Thoughts on Design, Metropolitan Home and Chit Chat

31 comments:
Well Ok....lets just get caught up!
No excuses, just mounds of life stuff that creeps in and makes the days fly by. 
Happily I wave bye bye to this crazy winter and yell hello to spring.

Honestly I have really struggled trying to find something relevant to talk about that doesn't wind up seeming, well, sort of irrelevant.  
We have been working on a little house project in Santa Barbara (photos above) and I will be starting a kitchen remodel in about two weeks.

Unfortunately the only thing I have chosen thus far is this sink faucet.
Looks like I'm having commitment issues but hopefully I will snap out of it quickly or this kitchen project will be really long! 

For those who have followed this little blog for the last few years, you know that we sold our Ojai ranch house and moved to Los Angeles for a year.  

While in LA we rented a very cool condo and I started messing around with modern furniture
mixed in with a few of the usual "country" details....just couldn't help it : ))
I have loved modern design since I first popped open 
a Metropolitan Home Magazine, many years ago.  

It was the first magazine that really inspired me and I tried very hard to emulated the hip modern rooms Met Home featured. 

The magazine published its last issue in 2009 
but Hearst decided to relaunched Met Home last summer 
aimed at Gen X and Millennial city dwellers.  
Many current design trends remind me of Metropolitan Home features from the 80's and 90's.
But design is so much more consumer friendly now and sharing information, sources and competitive pricing are the norm.  

And did I mention FREE shipping!! 
Just about everybody ships furniture for free or for a flat rate.

On a young working mom's meager salary, most of my purchases were from Crate and Barrel and everything else came from thrift stores and antique malls. 
 Extra money was used for diapers and bouncy chairs, certainly not furniture.

Not much of that scenario has changed except I'm no longer young 
and yes, I still like Crate and Barrel.
I especially like the latest collaboration with Ross Cassidy for the CB2 line


I have recently
splurged on a few new pieces of furniture
 that are really modern but will work well in any setting

A Saarinen table...a classic
Here I paired it with inexpensive chairs from All Modern ,
a vintage Gas station sign from the 50's
and collectible American red ware circa 1880..ish
An Eames lounge chair in white Edelman leather...delish!
Looks right at home next to the firkin stack ;)

The coffee table is from Serena and Lily and the English bamboo side tables and some of the new antique pottery pieces are 
from Revival Antiques in Pasadena 

The large Steel Console is a fantastic piece designed by Giulio Lazzotti from Design Within Reach.
This is an office credenza but it works wonderfully  as a media console.
The couches and chairs I designed and slipcoverd in basic white twill 
 with pillows in orange velvet from Schumacher 


I'm loving black accent pieces right now 
 and recently purchase the Antoccino shelving in black oak from RH Modern.
 I don't have a photo of this in our apartment but it is a beautiful piece 
and I can see it in so many different settings.

Now back to the story....we moved (again) from Los Angeles to the San Francisco Bay Area, a little over a year ago. 
 I know...we move a lot.  Believe me, we are really tired of it.  New places are really stimulating and exciting for the first few months but it just starts to get crazy and unsettling.

Today we are in an older, smaller rented condo but it's still pretty 
and the location downtown is amazing.
Here is essentially all of the same furniture with a few new pillows.  
It really looks different and yet works nicely in this older smaller space.

Interesting however, is that nothing looks very modern here.
The walls are a sage-ish odd green... I'm just living with it
 but I think the paint really dates this condo. 
In our spare time (?)  we work on the little house in Santa Barbara
Many of the things I have purchased for this house have a 
more modern and spare feel as well.  
While this is a 1920's Spanish Colonial house, 
modern and current looks right at home
A dresser in the master bedroom is from Room and Board with swapped out hardware paired with a purple over-dyed rug 

A lovely minimalist painting from Jean Jack mixes with vintage American pottery 
and antique Hubley doggy doorstops

The walls are hand troweled stucco which are left unpainted and raw.

 The original oak floor will be sanded and refinished in the next few weeks
and any thing but this orange will look sooooo much better...

I've changed out most of the lighting 
including the chandelier in the dining area which just didn't work for me.  
I know a lot of people would have kept it but it didn't allow 
for any changes in the dining room configuration 
which is important in a very small house. 

Choosing artwork that has a connection to this style of house 
but can work in a more contemporary setting has been fun and something of a challenge 
because of the limited space.

Add in the garden we have less variety of plant material 
and more linear sight lines, with clean walls and pathways

Vegetable gardens can look messy at times but the stone beds keep things in check 
and the gate provides a private garden room entrance.
Now that the rain is finally letting up a bit 
you can be sure I will be gardening more.
Tomatoes got planted a few weeks ago in February ....seriously Kelley? 
don't you think its too early?
I guess we will find out


xoxo
K  

and follow along daily on Instagram here










31 comments:
  1. Thank goodness you're back. I've really missed your posts.

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    Replies
    1. Hey Karol! Well one post in 2017 is not all that impressive but at least I got something done
      xoxo

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  2. Thanks Kelley i really missed you....

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  3. Im so happy to catch up with you :)

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  4. Glad you're back! Looking forward to spring garden posts and more of Santa Barbara!!

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  5. It's all very classic and beautiful and I love how you keep your design "thumbprint" on everything you do. As always...inspired.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Lori. It's interesting how those favorite colors and accents find their way throughout every house Sort of like our fave jeans❤️❤️

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  6. Your voice is always a welcome read. I love the little SB house and look forward to your progress and reveal for this reader and fan. :-)
    Karen

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  7. So excited to get some real peeks into your new "homes". You are a master at mixing styles. I have tried to make my home a little more "au currant" as well by painting the trim dark and white walls. I am not quite as brave as you and my husband does not care much for anything new! Love everything you have done...that garden is to die for!

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    Replies
    1. We have quite a bit left to do but I want to a least enjoy a little bit of my weekend when we get down there. All I do is drive and work. The garden is really fun and the perfect size. No more huge yards for me. I know you understand!!!!!❤️❤️

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  8. So excited to see The Polished Pebble in my inbox. I love your style(s) and this post made me want to tackle my garden. Thank you so much!

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  9. Thank God! You put it all in perspective! Now I know exactly what and where maybe not why but thank you!!! I love your little house soooo much!!!!!!! And that sofa and pillows and the art work and the garden!!! wow. just fabulous!!!!!!!!

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    Replies
    1. I know its confusing. I'm really pooped too from driving and working on so many different projects. Thanks for checking in Joni!!!! And I'm happy you seem to like the design elements I've chose so far. It's a cutie ; ))

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  10. Replies
    1. hi sheila! still hanging in there

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    2. So glad you are back! Have missed you, but looking forward to new posts :)

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  11. Welcome back! So glad you rejoined us.

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  12. Your gardens are and always have been so inspirational. The stone is the best! Our garden is a mess. Weeds between the beds. How do you keep yours so neat? I love the gravel you use too. Time to go dig!

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    ReplyDelete
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  15. Is great! I'm just starting a bathroom renovation. I searched for a long time home refurbishment offer . But I already have! I think we can do something nice.
    I would like a bathroom in which I will take a long companion and I will not think about anything :) I will later renovate the rest of the apartment. But the bathroom - for me the most important is always :)

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