outdoor curtains

We have been negligent in taking care of our porch furniture and its really starting to show. Our main concern is our RH Outlet sofa. Its covered but when it rains one armrest gets wet and since it has a natural teak frame, there now is a pretty good water mark. We have talked about getting a cover but knowing us we would not be diligent in putting it on. So our solution is to get curtains for that side of the porch. Obviously, they will need to be made of outdoor fabric and something with a heavier weight so they don't blow too much in the wind. The color is a bit challenging in that I would love to do off white but with all the pollen in St.Louis I feel like they would quickly turn green. Right now, I am liking the idea of linen colored or a lighter beige. Not a huge difference from white but I think any other color would be too much for the space as I see it as super light and airy. Have a good weekend everyone!

from top left - home of John Dransfield and Geoffrey Ross via Lonny - via My House Ideas - via House Beautiful - via White + Gold - source unknown - source unknown - via Top Inspired - Napa Valley home via LUXE

stair runner reveal!!

A bit delayed because of our vacation but here it is - the stair runner reveal!

To recap, when we bought the house it had carpet up the stairs onto the landing and into two of the bedrooms. 

It smelled and was all around gross so it was gone before we even moved in. And I can't believe this but I don't have a single picture of what the stairs looked like once the carpet was removed! Needless to say they were pretty nasty - layers of paint, lots of holes and very noticeably uneven.

Because of the state of the stairs, I knew we had to paint them verse try to refinish the wood. I have always liked a black tread with a white riser so that was an easy first decision. For the runner, I initially liked the idea of a geometric or strip but with how uneven our stairs are we ultimately nixed that idea in favor of a solid. Then we did nothing about it for a couple of months...I finally ordered gray wool sisal in November which arrived to our installer mid-December.

It wasn't till February that I and my team of helpers started prepping the stairs for painting. We sanded and filled and then sanded and filled some more. I finally started painting around the end of March. Seeing as it was going to be much more difficult to paint the surrounding walls after the stairs were done, I decided to add that to the project list as well.

Once the walls and baseboards were given a fresh coat of white paint, I painted the risers white and then finally the day before install I painted the treads black. I still need to do some touch up but for the most part the stairs are good to go! I am very pleased with how it turned out although the area definitely needs to be warmed up with art and lighting. I also purchased antique brass stair rods which are in the images below. They still need to be cut to size and properly installed but I don't mind them just propped in place. 

It feels great to finally have this project (most of the way) complete and as per usual my mind is already onto the next to do list. 

McGrath II

McGrath II is my newest design resource find. Voted as one of the best design blogs of 2015 by Domino Magazine, McGrath II is run by mother daughter duo Suzanne and Lauren. The two, which also operate their own interiors business and have written a book, blog about all things design related and seem to have a format that is somewhat similar to THE PLACE HOME.

*from the design portfolio of McGrath II

All the posts are archived into easily navigable sections such as Artist Spotlight, Decorating, and Styling and include such posts as The Best Light Blue Paint Colors, Arne Jacobsen , Back to Back Sofas, 6 Tips to Enhance An Entryway and so much more. 

Another cool feature of their blog is their resource section where they present a curated list of their favorite stores. There is honestly so much to check out with this blog that I feel like I could spend an inordinate amount of time on their site. And perhaps the best thing about McGrath II, is how easy and pleasant it is to use - well designed, interesting content and good taste. So check it out!