Interiors: Tips on Rugs

I'm working with some friends interiors of their new bungalow. We are starting with their first impression once you walk in the door...the living room. Michael scored them a sweet find...these Le Corbusier sofa and lounge chair in white leather. I'm helping them find a rug to complement the pieces. One thing to consider when finding a rug, is to consider the entire space. In this particular instance, it's important that these beautiful classic furniture pieces are not overwhelmed or distracted. 

Then there's the question...should the furniture sit entirely on, or entirely off, or somewhere in between. Let me be honest and say I don't have a "professional" opinion, but would say that it depends on the thickness of the rug. I'd say that half on, half off, would be less desirable. 

Can I put a rug on top of carpet? Hmmm, that also really depends on the weight/thickness of the carpet and the thickness of the rug. A thin carpet can host a shaggy rug much easier than the opposite!

I am thankful for design tools when making decisions like this. It's so nice to be able to pop these ideas into 3D. It also helps to consider the drapery, pillows, coffee table books...tying the space together helps to see that the rug does not have to say it all. "All of the space" says it all. 

Now go ahead, and Get Ruggy With It. 

Kristyn

P.S. I think West Elm has a nice area rug collection. (I am not getting any perks for recommending this.)

Sale Ends: FIXED LINK TO BID!

NEW LINK TO BID!!!!! (http://www.stlouisonlineauction.com/) D'Angelo Living Estate!!!

Yellow Eames Bucket Chairs

Mid Century Floor Lamp

Neutral Eames Bucket Chairs

1960's and 1970's Box Full of 45s (Records)

Set of 4 Fiberglass Brunswick Bowling Alley Chairs

3 Mid Century Chairs (unmarked Herman Miller style)

NEW LINK TO BID!!!!! (http://www.stlouisonlineauction.com/) D'Angelo Living Estate!!!


 More items include great vintage clothes, bookshelves, mirrors, Hamilton Beach Malt Mixer, tables, instruments, Honda vintage motorcycle, etc, etc. Check it out!

Cool Stuff: Could Be Yours!!!

Must check out one of my brothers current online auctions...Super cool stuff, many current bids under $5!!!

Child Size!!! ($1, current bid!)

Awesome desk with drawer!

Bid HERE to buy it!!!

Large, Lovely Home: Historic Urban Neighborhood

New Reduced Price + New Central AC!!!

• NEW PRICE of $199,950, NEW 5TON EFFICIENT CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING 
• 3250 Square Feet of Historical Charm with Modern Touches
• 4 Large Bedrooms, 3 Full Baths, Ample Living Space
• Nice Corner Lot on Wide Streets
• Solid Brick Home (3 Layers Thick!), Good Roof, Updated Windows 
• Fully remodeled Kitchen with Open Plan and Exposed Brick Walls
• New Back Deck, Back Fence with 2 Gates, Custom Fire Pit, and Sand Box
• Updated Lighting on Dimmers
• Large 2nd Floor Laundry Room with Deck Access
• Huge 3rd Floor Mother-In-Law Quarters with Full Bath, Full Kitchen, and Deck with Views (This space is a huge bonus!)
• Gorgeous woodwork throughout home with huge pocket doors
• 3 Beautiful Original Fireplaces
• Solid Stone Foundation, Large, Clean Basement (Never Damp!), New Water Softener,  New Radon Mitigation System Installed
• 300 AMP Electrical Service
• Large Efficient Furnace 10 Years Old, Recently Serviced and in Great Condition
• New 1st Floor Bathroom is a Must See
• Large Closets and Storage Space Throughout Home
• Playground right across the street
• Acres of Park, Trails, Frisbee Golf, and Rock Climbing 2 blocks North. (Cliff Drive)
• Amazing Local Bakery within walking distance. (Boulevard Bakery)
• Summer Farmers Market within walking distance. (New Roots for Refugees)
• Taco Trucks with the best food, Authentic Mexican Grocery Stores (Limes 5 cents, and Cilantro $1, and home made tortillas!!!)
• Bike Ride to River Market
• Quick Hwy Access to get Anywhere in the City
• And did I mention GREAT PRICE and oh yeah, BRAND NEW 5 TON AIR CONDITIONING!!!!!

This is what I call a lotta bang for your buck folks! No midtown home can compare for this price! Our neighborhood association is very active, a good group of folks. Our neighbors are nice, and our street is quiet. I'm here all day and keep my front and back door open over half of the time (on nice weather days)!  

So go ahead and send your Family Friends, Creative Colleagues, and Aunts from Atlanta on by...they won't wanna miss the opportunity to buy this home.

Why are we leaving this lovely home? We love design/build and are excited about a new project. We want to get closer to Michael and Tegegne's schools. 

Contact Eric B to schedule a showing. 816.529.7171

With Love and Anticipation,

Kristyn

Interior Designing: Day and Night!

Dear Family,

I interrupt this Thursday morning to say thank you. Thank you for being supportive of my of my interior design consulting, which has pulled me away in the evenings for meetings quite a bit this spring. I love love designing for people, but my first job is mother/wife/homemaker. I try not to leave for meetings until after dinner, so what I miss most is my time with Daddy. We've always tried to go to bed at the same time. It was the best marriage advice we've ever gotten. He is super supportive of my design projects though, and often shares ideas. 
  
This kitchen design are for a lovely neighbor of ours here in Pendleton Heights. It is especially fun because we share similar taste with our design aesthetic. I am renovating her kitchen and master bath, and speaking of which...writing her proposal to finish the work is next on my to-do list!

Then there's this super cool retail space that a few other folks in our neighborhood are working on getting approved. It's a similar concept to London's Box Park. Once they have further approval, I'll share the renderings. And speaking of which...that's next on my to-do list! Revise and render those drawings!

Last night I had a lot of fun with a girlfriend, Rachel Kabukala. She hired me to redecorate her office space, and I went ahead with the living room as well to tie the spaces together. Rachel is a professional photographer, with her office in her home. In 5 hours (didn't get home til 2am!) we transformed her space, with things she already owned! Talk about design on a dime. The only things she'll need to do are get some gold accents, pot her succulents, and a few other details. She took before and after shots I'll have to share too. 

Here are my other projects, as of late. Master planning for Jacob's Well Church...site sketches to do for our staff design mtg on the 15th. Interior design for my friend, Mimi's home in Brookside. Did a 3D drawing for Taryn and Micah's new kitchen and Eric and Erica's new kitchen! And two people to call to start their projects. It's busy, but good.  I could use a Nanny. Better yet, a Chef. If I could only have help with one thing, it'd be laundry service.

Much love to my family and my folks asking for my help designing their spaces.

Mom/Kristyn

Our House: If Walls Could Talk

 Yes, a lovely second kitchen on the third floor for guests, super bowl parties, or if your like us, a space for your good friends...cause living in community is wonderful.

Hello there house. I hope you are not feeling too vulnerable being "on the market" and all. We are really praying for some nice folks to move in. Ideally someone with some kids or dogs to peek their little head through the square at the butlers stair landing. A place we've had many conversations with our kids. Oh, did I mention that we're going to miss you? Like seriously. When have thrown some great parties with you, beloved home. Our friends think we're crazy to give up the best place to have a party! You've been full of moms and babies eating cake and opening presents (ha, babies eating cake...more like moms eating cake), and even more full of ladies and loads of clothes (we've turned the dining room into a shopping boutique of each others clothes multiple times). People keep asking when the spring swap is. You made for a killer New Years party. And dinner after dinner with many a guest you've wined and dined. Well, Michael's desserts may have had something to do with that. 

Then there's daily living. A kitchen with the perfect place for everything. Even a dishwasher to the left of the sink for yours truly. Your huge 2nd level utility room with door to the deck. Glorious. Only way I have survived cloth diapers. The full apartment upstairs for my best friend and her family. Pretty great. FYI, future buyer, that space could be a killer master bedroom, or great room. I know a good designer. Wink, wink. But it's awesome as is too. 

If walls could talk. You were built with fine detail, like over 100 years ago. Back then your residents had butlers and were way formal. I'm guessing your walls were dark with decorative wall covering (which we have seen layers of). Many people probably would have come in and said to you, we want to restore you just the way you were. We came in and said it a little differently. We totally respect who you were, but this is a new day and age, and we thought you'd like to remember who you were but keep up with the times. And we wanted to enjoy you too. The good Lord knows I don't walk around in a corset with a Victorian dress on, so why should you have to be wearing dated wall covering? I'll wear skinny jeans, and you can feel hip in gallery white or exposed brick. You are a fine mix of  the old and new. 

Thanks for being such a wonderful home.

(If you haven't already, check out all photos here. And the listing here.)

With love,

The Joneses

P.S. Some folks lured Michael to letting them in on Sunday to view the home and the lady started dreaming...said she pictured the dining room ceiling being burgundy. I mean, smoothing the ceiling sounds great, but burgundy? Eek!

Mom + Designer: And After Hours

So I'm not quitting my day job (that's good news, isn't it kids?), but I'm not quitting my night job either.  Even though the clean clothes haven't found their drawers, dinner has been simple, and I'm pulling off the pony tail, I have so enjoyed working on these design renderings the past 5 days. I love, love, love being at home with my children. At the same time, I look forward to the days when design becomes a day job again. That will officially be when Baby Fields is in kindergarten. However, Tegegne starts kindergarten in a few months. I'm sure I'll pick up several more projects once he is a full-time school boy. 

Speaking of which, I was just thinking that I should start looking for items for his school uniform. And of course, some jazzy new shoes! 

There is much going on around here, but in honor of Lent the kids and I are trying to be as unplugged as possible. With that said, writing here is one of my favorite things so I'll be back soon with more thoughts and sharing of life's adventures with the Joneses.

P.S. Highlight of my day just happened. Fields, you finished eating and look up at me with a bashful grin that makes your shoulders shrug. Then squealing and laughing. Thanks for making me feel so awesome. It's hard to hold onto stress with your innocent joy and laughter.

Love, 

Mom (Often want to sign off as Design Mom, but remember that Gabrielle snatched that up years ago.)

Interior Design: Industrial Look

This is a Goodyear Tire and a piece of Glass!

More love from modern50.

Interior Design Tips: From My Home to Yours

Tip #6: It all comes together in the details.

Pretty simple topic here. Each of these living spaces have mixed color, pattern, and texture well. Yes, they started with good bones. Meaning the sofas have nice shape, tufting, colors and patterns. But I want to draw your attention to the details. The accent pillows, the framed art with objects mixed in (second to last photo), books, bowls, trays, flowers, driftwood, that little bronze squirrel you found at the flea market...the details...ya know?

I would encourage you to do this. Take a photo of your own living room. Then examine the photo. What do you think? Could it use a few more details? Think pattern, texture, color. Does it need a shiny object, a textured pillow, or a patterned rug?

P.S. I am helping a friend redo our "Mama's Sofa," the nursing mom's room at our church. This weekend we are on the hunt for a sofa, and hopefully some of the details to make the room feel like home.