Blog – Page 9 – Village & Coast

Indoor Plants Bring Life!

Posted on September 22, 2016September 22, 2016 by Kindra

I’m guilty. I know that adding greenery in the form of an indoor plant to a room can really complete a look and help things feel bright, clean and natural. I have broken this rule. In my living room there is one small terrarium of succulents and in my kitchen I have several hanging terrariums of succulents. That’s it. Pitiful. As you might imagine the draw for succulents is that they are so interesting to look at and … ahem … really hard to kill for those of us with green brown thumbs. So here’s my pathetic indoor plant collection, all 2 of them.

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Now, here are some indoor plants that I should use to up my interior oxygen boosting game. Every design pic I’ve been seeing lately has a fiddle leaf fig in them. They look exotic, are terrific growers, give exceptional size to those spaces that can accommodate them and they are apparently hearty (maybe we’ll see about that). I’m redecorating my living room soon and I definitely plan on including one. Fingers crossed I don’t kill it.

I always try to put some greenery into my client’s designs and this little baby is perfect for the client with a small budget. It’s a Majesty Palm. Can you believe it, it’s just $12 at Ikea? So you won’t feel too bad if you kill it. These look great potted in a large urn or basket.

I am not a fan of keeping houseplants outside and then bringing them inside to your living space for the winter… bugs…. uh no thank you. This aloe plant is perfect for year round interior living and are also very forgiving as they don’t need a ton of watering.

The monstera, also affectionately called the “swiss cheese plant” has very interesting “holey” foliage and would look fabulous in a large floor bucket or an urn atop a table.

What to Wear Wednesday: Modern Rustic

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Kindra

You never know where you’re going to get inspiration from. I saw this room that was showcased as one of Williams Sonoma Home’s curated interior looks for their website. I really like the look (because let’s face it, those wood windows, floors and beams are killer) but I also thought you could get this same “Modern Rustic” feel in an outfit too. Here’s their interior and my take on a fall modern rustic ensemble:

outfit-rustic-modern

Copper …for More Than Kettles

Posted on September 20, 2016September 22, 2016 by Kindra

Metal accents are an important part of any home design. Trends in home metallics seem to shift about once per decade. The 80’s had bright fake looking brass, the 90s had chrome, the 2000’s had brushed nickel, and the 2010’s saw brass making a resurgence in its brushed form. Now I’m starting to see copper all over the place. I’m glad that this may mark the end of the brass era or at least calm it down a bit, I was never able to get fully on the bright gold bandwagon. Copper, however, is a metal candidate that I can fully endorse. It can add a bright highlight in a range of shiny pink, peach or orange or a more dulled and worn green, blue or bronze color after exposure and patina. Here are some great items to add to your home to keep up with the copper trend ranging from the minimal investment in a Target clock to fully committed farmhouse sink. Links to items in the list below.

copper

Paneled Walls

Posted on September 19, 2016September 22, 2016 by Kindra

Probably the best way to describe the current style of home I live in is a “modern colonial”. This is designer talk for builder grade, brick front, siding on 3 sides, tract home, built in the early 2000’s that looks almost like all the other 200 homes in the neighborhood. No, not ideal, BUT it lends itself to a number of interesting decorating techniques with little risk of truly screwing anything up. I’ve been looking for a way to incorporate a paneled room. I’m not talking about creepy knotty pine paneling but a more modern but still classic look. I need to figure out how to work this into my place and found these below to be inspirational.

This one is a dark matte grey that looks (combined with the styling here too) minimalistic and shaker inspired. This would be a relatively inexpensive and easy one for a DIYer to recreate as there aren’t any mitered joints. You could affix inexpensive pieces of pine that have been ripped on a table saw lengthwise at right angles to each other.

This powder room by Ty Larkins Interiors has a black high gloss paneling that makes this small space look grand, not what you’d expect moody black paint to do. I really love the overhead light fixture since it’s a bit unexpected style for a bathroom. (I’m still on the fence with the second wall mounted light). I wonder if the homeowner is constantly dusting off the horizontal ledges of molding? Meh, it’s worth it.

So you’ve saved up enough to buy a beach cottage, but of course it comes complete with that very scary knotty pine paneling on the wall. Naturally you can’t leave it like that, so what to do? Well… paint it navy blue. While you’re at it, paint everything navy blue, the walls, the trim, the bookcases. Adorn it with some maps and cute chairs (which I wish were upholstered in something different) and it looks like you meant to put up this paneling, on purpose!

Okay, admittedly, this is a lotta look, but I think if you were the owner of this home you can get away with it. Can anyone guess? Yep, it’s one of the dining rooms in George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate. While I’d never recreate a room that looked just like this I do occasionally like to borrow ideas from classic American homes, especially those that are befitting of the style of the region (Mount Vernon is right down the road from me). So a more modern take on a vibrant green with wainscoting would be gorgeous with old refinished heart pine floors.

Jumping in with a deep paneled wall right away can be scary for some color phobes. I do adore this more traditional integration of paneling and deep color. White board and batten 2/3 of the way up the wall and topping it off with a deep navy can give either a traditional or nautical look. Best thing, it’s easy to DIY this look.

board-and-batten

Going Grey

Posted on September 15, 2016 by Kindra

This post could be about the slow transformation of my hair and how I spend five minutes every night plucking those greys from my scalp. (Yes, I’m aware it’s a no-no to do that. I keep promising to stop…. I will… maybe…. when I’m bald.) Anyway, thankfully, I’d much rather discuss the grey floor trend. I went floor shopping yesterday with a friend and client. She ultimately decided on a smooth medium grey hickory engineered wood. It’s gorgeous. It’s a great choice for her home in a neighborhood of classic brick ramblers. It will hold up well to pets. It will be a solid backdrop for her classic coastal inspired design, but will still be able to pull off other looks if she decides to change the décor down the road.

Grey made a serious comeback in interiors a few years ago and it’s meandering its way through our homes. It began with the light grey or, even better, greige wall paint and morphed into grey-washed furniture a la Restoration Hardware, then grey creeped onto kitchen cabinets and now it has puddled on the floors. That may sound negative; it’s not. I like grey. The floors in my own beach cottage are grey. However, this color can be tough to find exactly what you want and more importantly to decide if it’s something you’re going to love forever. Here are a few examples of some rooms where the grey floors did exactly what they were supposed to, be the backdrop for spectacular design.

This first one happens to be an engineered wide wood plank called Braided River Driftwood Oak by The Reclaimed Flooring Co.

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These in a design by Fiorella Design are Antique White by DuChateau Floors. This is a less grey take on grey, if that makes sense, as a lot of the wood’s natural light brown color still comes through.

If going for a super durable option, this floor is tile that looks like wood, and it’s very affordable. This is Oceanside Oak Grey HD Porcelain. available at Lumber Liquidators.

P.S. Flooring stores, we know you want to highlight those gorgeous floors but it’s okay to put an area rug in the styling of the photos. It’s what people actually will do (or should do) when they put the product in their home.

Most people when they think of vinyl they think, ew, that stuff that was rolled out by the miles in every kitchen and bath between 1965 and 2000? Nope, this is not granny’s vinyl. The new Luxury Vinyl Planks look like wood and wear better especially in very harsh environments like beach homes and commercial applications. This is Bali by Beaulieu America in a dining and kitchen space I designed two years ago.

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Now if you have a boatload of cash sitting around or really just want one splurge item, you can go with the real deal – reclaimed barnwood. These beauties are Continental Oak by Ebony and Co.

Those of us with the smallest of budgets probably have the most options in laminates because there are a ton of grey laminates out there. DIYers can pick up the Pergo Vintage Pewter Oak, which is a dark woodsy grey, at Home Depot.

What to Wear Wednesday: Fall Plaid

Posted on September 14, 2016September 14, 2016 by Kindra

Nothing is more fall-like than the coziness of a hooded sweatshirt, a pumpkin spice latte or ANYTHING PLAID! There were times when plaid was reserved for Scots, lumberjacks or Kurt Cobain fans in the early 90’s. I’m so glad that this trend has seen an uptick in the last year and based on what I’m seeing in stores and at fashion week it seems to still have a pretty good head of steam.

Here are 2 ways to wear plaid this fall, one for work and the other for a casual weekend. Click the item on the numbered list to visit the source.

fall-plaid-work

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1.Nordstrom, Leather Trim Plaid Wool Blazer

2. Kohl’s, Relic Monroe Satchel

3. World Market, Red Kalamkari Scarf

4. Nordstrom, BP. Faux Suede Belt

5. ASOS, Gipsy 100 Denier Luxury Opaque Tights1

6. Peruvian Connection, Silk Slip Dress

3. Macy’s, Fossil Stella Watch

4. Zappos, Nine West Tanesha

5. Kohl’s, Vera Wang Pyramid Stud Earrings

fall-plaid

1. Anthropologie, Homestead Off-The-Shoulder Top

2. J. Crew Tassel Chain Necklace

3. Macy’s, Style and Co. Dark Wash Denim Jacket

4. J. Crew, Signature Leggings

5. DSW, Unisma Padma Bootie

6. World Market, Gold Large Teardrop Earrings

7. American Eagle, AEO Aviator Sunglasses

8. Zappos, Frye Clara Hobo

Coastal Living’s Lowcountry Rambler

Posted on September 13, 2016September 13, 2016 by Kindra

Hands down, lowcountry style is my favorite. It’s all equal parts worn, casual, genteel, beachy, rustic, country, proper, and southern. This month, Coastal Living Magazine featured a South Carolina lowcountry rambler that I could move into today! Take a look at how amazing this place is.

Trees dripping with Spanish moss frame the home perfectly. The whitewashed brick chimney gives the home a less buttoned up look, while those huge porches welcome, “come and sit a spell.”

That front door is complete perfection. I also love how they weren’t afraid to mix and match different styles of overhead lighting all in one front porch entry space. I could just imagine sitting here sipping an iced tea and watching the river roll on by.

If you were planning this space below you might think, no, the golden tones in the hardwood flooring will certainly clash with the reclaimed barnwood ceiling, but surprise, they totally don’t. They work perfectly together, thanks to the crispness of the white walls and window frames and the casual slipcovered furniture. All of it melds beautifully and lets the real star, the outdoors, shine.

This little breakfast nook is so charming I want to sit down, sip a coffee and eat that croissant right there. The painted ceiling paired with the mismatched vintage table and chairs balanced by the worn plank floors comes off cute not cutesy.

It is amazing what you can do with a small space. This room, if you saw it without the built-in bunks would probably look more like a hallway than a bedroom, but with the space-maximizing built-in bunks it looks like a perfectly generous room for two kids to crash at night. I really have an obsession with built-in bunks. We put them in our own beach house and the kids LOVE sleeping in there, and I’ll admit, I’ve spent a night or two in the bunks and they are very cozy.

And finally, the outdoors. This looks like it would be the most refreshing respite on a hot and humid South Carolina summer day, I can hear the cicadas humming. This space is a great example of the lowcountry’s ability to mix prim with casual. The detailed architecture under the eaves, iron patio furniture, and black-bottomed pool are formal, yet pair really well with the rustic, worn look of the oyster shell brick and au naturale landscape.

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Falling for Wreaths

Posted on September 12, 2016September 12, 2016 by Kindra

I don’t know how it happened but after I got married and moved away from home one of the first design elements/ DIY projects I became obsessed with was creating a really killer front door wreath. At the time, I was creating wreaths left and right, for my own front door, for family doors, for every season and holiday. It’s been a while since I whipped one up but I still love ogling front doors and what people decide to adorn them with. A good wreath can enhance a beautiful door, or hide the flaws of an ugly door, or just happily welcome a new season. So today I’m sharing some of the best fall wreaths I’ve seen out there lately. Since it’s the first day in a zillion when it’s under 90 degrees here in Northern Virginia, I feel like it’s finally ok to swap out my summer wreath for the fall wreath on my own door and maybe even make a new one. Which one would you create this autumn? Click the image for the sources.

The post where I found this one said it could be made from feather dusters, which I think would take forever, but it sure does look great.

I love the addition of purple to these next two wreaths, it’s a little bit unexpected for fall and adds a lot of interest.

This one, with a more traditional autumn color scheme has a wonderful cascading effect. I might opt for a more rustic looking ribbon since I think this perfect ribbon would look like a mess if exposed to the elements (and by elements I mean wind, rain, and the neighborhood kids yanking on it).

This one with mini pumpkins by On Sutton Place is adorable.

This simple vertical swag by Stagetecture looks simple but gorgeous, and a phenomenal stone wall doesn’t hurt either.

And finally a few cuties that make the best of raw natural elements and display them perfectly.

Coastal Maine Design

Posted on September 9, 2016September 19, 2016 by Kindra

Coastal design is one of my favorite styles. I’m not talking about cheesy ship’s wheels coupled with seashell printed duvets and lighthouse figurine collections. Good coastal design evokes the feeling of the beach through use of sea, sun, and sand inspired colors, textures, fabrics, art and light. There are a ton of different “beachy” kinds of design. A room inspired by southern California will have a different look from one inspired by the Caribbean which will look different from a Charleston, South Carolina coastal design. I’ve visited a lot of beaches but recently had to do a bit of research when a client requested that her home look like coastal Maine. I’ve never been to Maine. I could conjure other nearby coastal ideas, like the looks of traditional New England coasts such as Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. But does Maine have the same look as those other iconic New England beaches? I didn’t know. So naturally I consulted my best friend, Google. I learned that Coastal Maine, is a bit New England, but also woodsy, rugged, and natural. Here are some of my selections for a casual Coastal Maine sunroom.

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Long Live Leather

Posted on September 8, 2016September 19, 2016 by Kindra

So about 13 years ago when we moved back from Germany to the US we decided that it was time to ditch a really ugly plaid sofa that my husband had bought when he was single. I hated that thing. True, it had just about every neutral color in it so it could have conceivably matched anything, but it was such a hideous weave of different fibers that it really made everything else look bad right along with it. I wish I could find a pic of it to show you all how awful it was….

Anyway, to replace it, since we now had a child I decided I wanted something durable so we bought a leather sofa and loveseat (and chair and ottoman) …. Yeah I don’t know what I was thinking with all the matchy-matchy furniture. Those suckers lasted for 13 years, 2 kids and a dog! And to be honest, the sofa is really only piece that needs replacing, because it’s the one that gets sat on the most and the one that the dog has taken to laying across the top of like a cat. Mind you, I am surprised that I tolerated looking at the same sofa for 13 years, so regardless of their condition I was ready for a change.

So about a month ago I began my search for the perfect leather sofa replacement. There are so many excellent options out there. Here are a few of the best options I found:

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The opinions in this blog are completely my own though I aim to give credit and provide links where it is necessary. If you find that something has not been credited appropriately please contact me at [email protected]