THE BLOG

Tween Bedroom DoOvah

For the record, there IS such a thing a “Blog Guilt”.  It’s that thing where you have all this amazing content to chat about and it takes you a year to get it published to the blog?  Blog Guilt.  I have it. Big time.  But I guess that’s what happens when you are running an interior design business, a product line, and a family.  So, here is a fun DoOvah that was photographed LAST April by the amazing Jessica Delaney Photography.  Hope you enjoy!

Tween Bedroom DoOvah Before and After

This was a fantastic project for a little girl who had a ‘pinterest vision’ for her space.  The reveal was also a birthday surprise which made it super fun.  The homeowners weren’t looking to spend a ton of money on new furnishings,  but we did splurge on some new accessories and custom window treatments.  The walls were painted  Benjamin Moore Surf Blue and we stenciled one accent wall in gold damask.  We used two IKEA Shelving units vertically and horizontally  to “build” a window seat and hid the top with a custom cornice board for a built in look and give her a cozy place to hang out.  She wanted to keep her bed (in that direction) and her new Anthropologie bedding, but clearly we needed to make it look as fabulous as she is!  The pillows are a combo platter of Home Goods and West Elm with one Jonathan Adler needlepoint pillow thrown in for fun. We made a super simple canopy surrounding the bed that was mounted to the ceiling.  So easy to do with a sheer curtain, a cup hook, and a coat hanger.  I’ll blog about that someday…maybe a year from now…ya know Blog Guilt.

Sof 2We shifted the desk over the the area under the window.  We painted, or should I say guilded (cauz I’m fancy that that’s how I roll), the IKEA desk drawer taking it from orange to gold.  We also painted the pink lamp gold since I had some paint left over.  We loved how it turned out!  Budget friend design going on here people.   Speaking of budget, sometimes you just have to spend a little more to make the design special.  That said, clearly we NEEDED to have the Furlicious Rockin’ Roller (I wish I made up that name) desk chair from Pottery Barn Teen  and I’m fairly certain no injuries have ensued.

Sof 3

We kept the existing bureau but wanted to create a fun focal point above it.  She came up with her slogan “Shine On” and we had a custom neon sign made!  How fun, right?  (side note: when paying by the letter on the sign we might have encouraged her to come up with a slogan on the shorter side.)  We did an ombre effect on the Home Goods lamp shade.  Also, I was stoked that her love for Diary of a Wimpy Kid novels worked in our favor with the color scheme.  Here are a few other shots of her space!  We are so happy with how the whole room turned out.

MK Design_SophiaBedroom-8

Loved this little chair we scored at Home Goods!

Mirror was from Pier One, but sorry folks, don’t think they sell that one anymore.

MK Design_SophiaBedroom-10

More Fun Home Goods Finds.  Oh, and I love you too Jonathan Adler.

MK Design_SophiaBedroom-11

She literally dresses this every day!  So fun to be 10 years old.

MK Design_SophiaBedroom-12

Don’t you just want to crawl in here?

IMG_1980

YUP!  She loved.  Another successful ‘tween DoOvah complete.

0

You had me at Nate…

As some of you may know, I had a chance to meet Oprah this year…and like REALLY meet her…like with her arm around me and stuff and I hugged her for maybe 2 seconds.  Basically we are super close.  Inner circle type thing.  I really should blog about that whole day.  Is it too late?  Do you want to hear about that?  OprahSo when the Design Bloggers Conference announced that Nate Berkus was going to be a keynote I pretty much booked my plane ticket right there and then.  You see, when I was AT Oprah I had the opportunity to meet Nate.  Well, it might not have been an opportunity as much as it was looking back from our seats to wave at our friend Kristian (who might really be in O’s inner circle) and see that Nate is standing behind him at the control desk.  NATE BERKUS.  My heart was racing…he has always been my design idol…my number absolute favorite.  (Want to come over and watch DVRd Nate episodes?  Why did they cancel my favorite show of all time?!? ) So, here I am and Oprah is about the take the stage but I race back to the control desk to see if I might be able to introduce myself.  I mean, he clearly wants to know his number one fan was there…right?

1798385_10204335413201220_5001867979065656667_n

So here’s the thing about my voice, it’s kinda high pitched and I don’t think the Boston accent helps either.  And the music was super loud and I was pretty nervous.  The nerves were not so much about meeting Nate but more about getting Kristian in trouble at work.  Oh, and they are announcing that everyone should take their seats.  Like a dog whistle, my voice projected to a level that no one on earth could hear.  So I blew it…I talked to Nate without a voice.  It was OK, I moved on pretty quickly, I mean wouldn’t you if you were sitting here?

10469335_10204339699748381_179646643176872823_n

Besides, we ARE in the same industry, there was always a chance I’d see him again someday.

And then there is always this.  unnamed

I know, so weird that I had on the same outfit as when I met Oprah?!?  And the lighting is amazing.

And if I do see him in the lobby of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Bucksport, GA on a random Wednesday afternoon, I might even ask him if he remembers that awkward conversation we had.  Stranger things have happened!

10592686_10205467657986632_8297371105848383323_n

Looking forward to hearing you tomorrow as we kick off the Design Bloggers Conference 2015

0

Gearing up for Design Bloggers Conference 2015 #DBCAtl #DBC2015

Remember when I went to the Design Bloggers Conference in LA back in 2013?  It was so much fun and I made so many wonderful designer friends that I was so bummed to miss out last year.  But I’m BACK!  And clearly brought the snow and frigid temps with me from Boston…for real.  It snowed here this morning. #longestWintahevah I was hoping for some tropical temps in the 40’s but so far no luck!  So I came down a day early to take part in Tobi Fairly’s Mastermind and it literally blew my mind!  But that’s another post…

Tonight I want to talk about this fun little video I did last spring at High Point Market, and if you are one of the lucky few poeple who actually watched my oscar winning performance, then you’ll know I’m excited about tomorrow’s agenda.

2015-ADAC-Digital-Day-event-rev4-400

Please do yourself a favor enjoy the rest of this post while listening

 to the smooth tunes of Peaches & Herb 

So first I’ll be reuniting with my ‘friends’ the Madcap Cottage Boys!

madcap

Sorry your eyes are closed John…but the dogs.  It’s really all about the dogs.  The interweb loves the dogs!  Oh, and it’s also about my shoes…in the rain.

Then the afternoon brings a BFF reunion!  Seriously, me and Alexa are total BFFs.  See, I have it in writing!

IMG_3377And I’m pretty sure she sent this out as her holiday card this year.  How adorable are we?

IMG_3404

Also, I bought her this. I think she’ll love it!

pZALE1-6791288t400

Source: Zales (nothing but the best for my BFF)

But for real, I’m super excited about all the amazing content starting tomorrow.  The Design Bloggers Conference is such an incredible event, I mean really, I’m going to be sitting listening to the editors of Coastal Living Magazine and Coastal Living.com talk about how to pitch the media?!?  I’ve been trying (unsuccessfully) to pitch my MK Coastal products to them for almost three years. Wouldn’t my products look great in their pages?  Will tomorrow be my lucky day?  Crossies!

Ad 1

* Ok maybe I did cut some people out of those pictures (Ron & Gretchen) Geez don’t get so mad, you shoulda come to the DBC if you didn’t want to end up on the cutting room floor of my blog.

0

Before & Aftah Bedroom

Happy Valentines Day!

Today is all about love and I wanted to dedicate this blog post to my my wonderful clients who trust me enough and allow me to do what I truly love.

321cfb224fc52ae8d59d81ba065ba217

Source

And I also love this blog (even if I don’t update it quite as often as I would like… cue blog guilt setting in) But really, I love to write these fun little pieces and I especially love when you guys comment back when I ask for your opinions.  Remember the Million Dollar Bed Skirt blog post I shared last April?  The bedskirt was going to coordinate with this crazy 7 foot headboard we created using a fun Schumacher fabric.IMG_2876-1024x768

Well, although it’s been a while I can finally show you the “winner”  (Full Disclosure: the client picked the one she liked.)  So here’s the before…

image_26

And here’s the Aftah!  MDBSA #7 (Million Dollar Bed Skirt Alternative) was the winner.

Bedroom

Photo:  Michael J. Lee

Totally fun right?!?  Grown up bedrooms don’t have to be so serious, let them be an expression of yourself.  Can you tell our client was a super fun and young at heart empty nester?  Is your bedroom a place you love to be?  If not, call me for a bedroom DoOvah!

1

Before and Aftah Dining Room

I’m all about a pop of color and I love when clients embrace a fun color scheme in their home, but this…well…let’s just say it wasn’t living up to their dream of having an elegant dinner party.

Time for a DoOvah!

image_6Oh, and did I mention that this photo facing the windows didn’t fully capture the, um, POP that the color makes?  Kinda loud, huh?

image_7So clearly we had to address the color, but let’s face it, there was nothing special about the dining table and chairs either. This doesn’t look like a place you are going to want to sit and linger with friends long into the night.  But we did like the chandelier…yeah that can stay!

Dining RoomPhoto by: Michael J. Lee

I AM IN LOVE!  Seriously.  That Phillip Jeffries grasscloth wallpaper speaks for itself.  I literally want to put wallpaper in every single DoOvah these days!  The Schumacher fabric on the chairs brings in a fun youthful vibe for these empty nesters.  It’s such a cozy space, don’t you just want to linger here with a few too many glasses of wine?  Throw pillows…in a dining room…YES PLEASE!  Honestly, I’ve wanted to use Mary McDonald’s Don’t Fret from the moment I saw it, and the pillows on these leather Wesley Hall curved settees was the perfect spot.  Here we are discussing these pillows…or the wine…or the band at the party…or how we’ll be best friends for life…whatever.

IMG_3428I digress.  The dining room.  We are talking about the dining room DoOvah.  Anyhoo, we already told you that we kept the chandelier, but we also incorporated the rug from the living room DoOvah to use in this space.  Finally, we refinished the top of the buffet in a silver leaf and moved it to a wall that was better proportioned to the scale of the piece.

image_10Big wall + tiny buffet = doesn’t work.  Adding the silver leaf to the top brings elegance to the original kitchy country checkerboard pattern.  Since we were working on so many spaces in their home, the homeowner  was so glad we were able to reuse a few pieces in the new design.

Hall

Photo by: Michael J. Lee

We hope our clients spend many hours in their new dining room sharing stories and creating memories with friends and family, because let’s face it, that what these spaces are meant for.  Does your dining room need a DoOvah too?

2