Athens House Tour- part 1

Now that the adrenaline has worn off (crash) and client is happy and settling into her family's new digs, we are finally able to take you on a house tour. The move that took place over 3.5 days was a little crazy to say the least. We also had to renovate and decorate the house in 3 months, so not your typical project... Remember our visit to London? The client lived there for eight years and over time, collected many fun pieces from her travels. It was like Christmas morning when the truck showed up with her art, accessories and furniture that we were adding into the mix. Here is how it all turned out...

 I found this antique faux bamboo mirror at an antique store in Raleigh. Ann found the elephant sconces at a local "junk' shop. They look beautiful with the etchings from London hung on brass upholstery tacks. 

 A large sectional seats guests galore and in this case, one very tiny girl and her baby doll. It's relaxed and comfy with a slip cover (in a dark color) so it can hold up to small kids. 

 I kept the colors neutral on the walls so the art and furniture would pop. 

Decorative sconces throughout the space add softer lighting. 

 This lucite and glass table was a London find. I love the low surface with the modern lines of the chairs. Notice the fur pillow. It was made from the client's 96 year old grandmother's furs. 

 This ottoman previously was a simple linen from One Kings Lane. Check out the before...

We added accessories -- from HomeGoods of course! The capiz tray gives it a coffee table-like surface and a faux sheepskin rug (no we did not kill a baby lamb) softens the rug. 

 We added a game table with Wisteria ottomans tucked underneath. 

The pine piece from London, used to grace her kitchen. Now it adds storage to the space and is topped off with the a Ming vase that they bought in Bejing during a trip to China. We wanted it to have a spot front and center (and away from tiny hands). We mixed a little faux and fun with the real deal -- sometimes you just have the splurge on pieces that mean a lot to you. 
Stay tuned for more... bye bye birdie.

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AN athens georgia, bamboo mirror, lucite table, ming vase, One Kings Lane

Quick Makeover

Several weeks ago I did a quick little makeover on my grandmother's sideboard which I inherited years ago.

It's not in the best shape, and for years I had considered painting it until I saw a little makeover that Sherry at Design Indulgence did using liming wax. I was intrigued. You must check out her makeover here.

Liming wax is not easy to come by . . .  I had to order it online. But I found it to be extremely easy to use - you literally just wipe it on. Luckily, the finish on the sideboard was pretty worn so it soaked up the wax. If you have a well-sealed piece some sanding might be involved. After a little bit of tweaking (at first my daughter said it looked like it should be in a haunted house), I got the finish about right. I had to live with it a while, but it's grown on me and now I think I like it. Here's the finished product:

There's a little bit of glare from my flash but you get the idea. It's actually pretty subtle.

I've seen a lot of "limed" pieces lately . . .

This Julian Chichester piece that was recently featured on One Kings Lane.

This Wisteria table via Chattafabulous.

So what do you think? Is liming for you?

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AN limed furniture, makeover, One Kings Lane

Makeover

As some of you were kind enough to notice, my blog got a much needed makeover recently. I'm just thrilled with the design that Fabulous K Creative came up with. Hopefully, I can do my new look proud. Thanks for your sweet comments. In the spirit of self-improvement, I'll be sharing some small makeovers from my home in the coming posts.

Here's a little spruce I just gave to my dining room table . . . 

This is just the first stage in the table I'm trying to set for our supper club Saturday night. I'm not hosting Thanksgiving this year so this is sort of my version. I just love the white or ghost pumpkins and they go better in my dining room. I also found some smaller pale orange (almost, dare I say, peach-colored) pumpkins and thought they'd be a nice contrast. I got the rust orange burlap at the fabric store, halved it with my friend Becky, then just frayed the edges to make a runner. I weaved some burlap ribbon through the middle and picked some nandina berries while they were still a nice rusty orange (before they turn red and I'll be picking them for Christmas).

I'm planning on adding more greenery and some gold-spray painted pumpkins and gold tapers. I'd also like to hollow out the big white pumpkin and use it as a vase for a floral arrangement. I was inspired by Eddie Ross' table setting in the most recent Lonny.

I'll keep you updated on my progress. If there is any.

In other makeover-related news, I had a strange thing happen to me today when I stopped by the Gas Lamp Antique Mall. After grabbing something at the Home Depot next door, I had about 30 minutes before having to pick up my son, so of course, I just had to shop. While perusing the aisles, a young guy approached me and proceeded to tell me he was a casting director. I immediately thought, "This is it. Finally my big break. He was obviously bowled over by my beauty and . . . " 

Okay, back to reality. But it did turn out to be a pretty cool conversation. He said he was casting for a home makeover show that will be airing on Oprah's new network. It's not being produced by her, but it will be on her network. Anyway, they're trying to find people with "over-the-top" decorating schemes to re-design their spaces. It's going to be called Design Rescue. Here's the flier he gave me:

Forgive the scribble at the top . . . that's Ulysses' contact information. He gave me his digits. I told him I had a blog and would let people know about this as well. So, if you know anyone who fits the bill, shoot him an email (at either of the email addresses I would imagine). Anyone tempted to "tacky" up their home just to get a makeover? I must admit that occurred to me, but I just couldn't go through with such a ruse! It sounds like a great opportunity for the right person though.

And last, but not least, if you're interested in doing a makeover of your own, I just noticed that One Kings Lane is hosting Lee Kleinhelter as one of its Tuesday Tastemaker Tag Sales at Twilight. Lee is the owner and creative force behind Pieces, a bastion of chic design finds in Atlanta.

I love her style. The sale starts at 9 p.m. eastern time, 8 p.m. central (my time). I will definitely be checking it out.

Sources: Lonny, One Kings Lane

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AN Eddie Ross, Lee Kleinhelter, Lonny, makeover, One Kings Lane, Oprah, Pieces