

The dining room again staged with lovely furniture from a local antique shop.

The kitchen and adjacent keeping room are elegant and soft. You can't see it but in the keeping room there is a wall with a built in desk and extra cabinet space.

The master bath with free standing tub which sits between the potty closet and the amazing shower stall.

Another shot of the serene master bath with double vanity.

Believe it or not, these lockers were original to the house. I don't have the before photograph but they looked like they were straight out of the "Brady Bunch." The kids who grew up here used these lockers long before lockers were the "in thing." My friend added raised wood trim to the doors, changed the hardware, gave them a coat of paint and the transformation was amazing. This small room is where you enter from the back and connects the kitchen to the family room. The staircase leads up to the playroom.

In the family room Peacock Pavers were used. My friend drew this mantle on the wall and the carpenter created it just as she drew it! It is hard to see the mantle's detailing but it is fantastic!

The playroom with lots of natural light.

One of the upstairs baths with double square shaped sinks.

The carriage house was painted and structurally re-enforced but the new owners will have the option to finish it out to suit their needs.

My friend truly does have vision as well as style and I can't wait to see what she will put her hand to next. We have recently purchased a home that requires a lot of vision as well. We don't move in until October and our transformation will not take place as rapidly as this one did, but I am excited to be able to put my own mark on our "new" old home. I am definitely up for a challenge!

{mad max}

In the spirit of the "back to school" season, I thought a post on the ever popular dorm room that was published in New York Magazine last year seemed appropriate. Maximilian Sinsteden, who was an intern for Charlotte Moss, created this eclectic, quintessentially english gentleman's abode in standard student quarters at Drew University. What I love most about Max's dorm is that it is in keeping with his personal preppy style, but the layered look he created makes it not the least bit uptight or stodgy.

Taking inspiration from Max's room, I re-created a similar space. While it might be a little over the top for an average guy's dorm room it would be perfect for a young bachelor's pad.

Max painted the room Ralph Lauren's Tapestry Green, a color Max says he fell in love with after he saw it used in a powder room of a Charlotte Moss client.

Peter Dunham's Samarkand is the perfect updated "global chic" paisley. Dunham was inspired by his friend's hippie bedcover, which he had picked up in Tangiers, when he created this fabric. Large bolster pillows in this fabric would be stunning.

A Ralph Lauren plaid for the bed linens and table skirt would give the space a preppy look.

Max used old, worn Oriental rugs that belonged to his family. Another handsome, durable and affordable option would be a striped indoor/outdoor rug from Dash and Albert.

A floor lamp from Ikea with a toffee checked shade from Ballard Design would be an inexpensive lighting option.

For additional light, a pair of minimalist ikea table lamps placed on a thrift store chest of drawers would be perfect. Seagrass shades from Ballard Designs would give the lamps a "waspy" feel.

Vintage posters framed in ready made frames from Michael's would fill up wall space nicely. Personal framed photographs as well as eclectic thrift store finds would be sure to aide in recreating Max's "wall of art." Vintage European license plates are fun wall fillers as well and can be found on ebay.

**As a little side note: the perfect gift to send a young man going off to school (or work) is a handsome leather portfolio with personalized strap from Col. Littleton. My husband is a big fan!

{for the boys}

A few weeks ago I was over at my uber-creative friend, Kayce's home (which is about to be shot for Country Living) and saw this fabulous piece hanging in her boy's room. Not only does the woman have 7 children, design her own line of children's clothing, and bake the most incredible bread from scratch, but she is a talented artist as well. When I asked her about the artwork, she explained that she and her ten year old son had decoupaged pages from old books onto a large canvas and then covered it with shellac. The next day she threw on some navy high gloss paint (which ties in nicely the navy ikat curtains in the room). What I love about this is not only does it look amazing but it adds a personal touch to the bedroom. I plan to attempt to create one myself for my own boy's room (with a little help from Kayce I am sure!)

{together}

This weekend I plan on enjoying sweet time with my family. We will surely be loving on our sweet dog who is still recovering from his traumatic injury. I hope you and yours have a beautiful weekend and savor these last days of summer....

{image: slim aarons}

{to get: pictorial webster's}

I recently came across the book, Pictorial Webster's: A Visual Dictionary of Curiosities. The book features more than 1500 historic engravings that were used to illustrate Webster's dictionaries during the 19th century. I had the chance to flip through it and it is truly a stunning artistic reference for all who are interested in art and design history. I am adding it too my ever growing design book wish list!

{fig leaf}

I have a bit of a design crush on Los Angeles based designer Peter Dunham. The designer has an enviable background, growing up in England, France and Spain and working for design legend David Hicks. I love his relaxed glamorous style and his self described "layered English look with ethnicy vibe."

One of my favorite fabrics is Dunham's "Fig Leaf." Dunham says that this print was inspired by a similar fabric Dunham saw as a child in his neighbor, Spanish surrealist painter, Salvador Dali's, home. It has such a summery, fresh, classic look. It would be perfect in the mix with any eclectic, evolved interior.

{images: 1- via peter dunham; 2- design by diane bergeron via vogue living austrailia; 3- via peter dunham; 4- source unknown; 5- via western interiors}

{shopping in charlotte part deux: post & gray}

As I mentioned in a previous post, I recently had the privilege of shopping in Charlotte, North Carolina. While browsing through Interiors Marketplace, the friendly sales staff kindly gave me a shortlist of several fantastic stores to visit while in town. The first place they suggested I visit was Post & Gray, Interior's Marketplace's more affordable sister store. Usually open Thursday through Saturday (I was in town on a Monday), I was lucky enough to have the owner, JohnVieregg personally let me in. Post & Gray is a shopping mecca located in a 4,000 square foot warehouse in Charlotte's South End. Filled will unique, eclectic merchandise this is a place to search for that one a of a kind piece that will add flair to any room.

Reasonably priced french chairs and chandeliers.

Unique glassware and transferware to spice up any table setting.

An amazing pair of Hollywood Regency gilt faux bamboo stylized tables.

Sterling silver trophies.

A french settee with lovely lines.

Post & Gray also offers Casa Fiora designer draperies at deeply discounted prices. If you have a bare window you have been hoping to dress and need to do so on a budget this is the place to look!

This of course is just a small sampling of all that Post & Gray has to offer. Whether you live in Charlotte or are just passing through I highly recommend you visit this fabulous store. As you can imagine, with affordable prices and great merchandise, the turnover at Post & Gray is high so each time you visit you are bound to find something new!