Re-Styling for Spring

It is that time of year to change out a few colors and accessories. Put away the brown pillows and bring out the yellow. Store the rust colored rug and put out the aqua one. Pack up the pine cones and display the shells. It is not exactly a secret that I am a Summer person, I love sunshine and heat! Yes, I do live in Colorado, we have snow in Winter and amazing sunshine in Summer (well, not so much last Summer, but I survived). I can deal with snow in Winter, but snow in Spring is another story. Yes, I am Irish, but March is my least favorite month. We had snow and temperatures in the teens last week then yesterday it was 82! We know to dress in layers, but wool socks and flip flops are not exactly fashionable...anywhere.

On those days that Winter refuses to go away, I at least have my shells and sunflowers to keep me smiling. Colors and accessories are not the only thing to Re-Style for Spring, try re-arranging furniture. Re-arranging furniture is not exactly a Spring thing, but why stop with accessories. Maybe you have a fireplace and the furniture is grouped around it in Winter. Look at your furniture in the great room, is the sofa pushed up against the wall, miles away from the rest of the furniture? Play with it, tweak it, try angles, maybe switch out a chair and ottoman with one somewhere else in the home.

Bring the outdoors in with flowers and possibly an outdoor chair, table, floor cushions, etc. Yes, Chinese garden stools are a bit of a trend, but I still love them. They come in an array of colors and can really add a small but powerful change to a room. Switch out a shag rug with a natural jute one. Be creative, be daring, but always be stylish...no socks with flip-flops please.

Fun with Lighting

The Conrad project is now in the lighting stage, I am sooo excited! I have mentioned lighting in previous blogs, so my love for lighting as room jewelry is well known. My Modern/Bohemian style is pretty apparent with this project's lighting selection. The house is an open floor ranch with an overall feeling of warmth with plenty of color, dark hand scraped hardwood floors, slate floors and lots of windows.

• The entry will have a slate tile floor and the light at the top of the picture (Bellacor Lighting) will be in the foyer. The style is a little bit industrial, a little bit nautical but the color is definitely rustic.
• The Moravian stars (Bellacor Lighting) will be in the guest bath with a limestone floor and an overall "beachy" style.
• The drum pendants (CB2) will be in the guest bedrooms. They have a fabulous mod 60's design and can easily be customized to fit any decor.
• The long pendant (Overstock.com) will hang over a pool table in the rec room. I love the modern clean lines of this light, not something you would find in most pool halls.
• The Moroccan lanterns at the bottom right of the page (Wisteria) will also be in the rec room hanging over the bar. The bar will also have reclaimed barn wood that was purveyed from the family ranch.
• The clear pendant (Wisteria), bottom left corner, will hang over a small Spanish dining table in the breakfast nook.
• The cute little cut crystal "Beauty Spots" from Wac Lighting (Lightingdirect) will be scattered randomly across the living room ceiling. The living room will have a 60's Mod style with colors of gray and ivory and some beautiful antique pieces to create a glam little sitting parlor.
• The smokey grey pendant (West Elm) will hang in a group of 3 over the counter in the kitchen.
• The cute iron and crystal chandi (GSPN Crystals) will be in the powder room, one of our favorite rooms in the house! The walls are a fabulous sea blue, the floor tiles are a brown and teal with a metallic finish. The vanity is a cute little dry sink that we had stained a brownish gray and the sink itself is a stunning aqua/teal porcelain bowl that I bought for them 5 years ago to use as a sink in the new house. Talk about styling a room around an object!
• Last but not least, the black drum pendant by Landmark (ATG Lighting) will hang with another in the dining room. The dining room is a rustic/Mod mix, warm pumpkin colored walls, a sideboard from the 50's and a reclaimed wood dining table with metal legs, very clean lines.

Isn't lighting fun! Don't underestimate the power of lighting, it really can make or break a style of a room. Prices do vary, but with a little research, something can be found to fit any budget.

Mediterranean Blues

I have always been enamored with the Mediterranean. The food, the architecture, the warm weather, the food, oh, already said that. I start thinking of warm locales this time of year and my thoughts inevitably go to the Med. I haven't had the pleasure of traveling there, yet.

This year I seem to be surrounded by more Mediterranean thoughts than usual, I'm hoping it's a sign! A couple of months ago I was looking for Moorish doors and tiles for a clients new home. Last week I entered a sweepstakes to win a trip to Greece. Last Wednesday I bought Greek yogurt, but the best part of this sudden Mediterranean shot in my world was Saturday night. A very special handsome man treated me to a deliciously lovely dinner at Olivea, it was truly fantastic! But that wasn't the end of it.

I have a new client whose house has an Italian feel. There is of course a difference between Italian and Mediterranean, but just to cover all bases, I had to, yes had to, lose myself in a couple of my Med books-as well as Italian-all in the name of research. The book shown above, "Mediterranean Style" is one of my favorites, it captures living the Med life so well. I think the thing I love the most about the style, is that it is carefree with color and texture. The use of color is amazing and one can't help but see the sea with the use of the color blue. Whether the home is Mediterranean or Italian, the importance of the outdoors is apparent.

The patios and terraces are living spaces in and of themselves. Most likely you will find not only a dining area, but a kitchen and living area as well, this has to be where the outdoor kitchen started. The climate of course is conducive to this amount of outdoor living, no worries of a blizzard ruining a dinner party. While our climate here in Colorado is a bit different, I want to live as Mediterranean as possible. I am sooooo looking forward to Summer, hopeful that it will be nothing like last Summer, but until then pass the olives and bread.