good bones, great pieces

I'm a little late to the party (surprise, surprise) and just ordered my copy of Good Bones, Great Pieces, the brainchild of mother/daughter blogging and interior design duo Suzanne and Lauren McGrath and I absolutely LOVE IT!!! Good Bones, Great Pieces was one of the very first blogs I followed way back in the day and their book is not only a great guide for finding timeless furniture and accessories that will always be classic, but it's also chock full of bright and beautiful spaces from Suzanne and Lauren's portfolio.  I can't think of a better way to end a crazy week than with a few of my favorite fun, fresh and elegant spaces from the McGraths:

To see more of their work, check out their portfolio and their blog! 

Happy Friday!

gilded frames

Earlier this week I got a call from a friend asking me to help her with a generously-sized gallery wall in her living room.  I am a firm believer that every house should have an amazing gallery wall of favorite photos and art, so I was especially happy to help!  She had seen a blog post from a few months back in which I had showed how to create a "gilded" look on picture frames with spray paint and gel stain and wanted to transform hers to "gilded" perfection.  Mirrors, chalkboards, picture frames all look amazing with a little bit of the midas touch and it's such an easy and relatively inexpensive way to add warmth, texture and character to any space.  To see how to create the look yourself, check out my tutorial here and feast your eyes on some "gilded" eye candy:

Elsa Soyars

Urban Grace Interiors + Lonny

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via

Haute Indoor Couture

Lonny

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Traditional Home

one hell of a porch!

It's cold and pouring down rain as I sit here writing this post, and while I've got a little while longer before warmer temps and margaritas by my pool, I'm lusting over this amazing porch by interior designer Anne Hepfer!  I love the charcoal gray shakes and the beautiful contrast it creates against the white beadboard beneath the porch.  Wicker chairs, generously sized banquette seating, a driftwood mirror and that fabulous geometric chandelier bring the indoors out with texture and warmth.  But nothing can trump that view...hello, gorgeous!

Here are my picks for creating a similar feel:

I love these chevron striped pillows and think the bold black and white are the perfect nautical touch!

These Capri wicker chairs from Ballard have always been a favorite of mine -  they work with any decor style!

A jute-wrapped orb chandelier is another nautical nod (and it's on sale!)

Hanging mirrors outside is a great way to bounce light (or the view of a pool or the beach!) and bring a bit of the indoors out.  It would be an easy project to make your own, but if you don't have a bevy of driftwood near you, this beauty would certainly do!

Love these fiberglass planters that look a lot like zinc!  I would plant big ornamental grass with some trailing sweet potato vine for color and contrast. 

privacy, please

I woke up last week to the sound of a chainsaw and bulldozer tearing their way through all the beautiful pines behind my lot.  It was like a knife through the heart, watching them demolish all those trees, but, the lady who is building on the property is not a fan and wanted them all removed.  Thankfully, the builder got her to leave a bunch along the perimeter to form a barrier between our lots, but I couldn't get my buddy, Pete, who owns a local nursery, out here fast enough to tell me what I need to plant that will grow fast and give us a lot more privacy...especially around the pool! 

To let you know what we're working with, here is a shot of my backyard from last summer:

My first thought is to plant a gigantic wall of Green Giant arborvitaes straight down the 250-foot fence line and call it a day - they grow three feet each year and reach thirty feet high.  Look how pretty:

I love all green and I actually prefer natural, borderless plantings since it's amongst all our pine trees and pinestraw, so I think the green giants are the ideal pick.  To add a little softness, maybe a row of limelight hydrangeas in front?  Not only are they beautiful, but they also grow up to 8-10 feet:

Ligustrum, wax myrtle and cleyera are fast-growing evergreen plants that grow like weeds - I like them unclipped, growing naturally, like these:

...but they look just as beautiful closely-cropped:

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I'm getting started in the next couple of weeks....stay tuned to see what I'm going with!

designer love: jill goldberg

Boston-based designer Jill Goldberg is a girl after my own heart!  Her home furnishings boutique, Hudson Boston, is one of my favorite jaunts to visit when I'm in town - the girl can style a vignette like none other!  And her interior design portfolio is just as impressive.  Combining her New England roots with casual California style, all of her spaces look as comfy as they do elegant, effortlessly blending antiques with more modern pieces and lots of bold color, pattern and texture.  Here are a few of my favorites from her portfolio - so fun, fresh and sophisticated!

Black and green look so fresh in this living room, echoing the crisp greenery right beyond the windows:

I love everything about this dining room - the wallpaper, the chandelier, the rustic table and black accents are so lovely together:

Mmmm...grasscloth and chrome accents - how divine!

Another sophisticated, beautifully layered living room that beckons you to curl up on that gorgeous velvet couch:

There is nothing more welcoming than an aqua door...except maybe a dramatically sized entry!

Love the wall color and mix of pattern in this sitting room:

Not only are those cobalt lamps divine, but they totally make this dining room!

I will NEVER grow tired of grasscloth...love how it warms up a red, white and blue color palette:

Luckily, for those of us who don't live close enough to pop into Hudson whenever the mood strikes us, a recently revamped website showcases some gorgeously-styled vignettes and beautiful pieces - like these gold silk club chairs:

Love this striped settee and oversize oval mirror:

Dark walls are the perfect backdrop for seascape paintings and I love that cowhide stool!

Those antique brass lamps and navy shades are my absolute favorite items in the entire shop!

To see more from Hudson, check out their website here. 

Happy Hump Day!