Mom's Entry

My aunt loved the alabaster grapes pic so much that it inspired her to want to use the faux grapes that were hers and my Mom's grandmothers (my great grandma, Nani) in some way.

These grapes were attached to tacky plastic leaves and had what seemed to be 50 years worth of grime on them. After we cut them down to just the clusters and cleaned them really well, they took on a new life!

I placed them casually in what is also Nani’s antique hors d’oeuvre server. The chest is Nanis as well… in fact, the only new item in this cozy entry is the charming little light fixture from Pottery Barn.

My Mom purchased the chinoiserie art when she was my age.

Inspirational Exercise

During my runs, not only am I entertained by my iPod, I am visually absorbed in all the perfectly manicured River Oaks homes. It is the best scenery for my trots at twilight! During the evening, the dwellers of these attractive addresses light the eyes of their home with the most brilliant lamps that cast the prettiest glow within their richly decorated homes. They leave their custom drapes pulled back and plantation shutters open so the passers by can be in awe… and in my case, snap photos! I captured a few on my past couple of runs that I fancied the most. They are the more unpretentious homes of this ritzy Houston area. Perhaps tomorrow I will run the gamut and post some of the homes with prices tags in the tens of millions… oh ya.

The original home on this lot was torn down to build this contemporary casa. I appreciate modern, but it’s not my cup of tea. I love when homeowners maintain the integrity of their classically styled homes. They embrace the old architecture and update it by doing things like washing the bricks in gray and painting the shutters black.

Then there are homes like this… what are they thinking? Big fans of pastel primary colors are we? Just throw in a red door why don’t you? No matter how classic the colonial yellow and portsmouth blue color scheme is – it is still busted in my opinion. It reminds me of an Easter basket or a dated, nautical-costal-country look.

Love gray – but is this a home or Restoration Hardware?

I love the overgrown, English garden look. Running past this house was intoxicating… The sent of the ginger was so sweet-smelling.

Tastefully patriotic, presidential, classic American style… This home just oozes a hospitable charm.

No, this home is not abandoned. Yikes!

Dreaming on...

I have this irksome desire to completely re-do my bedroom. I have my great grandma’s furniture that I want to have refinished (for the second time). $$$$$
I really want a new bed – a Tempur-ergo would be nice!!! Then I would like to push this bed against a new plush-ly upholstered headboard. New linens, new bedside lamp…
For now I’ll dream about it.

Eclectic Electric

This is just too cool for school...
Where can I find electrified word/saying wall art?!?

Before and After by Robin

This week I had another staging job -- love this aspect of my job.

I had sold my client the sofa, rug, barley twist end table, and copper top end table.

I still have two chairs to place (that are going where I placed the to-scale templates on the floor), a 36" round coffee table, and art above the fire place.

All the furniture was already installed by the movers but I was called out to rearrange the room. It just wasn't working.

I staged the shelves with what she had around the house and placed the conversation style (curved) sofa at an angle on the far side of the room. This is why I love convo-sofas (and suggested she get one) -- they give one the freedom to play with angles; unlike the straight lines of a typical straight-back sofa which looks awkward on an angle. This placement made it more conducive to an inviting entry into the room and allowed for the the perfect placement of two (future) chairs.

Before

After


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Bookshelves by Robin | Before and After

I don’t take credit for the paint job, but after the fresh blue facelift I was called in to make over the bookshelves. The shells, coral, and baskets are perfect for a tres chic bay house.

Before

After

Bookshelves by Robin

I don’t have a “before” photo so you will just have to imagine.
Prior to me getting my hands on these built-ins, they were stocked full of unsightly books with busy colored sleeves. It was chaotic. This was a staging job I did a few months back.

I better get busy.

I want all my mismatching art framed uniformly in thin, burnished gold frames!!!

…and a wildly blossoming orange bougainvillea that is blanketing a pergola.

…and a guest bedroom with a black and white pastoral scene dressing all the walls.

…and a giant clam shell filled with antique, alabaster grape clusters.

…and some flourishing orange trees in shiny black planters that live indoors.

Ranch Wanted

There is something about the rodeo that just enlivens me!!! The music, friends, two-steppin’ – it’s all so good. I love it. And I love these brilliantly rugged, western inspired homes. Oh to have a home in the country one day… I envision soaring, vaulted ceilings with rough-hewn beams, brindle hides scattered everywhere grounding my luxurious, top grain leather couches and hand carved rockers. Burlap and ikat… I’ve got to have some interesting textiles! Walls adorned with “my mans” trophy antler mounts (lmao) and you better believe I’ll have plenty of antiques (the intrigue). Nature, take me in!!!

>

Let's Rodeo!!!

HELL. YA.

I better find some fabulous, western inspired homes!!!

S_______pace.

Space! I crave it more than a fat kid craves cake. I don’t need it because I feel cramped in my apartment, I adore my apartment. I actually prefer smaller spaces. Truly, I think great rooms are THE most over rated thing in contemporary house design (just a personal opinion). Cozy, inviting, engaging, charming, and warm are all my favorite ways for a space to be. So, after diss-ing the thought of too much space, now I will go back to talking about how I want more of it, lol. I have this thought regarding how I want to design/arrange my living room (if I had a bigger one). Imagine a dreamy, cloud like couch (with a deep seated bench cushion, so there is no falling between the cracks) that just soaks you and that special someone in. Now, what’s behind that sweet sofa is what I am excited about. It’s not a console or an art filled wall… it’s a desk!! Aaha. I love the idea of having a desk behind my couch. My laptop, stacks of all my favorite design glossies, a flourishing plant, a Kelly-green porcelain lamp, and a crazy comfy chair. Go figure, I can’t find all of the images I have of that layout. Oh well, I will just post other pretty pictures.

This and that...

Ready yo-self for my most dizzy, slaphappy post evaaaaaa!

First off, eBay… I WON! I freaking, flipping, stinking WON!!! I have bid on so many things… and I am always a big-fat looser. Not this time, oh no. I usually deserve to loose since I try to take it easy on the pocketbook. It was pretty dimwitted to think that I even had a chance of winning with my pathetic, bargain-basement bids, lol. This time I bid like a baller and I won… and I had to pay for it… dammit. Anyway, I am stupid-happy that I am about to get these 18 antique, milk glass vases that I have absolutely no where to display them or room to store them away…




Numero dos, painting!!! Tomorrow… Texas Art Supply... I am there and I am buying brushes, a canvas (or two) and some paint. Slapdash creativity = (hopefully) frame-worthy art. I totally missed out on my dads artistic gene. He used to paint, freelance, on water towers!!! Yaaa…

3. My new dream bathroom. My God… drool.

The fourth is wedding-ish stuff, lovely stuff. It’s been so neat to watch my affianced bestie's dream wedding unfurl… Love love love. A girl can’t help but to get lost in her own fanciful ideas of their own dream wedding.

Here is my wedding…

Here is my reception. If I could marry bentwood, I would!

Here are my flowers. Maybe I'll have a use for those milk glass vases one day, eh?

Here is what I would LOVE to have the groomsmen wear. Do you think the Avett Bros would play at my make believe wedding? Lol... I would have to get married in January.. because their song... "In jaaaannua-a-ary, were gettin' married..."

...and the photoshoot. I would be happy with one perfect shot in that sumptuous pink settee.

Next… or, 5…
This makes me want a creepy attic so bad, its scccaaaary… I don’t want a legitimately spine-chilling attic. I want a sweet home with a TOTALLY UNHAUNTED attic and I want to creep-ify it my self. Those beds are eerily and alluringly awesome. It would be the perfect first two pieces to the perfect guest bedroom quarters where my easily spooked friends can sleepover!

Sixth-ly (new word). My backyard. Again… a dream backyard… But a totally attainable one, because it’s so tiny! I would change one thing, the bottom half. I would want that to be all plush with grass.

And lastly, but not least-ly… the pics below, I just love em’.
The lamp, the pillows, the salon-style art filled walls, that subdue, washed out minty colored teal… and just the rooms in general. No words.