Three Cheers for the Brown & White!

This past weekend we ventured to Lehigh (our alma mater - yes, cue sappy music... my husband and I are college sweethearts!) for the 147th playing of Lehigh/Lafayette. This is one of the longest running college football rivalries, and a fun tradition to be a part of.  It was a fantastic crisp fall day on old South Mountain and we had an awesome time watching all the crazy kids - err - the football game. And in honor of Lehigh's victory - err, TROUNCING of Lafayette (37-13), I decided to show some rooms featuring Lehigh's colors: Brown and White.

Oh Tobi Fairley, how do I love thee!!

eclectic bedroom design by other metros interior designer Tobi Fairley

Love the Jacqui coffee table and turquoise pillows:

contemporary living room design by new york photographer Alexander Johnson Photography

spaces design by los angeles interior designer Vanessa De Vargas

This reminds me of Hershey's Syrup - totally yummy!

spaces design

Check out the bedside lamps - they are hanging from the ceiling!! Totally cool.

spaces design by los angeles interior designer Vanessa De Vargas

Scrumptous!

bedroom design

traditional bedroom design by los angeles interior designer Tracy Murdock Allied ASID

Sleek and modern, yet very warm.

dining room design by photographer Elad Gonen & Zeev Beech

I adore this example of mixing of styles and textures, though I wish the chandelier was a little larger!

spaces design

eclectic living room design

dining room design

I am not ordinarily a modern type of gal, but this kitchen is amazing!!!

contemporary kitchen design by other metros kitchen and bath Darren Morgan

Go Lehigh!
Becky

Update: "One Stunning Room"

Many thanks to readers for commenting and emailing about last week's post "One Stunning Room, Two Different Layouts (Maybe)".  You helped me identify the original source as Chicago Home and Garden Magazine, featuring the suburban Wheaton home of Kay Eck.

As you helped me realize, the shots above and below are of adjacent walls in the same room, with the same layout.

I love the dark and rich paint colors used in the den and library - so cozy and warm!

The light and airy open layout of the kitchen, dining, and living room stands in stark contrast to the intimacy of the den and library.

The Ecks did a fabulous job of bringing their eclectic and contemporary sensibility to this historic neighborhood, don't you think?

Have a great day!

Deb

Look for Less: Jonathan Adler's Queen Anne Mirror

I love the graceful lines of a Queen Anne mirror for a living room, foyer, or bathroom...

If you also love the look, you can pick this one up from High Street Market for $395 (as opposed to Jonathan Adler's $595), in white or black.  And if you shop today (Cyber Monday), you'll even get a gorgeous free gift of agate coasters.  Kelly's done a great job launching her new site - check it out!

Deb

Client Project: Update!

We've shown you some "sneak peaks" of a favorite client's dining room redo, bit by bit.  We're getting close - with a custom designed pedestal table recently delivered, and draperies installed yesterday, things are looking great just in time for the holidays!

Here's the before...

With corner chairs salvaged from the dump, and reupholstered in a lovely Schumacher silk to match the rest of the dining chairs...

And an understated but elegant chandelier from Restoration Hardware...

On the other side of the foyer, the living room is coming along nicely, too.  This new round rug we found at our favorite Boston rug source makes the room!

And we lucked out and found this accompanying rug on One Kings Lane!

Happy Thanksgiving!
Deb and Becky

One Stunning Room, Two Different Layouts (maybe)

I've had the following image earmarked in my blog file for months now, marked "awesome room".  I think I initially saw it on Pinterest, and was drawn to the strong navy and orange tones, the classic tulip table, and the interesting juxtaposition of hardwood floors and patterned marble tile.  And those sweet built-ins flanking the windows aren't hurting things, either.

Then yesterday, I came across this image, through The Estate of Thing's flikr photo stream...  

Hmmm - I'm thinking it's (obviously) the same room, shot most likely from the same angle, with a radically different layout.  I love the perspective this shot provides, with the fabulous Oly drum light, and the play of the tall vs. short chairs facing what is otherwise a flawlessly symmetrical design.

But there's an outside possibility that the second shot is the mirror image, but on the opposite side of the room as the first.  Wish I knew!  Anyone know the original source of these gorgeous shots?  I'd love to see the rest of the spread...

Deb

Dear Photograph

Have you heard of the website "Dear Photograph?"  Its invitation to readers says "take a picture of a picture from the past, in the present".  You might need to reread that a couple of times, or just enjoy the photos below to get the concept.

Being a former history teacher, I'm loving how these vignettes blend the past and present together so seamlessly.  Being a home/design/architecture junkie, I'm loving how in the examples I've chosen below,

time has marched on for the subjects/photographer, but the physical surroundings have endured, seemingly untouched.

Do check out Dear Photograph, voted one of the best new websites of 2011 by Time Magazine.  Its a powerful site, largely due to the photographers' captions, which range in tone from reminiscent to heart-breaking. 

Best, Deb

Master Bedroom Update

After months of sleeping on a mattress and box spring on the floor, I finally pulled the trigger on an upholstered headboard I saw at the New York International Gift Fair...  It weighs a TON, and the sweaty deliveryman kindly informed me he could take it no farther than the sidewalk.

We finally got in upstairs, and I'm pretty pleased...

I used Worlds Away for the pagoda lamps flanking the bed...

I applied several coats of glossy chocolate brown to a friends tired old wooden nightstands...

And changed out the knobs with hardware from Anthropologie:

The other side of the room is slowly coming around, too...

I've got a long ways to go, but I'm getting there!
Have a great weekend,
Deb