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dead presidents houses

Posted by dasfseegdse Senin, 07 Oktober 2013 0 komentar

if you follow me on instagram, then you know that i was in washington DC last weekend, and the better part of last week, accompanying my husband on a business trip with the salt lake city chamber of commerce.

it was an action packed trip that included a visits from both utah senators, several congressman and other speakers, dinner at the capitol building, a few museums (before the shut down. ugh. don't get me started on THAT.), and field trips to two historic homes of our founding fathers.

right up my ally.

i love history and i love architecture, and so naturally i am a sucker for historic architecture.

first up--mount vernon, the home of george washington. this was my first trip here, and has been on my bucket list forever.

the setting of this home is spectacular....right on the potomac river, and surrounded by trees and gardens. we arrived shortly before sunset, and the lighting and the weather were just beautiful.

the house started as a very simple story and-a-half cape cod style structure, and was slowly added onto through the years. notice how it's not symmetrical?

a window on the side of the house. pure gorgeousness.

even though the house looks like it might be made from sand stone, it is actually wood! pine, to exact.

to recreate the look of stone, sand was thrown onto wet paint, a process called rustication. isn't that interesting?

the shutter color is original... a pretty, dark hunter green.

a detail on one of the dozen or so outbuildings.

before we walked through the house, they took us through the basement of the house. (we were not allowed to take pictures in the main areas of the house.)

this is a peek at one of the storage areas in the basement---i loved the herringbone brick floors.

a view from the back of the house, which faces the potomac river. not too shabby of a view, huh?

one of the doors leading to the main entrance of the estate. i dont think these are original, but i loved the detail and the brickwork.

the floors on the nearby inn at mount vernon, where we had dinner.

and now---
a quick peek at monticello, located just outside of charlottesvillle virginia, about a 2 hour drive from washington dc.

this is the front of the house.

and the back of the house, which is a little more impressive.

detail of the entry--columns, porch ceiling, windows, soffit and frieze.

the amount of detail is staggering. there was a similar feel in many of the moldings on the inside of the house...once again, we were not allowed to take pictures!

i was kinda obsessed with the fact that there were several different patterns on the fencing...they were in a repeating pattern where every 5th was the same. i couldn't decide which was my favorite!

a door on one of the stables, located under the deck above.

a tunnel, which spans the entire length of the house and connects the service areas on both sides of the property.

a view of the garden pavilion and gardens.

the crest on the gate surrounding the family cemetery.

and finally---a little side trip to the university of virginia, planned by thomas jefferson in the last years of his life.

the rotunda. this was originally used as classrooms and a study area.

the student and faculty living areas, as well as other classrooms are located in these other connecting buildings. this was a revolutionary idea at the time---to have separate areas for different disciplines of learning. some of the students and faculty to this day live in these areas.

isnt this gorgeous?

inside the rotunda, there are oval classrooms, and an hourglass shapes hall with these giant brass lanterns....

one of the oval classrooms. love that molding!

a view of the oculus at the top of the rotunda. (pretty stunning in person, i must say!)

the trip was really amazing, and getting to see these homes was one of the best parts of the trip.
if you go to DC, be sure to set aside some time to see these architectural treasures.

to read more about mount vernon, click here.
to read more about monticello, click here.
to read more about the universtity of virginia, click here.

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An Elegant and Sophisticated Interior Design Style to Consider (a guest post)

Posted by dasfseegdse Sabtu, 05 Oktober 2013 0 komentar

When you are decorating your home you need to keep in mind that it is not the wallpaper or the floors that create character and style, this is instead achieved through the furniture. The walls and floors should be used as the foundation of the interior design style that you have opted for, and then the furniture is used to add on this and bring in your own personality and taste to the room. This is particularly effective when you bring in unique, elegant and stylish items, and when done right this can really look fantastic.

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It is also important to keep in mind that the furniture style that you pick should be used in each area of the home, as this will allow for a consistent and complete feel throughout. This means that it is a good idea to think long and hard about the design style that you want to incorporate, and make sure that you will be able to find items for each space in the house too. It is a good idea to make plans for what you will need in each room, and then to work on it room at a time as this way it will be more manageable and easier to do.

If you want a sophisticated, elegant and classy interior design style then you should consider French furniture, and this can really look brilliant in any home when done right. French furniture is beautifully crafted and very ornate with a use of soft colouring, and the advantage that this brings over other styles is that it helps to create a soft and relaxing atmosphere wherever it is used, making it particularly good in areas like the bedroom and lounge.

Finding the Best Items

When shopping for French furniture you will want to go to a specialist, like The French Bedroom Company, instead of a regular furniture supplier, as this way you know that you can get unique items for each room of the house. You will also get the best range of items from these specialist suppliers, and you will be able to pick up some beautiful and elegant designs which you would struggle to find elsewhere.

You will immediately notice the improvement once you begin to bring in this style into your home, and when you complete this with complimenting wallpapers and carpet it will begin to look very sophisticated and welcoming. You can then add lighting and personal touches like paintings and photographs, and once you have done all of this in each room in the home you will have a well decorated, stylish and attractive home that is sure to impress any visitors you have over.

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spotted: ikea desk + bookcase in high end homes

Posted by dasfseegdse Kamis, 03 Oktober 2013 0 komentar

i just adore finding budget friendly items in homes featured in design magazines, don't you?

it proves that you don't have to spend a fortune to have a gorgeous house.

here are two beautiful interiors with items from one of my favorite budget sources, ikea.

first up, actress lake bell's office, which features the besta burs desk.

(i am pretty sure that the other desk is a worksurface with ikea adils legs)

next up, guiliana and bill rancics nursery for son duke:

do you see what i see?

yep. that's the expedit bookcase in high gloss gray!

to see more pictures of guliana and bills home, click here.

to see more pictures of lake bells home, click here.

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dressing up a frame with metal L brackets

Posted by dasfseegdse Rabu, 02 Oktober 2013 0 komentar

this is a fun and very easy project that anyone can tackle!

*since this print was vintage, and was odd sized, i chose to use a floating glass frame to see some more idea son how to frame odd size art, click here.

here is what you will need:

1. your picture frame. one with square edges will work best for this project.

2. metal "L" brackets, available from any department store.

3. screws. make sure to get ones that wont go through your frame!

4. a drill or screwdriver. i did this with a manual screwdriver, and it was a bit of a pain. (if i did it again, i would pre-drill all of the holes and use the electric screwdriver to install the screws.)

a close up look at the screws and L brackets is use. the L brackets come in several lengths and widths, so if you can, being your frame with you to the store to see which one will work best with your frame.

as you can see, the brackets came with screws, but they were too long, so i purchased some short ones.

all you have to do is to line up the L brackets with the edges of your frame and attach it with screws!

i wanted a more industrial, masculine look, and so i kept the brackets and the screws steel, but they could also be painted gold or brass for more of a campaign-style look.

i like the additional touch of metal that this easy project adds to this masculine bathroom!

(i purchased my frames at michaels crafts store. the screws and L brackets are from lowes.)

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grady's bathroom reveal + source list

Posted by dasfseegdse Senin, 30 September 2013 0 komentar

finally, a look at grady's finished bathroom, with photographs by the very talented (and funny and chic) sara boulter.

sources:

flooring: 12 x 24 black montauk slate purchased locally from modern tile

shower tile: dal tile 2 x 4 from home depot

wall color: cumulus cloud, benjamin moore

countertop: absolute black granite

pendants: joss + main (purchased about a year ago)

vanity: logan vanity, restoration hardware (discontinued)

mirror: tj maxx homegoods

polished nickel toilet tissue holder: ebay

moving buffalo print: print collection

vintage buffalo lithograph: ebay

jado faucet: ebay

wire baskets: target

shower curtains: marshalls (similar)

towel holder: vintage, ebay

wood stool: tj maxx homegoods

cork map: custom made by sweet pickle designs

pit stop sign: made by me

happy monday!

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Create Tone and Atmosphere through Lighting (a guest post)

Posted by dasfseegdse Sabtu, 28 September 2013 0 komentar

You will find that when most people begin to decorate a room in the homes there is always one important element that they overlook and only address towards the end, but really it should be thought about right from the beginning. This is not the floor, wallpaper or furniture, it is the lighting. Lighting is hugely important in every single room in the house, and when done right it can make any room like bright, welcoming and attractive. Lighting also has the ability to create tone and atmosphere, so it can also be used as part of the interior design style that you are using in your home.

Whether you are going for an ultra modern look or more of a traditional interior design style you will be able to add to this through the use of light, and it should play a large feature in your design plans for each room. It can be used to highlight certain items in a room like some artwork or the furniture, it can also be used to keep some areas darker for a blend of light and dark in one space, and as well as this the type of light can be used as decoration too. For example you can get some beautiful chrome ceiling pendants that can really add some style, and when this is in tune with the furniture and decoration you have in a room it can really look very smart and professional.

Getting it Right

If you have ever walked into a lounge or similar room in someone’s home before and taken note of how they have used light, then you may also have noticed that they have used a few different lighting sources to get this effect. This could be a combination of ceiling lights, decorative lamps, spotlights, wall brackets amongst other types. Of course you do not want too many different sources omitting different types of light, as this would make the room too bright and uncomfortable to be in, so you are best off with just a few different sources, and use them to highlight certain areas in the room. It can be difficult to get right, but with a bit of pre planning and experimentation you should be able to use lighting as part of your interior design style and create atmosphere and tone with it.

You will want to find the most stylish and widest range of light types, and this is why it is worthwhile visiting a lighting specialist, such as Scotlight Direct. It is remarkable the difference that good lighting can have on a room, so make sure that you use this tip to your advantage when decorating your home.

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design plan + new light for my teeny, tiny vestibule

Posted by dasfseegdse Jumat, 27 September 2013 0 komentar

there are a few small, (even teeny, tiny) spaces in my new house.
often, spaces like this are overlooked and larger spaces are decorated first. since i am trying to stretch my budget, and the larger rooms in my house will require a lot more "monetary attention", i am tackling those smaller spaces first.

the first tiny area i will be working on is a vestibule that separates the entry and great room from the master bedroom and powder room. it is about 4 feet wide and 5 feet long.

as you can see, i have already put my super slim console table and oly knockoff mirror here. (i have owned both of these pieces for over 10 years!)
i adore having the table in this spot---it makes the space feel more like a ROOM!
we will one day add some pretty leaded glass to the transoms...one day.

one of the challenges of this space is the number of utilitarian items that need to be minimized.
-light switch
-thermostat (we bought the nest and we LOVE it. i will write a post on it soon!)
-doorbell. ugh. they had it placed on the entry wall originally, and i freaked out they moved it to here...better there than right when you walk in, but STILL, not fun to decorate around.
-smoke detector

at first, i wanted the walls to be really dark---black, even.
i want this little space to feel very different from both the powder room and the main living area.
however, the more i looked at the space the more i realized that unless i painted all of the door casings the same color as the wall, i would not get the look i was hoping for---it would have felt very chopped up, since there are 3 doorways in this teeny, tiny space.

so then i started thinking that i should go a little lighter on the walls, but add some texture.
here are my thoughts:
*add texture and interest with a fabulous wallpaper. this is such a small space, that it wouldn't cost very much.
*add some drama with the lighting. right now, i have an $8 fixture up there that i grabbed from lowes when we were building the house. i didn't want a "look at me!" type light, just something that will give some directional lighting, and create more of a gallery feel.
*get the dark, intimate feel of the black i originally wanted on the walls by painting the ceiling dark.

here is the plan for the space:

i was contacted by lamps.com and asked to do a product review of a light fixture. i was super excited to select this little spot light for the ceiling:

wac lighting 826 low voltagesurface mount spotlight.
(it is also available in white and brushed nickel!)

it will add a pretty, soft pool of light on the wall, and will blend in perfectly with the black ceiling.
i am excited to see my vision come to life!

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