by laura on February 8, 2010
My husband loves football and we joke that I am the 4th quarter girl, but I am really happy that the Saints won the Superbowl. New Orleans is my favorite city, and I think that for all the city has been through they deserve the win.





My other posts on NOLA click here and here.
I will be back there in a few months with another recap….
by laura on February 3, 2010
One of my clients is supermom, really. She has five kids and is always seems to have it all together. Her kids have a wide age range (remember bedroom #1 and bedroom #2). I am going to put some roman shades on a large bare window in the play room, but with the age range and both genders I have to keep it all in mind. Solids, stripes and gender neutral patterns will let the youngest grow into it without babying the older ones.






Thanks PVE for sharing these with me ! Who knew about such a great use for coffee filters!


Need some other playroom ideas? Here’s the link to a playroom post I did a few months ago.
Photo Credits: Ikea (1), Decor Pad (2,3,6), Design Dazzle (4), HGTV (5) Style Hive (6) Apt Therapy (7)
by laura on February 1, 2010
Looking to enhance a wall without paint or paper? Here are some good ideas I have seen while reading a few of my favorite blogs…I saw this photo on Material Girls…

Style Court encouraged her readers to take a closer look at the
wall in John Dowd’s home styled by Carlos Mota.

Branches make a beautiful alternative.

Oh so creative Jenny over at Little Green Notebook saw this in Southern Accents…

and was inspired to use happy tape in her entry.

Lauren’s Pure Style Home husband stenciled this whole wall.

French Stylist Camille Soulayrol created a whimsical wall in a mud room.

Have you done something or seen something I have missed that is a great idea? Let me know!
Photo Credits; Domino via Material Girls, William Waldron for Elle Decor Dec 2006 via Style Court, Southern Accents via Little Green Notebook, Pure Style Home, Via Apartment Therapy
by laura on January 31, 2010
How happy our little boys are that we are covered in snow (and ice) in Charlotte.

While we spent a good chunk of time outside yesterday, it was snowing ice and not so great for my nice camera so here are the boys (rare blog appearance) in their snow gear. This picture is from our trip up north over Christmas. Thanks for pulling the sled dad!

Are you snowed in or frozen too? Hope it’s a good weekend.
Photo Credits: First photo by Laura Resen
by laura on January 28, 2010
Maps as art and in other places than a study? I like it.








The Washington Post has a great article today on map restoration. Click here to read it.
What do you think?
Photo Credits: Elle Decor & House Beautiful
by laura on January 25, 2010
My love of round barns started when I was in college. I had a very serious photography hobby and would take long drives in upstate NY looking for old barns to photograph.

It was in the days before digital cameras, so I now have big binders with pages filled of slides of countryside and barns.

Round barns are hard to find as they were not built that frequently after the 1920’s. The one that have been restored to their original state are amazing.

My favorite one….This round former cattle barn in Illinois was built in 1918 and restored in the 1990’s . Owner Bill Nolan restored the central silo, cedar shingled roof and four dormers.

Can you imagine what a beautiful and interesting house this could be?
Photography Credits: Hoosier Round Barns, Eddy Lund, Shelburne Mueseum, VT, Tony Soluri published in Architectural Digest, June 2006
by laura on January 21, 2010
When we lived in New York I lived nine blocks north of Bloomingdales and always loved to see their windows. Three talented designers are showcasing their designs in the Bloomingdale’s Big Window Challenge and the voting is happening over at Apartment Therapy.
Let me know which window is your favorite!



by laura on January 19, 2010
It is rare for me to work on a project without incorporating pattern somewhere. I love textile design whether fabrics or wallpaper. Steven Gambrel does this so well, and how smart that there is a tight image of the pattern early in the photograph to the left.

Whether used on headboards, wallpaper, as art, throw pillows or bedding, patterns add so much visual interest to a room.



Do you love a wallpaper of fabric and want to use it in a small amount? Turning it into art is a great way to incorporate it into your home.


One of my favorite textile designers based in London is Aleta.

You can read about the interesting process for her textile design here.

Old persian rugs are often inspirational to textile designers. The colors in this antique suzani are outstanding.

I wrote a post in the early fall about Indigo Resist fabrics. You can click here to read it if you missed it.

Do you love pattern as much as I do?
Photo Credits: Steven Gambrel (1), Sarah Laird (2,4), Richard Keith Langham (3), Anne Becker photography by Simon Upton for Elle Decor(6), Katrin Cargill (5), via House Beautiful (9)
by laura on January 14, 2010

Charlotte Moss has asked bloggers in the design community to encourage their readers to donate through UNICEF if they would like to make a donation towards the crisis in Haiti.

Click here to read about her generous donation. Click on the blue unicef box to make a donation. Call 1.800.FOR.KIDS to make a donation by phone.
by laura on January 13, 2010
Interior architectural details such as moldings, archways and paneling can certainly add a great deal of character and visual interest to a room. Staircases though can fully transform the feeling of a room and often set the tone for the interior design. Dating back centuries the curved staircase is an architectural element that is one of my favorites, as seen in Spanish and Roman Palazzo’s.


It is interesting to see how far the concept has come. For example, Frank Gehry’s staircase at the new Art Gallery of Ontario is reflective of the modern art.

I.M. Pei’s staircase in the Glass Pyramid at the Louvre.

The staircase at Winterthur is a classic.

The beautiful, curved double staircase at Mrs. Howard in Atlanta is one of my favorites.

Christopher Maya’s design at the 2009 Kips Bay Showhouse.

Kelly Wearstler always has a modern and chic approach to her staircases. I love the coral colored front door opening into black and white.

The staircase at the Hotel Lotti where I have stayed in Paris.

Garry Cohen’s design for the Cliff House Hotel in Ireland. I love the changing tones of the colors.

Modern and classical staircases, I love them all. Which do you love?