I absolutely love this kitchen! I clipped pictures of this kitchen out of a magazine some time ago. It has always been logged in my mind as my inspiration for my future dream kitchen. I hope you like it too.
I love the monogram on the dining chairs. The window treatments with the ruffle ties are fabulous, and of course it features my favorite color, PINK.
I am going home to visit my family, in good ol’ North Carolina. Home, sweet, home! So I thought I would share just a few of the things I love about North Carolina.
This is a picture of geese on Lake Norman. This is where I grew up, pretty huh?
I LOVE the Biltmore House, in Asheville, NC. I went, for the first time, this Christmas to see the beautiful decorations. It was amazing. All the beautiful decor was a treat for me, and my husband even liked the audio tour that revealed all the history behind the house. I was so excited that we BOTH enjoyed ourselves.
This was my husbands favorite room, the library. There were so many books, and the room was so beautiful. Check out the painting on the ceiling.
The grand hall was decorated for Christmas. It had the biggest Christmas tree I have ever seen.
This was my favorite room, Mrs. Vanderbilt’s bedroom. The damask was a flocked velvet, so beautiful. The picture is nice, but just doesn’t do it justice. It amazes me how this looks like a room I would see today in a magazine. The historic preserves recreate the rooms exactly the way they were, using pictures, scraps of wallpaper, and anything else they can find to reveal the original nature of the rooms.
This was Mr. Vanderbilt’s bedroom. They had separate bedrooms because it would not be proper for female servants to enter a man’s bedroom and male servant to enter a woman’s bedroom. You can get a peak at the original clawfoot tub in the mirror in the bathroom. Look close.
One of my favorite things about North Carolina, are the beautiful azaleas. Biltmore has a huge azalea garden. I haven’t been to see them yet, but I hope to this spring.
One of my favorite places to visit is Mrytle Beach. It is known for it’s world class golf. I’m not a golfer myself, but I love the wide beach. It is very commercialized, but I don’t mind having lots of things to do. If you like a quiet beach trip, the outer banks is another great place to visit in NC.
I could have spent a small fortune today at Target . But for all the stuff I could’ve gotten, it would have been worth it. I was blown away by all the new beautiful clothes, shoes, and jewelry. You have to go check it out.
This new line of jewelry by Erickson Beamon is fantastic. I could not pull myself away. Here are my favorites.
The shoes were also great. These two were my favorites.
Isn’t this just the perfect outfit. The pictures don’t do it justice. Go see it in the store and you will agree.
What is an oushak rug? What is a sumak rug? What is a sarouk rug? Designers throw these names around to make a rug sound impressive and special, but what do these words mean? I get asked this question a lot so I will explain.
An “Oushak” or otherwise known as “Ushak” rug is a carpet woven in the city of Usak, Turkey. In the 15th century European markets, these rugs were also called “Lotto Rugs”. They are most recognizable by there “star” or “medallion” design, but their design has extend past that over time.
Here are some beautiful examples of “Oushak” rugs
This rug a great example that not all antique rugs are dark and heavy, there are tons of antique rugs out there in every color.
“Soumak” carpets are a rare type of “Kelim”, getting there name from the old town of Shemakja (Republic of Azerbaijan). They both have a flat-woven style. “Soumak’s” are embroidered and its embroidery threads are not cut off at the back. They are good for high traffic areas because they are very durable.
Here are some beautiful examples of “soumak” rugs
A “Sarouk” rug is a carpet woven in Arak, Iran in the late 19th and 20th century. There are several different types of “Sarouk” rugs, each with a very in depth background. “Sarouk” rugs can be very expensive. If you are interested in purchasing one and want to know more about them go to this link http://www.internetrugs.com/blog/sarouk-type-persian-rugs/ for an in depth history. You will want to make an informed purchase to avoid getting ripped off.
Here are some beautiful “Sarouk” rugs
I can’t forget one of my favorites, and more well known type of antique rug the “French Aubusson”. Aubusson rugs were originally flat-woven tapestries made in France. They usually have a floral motif.
Here are some beautiful “Aubusson” rugs
I love using antique rugs in my designs, and am a firm believer that there is an antique rug out there for every style.
Here are some examples of great antique rugs in every style of room. They add so much character.
Everywhere you look, animal print is popping up. From very traditional to very modern homes, you see bits of animal print splashed here and there. When used properly animal print a sophisticated element of design that can be used in any home. My suggestion is, keep it simple, and buy quality fabrics (not the ones that are going to make your beautiful room look like a bachelor pad).
I love the “Twilight” saga and the “Twilight” movie. This spread from In Style magazine is beautiful, so I just had to include it. This is a great representation of how to mix a beautiful zebra rug in with traditional design elements.
I have been seeing zebra rugs everywhere. I love this graphic element of style. Of course, they do make fake zebra rugs that are animal friendly. I would suggest those, and they are more economical.
This pictures if from a before and after makeover from one of my favorite blogs “cotedetexas”. Please visit the site and check out the rest of this great before and after.
via Design Fabulous on Etsy
I adore the perfect pillow. It can really bring a room to life. Such a simple addition to any room can be all you need.
I love to search for unique pillows, especially antique linen pillows. The hunt is what I love. I never buy a pillow unless I have fallen in complete love with it and feel my room cannot do without it.
These pillows are so adorable.
These pillows from “English Home” are so beautiful. Check out their website, from the link on the picture, for so many more beautiful options.
via Design Fabulous on Etsy
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I really love really long rectangular pillows. I don’t know why, I just do!
I love tiny pleats and a solid silk pillow. It is so simple and luxurious.
When I was younger, my mom filled my room with pink everything. I rebelled from pink for awhile, but for the past few years I have come to my senses and realized that my mom was right all along. I dream in pink!
I could just sit in this pink chair for forever!
This is the perfect pale pink.
I flipped over this french settee when I saw it. What I wouldn’t give for that thing.
I have this pink Ikea vase in my living room. It is the first thing my eye is drawn to when I walk in the door. It welcomes me home every day.
I would love to have a bathroom filled with glass jars of pink soaps and bath salts.
I heart pink and white!
Whether you are completely remodeling your kitchen or working with what you already have, there are ways to make your kitchen a joy to work in. Creating a functional kitchen will make using your kitchen fun and keeping it clean easy. Here are a few tips I have picked up on creating a functional kitchen.
1: Create functional storage. Using every available space to cram dishes, pots, and pans does not a happy cook make. There is nothing I hate worse than digging for my cookie sheet under a mountain of other pans falling out of the cabinet. Baskets, racks, and dividers are great solutions to this problem. Ikea has a great cabinet divider for bake sheets and pot lids. They stand up-right for easy access. See the Ikea website for lots of great organizers for storage spaces.
A huge trend in functional storage is deep drawers instead of lower door cabinets. They allow you to stack pots and pans and access them easily. Deep extending drawer pulls allow you to pull the drawer out completely and not loose the hidden dark space in the back. If you are remodeling or building a new kitchen, consider using all drawers in the lower cabinets or pull-out shelving. If you don’t have the money to build new, try using baskets in lower cabinets that allow you to pull them all the way out, get what you need, and put the basket back. No bending down and digging through a dark mess needed.
2: Keep your frequently used items at arms reach. Any pots, pans, or food you use a lot should be the easiest things to get to. A pot rack can be a great way to use ceiling space and make your pots easy to reach. A utensil rack by the stove is another good storage option that is in your work space. My number one tip is to not over load your pot rack. If the rack has to much on it you will be fighting to get the item you need, while you burn your dinner.
3: A large prep area in the center of the kitchen is essential. There is nothing worse that running around your kitchen trying to find a place to set down the cookie pan that is now burning your hand through your oven mitt. Yes I have been there. An island is a great solution for this. Note: Don’t try to fit an island in a kitchen that is to small. You must have enough room to move around or cook with others. If you have a small kitchen, build on a fold-down extension to your countertop.
4: Stock your kitchen in zones. I learned this great tip by working in the food service industry, where they stock and cook in the kitchen according to zones. For example, I keep all my bake-wear, measuring utensils, and baking ingredients all in the same part of the kitchen. Everything I need to bake my famous cookies is all within arms reach. I don’t want to run a marathon around my kitchen collecting things before I bake (although if you don’t want those cookies to stick to your thighs you could hide ingredients all over your house, but for our purposes lets just stick to the gym for working out). I also keep all my dry prep in one place, meat prep in another, and so on. This tip may result in you storing things in places you would not ordinarily think of, but if you try it, I promise you will thank me.
5: If you can, make a gathering place in your kitchen. A kitchen island is great for this. We all know the kitchen is where we gather. I don’t really understand why, but we all seem to be drawn to the kitchen to gather to talk, laugh, cry, you name it. Even if you have minimum space, try placing a barstool next to a counter.
6: Don’t forget the pretty stuff. Functionality is the most important thing, but try to find some space to make your kitchen pretty. I love to bake, but I love it more when I am in a beautiful kitchen. A glass front cabinet with your favorite dishes is a great way to show off your beautiful collections. Inner-cabinet lighting will highlight these collections even more. Beautiful hardware can be the jewelry of your kitchen and a great way to update old cabinets.
7: Don’t limit your storage options to just cabinets. Lovely pieces of furniture can add great storage and beauty. This armoire is a great example of a beautiful piece used for functional storage.
The following are pics of my own kitchen-reno. It was a tiny kitchen, built in the 50′s and not functional at all. I completely gutted and redesigned the lay-out. It is still small, but the most functional kitchen I have ever worked in.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
After ( I used the deep cabinet above the fridge to store those long "fridge pack" drinks, and the smaller cabinet beside that to store wrapping paper.)
Before
After (I did eventually get a dishwasher for that giant whole under the countertop)
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