STATEMENT STAIRS

A staircase is usually one of the first elements you see when you walk into someone's home.  Why not make a statement with your stairs?  Here are 10 beautiful ways to do just that.

Steven Gambrel

Alex Michaelis

Jay Jeffers

Victoria Hagan

Hope everyone has a nice weekend!  I'm off to my first Gamecock Football home game I've been able to go to this season and then a wedding.  Gonna be a loooong, but fun Saturday!  If my tailgate set-up turns out to be smashing like I'm planning, I will post pictures Monday. 

DREAM HOME

One of my favorite things to do in Charleston when we have nice weather is take the dog for a walk and admire the houses I love, using ideas from them to come up with my ideal home.  I've never actually documented the particular details of the homes I love the most, mainly because I don't want to look like a creepy tourist invading someone's privacy by sticking my head through their gate or peering in a window.  It blows my mind how intrusive the tourists can be!  However, I thought it would be fun to do a post of just images sharing the exterior of my dream home, so I politely broke my rule.  Meeka and I took some walks and came up with a good spread of what would make this fabulous dream home!

Don't forget the dog and the view that are musts in the dream home!

All photos courtesy of Vivere

SIMPLY STUNNING SCHUMACHER

I'm continuously drawn to richly textured fabrics, especially velvets.  If you love them too, Schumacher's new Chroma Collection is not to miss.  The patterns, colors and textures are some of the best I've seen in quite a while. It's a great collection because there are fabrics perfect for fun pillows and others made especially for larger pieces of furniture that just need a simple texture or solid color.  This is a great time of year for rich, plush fabrics that are sure to warm up your home during the cold months ahead! 

Also launched this Fall by Schumacher is Martyn Lawrence Bullard's collection.  This line has beautiful and exotic colors and prints inspired by Bullard's travels.  These fabrics range from hand woven ikats to silk velvets.  Love! 

All photos courtesy of Schumacher

WEEKEND PROJECT: Before and After

This weekend I spent most of my Saturday and Sunday, breaking of course for football games Saturday night, refinishing a piece of furniture. The particular piece is an old nightstand of the Boyfriend's that was in need of a little TLC. On a side note, this is one of the very few pieces of his furniture that made "the cut" when we merged our things. As promised in an earlier post to review Rust-Oleum's lacquer spray paint, this seemed like a great opportunity to try it out. 

Not sure if any of you have tried this Rust-Oleum product and had any luck, but unfortunately it didn't deliver the super shiny lacquer I was wanting.  Maybe the problem was in the user, but certain spots were glossy and other spots looked super dull.  So, I went to Lowe's and found a clear gloss brushing lacquer.  Much better results! 

Nightstand Before

Nightstand After

I lined the inside shelf with a gold shagreen print wallcovering.  The gold texture is a nice contrast to the glossy black. 



5 Ways To Spice Up Your Kitchen

I spend a good amount of time in the kitchen when I am home.  With cooler temps just around the corner, I will be spending less time outside and even more time in the kitchen.  I like cooking much more when it's not hot outside.  Is anyone else the same way?  I've mentioned before that we have a very small kitchen, so I'm always doing little things to improve its ambiance and compensate for its size.  These aren't major changes, but just small additions and adjustments to make it as enjoyable to be in as possible. 

Check out these 5 ways to spice up your kitchen.  You may already use some of these ideas, but it's always nice to see some inspiring pictures for a fresh approach.


1.) Try a fun rug on your kitchen floor.  It will warm up the room, and it's a perfect opportunity to use a patterned rug that wouldn't necessarily work in your other rooms. 

2.) An unexpected light fixture can transform your kitchen making it chic, elegant, sexy or fun.

Martyn Lawrence Bullard

3.) Although your floors, cabinets and counters may be fairly neutral, have fun and bring in a beautiful accent color or a fun patterned fabric.  Show your windows, chairs or barstools some love!

4.) For those wanting to spend a little more, some sparkle in the kitchen is always amazing!  Whether it's your backsplash, wall tile, the glass in your cabinets, or hardware, you can't go wrong with shiny.

TM Design LTD

Steven Gambrel

5.) Show off your art!  Most of us spend so much time in the kitchen.  Why not put something special, like a piece of art, in there to enjoy? 

Elle Decor

Kristan Cunningham