In our remodel, I wanted our floors to be as dark as possible.  Now, as I start to think about my office space (in our back-house above the detached garage) I want to replace the carpet for bleached/cerused oak floors.

Bieke Van Houtte

via

Details A Design Firm, via Houzz

When I think of bleached oak…..I am not talking the shiny blond stuff of the 80s that sort of makes me cringe.  I am thinking a more rustic light wood with movement.  I haven’t gotten too far on the plan for the space.  I know I want a huge work table that will double as a fabric cutting table.  And, I know I want to incorporate in this green wallpaper from Quadrille (which will be sold in my shop when I launch).  I am thinking of using it on the ceiling….or perhaps in the kitchenette/bathroom area (where I am hoping the budget will allow the swap out of formica countertops for marble).

Katie Rosenfield

Currently, the space has two twin beds for overflow visitors.  Those will swap out (relocating to Harry’s room when the crib goes) for a neutral sofa with a nice pull out bed (anyone have brands they recommend that are comfy?)  And I know I want to do a chair or two in this fabric from Schumacher. 

Finally, this new table that Worlds Away introduced this spring is begging to be used in a project…..so it might find its way into my plan.  (It comes in white and navy lacquer as well).

This project will probably not kick off until at least August as we have some hectic months ahead, but I am anxious to get my office set up properly (you should see the shambles it is in at the moment) so I can do a better job of separating the space between work and personal time.  I am not good at this at all…..and my goal is to get to a point where the office door closes and so does work!   I can hope, right?

Happy Monday! 

via

Did you have a good week?  I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel on my website.  Why, you may ask, haven’t I launched it yet?  Well, we are so close…..but have decided that I need my own dedicated server so that the site will load quicker.  I have over 14,000 fabric skus from one vendor alone, thousands of rugs and lamps and accessories.  All of these products have hi resolution images…..and it was starting to affect the speed with which we could shop the site.  So, we are in a bit of a holding pattern waiting for the upgrade to be complete.  Once that happens, we can load the few more vendors we want in the shop before we launch and then we are ready to go.  I am happy we’ve made this decision now vs. wait for issues once we go live.  And I recently added a new trade only fabric vendor to my line up on the shop and I am so excited to share with you.

Call it the promise of spring, but I’ve been focusing on doing a few things around the house.  I am working on getting an arrangement with orchids made in my giant clam shell for the foyer.  Finding the perfect height to compliment the mirror is harder than one might initially think.  My husband came to me with the below inspiration image (who knew?) for a rug in the foyer.  I’ll admit….despite the yellow front door….I had never thought of doing yellow in the foyer.

Meyer & Meyer, Inc. via Houzz

Thanks to reader, Libby, I found the artist I was looking for in my post earlier this week.  Lucky for me, his studio is a stones throw from where I live and I am meeting to pick out two pairs of his line drawings next week.  Finally, the living room is making some progress.

Don Bodine

Speaking of the living room, I am doing a custom pair of mirrors to flank the fireplace.

The process has been slow……bit I think we are getting there.  Just waiting for the CAD drawings to make sure everything works.  The mirrors will be similar to this one….except the dividers will run perpendicular instead of at an angle.  And the mirror will be antiqued.  My mirrors will be quite a bit wider than the inspiration.  The mirror floats in the frame, sortof like how the painting is framed.

I ordered a pair of these table lamps for the sofa table in our family room.  They will sit on the table (below the lamp) that I purchased last year.

Finally, I am trying to refocus on finding a fabric for the porch swing and chairs on our front porch.  I thought I had found the perfect yellow Ikat fabric last year, but two not right CFAs later, we decided to move on.  I’ve got the below Trina Turk fabric on my radar.  I think the yellow and grey would go well with our grey shutters and yellow front door. I am not 100% sold though……What do you think?

We have a relatively low key weekend planned around here.  Other than a birthday party and soccer practice, we have no set plans.  With temps supposed in the 80s, I am thinking it is the perfect weekend to tackle the garage which needs a major clean out.  We shall see.  Oh yes, and I promised my husband I’d try to make him this cake….

Southern Living Hummingbird Cake

Hope you have a happy weekend!

Harry is 2.5 and his room still pretty much looks like in did in these images I shared quite some time ago.  His built-in shelves (which you cannot see in the photos) are moderately styled and I’ve got a new piece of art on the wall.  But, I know his days left in the crib aren’t terribly long and I’ve kinda got the next iteration floating around in the back of my mind.

I am thinking of doing a pair single beds in his room…and might even do iron again….I so love that crib!  The dresser turned changing table will likely eventually go….as will the glider/ottoman left over from Maddie’s nursery.  The other day while waiting for some memo samples to be pulled, I was browsing through nearby fabric wings and came across this fabulous camo fabric (from Clarence House) and had to bring a sample home with me.  The colors work perfectly with the room……I am thinking pillow shams perhaps….layered with some more simple, neutral fabrics.

And then Saturday night, we were having dinner with friends in the Bishop Arts district of Dallas (such a cool area I cannot believe I hadn’t been to yet) and we headed over an hour before our reservation to wander around and shop the local galleries, home stores and street vendors.  I spotted these cute felt animal heads and immediately felt the urge to have another boy so I could use my camo fabric and these guys in the nursery.  (A great reason to want another kid, right?  Don’t worry, that urge passed…..quickly).

What’s your opinion on the shelf life of these guys….baby only, or would they work for a toddler?  And, please no comments on the camo and animal heads.  I do live in Texas now…..

I have two spots in my home (each of which is upstairs) where I am considering eclectic gallery walls.  I am thinking a mix of frames, art and photographs.

via

Caitlin Wilson Design

Ivy & Piper, February 2013

via

via

Bonnie Tsang for Style Me Pretty

Do you like the look?

Any inspirations images I should check out?

Our guests start arriving tonight and by Saturday there will be nine of us together through the holiday. I am so excited to have my family here and while the house will be packed and chaotic, I couldn’t be happier.  And, I doubt anyone will care that there are still presents to be wrapped and last minute presents to pick up.  I am going to enjoy this time with my family (which will no doubt be bittersweet and hard with the massive absence of my mom who was the conductor of all family events.  She left big shoes that will certainly never be filled).

So, I leave you with another little sneak peek from our house.  Still needs work….but the framed intaglios arrived and I love them.  Slowly but surely around here!

I wish you and your family a beautiful holiday.

I’ll be back next week after Christmas.

xoxoxo, Susie

I pinned this image a while back.

via

I think simple matelasse bedding would be perfect with the headboard and roman shades in our guest bedroom.  So, finding the right shade (need more of an off-white) and ordering more of the blue tape I used on the romans is on my “to-do” list at the moment.

Slowly but surely the room is coming together.  Found a comfy chair over the weekend in the perfect navy check.  It is on the other side of the room next to the armoire that holds a TV.  Side tables, lamps and art are in order and then the room is pretty much done.  I feel like that is the story of my house these days…..almost but not quite. 

PS–If you are in Dallas and free on Friday AM, please consider visiting our charity home tour featuring 5 Highland Park Homes.  More details here.