Trash to Treasure

I have to confess, I'm horrible at keeping up with my blog. I love it once I'm in it, but out of sight, out of mind.  I get bogged down with homework and the daily grind so quickly.  But thankfully this semester is winding down like a roller-coaster slamming to a halt.  It's been a whirlwind like all other semesters, but spring semesters bring out all of the fun community- enhancing competitions between the design schools.  
Unfortunately  I had some unforeseen setbacks like no others that, for the most part, kept me out of the fun.  
In March I caught a cold that turned into pneumonia for 18 days, and most recently a newer cold that has turned into a sinus infection.  This sort of thing makes it even more challenging to keep up with school work that knows no break. 
Getting sick is so not like me.  I'm NEVER sick.  I don't take sitting and relaxing very well.  I'm always on overdrive and it's been tough learning to chill out a bit.  So not my style.
One of  the toughest blows was when I was part of a team of interior design students from our school that competes against three other design schools every year in our community with the Salvation Army's Noah's ARC project and I had to bail when I got pneumonia.  
I was really looking forward to the fun of the hunt for hidden treasure in the piles of discarded furniture and accessories.  
Now the good part: My team mates did an amazing job of carrying on with the process while I could only help a little from afar and a little later on in the design process as it continued.  They finished up on May 5th with a bang and I'm posting a few photos here to show off the finished product.  The theme was "Retro Modern", and the items they found to repurpose and bring back to life could not have been more perfect for their dining room space.  It's a fun spin on Mid-Century style, with a real obvious current feel with the generous use of white against the gray.  Love it all!!
The wall application is made of strips of corrugated wood set in a staggered pattern for a really eye-catching design, especially with the spot-lights from the floor highlighting it.  You can do this at home very easily with a nail gun and finishing nails. The wood can be found at your local big-box hardware store in the lumber/roofing material section.
So without further ado here are the photos:

The left-overs from last years display

This box was part of a larger set of modular furniture.
Just add a clothing rack for legs and you
 have a credenza/bar.

Pendant over table is a Chinese paper lantern
covered with coffee filters.
A battery-operated LED light
was used inside. 

Here's a good angle of the wall application to show
off the texture with the can lights hitting it.

The nesting tables on the bottom right corner and the
vintage Danish dining chairs were kept in their original
finish so as not to disrupt the integrity.

The floor lamp casts great shadows on the wall
for added fun.

Painted golf balls give new life to
this old clock

Some wooden boxes were made for
extra storage for this old metal
shelving unit 

Blanca, one of the team members painted
this great piece

This nesting table set is perfect for
this space and the vintage lamp shade
 could not have been a more perfect find 

It was a toss up as to which item stole the most attention.
Was it the wall application or this amazing piece that
was painted white?

And their board with some of the before and
after photos of a few of the items that
were used to create this amazing masterpiece

Saying "Goodbye" to Friends is Hard

Denise, Me, Aly, Kimi - Our Birthday Club

I'm sad today - Just said one more, the last in a series of 'several', "goodbyes" to a close friend who is moving to the opposite side of the country.  It's been in the works for several months now - Her oldest just graduated high school and is going to college back east, her hubby got that perfect company transfer and they are moving to a beautiful neighborhood where their youngest will make great new friends for middle school.  It all sounds so perfect... but for those of us that remain, our hearts will be longing for a visit, a cup of coffee, a walk on the beach, words of God-filled wisdom, or a hike in the local canyon with our beautiful Denise, (with the million dollar smile), that is moving far away.  Much love and happy tears are mixed with sad tears too.  At least we will have a place to crash if we want to visit the east coast, but it all seems so strange.  Love you Beautiful Friend ❤ We'll see you soon... Big, Big Hugs!!!

Soft colors of the sea

I'm loving the soft, easy feeling that these rooms are 

delivering for summer.

These photos from June 2011 issue of 

Traditional Home

Fresh and cozy with soft pastels

A beautiful little French Country desk for 

your summer love-letter writing

The perfect reading chair with all the 

look and feel of "Ahhhhh"

Summer is here

There is nothing more inviting than the look, feel, and sounds of the beach to make one feel refreshed and alive.  I'm feeling so grateful for the wonderful time I had over Father's day with the visit of my dad and stepmom.  They made a long trip from Idaho and we had a wonderful visit - good memories to last a lifetime.

Lighting is key to great design

After a semester long lighting class I've learned some very important information on good lighting design... expanding on what I knew was key in good over all design.  Nothing can be more irritating than the lack of proper lighting - especially if one is trying to do homework... but that's another story.  Lighting can be functional, beautiful, add drama, ambiance, and highlight beautiful art, architecture, and/or landscaping.  A good lighting designer knows this and can be invaluable when you are trying to make the most of your lighting efforts.  California has very strict lighting codes for energy efficiency, called Title 24, and any remodel in the kitchen or bathroom, as well as new construction, will have to follow these new guidelines by making sure that 50% of the lighting in the kitchen and bath are with fluorescent or LED lighting or a combo of each.  And don't be confused with the simple task of switching out a few incandescent bulbs with fluorescent - that won't fly.  Anything "hard-wired" must meet these strict codes, especially in CA.  The best lighting designs offer a three-layer effect on lighting sources in most spaces.  Using ambient lighting as your general lighting, task lighting where needed, and a few strategically placed mood or accent lighting for aesthetics or low wattage when bright light may not be necessary. 
There is a formula to use that gives a guideline of necessary wattage per square foot depending upon the usage of the space. If you can use motion sensors in the bathroom and kitchen....- do.  So often a bathroom  or kitchen light gets left on all day long after everyone has left for their daily destinations...wasting a lot of money and energy.  Many fluorescent lamps (bulbs), now are available with dimmers- when at all possible use dimmers in any/ all applications. The debate is strong that even an incandescent bulb used with dimmers often can save a lot more $$ over time, then, in most cases, the lower watt fluorescent bulbs.  Don't forget, anything with low voltage will have to be on separate wiring/switching from the main incandescent lighting.  Try to take advantage of natural lighting as much as possible.
So with that said, happy decorating, and have a bright, happy,  and well lit day.

Long-live crystals 

Nice Mid-Century appeal with

a glamours side.

Notice that these pendants are good for 

an over all general lighting effect. Combined

with good recessed lighting one hardly has

an excuse to not prepare a great meal. ;-)

This pendant, being solid metal all around will be 

perfect for a more directed task lighting without light 

going all over. It's beam spread is straight down.

A pendant lamp with glass all around will give direct 

and indirect lighting that is perfect for the kitchen

food prep area as well as a good over all lighting

effect around.

This amazing bathroom

is using a beautiful mix of lighting. 

Cove in the ceiling for ambient lighting, 

recessed cans for task and some great spots on

the sink area as well. This looks  like a beautiful 

spa to visit... and hang out for a long time.

Use natural lighting as much as possible. 

Not only is it beautiful but 

energy efficient too.

This bathroom is so beautiful I just had to add it to the mix.

This bathroom uses fluorescent lit mirrors for function and an under lit stone counter for a beautiful accent. Recessed cans reflecting off of the wall for added ambient lighting.

Traditionally Modern

I keep saying that I'm a traditional girl and then I run into some great modern piece that I love.  Take this sofa for example - the oversized ottoman can swing to either side of the sofa for an optional L shape to fit 

your space.  This is called the bisectional - although, once again, I could not find the site beyond the image from another blogger.  I've seen this style several times, in slightly different fabrics or variations of the main style.  It just never gets old.  I love the real mid-century feel of it too.  Very nice - and any color on grey pops with a real nice touch.

My Thomas Moser Experience

I have to share a fun experience that I had this week - I met Thomas Moser in his, beautifully rustic, loft-influenced showroom in Culver City.  

My good friend Mark Griffin was receiving an industry award for introducing a new product to the Moser collection.  Mark designed a baby crib that the judges all loved.  Stay tuned to see if it's going to be incorporated. 

If you have no clue as to who Thomas Moser is, let me be the first to introduce you. He has been building some of the most beautifully, hand crafted, American made furniture for 36 years in their Maine workshops. 

It's a family run business that prides itself on reviving the art of fine woodworking. “Solid wood furniture, crafted by hand, made to last a lifetime.”  And if you could see and feel the furniture yourself I guarantee you will fall in love as I did.

It's one thing to see the beautiful photos in his book and catalogues, it's a whole other experience to feel the silkiness of the wood and see the stunning craftsmanship up close.

The cherry dining tables are so amazing; the color and luster seem too perfect to be real. They are sanded to perfection, in fact, so smooth that it's hard to believe that the furniture is functional.  Each piece is a work of art.  Thomas Moser furniture is heirloom quality that will be passed down for many generations.

The photo above is a great example of some newer lounge pieces that play off the timeless “Barcelona” chair.   They have a nice range of styles to choose from.  If you love mid-century modern, then you will love to peak here too. 

If you are wondering at all what his personality is like - very charming and down-to-earth. It was a very memorable evening.

 To see more, thomasmoser.com.

I LOVE EVERYTHING about this barn conversion - so beautiful!

This is my kind of "country"!


The floors are amazing - love the crisp white walls with the natural, rustic beams and stone wall fireplace.


To see more photos to drool over go to the site -
http:/http://homedesigndecorate.com/modern-house-design-from-barn/

True Artist! Who knew lighting could be so beautifully wild?

Newest fascination - Dale Chihuly chandeliers and glass art - His work is all over the world in museums, hotels and private homes.  If you've been to the Bellagio in Vegas you've seen his work - The big multi-colored ceiling that is back-lit. Breathtaking!  Talk about a "statement piece" - Sheesh!!

Blue, White and Crisp for Spring

I love this fresh look from Ralph Lauren Home.  It's so crisp and just the right amount of blue.  The dark wood tones are such a beautiful contrast too.  I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do.

Hummm...thinking that just a sprinkle of a warm red would be a perfect touch!

Spring is here

Love the new outdoor collections from Restoration Hardware. Really gets me in the mood to get outside and visit with friends. This "Spartan" sofa/bed, would go perfectly with a handsome pool boy, with a large fan and some freshly peeled grapes too ;-)

It's very late and STILL raining

Im building an ark - This rain is in sane... So glad that Dante got home safe late tonight from Utah ski trip.  Just a little sad that they had to come home early because the weather was so crazy.  He wanted to ski more.  I'm super happy that he is home safe and sound.  Mammoth on the other hand has had record snow fall the past few days - the whole time the other half of my family have been up there.  They have spent many more hours of shoveling snow than skiing in it.  Today, however was a better day and they were able to ski.  I'll be glad when everyone is home safe.
Time flies - I didn't finish all that I was hoping to get done before the boys all returned home.  So I guess now that Santa will be pulling a couple of all-nighters to get the job done.

Here's a nice Mammoth shot of our suburban and another under 6ft of snow.  If I didn't mention these were suburbans, one could easily think these are mini-coopers.  That's is some serious snow!

Rain? In So Cal? Again?...

Rain again today - T'is the season I guess. Finals week is over for me and I'm breathing a big sigh of relief; Son #1, (16 years old), is off to Utah on a big group ski trip, leaving bright and early in the morning on a 12 hour bus ride.  My face is smiling and happy for him to have this chance to venture out on a real trip away from home and family.  But my heart is beating a little faster because it's a real trip, far away... without the family.  Son # 2, (13 years old), is off to Mammoth for a few days with his two best friends.  Luckily hubby took them, and at least one of us are with him and his friends.  Me?  Well, let's just say I'm just a bit happy to have some down time to recoup, clean and organize while they are gone.  I will miss skiing with them, but we can go local together for a day or so -  I've said my prayers - It's all good.

Give me a canvas...

So much to do, so little time...So many colors, not enough walls...
Med Spa in Santa Monica that I helped with.
www.youniquecosmeticsurgery.com