Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Nursery Reveal: Ben & Gus's Excellent Adventure

Sometime last June, my bestie Eleanor Rodway let me know that she was expecting. . .not one, but two (more) baby boys. After I picked my jaw off the floor, we got straight to work designing the nursery of her dreams. 




OUR ORIGINAL DESIGN BOARD




From the original design board, we kept the Crate & Barrel glider which was recycled from Big Brother Max's room.  Eleanor and I searched and searched for the perfect rug and finally found it at shades of light. Originally we had hoped to get the IKEA Hektar pendant to work but the ceiling height was just a tad bit low and the fixture just a bit to large for super tall Dad to walk under. We re-grouped and found this tin fixture at at Shades of Light.  We were able to keep the look and use the Hektar standing lamp over the glider. It workes perfectly! Eleanor's father added the wooden blanket ladder, a hand made addition to the nursery built on love. 




Over Ben's crib hangs a North American Map (Super Dad Jamie is from Canada) and was sourced locally at the Map Shop on Moorehead St in Charlotte, NC. Eleanor's father built the reclaimed wood frames for both the boys maps.  The airplane mobiles pay homage to our great state of North Carolina. . . .obviously!!




We layered black-out bamboo roman shades with recycled cornice boards (a total score) that we recovered in a earthy moss linen fabric. The room has shaded light, so the walls originally intended to be a Benjamin Moore's Winter Green were changed to a custom blended (Eastway Paint) lighter shade of Benjamin Moore's Harbor Gray. Eleanor's mom found the herringbone fabric at Mary Jo's in Gastonia,  and made the twins bed skirts, just for them.



Eleanor found the monogram letters (her own stylish intuition) on esty.com and hung them on the corresponding cribs. The awesomeness is ridiculous. . .period.



Eleanor and Jamie's builder Todd Albee had a few (GREAT) ideas of his own and built the reclaimed wooden hanging shelves. The rustic wood adds the perfect element of "boy" to the room. I wish I had a better picture of the suspension shelving, but I promise more on that later.

The adorable animal heads were a baby gift from "me to them" and are available in many varieties at my favorite shop on the corner Home With Heart.  We styled them on the shelves but the intended location is just above the cribs on the wall. They are "two of a kind". . .of course. . .

Ben and Gus's Excellent Adventure continues, well at least I am betting on a sequel. A big boy sequel, in three to five years!




Sunday, January 11, 2015

Get MINTed: Curate Gallery Walls with Indy Art




As always, when  does something, they do it with the perfection and creativity that individualists like you and me have come to expect. The company's mission is clear:

"Our purpose in life is to uncover exceptional design from all over the world and bring this to savvy consumers who won't accept anything else."

Made famous by it's stationary (Can you do holiday cards any other way?), the company has expanded it's horizons to include art and home decor. My new favorite? The art prints by indy artists from everywhere. . . 
Award Winning, Charlotte, NC based artist Glenn Carroll

to  


Professional Artist and Moscow, RU based 



If you follow my blog and/or on Pinterest, then you know I have an unhealthy obsession with gallery walls.  Though, in today's world of instant gratification, achieving the highly desirable gallery wall can be both expensive and time consuming. 

Never fear,  has heard our cries and are here to help. Without leaving our laptops and furry slippers, we can now collect original art, in a multitude of sizes and frames, and build the curated gallery of our "pinterest" dreams.

Follow online tips at
 or search my Pinterest boards for helpful tips on where to start. 

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Dust off old prints, water colors and oils sitting in your basement's and attics. Don't worry about the old frames, paint them or leave them for character.

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Build a color pallet like mine with  mineral art from San Francisco, CA based artist 
Available in sizes from 8" x 8" to 44" x 44" with framed prices starting at $42

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Need a large piece or a place to start? Make a statement with Rusty Patina, acrylic on canvas, by Artsy Canvas Girl Designs.  

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Get tribal, with an African Gazelle Art Print by Natalie Groves. I like it in 18" x 24" framed in reclaimed wood. 
$207 with the frame, or do it yourself and scoop it up for $87.

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Say Something Subtle with a You & Me tiny print by Paper Rose.  
I would do it in a 8" x 8" framed in distressed indigo for $42.

Start your collection or just have fun with