Rethinking Clifford, The Big Red house

Clifford, The Big Red House has been gutted and empty for weeks now. I highly underestimated the level of corruption and incompetence in the Chicago Permit Offices. I was warned, but I just could not fathom it could be this bad. Just to give you an idea of how far behind we are, the third floor edition (which includes ripping off and rebuilding the roof and the back wall of the house) and all outside work was supposed to be completed and sealed up by November 1. It is November 3rd and no such work has begun.

Serenity Now.

All of this time sitting and waiting knocked my design brain all out of whack, I have scrapped all of my previous plans for the living spaces and am now starting from scratch. I have heard many talented designers complain in the past that when it comes to doing their own spaces, they are often at a loss. Not that I, a lowly assistant, put myself in their shoes, but I now know what they are talking about. When you work in design, you see SO many different ideas every day it can make your head spin! Working for clients who have different tastes than you, you learn to train yourself to see the merit in many different design styles, so that sometimes it is hard to remember to Follow Your Bliss!

See how I did that??

Anyway, a voice has been whispering in the back of my head for awhile now that my bliss is Peacock Blue. Our house is such a dignified old gentleman I think it is time for me to shed my girlish ways (i.e. neon) and embrace a more mature attitude towards color. I think that peacock blue is the key.

But now I am wracked with insecurity over my new design persona. Thank the Decorating Gods for House of Turquoise, otherwise I would be a lost little rower in a giant sea of peacock blue. H.O.T. is a blog completely dedicated to the authors love of Turquoise interiors, which really amounts to a keenly edited array of blue hued rooms and accessories. Trust me, even if blue isn't your bliss, it is a great resource. By scouring H.O.T.'s archives and my own I have come up with zillions of examples of what Blue can be:

{Contemporary: via Domino}

{Girly: House of Turquoise}

{Glam: Kendall Wilkinson}

{Classic: House of Turquoise}

{Soothing: Domino}

{Preppy: Michael Robinson}

{Equestrian: Diamond Baratta}

{Studious: Cote de Texas}

{Warm, House of Turquoise}

And now these, are my favorites:

Miles Redd because can't he just come to Chicago and design my house FOR me!?

{Miles Redd again, the high gloss is funky but the dark floors and color palette ground the room.}

{I have posted this before, I think Clifford is a classic American, just like this room: Southern Accents}

{Miles Redd again, I'm sorry, I luff heeem}

{This room is just so cozy, but might it get too dark? I don't know...But I love it. Jan Showers}

{The walls here might be a bit too turquoise for my purposes, but I love it with the white accents and green velvet chair. House of Turquoise}

{This has been in my favorites file forever, I love the high gloss and the pop of pink}

In the end I think Clifford, The Big Red House, should be a mix of preppy Ralph Lauren, classic, and cozy with a contemporary twist.

So what do we think, have I become completely unmoored, or is this just what the Design Doctor ordered?

Excuse me, have we met?

Sooo I was just perusing the blogosphere and stumbled upon this sketch on High-Heeled Foot in the Door.

Look familiar?

The room was designed by Michelle Moreland and was featured in Domino Magazine (I believe...) a few years back.

I posted it a few weeks ago to demonstrate the desired look for the living room at Clifford.

I love seeing how the vision of a talented designer gets translated into reality.

Really inspiring.

If only I could draw, maybe then I could get a grasp on the massive project Clifford the Big Red House has turned into...

SPRING into Fall...

One of my favorite blogs, Haven and Home, introduced me to my new Favorite designer, Kelley Proximire yesterday. She operates mainly out of the D.C. area, and her aesthetic is very preppy chic. Scrolling through her portfolio I stumbled across this stunning living room, remind you of anything?

What can I say, great minds think alike!

Now, in my humble opinion, this is how you do white.

The white walls and curtains give a pure, neutral background for the color to really pop.

The result is bright and summery and fresh, not sterile!

The details in this room are also incredible. The trim on the couch and the curtains, the lucite table? LOVE!

What do you think?

Gossip Girl: Ursula's Apartment

I have been completely out of the Gossip Girl loop these days, but after my sick day yesterday I am all caught up...Thank Goodness! What have I been doing with my life these past few weeks without Chuck, Blair, Serena in the gang?!?

Although I am loving Chuck and Blair back together (erm, hopefully after last night!?) the REAL star this season has definitely been all of the fabulous interiors! I think set design would be an absolute blast (imaginary clients are the best kind!) and you can tell the designers at GG have had a lot of fun with it this season.

The hightlight? For sure Tyra Banks apartment.

Enjoy.

I love the color palette, it is so unabashedly girly! Hot pink, white, cobalt blue, and black.

Hot pink damask, classic with a twist.

Love this couch, so glamorous!

Inspiration & Translation: Abejas

I do not pretend to be any great decorator or artiste. I have a passion for decorating, sure, but I have no formal training and very little experience. I am the first to admit I rely heavily on higher decorating powers for inspiration. That said, I have been fortunate enough to be able to experiment with decorating under the tutelage of some very talented people, and have learned a few things along the way. 

As many of my fellow post-grads get their own places for the first time, I have been asked for decorating advice by a few of my friends. I reiterate, I have no formal training and very little experience, but here is my little "how-to" guide to plagiarizing the work of more gifted individuals, and making it my own.

I usually start with a single image which I use as my inspiration. This can be anything, a piece of art, a fabric, a pillow, a page from a magazine, that will serve as the jumping off point for the entire room. I will continue to showcase examples of how this works in posts I will dub "Inspiration and Translation". 

First up, Abejas!

When it came time to decorate my house in Austin affectionately known as "Abejas", Spanish for "Bee Hive" chosen for the yellow exterior as well as its residents, The B's (Bailey, Bella,

& Bernie):

 I used this page from Domino Magazine as my inspiration for my entire living space.

The turquoise on the bookshelf became the wall color in my living room and kitchen.

The green from the wall behind the bed was used in the dining room.

And the watermelon accent colors on the bed served as the inspiration for the couch and armchairs in the living room. 

The translation might have been super literal and unoriginal, were it not from the fabulous fabric options provided by the Designers Guild, namely Osbourne&Little:

The fabrics we were able to find and use for the window treatments, pillows, and furniture as well as some of the accessories I acquired over time really made the place unique and interesting. 

Since the house had an open floor plan where each room flowed into the other, we made sure the colors carried through as well. In the living room and kitchen we drew on the green from the dining room in the window treatments, and vice versa in the dining room. 

All the bright colors made for a super happy home, it was really hard for me to pack it all up when it came time to move on, but I know the cute girls living there now are enjoying Abjeas in all of its fabulous neon glory!

P.S. The "we" I refer to is the very talented, very patient, Lori Trahan Doran who has helped both my mom and I in all of our decorating endeavors for the past decade or so. She has impeccable taste, can do everything from traditional to neon (see above), will design a space in its entirety or help you execute your vision, and is completely pleasant to be around. If you are in Houston and could use the help of a design professional, I would highly recommend her services.