lido isle!

in the middle of southern california’s newport bay sits lido isle, newport beach’s distinctive residential island community. in the middle of lido isle sits the pickett residence, the island’s most beautifully renovated home. mary ann pickett and her family purchased their 1950’s seaside cottage in a state of disrepair. it was dated, dark and wildly painted. the picketts’ aesthetic is classic, bright, open and airy allowing for a makeover in every room. walls were removed and windows were added, vastly opening up the space. mary ann added circa lighting, viking appliances, antiques from paris, and boat loads of sophisticated charm. when lido isle was created in the 1920s it was built to resemble the flair of a european resort, exactly what the picketts have captured in their home.

i would especially like to thank mary ann pickett for granting me the permission to borrow photos from her blog, classic • casual • home.

beckwith interiors is back!

my favorite nashvillians are back! jamie beckwith and her team of talented designers recently transformed today’s mishmash of a home into a cohesive casa! their focus was to recreate the spaces to accommodate the children as they age, growing from baby girls to big girls.
the cozy reading nook and guest bathroom were the public spaces to receive beckwith’s attention. both were awkwardly renaissancey and didn’t reflect the young family’s modern vibe. by adding elements that radiate warmth and texture, new spaces were born. case in point, the bathroom wall. golden topaz stretcher wood tiles from the jamie beckwith collection surround a custom cut mirror, creating the mother of all warmly textured walls.
the beckwith team then moved onto the girls’ bedrooms, turning them into spaces that will grow with them. playing with poppy patterns and hot hues, the rooms are now fun, modern and big girl appropriate. i’m especially obsessed with the custom window cornices and wild headboard shapes and totally consider myself a growing girl ready for one of these rooms!

i would especially like to thank ashleigh farrar of beckwith interiors for sharing their transformations with us! ashleigh and deidre glore were the designers assigned to this project while bill lafevor of lafevor architectural photography captured the after photos.

brooklyn's in the house

my best friend lives in brooklyn in a super rad apartment with her super rad boyfriend and while i think they really enjoy being renters, i have bigger plans for them. i’d like for them to buy a beater and hire brooklyn’s brightest architect, ben herzog, to fix it up, just as he did with today’s landmarked 25-foot wide brooklyn heights brownstone. with designer elizabeth cooke-king’s eye for detail, she and ben joined forces to create a 2-story addition for the back of the brownstone. the top level of the addition became a large, bright kitchen with azul macauba countertops and an artistic tile celestial starry blue mosaic backsplash; while the lower level is home to a new nursery and lounge. top it all off with a back courtyard made for entertaining and you’ve got yourself a brooklyn beauty. i’ve gotta split, i have some real estate postings that i need to strategically email my bf. have a great weekend!

i would especially like to thank ben herzog of ben herzog architect, pc for granting me the permission to borrow photos from his portfolio. the after photos were captured by the great michael lee.

90210

LA based designer, jenn feldman is my kind of woman. she’s made her place in the design world by mixing flea market finds with custom pieces and target bargains with cherished family antiques. in a recent beverly hills home rehaul she showcased this great skill like a peacock strutting its stuff, plumage and all. the existing 90210 interior had clearly once been a dazzler, but years later, after the trends had dissolved, it was in major need of a tweaking. gone are the days of the totally tan palette. feldman introduced a modern scheme filled with bright neutrals and deep pops of color. she’s also a space planning master; instead of an unnecessary cabinet nook in the kitchen’s corner, jenn had a multifunctional dining banquette installed, perfect for chowing down, family projects, and storage. simply put, jenn feldman turns houses into a homes.

huge thanks to jenn feldman of jenn feldman designs for submitting photos of her LA redesigns. for more inspiration check out jenn’s website and twitter feed.

druid hills home

as you may know i’ve recently become obsessed with the town of decatur, georgia. it’s charming, the homes are showstoppers, and best of all its designers are wildly talented. architect, karen soorikian of soorikian architecture is my latest decatur discovery and her recent redo of a druid hills home perfectly demonstrates my undying love for the decatur area.
with an underutilized 1.22 acre lot and a large family keen on gathering, soorikian’s main goal was to create indoor and outdoor spaces suited for family time. in order to accomplish this, the architect moved the kitchen closer to the rear of the home, placed a large butler’s pantry and walk-pantry where the kitchen had been located, added an eat-in space, a large screened porch, a pool, and a new carriage house with a garage below and in-law suite above. the breathtaking carriage house also features an outdoor covered porch with a fireplace, and a pool house bathroom, all of which are connected to the main home via a covered connector. i hope karen’s clients realize that i too cherish indoor/outdoor family time and come springtime i will be joining them poolside.

big thanks to karen soorikian of soorikian architecture for submitting photos of her atlanta redesigns. for more inspiration check out karen’s website and facebook page.