In Search of...

I am always hunting for something.  Here's my current list...

Clockwise from top left:

We inherited a set of Noritake Asian Song china from my husband's great aunts.  Although it would not have been my first choice if I were selecting new china for purchase, it is quite lovely.  I have long thought that some chic coordinates would really bring the Asian Song up a notch.  And right now, I have my eyes on this faux bamboo charger, beautiful orchid hued salad plate, and fabulous green ikat bread plate to freshen up our family heirloom.

I am always looking for great art for reasonable prices.  Right now I need something colorful and contemporary to go above our sofa in the living room and something abstract for over our bed.  Love this zebra number from Stampa, as well as this fresh and flowing piece by Lola Donoghue.

My vision for Liam's room has always involved a mid century dresser, but we ended up repurposing Lilly's old one because we didn't find one in time that we loved that wasn't a million dollars.  This one is basically everything I've ever dreamed of and more.  And for $2200, I'll keep dreaming.

As you well know, the side table search continues, but this one keeps popping back in my head.

You may have also noticed that I'm having kind of a moment with yellow right now (proof here and here).  It really does go with everything and I think a touch of yellow does every room good.  So I've been on the hunt for wonderful patterned fabric in shades of yellow.  These are all from Schumacher and nothing I'd smack my grandma over, but they're the best I can find at present.

This little gray ikat chair has been haunting me.  It wants me and I want it.  I also want to know who makes such a handsome gem of a sitting piece so that I may see all this vendor has to offer.  But in a wicked turn of events, no one will tell me who makes the damn thing.  As Bon Qui Qui would say, "Rude."

Rugs.  I have been looking for rugs and had general ruggery on the brain.  In the words of the [Great] Big Lebowski, "That rug really tied the room together." And he is exactly right because that's just what rugs do.  I love these boucharouite type jobs from RugsUSA, but the one I keep going back to is the pink and white striped beauty.  You might remember it from here.

Last, to add to my case good bonanza, I am also seeking new nightstands.  We are in a standstill until we move and can fit something other than the very narrow ones we currently have.  I have not decided if I am going to do matching or non matching, chests or tables, etc. etc. but I do love these and have had my eyes on them for a solid year.

What are you searching for currently?  I'd love to know ;)

Oh My Word

Last night I was working on my In Search of... post that was supposed to be on the blog today, but in my search for something that I had seen in Matchbook this month, I noticed Bailey McCarthy's home was on the Matchbook blog.  I first found out about Bailey after she was in HGTV magazine.  I have since seen about a million versions of these photos, so either girlfriend changes around her house more than I do or she's moved.  Either way, her aesthetic is divine.

All images via 

Some people...

When I finally get a chance to read my monthly stack of shelter magazines, I zip through any garden features.  I love the outdoors and I love beautiful gardens, but I am so enamored with what goes on inside the home that I can't be bothered with yards.  But this month, when I received my March-April Veranda, my mind was reeling after seeing Miles Redd's magic in Atlanta.  The only thing that snapped me out of my Redd daze was the mention of Lake Geneva in the subtext of "A Cultured Jewel" about Caroline Scheufele's Swiss home.  During my time in Europe, I visited some family friends in Switzerland and spent some time on the docks of Lake Geneva (Lake Leman as it is called there).  Well, as you'll see, it is just plain ugly there and I can't imagine living in this reprehensible dump that she calls a villa.  Pff.

How to: Hang in a Grid

This weekend I did some rearranging and picture taking for an upcoming full reveal of Lilly's room over at hellobee.  The artwork on her walls hadn't been moved since she was in her crib and with her fab new bed and furniture arrangement, it was in need of some refreshing.
While we were in DC over the holidays, I went to the C. Wonder store at Tyson's Corner.  The line was out the door, but I found these faux bamboo rimmed plates and they were on sale.  I hastily grabbed all that they had, not really knowing what I wanted to do with them, but thinking they would be wonderful displayed on a wall.  I pulled them out this weekend and they ended up being the perfect polished addition to Lilly's big girl room.
I hung them in a grid over her bed and used my God-goven over thought and over complicated common sense, so you'll excuse me if there is a much easier way out there.  Here's the final product...

First, I laid the plates out on the ground to determine how I wanted to arrange them.  I decided on the three by three grid and had a couple plates to spare.

I then traced the plate outline on paper and cut out nine circles.  I attached the plate hangers to the plates and then laid one pink cut out over the plate hanger and marked roughly where the nail would go.  I used this one mark and marked all of the nine circles by overlaying them one at a time.  I made the marks dark enough so I could see them through the overlaid paper.  For this step, it is important to make sure you are using the same size plate hangers so you can make sure the nail hole is in roughly the same spot.

Using double sided tape I attached the cut out paper to the wall to determine where exactly I wanted them to hang.  I eyeballed this step and didn't worry about being too exact.

Once I found a good spot for the middle plate, I used it as a guide.  The nail hole I marked on the center paper was used for the spacing of the rest of the plates.  

Using a level and the nail hole on the center plate, I drew a faint level line (on the cutouts) connecting the nail holes on the middle row of plates.

I then did the same thing with the level and drew a line for the middle column.  The + made on the center plate became my more exact guideline.  I then determined the exact spacing I wanted by moving the plates around until I found a distance I liked.  Once I did, I measured the distance between the marking on the center plate and the one just left of center.  I marked this number on my ruler and used this same number to mark the rest of the nail holes, using center as a guide.  It doesn't matter what this number is, as long as you use it through out.  You will probably end up making new nail hole marks on all of the plates.  The most important part is that the nails are evenly spaced.  As long as the nails are the same distance apart from top to bottom and left to right, you will have a lovely grid.  

Furbish Pillow Giveaway

There are only a few blogs that I read every day and one of them is Jamie Meares' blog I SUWANNEE.  So this afternoon, I put the kids down for a nap and finally sat down with my breakfast to check out my daily reads. After checking my email, I headed over to I SUWANNEE and I am here to report that FURBISH is giving away some beautiful pillows that I first saw on an Instagram post about a week ago and loved the pink and black combo - it reminded me of my new blog design, set to reveal very soon.  My mom also follows FURBISH, Jamie Meares', etc. on Instagram and she was even more gaga for the pillows then I was.  So if I win, I'm giving them to my mama.
Now hop over to I SUWANNEE and peek around and then enter to win some beautiful pillows!

Side of Table, Part 2

Okay, here's the roundup.  Just as a disclaimer, I only included side tables of the side table variety and not of the over scale grand table size variety.  I really love that look, but I don't currently have the space for it, so if you do, pooh pooh on you.  Number 20 on the list is actually a dining table from Dwell Studio, so it's not really an option, but I loved the proportions and think if I could scale it down, it would probably be my most favorite side table evah.

From left to right:

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 

11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15 // 16 // 17 // 18 // 19 // 20 

21 // 22 // 23 // 24 // 25 // 26 // 27 // 28 // 29 // 30

As always have a beautiful weekend.

Side of Table, Please. Part I

I'm on the hunt for a side table and you know I don't mess around.  I'm thorough.  I need to make sure I am familiar with all of my options before I make a decision.  So, I have recruited a team of the best side tables this side of the internet for your viewing pleasure.  But before we get to that, we need to talk about a few things.

Side tables are something I always have a difficult time with.  I think they are one of those small details that can make an entire room but are too often an afterthought.  As with anything else, it's not so much the table itself, but the context you put it in.    I have a thing about side table height, namely I always lean toward a side table that is the same height or slightly lower than the sofa or chair arm.  For instance:

Source unknown

Anna Spiro

Lonny

House Beautiful

I am by no means saying this is the best way. I know it can be fabulous to break this rule and play with scale.  Exhibit A...

Lonny

Lonny

Lonny

Lonny

Clearly, it can be done beautifully in a multitude of ways.  However, I do think that playing with the height can be reconciled partially by the lamps (or lack thereof), especially when you have two non matching end tables.  If you choose a tall end table (relative to your chair or sofa) perhaps a shorter lamp is in order.  On the other hand, if a short table is what you want, match it with a taller lamp.  I dare say that when you choose a taller side table, it seems more like a tall side table that happens to be next to a sofa as a opposed to a side table intentionally placed next to a sofa or chair to hold drinks and the like.  A tall dresser or table next to a shorter sofa or chair is a chance for another vignette or moment in the room, great for housing a scupture, beautiful books or anchoring an eye catching piece of art.

Now let's talk about depth.  This is a little more clear cut because it can be easily determined by space and function.  Do you have room for a generous end table?  Do you have need for a generous end table? (ie. lots of books, pictures, artifacts, etc.) And if you have the space, who cares about the stuff because a larger than necessary end table can make everything in a room feel more grand!  I present, Exhibit B...

House Beautiful

Lonny

Lonny

A dining room worthy table used next to a sofa (or bed) is such a fabulous touch when done correctly and confidently.  It kind of becomes it's own entity and area of the room, instead of playing a supporting role.  There is something almost regal about adding a huge end table to a space and the scale change up creates some seriously good tension in the room.

On the other end of that spectrum, I do love a petite table, large enough to hold only a drink and a book, paired with a floor lamp.  Ladies and gentlemen, Exhibit C...

Lonny

Lonny

Lonny

Lonny

It's a lot to think about.  I know.  Tomorrow I will present my finalists on the end table front.  But, in the meantime, I want to know... What's your favorite way to side table?

Ma Chambre

I should really say "Our Chambre" because it's not just mine, although sweet Lilly is all confused about whose room is whose because of our whacky sleeping arrangements a la Liam's non-sleep schedule.  It's like musical beds around these parts.  Anyhow, I took some photos of our bedroom when I was taking pictures for the Elizabeth St. article and I just realized that I haven't really shared our home since we kind of "finished" it.  It is on the market now so I had to call it quits and stop decorating even though it's really never done.  I'm sure you can imagine it's been VERY difficult for me to not try and change/improve things.  I'm sitting on my hands and it's driving me crazy!!  So anyway, here's our bedroom.  Done as it will ever be.  (Side note:  I have been looking for a green cashmere throw for the bed to break up the sea of white I got goin' on, but I just haven't found the nuanced shade of green that I'm seeking.  I'm also in the market for new nightstands.  I just think it's too matchy matchy and these are unofficially sold to a lucky gal who found my Craigslist post.  Worlds Away has some that I'm quite interested in but they won't fit in this house so now I wait.)

More on the bedside tables here and the DIY curtain rods here.

Like what you see?  Email me about our design services.

Kid-friendly By Design

Did you check me out on Elizabeth St. the other day?  Well, why not!  Go!  Now!  

A very big thank you to the ladies at Elizabeth Street Mom for the lovely feature.  

Hello? Are you still there?

It feels like a dog's age since last I posted and I wanted to stop in, say hello, maybe salvage some readership and perhaps 'splain myself a little.  As usual, I'll save the TMI and personal stuff for another day, but I wanted to tell you that the new Avarice is underway and man is she purdy.  Chelsea over at GoForth Creative along with Dennise of Tenacious Dee (awesome name, right?) have been working on my new site and, I tell you what, these are two talented lady birds.  Here's a little peeksy:

Pretty super, right?  It's all I can show for now, but the final site should be up and running soon.  In the meantime, I have to admit, I am a little reticent to continue posting here because we are moving to Wordpress and will have a new address http://www.TheAvarice.com.  So that's my update.  Hope you're doing fabulous.  Feel free to check in with me and just say Hello.  Always love hearing from you.