What’s New Wednesday: New Custom Ceramic Lamps

Lamps are the jewelry of a room and our latest lamp arrivals help make a statement! Our customized celery ceramic lamps are perfectly chic and classic. The celery ceramic base adds a refined pop of color, while it is still subtle enough to be paired with other cool blue, cream, and white accessories.

The mounting and finial of the ceramic lamps are finished with gold leaf, which is a great accent to the lush celery color of the lamp’s ceramic base. The oatmeal linen drum shade also adds a touch to the elegance of the lamps.

The custom ceramic lamp is 34”H and the dimensions of the oatmeal linen drum shade are 19”W x 11”H. Each lamp sells for $389.00.

Want to customize and design your own ceramic lamp? With a palette of 35 forecasted fashion colors , 11 different base shapes, and 3 different mounting and final finishes to choose from, you can play designer and customize your very own colored ceramic lamp. Come in to the store to learn more about the custom ceramic lamp program!

2014: Starting Fresh

I am not a big “New Year’s Resolution” person, but I do love a fresh start and the New Year is a perfect time for that!

Source: Pinterest

Scott & I geared up for the New Year by ‘simplifying’ our home, making piles and piles for donations, recycling and trash.  Honestly, our house looked clean, but over 5 years we had managed to fill every drawer, cabinet and cubby with ‘stuff’(a lot of it paper).

Now the house feels like this:

Source

Whew, it just feels good to get more organized and to have some space to breath behind the cabinets.

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It is amazing how many half used bottles of lotions and shampoos I had in the bathroom cabinets, not to mention writing pens (but that is a whole different topic)!

Emily, Scott and I tackled our ‘design library’ at the store.  We have so many catalogs, binders, memos samples and fabric books.  Now everything is neatly organized and labeled so everyone knows where to find things.  And that makes everyday run a lot more smoothly.

And, speaking of running smoothly, I love having this year’s version of Whitney English’s Day Designer.  My sister got me one last year and it is a wonderful organizational tool for running your day.

So, goal #1 for me for 2014 is SIMPLIFY.  Get rid of the excess and clutter and stay focused on the right priorities!

This also frees up time for me to work on GETTING INSPIRED!  We have so many amazing projects already in the cue for this year- a cool media room for an Austin-based Film Producer, the creation of the interiors for a new women’s boutique based in an old home downtown, more model apartments and clubhouses, not to mention all our residential projects.

An inspiration image for the new clothing boutique from Beholden

Our team is committed to BEING ORIGINAL in our design work and our projects, so we are staffing up and gearing up to create the most amazing rooms in Austin.  Our biggest opportunity to be original is going to be with the Parade of Homes in April.  We are currently knee deep in the planning and designing of that home which is stretching our creative minds and our work loads!

And, we are ready to WORK HARD this year.  Austin is growing like crazy and we are geared up to get the work done.  If nothing else, we are committed to good customer service.  If our clients ENJOY, then we can ENJOY, what we envision, what we create and what we do best, which is creating beautiful spaces.

So, here is to 2014 and creating beauty.  We would love to create beauty in your space, just reach out and we can tell you about how we can help!

What’s New Wednesday: New Hours & Metal Lattice Console

Cheers to the New Year! While you start to consider what resolutions you will set for yourself in the new year, a goal to consider for 2014 is starting a home improvement project. Whether you start a large-scale design project, decorate a room, or add a few special pieces to your home’s current décor, design projects are manageable goals to set throughout the year.

One piece that we are excited to have in our store this new year is the metal lattice console. It features a Mindi wood top in a sandblasted driftwood finish on a metal base with a lattice design pattern on three sides.

The woven metal detailing in the base of the console paired with the lighter driftwood top allows this piece to make an impact, yet it is still very subtle and classic. It would be perfect in a entryway or living room.

The overall dimensions of the console are 73” W x 16”D 36”H and It sells for $1,259.99.

And, with the holiday rush over, we will be changing our Saturday hours from 10-5pm to 10-3pm.  We will still be open 10-6pm on the week days and we are always available by appointment!

Come visit us and let us assist you in your 2014 design projects!

DIY Ornament Tree

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!  We surely did!

I thought I would just quickly share some photos from our “DIY Ornament Tree” in Montana.

We had great fun making all the ornaments on the tree from scratch.

Allison showed you the button wreath idea from Martha Stewart’s website.  Here are a couple of ours:

The initial ornaments turned out great and were so easy:

These little candy cane mice were super cute:

We also did God’s Eye ornaments (remember those from summer camp?)

And frosted trees made from real twigs.

Thank goodness someone had already collected twigs for the fire which we could use on the ornaments, because generally it looked like this up there:

We enjoyed spending the day indoors making the ornaments.  A great time for all ages and I highly recommend the activity for your family next year!

Now, I am going to spend the next few days recouping, un-thawing and getting organized for the new year!  We have a lot of projects ready to kick off and I predict 2014 is going to be even busier than 2013!

What’s New Wednesday: Round Dining Table with Metal Pedestal Base

Merry Christmas! We hope that you spent your holiday with those closest to you. We will resume normal hours tomorrow at 10 am and all of our Christmas décor will be 40% off.

Before we began our Christmas holiday, we received a round dining table that serves as a great conversation piece. It features a hand hammered pedestal base with a Mindi wood top in a rich Espresso finish.

The intricate woven detailing of the hand hammered metal pedestal base makes the dining table unique.

The overall dimensions of the dining table are 60’’ Diameter and 30” H. The table can comfortably seat five people and it sells for $2,599.

We will be closed New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day to ring in the new year with our families. We will resume normal hours on Thursday, January 2nd at 10 am. Whether you plan to make 2014 a year of self-improvements or home improvements, we hope that 2014 is your best year yet!

Holiday Traditions & DIY Ornaments

I am really pleased to share with you a post today written by my sister, Allison.  We grew up with parents who were really into Christmas and family traditions and it left us with a lot of fun memories (matching Christmas pajamas, tons of presents, and a full catalog of ornaments from family members).

Allison has incorporated a lot of those traditions with her children, and as they grow up, is working on how to keep the traditions but evolve them with her children’s maturity.  She is going to share her thoughts, as well as some ideas on ‘do it yourself’ ornaments for this year’s Christmas tree!  So, here you go….

As Christmas quickly rolls around, I am reminded of how fast this year has gone.  It has been a great year and as we began to decorate our house, I realize, that as in life – our Christmas decorations have moved into the next phase in their life as well.

Allison’s girls visiting Santa when they were young, and not too sure about the whole thing!

I believe my mother began purchasing Christmas ornaments for each of her children on the day of our births.  The day I moved out of my parents home, I was given my ornaments – along with notes cataloging each ornament, the year it was purchased and from whom.  A tradition that thankfully, has since been passed to my daughters.  I am fairly certain at their ages (13 & 15) they can already each decorate their own 9 foot trees.

This is one of my favorite ornaments, from 1972 based on the nursery rhyme The Little Old Lady in the Shoe.

As quickly as our days of matching Christmas pajamas are gone.  So are the days that our tree was covered in kindergarten handmade ornaments,  that cover only the lowest braches of the tree,  just as high as their little arms could reach.  We now leave the Disney character ornaments, the ones that were so diligently collected after watching each beloved Disney movie release, in their original Disney “storybooks”.

Now our tree is covered in years of collected ornaments and decorative balls – not that I don’t sneak a kindergarten ornament or two on the tree for old times sake!  Our home is just decorated with a little more “mature” feel these days.

We love these holiday wall tiles from Heather Scott Home & Design.

We are going to add one more twist to the traditions this year.  We are headed to Montana to celebrate Christmas with family.  There will be no ornaments for this tree – so this year we will be making them.  I have never seen my girls have so much fun looking for ideas on great DIY Christmas ornaments.  Just one more sign of changing times…

Here are some of the great ideas the girls came up with for our tree. Check them out for yourself.

http://www.marthastewart.com/268828/button-wreath-ornament

http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/pottery-barn-knock-off-glitter-letter-ornament/

Each ‘family’ has to come up with their own DIY ornament idea and provide a list of the required craft items.  We will be spending a day with everyone making one of each other’s ornament ideas.

We are all excited about taking some down time to spend together and, yes, even the guys are participating.

If you are looking for some ideas to ‘disconnect’ from the iphones, ipads, and TVs and actually spend quality time together, why not think about a craft project?  Thanks to Pinterest, Martha Stewart and blogs, there are an unlimited amount of ideas out there!  Get your families involved, spend time together and remember that Christmas is not about being stressed out, it is about a birthday, being grateful and loving others.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours and best wishes for the New Year!

What’s New Wednesday: Dark Wood Consoles

 

Add a little rustic elegance to your home! We recently received two dark wood consoles that can also be used as a dining sideboard or as a media piece. The rich ash solids and veneers give the casegoods a rustic, yet formal feel. The consoles would look sharp in a dining room, living room, or entryway.

The first dark wood console we are featuring this week has a metal “X” back, three-drawers, and two shelves that can be accessorized with your favorite home décor. Its carved detailing and multi-functionality make it a special piece.

The dimensions are 72”W x 20”D x 36”H. It sells for $2,129.99.

Our next featured dark wood console is a great piece for enclosed storage. It has three-drawers and three cabinets with a dividing shelf. You can easily store linens, china, and other household items in the cabinets of this sideboard.

The dimensions are 70”W x 20”D x 38”H and it sells for $2,265.50.

Just a reminder we will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to celebrate the holiday with our family. We will resume normal hours on Thursday, December 26^th at 10 am. We wish you a very Merry Christmas and joyous New Year!

In Progress: Dental Office

Exactly one year ago today we sent out a design proposal for a new build dentist office.  It’s hard to believe that time can move so quickly, but a project can seem to take so long.  I am excited to say (and I certainly know that our client is equally elated) that we move her lobby and office furniture in on Monday!

In preparation for the big install I wanted to share some ‘in progress’ photos.  There were a lot of permit and inspection delays, but a project of this size really does take this long.  Prospective clients often under estimate the amount of time required to design and build a new space.

This is where we were 1 year ago:

Conceptual Drawing after a few revisions:

Just a couple of weeks ago the building looked even better than the illustration:

This is a dentist’s office on the right and a doctor’s office on the left.  We did the design work for the doctor and the dentist and I look forward to showing you final results for both!

The lobby for the dental office is going to be really special.  She wanted a fireplace and beams in the room. Her goal was to make the space more like a home than a business!

Our early layout:

Photo during construction.  Boy, you have to have vision at this point in time, don’t you?  What a mess!

This is where we were on Tuesday.  Big progress and less than 1 week to install!  I wouldn’t mind going to a dental office where this was the lobby, would you?

The office has three bathrooms: a public bathroom, employee bathroom and private bathroom.

We decided early on to use beveled edge white subway tile and marble counters in the employee bath:

Here we are this past Tuesday; starting to get close now!

This is the ‘public’ restroom, it has a great limestone tile and a mosaic:

One of the most exciting rooms left to do is the kids space.  I can’t remember if I already shared this (I think I did?).  Around the 20th a company called “Wow Play Spaces” is coming to install an amazing three dimensional tree and play desk.

This room is going to have a TV, game system, bookshelves in the tree and a desk for coloring. I can’t wait to see it come to life!

Once we get everything finalized I’ll be sure to share the photos with you.  We are rushing to get everything done before the holiday so she can start business in the new location in January.

Hopefully we can all remember to slow down, enjoy each others company and reflect on the special meaning of the season!  That is all it takes to put everything in perspective.

I’ll talk to you next week!

What’s New Wednesday: Textured Ceramics

Accessorizing your home with unique and interesting pieces is key in making it your own! We regularly receive jars, canisters, and vases which can easily be mixed in with the accessories you already have.

We received these grey woven canisters that are perfect for atop a mantle or displayed on a sofa table, and will give an added texture to create depth and interest.

The large canister is 13.5″H x 12″W x 6″D and the small is 12″H x 10.25″W x 5.25″D. They are priced as a set for $169.99 and the lids are detachable.

These white vases are easy to place in a small spot you’ve been looking to accessorize because they are 10″H x 8″D.  Sometimes you have low bookcases or upper cabinets that can make it hard to decorate the shelves!

For a greater impact, the vases can be displayed as a set of 3 on a set of shelves or on the kitchen counter filled with decorative flowers! They are each $44.99.

Lastly, these lace detailed vases are very feminine and the texture is complimented by a matte white finish.

Because they are also small in size, 13″H x 10.75″W x 5″D, they can easily be placed in a bedroom or bathroom. As you can see in this image, we have accessorized this vase with holiday pine! We have three in stock and they are $54.99 each.

These ceramics are neutral in color, so they are easy to mix in with what you already have. They will also make great Christmas gifts!

Accolades, Inspiration and Education

I had such a fun week!  First of all, I received amazing news that Heather Scott Home & Design was selected as the “Best Interior Designer” in Austin in the Reader’s Choice Poll for Austin Monthly’s Best of the City Awards!

They sent us these fun ‘badges’ to use in our marketing.

They were having a big party Thursday night downtown to celebrate.

However, I was traveling back from Little Rock, AR and wasn’t able to make it.   I decided at the last minute to go to Tobi Fairley’s ‘Getting Published’ Event, which also included a day on Social Media.  I am so glad I went.

I really wanted to learn more about how to use Instagram and the future of blogging and Facebook.  The biggest take away was how important these all continue to be.

I don’t think I can narrow down what was the best part, maybe hearing what Traditional Home and At Home Arkansas look for in designer submissions for publication.  Or, perhaps it was how the amazing photographer Nancy Nolan sets up shots for interiors.  But it might have been how I would go about getting my own book published with Rizzoli publications one day.  However, I do know how much fun it was listening to designer Alex Papachristidis talk about his career and his new book. His passion certainly made the thought of creating my own some day more appealing.

Alex signed copies of his book at the wonderful Bear Hill Interiors.  He wrote a special message for Scott and I which made me laugh.

I believe it is very important to slow down and take time to remind yourself of the core elements to a successful business.  By allowing other inspired business entrepreneurs to share their passions we can ensure we are not just falling into a comfort zone.

All in all a fabulous week! I hope you had a great one, too!  Now, it is back to work, we have a lot to do in the next 3 weeks!