Take the Stairs!

Last week we worked with a client who was moving into a new house.  We spent the day placing furniture and hanging pictures and making it feel like a home for her.  There was one area that just needed some attention....the stairwell.   We found a set of matching prints and installed them going up the wall.  What a difference it made.....and it got me to thinking....How often do we ignore this area of the home?

Some homes have stairwells and landings that are spacious and almost room like, while others are just wall space to get from one floor to the other.  Any space can be enhanced with good design, so I've compiled a group of images that should inspire you.

In a new build or a major remodel, the landing area is a great place to add functionality and extra living space.  

What a great place to tuck in a little office spot, 

or linen storage for the upstairs bedrooms, 

 or a library that opens up to a second floor balcony!

I know you've thought that the landing would be a great place for a window seat, and it is!

But did you consider that it might be a good place for the laundry facilities?
That was a new one for me!

Bookcases are a natural for the narrow space between walls, and they create a real warmth that only books can bring.

Putting a desk area under the stairs is a great use of space too!

For those of you with a double staircase, isn't this a fine thing to put inbetween?
What a beautiful focal point that would make from down below!

 I love the look of these enclosed bookcases.  What beautiful, classically designed doors are these, showcasing collectibles as well as books.

But even if  you don't have a generous landing like these images above, you can do a lot to enhance the walk upstairs.

I think this stone inset is a fabulous way to bring character to an otherwise boring space, and it utilizes the space that's already there, so minimal construction would be needed to make a huge difference. 

Mirrors are a favorite way to add volume and light to a narrow and often dark stairwell.

Gorgeous!

This type of built in would not require a major expense or effort to create.

And don't forget that pictures add interest and color too.  Gallery walls are a great way to display beautiful art or family pictures.

And if you just have to have some extra storage, ( or a place to play hide and seek!) you might try this!

Think creatively about your stairwell and landing, and it could be the space in your home that you love the most!  

Divine Dining

As we all come together as families over this holiday weekend, the dining room will be the center of attention. 

As I continue my journey through my dream house, I'm seeing a dining room that creates an ambiance that welcomes, engages conversation and entertains.

I hope you all enjoy breaking bread around your dining room table with the important people in your life this weekend and always.

Dallas Anchorwoman, Jane McGary's home was featured in D-Magazine this year, and I was so enamored with the use of color and whimsy that Kenneth Blassingame, interior designer, used throughout the home.  Such a happy place, vibrant and engaging.  I know a dinner party in this home would be filled with stories and laughter....certainly an element I want to see in my dream home.

This sweet little vignette of intimate dining is the work of ID, Neal Stewart.  I think it's a perfect place for dinner or breakfast for two.  The antique style mirrors framing the alcove set the tone for this romantic space. The velvet on the banquette and the bergere chair bring elegance and comfort to the space and joy to my face!

This dining room was designed by Sherry Haslip for the new director of the Dallas Symphony, Aaltje van Zweden.  The spheres by artist and furniture maker, Mike Stallilngs, were designed to hold pieces of music that were significant to the new director.  They are finished in silver leaf to compliment the soft grays and lilacs within the space.

You can read more about the space here.

Although this is not my personal style, what I love about this dining room is how it makes a statement while at the same time combines comfort and elegance.

I love the eclectic quality of this dining room.  Such a mix of styles and periods, but the balance is beautiful, and the room really works for me.  I've loved the lavender and green palette for quite some time for it's fresh and spring-like quality.  The curves of the stone table and the soft bend in the legs of the chairs brings an air of grace to this setting... a real juxtoposition of styles, and I think it's a beautiful place to entertain.

This is a small breakfast alcove in Jane McGary's home, and I can't think of a happier place to start the day with a cup o' joe.  The mix of colors and furniture styles gives a casual and friendly feel to this space.  The unusual table base is so chaming.  Who doesn't want that!

There's nothing more inviting and engaging than country french styling, and this breakfast room in the home of one of my clients is perfect for that overflow seating when all the family comes for Easter dinner.  Off of the kitchen, and overlooking the pool and lanai, it's the perfect spot to brunch as well.

Is your dream dining room all about drama?  Then this may be perfect for you.

The walls are fabric upholstered in an irridescent silk that reflects the light from the metallic twig chandelier.  I love the peacock blue chairs as the pop of color in the room.  Although this is not my dream dining room, I know I would enjoy having dinner here anyway watching the lights of San Fransico in the distance.

Interior design by Nancy Van Natta Assoc.  San Fransico

I've always loved the idea of combining the dining room with the library, and this image from Architectural Digest shows why.  I think the shelving anchoring the enormous art piece create the focal point that the room needs.  The addition of the wing chair, desk and library ladder really bring that library feel home. 

An intimate dining experience is sure to be had in this amazing library dining room.  I think the host must be an infamous mystery writer, hiding behind a glamorous pseudonym.  I'll have a lovely pino noir, please!

Many of my younger clients prefer the transitional style like this one from ID, Tom Stringer.

Graphic prints, a neutral color palette, and elements of the traditional home they grew up in, all speak to this generation of home owners.  I love the graceful lines of the chandelier, the back painted shelving showcasing a beautiful collection of white pottery, the subtle color of the drapery, and that wonderful splash of lime on the otherwise neutral table.

Regardless of where you are dining this weekend, I hope it speaks to your personality and your style.

Bon A'ppetite !

Out of Dodge for Spring Break

It's the end of Spring Break here in my Texas town, and I worked straight through it.  But I can always vacation in my imagination, so I decided to conjure up a fabulous experience in my very creative little mind.

I'm allergic to bathing suits, and I look like a lobster after 10 minutes in the sun, so the beach is off for me.   I love the mountains, but I decided that I wanted a little more activity, so NYC here I come.

I found this amazing boutique hotel in Soho...The Crosby Street Hotel...and it's the first class retreat I was looking for.  It's the first Amercan venture of London hoteliers Tim and Kit Kemp and the flagship hotel of their Firmdale hotel group.  There are 86 individually designed rooms (by Kit herself) with quirky, comfy and cozy as her design esthetic.  Every ammenity that you could ask for has been provided for guests, and it's become a favored spot for visting rich and famous....You know that's me!

It's going to be a great trip even if  never leave the hotel....come along with me, won't you?

Entry from the street and meet the Mondo cat....ok....a little weird, but at least you know to expect the unexpected.  Afterall, it's Soho.

Another view of the lobby...yes, it's a head...and a plastic dog...I'm not going to ask.....

A pink lobby....

Do you love the pebbles on the columns?

A bench....for plants.  I love the organic shape against the straight lines of the windows.

Ready to see your room, Madam?

OMG....how chic! 

Pink and coral and white....Oh MY!

Of course, we have a suite.

Anyone know whose fabric this is?   I'm n love!

I love the introduction of the gray stripes on the walls.

The dress form, the lamps, the mirror....

TV anyone?

A glass of wine with your bubble bath?

Now that we're all relaxed, let's explore!

Tea in the drawing room?  I prefer champangne!

Or the library?.....where's the books?

Then drinks in "Refuel" the restaurant/bar.

Dinner party in one of several private dining rooms.

Then it's off to the screening room to catch up on all the movies I've missed this year.

I've heard that people actually leave their hotel rooms to explore NYC, but there's so much design magic going on in The Crosby Soho, that I may never leave.

There's tons of eye candy in each of these spaces.  What's your fav?