Chalkboard Madness

There has been many creative uses of chalkboard paint in the design community as of late; I was almost starting to get a little tired of it. That was until I saw this clever entryway at a friend's home last week. She painted different size frames (from the flea market) entirely with chalkboard paint and drew portraits of the two resident dogs. Genius!

The Anatomy of a Sofa: Part II

Hallelujah, the finished product not only looks sharp but it fit through the client's door!

The patterned fabric on the back cushions puts a modern spin on the textbook sofa. The upholstery tacks and the fine attention to detail and proportion make the custom process well worth it.

Hospital Chic?

Who knows if sick children were actually carted around on this old metal gurney. But, I do know we love the new coffee table it's become.
After finding the folding metal gurney at a flea market I removed the caster wheels (which were super cool but made the table too high) and had Walnut plywood cut to serve as the table top and the lower shelf. After applying a few coats of polyurethane and screwing in the top it was good to go. It's sturdy, collapsible, and best of all you can put your feet up.

I wasted a good hour Googling vintage gurneys with no luck, so it remains undetermined what the base was actually used for. If anyone has seen something similar let me know! (Well, maybe not if it was used in a morgue. That might be knowledge I could do without)

Bathroom Accessories for the Modern Home

Why is it so hard to find good quality, tasteful bathroom accessories? Recently on a hunt to get a new modern bath rug I spent hours trying to find one that would work. I didn't think I was asking too much...a black and white cotton rug that didn't look cheap and that would last for more than a month. I didn't have the best luck but I will share a few nuggets that I did find.

Organic cotton color block shower curtain at West Elm, $39.99


Target Modern Home Link Rug, Cotton with a neutral, modern pattern. A steal at $19.99
I loved this Moroccan bath mat from Ballard Designs. Not such a steal at $65, but if you have money to burn..

The Anatomy of a Sofa

It's not often that we get to see our sofas before they arrive in our living room. One benefit of being a designer is getting to work with local craftsmen to create custom pieces and watching the process along the way. I was able to see this sofa in progress this week, instead of a sketch with dimensions it's become a tangible thing.

The framer delivered the wood base to my upholsterer who built the spring system, applied webbing, and constructed a bench seat cushion made of a foam core wrapped in down. It was seriously comfortable. Now, it just needs to look pretty. To be continued...

Mission Accomplished!

Here are some photos from last night's event...we were quite pleased with the outcome.