Home Tour

The home and garden section of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel can be a little lackluster, but I was pleasantly surprised when this home tour popped up in last Sunday's paper. This colonial house in Whitefish Bay, just a couple miles north of Milwaukee, is home to an interior decorator and magazine editor who undeniably have great taste. Check out some of the rooms. For more photos, see the full JSonline article, here.

photos: Ernie Mastroianni, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Tucked away

Source: sweethomestyle.tumblr.com via Sara on Pinterest

Source: moredesignplease.com via Sara on Pinterest

Source: bookshelfporn.com via Sara on Pinterest

Source: vintagehome.tumblr.com via Sara on Pinterest

Source: c497280.r80.cf2.rackcdn.com via Sara on Pinterest

These tucked away beds look so fun - like a fort for grown-ups. I've been racking my brain over the last couple weeks trying to figure out a small nook in our old house that could one day be renovated into something, anything, like this, but it just isn't meant to be. So if you have one of these kind of beds - I totally want to come over and take a nap.

Inside Neko Case's Home

I about flipped when I saw these home tour photos of Neko Case's Vermont home in the pages of Country Living. When it comes to artists I get insanely excited about, Neko tops the list. And I found these photos to be quite inspiring. See, I've been trying to pull off a mix of antique (my parents run an antique flea market) meets rock and roll (my husband is in the music business) with basic modern elements as a decor for our house. I found a working balance but nothing I'm wowed with. After seeing Neko's house, I finally get what I'm trying to do. Cue the lightbulb.

Decorating: Howl Street Recordings

This amazing studio decor is part of Howl Street Recordings in Milwaukee. It only makes sense that recording studios should look "inspiring" and "comortable", not like a lab or interrogation room. It's a place to be creative and make some great music. The tree bark walls really kick that theory up a notchy. Well done.

I want to go to there: backyard firepit

Pinterest


Lonny Magazine


pine to prairie

Dreaming of sitting outside on a beautiful patio and watching the fire.....
a pool would be nice, too (just throwin' that in there)

Do you guys have a backyard fire pit? Tell me more!

Decorating: a kitchen nook

via elle decor


via apartment therapy


via apartment therapy


via good housekeeping


via decorpad

When we first moved into our house, I HATED the 80's pine kitchen nook/built in that came with the house. I had originally planned to haul the ugly thing to the curb on move in day, but my husband was very attached to this 80's monstrosity. Over the past three years, I may, just may have accepted this thing into our home. But now, I think it needs some pillows and maybe a new table. The old can go in the basement and live. Hey, it's better than the curb.


our... ahem, "lovely" nook

Upholstered.

This chair looks amazing, right? Today it got some big recognition! Hop on over to Design*Sponge to see the whole post on Sara's chair. I can't believe this is the same chair.

It's all the work of Milwaukeean and amateur reupholsterer Sara Mulloy who reupholstered this shabby wingback as part of her Upholstery class at WCTC. Sara has a good eye when it comes to art and design. You can read about her local art scene picks on JSonline's Art City blog. I couldn't find when WCTC offers another class, but I've seen them offered regularly (I have contemplated taking it myself in the past). MATC also offers an upholstery class, too. Makes you wanna go out and learn right now, yes?

Catching up on reading.....

Some pathophysiology reading AND some not-so academic reading. I finally opened up the new Lonny Magazine and wanted to share some of my favorite photos. My synopsis: Dark paint is IN and those diptyque candles are EVERYWHERE.



Makes me want to rip out the windows in my kitchen and replace them with this.

I love how this wall is arranged. Perfect.

A black kitchen. Who knew?

And then I read the new Milwaukee Magazine with the cover story "Best Suburbs". I'm not a suburbanite and/or fan, but I did start getting ideas about a scooter getaway to Cedarburg. My favorite bit in the new issue was seeing my friends' restaurant, Hue, featured on pages 13, 80, AND 81! If you haven't gone to Hue, you have to go and try the Pho and the spicy crab rangoons.

Ghananian market baskets

source

We arrived back in Ghana last night after a very loooong evening due to some flight problems and consequently everyone eating some questionable airport food that is not boding well. But alas, we made it and finally went to the market I have been anxiously waiting. Getting a Bolga basket in Ghana has been at the top of my Travel Checklist for a while now.

Bolga baskets get their name from the area in Ghana in which they are made, Bolgatanga, in the upper east region. The baskets are hand-woven, commonly using a checkerboard pattern or triangular pattern with dyed colorful straw. If you bought a medium large basket in Bolgatanga, it would cost about $2USD. I paid $13, mostly because I was too tired to dicker anymore. Anyways, these baskets are incredibly durable because of their thick weaving and leather handle. They also bend or collapse to be more compact when traveling or packing in a suitcase. I bought two, one for the living room as a catch-all and the other by the back door for mittens and scarves.

Here are some other pictures......




1. 2. 3.

Decorating: Conan's TBS set

Lulu Tweed Chair, Moon Light, Vintage Toby mug, Noguchi Table

It was great to see Conan back on the air last night. I have missed you, Coco. And in honor of your return, I may just include a moving paper moon into my living room decor. Because why not.

Decorating: Navy walls

I'm giving serious thought to painting our guest bedroom walls a dark navy blue. It would look so sharp. Here are a few examples of what I'm talking about. For such a dark color, use of neutrals and whites will be key, along with adequate primer. Any other tips I should know for painting a room a dark color?





photos (top to bottom): Rue magazine, elledecor, domino magazine

Vintage Decorating: Math and Science

I am a big fan of decorating your house with items that have some "personal meaning" to you (ie I don't own these). I love incorporating vintage pieces that reflect your profession. For writers--a vintage typewriter. For gardeners--botany prints. For teachers--an old desk or dictionary. For musicians--old instruments or records. As a nurse, I have a mini microscope in my office area and old Florence Nightingale book. If your job or hobby is in math or science here are a few ideas....

(FYI: The Elkhorn Flea Market is tomorrow! I'll be shopping at the crack of dawn and then working at the front desk in the office for the rest of the day. Stop by and say hi if you're there!)



1. Vintage Abacus from GreaterRetroArea 2. Vintage Math Flashcards from SaturdayAMVintage 3. Moon Globe from JHerrmann 4. Vintage Utility Scale from havenvintage 5. Vintage Phrenology head from creamcityvintage 6. Space Telescope from hindsvik 7. Molecular Model from CathodeBlue 8. Black Pepper Botany print from Holcroft 9. Vintage First Aid kit from vintageseventyfive

TV night! Secrets from a Stylist

I'm definitely DVRing this. I saw a commercial about the winner of HGTV's Design Star Season 4, Emily Henderson. I love her eclectic boho-chic style. She now has her own show called Secrets from a Stylist that premieres tonight. I love the rooms she has done so far!

Decorating: Monticello

On the overseas plane ride, I read the entire Elle Decor magazine (among like 5 others). Yes, READ it, instead of "reading" only the pictures. This month's issue had an article about Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia that just underwent a mini makeover thanks to a donation and help from Polo Ralph Lauren. Unlike some makeovers that make the decor a little more modern and current, this makeover strived to make the room's furniture and wall paint more authentic to how it was originally. The results: my, that Jefferson had some good taste for the 1700's.




That yellow, called "chrome-yellow", is actually a replica of the orginal paint scrapings they found on the dining room walls. Such a bold yet pretty color! A lot of the furniture is orginal to the house, including some Chippendale pieces. Here are a few pieces I found on Etsy that have that same federalist, neo-classicism style of Monticello. Click on them to view the source. Look for some of these at the Elkhorn Flea Market this weekend (8/8)!