FACTORY MAN Last year I read the book Factory Man by Beth Macy. Her book chronicles the collapse of the furniture industry in Virginia and the Carolinas and one man’s attempt to save his company and his town. As someone who relies on the furniture industry to make our designs great, I was fascinated by her story. Beth Macy …
COMMON OBJECTS I love the use of common objects as art. Objects that were so utilitarian, but now are a bit of a novelty. My favorite is the camera. I still own one, but frankly I’ve lost the charger! Here are some artists that have interpreted it’s interesting shape in new materials. Vive l’ordinaire! I picked up this blue candle …
I am finishing up a wonderful project for a client who recently moved into a home. They moved in … and then started the remodel. And as wonderful as it is going to be for her and her family, it has been a tough process to live through. Here is the letter I wish I had written at the start …
THE LAST DAYS OF CAFE LEILA I had the pleasure of sitting down with Donia Bijan at lunch today. She owned my favorite restaurant in days gone by (L’Amie Donia,) but has moved on to writing. Although I miss her cooking, I am grateful her creative energy has found a new path! This is a charming, but honest book …
I first discovered this artist through Simon Breitbard Fine Arts at their annual art trunk show. From their show in 2016, I brought home this sweet piece and found a spot for it next to my breakfast table. When the time came for a large piece for our front hall, we talked with Paul about a commissioned piece. He created …
Guess who has the #1 Home Office on Houzz for 2016! Our homework space in the Modern Farmhouse project went viral this year with over 100k saves. We are so grateful that one of our spaces inspired so many people to think about how they work at home. The Study features 4 work stations with green linoleum tops for a …
FINDS FROM MINTED.COM I am currently designing a modern ranch house with a Swedish vibe (think cool grays, bright whites and lots of natural wood.) I can’t read a thing in Swedish, but Elin Lannsjö speaks my design language! Currently I am looking for artwork to finish up my furniture presentation. I always encourage clients to look for art on …
Let’s look at a high end furniture budget. (For inspiration photos return to Part 1.) We’ve examined a low end furniture budget at $13/sf and a middle range from retail sources at $50/sf. You’ve paid good money for a house and are ready to do it right. Would you spend 5-20% of the purchase price of your home to furnish …
Last week we looked at low budget options for furnishing a 250sf living room. When you shop at Target and Ikea, you can expect to pay around $13/sf. Today we will look at all of the amazing retail options. I designed and priced these rooms based on Pottery Barn. But this range includes Crate and Barrel, Room and Board, West …
In my last post we started an exploration on determining the right furniture budget for you. Today we are going to look at what it would cost to furnish a 250 sq ft living room, soup to nuts or “sofa to candles.” Here is the floor plan for our new room. We looked at three lovely living rooms last …
