DESIGN BLUEPRINT: Outdoors Style

Tis the season to pay more attention to your outdoor space than you normally would, and this little patio above is somewhere I could hang for a long time, chatting with friends and family.

 

Your outdoor living space should feel just as comfortable and welcoming as your indoor space. This means lot's of soft seating, textiles, and lighting for when the sun goes down.

DESIGN BLUEPRINT:

String Lights via World Market

Tea Light Holder via H&M Home

Scented Candles via H&M Home

Wood Tray via H&M Home

Pillows via Zinc Door: Solid / Pattern

Loveseat via CB2

Area Rug via Target

Pouf via West Elm

Throw via Lulu & Georgia

Blue Accent Table via Zinc Door

Inspiration Image via Style & Cheek

 

- Cori

Capsule Wardrobe Update

Well, my last post about my capsule wardrobe was on May 7 which was at least a couple of weeks into the whole exercise which means I've been at it for over 2 months.  Wow!  I started with a Spring Capsule Wardrobe and have now transitioned to summer. I have to admit that I don't love dressing in summer as much just because it's harder to look put together when you don't get to layer a jacket, scarf, or cardi on top of things - and shorts just look more casual in general. So I have to work on this a bit. But overall the capsule wardrobe has proven to be very effective.  It's easier to get dressed in the morning and I don't feel bad about not wearing things in my closet because I am wearing everything.  I'm also less tempted to shop and when I do shop it's more calculated.  I've been bad about chronicling the capsule every single day but I've gotten a good amount of photos in and thought I'd share them with you as a collage. 

There are definitely a few things I want to add for summer and I can't wait to share those with you when I've gotten them checked off the list. We are also leaving for a big trip to Portugal in early July and I am excited to put my experience with making a capsule wardrobe to work on my suitcase.  What have you been up to this summer and are you in as much of a pare down mode as I am?

CURATED NEST: Healthy Summer

There's no better time than when it's warm out and the days are long, to get in shape. It's time to take care of your body, inside and out.

1. Tea (helps with cellulite) via Your Tea

2. Swimsuit via La Garconne

3. Body scrub via Wakaya Perfection

4. Smart snacking via The Good Bean

5. Coconut water (for rehydration) via Zico

6. iPod arm band via Incase

7. Workout leggings via Under Armour

8. Dumbbells via Power Systems

9. Sports bra via Under Armour

10. Running shoes via Nike

Inspiration image from Hannah Bronfman Instagram

- Cori

DESIGN BLUEPRINT: Pink and Gold Foyer

There's one pairing I will never tire of, and that's pink + gold. Especially when the pink is a little dirty and the gold is a bit antiqued.

This is one of the most romantic entryways I've seen and pairs my faves together perfectly... Yet, it's still somehow modern and bold.

Get the look...

DESIGN BLUEPRINT:

Pendant via Arteriors

Mirror via 55 Downing Street

Picture Light via Lamps Plus

Framed Art via Pottery Barn

Sideboard via 1stdibs

Loveseat via Walmart

Runner via Target

Inspiration image via Kate Mark Interiors

- Cori

IN THE WORKS: Airy Living and Play Space

Recently an old college friend contacted me about designing the living room in her Washington DC town home.  She has a great open, airy space and wanted the living room to stay pretty open and clean and also be able to use the space for playing with her young daughter.   She wanted to keep some key pieces like her new sofa and lounge chairs but otherwise had a fairly blank slate.  We have a mutual love of everything Schoolhouse Electric (see my diaper bag post here), so I had a pretty good idea of what she wanted.  Here are some photos of how her space looks currently.

There wasn't much to alter about the layout but we did add some built-ins in the front for toy storage and display and a cozy window seat for reading. 

Below is the design board I created for the space!  Can't wait to get this going and show you some after photos!

CURATED NEST: Sit Down!

 

Welcome to the season for outdoor entertaining past the sunset... Here's some stylish ideas for your patio seating:

1. CB2

2. All Modern

3. YLiving

4. West Elm

5. Room & Board

6. All Modern

Inspiration image via Beth Kirby

 

- Cori

Lucy's First Birthday Party

Well, Lucy is now officially one!  We rang in her first year with style with a small play group get together and a garden themed birthday party the next day.  As a refresher, here is the concept board I prepared for the event with all the fun Minted goodies I was getting.

The day-of it threatened to rain so we moved the food and drinks tables indoors and set up the kiddie table out on the covered front porch. It actually worked out really well.

Love the Botanical Affair bunting from Minted.  I could even re-use it and just take out the one flag with the photo of Lucy (although, let's be honest, I'm sure I'll want to create something with a different theme next year).

I put together a drinks table in the breakfast area with these fun cup tags and table tents from Minted.  I like buying plain colored table ware (cups, plates, cutlery etc), that way you can mix and match depending on the event. The yellow cups I'm sure will work great for Bryan's birthday later in the year or some other adult event. They aren't Dora or Thomas specific and they pack a graphic punch. I had the orange dotted straws from Bryan's first birthday and just combined them with the pink zig zag ones here.

Whole foods has great mix-and-match flowers so I bought long-lasting daisies and accented with some pink peonies. I happened to have three watering cans that worked perfectly for the florals and theme.  Coupled with some grass and pink ball garland from the Target dollar aisle and party supplies section, and the vignette is complete.

How cute are these Minted  cupcake toppers?

I made little potted succulents with thank-you tags for the favors and put them on a cake stand (pots are again from the Target dollar aisle)

A friend had snagged the cutest schoolhouse chairs when her kid's Montessori was renovating and I borrowed them for the kids table. In lieu of renting a child-height table, I actually strung together four Ikea lack tables. We had two already that we were using as coffee tables. They are pretty beat up so I bought two replacements and put all four together. Topped with the custom Minted table runner, nobody can tell how beat up they are and they work great as a white backdrop for the runner and big round confetti.

The party hats were Etsy finds that I had laying around from Bryan's last birthday.

The birthday girl enjoyed her carrot cake cupcake by local baker Sullivan Hill Sweets and also had fun with her party hat!

And to keep my work load manageable I ordered pizza for everyone.

Here are some of Lucy's friends hanging and discussing whatever one year olds discuss.

Having the party in the front ended up being a big hit. As you can see, the party wound down with the dad's stooping it on the front porch.

Stop by Post-modyrn for a follow up post on my entertaining tips.

Photos by Jessica Davis and Soyoung Oh of Dogear Press

Off the chART -- Fiber Art

As the annual May Impressionist and Contemporary auctions in New York come to a record-breaking close, I wanted to highlight a genre that has interested me recently -- Fiber Art. There is something about the vivid colors and textures that I keep coming back to. I am amazed at how these artists can transform simple threads into voluminous sculptural pieces.  Check out some of these finds you can grab for under a $179.4 million!

1. Gabriel Dawe torres de satélite + site specific installation at centraltrak + gütermann thread, painted wood and hooks + 7' x 14" x 16' + 2011
2. Elizabeth McTague Macrame wall hanging 24 inches wide and 28 inches long
3. Karen Margolis Yin-yang, 2015 14x11”, Watercolor, gouache, map fragments, thread on Abaca
4. Jose Romussi  Embroidered vintage black & white photograph
5. Jennifer Reifsneider Landfall (Inverted Mercator) 2012, thread 113" x 80" x 10"

-Jessica B

DESIGN BLUEPRINT: Modern Dining

While the real 'wow' factor of this dining room is the interior architecture, there's still a way to snag this look for your home.

The wall art, lighting and chairs all combine to create a super modern look that will have your dining room looking untouchable, like the cool kid in high school.

DESIGN BLUEPRINT:

Pendant via Euro Style Lighting

Wall Art via ZGallerie

Dinnerware via Marimekko

Chairs via YLiving

Dining Table via All Modern

Inspiration image via Bloglovin'

 

- Cori

Style Spotlight: Meus Shop

My friend Deb (of Work and Play fame) recently introduced me to a fellow local entrepreneur Mamma, Marchielle Hills of Meus Shop.  My kids had actually taken a music class with Marichelle and her kids in the past and while I didn't know her then, I definitely always admired her style (yes, I'm a total style stalker).  In any case, Marichelle's shop is chalk full of beautiful simple curated items for home and wardrobe.  I especially love the jewelry and clothes, now that I'm aiming for a cleaner way of dressing with my capsule wardrobe.  Below are some of my favorite items for summer:

1 Marichelle rocks the stacked delicate rings in such a cool way - I totally want more of these in my collection and I think this ring dish is such a beautiful way to display them.

2  This indigo tunic is sold out but I couldn't help featuring it since I would snatch one up if she still had them. So versatile in summer and for layering when the weather gets cooler. And the price point is definitely right.

3 This denim dress is so easy and breezy.  Marichelle turned me on to indie label Ace & Jig and I am absolutely loving all their pieces.

4 A bell chime is such a nice way to add a little sparkle and ethnic flavor to a room - just hang it over a door knob and you'll know when someone is coming and going.

5 The Inga necklace is so versatile. There are three different ways to wear it.  This might just become one of my summer staples.

6 I love a good luggage leather bag. This bucket bag is perfect for toting all those kiddie essentials while looking stylish.

Oh and of course Marichelle's beautiful home was featured on Designmom recently.  Thanks to Deb for the intro. It's always fun to meet other creative people in our community.