orient interior

While I was enjoying my first trip to the outer banks in north carolina, I was very inspired by the wind swept dunes and wide beach.  The ocean really has power to take away stress and make one feel a little lighter.

The trip meant that we didn't move into our Orient cottage.  It was for the best since a few more days (weeks?) are needed to finalize the renovations.  For one: walling in the outdoor shower - yay!  Second: painting throughout.  

Cabinets were installed while I visited on Mother's Day weekend.

Reminder of the before cabinets.

I hope to spend next weekend putting together the kids' beds (Ikea $40 each!) and painting them.  I'm thinking grey or soft blue or just glossy white like the floors.

 Then trying out my rugs, and putting together the little living room.

I purchased something similar to this dhurrie (though mine has blue that is paler) at Mohr McPherson.

We purchased the Karlestad sofa at Ikea.

If you recall, I was inspired by this sofa decked in Les Indiennes fabric.

I have a few of these Ikea pillows along with a raw drop cloth to cover the white Karlestad sofa.  Something to enable me to shake out the sand and crumbs periodically.

I spotted these in the Wisteria catalog (but I'm holding off):

If you've read any of my posts, you will know that I have a problem purchasing pillows.  I end up with so many because it's what I can afford on a whim.  I won't bore you with the other pillows that I'll be trying out.

I purchased these light weight outdoor tables from West Elm, perfect for the porch.

Looking forward to putting it all together.  More importantly, I am looking forward to spending time on the exterior.  The beach.

icff envy

I'm sitting here looking at my registration for the current ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair) and plotting how I can get down to NYC in a day and cover all the ground that I would like while still maintaining deadlines and meetings that have me tethered here. 
Just read a quick interview with Lindsey Adelman and discovered that she brought a segment of her studio to ICFF to work on fulfilling custom orders.  I'd love to see how her fixtures are made in person.  Check out Houzz staff writer Vanessa Brunner's five questions here.
I borrowed these pics from the article:

Studio at work.

 Some new fixtures that use neon colors, very fashion forward.

 

New sconce.

more summer inspiration

At almost eerily perfect timing, whilst I was on the north fork last weekend, the NY Times T Magazine blog posted an article and corresponding images on this home in Amagansett (my favorite town on the south fork).  It kind of captures the aesthetic that I would want to achieve if I had a bigger, ahem, second home on the north fork.  Simple, clean and fresh, but comfortable.  Nothing fussy or fancy.  Maybe I will play some lottery numbers today.


So, I'll add these to the inspiration for Orient.  Not that I have 1/16th of that space.

Oh look. There is my chandelier from Workstead.

Orient cottage re-do, part 1

Part one of our little rehab to the charming and tiny cottage where we spend the summers starts at Ikea.  It is a rental, after all.  I am a huge fan of Ikea kitchens because I think that the product is sound and the price is just right.  The simple Scandinavian styles are in my wheel house as well.

(What I am not in line with is the amount of time we spent waiting inside the small continent that is Ikea.)  We may have lost the day, but here is what we gained:

 

The "Stat" cabinet front was chosen to keep the cottage feel.

  Checking out the options.

 This is the sink & the counter (oak butcher block).

 Faucets

We went with this cart. It matched the cabinets and had good open storage below.

 

 Maybe some shelves for above the sink.  Will wait until all the cabinets are in.

 

Final faucet choice.  The more traditional farmhouse style was more flimsy to the touch.

All of our cabinets, the sink, faucet and a rolling cart were purchased and, amazingly, in stock!  We delivered them to Orient last weekend.  All 77 boxes.  

Already ordered the cabinet knobs from Crown City Hardware.

And a few drawer pulls from Anthropologie.

Wallpaper choices hanging in my city kitchen.  Hhmmm....taking votes.

Here is a before picture of the Orient kitchen:

 Stay tuned!  Here's to hope we get this done by Memorial Day weekend.

 

Helmut Lang New Scupltures

Luxury designer Helmut Lang left the fashion world in 2005 to fully dedicate himself to his first love, visual art. 
His sculptures are now on exhibit at a townhouse on Washington Square North in NYC.  

Check out this  video from ARTINFO.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH4UVnhy5lQ\

I plan to honor this invite when make this when I head to NYC next week:




Mark Fletcher
Neville Wakefield
and Sadie Coles 

AN EXHIBITION OF
NEW SCULPTURES
BY HELMUT LANG

May 4 - June 15Tuesday - Friday 12PM to 5PM

24 Washington Square North
New York, NY 10011 

nearing completion...

Here are some pictures of a project that is coming to a close.  I've shared the built in cabinetry that looks terrific, here.  This is a spacious, beautiful and comfortable home and has been such a joy to work on.  The clients are awesome (I've been so lucky in that department!) and we've done some really pretty and fun things.   Please excuse my unprofessional, poorly exposed iphone snaps.

Family room:

Living room:

We were waiting on the lamps to be delivered when I took this.  I also think I need to change out one of the side tables and add lumbar pillows to the linen chairs.

Office:

We were waiting on the desk chair to be delivered & window treatments to be installed.

 The dining room chandelier takes the cake and I give my clients all the credit because they spotted it and went for it!  Oh, and I must give my electrician a lot of credit.  It was an interesting install, to say the least.  Each handblown glass piece has to be attached individually.

It's a Dale Chihuly of their very own! (Um, except it's not a Chihuly).

Alex Katz at the MFA

This weekend we dragged two very unresponsive teens to the MFA.  I've been wanting to see the Alex Katz exhibit.  So glad that I went.  
(The contemporary art wing broke some cracks in the stubbornness of said teens.)

cottage re-do

I am so looking forward to getting back out to Orient on the weekends this summer!  We are renovating the kitchen with new cabinets, paint, wallpaper, and lighting.  We've also emptied the small space to have it painted completely white -  floor to ceiling.

Some inspiration I've been ruminating on:

I've usurped this idea and will have an unpainted "runner" going up the stairs.  The rest of the staircase, banister, etc. will be white.

The cottage is tiny and we may have outgrown it, but we are so in love with everything about living on Village Lane and on the beach and with our "family" there, that it's worth staying.  You don't give up something so perfect as this.