Nympheus & Song

I've been somewhat obsessed with this Nympheus fabric from Lee Jofa ever since I first laid eyes on it at BlogFest. In fact, I have already written about it once before. It's a very old pattern dating back to 1915 Thailand that came from Lee Jofa's archives. Thomas O'Brien has recently reimagined it in two new colorways - Aubergine (above) & Teal. Since it's been so on my mind, I absolutely had to integrate it into our new/old house reno somewhere and the little back hallway/mudroom ended up being the perfect place for it. With just one window, this was the most amazing fabric choice to add a powerful punch of interest to a space that is often neglected from a design standpoint in many homes. It was also a good choice budget-wise because the window is small and this fabric is - ahem, not inexpensive, shall we say. Then when I found Madeline Weinrib's Song runner in Pumpernickel the deal was sealed. These two textiles were meant to be together and they make me very, very happy every time I come and go out the back door of our new/old home.

Do you have a fabric that you've always dreamed of using in your home or am I the only one who fantasizes about textiles? Please tell me I'm not alone.

Living Room

I'm finally getting around to hanging artwork in our new/old house reno. Today, this stunning original piece by Britt Bass was hung above our living room sofa and I absolutely adore it. The juxtaposition of the modern painting with my antique pillows and rug, and somewhat traditional furniture makes me so, so happy. The only thing left to complete this room are the drapes that I'm having made in Seema Krish's Glitterati. It's a gorgeous linen with delicious hints of gold thread subtly woven in. For more from Seema's new Bombay Glitz collection, check out these recent posts I did on her. Happy weekend.

Classic Bath

Top: Savoy Bathtub // Bottom Left: Soap Holder // Bottom Right: Tasuki Fabric 

I'm working with some pretty fabulous clients right now on several design projects throughout their lovely home in Ann Arbor, all of which are going to be just stunning. Here's a peek at the starting point for one of the bathrooms we're updating. It all began with that insanely gorgeous Savoy cast iron clawfoot tub from Waterworks. Picture a simple roman in Tasuki on the window, Carrara hex tiles on the floor with Carrara subway tiles running up the walls and an exposed thermostatic shower system like this one and you are starting to see where we are headed. It's going to be oh-so-good. And don't even get me started on the kitchen & dining rooms...The preliminary selections are amazing. I'll share more as we're further along. Promise.

20 Days

It all started as a hair brained idea well over a year ago. We were moving to Ann Arbor. Michael wanted to build new and be as eco-friendly as possible. I loved the idea of new, and definitely of building green, but couldn't get past my love for old homes and all of the things that come with them. Lots with mature trees. Hardwood floors with years of character ingrained in them, complete with squeaks. Intricate crown molding. These are things you can't duplicate in a new home. So when we found this beat up, haunted looking old cottage on the most perfect of tree lined streets in the neighborhood we wanted, it gave us both pause. Kind of perfect. It needed to be made essentially new on the inside which made Michael happy, but had great bones and there were enough things that were salvageable, like hard wood floors throughout and some pretty plaster molding, that it seemed to be the ideal compromise for us both. And so we jumped in head first. Found a rental home to plant ourselves for the year and had blueprints drawn up. Hindsight is always 20/20, right? Had we known it was going to take well over a year and far exceed our original budget would we still have made the choice to do it?

It's been a labor of love and learning for us both, but especially me. I've been schooled on masonry and woodworking. Choosing the perfect stain color. The virtues of geothermal vs. traditional heating and cooling, and so much more.

I'll be sharing some photos of the course of the project with you as we're counting down to our move in date. T-20 days! These shots are of the rough stuff that was required but trust me, there's lots & lots of pretty interior design selections which I can't wait to share with you.

And the answer to the question above, in case you are wondering, is yes. Unequivocally yes. We would do it all again in a heartbeat. I know every square inch of our new home and have thought through the functionality and design of every single room. I can't imagine ever living in or loving another home quite as much as this one.

China Blue

As the renovation of our charming old house continues I've realized something about myself purely through the process of decorating this home. My favorite color is blue. Over and over again, in room after room, I find myself using various shades of this versatile hue. It's no wonder then that when it came to selecting the color for my most creative space - my home office - that I chose china blue for the palette.

LEFT // Vintage china plates from a flea market that I found on a recent trip to Saugatuck. RIGHT // The final selections for walls and windows.

For more specific product detail about what's going into this space, visit the Pinterest page for this room. So, what's your favorite color? Do you find yourself using it over and over again in your personal interior spaces?