Home Made in Middle America

I love this furnishings company, AT-95 and their ingenious way to revitalize the rust belt of America, by starting a NEW American Industrial "Furniture" Revolution!

Their tables are sooo unique...I love the warmth of the wood with the metal, such a great combo and the style just works...

Console Table

Many usages but what a great entertainment console this could be....

The base of this table is cast iron and is patterned after a vintage machinery base and weighs alot, so in other words it's not going anywhere. :)

I see this and immediately think coffee table...Now all of you with kids, they may see this as a ride, ha!

This is called the Workhorse Table, the name fits it so well....And add this...

A great chunky bench

So as you have probably noticed there are 2 finishes to choose from...The "lightly toasted"

And of course the "bourbon" which from this posting you can probably tell which is my favorite... ;)

All the wood used in these products are SALVAGED solid American White Oak No. 2, talk about being green.

I think when given the chance we should always support our home grown companies here in America, do you agree?

Spring Break...Part 2

Spring Break is almost over for most of you out there...I didn't get one.....But I did get lighter traffic in town and a quietness at work which has been a nice change to catch up, so that is a good thing.

Continuing on my quest to share again some of my past postings here are a few more for you to enjoy...

Inspired by Chard?  I was actually inspired by the colors of chard.

When Size Matters  These are Extreme King size beds, which if you had a dog as big as mine would be nice to have.

This Stairway IS Heaven  I can't tell you how many times my clients don't know what to do with their existing staircases showing age and how to update them.  If you are like them, I hope this posting inspires you.

Life Imitates Art  Okay in case you are new to my blog, I had to add this one so you can get a glimpse of my rock star dog, Calvin, he says "woof" to you all.

Enjoy your weekend and see you next week!!!

Spring Break...Take a Breather

It seems to be Spring Break for most, so I thought this week would be a good time to catch up on some past posts that have been popular before....Quick, easy reading, nothing too taxing for the spring break mind....

Glass Fetish  This name really says it all...I have a glass fetish and I want to share it with you.

#1 or #2?  I know this is going to be hard for most women to believe, but this blog posting title got a lot of attention from men.

Up On The Roof Top   Some of you may be going here for spring break, so thought I would share what I learned about just the roof top of this amazing mansion.

Mirrors Need Love Too  This posting was VERY popular and everyone loved this idea. So I thought I would share it again for those of you who missed it last time, or for those of you who forgot to add it to their list of "to dos" the first time around.

(Guest Bath: Before)

(Guest Bath: After, notice anything?)

I hope you are all having a great week, whether you have off for spring break or not, remember to relax and breathe....Spring is here!

All You Need is Kitchen Cabinet Love

I have sooo many clients who want to update their kitchens and get really scared when they start pricing cabinets.  Can you blame them?  That is one of the priciest areas of a kitchen.

I can't tell you how many times their cabinets have good "bones" they just need a refresh is all....And yes this is pickled and yes we did something about it.

(before)

(almost after, we are wrapping this job up so not completely done but you get the idea I hope on cabinets)

Even those horrible oak cabinets that we are all familiar with...You know the ones that turn yellow over time?  Yep, even those can be improved on at a fraction of the cost new cabinets would be.

(before, bad pic sorry about that)

(after)

I am not pooh poohing brand new custom built kitchen cabinets at all...I love them, my clients love them, but if cost is a factor adding paint or stain to your existing is a wise way to go.

(WAAAYYY before, this was a flip house, I know we are talking about kitchen cabinets but how do you like that wallpaper?)

(after)

Oh and stay tuned here is my latest....The yellowing oak is going dark...Should be done around mid April, with of course new floors, backsplash, granite countertop and new cabinet hardware, looking forward to showing you..

Here is the stain I am using, or my painters are using anyway....SW 3125-O "Ranch Oak".

Bold, Beautiful, Batik in Bali

Kathy, an interior designer, and her hubby, Rally, an architect, picked up and moved to Bali from the United States to escape the downturn in the economy, nice escape right?

While there, they have discovered their creative outlet, and founded Katherine Rally where they create their own line of bold, beautiful batik textiles.

Each piece of fabric is completely handmade and one-of-a-kind...I love the pattern and color selections they give you, your choices are endless...Here are just a few of my favs....

I love their vibrant colors and the modern spin they put on artisanal craftsmanship.

You can buy these in Bali, Australia or in the United States, see this list right here for details on locations.

Adding even a pillow from their collection to your home could feel like a mini vacation to Bali don't you think?

Not Out Of Reach

I love these little work tables for a sofa.....

My mom wanted one for her new sofa so I had to figure out what they were called and I learned something new...There isn't just one name for them, of course right?

On this search I have seen them called, accent tables, C tables, cocktail tables or if you are in England, even tea tables, I am sure the list goes on but you get the idea right?

I wanted to include some of my fun finds of these since I did all the work showing them to my Mom already....

Robert Abbey  This adjusts for different seating heights.

Gear C table  Clean, all one piece.

Smart marble c table  The Carrera marble top is a nice touch.

Cocktail table  Nice and long to reach you on those deeper seats.

Eileen Gray table  This is just sooo stylish and a classic.

Pierson table  Having a lip all the way around is a nice touch.

Etna tea table  This just looks cool.

So of all of these do you have a favorite?

Fashion Has an Interior Motive

Yes your eyes have not deceived you...This is an interior picture of a home on a dress....Here's another one...

These fabulous dresses are by the very talented Greek fashion designer, Mary Katrantzou.  With this collection she wanted to "put the room on the woman, rather than the woman in the room", what a concept right?

She digitally manipulates images of interiors by Guy Bourdin and Helmut Newton for her surreal collection.  Mary had been looking at old seventies photography, when it occurred to her that the interiors in these pictures were just as important as the models and that was her inspiration for these dresses. 

They are definitely not for the budget minded girl, but they are pretty cool and I think they would be a great dress to wear to a clients job don't you?