Urban Market Finds

A vintage miniature globe to replace my cheesy Pottery Barn purchase.

My very own Thonet Bentwood chair!!!

...and a sweet little painting of a colorful arrangement.

It goes along with the watercolor my aunt drew when she was in junior high... and the stunningly beautiful ballerina that I just moved from the hallway to above my bed. The ballerina was a gift from my shop too!

This is my...

desktop background.

so pretty

Miami or Hollywood?

What do you call this look… Hollywood Regency meets Miami retro chic? I know most won’t feel the same as I do about that gilded Marginata (I know my plants -- thanks mom!), but I dig it! What I love most about this room is the pale lilac, argyle wall motif. I was trying to talk my roommate into letting me (with her help) do this design on her wall that her bed is up against, but she doesn’t find painting as therapeutic as I do.

In all honesty, this room doesn’t knock my socks off or anything, but I do like it, a lot. There is something about the color palate that is offbeat but totally picturesque. The pillows are a design gaffe, for sure – but hey, to each there own. So to sum it up, “gimme the gold” and I’m “all about that argyle!”

Peace out.

...with a twist.

What do you want to bet that King Louis XV had a settee just like this sitting in one of his royal rooms in his regal palace?! I love murdered out antiques. ;)


Everything about this vignette I want to recreate. However, I am going to tweak it a bit because the most recent addition to my antique collection is a stunningly awesome, 18th Century French settee from Maison Maison Antiques (where I manage the showroom, it was a gift from my boss). It is newly reupholstered in a creamy white linen and its original bullion fringe was salvaged and reattached after its face lift. Splendid, don't you think?

I plan on reproducing that delicate, salon styled display of art and a mirror above my French classic with some artwork that I already have, I just need to have it all framed uniformly. I also need to find the perfect, miniature, gilded mirror (I love the one below, but its a bit $$$). Once its all finished I will post the completed look. New pillows are a must too, I've had the ones you see above for years -- they are tired and no longer my taste.


I also plan on using a rug instead of a hide... I know what I want, I just need to buy it! I am forever in love with my Anthropologie chinoiserie duvet which has branches that are a soft shade of gray. I'm pretty sure that the softly looped, gray, wool Doily rug from Anthropologie is the one. Will buy ASAP!



Now if I could only splurge on a sweet, crystal chandelier... I cannot wait for The Urban Market!

Super On Sale Post and Pre Season Decor

Grandin Road is where its at for super on sale, post season, holiday decor. I just scored three of these spooky, 3' tall, black flocked trees. They were $149 a piece, on sale for $29 a piece, however... the site misrepresented the price and erroneously listed them at $12 EACH. I insisted that they honor the price, and they did... score!
Last year I stocked up on a ton of stunning Christmas decor, I cannot wait to pull it out and use it this year. That will probably be my next post. Below is one of the items I bought... they still have it and it is still on sale!


For a Halloween wreath, I withheld the birds and situated my sparkling, black skeleton inside of it... I was a bit eager to pull it out, lol.

Before/After

Before

After (semi completed)

Midtown Unit - To Be Installed

Restoration Hardware -7" Benson Pendant (Satin Nickel)

Eames Molded Plywood Dining Chair - Ebony

ADR - Carrara, Thassos, and Nero Marquina Combo Stone Mosaic (custom)

Atlast Homewares Zanzibar Black Leather Pulls

Kohler Karbon - Articulating Kitchen Faucet, Black w/ Polished Chrome

Midtown Unit - Counter Installed

Midtown Unit - Painted/Counter Stabilization

Midtown Unit - After Demo/Cabinet Construction

Midtown Unit Kitchen - Before

Staged Shelves

Sometimes at work, I get to stage shelves! It's really fun... if your into that sorta thing. ;)

Pink Ribbon Showhouse

Bayhouse

My Apartment Shelves

Townhome

River Oaks

Country

Bathroom Redo

I really have lost touch with my inner blogger… and I miss that bloggin’ feeling.

So… about 3 weeks ago or so, I got the urge to paint my bathroom. What’s funny is, I picked a color palate that is a loud and really not my bona fide style. It was more of an art project/personal challenge. Black, retro-avocado green, and creamy white painted horizontal stripes in a repeating pattern with different widths – that is my bathroom wall motif. The inspiration came from this vintage framed needlepoint “Robin bird” that I picked up in a hometown consignment shop. I love this kitschy little item because my name is Robin, and it is indeed a Robin! It also echoes the colors of the crewel I upholstered my 1920’s vanity storage bench in, (a Round Top find!) as well as the floral sconce vases that were so kindly given to me by a dealer at MAI! I also love my whimsical, little David Dear duck mirror.

So, on a whim at 8pm in the evening I hopped in my Jetta and jetted to Home Depot. I then returned home and got to painting… then taping, then painting, then touch ups, then taping, then more painting, then more touch ups and then MORE painting… then the final touch up finale.

Oh my stars, what an endeavor, it took me a whole week to complete… but it looks quite nifty and I can live with the unruliness of it for a while until I let the need for a cleaner look overpower me and cause me to prime the walls, slap on a coat of soft, Swedish gray paint and bring a sense of quietude my powder room.

Anyway, it was fun and I don’t regret it,
...cough cough, lol.

My Dreamy Office

... in my dreams!

Ahhhh...

Love. It.

Completed, Pink Ribbon Show House 2010

Well, the show house installations are over and this event was nothing short of something spectacular to be a part of. The preview party was quite the affair, I had a blast, and I've never been to a party quite like it. For me to see 350+ people wildly entertained and enjoying the party in a space that I got to help design was so... well, totally awesome. Keep in mind, these are pictures that I took the night we were almost completely finished staging, but not totally. I hope I get access to the professional pictures that are taken! If I do, I will for sure post them, and hopefully I get to post the pics of all the other rooms as well! It's so fun.