Client Project: Window Nook

We're loving how this formerly bare, but inherently beautiful, window nook came out for a client friend!

The addition of custom roman shades, window seat cushion and throw pillows warmed this unique nook up immediately.

Here's the before....

...and the after...

How gorgeous is the detailing on our client's antique table?  

The formal, and graphic window seat fabric set off with a fun punch of polka dots and velvet...

Have a great day!
Deb
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We're So Honored! Thank You Schumacher!!!

We recently won a contest by the exclusive fabric house "Schumacher" to showcase a project featuring their fabrics. We entered with the photos pictured below (you might recognize them from our recent Boston Globe Magazine article) and were thrilled to receive an honorable mention!!!

Congratulations to Solbrook Collections & Design of Woodward, OK who captured the top prize and to our fellow winners: Jill Goldberg Hudson Interior Design – Boston, MA and Donna Morgan Antoinette’s Tri-Towne Interiors – Cohasset, MA.

:)  B

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Client Project Sneak Peek!

We have been busy working on a client's living room in Wellesley and it is coming along so nicely that we just had to give you a little sneak peek!!

When our clients bought the house, the living room was Benjamin Moore Ladybug Red and they LOVED the color.

They wanted to build around the red walls and their new black lacquer piano. The other requirements were that the room be a fun, hip, place to entertain.  So rather than tone down the red with soft neutrals and coordinating fabrics, we did the opposite and added stark white and true black.  The black/white/red combination really pops and makes for a super fun room.

We started with creating the custom black and white chevron rug and went from there.  Amazingly I found two antique slipper chairs that we had reupholstered by our expert "guy" in Boston.  We added a new black chesterfield sofa, gold leaf coffee table, custom draperies, custom pillows, new lighting and more.  The clients are thrilled and have been having so much fun entertaining in their new living room.  

Cheers!
Becky

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The Power of Purple!

I have been working on a new master bedroom for a client and one of the requirements was that it be "Hollywood Glam" and the other is that the main color be purple. We thought light purple/lavender would be too "little girl".

This is exactly what we did NOT want:

So we have been focusing on more of an aubergine color - what we have been calling "dirty purple".  This was a hot contender for wallpaper until we got the sample and realized the background is very beige.

And since we are pairing this 'dirty purple' with white and gray, we needed to find something else.  It has been tons of fun looking for purple; being that it isn't a color we often seek.

This image features our fave Madeline Weinrib aubergine rug...

...and fabric...

And I am not sure if it is coincidence or what, but it seems like everywhere I look, purple is popping up... from the cover of MG+BW catalog featuring a John Robshaw purple print, to the Duralee showroom at the Boston Design Center.

And then I saw this Facebook post by Maria Killiam which linked to this fascinating article on purple.  And guess what this British survey said: people with purple bedrooms - how can I say this politely - are a bit friskier than those that have other color bedrooms. 3.49 times a week more "frisky". The article cites "For years I have been telling British homeowners, a beige bedroom makes for a beige sex life."

Other high ranking colors are: red (3.18), sky blue (3.14), pink (3.04), and black (2.99). Less sexy colors include green (1.89) and beige (1.97).

Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase 'dirty purple'. Enough said.

What color is your bedroom?  And please keep your comments clean - my Mother reads this everyday!
Becky

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Boston Globe Magazine and Thank Yous

Thank you so much to the Boston Globe Magazine for featuring a recent client project in yesterday's issue...

We hope, if you're a local friend and reader, you were able to check it out in "live" print!  And, if not, we hope you can make out the scanned version above!

We'd like to make a couple of quick points/shout-outs/thank you's pertaining to this publication.  Check out the "before" shot of the dining room below, as compared to the "after" published above.  Regardless of the caliber of the designer, this kind of transformation can not happen without a client who is willing to take risks, and who herself (or himself) has a fine eye for design.  Along these lines, we were lucky to work with a patient client whose impeccable taste helped us help her create the vision she longed for in her home.

Secondly, we'd like to give a major thank you (and bow down to) the fabulously talented interiors photographer Michael J. Lee, who shot the images that appeared in yesterday's piece.  Michael pairs  great vision with superior technical expertise to capture images for the likes of The Boston Globe Magazine, New England Home Magazine, and Design New England.  For a sense of the "behind the scenes" work involved in capturing Michael's "perfect shots", check out his post about a recent challenging shot for New England Home Design Blog here.  You will love this!

Cheers,
Deb and Becky

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Client Project Sneak Peek! Chiang Mai

One of our clients had their roman shades installed this week...the room is still coming together, but I just had to give you a sneak peek!!

Yep, you are seeing that correctly...Schumacher's Chiang Mai roman shades in Mocha!  

There are a total of SIX windows in their living room and the effect is STUNNING....

I love this little corner with that amazing plant growing like crazy!

Have a relaxing looooooong weekend!!

Cheers!
Becky

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Woods Dining Room

We were thrilled to help our friend/client with this striking "Woods" wallpaper from Cole and Son for her new home's dining room.  The paper went from ordered to hung in less than five days - such a  triumph in a business known for extra loonnnnggg production time, backorders, etc, etc!  Doesn't it look phenomenal?

There are plenty of images floating around of Woods used in bathrooms, bedrooms, and pantries... but not many dining rooms!  

It works well as an accent wall, particularly when pulled across the room via the twigs in the windows below (love that)...

via Green House Vermont

And it's such a fun pattern to use in tight spaces like the kitchens/pantries below...

via Simple Lovely

via Emma's Design Blog

The black colorway is particularly striking - but perhaps best contained to an accent wall as in the photo below (though I've never been a huge "accent wall" person)...

via Lamb and Blonde

Other woodsy bedrooms...

via DecorPad

via Green House Vermont

Again, how striking is the black in this bathroom - and so bold with the black floors to boot!

via Decor Pad

I love how the designers of the following two Woods bathrooms have taken them in two completely different directions - with the first using bold pops of gold and granite, and the second washing everything else in white so as to keep your focus on the wallpaper.  Which do you prefer?

via Lamb and Blonde

via Christina Murphy Interiors

Have a great day,

Deb

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Women Helping Women Project Runway Recap!!!

Becky finally revealed her dress last night at Project Runway!

Can you guess what it's made of?

Nearly 500 hand-sewn Benjamin Moore paint chips (and a few feathers here and there)!!!

Here's the plan (inspired by Mary McDonald's chevron floors we blogged about yesterday), as she presented it to the board a few months ago.

Some early shots... 

Little did she know the hours of paint-chip sewing that lay ahead!

Layering books to try to get the paint chips to lay straight!

And here's Becky's husband, with his critical but supportive eye (and stylin' PJ bottoms)...

The big night.... wow that's a long runway, with 57 tables and over 600 women in attendance!

The eight designers provided a diverse array of fabulous outfits, constructed out of everything from political campaign buttons to duct tape to playing cards to LED lights to recycled milk containers... literally!

photos by Kristen Fitzgerald via The Winchesterette

Here we are with the event's fabulous and gorgeous organizer Dot Butler, who's wearing not a design from the evening, but just an average piece from her closet (literally her entire closet looks this, I kid you not).

Happy Passover, Happy Easter, or just Happy Weekend!
Becky and Deb

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Our New Website!

We're thrilled to announce that our website has (finally) launched!  Check it out by clicking here...

Let us know what you think!
Becky and Deb

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Project Runway!

Six days and counting until the big reveal!!!

Becky is hard at work at her Project Runway creation, which will be revealed before over 600 folks at the Burlington Marriott next week!  We enjoyed the "dress" rehearsal (without the dresses) last night, with Deb practicing her best runway walk (which leaves much room for improvement).  The best part was watching all the designers and models trying to guess each others creations, based on music selection and choreography on the catwalk.

Although all 627 tickets sold out in 30 minutes, we might have access to a couple of last minute tickets... if you are interested, let us know!

Have a great weekend,
Becky and Deb

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Client Update: Hickory Spool Arrival

There's nothing like a long-awaited, early Monday morning delivery from Hickory Chair to get your week started right!

We're thrilled to use the iconic Hickory spool chair to help finish off a favorite client's stunning living room!  Upholstered in a luxurious velvet stripe from Lee Jofa, the chair and ottoman provide a stunning reading corner, perfect for curling up!

Some other uses we've seen...

via Lonny

via House Beautiful

Look who else knows a good thing when she sees it!

Have a great day,

Deb