3. The trap: Wrapping every gift with elaborate wrap and ribbon. I love wrapping gifts, and every year, I inevitably become entranced by some new idea for packaging up presents. The problem is when the gifts begin to pile up, and the “fun” wrapping party with cocoa and carols becomes a chore to get through as quickly as possible.What to do instead: Keep gift-wrapping simple by mixing in some reusable bags. By keeping reusable gift bags on hand (including some extra-large ones for hard-to-wrap gifts), you can pick and choose where you expend your wrapping efforts.Last-Minute Holiday: Quick Ways to Personalize Your Decor and Gifts
The upstairs master bedroom, which the homeowners occupy, features a slipcovered headboard from the designer’s collection, linen bedding from Peacock Alley and Restoration Hardware draperies with blackout lining. Most of the windows in the home are standard sizes, so Whalen was able to cut costs and keep the windows casual and undramatic by opting for ready-made coverings. Wall-to-wall seagrass carpet was specified not only for this room but for the entire upper floor to create the relaxing, escapist feel of a beach house.
The Doles kept the furnishings no-fuss, using lots of soft white slipcovers and interesting textures to complement the beautiful original beams and rafters. Extra barn fun: Thanks to the barn’s generous proportions, finding wall space for this 12-foot-long pomegranate painting was no sweat.Oil painting: Charles St., by John YoungSee the rest of this barn
In the children’s suite, the designer used another favorite trick: a colorful checkerboard paint job on the floors. “It’s cheerful and happy and glossy and refreshing,” she says. Her secret weapon is a garage floor paint called Break-Through. “I love it — there is no odor and it dries in under an hour,” she says.This is the couple’s daughter’s room. A bay gives it interesting angles, and beadboard adds a farmhouse touch. The antique sign, traditional bed and wicker chair enhance the old-house feeling. Bed: Ethan Allen; lamp and lantern: Stray Dog Designs
The homeowner also found she likes to collect portraits, and with the help of Kandler she filled the staircase with them. “I would help get her started with a collection and she’d keep going with it — she loves hitting the flea markets and late-night eBay searches,” she says. “Individually none of these are particularly special but together they are really fun.”
This office is in the center of the home off the main hall. It has two desk areas, one of which overlooks the family room. The glass pocket door can be closed for quiet time. It also provides a warm jolt of orange. This photo also gives us a good look at the home’s flooring. It’s a new French oak, but it was painted black and then sanded to give it a reclaimed look. The width of the planks also lend a sense of age.
To the left of the entryway is the wife’s office. Flanking the door are two built-in bookcases showcasing an assortment of Mexican folk art. “We wanted a place to display her collection without it taking over the home,” Schroder says. “If you have a nice dedicated space, it makes you appreciate everything more, and it gives it the highlight it deserves.“I’m a big believer in painting your ceilings in color,” says Schroder, who added a tomato-red hue to the “fifth wall” to introduce more color and warm up the space without detracting from the collection of artwork. The wood-burning fireplace, the only architectural detail left from the original house, was gussied up with terra-cotta tiles.
Off the entry, hand-carved Spanish doors create a dramatic entrance to the master bedroom. “What sparked the inspiration for that room was the headboard fabric,” Schroder says of the navy, aubergine, teal and fuchsia patterned print. “We wanted the bedroom to be a serene place where you could relax, but the headboard was a great spot to get a little crazy.”The homeowners infused the room with plenty of personal touches, from the Moroccan rug to an array of unique pillows collected during their travels.
In the entryway, a regal rug the homeowners purchased on a trip to Morocco grounds the space, while a geometric metal chandelier by Reborn Antiques gives the room a modern edge. In the stairwell, intricate custom pendant lighting from Noor adds a sophisticated touch. The lighting company, based in Denver and Cairo, imports from Egypt.
The southern side of the house is dug into the bank, with layers of waterproof membrane carefully inserted between land and tires to ensure no moisture seepage. The subfloor was lined with mussel shells (a local waste product, adhering to the couple’s philosophy throughout the construction process) and more waterproof membrane before concrete was laid. For the interior walls, the family scored secondhand mud bricks that were left over from a friend’s earlier building project. Nothing was wasted: Even the broken bricks were mixed into a slurry for plastering the walls.Pallet furniture: Industrial Design NZ; mud bricks: Solid Earth
ARTWORK
These soft, gauzy hand towels from the Japanese textile company Pata Pri are printed with water-based, non-toxic inks and get softer over time. — Elaina Verhoff
CRATE AND BARREL
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/965386/list/Dirt-Optional--Amazing-Air-Plants-for-Wall-or-Tree
BIRDCAGE LIGHT
ARTWORK
FRAMED PHOTOS
ANTONIA PRINT Michelle Armas is a genius with mixing color. Any of her paintings would make a huge impact.
I own a Lulie Wallace painting, and I call it my happy painting; it always elicits a smile when I look at it.
GICLEE PRINT BY SIISCO I'd love to own an original Yangyang for the amazing texture. The color is pretty fantastic too.
White stairs and posts
Q