black walls

Black walls might sound sort of scary but they actually can be pretty amazing. Like white walls, black walls are classic and go with almost any style. However, they tend to be much more of a statement so they aren't always as easy to incorporate into an overall design. One of the biggest things to keep in mind when considering painting walls black is that there needs to be a lot of natural light in the room. Without light, the room will be dark and the tone will fall flat. Personally, I would love to do a den or cozy family room in black. See below for some inspiration images. Happy hump day!

1. source unknown  2. via urdesign by bfs design  3. source unknown  4. via ELLE home of Sasha Adler  5. via Architectural Digest home of Jenni Kayne  6. via The Peak of Tres Chic original published in Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles 7. via small shop blog design by Gabriel Hendifar

modern renovation

Yesterday, I had a meeting with a homeowner to discuss the renovation of a previous addition to their 1950s (I am guessing) home. The addition was probably added in the 60s or 70s and was a solarium/swanky hang out room. Its roughly 900 square feet and the homeowners would like to convert it to include a master suite, powder room and seating area. From the exterior, the addition is quite noticeable and not necessarily in a good way. The main challenge of this project will be how to make the addition flow with the rest of the house both on the exterior and interior. We discussed two strategies for the exterior. The first is to change the roofline of the addition to mimic the gables that appear on the other side of the house. In doing this, as well as changing out the windows to match the rest of the house the facade will work as a cohesive whole. The second option is to "modernize" the addition so that it stands out in a distinct and new way while still complimenting the traditional existing facade. With any addition or renovation of an existing facade, proportion, scale and material selection are key. As part of the initial design process, I have started looking at examples of modern additions to traditional homes. See below for a few well done examples and head to their respective websites for a closer look at the designs. 

short hills by Messana O'Rorke Architects

farmhouse addition by Wyant Architecture

Karen von Hahn House Addition via House & Home design by 3rd Uncle Design

via Dwell design by Beebe Skidmore

design inspiration for our living room

Our living room is in need of some updating. To begin, our floor lamp that supplies our main source of light has a broken shade. Our sofa, as I mentioned in the sheep skin post, has one too many stains. Our rug is extremely faded and almost torn as Booker tries to burrow a hole in it each evening. We have no art on the walls - the list could go on. So needless to say I have been dreaming of making some changes.

The design below started with the lamps. I came across these Ranarp reading lamps last week via REMODELISTA and love their vintage industrial look. I also like the touch of brass and their price at just $59.99 each. Paired together they would not only provide much needed light but create a sort of sculpture around the sofa. Between the lamps, I would love to hang a large print like this one from Kevin Russ. A new sofa something like this Montgomery down filled sofa would be nice as it is comfortable while still being tailored. I would choose an upholstery fabric that is Booker friendly like the brushed heathered cotton in flax and add two long lumbar pillows in a simple maybe tribal influenced fabric. In terms of tables, I would use our existing hexagon shaped brass side table and get a new lucite coffee table that would make the space feel more open but would also be very practical (I like our current coffee table but it is rather narrow and wood which isn't great for putting feet up or setting down drinks). Finally, I would love to paint the room something darker like Oval Room Blue No.85 from Farrow and Ball. A lot more would need to go into the room like a new rug and maybe some new chairs but its a starting point that I could potentially even make a reality...

1. ranarp lamps from ikea  2. montgomery sofa from west elm 3. art from kevin russ 4. lucite table from CB2  5. side table from overstock