Urban Nest

Archive for November, 2009

SUSTAIN, Inc. {Charlottesville, VA}

Monday, November 30th, 2009

I’m not a big Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopper, but since shopping is on everyone’s mind right now, I thought I would share this great Charlottesville shop with you. Rachel and I got out of town for a quick getaway before Thanksgiving. Charlottesville is a quick one-hour drive from Richmond and the shopping is terrific. Since we make this trip a few times a year, we have a list of favorites we like to hit. But we discovered a couple of new gems this time around.

SUSTAIN, Inc. is a beautiful store featuring environmentally friendly products — from clothing and accessories to furniture and wallpaper.

The first floor is set up in colorful vignettes that inspire all sorts of creativity. By the time I reached the second story rooftop patio, I decided I could move right in and call it home. Everything is artfully curated and has an interesting eco-story — recycled fibers, natural dyes, reclaimed hardware and inventive details are abound.

This loft-style second floor bedroom reminded me how much I’d love to have a platform bed someday. The soothing monochromatic scheme combined with natural fibers, metallic details and loads of sunlight make for a fresh and sophisticated bedroom that I would be happy to wake up in.

I would also be very happy to have a dinner date with this gorgeous clutch. I can’t tell you how badly I wanted it to be within my withering budget.

SUSTAIN, Inc. is run by two lovely women, Lauren Gerner and Erin Bevacqua, who were busy unpacking even more terrific treasures while we shopped. If you are traveling through Charlottesville, or live locally and haven’t made it there yet, make your way to SUSTAIN!

SUSTAIN, Inc. is located in the Main Street Market at 406 West Main Street, Charlottesville VA 22903.

By the way, that incredible turquoise beaded chandelier on their Website is actually hanging in the store. It’s breathtaking…

Tags: Charlottesville, shopping, SUSTAIN Inc.
Posted in Leave the Nest | 4 Comments »

Happy Thanksgiving from Urban Nest!

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

Family to enjoy the holidays with.
A healthy baby on the way!
Dear friends to share meals and laughter with.
The cozy house that my husband and I have made a home.
My book club. Juliet – I have some suggestions for you!
Yummy ice cream sandwiches from Trader Joe’s.
A job that I love and co-workers that make it so enjoyable.
The holiday spirit that is in the air this time of year.
All of our readers here on Urban Nest! What are you thankful for?

Please have a wonderful holiday! We’ll meet you back here next Monday.

Tags: Thanksgiving
Posted in Inspired Nest | 3 Comments »

The Stories Within

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

I promise I am not going to wax on about my love of books anymore than to say that I am so thankful for all the good books I’ve read, the stack of books I’m ploughing through, and the ones that I have yet to get my hands on — the beautiful, challenging, compelling, life-changing, tear-jerking, laugh-out-loud, heart-warming, eye-opening and just plain pretty books.

{image: VellyMelly on Flickr}

It’s easy to forget that not everyone has the freedom to get lost in a story, learn a new trade, or find their faith by picking up a book, talking about it with a friend, passing it on, or proudly displaying it in their home.

Among countless other things, I am grateful for good books and the freedom to read them.

What I’m reading now:
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Next on my list:
The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein
the Twilight series — it has to be done; and yes, it’s true, I haven’t read any of them yet!
Angel Time, by Anne Rice

What are you reading? Any recommendations? Care to share what you are thankful for this week?

NOTE: this blog title was taken from the pages of the November Anthropologie catalog. I loved the book page styling titled, The Stories Within.

Tags: books
Posted in Inspired Nest | 5 Comments »

March of the Turkeys

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

This weekend, Violet and I worked on some treats to bring with us when we hit the road for Thanksgiving. I usually bring a little something for the hostess, but this year we’ll also have something for the kids’ table.

My mom made these adorable turkeys with my sister and I when we were little, and Violet got a kick out of doing something that Grammy did with me when, as Violet would say, she was my mommy. I’m so pleased with how they turned out. They certainly don’t have to be reserved for kids only, and they were so easy to do. All you need are Oreo cookies, Ferrero Rocher chocolates, candy corns, chocolate chips, red hots, and royal icing. If any of your recipients are allergic to nuts, you can replace the Ferrero Rochers with chocolate covered cherries.

To assemble these little cuties, first separate the oreo cookies and scrape the icing off both cookies. Then attach the ferrero rocher to one of the cookies using the royal icing. Then spread royal icing on one side of the remaining cookie and attach to the back of the ferrero rocher, you can see the assembly in this photo.

Then add the candy corns to look like feathers. The last touches are a chocolate chip head and a red hot wattle (red hot wattle – there’s a phrase you don’t hear very often). I found it easier to lay the turkey on it’s back before attaching the feathers, and I let the royal icing harden before standing him back up.

Violet had a ball making these turkeys. If you’re looking for a quick treat to whip up for Thanksgiving, give these a try!

Tags: dessert, Thanksgiving, turkeys
Posted in Build the Nest | 4 Comments »

Cork & Beans

Friday, November 20th, 2009

I recently potted some new plants and thought I’d share one of my favorite techniques. We save all our wine bottle corks and put them to use all over the house.

Corks are great for creating drainage at the bottom of pot that does not have drain holes in it. Just cover the bottom of your pot with corks, then load in your soil and plant. I neglected to photograph that step!

They also make great “mulch” on top of your plant. You can see below how I layered them in among the tangled vines. The corks help to keep the moisture in the soil from evaporating and provide a decorative effect — especially when a new plant hasn’t grown fully into its new pot.

I also used them symmetrically to support my orchid roots. This is not a tested method and I’ll warn you I don’t have much luck with orchids. But for now, I like the way it looks! And the roots have plenty of room to spread underneath.

[UPDATED: completely left this set of images and ideas out!] Corks are also great for filling unneeded space like this tall bucket I use to hold a 8″ potted plant. I simply filled the bottom of the bucket with corks and set a small plate on top to create a drip barrier for my plant. You don’t really even need the plate, but since I had one that fit perfectly I opted to use it.

Now let’s talk about beans. I always have a bag of dried beans in the cupboard that I use as a stabilizer in various arrangements. They’re great for weighing down the bottom of a top heavy arrangement. I like to use them to keep smaller candles from shifting around a bigger container. And my favorite, is to use them as a floral frog — I can never get those to work, by the way! I don’t suggest using them in fresh arrangements, but I often have an arrangement of branches, paint brushes, or art flowers (not artificial, art — made of paper or fabric or some other interesting material!). Dried beans allow you to arrange your stems without them flopping around the top of your container (see image on left, below).

What do you think? Are you craving some cork and beans?

Tags: flower arranging, plants, recycled corks
Posted in Build the Nest | 5 Comments »

Painting the Picture

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

Now that I have a clean slate to work with in the nursery, it’s time to add some color and a little whimsy. I’m a fabric girl, so that’s usually where I start. I have several pieces selected already, but I’m looking for one more fun and funky fabric to add to the mix. Here are some contenders:

{Fuzz by Studio Bon for Schumacher}

{image on right from Schumacher}

{Diamond Dogs from Schumacher}

: {image on left from Schumacher}

I really like the dogs, but I have some jungle animal accents to add. What do you think, can I mix dogs with elephants and giraffes or is “fuzz” the way to go?

Posted in Inspired Nest | 4 Comments »

A Clean Canvas

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

While my mom was in town last week, we didn’t just work on Violet’s room – we also started to tackle the nursery. It has made quite a transformation from the guest room it was just a month or so ago. It used to be a bold green with floral accents. I completely forgot to take a before picture, but here is a swatch of the paint color.

{Buckingham Gardens by Benjamin Moore}

Now the room is a soothing, creamy color, and I replaced the floral fabrics with stripes. I feel a little like I’ve gone from one extreme to the other with this room – bold and frilly to pale and crisp. But, I’m just getting started. I have several more projects to complete and a bunch of accessories to add in before it’s done. I know it won’t feel like the blank canvas it is today by the time our little bundle is sleeping in the crib.

Violet did let me add one accessory to the room already. She has agreed to let her little brother borrow her rocking horse, as long as she can ride it whenever she wants. I’ve assured her that her brother won’t mind, for the foreseeable future at least.

I owe my mom a huge thank you for tackling the sewing for the nursery so far. I’ve been up to my elbows in fabric for Violet’s room, so my mom made the curtains, crib skirt, and bumper pad (not the mention that she’s working on a quilt!). We used a tip from Erika of Urban Grace (one of my favorites) and made the crib skirt so that it’s easily adjustable as we move the mattress up and down. Although, we simplified the design a little, and just used safety pins instead of ties to attach the skirt to the springs. It made the overlapping corners even easier, because we could still pin through the two layers of skirt and allowed more flexibility in the placement of the pins.

I highly recommend Erika’s technique – it is so much easier than attaching the skirt to a fabric deck. This could truly be a no-sew project if you used fusible tape to hem the bottom and sides of the skirt.

I can’t believe that I am at the point of getting the nursery together. I only have 10 weeks to go, and with the holidays in there I know it’s going to fly by! I’ll keep you posted as the rest of the details come together!

Tags: nursery
Posted in Feather the Nest | 3 Comments »

Cinderella Pumpkins

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

I’ve been toying around with various fall tablescapes for a few weeks now and have finally landed on a winner — just in time to host Thanksgiving dinner!

I was inspired by this whimsical and enchanted table in the November issue of Martha Stewart Living.

{image: photo of p. 178, Martha Stewart Living, November 2009}

So I dug up a few designer remnants, including two silk shantungs leftover from bridesmaid dresses, and stitched several of my own couture Cinderella pumpkins! I used jewelry pins and beads to create my stems and add a little extra sparkle. What you can’t see in the photos are the various textures that add a lot of dimension — a quilted upholstery fabric, a metallic linen, and decorator burlap woven with silver threads. I’m very pleased with the results, but if you tackle this on your own, I can tell you that the lighter-weight silks and cottons were much easier to work with than the upholstery-weight remnants.

I layered a rustic flax cloth (drop cloth from the hardware store, to be exact!) and a custom toile table mat beneath my pumpkins and mixed in some of my favorite crisp white ceramic pieces.

Next week I’ll tuck a few fresh flowers or greens in, light the candles and call it done.

{HOW-TO} The Martha Stewart tutorial in the magazine is really quite simple, though I can’t find it online yet. So pick up a copy of the November issue — there are lots of lovely ideas this month — or click here for a more detailed tutorial posted on Design*Sponge yesterday.

Tags: application, fabric pumpkins, how to, martha stewart
Posted in Build the Nest, Inspired Nest | 3 Comments »

Sneak Peek Part 2

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

Last week was a busy week around here. My mom came to visit so that I could make another big push on Violet’s room and the baby’s room. I still have a good bit to do, but I did make some great progress on Violet’s room and thought I would share a little preview before it’s complete. Here’s a reminder of what her room looked like before.

And here is what it looks like today.

The blue walls are now a warm, subtle pink and the radiator is long gone. I added floor length curtains edged in a striped ruffle and made a bunch of fun pillows for the bed. I think that the pillows are my favorite part – and I still have one more to sew!

I love these storage cubes from Ikea that are serving as bedside tables, and they were a steal (unfortunately, I can’t find them online). I want to paint or stain them but haven’t decided on a color yet. I’m thinking off white or pale pink or something a little more unexpected like metallic gold. I’ll keep you posted as it continues to come together, and stayed tuned for a little peek at the babies room!

Tags: bedroom
Posted in Feather the Nest | 4 Comments »

Nursery Update

Monday, November 16th, 2009

Since the holidays are fast approaching I think the next couple of months are going to fly by. With that said, I’m trying to make some concrete decisions about the nursery so I’m prepared when March rolls around!

We live in an old house with limited closet space, so one thing on our list for the room was a wardrobe. We purchased one of the Pax Komplement System pieces from IKEA and managed to get that built last weekend. Ours looks similar to the one shown below, except with more detailed doors and we choose 4 drawers, 2 shelves, and a hanging bar for the inside. Side note…don’t assume you have 8 foot ceilings if your house was built before the 1980s. It may result in 2 trips to IKEA and I do not recommend!

My parents purchased the Delta Duval Crib for us. I got the idea in my head that I wanted a colorful, bold crib, so although the crib is now a dark brown, my uncle is going to help us out and give it a professional paint job. I am so psyched and have a vision of the crib in teal, as I quickly photoshopped above. To complement that and our yellow/green walls, I am still and keen on these fabrics from Amy Butler to make the crib bedding, curtains, and pillows. Since my sewing skills are lacking, a friend is going to help me with the bumper and hopefully lend a few tips for the other items!

I’d like a mix of wall art that can be used for baby, but also transition into something for our home in later years. These bird prints from Dolan Geiman are just what I’ve been looking for. The colors are soothing and subtle. On one of our two trips to IKEA this month we also purchased this floor lamp, which gives some nice soft light in the room so we can avoid the larger overhead lighting. And lastly, we’d love a glider similar to this one I just tried out this week at Babies R Us. The foot stool glides, too, and I can already see rocking myself to sleep!

So that’s where I’m at. Please let me know if you’ve seen anything that might fit in nicely…there’s a lot of blues and greens, but we’ll have no idea if we’re having a boy or girl!

Tags: Amy Butler, IKEA, nursery
Posted in Build the Nest, Inspired Nest | 2 Comments »

Garage Band

Friday, November 13th, 2009

How great would it be to have one of these dreamy garage transformations on your property…

This is where where the magic began for me…Domino magazine’s garage studio with glossy white floors and floor to ceiling bookshelves.

Remodelista has a terrific round-up of high-style design using garage doors to create a natural flow between indoors and out.

I could live in this cozy Country Home garage featured on Design Public:

This is a more serious rennovation to create a 400 square-foot guest suite and office space out of a two-car garage. See more images at Sunset magazine online.

Do you remember this challenge on HGTV’s Design Star?

These make for some serious creative outlets. Until the band lands a major record label, I’ll keep dreaming…

Posted in Inspired Nest | 3 Comments »

Heavy Metal

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

Every room needs a few metal accents, don’t you think? I’m coming out of a phase where all of my metal accents had to be shiny silver and am adding some new colors and finishes to the mix. Here are a few touches I’m after:

Double cone reading lamp from Shades of Light
Meurice chandelier from Jonathan Adler
Elephant stool from Haus Interior
George cocktail table from Jayson Home & Garden
Jacques cocktail table from Hickory Chair
Metal sea urchin art from Pieces
Gold leaf wire pendant from Pieces

I would love to use 2 of the elephant stools as a coffee table in my family room, and the gold chandelier is the perfect piece for my dining room. I’ve been wanting a treasure from Pieces in Atlanta ever since the owner’s home was featured in Cottage Living in 2006, and the sea urchin art might be just the place to start!

Posted in Inspired Nest | 1 Comment »

We're With the Band

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

It’s true. We are with the band. And you’ve probably picked up on our rockstar theme this week and are perhaps wondering what it’s all about. Well, I couldn’t be more proud to share with you what’s going on. My husband, Mark, is part of a band called Louisiana Territory. Mark, Tyler and Matt (left to right in photo, below) have been playing together for just over two years and are releasing their first full-length professionally produced, mixed and mastered album this Friday.

tog_photo

This creative collaboration is comprised of some amazing artists, from the music to the marketing. This photo is one of a ton taken by acclaimed photographer, Casey Templeton. Not only is Casey an incredible photographer, but he’s also one of the kindest, most genuine people we know. I highly suggest spending some time exploring his commercial and wedding portfolios.

I’m ever so slightly biased when it comes to band art, but I have to show you a few of Louisiana Territory’s gig posters, designed by the band’s own Matt Klimas, whose portfolio is also really fun to browse. His fresh and quirky aesthetic combined with always perfect color palettes literally have me stockpiling his work to someday have hanging in our house.

As for the music — it rocks! You can hear the whole album streaming this week only, pick up a copy at the show, or purchase one online beginning Friday!

I know these songs backward and forward, I love these guys dearly and I can’t wait to toast their accomplishments Friday night at their CD release party.

By the way, the event is open to the public. Please join us! The more the merrier…

Louisiana Territory :: website | Facebook | myspace
CD Release Party > Friday, November 13, 8 p.m.
at Gallery 5 in Richmond, VA
with Memphis 59 and Jonathan Vassar & The Speckled Bird

Posted in Leave the Nest | 2 Comments »

Rock On

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

If I were a rock star (or had a rock star’s budget), I would indulge in these beauties.

{suzanne felsen jewelry}

{winifred grace jewelry}

{lucky me jewelry}

A girl can dream…

Tags: jewelry
Posted in Feather the Nest | 1 Comment »

Rock Art

Monday, November 9th, 2009

When I first came across Hammerpress years ago, I fell in love with their letterpress band posters. Ever since I have loved that artists are creating works of art out of concert posters…something worthy of hanging in your living room without it feeling like a college dorm room. Below are a couple from the collection at Hammerpress and a few others from around the web.

{ posters from The Small Stakes }

{ limited edition print from artist Dan Stilles }

{ limited edition print from artist Dan Stiles }

The Jack Johnson print is by Portland based artist Dan Stiles. He creates art that is a wonderful combination of music and design. I love the bold colors and fun typography in these limited edition prints.

And below are a couple of prints from strawberryluna available through 1000 Markets. Again, it’s the bold colors, interesting typography, and quirky graphics that grab my attention.

What’s you opinion–great art or something to be left for the kids?

Posted in Inspired Nest | 4 Comments »

Mix More, Match Less

Friday, November 6th, 2009

Several weeks I ago I shared some swatches for a batch of pillows I was making for a client. Well, I finally got around to photographing them. My client was unsure about how to match their contemporary style with their traditional Persian rug, not to mention coordinating all the bold colors the rug presented.

It’s my opinion that when it comes to a dominant element of a room — furniture, architecture, textiles or artwork — creating a little visual tension makes for a much more interesting space. For example, a large, rustic farm table surrounded by acryllic Ghost chairs. Well, that said, I helped my client select some boldy colored pillows from Crate & Barrel with contemporary flowers and stripes. The colors in these pillows don’t clash with the rug, but they also don’t match.

We then selected some more neutral fabrics to round out the layers, but kept a little of that tension by combining an ornate paisley print, a modern chenille swirl, and a wide woven stripe. The red in the paisley is not an exact match to the red in the rug at all, but it draws the color from the floor into the seating areas nicely. NOTE: As I review this post, the photos show more red in the rug, which is actually a much softer, salmon color than the deep red in the pillows. The ivory and taupe colors do play well with the upholstery, but don’t appear to be from the same collection, if you will.

Finally, there is a hint of blue in the paisley print that does pick up the royal blue in the Persian rug and sapphire blue in the store-bought pillows. It’s a subtle thread, but it works to weave these seemingly disparate elements together.

gorberg_pillows collage4

This is a pretty subtle example of the “mix more, match less” principle, but it’s a great start for anyone feeling constrained by an existing piece or wondering how to refresh the feel of a room.

By the way, I feel the same way about artwork — I love to walk into a very modern space and see an oversized historic portrait framed in ornate gold; or conversely, a very traditional home with edgy, modern artwork on display.

Does this “tension” work for you, too, or does it just make you tense?

Posted in Feather the Nest | No Comments »

I'm Pining For…

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

this new fabric from Romo.

So lovely.

Tags: fabric
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Not a White Christmas

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

Yesterday I showed you a couple of color schemes I’m thinking about for my holiday decorations this year. Well, here are the other contenders. I still want something warm for the family room where we’ll be hanging out by the tree in front of the fire place.

{camel and cream}

{images from amanda nisbet design, jonathan adler, and martha stewart}

Instead of a wintery scheme for the dining room, I’m considering this bold and rich combination:

{turquoise, kelly green, and gold}

{images from designers guild, sarah richardson design, and martha stewart}

What would you choose?

Tags: christmas, color schemes
Posted in Feather the Nest | 3 Comments »

Getting an Early Start

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

Like Stephanie, I am thinking about the holidays a bit early this year, too. For the first time ever, I won’t be going home for Christmas. Since I will be 36 weeks pregnant around Christmas and shouldn’t travel anymore, Andy and I will be hosting everyone here. We are really looking forward to celebrating in our house, and I can’t wait to deck the halls! I feel like my current Christmas decorations need a little update, so I’m trying to decide on some new color schemes for my holiday decorating. Here are a few that I’m considering.

{cocoa, persimmon, and gold}

{images from amanda nisbet design, martha stewart, and designers guild}

I like the warmth of this palette – it just feels like you’re sitting in front of a fire with a cup of hot cocoa. I’m thinking of this scheme for the family room where the tree will be, and then this next crisp, wintery palette for the dining room.

{lavender, navy, and silver}

(images from amanda nisbet design and martha stewart}

I love that you don’t have to stick with red and green to get a festive, holiday feel. What are your favorite color combinations for the holidays?

Tags: christmas, color schemes
Posted in Feather the Nest | No Comments »

Sweet Little Things

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

I guess I’ve begun what they call nesting. Over the last few weeks I have cleaned out our entire office in preparation for it’s transformation into a guest room. And I’m come across so many things I forgot I had! This included a giant box of rubber stamps. I’m not a huge “stamper,” but when I worked in the design department at Paper Source I designed tons of them and have a sample of each and every one.

I always get ready for the holidays early…because I absolutely love Christmas, so I pulled out some of those holiday stamps and started making some sweet little things. Above are a variety of gift tags/hang tags I plan to adorn my gifts with this year. I think I’ll also play around with some ideas for my holiday card and goodies to give friends.

Are you all starting to think of holiday plans yet? What’s on your list? Can you believe it–only about 72 days to go…

Tags: gift tags, holiday, stamps
Posted in Inspired Nest | 1 Comment »