Master Bedroom Update

Well work continues on the master bedroom. I'm so glad I figured out a concept I liked and stuck to it.  If you recall, this was the before.

and the concept board.

Here we are so far.

The rug is in. It's less grey than I had anticipated based on the online photos but I really like it. After not having a rug in our bedroom for so long it feels so luxurious and plush underfoot.  And I love the sconces.

Was a tad worried about knocking our heads on them but it hasn't been an issue.  The drapery rods are up and I'm just waiting for two more drapery panels and the headboard which is on order. It's so exciting to see it all come together

Happy Spring

Remember what our house looked like back when we bought it last fall?

Well, things are looking up. The cherry tree is in bloom and soon the azaleas will be out soon.

The deck is under construction and I'm starting to visualize outdoor parties.  What are you doing to take advantage of the glorious weather?

Launching a Product Line

Hi Friends. More exciting news here at Nest Studio. I've been invited to host a seminar about launching a product line as part of Lauren Stern's design seminar series. In the past year and a half of working on the Nest Studio line from inception to production to sales and marketing, I've learned so much. I'm excited to share my knowledge (and hopefully gain more) at this informal lecture series. Hope you can join us! Sign up here.

Nest Studio in the Press

An exciting piece of news to share!  Aside from being featured on the Luxe Source blog last week, our Transparencies T-02 knob was featured in this month's Luxe Interiors + Design Magazine!  Hit up your local news stand and check out the spread!

Stylin' Mamma: Vicarious Vacation

My sister is going to Hawaii next week.

I am jealous.  

Those who can't travel, shop as if they can.  We did a bit of resort-wear sleuthing to prepare her for the journey: Beachside with Baby is the name of the game.

These linen pants aren't much on the hanger, but they look lovely and drapey on.  With the right pop-of-color sandal they will take her straight from the beach to the tiki bar with nary a backwards glance.  The top is long enough to serve as a bikini cover-up on its own, but also has an elegance in the details that will work all day long.

My little niece will need a practical suit to protect her sweet-soft skin, and both Mommy and daughter will benefit from floppy hats.  

As always, big bag (straw for summer), big necklace (my sis loves the costume jewelry at Banana), and big shades (the aves pay tribute to the '70s vibe of the outfit) add up to big style.

-Jaime

Master Bedroom Update

Alright peeps. I hope you are not getting tired of the constant mind-changing when it comes to our master bedroom.  A while back I published four different concepts for the master bedroom based on a beni-ourain rug as the foundation. Then I had a change of heart after seeing a black and white graphic print at Calico Corners and went in a different direction with a bright oriental grounding the space. Here was that concept:

Well, more recently I've decided I like the graphic fabric on my wing chair downstairs. Then i went to Target and found these fabulous yellow paisley drapes and I thought, why not change it again?  I had already purchased the sconces, thank God - one decision down.  So here we are on concept board round 6.  I went ahead and bought the yellow drapes and am going to do a black hardware from Pottery Barn. Can't decide if I want to keep the grommet tops or change them to a pinch pleat (thoughts? Are grommet top drapes cheap / cheesy? Am I just being lazy keeping them?).  The red rug wasn't doing it and was really a stand in during the previous round. After reading Jenny's post on LGN about her new viscose rug, I found this fabulous one at Rugs USA on sale.  It is soft and geometric but doesn't fight with the geometry on our quilt. I can't wait to get it next week and then install our sconces and really show you how the room is finally shaping up. After taking out the red, I went back to my original orange headboard idea and West Elm might just have one that works with our bed frame.  Oh, and then there are these fabulous lucite Jonathan Adler shelves used as nightstands. I think these are on the "if I win the lottery" list, but a girl can dream until she finds something real to fit the bill.  What do you all think? I feel like it's finally getting there.

Kitchen Update Part II

Alright, so here is the rest of our kitchen update so far.  On Sunday after our final trip to Homegoods, I bought some cheap-o Home Depot bamboo shades at about $30 each and decided to test them in the kitchen.  The new window in the breakfast nook doesn't have the same depth as the rest of the windows in the house so I opted for an outside mount here.

In the kitchen window I did an inside mount so that the shade wouldn't hit the paper towel holder.  I was worried that the two mounting methods would look strange together but since they are across from one another and you don't really look at them both at the same time, it ended up being fine. The inside mount was much trickier and I had to do some altering to the mounting hole to get it to fit (I only had about an inch of depth to work with in the window frame).  And then once I got it up I realized that the two shades were slightly different in the valance area - one of the perils of buying cheap shades.

After a little surgery with a staple gun on the RH shade, they're a little better aligned. 

For the price, and considering that we won't be raising and lowering these very much, I think they work great. 

What home improvement projects are you up to this spring?

Kitchen Update Part I

Sorry for the blog silence these days. Been busy with house stuff and all the fun activities that come along with spring time.  Recently I've been focusing on the kitchen and getting that finalized in time for our deck completion.  The other day I took a trip to Homegoods  - wanted to see if the one here was any better than the Homegoods near our house in LA.  People keep hyping this place up and the one in LA had been super disappointing. Well NJ Homegoods did not disappoint.  I found a table that I thought might work in the breakfast nook. Stupidly I didn't take a photo of it, so when I got home, had to describe it to Scott, who agreed that at just over $100 it seemed like a good deal. A second trip to Homegoods ensued to purchase the table.  I got it home and we looked at it in the nook and weren't thrilled with the bulbous pedestal base (especially under our bulbous pendant light) and also realized we could get a slightly larger table. 

It still looked nice though and it was good to see that a table, and in fact a larger one, along with chairs could fit in the space and not seem cramped. 

Third trip to Homegoods ensued to return the table.  Now we are on the hunt for a new option.  Here are some contenders. 

Really love the top one from Shades of Light but it's ridiculously pricey (like 10x the price of the Homegoods option). And I think pair of these chairs from Serena & Lily are a slam dunk for this area.  The bottom tripod table from West Elm seems like the right size and a good option if we do a patterned cushion on the bench seat (Scott worries the table isn't interesting enough). And the third one, also from West Elm, I like but worry it might be a tad large and might have the same shape problem as the one I returned. Thoughts, suggestions and comments welcome!  Can't wait to get this space whipped into shape.