Yarlong, Himalayan wool and silk rug // Lyrical, acrylic, gouache and oil on canvas Warp & Weft // Selena Beaudry
Happy Friday
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.
Role Models: Seven Stones
Hue: Verde
Halo
Isn't Halo from Roll & Hill divine?
Beatrice & Matilda
You all know about Tulu textiles, right? Tulu is the work of Elizabeth Hewitt, an American designer and antique textile specialist, who lives and works in Istanbul. She has designed the most special collection of fabrics and I'm absolutely head over heels for all of them. So, of course, I am compelled to help spread the word about her two new bedding designs. Please meet... These patterns join a handful of other unique prints available in bedding from Tulu, including two of my favorites, Alma & Madame Thar (below). Last but not least, I have to say that when I received the swatch kits I had ordered from Tulu this past week I was so delighted. To see these prints online is one thing, but to hold them in your hands and experience the colors and textures in real life is another thing all together. I snapped a few Instagram picts to share with you. Enjoy! Top: Kezban, Alvin Pink, Stella. Bottom Right: Tashkent Embroidered. Bottom Left: Gigi Blue Embroidered. All from Tulu.
Katie Leede
what is your idea of perfect design happiness? HAVING THE TIME AND BUDGET TO ADDRESS EVERY MINUTE DETAIL AS IF MY LIFE DEPENDED ON IT.
what is your greatest fear in design? BEING BORING OR WORSE...ROTE.
which historical design figure do you most identify with? I AM A POOR VERSION OF MILLICENT ROGERS.
which living designer do you most admire? HAVING JUST RETURNED FROM HANGING OUT AT THE POOL AT LA MAMOUNIA IN MARRAKESH, I’D HAVE TO SAY JACQUES GRANGES.
what profession other than design would you like to attempt? PLAYWRITING...I HAVE AGREAT STORY ALREADY IN MIND.
what is your greatest design extravagance? MATERIALS SUCH AS LAPIS AND TIGER’S EYE LINERS (FROM AFGHANISTAN!) IN A SHOWER.
when and where were you happiest with your design? WHEN I AM IN THE BEGINNING OF THE DESIGN PHASE AND NOTHING HAS TAKEN SHAPE AND THEN AGAIN RIGHT AT THE END WHEN I AM PLACING ARTWORK AND EVERYTHING IS COMING TOGETHER. THE MIDDLE BIT CAN BE RATHER GRUELING .
what do you consider your greatest achievement in design? MY GROWING LINE OF WORLDLY TEXTILES FOR KATIE LEEDE AND COMPANY.
if you died and came back as another designer or design object, who or what do you think it would be? A ROTHKO PAINTING OR ANYTHING THAT REVERBERATES WITH LIGHT OR MAYBE I’D BE THE LIGHT IN JAMES TURRELL’S CRATER.
what specific design related talent are you lacking that you would you most like to have? THE ABILITY TO HAND DRAW GORGEOUS, ELEGANT ROOM RENDERINGS.
what is your most treasured design related possession? I HAVE A HUGE BLACK AND WHITE SAM FRANCIS PRINT THAT WILL ALWAYS GIVE ANY HOME I EVER MOVE INTO SIGNIFICANCE AND POW FACTOR AND, SECONDLY, THERE IS MY PRIZED COLLECTION OF OUT- OF -PRINT BOOKS ON TEXTILES FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
what do you regard as the lowest depths of misery in design? GETTING CHEWED OUT BY CLIENTS FOR THE MISTAKES THAT INEVITABLY OCCUR IN ANY HUMAN ENDEAVOR OF ANY VALUE.
what curse word do you most frequently use? FUCK.
what is your favorite design related word? SURROUND.
what is your least favorite design related word? CONTRACT.
what turns you on in design? ARTFULNESS.
what turns you off in design? ANYTHING TOO MATCHY.
what is your motto in design? DARE TO CARE.
IMAGE CREDITS | Headshot via Irving & Fine, Fabric is Menna in Pharoh's Pond, Fabric is Shade of Sycamore in Saffron, Hotel is La Mamounia in Marrakesh, Mark Rothko Untitled via Tate Modern, Fabric is Kimono Positive in Indigo.
PROUST ON DESIGN | Answered by my design icons, these must-ask questions come from a 19th century parlor game made popular by Marcel Proust, the French novelist, essayist & critic. This interview technique has been used by many journalists throughout the years but my column was primarily inspired by The Proust Questionnaire, which appears monthly on the back page of Vanity Fair(my alma mater). The twist here on CLOTH & KIND is that I've repurposed each question to relate to interior design. To read all of my Proust on Design interviews, please click here. Enjoy!
