I love where the Founding Editor, Janell is taking the magazine and how she is producing an approachable yet beautiful publication. Hey Janell, if you are reading, how about showing Courtney Out Loud a little House of Fifty love!

Speaking of love, have you seen Kim Myles new blog? I am loving that girlfriend now has a blog design that is just as much fun and exciting as I assume her to be….

Kim is a bit of an inspiration to me as she found design a little later in her career and the success it brought but from reading her blog, has found a way to balance her work with her life. If you have ever tried to design someone else’s living space, fitting in time for your own life is a difficult task, so I applaud her ability to balance. And I also like her hair……shallow but I have liked people for less, so throw me a bone.

But in a chance encounter of pure serendipity on your part, if you read House of Fifty, you will also get to read Kim’s monthly column, Heart of Design where she discusses a variety of different design dilemmas but from what I consider to be a refreshing stance.

So kudos to House of Fifty and Kim Myles on this last Friday of January. And to those of you who I have not convinced to swing by check them out, (in my best Mr. T voice) – SUCKA I PITY THE FOOL YOU AIN’T READIN’ HOUSE OF FIFTY OR KIM MYLES.

Okay I am off to shop for flowers for a Mad Men inspired party I am helping a client throw on Saturday. Have a great weekend!

Check me out on Facebook and Pinterest as well as Twitter.

I am excited that Alycia finally agreed to participate in my Guest Vignette series where I ask fellow bloggers to photograph a vignette in their home and explain why it is meaningful to them.  Here is Alycia’s contribution…..

The whole retirement thing is nothing but a big scam! When I hung up my wedding design [business] hat two years ago, everyone led me to believe I would be able to sleep in and then enjoy long, leisurely lunches with my friends. They said I would be eager to learn something new like tennis or Israeli martial arts to work those lunches off before heading to meet still more friends for martinis. They said I would be able to spend more time with my husband and become the glamorous, trendsetting lady of leisure I used to be. Lies! All lies! My so-called “retirement” has been more work than running a design store ever was! I get up earlier, go to bed later, and the time in between is a whirlwind of activity. Lunch is usually scarfing down a sandwich in my sweats while folding clothes. I see my husband for about 10 minutes in the morning before he scoots out the door, and another hour at night before we both fall into bed exhausted. There is no tennis court in my future, and martinis are more like…well, to be honest…just swallowing a handful of olives and taking a swig right out of the bottle because I don’t have time to stand there and shake.

This vignette is a corner of our little library that offers 10 minutes of solace each afternoon.   I fix myself a cup of tea or coffee and just sit there. (OK, you got me…it’s brandy in the cup!) I may stare out the window plotting my escape from suburbia.   I may catch up on my correspondence (uh, yes…some people still write letters despite the advent of email!), or I may just swoon to the strains of Frank Sinatra and Engelbert Humperdinck. (Hush! I like Engelbert!) What makes this corner my favorite place is that I am surrounded by memories of family members from generations past. To my right is the violin played by my maternal Grandmother in the 1920s, then my mother, my first cousin, and finally my second cousin who is now in his 30s. The strings are fragile with several missing and the bow is worn, but I love it. On the wall to the left of the desk is a portrait of my paternal Grandmother as a child at the turn of the last century. Next to that are the high school diplomas earned by my paternal Grandfather and Grandmother in 1912 and 1916 respectively. Living in rural America as they did, earning a high school diploma was something of a big deal back then. Judging by the size of those bad boys, it must have been like winning the lottery! My Grandmother actually went on to earn her college degree which was a real coup in those days!

I am grateful for all that I am and all that I have in this life. To be able to sit for 10 glorious minutes each day to enjoy my retirement surrounded by mementos from those who came before me is a blessing.

Indeed Alycia, you truly are blessed!  I love that Alycia has been able to carve out a niche in her home filled with personal antiques that serves as a restful retreat.  Thank you Alycia for sharing!

Do you have a special place in your home that is your “zen corner”?  Drop a comment and tell me where those cozy corners are in your home.

Check me out on Facebook and Pinterest as well as Twitter.

Speaking of details, in their living room, they have a beautiful credenza they found for a song .  The piece will eventually house their turn table and record collection once we slightly modify it.  One of the standout aspects of the piece is the beautiful brass detailing but somewhere along the way, the original handles to the drawers were “lost” and replaced with pretty heinous silver knobs.  Normally I am all about mixing metal finishes but in this case, not so much.

So I am on the look out for brass fixtures to replace the existing silver ones.  With the explosion of mid century “love” that has been happening as of late, one would think the market would be bursting with brass hardware just waiting for a  piece of furniture to call home.  Surprisingly, not so much.  To be blunt, a lot of the brass hardware looks like it has time traveled from the 1980s to wreck havoc on my design.  Knowing that custom hardware is not in the budget, I plowed through hardware catalogs, internet stores and  spent a good deal of time on good ol’ Pinterest to find 5 mass produced options that may work:

Source: 1 / 2/ 3 / 4/ 5

I am leaning towards Number 3 or Number 2.  I am still not sure how Number 4 ended up in the mix but it has it’s merits.  I like Number 5 but think it may be too “Asian” for the credenza.  Number 1 feels a tad too bulbous and may not play well with my idea of a clean lined room.

And if you were wondering, yes I give an inordinate amount of thought to these types of details.  I may explain why I wake up at night and yell out things like “Plaster Frette Work Ceiling!” or lie awake wondering if the champagne colored wallpaper I am installing in a room reads “Dom or Miller Genuine Draft”…..

So do you have a favorite of the 5 options?  Leave  comment and let me know!

Check me out on Facebook and Pinterest as well as Twitter.

It is raining cats and dogs here in the Bay Area, driving me to do nothing but lounge in bed, sip tea and read design magazines…… NOT!  Sadly, even with all the rain, I have been running about for clients.  This weekend, I presented a series of design boards for a new client’s master bedroom.  They are a fun couple who I love working with; their attitude has been “push the boundaries and let’s see where the design can go…”  Honestly as a budding designer, there are no sweeter words to my ears…..well aside from “unlimited budget”.

In any case, one of the items that I presented to them as the Alpine Bed by LA-based furniture company Modernica:

Made of only 8 piece of wood, the Alpine Bed is the epitome of minimalist chic.  It is sculptural in form and has almost tactile quality to it….I literally just want to rub my hands along the curved wood.  It’s masculine without being too modern and modern without being austere.  If you can’t tell, I am sorta in love with this bed.

While the bed is stunning, after discussing other aspects of the room’s design with the client, we eventually opted not to go with it.  However, I have a VERY strong feeling that this bed will end up in one of other designs in the near future.

So how did you spend your weekend?  Lounge in bed, knock out some chores or watch the 49ers lose (sorry I had to throw in a little SF/Bay pride)?

Check me out on Facebook and Pinterest as well as Twitter.

I’m torn.  Been dreaming of a new bed & the metal Rings one would be perfect! BUT I also need a chair for my desk so I can sew, that ottoman is getting old. The gift card would be great to go towards either of these.

Honestly I could use the gift card on anything. Just a bit of retail therapy in Pier One would be bliss right about now & anything I can get there would brighten up my world.

Thanks for doing this.

Allison, check your inbox for an email about further steps.  Thank you to everyone who entered and check back in February for an equally awesome give away!

So last Saturday I went decide to spend the day at Clars Auction House in Oakland, CA.  The auction is the one of the few auction houses in Oakland and the only one to hold regular monthly sales.  If you have never been to an auction, the premise is simple…….

1.  You arrive ass early, sit around and wait for what seems like forever until the lot you want to bid on is up
2.  You frantically wave your bid panel in the air to purchase said lot, all the while trying to mad dog the fat dude with a beanie on who keeps outbidding you.
3. Should you win your lot, you pay pretty much a 20% auction surcharge for the privilege of buying someone else’s curated cast-offs….
4. You fight off remorse and start process over again.

Okay, it wasn’t that bad but there was a fat dude in a beanie with an awful case of dry scalp who kept swooping up with last second bids.  I, however, stood strong on three lots and were able to snag them –one for a song and the other for a ransom.

I ended up purchasing four things, two African masks/figurines, a Chinese calligraphy brush and a 1960s silkscreen.  So working backwards, the 1960s silkscreen is a present to a friend that I was able to score for $20.  Unfortunately, they read the blog and I want it to be a surprise when I present it to her.  And yes, I know I mentioned the price of her present on here which may seem gauche but she knows I am a cheap skate…..

The other pieces may go to clients or may take up permanent residence in my house.  However, if the pieces did find sanctuary in my living room, I would not mind one single bit…….

The carving is West African in origin and is believed to be a Mali antelope sculpture.  It is actually quite large at about 2.5 feet.  There is some damage to the antlers and a crack in the frame, but nothing that can’t be repaired in due time.  I was $100 due to the damage.  The calligraphy brush has a stone handle and is thought to be turn of the century.  I thought it was a steal at $20 also.

However, the thing I was most excited to win at auction was this mask:

It has been confirmed to be a Bamana ceremonial mask.  What looks to be a broken horn at top actually would have held feathers and shells.  Unfortunately, they don’t know what ritual(s) the mask would have been used for, but it is an amazing piece especially considering it was carved from stone.  I also think that its price tag of $125 was a steal for the quality of the piece.  I am absolutely in love with it and I think the client will be too (sadly).

It’s a bit of an occupational hazard that I get to go shopping for clients and end up wanting it all for myself.   So have you ever been to an auction?  If so, did you buy anything?  Leave a comment and tell me!

Check me out on Facebook and Pinterest as well as Twitter.

I will be featured in their upcoming February issue under their “Blog Loving” segment.  I am super excited to share my list that I am currently loving, lusting and lingering over.

I know I sound like a broken record at this point but I feel extremely blessed that 2012 has started off so wonderfully between the design projects, school and now the magazine feature.  I am still pinching myself to make sure it is all happening…….

Okay now back to pulling together looks for the “Hawthorne Lane” project — a condo in San Francisco I am working on from the ground up……

And no I wasn’t joking when I said from the “ground up”……. from the floors to the ceiling, this baby is all mine.  The kitchen is  installed and the floors should be laid shortly.  It’s all exciting and scary for me so I can only imagine what the home owners must be feeling!

So if you excuse me, I have some sconces to go pick out.  And I have not forgotten, I will be announcing the winner of the Pier 1 Gift Card tomorrow.

Check me out on Facebook and Pinterest as well as Twitter.

For example, I was happily researching kitchen flooring for a client when the following train of thoughts occurred…..

It is chilly in the house today.  I should put on my sweater.  Whatever happened to that sweater you bought in high school from Hudson’s?  It’s sad that Hudson’s Department Stores went out of business like the Woolworth’s in downtown Detroit.  I love penny candy.  I would kill for some sour cherry gummies right now.  Damn, I have a dentist appointment on Wednesday.  I hate the striped smock she always wears…it’s like Rainbow Brite became a dental hygienist.  Heee heee.  Rainbow Brite was an odd cartoon.  But it would be sorta cool to do a kid’s room ala Rainbow Brite.  I wonder if there is striped rainbow bedding.  Let me do a Google search……

A few short minutes later, I was looking longingly at the Hudson Bay Point woolen blanket…….

I am infatuated with this blanket……the colors are amazing and all I want to do now is completely redecorate my guest room so I can buy this blanket.  If I was crazy enough to redesign my guest room, the pics below are the perfect inspiration for the feel I want to evoke….imagine New England prep with a hippy undertow.

And there you have it……you have glimpsed a bit of my design crazy and now understand why I buy very odd things late at night.  Speaking of, did I ever tell you about the time I bought a rabbit online…..maybe I will save it for another day.

But I am going to tell you that you have until midnight (PST) to enter the Pier 1 $50 Give Away!  There is still time to enter!!!

So are you like me and let your mind wander or are you much more regimented?  Leave a comment and tell me how you think!

Check me out on Facebook and Pinterest as well as Twitter.

Teen 1: Dude, I gotta go home and catch up on my Chem homework.

Teen 2: Stupid, we don’t have class tomorrow.  You can do it later.

Teen 1: Sweet.  Is it a teacher work day tomorrow or something?

Teen 2:  I don’t know.  I just know we don’t have class.

Overhearing this conversation, I got angry.  Actually I think the term “furious” is more appropriate.  Then I instantly got sad because those two boys have no idea what today means.  Yes, today is a “day off” but it is so much more than that.  It is a day of reflection on the struggles of all disenfranchised people.  It is a day of remembrance of one man who led a movement that directly impacted an entire race.  It is a day of observance and respect to Dr. King, his hopes, dreams and legacy.

So today, there are no pretty pictures.  No snippy comments.  No witty banter.  Just a heavy heart knowing that somewhere along the way, Dr. King’s message is not being paid forward to the next generation.

I am super excited to work with Thomas on creating a television console for the mid-century modern project I am working on in the Oakland Hills.  The piece promises to be a true show-stopper and I can’t wait to show you guys the final design when completed.

So if money was no object, what custom piece of furniture would you have made for your home?  For me, it would definitely be custom nightstands to fit our wonky shaped attic master suite.  Leave me a comment and tell me yours…..

And don’t forget to enter the Pier 1 $50 Gift Card Give Away!

Check me out on Facebook and Pinterest as well as Twitter.

Okay now that is out of the way, I wanted to take a moment to reintroduce an on-going series for the blog called “Guest Vignette” where I am asking various bloggers to showcase vignettes in their own home and explain why they are meaningful.  While the series is a fun way to get a snapshot into different bloggers’ design styles, it also is a great reminder that a home is all about how you personalize it - without personal objects in the space, it’s a house.  It’s all about how you layer in those personal things that makes it a home.

I am tickled to have Holly of Adventures of an Almost 40 Year Old Intern  as my guest today.  Like myself, Holly found her calling in life a tad later than most but she has made up for it with a vengeance.  She enrolled herself in design school, promptly scoring a sweet internship in Los Angeles.  If that wasn’t enough her mad DIY skills have grabbed the attention of Nate Berkus (she was on the show too!), Design*Sponge, Apartment Therapy and a slew of other design heavyweights.  Today Holly is sharing a vignette in her Los Angeles living room…..

 

Well, I love this vignette because it incorporates so much of what I love…  A great piece of vintage furniture, a cool graphic printed fabric, fresh orchid, and quirky artwork that is meaningful to me.  For the last year I have been bloggin’ about starting over as an intern and pursuing a career in interior design and this vignette is the first project I did in the quest to revamp my apartment right before I made that big decision. I was obsessed with artwork collage walls, saw many done on HGTV and in my favorite design magazines,  and I wasn’t sure I had it in me to create one of my own. And then one Saturday I just spent the day planning it out on my living room floor and nailing it to the wall. I have been lucky enough to travel to a lot of cool places in the world and have collected random pieces of artwork on these travels and never got around to properly displaying them. So now my groovy vintage fan purchased at a market in Buenos Aires, pieces from a couple of artists in Prague, a photo taken by a really cute guy in India, and a pic of my little nephew with his bright red hair, among other pieces, all live in the same place! And it was the success of this vignette that helped me gain the courage to try my hand at interior design and make the crazy decision to work for free to get experience. Oh, and the groovy original Bertoia chair in this vignette??? Well, it is one of my very first super fabulous vintage finds! I paid $150 dollars for this beauty (and a matching one) 21 years ago at a vintage store in Ann Arbor, Michigan. That was such a huge amount of money to me at the time (I was 19 years old), and way before I understood the value of a great investment piece!

Don’t you love how Holly’s collage wall is more than just a fun way to hang art?  I like that the wall chronicles her adventures in life and can only imagine the conversations between her friends that the collage has sparked.  Thank you Holly for sharing!

You can check out other Guest Vignettes, here and here.  Be sure to also check me out on Facebook and Pinterest as well as Twitter.

Don’t forget to enter the Pier 1 Give Away for your chance to win a $50 gift card!