Tag: decorating

Choosing a Console Table and Mirror for an Entryway
A reader, Melissa, recently wrote to me asking for help with her entryway.

“I just love your style and design approach of mixing the old with the new. I have recently moved into a new home (a 2-story traditional) and slowly adding my personal touch to each space.

I have been on the hunt of a great console table for our entryway. I love the idea(s) of a simple box frame console table against a large floor mirror, an acrylic waterfall console and/or a statement table. I like the less is more approach. The space where I would be putting the console table is approx 48″ W and is directly across our staircase. I have attached some links of the table styles I have been considering. Can you provide me with any suggestions of tables or how to choose the right console table?”

I’ve gotten similar questions in the past, so I asked Melissa if I could answer here on the blog. She agreed and also sent a few photos of her entryway so we could see the space she’s working with. I have several ideas and options, but before we get into all of that, let’s look at her inspiration photos.

Source: Taylor Jacobson Interior Design, featured by My Domaine

Source: Jessica de Ruiter’s home, featured by One Kings Lane

Source: Better Homes & Gardens

Melissa also linked to these three tables (each very similar): the Slim Console Table in Natural Steel from Room & Board, the Nolita Mini Console Table from CB2, and the Box Frame Console Table from West Elm.

Very different from the inspiration images! And then there’s the acrylic waterfall console idea in there too. Here are a couple of photos of Melissa’s space. The spot where she would like to put a console table is about 48″ wide and doesn’t look to be very deep. She is planning on replacing the mirror.

Looking first at the entry with the teal console table, I found several similar pieces. I included a lamp and a couple of vases too, should the inspiration have as much to do with the color as it does the shape of the table.
- Taylor Jacobson Interior Design (Inspiration Image)
- Henredon Sofa Table, Chairish
- Rustic Ceramic Vases, West Elm
- Beverly Table Lamp, Lamps Plus
- Jordan Console/Desk, Bungalow 5
- Chiba Console Table, Selamat
- Harlow Console Table, Bungalow 5
The Malone Campaign Console Table from West Elm is worth a look too. I included the matching nightstand in a post last week, but while that came in teal, the console table is only in white, mint, or red.

Next, we have several options for the vintage/antique tables in Melissa’s other two inspiration photos.
- Jessica de Ruiter’s Home (Inspiration Image 1)
- Better Homes & Gardens (Inspiration Image 2)
- Spanish Carved Console Table, Chairish
- Petite Console Table, Wayfair
- Classic Design Hall Console, Wayfair
- 19th Century Oak Gateleg Table, One Kings Lane
- Peterson Console Table, Wayfair
- 19th Century Carved English Console Table, One Kings Lane
Finding something similar online is a bit difficult, as your best bet is a combination of scouring thrift shops, flea markets, garage and estate sales, and Craigslist, plus patience. The newer tables above are a bit lacking in charm, but they’re very affordably priced and they’d be great paired with more interesting finds (mirror, lamp, accessories, rug). The antiques that I’m drawn to have turned legs or carved details. I included a few examples here that may be a smidge out of Melissa’s comfort zone, but if she’s into them, they could be amazing.

Two out of three of Melissa’s inspiration images had vintage Persian rugs (like this one), and all of them had white walls, simple accessories (like the glass column vases and lamp), and natural materials with texture (worn woods, woven baskets, a sisal rug). Keeping that as a base for mockups, I paired mirrors with six of my favorite tables from the options above.

Look 1: Tork Brass Mirror • Beverly Table Lamp • Dahlias • 19th Century Oak Gateleg Table • Beachcomber Round Basket
Look 2: Maroc Wall Mirror • Fig Leaf Branches • Harlow Console Table • Eyelash Baskets
Look 3: Moroccan Gilt Mirror (similar to Melissa’s) • Peekaboo Acrylic Console Table • Rustic Ceramic Vases • Round Belly Baskets
Look 4: 1940 Églosmisé Mirror • Glass and Gold Table Lamp • Spanish Carved Console Table • Halton Basket
Look 5: Acacia Wood Mirror • Dahlias • Peterson Console Table • Huntington Baskets
Look 6: Sailor’s Mirror • Fig Leaf Branches • Nolita Mini Console Table • Beachcomber Round Basket

Any of these combinations would work for Melissa’s entry — it’s just a matter of personal preference! Which is your favorite, and which do you think would be best for her space?
March 23, 2016
Six Designs Inspired by Tile
This post is sponsored by Floor & Decor.

I’m working with Floor & Decor on a few posts for the blog around the three main things they carry: wood, tile, and stone. I’ve already shared my experience with wood (and bamboo), and for the other two posts, I thought it would be fun to put together a bunch of designs inspired by tile and stone. I went to my local Floor & Decor and picked up a whole bunch of my favorites, then came home and played around with paint swatches, wallpaper samples, and other design elements to create different designs.

Today I’m sharing looks inspired by ceramic and porcelain tiles, and in a future post, I’ll do the same for marble, slate, and travertine tiles.

And yes, I totally want to make all of these happen in real life now.

Subway and Hexagon Tile

Pick a color. Any color! Subway and hex tile are classics that go pretty much anywhere with pretty much everything, and they’re cheap to boot. We had both of these in our first house.
Penny Rounds

I imagine this in a cheery kitchen with vintage (or vintage-inspired) green appliances. A tulip table and colorful shaker chairs form a little breakfast nook, and retro/vintage accessories (bread bin, kitchen scale) in shades of green and blue dot the space.
White Arabesque Tile

The tile is a classic decorative shape and it can take star billing if you keep everything else simple. If you want to have a little more fun with your decorating, it pairs up nicely with figurative wallpaper — especially when it’s hot pink. I’d love to see the two in a powder room with wood floors, brass fixtures, and a sink dropped into an old piece of furniture that’s been painted in a rich ochre. A vintage wooden stool with turned legs would make a fine stand for a plant or a stack of fresh towels.
Gray Glass and Striated Tile

Here we’ve got that same tile shape again, but in a very different design. This time it’s sleek in glass, and I’d pair it with long horizontal glass tile in a shower enclosure. Tile with some depth to it (thanks to inkjet printing!) would counteract all of the glossy surfaces elsewhere, and paint or accessories in cool greenish blue shades would finish off the room.
Spanish Red Tile

If you have inherited a house with this tile, you likely either love and embrace it or curse it and wish it gone. It goes rustic with warm, worn woods and creamy white tones, or you can take it boho with plants everywhere, natural textures and a smattering of jewel tones and gold embroidery. And if your taste runs like mine toward pink and feminine? Yep, that’ll work too. Peachy pinks like the paint and wallpaper below look fantastic with the earthy red of the tile.
Wood-Look Tile

I’m not a huge fan of faux-wood tile in large expanses because the grout lines look a little off (wood does not and should not have grout), but they can be great in basements and bathrooms. Our bathrooms have hardwood flooring, and they are not a good mix with kids that sometimes (often) splash water around and don’t clean up after themselves, leaving you to find puddles hours later. Not that we would know anything about that. *ahem*

Anyway! I think the key to pulling off wood tile is to let the wood be in the background by pulling attention toward other design elements (either texture or pattern). Pair one of these plank styles with one of the wallpaper designs — your choice.
Of the designs above, do you have a favorite? How about any that you would do completely differently (a least favorite)?
August 31, 2015
One Coffee Table, Styled Three Ways

I recently worked with Make it Better to create three different looks around one coffee table. The main elements stayed the same (obviously the table itself, but also the rug, the sofa, and even the main photo angle), while the items on the table changed, along with the pillows on the couch in the background.

The piece was written by Rachel Brown Kulp and all of the photographs were taken by Kelly Allison. We shot in my home using many of my own pieces, mixed with additional props brought in by both Rachel and myself.

Masculine Glamour

The idea for this one came together around a palette of black and brass, and I knew I wanted to style around that articulated horse (an artist’s model, borrowed from CarefulPeach for the shoot).

It’s pretty fantastic, right? Definitely the star of this group.

Gaff’s unicorn, under the bell jar, references the larger articulated horse. It’s also a good way to work in the nerd objects your husband may collect (*ahem*).

Feminine and Fun

Unofficially, we referred to this one as “our Kate Spade table.” Some black and white stripes or gold polka dots (or pink flamingos!) would have really driven that theme home, but we were just pulling inspiration — not going for a blatant copy.

“Hello!” This was definitely a fun look. And isn’t that red clock great? I found it on clearance for under $20. Sometimes props are borrowed, or items are bought and returned for shoots, but the clock is a keeper.

Rustic Elegance

We wanted to work in more natural elements for this look. Rachel brought in the rocks and the wooden bowl, and I liked playing them off of the shine of my brass pieces and the lovely blue glaze of the vase.

Styling is funny. Always match your books to your decor when setting up your vignettes, kids.

You can visit Make it Better for my “three steps to a stylish coffee table,” and for more tips and information about each look. And I’d love to know: do you have a favorite?

June 1, 2015
Beatrix Console, Three Ways
I spotted the most amazing console table online last week, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. I don’t have a spot for it, but that didn’t stop me from imagining a few different ways to put it to use! (These sketch/plans are so much fun to make, you guys.)
- Beatrix Console, Saffron, One Kings Lane
- Pair of Pink and Brass Table Lamps, Ro Sham Beaux
- Laura Stretched Canvas Print, Michelle Armas
- Beatrix Console, Saffron, One Kings Lane
- Mrs. Godfrey Chair, Tuileries Tang, Jonathan Adler
- Mother Decanter Set, Love & Victory
- Fleur Femme Framed Print, Wayne Pate
- Young Couple Enjoying Picnic Near Lake in Spring, H. Armstrong Roberts, Art.com
- Artisan Botanical Objects, West Elm
- Beatrix Console, Saffron, One Kings Lane
- Elysian Fields Wallpaper, AntiquePink, Flavor Paper
  Bats and venus fly traps never looked so good.
- Isaac Sconce, Brass, Short Arm, Schoolhouse Electric
May 26, 2015
The One with the Red Console

Gem is moving to a new spot in town next month. I walked by the current location on my way back from class last week and spotted a sign that guaranteed a slight detour from heading straight home. (And look, the trees have exploded with spring flowers! Oak Park was just named an arboretum, you know.)

I fell a little bit in love with a ring while I was there, but it had diamonds and rubies and was priced accordingly. There were snakes on it though! Subtle snakes — the best kind. I can’t impulse-buy a $1000 ring, but I can snap up a red console with drawers for $200. Behold.

Have you seen the latest Anthropologie home catalog/lookbook? I’ve had this image from “the optimist’s house” in my head because I loved that lacquered blue bar in the corner.

It’s not that I wanted that exact piece. I was inspired more by the idea of something in a bright color to give a little oomph to a corner of our living room, and I made a mental note to keep a lookout for the right fit. Something with interesting lines, that either had gotten a paint job already or that could stand to benefit from one. I admired that red console when I spotted it at Gem, not sure where I would use it until I measured it and realized it would fit opposite the teal sofa! It came home with me later that day.

I might scoot that mirror up a bit now (the previous table it hung above was several inches lower), but I’m not mad at it. I’d shrink the console down by 10% if I could too — it fits, but it bumps up against the edge of the trim. Again though, I’m not mad at it.

Red! Pink! Mixed metals, wood, and black! This little corner is looking pretty fantastic. I had to buy a couple of nude ceramic figures while I was there too, as one does.

I snipped the lilacs for those vases from our backyard. Thank you, spring. Thank you, too, sidewalk placard at Gem! So glad I stopped in.

May 4, 2015
Verdant and Floriferous
It all started with the pillow. Then I saw that silk top on the same day, and I realized I had been seeing a lot of florals against white and cream backgrounds lately. This is good news for those of us who like to decorate as we dress, which is not at all weird, right? Right.
1. Claire Floral Pillow, Society Social
  How perfect would this floral be against stripes? Lovely against solid colors, too.
2. Jules Flutter Tunic, Steven Alan
  The sweetest top for little girls.
3. Equipment Kyle Top, Piperlime
  A pretty silk top to peek out from a blazer or cardigan, or to shine all on its own.
4. Edgeworth Sage Glasses, Warby Parker
  They may not work for everyone, but I think green glasses could be a flattering color.
5. Appeau Earrings, Anthropologie
  These are sort of goofy, as far as earrings go. Which is to say of course that they are fantastic.
6. Ecru Florentine Writing Paper Set, Paper Source
  Perfectly plain and simple, with an unexpected envelope liner for punch.
7. Floral Wreath Tea Towel, Terrain
  Dainty flowers to bring cheer to mundane tasks.
8. Claire Floral Tablecloth, Society Social
  They only come in a single square size, but can be layered for longer tables.
9. Birdsong Ring Set, Anthropologie
  Four rings to be worn stacked together, or separately.
May 19, 2014