Editor's Notes
02/16/12Powerfully PinkPink isn’t only for little girls anymore. In the past few years we’ve seen pink cover everything from a male fashion statement to the campaign for breast cancer. Why let everyone else have all the color? Pink is fabulous because it can be effortlessly delicate yet it works as an unexpected punch in home décor. Don’t be afraid to play around with this pretty pigment! Take a look at some of the fantastic ways that pink has been incorporated in these homes and be inspired to use this evolving color within your own designs. So glamorous! This beautiful rose quartz is called Rosado and is available through CaesarStone. I love the various patterns in this room. That they don’t all match does not matter as the tones and designs... |
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02/13/12Spring {Break} FeverLooking for a Place to Spend a Day like this over spring break? Then make sure you choose a family-friendly spot for your vacation. I’m all about kids’ camps these days. The little ones get to burn energy, and mama gets some down time. On my list? Anywhere warm, salty, and sunny with an active kids’ camp. Check out this info I just received from the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. They are some pretty great deals to keep everyone entertained. Complimentary amenities including free rental of bicycles, canoes, kayaks, tennis courts; free fitness center access; free children’s activities (in season) and complimentary resort-wide tram service — offered every day of a guest’s stay. Club KZ Club KZ gives kids the... |
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02/09/12From House to HomeMy sister and her husband are moving soon! The house they have purchased is fabulous. It's in a great location, has plenty of room for their needs now as well as in the future, and has a beautiful yard for gardening and such. While the house is wonderful as it is, turning this house into their home will come with time and changes they choose to make. For example, the blue tile the previous owners loved may have been just what made them smile at the start of each day, but it's not necessarily what screams "good morning!" to my sister. Just like one might prefer carpet to hardwood flooring. Or using a second bedroom as an office instead of an at-home yoga studio. It's truly the preferences of a homeowner that make a space feel like theirs. While they are in... Posted at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
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02/06/12Hunting in JanuaryTwo weeks ago photographer Holly Lynne Killian and I headed down to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens to look at all the budding flowers. I guess the warm weather tricked me into thinking that we’d be rolling around in a field of poppies like Dorothy at the gates of the Emerald City. Not quite, I’m afraid. Once we got there, I was disappointed to realize that we’re really still in the throws of winter. The green house was closed for maintenance, so we couldn’t go in there and look at flowers. Did we give up hope? Absolutely not! We were determined to find flowers, so we looked high and low. Our trip quickly became somewhat of an Easter egg hunt. I would find a flower and she would photograph it while I wandered around in search of more treasure. While I was... |
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02/01/12Reinvent Your SpaceRecently, I had the pleasure of going to King’s House Antiques for their monthly Third Thursday meeting where architect Chris Reebals and designer Doug Davis spoke about putting together our 2011 Inspiration Home. Afterwards, I asked Doug how often he thinks people should redecorate. He surprised me by saying, “as little as possible.” The key, he explained, is that when you initially begin to decorate you ought to buy quality, classic pieces in basic colors that you can accessorize with color. If you want a change in your living room it is much easier (and a whole lot cheaper) to change the throw pillows than get a new sofa. Doug also said that it’s best to stay away from trendy items that will look old in a few years. I thought this was great advice.... |
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01/25/12They’re Not Just for Coffee AnymoreDo you remember that Seinfeld episode where Kramer writes a coffee table book about coffee tables? Well, if you’re anything like me, you didn’t think that was such a crazy idea at all! I would have bought that book for myself and gifted it to all my design loving friends. While coffee tables might be a good place to house your coasters and the latest issue of Birmingham Home & Garden, they can often be works of art in and of themselves. Have a look at some of my favorite coffee tables from Pintrest. Some of these tables really got my creative juices flowing! Let us know what you think! {What a creative way to use these old wooden carts!} {This velvet ottoman looks quite rich and decadent.} {Painted, stained or raw bring the outdoors in by... |
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01/23/12Third Thursday at The King's House AntiquesOur friends at The King’s House Antiques held their monthly Third Thursdays meeting yesterday, and outfitting magazine idea houses was the topic. Speakers included Doug Davis from Tracery Interiors, Chris Reebals from Christopher Architects, and our own Cathy Still Johnson, who helped moderate the Q&A. Cathy explained Birmingham Home & Garden's Inspiration Home’s local approach to design and furnishing as wanting to show that Birmingham is a "great design center” in its own right. I don’t know about you, but I can’t stand shopping out of a catalog, so having the chance to go look at all the wonderful design elements of the house in nearby stores is terrific. {from left to right: Cathy Still Johnson, Doug Davis and Chris... |
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01/20/12This Little Light of MineWhen I was growing up there was a woman in our neighborhood who collected lamps. Her style was certainly eclectic, to put it mildly. Every available surface possessed some kind of illuminate. Her home became known affectionately around the neighborhood as the Lamp Shop because the big picture window in her living-room was crowded with lamps of all kinds. At night, I remember, that window shone in a mosaic of colors and varying degrees of brightness. No telling what her light bill was! Now that I’m grown, I too love a good lamp. My obsession with them doesn’t come close to rivaling Mrs.”Lamp Shop,” but I do believe that a good lamp can add a pleasantly surprising boost of color, unique shape or texture to an otherwise traditional room. And even if... |
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12/20/11Silent Night…Remember Meg Margjeka’s oh-so-fabulous nursery? Well, I’ve been thinking about it ever since spotting it in the magazine. Dark walls with white and bright accents in a nursery really appeal to my tastes. In my mind it seems like it’d be a great place for sleeping. {Which is what the goal is when the little bit is in there, right?} Nursery style, like any home décor, comes down to personal taste. If you have a little one, you’re in that room a LOT. Better put something in there that you’re happy staring at for a while—or at least at three in the morning. Nurseries run the design gamut these days. And as my mother-in-law has recently said, “They sure are more sophisticated than any nurseries we ever had.” What’s... |
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12/07/11Oh Christmas Tree!I decorated my Christmas tree last weekend. It may not be worthy of a photo, but my girls love it, and because they do, well, so do I. We used every ornament we had and assembled a chaotic mix of Christopher Radko, Vietri, shiny Santas, and more than enough school crafts. Great big colorful bulbs add to the — um…festive (?) look. While I’m still dreaming of a glorious, designer-done tree, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite images with you that I’ve pulled from magazines over the years. Enjoy! This tree shows off traditional red and green décor with festive santas and snowmen. Who doesn’t like the dreamy look of a flocked tree? It’s the perfect way to transform your home into a winter... |
