This & That

Sorry guys, it's been a while since I last posted! With Spring around the corner things are getting busy! I've been working on some home staging projects with the real estate market picking up again in addition to my design projects so things are getting hectic, but I love it! I'm excited to get started on some new projects and of course to share them with you!  This is sort of a random post - just a bunch of cell phone shots I've taken of my recent travels :) 

I saw these sconces in an antique shop in Concord, MA. I love the floral motif and the colors - there was a sticker on one that said "made in Italy" and they remind me a little bit of the style of these lamps I used in a living room design. These would be great in a entry above a console or a dining room over a buffet.

I also saw this petite oil painting while in the same antique shop. It would be perfect above a night stand or on a small wall space. I would change the frame though - maybe cover it in gold leaf to pretty it up a bit.

These marble bookends would really pop against a bookcase with a dark background.

This painting was a nice size and only $125! Antique shops are great places to find original art at great prices. The colors were much more vivid in real life too.

My family and I went to see Le Miserables at the Boston Opera house this past week. It was great! Ryan was there too (he took the picture) :) Our eyes look a little scary!

A shot of the ceiling in the Opera House foyer

I won this lucite tray from Tilly | Maison. It came in the mail last week and I love it! It holds all my random notes and mail on my desk.

Shopping in HomeGoods last week for some home staging items I came across some great lamps! I liked this one with the ginko leaf motif. I think it would look great with a colorful shade.



There were some great new accessories at HomeGoods too. These agate rocks were really pretty and make awesome paperweights or bookshelf accessories!

christina marie

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Home Staging Installation in Lexington, MA

I had a last minute request near the beginning of the week for home staging for an antique 1884 home in Lexington, MA that is going on the market. The realtor contacted me on Tuesday and was hosting the brokers open on Friday so it was a bit of a scramble to get some of the rooms looking put together but it all worked out in the end! I posted the before and after photos of the job over on our FB page. For now here's a sneak peak at some of the detail after shots but head on over to our Facebook page here and check out all the pictures if you can't wait until Monday! And be sure and Like our page for updates while you are there!

christina marie

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Recent Inspiration

Just a random post today about some inspiration for new designs.

I've had this image on my brain for a few weeks. I love the upholstered bed and the matching drapery panels! It's a very elegant look and can easily become too traditional but with the large photograph over the bed and the sheep skin rug it gives the room a nice balance of traditional and eclectic. Mostly, I just love the fully upholstered bed frame. The bed is the focal point in every bedroom and placing a great pattern on the bed itself makes for an even better focal point. Just be sure and choose a fabric that is livable and works with your summer and winter bedding style. I'd love to do something like this in my own bedroom.

via

Same idea here. Love the nail heads and the fabric on this upholstered bed. See a full tutorial on how you can create this look for yourself here.

I've also always been intrigued by using over sized photography in a traditional setting. A very traditional space takes on an almost modern feel simply by adding the over scaled piece. You get the best of both worlds - traditional & modern without committing to either.

So what do you think about these ideas? Is this something you would want to see in your house? 

christina marie

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Designer Crush: Barrie Benson

I love the work of designer Barrie Benson.  I love the way she mixes color and pattern and how she keeps her designs classic but fun and updated. Maybe you've noticed by now but I'm a total fan of color!

I love a statement making foyer with a nice punch of color. This foyer is sure to leave an impression with guests both coming and going. That coral upholstery is gorgeous against the green floral wallpaper!

Love the use of this graphic Albert Hadley print above the wainscoting in the bathroom!

She uses unusual and colorful orientals in many of her spaces. Here's one in a bathroom. Many don't realize it but flatwoven orientals are great in bathrooms especially when they are antique. They've already stood up to years of wear and tear and they can handle a wet foot or two! 

Don't you love the textures and colors in this glamorous bedroom! I also love a nice sized bedside table in rooms that can handle them. Who doesn't need extra storage?!

A fun way to update classic chair frames is to reupholster them in colorful patterned fabrics. Love the upholstery on this chair.

Love the oriental. Very unusual colors. Reminds me of this rug Jenny posted about.

You can see a little peak of the rug in the foyer. It has a lot of coral in it just like the upholstery on the chairs. Love it!

When I came across this picture I realized I had seen this room before......Finally, it hit me! Barrie was featured in Domino magazine and it featured her home pictured here.

The shot in the magazine was just taken from a different angle.

And here she is on the cover of Domino from October 2007. Do I have a good memory or what? :) ..... well, maybe only when it comes to design...

Hope you're enjoying the week! What a gorgeous day it is in Boston today, 60 degrees!! I'll take it for March.

christina marie
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Inexpensive Large Artwork

My brother and his wife live in house that has big, empty, plain walls and they've been looking for an inexpensive solution that will a. add some color to their rooms and b. fill up the emptiness of the walls. The challenge here is coming up with a budget friendly solution for artwork that needs to be HUGE. After they tried convincing my dad to paint them a basically life size piece of artwork for one of their walls (this did not work out because it is just too big and my dad is not Michelangelo) I suggested finding a wallpaper pattern that they both liked and then framing the paper into either one large or three separate panels. Long story, short, they like the idea, so now we're on the hunt for a wallpaper pattern.
I think this is a great solution that has a big statement making effect for far less money than a piece of artwork of comparable size would cost. My brother and his wife are also renting this house so they can't actually apply the paper right to the wall or do anything else to the walls for that matter. Here's some pictures that demonstrate this idea:

All images via here

What's also nice about using the wallpaper in this way is the fact that when you move you can take the piece with you!

Anyone have any suggestions for large scale colorful wallpaper patterns? Leave me your suggestions below!

Hope you have a great weekend!

christina marie

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Interior Design Offices

Maybe it's a designer thing but I love seeing how other designers organize and decorate their offices. Whether it's a home office or a commercial space office I love to see how different designers choose to organize their sample swatches, keep track of their client projects, organize their books and magazines, and display their inspiration. Nothing gets me more excited than stacks of gorgeous fabric, beautiful design books, and awesome inspiration boards! Is that weird? To me it's like a designer's candy shop! Below is a collection of my favorite designer offices and ideas for inspiration boards.

Had to start with one of my favorite designers - Celerie Kemble's office in NY! Love all the trays for sample swatches and the mini client inspiration boards.

Love this idea for creating an inspiration board to pin all your favorite pictures and fabrics! Find an old flea market frame, add cork board, pretty fabric and pin up all your favs! This is such a pretty look it could even be displayed in the corner of a living room.



Lauren Leiss' office over at Pure Style. Love the white bookcases to hold all your fabrics, client notebooks, and magazines!

 

Love this huge china cabinet to hold all your office essentials!



Couldn't leave out Kelly Wearstler's L.A. office. Love those high ceilings and chandeliers! The huge tables are awesome for laying out multiple projects at a time!




I love Bunny Williams N.Y. apartment office. The traditional vibe is balanced by the sleek cabinetry she uses to hold all her fabric samples. Again, love the big work surface.



Lauren Leiss' Inspiration board is great. I love that it is just as wide as the desk and it's such a great way to keep yourself reminded of all the things you love to see in the interiors you're designing.



Love this simple skirted desk with glass top! It makes for a nice clean work surface that really shows off the true colors you are working with. Not to mention those awesome wallpapered closet doors! Source



I love seeing the details of how these designers keep track of their fabric selections for each space they're designing. Love the stationary and of course the orange! Reminds me of my own stationary.

Love the white boxes to organize with!



One of Kelly Wearstler's awesome Vibe trays. She keeps a tray for each of her projects and put different materials and finishes she's considering in the tray to see how she feels about the mix as she works out the details of the project.




A shot of Kelly's vibe trays on her work table.



christina marie

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact us about our design services.

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