Saturday I had an appointment in a foreclosure property my client is buying. I am very excited for Stephanie to begin this new stage of her life. There is a lot of work ahead, but hard work is REWARDING.
The incredible price on the home way out weighs the needed improvements. New flooring, lots of bleach and many gallons of paint will wash over all the filth.
Still…
I can’t enter this place without considering the larger picture. Much has been written about the reasons for the housing market collapse. And if we have even hit bottom. From Friday’s Washington Business Journal:
Prince William County had more sales in September than any other September on record, but even with an uptick in sales, the inventory of bank-owned property is not shrinking rapidly. At the end of September, Dale City’s bank-owned properties stood at 716, down just 32 — 4 percent — from August.
This home illustrates the foreclosure dichotomy for me. The left-behind furniture and the surrounding grime are blinding testaments to crashed dreams. At the same time, the energy of ideas (and a new color palette) points to a new and happier future now made affordable. Were the former dreams unrealistic? Are Americans with our ideals and dreams especially susceptible to the greed of others?
Upholstered, armless, low to the ground chairs are called Slipper Chairs. Once common in the bedroom, I imagine the name came from its function–that being a place to sit and put on your slippers in the morning.
Today they are used everywhere, and are available just about everywhere. The current sleeker aesthetic has made them a popular choice and Pier 1 has done a bang up job putting their twist on them. New to the stores are a cash and carry collection, upholstered beautifully and coordinately. A few have arms, but all are nearly the same size.
Her excitement made JoDee’s text to me jump out of my phone when she found these yesterday. We had already considered using a collection of different chairs, placed in a circle, in her Living Room. These chairs will be perfect and MUCH CHEAPER. They can used to encircle a chandelier, which can now be added due to the significant savings in our budget.
Here are the ones we chose. There are more!
You know how sometimes you notice something unusual to your daily life, and immediately afterward you notice that same thing again and again? (Mothers can relate to this. You become pregnant and start to see pregnant women everywhere.)
I noticed in last week’s House Calls in the Washington Post that the designers in the article flanked the fireplace with a pair of floor lamps.
I received a new book in the mail yesterday and this concept was on three pages in a row.
I have never seen this done in real life. Never even in the very unreal life of model homes.
The Fall Crate and Barrel Catalogue is full of gray. This is a trend I have been watching gain momentum since last year.
Last year I had the pleasure of working with Cinde on her basement after she had a flood. With a lot damaged, she was ready to start over completely and move out of the neutral world into one of fun and drama. Her basement is a grown up play-space and Cinde was bold enough to choose gray walls paired with purple carpet. Cream leather, black accents and a pool table complete the party. I can’t seem to find any photos so you will have to trust that the end result is unconventional and WONDERFUL.
This is how Crate and Barrel is showing gray:
There is always a lot of talk on the blogs about furniture makeovers. A week hardly goes by without someone showcasing a Before and After.
See this from Design*Sponge and this from Ikea Hacker and this from fermLiving.
When I suggest painting furniture to my clients I am met with serious resistance. In almost every case. And those few that agree usually never get around to doing it.
So my question is: Is this just a case of “Isolated Blog Phenomena” and are real people just too busy for this sort of thing?
The trend toward all white accessories is still strong, even as we enter the deeper palette of fall. And why not? All white accessories, on a table or shelf, look clean and organic any time of year.
West Elm has new vases in white ceramic, cast in natural forms.
Jonathan Adlerhas funky mannequin hands.
Could you imagine a Buddha Head from Pottery Barn on your coffee table?
What could be more Autumn than pheasants? These are new at Willam Sonoma Home.
Or just charge into Winter with penguins from Three Potato Four.
And if you must have a little color, this vases from 2modern are 2cute!
There is definitely a new design style lurking out there.
I think I can describe it, but I haven’t seen a name for it yet. (If you have, please, comment.) Maybe I should call it Shabby Chic 2.0. Or Early Twenty-first Century Southern. Or Minimal Crafty. I don’t know.
I see a lot of it showcased in two popular design blogs, Décor8 and Design Sponge. The style is very light and girlish, because pastels are so dominate. Most rooms are painted white, and anything adorning the walls is tiny. I see a lot of needlepoint or illustrations that are very simple line drawings. I called it Shabby Chic 2.0 because of the predominance of antiques, although many are decidedly mid century, and for the loose upholstery and slipcovers.
Vast amounts of white space and kitschy little craft items seem to be representative of this style. Sophisticated versions are around as well. Domino Magazine showcased Katie Ukrop’s home in Richmond.
And today on Decor8, Emma Cassi’s home is featured.
About a zillion artists are selling this style on Etsy.