20 March 2010

If THESE walls could talk...


Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse 2009; installation designed by Amy Lau using multiple Maya Romanoff wallcoverings


As I was trying to catch up on my ginormous stack of magazines this weekend (Interior Design Oct. 09! Sheesh!), I came across an article about Maya Romanoff Wallcovering. It made me want to share. If you've followed us for a while, you know about our love of wallcovering, and this company's offerings are, to us, some of the best of the best.


We just purchased 2 vastly different selections of Maya for 2 of our clients.
For Client #1, it was Gunmetal Marquetry for a small niche just off of the foyer of her residence. This is what it looks like in more of a Maple-toned finish.


We installed Gunmetal - more of a silver/grey color. Here it is close up:




It's a very thin wood veneer in 18" x 18" blocks. There is such a variation in the way the light hits it, it's breathtaking. It has a little sparkle to it, but it looks like sand, not gaudy, Las Vegas style sparkle. Beautiful sparkle.



For Client #2 we used Bedazzled - which is more like Las Vegas style sparkle. It's tiny little beads. We had it hung in a powder room and it is DELICIOUS!


This is what it looks like from far away, but up close - check it out:


It's made of miniature beads that look like glass. Gorgeous, fabulous and super fun.


Now kick back and peruse this yummy eye candy.



Crystallized:


This is a wood veneer with a Swarovski crystal in the center.




Mother of Pearl Chevron
Yes, it really is REAL Mother of Pearl. Stunning.




This is Beadazzled Bijoux - the small glass beads arranged in a pattern. Aahhhh
The Beadazzled collection has about 10 other variations in pattern and tons of juicy colors.



This is Stitched:


The name speaks for itself.



Blanket


So soft and fuzzy



And last but not least, Anniversary Snowflake




D.I.E. Love it.

17 February 2010

Let's Start at the Beginning...




For those of you who follow us on Twitter, you may have read our tweets about traveling to our project in Laughlin. We did just that last week and were SO excited about the progress that has been made. We wanted to share our before and during pictures, and you'll just have to stand by for the after pictures.

Here's what we started with:



Our adorable clients wanted to add on to their home. They wanted to add an office for him, an office for her, a media room, a fancy little powder room and a guest bedroom and bathroom. The husband is an avid hobbyist, so he also wanted to create a "spray" room for painting and a hobby room where he can work on his various projects.

The clients had very few requirements - they wanted the addition to look as if it had been built at the same time as the original home. They also wanted contemporary furnishings and are in love with unique light fixtures. It's exciting for Heather and I because we share very similar tastes with these clients. So let's get on with the photos, right?!

Here's the front - the old garage next to the new entrance:


The front door - still waiting for stain and light fixture



This is her office ceiling - it's going to have a fabulous fixture from Foscarini hanging from the center of it:


That looks like this:


This delicious wallcovering will hang on one wall of her office. Just wait for it!


This is the media room ceiling that we designed:


There is lighting inside and each of these will be wrapped with a gorgeous metallic wallcovering that looks like this:


Here is one close up:



These are the cabinets in the media room - they will have a microwave, an icemaker and a refrigerator. They have a beautiful grey finish on top of them - this picture does not do them justice.


Here is the powder room. It is going to have THE most fabulous wallcovering on the other three walls and the ceiling. Wait until you see the lighting and the plumbing fixtures. I DIE!

The mirror

The light fixtures




The back wall is made of glass mosaic tiles. The floor is a beautiful blue/gray marble with some of the glass mosaic tiles dropped in between. Again, much better in person.



We also designed a cut out in the wall that will sit behind the vanity piece to hold extra toilet paper. Since the look is ultra-contemporary, we didn't want to add any extra pieces to hold toilet paper.




The base is also the glass mosaic tile.

Here are images of the spray room:


It has a ton of storage and its own ventilation system so that he can paint (spray) and not worry about poisoning everyone else in the house. The cabinets are a great lacquered white with super cool and modern door hardware.

The hobby room has more of the same cabinetry - and for anyone who loves organization, as Heather and I do, you will drool over the amount of drawers, doors and cabinets available to this guy.





The floor will be a gloss gray epoxy and the countertop underneath the window is made of a material called Alkemi - it is made from fine flake aluminum scraps. When you look closely, you can see small metal shavings within the material.


And now - the guest bedroom. There is not much to see at this point, but we have designed a GORGEOUS headboard with citrine pieces incorporated into the tufting. Here is what it looks like right now:



The bathroom is in the very back of the photo and here are the sconces that will flank the mirror in the bathroom:



Can you see them? They are crushed glass inside a metal cage, from Ridgely Studio Works. We were giddy when we opened this package, and can you blame us?

Here's the shower:






There's so much more - furniture, fabric, window treatments, more wallcovering, flooring - and we can't wait! Seeing it all come together is the most fun for us. What do you guys think?

31 January 2010

It's Alive

Succulent frames

I have a wall in my backyard that I have been wanting to address for years. And I've finally found the answer.
Heather and I went to a luncheon last week and listened to a presentation regarding living walls. Later on that evening, I opened up my new Sunset magazine and there it was - instructions on how to make your own living wall! "It's a sign!!!" I exclaimed, to Gigi and really, noone in particular. The picture above is my inspiration and I can't wait to show you the end result. Read the article - you may be inspired as well.

modern cottage

A living wall is pretty much just a vertical garden. It's amazing how powerful something can be when you change its viewing plane, isn't it? A large garden of succulents would definitely be interesting, but hang it on a wall and POW-POW, it's completely unique and striking.

I really love the outdoor succulent garden living walls - the indoor fern ones - not so much.

Roots Store Promenade Mall

See what I mean? The indoor ones just seem a little 1970's - I'm expecting some macrame to pop out somewhere. But the outdoor ones - oh, be still my beating heart.



The Living Wall


image



Green Wall One

I have just added this to my ginormous to do list. Stay tuned for the final results.

27 January 2010

Save the Best for Last...

Dave Soto

In my haste to promote ourselves and our website, I really left out one of the most important people in the Inhabit Design world. Dave Soto, of HTMLFX.com, is our master web designer extraordinaire. In addition to being Heather's fabulous husband, he helps with all of our graphic arts needs and created and recreated our amazing website. What that really means is we have unrealistic demands with a moment's notice and he always makes it happen for us.
Dave - we love you and appreciate all you do for us - ALWAYS - and we would not be where we are today if it weren't for you. We bow to you and your immense talent.
Much love - H & M

Dave, our superhero Strongbad web designer

25 January 2010

It's a nice day for a ......

vintage glam wedding dress
This is a custom dress made by JoanShum on Etsy.com


New things are on the horizon for Inhabit Design. We would like to introduce you to our latest and greatest offering: an interior design bridal registry. How does it work, you say? I'm glad you asked.



First step: Get engaged.




Second step: Call Inhabit Design.




Third Step: Tell all of your guests to put down that punch bowl/picnic basket/chip and dip tray, etc. and LISTEN UP! How about giving the unique gift of design instead?




We have three basic packages, or we can customize a package depending on your needs. We are experts at combining two households and can even help you with your registry! Your guests can find you on our website and can help you put together the home of your dreams. For both of you.





New and Improved


This post is entirely devoted to self promotion, so continue reading at your own risk. We have recently updated our website with some photos of projects that we completed in the last six months. All of the gorgeous photography is courtesy of my uber-talented sister, Kelley Simpson of Kelley Simpson Photography. Please look at her gorgeous portfolio - I may be biased, but I know good art when I see it!

So, please peruse the new additions to our portfolio and then hire us! Or, just tell us how much you love us. And follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

10 January 2010

Love, Exciting and New...


When it comes to design, that is. At least on HGTV and I, for one, am relieved. Because HGTV really pisses me off. The things that happen on the shows on HGTV are not realistic and they give people the impression that designers can do it all for under $500 and in 24 hours. I mean, Inhabit Design is GOOD, but we are not miracle workers for Pete's sake. But I digress. This is not about me, this is about Antonio.

sample

Antonio Ballatore is the designer that won last season on HGTV's Design Star. I was impressed that someone with originality and a fresh point of view actually won on a show like this. That never happens. Here are some pictures of his spaces on the show:



images courtesy of hgtv.com

Here is an image from the makeover he did on his own home:


There aren't many photos of his work to show, but he has a new show called the Antonio Project. The videos on the link show some of his work and the best part - his personality. It's such a refreshing change from the normal drudgery on that channel. As always, check it out!


Apture