Archive | etsy RSS feed for this section

One Room Challenge Fall 2015 :: The Reveal

November 11, 2015 · Comments { 47 }

It’s here and all I can think of is how quickly the past six weeks have flown by! Today’s the big reveal of my Foyer for the One Room Challenge and I couldn’t be more excited to share it with you. It’s such a happy space and am thrilled with the result!

formal foyer // one room challenge // @simplifiedbee

As you may know, for the past several weeks I’ve been sharing the whole design process (including all the ups and downs!). In case you’ve miss any and need to catch up, here are the links:

Week One – Foyer Before // Week Two – Wallpaper & Paint // Week Three – Furnishings // Week Four – Lighting // Week Five – Art & Accessories

To refresh your memory and to appreciate the transformation, I’ve included a few before images in combination with the reveal images.

ENTRY BEFORE ::

ENTRY AFTER ::

I love the new black door painted in Farrow & Ball’s Pitch Black. It makes such stately entrance to our home. The handsome hanging lantern via Lowes was also a terrific addition. And isn’t the antler doormat by Mark & Graham just perfect?

FOYER & STAIRCASE BEFORE ::

FOYER & STAIRCASE AFTER ::

This is really a happy space. I’m in love with it all. The large-scale feather bloom wallpaper by Celerie Kemble for Schumacher sets the tone immediately. The gorgeous navy lacquer console by oomph is the perfect compliment. I’m also so pleased with the chinoserie chic touches in the fabulous x benches in Clarence Houses Tibet Print, gilded faux bamboo mirror, pair of elegant table lamps and vintage blue & white porcelain bowl housing the cacti & succulents.

As I mentioned in this post, the stair-runner got held up in customs. Unfortunately, it still hasn’t arrived. I’m so bummed not to be able to show you a finished project, but the reality is that sometimes we have no control over these things. It’s a great lesson in patience in this need to have it now society. When it is installed, I will be sure to share it with you! I still love this image because it showcases the lovely scalloped pendant from Bellacor and high-gloss painted ceiling in Farrow & Ball’s Borrowed Light so beautifully!

I also love how the staircase landing turned out. The dyptich artwork through Minted compliments the original door chimes which we modernized by adding a clean-lined teak cover. For texture and to balance the space, I added a small bench covered in a cozy sheepskin rug.

At the top of the stairs, I left the original vintage chandelier – it is so timeless that it didn’t need to be changed out. However, I updated the window valance and have it covered in a beautiful hand-blocked textile from Galbraith & Paul. It’s layered it with a matchstick woven roman shade in white. The adjacent gallery wall filled with Michelle Morin’s whimsical birds and bees is another spot that makes me smile.

One Room Challenge :: Week 5

November 4, 2015 · Comments { 24 }

Say what?! It’s week five of the One Room Challenge and I’m starting to sweat bullets! In case you are here for the first time, I’ve been designing my Foyer in our new house. Here’s a look at week one, two, three and four.

There is good news and there bad news this week. Let’s just get the bad news out of the way first (sigh).

Until late last week, I completely thought I had this challenge all under control. I’m a stickler for timelines and was realistic about what I could do with the Foyer within the amount of time allotted. But, sometimes even with all the careful planning and detailed timelines, things get out of your control. This is the reality of interior design. My carpet for the stair-runner (which is a showstopper!) is somewhere in customs and will not arrive in time for the photo-shoot (super sad face). I’m still not giving up hope that it does arrive and is installed before the final reveal, so at least I can take an image myself for you to see. Fingers and toes crossed.

Now onto the good news! I’ve selected some fabulous artwork for the top of the staircase and landing. First, I’ll start with the top of the staircase on the second floor. I knew from the start that I wanted a gallery wall at the top of the landing. I’ve adored Michelle Morin’s illustrations for some time and finally had the opportunity to create a gallery of her work. I selected 5 birds and one bee (had to!) for the collection and had them framed locally in a faux bamboo. Here’s a look at the arrangement before installed. Love, love, love them!

The landing needed art desperately, yet was a very tricky spot because of the placement of the doorbell chimes. I could have done a couple things here; 1. Relocate the chimes to have more freedom for artwork or 2. Work with the chimes and place art one either side. I decided for option #2 because it was more cost effective and it didn’t change the original architecture of the home. Because the series of bird illustrations was already committed for the opposite wall, I wanted a pair of larger images to go on either side of the chimes. Here were some of the ones I narrowed down from another fab ORC sponsor, Minted (yes, they offer so much more than just beautiful holiday cards!).

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

Selecting the two pieces for the space proved to be challenging. Minted has such an amazing collection, it was super difficult to narrow down. I knew I wanted color and an abstract. But finding two pieces of art that were complimentary, the same orientation (running vertical) and would work with the door chimes was indeed a challenge. In the end, I selected #5 a beautiful dyptich, High Cascades by Amelia Gluba. The abstract image works beautifully with the chimes, pulls blue from the wallpaper in the Foyer and gives a nod to the scenic Sierra Nevada Mountains surrounding our home.

The entry needed a few accessories too. A fresh doormat is always a great way to spruce up the space and welcome guests in style. Here are a few fun doormats I considered:

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

I quickly narrowed down the options to doormats that could be personalized. I’m a sucker for monograms so I ended up selecting the Antlers Graphic Doormat from Mark and Graham (a go to destination for fabulous personalized home decor). It’s was personalized with our family initial. Here’s the image I shared earlier this week on Instagram. Isn’t it perfect for a mountain house?

I have a few other accessories to add to the Foyer before the photo-shoot this week. One is a floral arrangement for the console table. I’ve been going back-and-forth on what to do – traditional orchids? cut seasonal flowers? cacti & succulents? I’m still deciding.

Again, I’m keeping hope that the stair-runner will be installed soon and would love for you to drop by next week to see the final reveal!

Check out what the other ORC participants are up to – holy cow, there’s so much talent here!

Apartment 34 | Arianna Belle | Because It’s Awesome | Coco+Kelley | Design Darling

Design Indulgence | Design Manifest | Christine Dovey | The English Room | Vanessa Frances

Hi Sugarplum | Honey We’re Home | Jojotastic | The Pink Clutch | The Pink Pagoda

Style Your Senses | A Thoughtful Place | Kimberly Whitman | The Zhush

TM by CIH

* Big thank you to Minted and Mark and Graham for their support and sponsorship of this challenge!

Read full story By Cristin on November 4, 2015 in color, curated look, etsy, foyers, gallery wall, home accessories, interior design, Interiors, monograms, pattern, simplified bee portfolio

One Room Challenge :: Week 3

October 21, 2015 · Comments { 25 }

It’s already week three of the One Room Challenge! If you are dropping by for the first time, here’s the first and second weeks to get you caught up on all the action.

Today I’ll be sharing my process of selecting furniture for the Foyer. The 12′ x 12′ space only has one wall (opposite the front door and approximately 7′ long) that’s suitable for furniture. The question then becomes which pieces and in what configuration? Here are some of the options I considered:

This entry by Erin Gates is beautiful and a chest flanked by upholstered chairs is a great, functional furniture arrangement for an entry. This English Colonial style dresser would have worked however, I didn’t want a visually heavy chest of drawers in the space.

This charming small entry (via Chatelaine) features a clean-lined console table and large baskets to corral shoes. I love the simplicity and functional aspects of the space, however I was seeking more color and upholstered seating.

Benches are also great furniture options for Foyers. I love this tufted bench with polished brass base. Such an elegant look, however I longed for a console table. So I decided on another great furniture arrangement for our entry.

This entry designed by Tami Ramsey has a similar furniture arrangement I was looking for. A chic console and a pair of upholstered benches that could be tucked under. I love the chinoiserie touches here too!

oomph console tables // one room challenge // www.simplifiedbee.com

With the furniture arrangement set, I immediately thought of one company that creates the most amazing custom furniture, unique lighting and in particular gorgeous console tables: oomph. Their signature traditional, with a twist style was just what I was envisioning for the foyer. With several beautiful styles, 16+ colors and intriguing surfaces to choose from, I selected the stately Fenwick console in club navy with a linen surface. And I LOVE it. And a huge thank you to oomph for their support and sponsorship!

From there I selected a fabric for the pair of X benches. I’ve had my eye on Clarence Houses’ Tibet Print for some time. It’s exotic, playful and in pale blue picked up on all the right shades for the Foyer. The textile was purchased through ORC sponsor, DecoratorsBest – a go to destination for over 200,000 designer fabrics, wallpaper, trim, pillows and rugs at fantastic prices. LivenUPdesign (via Etsy) created the X benches in just the right dimensions to fit under the console table. They centered the tiger perfectly on the tops of each bench and were so lovely to work with.

I love mirrors in entryways (they are practical and can add light to the space) and knew that I wanted to place a large one over the console table. Because I’d selected so many pieces in shades of blue, I wanted the mirror to be different. After considering tons of options through ORC sponsor Bassett Mirror (fabulous selection of lamps, mirrors and furnishings at great price points!), I selected the Sloan mirror (above). It’s rectangle shape wouldn’t compete with the wallpaper pattern like a round mirror would. I also loved the gilded faux-bamboo finish – a chic chinoiserie touch.

Here’s a look these and some other selections for the Foyer all together:

Selections for the Foyer and why:

gilded faux-bamboo mirror – because I love an entry with a mirror and love for bamboo

chinoiserie table lamp – because of their chinoiserie style and deep navy color (I’ll go into more detail regarding lighting next week!)

fenwick console table – because of it’s scale, neo-traditional style, durable lacquer finish and custom options

clarence house tibet print in pale blue – because it’s a chic, yet playful chinoiserie print in all the right shades of blue perfect to liven up the X benches

diamond natural fiber rug – because the space needed a neutral, warm element without a busy pattern

celerie kemble bloom wallpaper – for all the reasons mentioned in this post 🙂

I hope you’ll check back next week to see more progress! In the meantime, don’t forget to drop by to see what the other ORC participants are up to. There are so many incredible projects in this group!

Apartment 34 | Arianna Belle | Because It’s Awesome | Coco+Kelley | Design Darling

Design Indulgence | Design Manifest | Christine Dovey | The English Room | Vanessa Frances

Hi Sugarplum | Honey We’re Home | Jojotastic | The Pink Clutch | The Pink Pagoda

Style Your Senses | A Thoughtful Place | Kimberly Whitman | The Zhush

TM by CIH

Read full story By Cristin on October 21, 2015 in chinoiserie, console tables, etsy, foyers, furniture, interior design, Interiors, mirrors, tables, textiles, upholstery

Design Trend :: Southwest Modern Decor

August 18, 2015 · Comments { 2 }

disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links, which means Simplified Bee receives commission if you make a purchase using these links.

Navajo patterns. Feather artwork. Indoor cactus. I know you’ve spotted them too. Southwestern decor is trending, but with an fresh modern twist. Timeless Native American patterns have inspired a new generation of textiles (like the rug below from Domain), flooring (like the tile above from Curbly) and home decor products that are being incorporated in a variety of dwellings from urban to rural. The earthy desert palettes with pops of bright color here and there is perfect to incorporate with modern and transitional furnishings for a chic boho look.