Ashley Hubbard

Two of my passions collided on a recent trip to DC - chocolate and design!  While shopping in Georgetown, I stumbled on a gem of a chocolate shop just off the main drag.  Fleurir - on P Street - features exotic truffles handmade by Ashley Hubbard (the proud owner).  I tried the cheesecake truffle and could have stuffed another 50 in my mouth ala Lucille Ball.  I regained focus and couldn't help but drool over - not just the 50 other amazing truffle varieties- but the UHmazing design.  Fleurir is one of the most unique and beautiful shops - chock full of design ideas that you can take to your home.

Leah Moss Interiors did the design work - www.mosseclectic.com - I owe Leah a big glass of champagne so I can get her to spill all of her secrets of design - cheers Leah!

Here is the full view of the shop as you walk in from the street:

Here is another full view of the shop if you turn to look in the opposite direction:

Now..let's focus on some of the best features - I plan on using some of these at home!  I love the branch theme - starting with the wall installation - this is a unique focal point that consists of a spray painted branch adhered directly to the wall and then volume is added by painting additional branches.  The combo of 3 dimensional branches and flat paint create an interesting conversation piece that can be dressed for all the seasons.

Some close ups:

Christmas ornaments could be replaced with Easter Eggs or dried flowers in the Spring - sea shells in the Summer - and then fallen / pressed Autumn leaves come September - the possibilities are endless.

Weaving around floating shelves adds both structural support and more design impact.  Be sure to match your shelving colors to the branches for a cohesive look.

Carrying on with the rustic and natural theme - the wall space between the two front windows is dressed with wood paneling.  Wood paneling used to be a scary scary thing (see the 1970s)- but Leah has made it so "now" by choosing randomly sized and painted wood pieces - creating art.  This is simple to do if you go to your local lumber yard or hardware store - you can ask for scrap pieces and then paint them or distress them with nails and random hammering.  Cut the pieces at different lengths and you can dress a feature wall on the cheap.

Perhaps the most interesting feature in the shop was nearly hidden behind the truffle display cases - truffles can be very distracting! - was a window surrounded by moss - yes, as in moss that you find on logs in the forest.  It's been dried and preserved - then fixated around the window.

              

Kudos to Leah for taking a risk with this choice - it pays off in a big way.  I would use this idea in a sun room or around french doors that lead out to a garden.  It adds both color and texture - I've seen moss used so often on tablescapes and to dress mantle pieces - but never around a window as a permanent fixture.

As you all know - I love my antiques.  I couldn't help but notice her great collection of antique mirrors arranged in random order on the wall.  This is a great example of how to effectively arrange collections - you always want to have an odd number featured and Leah shows that you don't have to kill yourself measuring perfectly - create more impact with an asymmetrical layout.

I also love the metallic yet earthy wallpaper - the branch design fits next to the moss adorned windows and plays nicely off of the branch wall installation on the opposite wall.

Last but by no means least - the ladder!  Using ladders as a decorating feature is super hot right now - Leah and Ashley found this ladder in the trash and decided to salvage it with some Restoration Hardware paint - the slate collection (www.restorationhardware.com) was painted on and then quickly wiped off while still wet using a cloth - be sure to leave areas inconsistent with paint coverage to achieve a vintage look.

The steps of the ladder provide creative real estate for holiday decor - if you want this to function as shelving like shown - look for step ladders or simply add wood inserts and adhere to each step.  Another great option is to leave the wood inserts out and simply hang plants off of each step and treat the ladder for outdoor use with water seal - leaning it against your deck railings or directly against the exterior of your home will provide a super fun new feature.

Now..let's try the key lime truffle!

Oooh La La Montreal!

I went to Montreal a month ago and was immediately taken with Old Town - an area that features historic French architecture.  I took photos of my favorites - here are some street scenes to start the journey:

Rue des Artistes - an alley full of local art for sale - a decorator's dream!  Such amazing landscapes and other French inspired pieces - my suitcase just wasn't big enough.

Because of their long Winters, Montreal really maximizes the warmer months with tons of alfresco dining and drinking spots..champagne anyone?!  Look at these open air bars and restaurants with lush window planters - one of my favorite exterior decor choices.

This corner store set the scene - I just love the stone exterior with framed windows.  Forget vinyl windows of today - the old finish with the swing open design gives such character.

Now for a little house shopping - here are the places I plan to buy when I win the mega millions:

Juliet balconies plus a roof deck!  Yes please.

This is a closer look at my new obsession - windows that open to the street.  Throw in a rustic stone exterior and Dickens-esque lamp post and I'm reaching for non-existent millions to purchase!

Annnnd - my favorite.  I just love the contrast of a patina looking roof with dark iron window pains and rustic stone (again - see first blog post for the beginnings of my obsession with rustic stone and brick)

Finally - no trip to Montreal is complete without a spiral staircase.  They are everywhere!  Word on the street is that they are a preferred choice for any exterior entryway because they combat heavy snow pile up and are also easier to navigate during the slippery Winter months.  Who knew?

Leading to the roof in the center of an open air marketplace - I love how they hang plants off the steps to give more interest.  I'm stealing that idea!

A residence outside of Old Town area - notice the bold color too - such brightness.   You will see these types of exteriors - spiral staircases with vibrant color choices lining the residential streets.

I hope you enjoyed a little taste of our neighbor to the North.

Inspiration from..rolling pins?

I suppose I owe my mother some credit for my decorating skillz (yeah, still spelling it with a z) - mom, if you're reading this, notice I said some and not ALL!  She gave me the antiquing bug for sure - we often scope out shops in New York and Connecticut - actually not "scope" - we scour / dissect / look into every object until Dad wants to drive off the highway and into the Connecticut River.

Antiques are super fun because everything has a story - not just a history.  What was once a chopper for root vegetables is now decorative wall art - and those canning jars?  My god - let's get into the number of ways you can decorate with jars.  Even rolling pins these days!  I took some pics of the more popular items that you may have seen in your antique shops in decorative arrangements so you know how they can be used.

This set of choppers is around the door way to the dining room in my parents' CT home:

One suggestion: if something catches your eye in a shop - don't just buy one!  Collectables are super popular and make great displays that are cause for conversation.  Always consider where you're putting them - choppers are great in this entryway because it leads in the from the kitchen - always fitting for displays of kitchen and cooking products.

Yes - even rolling pins make a great set!  Who would've thunk it?!

I love these arranged with other simple kitchen items - it's so much fun and a bit more recent on the antique scene.  Another great collectable that is emerging are old cutting boards arranged on your kitchen wall.  So fun!

Now Jars Jars Jars!  We all love Jars!

Here's a group shot!  You can fill jars with almost anything and it will then fit any style of home - country style can have flowers or buttons while contemporary coast line can feature beach glass and shells - modern homes can feature exotic marbles or stainless steel balls - jars come in all shapes and sizes.  You can mix them together or have them alone.

Putting letters or other old game pieces make really fun gifts and they also dress up a kid's room - super fun!  Scrabble was never so stylish!

These jars look great when partnered up with another favorite - old seltzer bottles!  More on those in future episodes..

My personal favorite - reclaimed tool boxes.  They are great for so many uses and just give you an excuse to buy more stuff - you know, you have to add some bling to your tool box!

Here is my mom's version with amazing flowers from the garden:

I love it and if you look closely..yup, the flowers are sitting in JARS!

Here is my version of the tool box - tricked out with booze!

This shows that you can mix antiques with modern elements - placing this amazing shaker from CB2 and these stemless martini glasses makes such a fun display for parties - plus it makes carrying all those drinks so easy.

Speaking of drinks..hmm..

A Place I Love..Sherri S

OMG!  I had the opportunity to tour and interview the FABULOUS apartment of my new friend, Sherri.  She lives in the heart of Tribeca in an amazing loft space.  Her apartment is 2,500 square feet and she shares the space with her two daughters.

Sherri is an amazing entertainer and has the space for it!  She divided her long living space into 3 defined areas - one formal seating space, a dining space for 8 plus people, and a more casual tv space:

Standing at one end you can see the super size of this place!

Standing on the other end you can see the exposed brick wall and amazing art work!  I mean - who has two seating areas AND an 8 person dining table in one apartment?!  Sherri does..so jealous.

I love that she chose purple - it's such a bold yet sophisticated color choice.  Upon entering her front door,  you see the purple scheme in her formal seating space:

What is Sherri's favorite?...

Her amazing feather light that is above her dining table.  Such a conversation piece!  Sherri adds: "I have so much custom lighting in storage I could open a store!  I love lighting."  I agree Sherri!  Lighting is easy to overlook when decorating your home but it adds value and character - also it can define your space.

I couldn't help but notice all her amazing art work.  One of my favorite pieces is featured on her exposed brick wall and she purchased it while strolling on the High Line Park along 21st and 10th Avenue:

The coolest architectural feature in her apartment was a "peek-a-boo" window panel in her master bedroom that looks into the living space - this such a great way to add light / depth and interest:

This was peaking into her bedroom from the formal seating area!

I was obsessed with her master bathroom tile - she had a complete accent wall of shimmering silver and grey tiles:

Annd finally..if you weren't overwhelmed with jealously already..a closet of all closets..in fact, I think her closet is as big as my first apartment:

Sherri classifies her style as eclectic and shops for unique and one-of-a-kind pieces at the Design Center (http://www.nydc.com/www/index.php).  She also loves ABC Carpet & Home abchome.com - umm, who doesn't?!  Serious shout out to Sherri for letting me invade her home!

Mike C

A Place in the Life of…well, me!  I thought I’d start with myself on this first entry.  I’m obsessed with design – and not just in the watching HGTV 24 hours a day way – but in a let me decorate everything in the world way.

Although stifled by roommates and a beer budget in my NYC rental, I still found ways to express myself through design.  I tormented my messy mates with a black and white themed living room and a 1950s kitchen re-do.  Granted, I used vinyl floor tiles out of the box and used pillows from the salvation army – I still loved my coordinated scheme dammit!

Years of saving brought me to a champagne budget to buy my first place – not a Veuve Cliquot budget, but maybe that middle of the shelf I can only buy it once a month champagne.  Did I mention that I love champagne too?  More on that later.

I looked at maybe 70 condos in Jersey City, Brooklyn and Washington Heights – which I think drove my real estate agent crazy – but I couldn’t help but want to look inside all the homes I could.  Here’s a secret (and I hope poor Glenn from Weichert doesn’t read this) but I looked up places online that I knew I couldn’t afford just to see them!

I felt cooped up for sooo long in my rental and had so many ideas from years of window shopping online that I knew I needed a super unique space.  I needed a place that could fit the new life of..well, me!  I walked into Dixon Mills – a converted pencil factory in Jersey City – and knew I was home.  Again – I asked to see all 467 units…they said ummmm no.  We needed to focus on my price range and I walked into the 37^th unit of the day and looked up 15 feet to see a 25 foot stretch of greenhouse like sky lights in the living room / kitchen.  OMG!  I knew it right then – I didn’t give a crap what the rest of the place looked like, I wanted to sign on the dotted line.

I totally fell in love with the rest of the place too – beams, two bedrooms and 230 square footage of outdoor space.  Check, check aaand check.  I was totally foaming at the mouth to get decorating but had to slow my roll due to the middle of the shelf champagne funds dwindling away on closing and moving costs.  The forced delay was actually great because it gave me time to focus on a theme and really do comparison shopping and lock in a good plan.  I settled on an urban / industrial theme with antique elements to match the factory feel.  The first thing on my agenda was to tackle the noticeable absence of exposed brick in my place – the one item that was so wanted but not in my unit.

After turning to the blogs, I learned that you can pretty much do anything.  I found www.brickit.com and they offer real recycled brick that is shaved down to a quarter inch thickness and you can just mortar it to  the wall.  Many of the blogs have shown simple videos on how to DIY – I knew I could do it, too!...sooo I hired a contractor.  LOL – it’s not that all the advice wasn’t helpful it’s just that..well, I don’t know what mortar is so I needed some help.  I also had to build my TV mount into the framing so a professional was needed.  Here is the before and after:

...and after

So amazing!  No one knows that it’s been added – everyone thinks it’s real and I certainly don’t tell anyone otherwise. With the biggest project done, I felt a flow of other ideas that really made the space my own.

This was my kitchen and bar before the magic happened!

...and after

 

I added some bling to my breakfast bar with a red oak beam and hanging Edison bulbs - plus some great amber tile around my bathroom mirror.  The tile company delivered the wrong color for my kitchen back splash and I decided to use it for the bathroom at the last minute..from mistake to opportunity.