Archive for January, 2009
House Crashing: A Dreamy & Decadent Delight
We’re super excited to share the latest casa we crashed, camera in hand. In fact, we couldn’t stop snapping pictures of this lovely local home (which was actually featured in Domino magazine last summer!) and of course homeowner Katie Ukrop was a fabulous hostess. Oh look, here she is now to show us around.
Katie is somewhat of a local celeb here in Richmond. She owns a fabulous gallery called Quirk (that we toured here) and is such a super nice person that it’s no surprise that everyone in Richmond knows and loves her. But on with the tour. Her entryway is grand and welcoming, with painted floors that continue throughout the entire first floor (although the pattern and tones change from room to room). Her old wood floors were a bit worse for wear so she left town for a few days and had them sanded and painted while she was gone. The details were left up to Sunny Goode, a local artist with a penchant for floor stencils (we toured her shop here). So Katie returned home wondering what floor decor would await- and let’s just say she wasn’t disappointed.
Here’s another shot of that fabulous stenciled floor, along with her delicate and airy furnishings (which hail from specialty shops and mainstream stores like Storehouse and West Elm alike). Of course the gorgeous marble fireplace and lofty ceilings add to the dreamy feeling that Katie captures oh so well.
And the gorgeous bay window doesn’t hurt either.
Just beyond the living room is a posh little sitting room with built in bookcases and yet another fireplace. We absolutely adore everything from the brilliant Oly light fixture, those fantastic pocket doors, and of course that amazing painted border on the adjoined dining room floor.
Katie adores soothing symmetry, and in this room she cleverly balanced the radiator under the left window with a parson’s desk from West Elm under the right window to create eye-pleasing balance and a functional place to pay bills. And who can miss that ethereal blue bird painting above the fire. Not only does it bring out the lovely painted floors (which happen to be blue in this room) but it’s also a piece from her gallery, Quirk, which has loads of amazing paintings, drawings, jewelry and more.
Part of what makes Katie’s home so soft and welcoming is her muted palette and her feminine touches. Delicate pink linen pillows and loads of glossy white keep things feeling serene while punches of brighter pink (like the fabric on the ottoman) and quirky accessories (like the ceramic deer head on the wall) add pops of personality and fun.
Another thing that keeps Katie’s home feeling fresh and fabulous is her mix of furnishings and materials. From an old ornate chandelier to a shiny lacquered dining table, Katie likes sleek as much as antique and she mixes the two flawlessly.
Just beyond the dining room is a cheerful and über functional kitchen. Simple white cabinetry with a beadboard backsplash keeps things feeling open while miles of built-ins ensure order and organization- even with two growing children and a hubby living under the same roof. And how adorable are those pink mixer prints framed and hung on the backsplash- they’re yet another score from her gallery Quirk.
And we love Katie’s penchant for white ceramic collectibles. They can be found in almost every room of the house. She likes to group similar objects on windowsills and side tables, and you can never go wrong with a smorgasbord of white pottery on a handy shelf above the cooktop.
Yeah, we weren’t kidding when we said Katie’s kitchen had built-ins. It was impossible not to drool over all the places to stash stuff in her super functional and fabulous kitch. And is that cut-out chandelier not to die for or what?
Beyond the kitchen is a sweet little sunroom full of more white built-ins and accessories along with some pops of green thanks to good ol’ Mother Nature. And Charlie, her adorable pooch has no problem lounging around on his hot pink floor pillow atop those dreamy blue floors. We imagine he pretends to be the captain of some fabulous pink ship sailing the seven seas.
And for one last touch of soft blue in the space, Katie painted and distressed this hutch to complement those soothing blue floors and filled it with another casual collection of mixed and matched white pottery.
So folks, what did you think of adorable Katie’s home? Was it not everything you thought it would be and more? No wonder it was in Domino last summer, right? And isn’t it amazing that two kids and a dog can live so easily and seamlessly with such a soft palette? The whole house feels like a breath of fresh air. We can’t wait to hear what you guys think. And a big thank you goes out to Katie and her family for so graciously opening their doors to us (her children even took some pictures of me and John while we were taking pictures of their house). Oh and be sure to check out her gallery and maybe even stop by and meet her in the flesh!
Fab Freebie: Pewter Geek
Lookin’ to add some flash to that backsplash? Some bling to your bathroom? Well here’s a freebie you’re sure to go geeky over.
Castalina makes high-end, hand-poured 100% lead free pewter accent tiles that are sure to upgrade any tile job around your house, from the kitchen to the bathroom and beyond. Even if you don’t have any tiling projects on the horizon at the moment, we think these stylish “dots” would look just as great lining a tray, bordering a picture frame, or even grouped in a grid as a sleek coaster or pillar candleholder. They’re even safe for flooring projects (they are real metal after all).
All of Castlina’s tiles are exclusively available at Costco.com for some pretty darn amazing prices compared to the other 100% pewter tiles on the market. They come in two finishes (polished or aged), two sizes (2×2″ or 1×1″) and three designs (flat, domed or pyramid) so there’s definitely something for everyone.
And here’s your shot to snag some for free. Since we couldn’t pick our favorite tile type to give away, Castalina kindly agreed to let the winner pick their prize! So one lucky guy or gal will receive two boxes (24 tiles) of their preferred style – that’s up to a $236 retail value.
To enter, just comment on this post with the words “I’M A PEWTER GEEK” by Wednesday 1/28 at 8pm EST. And while you’re at it, tell us what you go geeky for (I’m a little too caught up in Lost theories and Sherry is a bit Twilight crazy these days). Oh and Castalina ships anywhere in the Continental US, so this contest is open to all residents of the lower 48 states. We’ll announce the lucky random winner by the end of the week, so stay tuned…
Oh and Castalina also makes liners (those fab long pewter tiles along the top of the above picture), so be sure to check out everything that they offer right here. You won’t be disappointed.
Curious about how our giveaways work? Find out the juicy details here.
Don’t Go Home Depot!
Apparently the state of the economy is more powerful than our crossed fingers. Ever since we visited the Home Depot Design Center in Charlotte last fall we’ve been wishing and hoping that one would eventually come to Richmond. But now our dream has been bludgeoned to death thanks to the fact that Home Depot has just announced that it’s not only not going to add new Design Centers but will also be closing all of the existing ones as part of a just announced 7,000 job cut nationwide. Along with its two Design Centers, Home Depot will be also closing its 34 EXPO centers and five YardBIRDs stores. Major bummer, not only to the shoppers but also to those who have lost their jobs.
At least all of the regular Home Depots will remain open, so our weekend routine is safe for the time being. Does this news affect any of you guys more directly? Will anyone be missing their regular trips to their local EXPO or Design Center? And what the heck is a YardBIRd store? If anyone has ever been to one of those five rare Home Depot haunts, fill us in on what we’ll never get to see.
Darling, You’re A Gem
The other day I got to wondering, how do you guys store your jewelry? I picked up a ceramic egg crate from The Container Store about five years ago and it has served as my “jewelry box” ever since. It’s perfect for containing my limited collection (I’m all about earrings, but I generally never have more than a dozen in rotation) and the finish works perfectly with my love of all things white and ceramic.
What you’re actually seeing above is my “night table” of sorts. Since we flanked the bed with two curtained wardrobes from Ikea, we each use one of the concealed shelves to house a few things that we typically grab before we hit the hay. Which explains that white ceramic bowl on the left. It’s actually just a bowl from the kitchen that I repurposed to store my contact case, face lotion, and lip gloss at arm’s reach. It’s kinda funny when you think that both of these handy storage items are really meant for the kitchen.
And you may wonder where my engagement ring and wedding ring go before bed, well, John and I actually sleep, shower, paint, and do everything else with ‘em on. In fact, John’s ring hasn’t left his hand since I slipped it on at our wedding a year and a half ago (!) and mine only comes off about twice a year for an inspection at the jewelry store (to make sure nothing’s loose from all that constant wear). Is that weird? We know we’re definitely in the minority here (based on the strange looks we get from friends and family when we mention this fact), but we’re wondering if there are others like us out there. Come out of the woodwork fellow perma-ring-wearers and make us feel less strange!
But back to the jewelry storage subject at hand. Here’s how John’s sister Emily stores hers. She’s the lucky owner of a fabulous pull-out drawer with space for her extensive collection of baubles and bling (she also chose Ikea wardrobes for her master bedroom, but she opted for super modern frosted glass doors instead of curtains):
Are you green with envy? Cause I am. Would it not be amazing to be have so much space to store your stuff? Although I’m sure John’s thanking his lucky stars that I only have a little egg crate to keep my jewelry buying habit at bay. Now it’s your turn- tell us all about how you store your gems and jewels. From wooden boxes to cool display trees (like this one or this one from Urban Outfitters) we’d love to hear what works for you.
Check out a great DIY hanging jewelry box project here on Newlywedisms by Bryn.
Update: We’re not the only ones who love a whie ceramic egg crate as a jewelry organizer! Our friends at Better Homes & Gardens featured this idea in their April 2009 issue.
Feelin’ Thrifty: What Would Jesus Do?
We know a lot of our fellow Richmonders are always trolling for sweet thrift store finds, so we thought we’d dedicate a few posts to profiling our go-to spots for gently (or not so gently) used home furnishings and accessories here in the river city. Richmond has its fair share of Goodwill and Salvation Army stores but personally we’ve only actually purchased furniture or home accessories from other independent thrift stores in the area. So we’re here to share the goods. And bear with us all you non-locals, there are a few ideas that you can apply to your area. And hopefully this thrift store tour will inspire you to ask your friends about their favorite thrifting places- or even dedicate a weekend to hitting up a bunch of thrift stores that you find on google to suss out your very own favorite haunts. Happy hunting…
We’ve gotta dedicate this first thrift store profile to our absolute favorite: The Love of Jesus Thift Store. Can I get a “hallelujah”?
The Love of Jesus has two locations, but so far we’ve only visited the one on the Southside. It’s got a smorgasbord of everything – clothes, accessories, electronics, toys, sporting goods and (our personal fav) furniture and home accessories. My sister introduced us to Love of Jesus a few months ago after she snagged a chair for her new house (it’s the second chair in this post) and we’ve been hooked ever since. We even brought our camera on a recent trip so we could show you some of the cool pieces you’re likely to discover there. But of course it bears mentioning that not everything is a treasure. Sometimes one man’s trash is another man’s trash too. So be prepared to dig around a little. Consider it a home decor scavenger hunt of sorts.
As you can see, they’ve got an abundance of upholstered furniture, but we think they excel most in the wooden furniture department. Check out this beauty of a coffee table. It’s extremely solid and extra long, so it could be the perfect anchor in a spacious living room – especially if you’ve got an oversized couch. And of course it could always be primed and painted (glossy black? crisp white? emerald green? soft greige?) to work better with any existing decor.
You’ll have to forgive us for not writing down more prices as we went, but rest assured that everything’s very reasonable (they are “thrift”, not “antique” prices). Like this sweet console table with a woven brass shelf for a touch of old school style going for $15. Oh and if you do happen to fall for something that seems a bit pricey, we’ve had extremely good luck haggling for a better deal here (as in, they’ve never said no). If you’re like Sherry, you’ll haggle even if something’s already a steal. She once got a $7 bench down to $5… that’s my girl. Oh and remember that price isn’t the only issue, figuring out where something will go in your home is another good idea before you get to the checkout to purchase yet another chair that you have no place for.
They also carried a few retro finds in the lighting section with these poppy lamp bases that were just begging for a home (and a crisp new shade). It’s important to get thrift store lights checked out by a local electrician or lighting specialist to ensure that they’re safe so the whole house doesn’t go up in flames. But at $10 a pop, these schoolbus yellow and midnight blue lamp bases both leave room in the budget for some new wiring if it comes to that. Which one would you go for, the punchy yellow or the moody blue?
But if you’re looking for something less curvacious and more architectural, this massive, geometric glass chandelier would certainly do the trick.
And while we typically only swing through the home decor and accessory section, we’ll admit that we occasionally find other little treasures that catch our eye. Like this riveting novella based on the hit ’90s series Saved By The Bell. Fifty cent copies are clearly selling like hot cakes, so hurry in.
Sadly, we didn’t splurge on a copy of “Kelly’s Hero” this time. In fact, we didn’t take anything home on this particular pilgrimage. But not to worry, we can always rely on The Love of Jesus’ #1 fan (my sister) to show us how a piece of recently thrifted furniture can look right at home in her modern loft-like casa. Here’s a buffet she recently snagged for a mere $75 (with delivery included, no less) that perfectly divides her living and dining areas. Jealous? We are. We’ve seen other vintage modern pieces just like it for hundreds more. Go sis.
So that’s our quick profile of The Love of Jesus Thrift Store, one of favorite thrifting hot spots here in Richmond. Stay tuned for more thrift store profiles in the coming weeks. And we’d love to hear what you guys think about LOJ Thrift. Have any of you guys been? Found anything especially wonderful? Do tell.
