folly beach design plan

When a lovely reader from Salt Lake City emailed me for help decorating an old cedar shake bungalow she just purchased on Folly Beach, South Carolina, I jumped at the chance!  Even better?  Her only request was that the entire house be black and white with lots of texture, a beautiful backdrop for her rustic, antique furniture, planked walls and ceilings and collectibles from her travels that would create a comfy, cozy vibe but wouldn't detract from her amazing ocean view.  Done and done!  Originally from Massachussets, my client wanted to infuse a little New England vibe with subtle nautical influences, rustic lighting and lots of seagrass, reclaimed wood and comfortable furnishings.  Here is a little taste of some of the loveliness we've decided on, with lots more to come:

Please forgive me for not including sourcing information on this one - because this is a paying client, I didn't think it was fair to post!

If you are in need of decorating help and don't know where to start, please contact me at kstivers@Hotmail.com.  Happy Tuesday!

my bookshelves, restyled

One of the benefits of the occasional bout of insomnia is all the things I get accomplished around the house in the middle of the night/wee hours of the morning. To say I am unbearable without a good night's sleep is the understatement of the century, but when I see all the work I get done when I should be counting sheep, somehow it's a little more bearable.  My built-ins are a fabulous example.  We lost power for fifteen hours last night during one of the worst thunderstorms we've had in a while, so while the furbaby snored away on his bed, oblivious to the storm (lucky duck), I decided to clean the shelves on my built-ins and rearrange.  

If you're new around here, we built corner built-ins for an awkward space between our family room and kitchen.  It's been a lifesaver for additional storage, a place for our TV and also for opening up additional space in that weird spot.  Read about the before and after here. 

I added a bunch of texture - woven demijohn bottles, crusty old medicine bottles and faux coral for a nautical touch for summer.  Here's the right side and little sneak peek into my kitchen behind it:

The left side:

A few crusty old liquor and medicine bottles add a little interest:

Woven and glass demijohns and, of course, I couldn't style my bookshelves for summer without including a handmade monkey's fist - check out how I made it here:

Books, a favorite watercolor painting from a recent trip to the U.K. and some coral:

A great shot of my little lovebug and some of my favorite design books:

The hubby is a Marine and so we have a ton of books on the military, wars and sailing - it seemed only fitting to include a chunky piece of coral on top of a stack of some of his:

How do you like to style your bookshelves?  Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

mix + match

If you haven't seen Trad Home's Spring issue yet, mosey on over and check it out asap!  While the entire issue is chock full of loveliness, it's the colorful Cape Cod-style California bungalow designer Taylor Borsari transformed that really stands out for me. Borsari mixes contrasting textures, pattern, beautiful wallcoverings and a liberal use of saturated paint colors on furniture and cabinetry, this little jem is fun, fresh and so charming! 

The living room is my favorite spot in the house - pale pink walls, a dutch door, Moroccan-inspired curtain panels and oversize white furniture are so welcoming:

Contrasting prints on curtains, pillows and even a lamp are beautiful compliments to the seagrass chair, Morroccan-inspired table and bamboo Roman shades:

There is so much to love in this dining room, which lives larger than its tiny footprint, thanks to Peter Dunham's Samarkand wallcovering, an oversize pine hutch and that to-die-for brass lantern:

This bedroom is surprisingly calm and cozy, despite a liberal use of color and pattern, anchored by a beautiful iron canopied bed:

A cobalt blue La Cornue range?  So stunning!

Turquoise bunk beds, red and blue wallcovering and a striped rug all mix together beautifully in this little boys room:

To see more of this house, check out Trad Home's Spring issue here.

orange crush

Lately, I've found myself gravitating toward the most beautiful shades of orange...nail polish, dresses, bedding, pillows, even the different types of fruits and veggies at the farmer's market. From soft, muted coral all the way to bright, bold tangerine, this is such a fun, fresh and vibrant color for summer.  Like all bold, bright colors, I like them best in small doses.  While I add another coat of paint to my front door (pics coming soon!), I thought I'd share some of my picks for adding a little of this beautiful hue to your home and wardrobe this summer:

throw / Chamber's washed linen bedding / Bamboula tote / enamel cheese knife set / coral matches /

Wonki ware bowls / Coral bubble drop earrings / Resin coral / OPI Hot + Spicy / Orange striped straws /

Happy Hump Day!

easy, breezy

I've seen the living room shots of this house floating around the internet for a while now, but it wasn't until I started digging that I got to see the entire home and it's a stunner!  Turns out, this historic home is in East Hampton, New York, and was a complete renovation, courtesy of New York-based design firm, Chango + Co., who promptly gutted it right down to the studs, removing walls and creating an open floor plan with a wall of windows at the back that now lets the ocean breeze pass through the entire place.  White walls, dark floors, coffered ceilings and wall-to-wall windows are a beautiful, elegant backdrop for comfy, slipcovered furniture, industrial, nautical-inspired lighting, rustic accents, pops of yellow and bold pattern.  Young, fun and fresh.  I especially love the gauzy, white curtains on all the windows - can you imagine how lovely they would look billowing in the evening air, with candles everywhere? 

Simple, elegant entry.

So much to love in this living room - how about that wall of windows that opens directly to the patio and pool?  Amazing!

The chrome industrial pendants, galvanized Tolix stools and distressed farm table are such a lovely mix:

The dining room is my favorite spot in the house - that ceiling (!), the mantle, the round table, Klismos chairs and that fabulous light fixture are to die for!

Love the oversize hutch, with its wire mesh detailing:

Backyard bliss....

To see more of this house, click here.  Here are my picks for creating a similar look in your eating area/kitchen:

Farm table / Galvanized dining chairs / Zig zag pillow / Benson pendant light /

Clam shell / Yellow rug