Happy Sunday! I discovered this blog over the weekend and am currently in the process of reading it from beginning to end. This Stockholm apartment in particular caught my eye... Swoon.
All Photos: Dust Jacket
XOX
I think my husband is realizing that when I said I wanted to revamp the apartment a bit it was really just code for asking him to hammer, hang, lift, and paint to an excessive degree. He's been pretty great about it all despite a few frustrating hurdles along the way (who knew there were steel studs behind those walls?). It was just so "boy" in our industrial loft and while I'm not looking to over-feminize the place, a happy medium will do. The first focus has been the bedroom and while I know myself well enough to know that I'll never think something is done and there are always ways to improve, at some point it is complete enough to be share-worthy. Our bedroom went through a slow transformation process which all started with a coat of grey paint and I'm so happy with where we are today. Bedroom Before:  OK so it's not the worst I've seen, especially for a dude living on his own, but those blue walls didn't quite offer the peace and serenity that I so highly value in the room in which we sleep. We kept a few of the good basics like the rug and the bed, but the rest needed some work. The first thing we did was paint the walls grey (don't look at the edges too carefully as our painting skills leave something to be desired) and we slowly added bits and pieces over the following few months. Bedroom After:   The cow portraits were a gift from Chip for my graduation from business school. I've been obsessed with the originals that hang in the Library Bar in the Hudson Hotel in Manhattan for years, so he found these reprints for me and I love them.  The swing light and the side table took a long time to find. Both pieces are from very small, independent designers which I think makes them so very special. The light is from a little shop called One Forty Three and the side table is by Katy Skelton who I have mentioned before in several other posts. She is so talented! The poem which is framed on the bedside table was a gift from Chip when we were living long distance. Some guy named Tristan was just sitting on the street with a typewriter offering up poems and Chip had him write us one. Not that I know anything about poetry but I absolutely love it. It's beautiful and I think it really does capture where we were at that moment.  The framed picture of Chip is from our wedding day. We're not really picture people and we hardly have any around the apartment, but I just love this one. It reminds me of the pure happiness I felt on our wedding day and is a daily reminder of how lucky we are. Get The Look: We headed up north this past weekend to visit some family and take advantage of what warm weather we have left... summer isn't over until we say it's over right? Chip's family has a house in Castine, ME and it's such a treat. That little town is everything wonderful about Maine all rolled up into a tiny little package complete with boating, breathtaking views, kayaking, historic sightseeing, sunshine, lobster, and more boats. I'm pretty sure the number of American flags hanging around out numbers total people in the town 2 to 1. We even got to check out the neighbor's house which is this very historic piece of property and I pretty much died when I saw the kitchen. I am still totally freaking out over it. Those beams! That rug! It's just so tidy and perfectly Maine. XOX
The other day I had the most fun conversation with some friends about which clothing/accessory brands we identify with most and how amazing it is when you find a brand that resonates with you to your core (we're only a little dorky...). For me that brand is Loeffler Randall and I've loved it ever since the first pair of flats that I shamelessly begged my mom to buy for me in 2007. What I love about this brand is that it's functional, but polished and the pieces have staying power ( I still have that first pair of flats!). Recently I've seen a lot of fun articles popping up on the brand like this one on Creative Director Jessie Randall's "beauty uniform" (isn't Jessie just the cutest!?) and even more exciting, this one from Lucky Mag on the home in Park Slope she shares with her family. Not surprisingly, her home reflects many of the elements that her namesake brand does. It's the perfect combination of classic and comfortable with a bit of an edge.  "Soft textiles in neutral shades of cream and gray contrast with graphic elements, like the geometric Bec Brittain chandelier. " - Lucky Magazine All Photos: Lucky Magazine The bad thing about this type of obsession is that you end up wanting absolutely everything... my closet just isn't that big and neither is my budget, but here are a few pieces I am currently coveting for Fall ...and I'm in love! My sister moved out to LA over a year ago and this past weekend I finally had a chance to go see her. It was a short 2 days, but 48 hours of sunshine and sister bliss was worth the red-eye :) The 100 million photos I took of her adorable baby bump were also worth it...Last chance before that little guy or gal makes a break for it in October! 
Photo Credit: Here
The blogosphere has been all a buzz about this adorable camp inspired getaway in the Catskills. Literally everyone is talking about it and looking at the website I can see why... cute, cool, and more cute. I'm keeping that one in my back pocket for a long weekend down the road. Seeing as The Graham & Co. is getting so much attention right now, I was pretty excited when I came across a feature on the home of one of the hotel owners on design sponge (my fave). What surprised me most about this Catskills home is how incredible the bold exterior is against such a rustic setting. This place is literally inspiration overload. Somehow it's completely contemporary, yet comfy, rustic, and even a little western all at the same time.   "The sofa is a Ligne Roset Togo, I love that it’s low and you can just sink right into it in front of the fire. The wood floors are salvaged from the roofdeck of the SOHO House in Manhattan. They are unfinished, raw, matte, and absolutely beautiful. They are probably the coolest thing about the house and run throughout including the bathroom. " - Amanda Bupp for Design Sponge  "The driftwood on the stairs cutout was found on The Graham & Co. hotel property when we were renovating. It had washed up from the Esopus. I love finding things like this to drop in the house, just re-enforcing the indoor/outdoor feel." - Amanda Bupp for Design Sponge   "The bed is the first prototype design for the beds at the hotel. I have to say, I don’t sleep better anywhere else but here. And when you wake up it’s like being in a treehouse, you really get the sense that you are up in the mountains." Amanda Bupp for Design Sponge  "The overall inspiration for the exterior was basically just paint it black and let the exterior elements pop. It looks great in the summer and in the winter with 2 ft. of snow. The boards were stained black and attached with the rough side out to maintain a very flat and textured look, which relates back to the woods and mountain it sits on."- Amanda Bupp for Design Sponge All Photos: Design Sponge
If this is what the Catskills are all about sign me up for several long weekends please! XOX We're officially old news. The honeymoon is over and we are back from 3 weeks of bliss in South Africa.     While I plan to devote a substantial post to our trip once I've caught up on real life, as a highlight I can tell you that it was the trip of a lifetime and we've come back not only with rested bodies but also restored souls . It's a funny thing to fall so fast in love with a place so far away, but I can safely say that South Africa has stolen our hearts.
XOX This beautiful home definitely makes me want to not only step up my souvenir game, but also sand down our hardwood floors and paint them white (do you think the landlord would mind?). My souvenirs typically consist of items that don't make the cut each time I have moved. What a waste!! Stylist and Photographer Kara Rosenlund has collected and curated a beautiful collection from her travels around the globe that effortlessly falls together in her Australian abode. " One of the first things we did was to sand and paint the floor boards white, the dynamic of the entire house just in terms of the amount of light we had – it became very uplifting.” - Kara Rosenlund for Design Sponge “The mantle is just an old piece of wood; I wanted something basic and traditional to display just a few favourite objects. The portrait was just recently found for a cool five bucks!”- Kara Rosenlund for Design Sponge “This hatrack is really practical as I madly dash in and out of the house daily. A handy spot to pile up summer hats and bags… and also I love it when my eye catches this old photograph of my mother when she was a girl, taken in her fathers veggie patch not far from where we live today.” - Kara Rosenlund for Design Sponge All photos and quotes: Design Sponge
Read the full post here One of my favorite pastimes is to scour the internet looking for pictures of amazingly decorated places and spaces from around the world. It's kind of a funny hobby to have especially when some of the most beautiful spaces I've seen belong to some of my nearest and dearest here in Boston and across the country. Their apartments and homes are more than gawk-worthy and I am so excited to be able to feature a few of them here on Champagne and Peanuts!
It's no surprise that this Beacon Hill abode is charming, sweet, and a little silly... Just like Edith and Warner are.  Couch - Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams // Coffee table - Noguchi // Side Chair - Vintage Knoll // Dining Table - Design Within Reach // Rug - Hand Woven in Tibet // Lucite side table: CB2 // Lucite Dining Chairs: Victoria Ghost Chairs  "The personalized coasters were a gift from Warner's sister and the elephant was a gift from my Mom when I graduated from Tufts." - Edith  The green square cut emerald ring was handmade by one Edith's best friends. The oval amethyst ring is vintage Tiffany & Co. circa 1984 and was a gift from her parents on her 21st birthday. Similarly the large lady of the night pendent is vintage Tiffany & Co. from around the same time period.  "The painting above the fireplace is by Mikel Wintermantel and is the view from my grandparents house in Cohassett, a place very close to the heart." - Warner "I've been longing after the work of Ariele Alasko for years. She makes such beautiful things but everything is always sold out. Warner has been trying for a long time to get me a wooden spoon and he surprised me with one earlier this year. I absolutely love it." - Edith  The chairs are vintage Knoll purchased in NYC and covered in chic faux lambskins from Ikea. A great way to add iconic pieces and current trends in an affordable way.   "A lot of the artwork in the apartment is my Dad's. The piece above the TV "Lady on Stairs" is one of my most prized possessions. My farther is a brilliant artist and took the photograph." - Edith Book Case - Sapien Book Case // Indian - Vintage // Bags - Chanel, Joie  Bed - ABC Carpet and Home // Bedding - Pratesi // Bedside Lamps - West Elm // Rug - Souvenir from Morocco // Perfect West Highland White Terrier- Priceless
"Anyone that knows me well knows I love nothing more than sleeping in on a rainy day, having breakfast, and reading a book in bed. I could probably live in that bed and be happy. We have tons of fluffy pillows, the softest sheets in the world, and the most perfect puppy to keep us warm on cold Boston nights." - Edith "The jewelry tree & jewelry box are both from Anthropology, the stones were collected from various places close to my heart (our lake house in Michigan, travels in Africa, Esalen in Big Sur etc). Warner carved the mini piper with his bare hands as a Christmas gift. The photograph on the wall was taken by Jack and is of my grandmother and the other is a photo of my mom and dad is from one of their first dates." - Edith
"Our favorite thing to do is to walk Piper along the brick streets at night with the gas lamps blazing and beautiful windowboxes full of hydrangea. It's perfectly romantic and makes you feel transplanted to another century." -Edith Thank you Edith and Warner for sharing your beautiful home!
XOX All photos are mine... photography skills = a work in progress ;) If you find yourself in need of a little pick-me-up this week coming off of your 4th of July weekend, Christina Jervey Jewelry to the rescue! Stop by Cynthia Rowley on Newbury Street this Wednesday evening to check out her latest and greatest.  I've already done some website perusing and these are some of the pieces I'll be looking to take home with me: 1. Vertical Stripe Ring // 2. Kyanite Cocktail Ring // 3. Small Textured Cuff // 4. Angel Wing Earrings // 5. Thin Collar Necklace // 6. Goddess Cuff Christy's jewelry is stunning (and I'm not just saying that because she is my sister-in-law). All of the pieces are handmade by Christy in Charleston, SC and they are just so unique and special. My CJJ pieces are by far my most complimented jewelry and I absolutely love her eclectic and impossibly cool style.
| Author:Thoughts on all the things I love about life in Boston and beyond Archives:January 2015 Categories:All |
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