A Texas Inspired Office

Here's a few more pics of Nate's office redo ~ see part one here.  Literally, there was no budget to work with so I had to think creatively and pull from things he already had or from things I had in storage. His primary requests for the space were 1.) It had to reflect his love for Texas.  2.) He wanted it to pay tribute to his mom and dad (Nana and Papa) and 3.) Nate is one sentimental fella, so everything in the space had to have a story or special meaning.   I did my best to fulfill the requests.  The taxidermied bullfrog was a souvenir from Corbin's trip to Honduras.  The framed poem ~ "A Tribute to Nana and Papa" was a Christmas gift to Nate from Gavin. 

 

Texture played a key role in revitalizing the office.  Wonderfully worn rugs, leather, rattan poufs and an iron star, (Reagan displayed this in his home when he lived in South Dakota), go a long way to adding Texas flair.    

Fun Facts:  The American flag flew over the White House and was presented to Papa, while the brass eagle use to reside in Papa's office.  The bookcase was crafted by a friend and was part of his dad's office for years.  The shepherd's staff was gifted to Nate from some guy friends he mentors.  

The oversized map belonged to friends as well ~ a family piece from the 1950's.  They generously passed it on to me.  The handmade rocker belonged to Nate's mom ~ a family heirloom ~ Nana was rocked in it as a baby.  The vintage lamp came from Canton and the uber cool, blue and green chair came from Lula B's. 

I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into Nate's office redo and I hope you stop by again soon!

An Austin Styled Apartment

I ventured down to Austin a few weeks ago and kinda fell in love with the city.  I'm quite certain it is my destiny to live there someday.  I'm especially smitten with Hyde Park, the area my oldest son decided to put his first roots down in ~ it's a great old neighborhood with lots of character.  I looked forward to waking each morning just knowing I was steps away from a cozy bakery or coffee shop.  Needless to say, I was happy for the chance to help Reagan set up house there.

Since we were starting from scratch and working on a budget, it was essential to find great pieces for less.  I had to keep in mind Reagan's desire to go with a Mad Men/Mid Century Modern style and was hoping some of my favorite spots would provide me with some of the furnishings.  Prior to going down, I paid a few visits to some local thrift stores I frequent as well as Lula B's Antique Mall, "a treasure trove of all things fine and funky, kitschy and collectible, vintage and pimpadelic."  I'm quite thrilled with the purchases ~ and think they are key foundational pieces for the apartment.  Here are a few of my favorite finds ~

Massage Chair:  I was pinching myself when I came across this incredible "massage chair" in mint condition ~ and the best part ~ it still works!  I dared not leave its side until an associate had put a "Sold" sign on it.  ;)

Chair/Hairpin Table/Letter "P":  I positioned the chair in the living area ~ after a long days work it was a welcome spot to recline to.  I sat a hairpin table next to the massage chair ~ it provides just enough space to rest a drink or book on.  You can read  more about it here.  The giant letter "P" was a freebie (yea!) and made great wall art.  I acquired it as it was being removed from a building by a sign company ~ who was replacing the existing signage with a new one.  I was happy to learn from the workers that oftentimes sign companies are willing to unload old signage for little (or in my case) no cost.

Coffee Table:  When I'm looking for something in particular, Lula B's is my go-to place.  They have a constant turnover of unique, one-of-a-kind items.  I think if I shopped with them daily, there would always be a surprise discovery.  Such was the case with this great coffee table.  It was the perfect scale for the apartment and had the exact lines I was looking for. 

A little furniture restorer went a long way in bringing back the coffee table to its original lustre. You might notice the graphic rug the table is sitting on.  Reagan found this showstopper here.  I decided to place it on an angle for a little visual punch. 

Buffet:  There was a need for some additional book storage ~ so when I found this piece I knew immediately it would fit the bill.  The $32 price tag didn't hurt one bit either.  :)

The buffet itself, had great legs and lines ~ so all it needed was a couple of vintage accessories to  compliment its style.  With the addition of a lighted globe and a vintage typewriter ~ I was able to achieve the look I knew Reagan was hoping for.  As he and I worked from room to room, the place started evolving into quite a charming spot.  Be sure to check back here soon to see pics of the rest of Reagan's Austin apartment. 

P.S.  Still searching for the perfect 7' mid-century modern sofa for the living room ~ hopefully a sooner -than-later find!  :)

Hairpin Table ~ Revamp

As I mentioned in my previous post, I traveled to Austin last week to work on a Mid-Century Modern apartment design.  It belongs to none other than Reagan, my oldest.  In pulling the space together, I've been seeking out authentic vintage finds to help capture the Mid-Century Modern era.  I found this awesome hairpin table at Lula B's in Dallas.

It was a little rough and rusty, when I spotted it ~ but the price was right.

Nothing a little elbow grease, some scraping and steel wool couldn't cure.  I used #0000 steel wool for the clean-up.  

Then I sprayed it with a couple of light coats of Rust-oleum's metallic silver spray paint ~ it was all the table needed to take it back to its original lustre. 



A great accessory for the hairpin table ~ this Standard stamp holder ~ it came from M'Antiques in the Bishop Arts District.   See another way I used one of these stamp holders here.

After allowing time for the paint to dry, I repositioned the glass table top and it was ready for use.  The time and effort was well spent on this demure little table.  It fits the spot perfectly.  Stay tuned for more photos of the MCM install.  Hope you have a great week!

Lula B's Lamp Find

Recently I was on a buying excursion for an office space I'm designing.  One of the many stops was to Lula B's in Dallas ~ definitely a favorite spot of mine if you are in search of one-of-a-kind incredible vintage pieces.  I spotted this retro cream colored beauty and thought it might be a nice option for a small desk lamp.  But after scouring the store, another lamp became the obvious purchase for my client.  However, I kept going back to this little light and alas ~ I couldn't help myself.  It was yearning to take up space in a dark little corner of my home ~ so here it happily resides. :)

 I love the combination of the clean swirly base with the textured lampshade.  The shade's leather whipstitch is like a cherry on top.

I combined the lamp with this wonderful vintage Swedish cow sign ~ I'll tell my you more about that in another post. I also incorporated some vintage Capiz shell trays into the arrangement ~ Nana bought these in China back in the early 80's.

Capri Blue ~ Volcano

To top off this little grouping, I added in my favorite candle of all time from Anthropologie.  The etched glass container alone is like a fine piece of jewelry to me and the scent ~ well words can't describe.  I remember smiling when a friend of Gavin's came over to visit and I had the candle burning.  He said "This house smells like love" ~ need I say more?  It's wonderful!

I think this charming vignette completes this corner in my home ~ it makes me happy every time I pass by.  I would love to hear about a favorite corner of your home. :)