Lazy Susan & me

First off, can someone tell me why this is called a Lazy Susan? I've always wondered. Okay, to the meat of the post. Some things in life just make me happy and I mean really ridiculously happy. One of those things is coming across UNBELIEVABLE vintage items and deals while thrift shopping and another is Lazy Susans. So imagine the joy I felt when my BFF Carol found this baby (see photo) at Value Village Capital Hill yesterday. Yes folks it's a killer Lazy Susan. And there it sits on my dining room table (okay, I want a new vintage 50's table, but that's another story) making every single meal taste so much better. 

Katja's roller blinds; Handmade!!

Great Halloween Decor

Once again Melina outshines herself with what I think is some of the best Halloween decor ever. This girl has got "it". She knows how to pick the right elements and arrange them in a way that looks authentic and creates the right effect--in this case creepy. ~ Rebecca

Details, hanger art

From a distance I couldn't tell what was in the Anthropologie Store window. But once I went inside and saw that these magical shapes were created with wire hangers painted and wired together, I laughed out loud. Thank you creative Anthropologie people.--R

"And this chair is just right." More finds at the Pacific Galleries.

Like my mother, I have a love affair with chairs. I like them in all shapes and sizes and don't prefer a particular period or style over another. Chairs are like hats, when they are great they are great. It's a simple call. --R

More Pacific Galleries--En France

So, this is how I think it works at Pacific Galleries--Interior designers, antique collectors, and really anyone who wants to rent a stall at the gallery can. I have no idea what the rental fees are or if you have to qualify to get a space. In general, the quality of the goods for sale is high and, in some cases, very high. All of the aisles are named after the tonier neighborhoods in Seattle.

One of the first stalls I came upon was this lovely little French market installation. Oh, la, la. I do love France, and my nephew is now studying in France, and in another life I would like to be Leslie Caron, so I was pretty into it. I'm not sure where in my home I would put the language instruction posters, but I am smitten with them.--R

Pacific Galleries and Auction House

After fifteen years of living in Seattle, I finally went on a field trip to Pacific Galleries. Where to begin because everything I could possibly want is being sold there: beautiful rugs, great furniture, pieces for staging events and stores, vintage hats and jewelry, lighting, really everything. I had a lot of fun taking pictures and will share some of the better ones with you, dear readers, all this week. Enjoy. --Rebecca

More Queen Anne Kitchen Remodel!

Queen Anne Kitchen Remodel

Hi Again! I am going to switch from the unbearable facts about the GOP and their definition of rape to.... a Pretty Pretty Kitchen! Sounds so wrong doesn't it? Here are some pics of what is right for at least one woman and her sweet daughters :) (see previous blog post for context)

This Queen Anne kitchen remodel was designed and built by Urban Arcadia Builders.  The best part was the homeowners keen eye for the details. We love this in a customer. 
The remodel  doesn't stand out in an overt way, it is only after you get in there that you see how modern and sleek it is. This makes me giddy!

Fabulous Fireplace, NE Seattle

This scrap metal fireplace was designed and built by Jeff Hummel, architect.
Very cool. -R

Furnishments, Greenlake Neighborhood

The inspiration from Design within Reach. Price: 2k

Finally, after looking for over one year, I found a love-seat for my front sitting/living room. I should have known that I would score in a neighborhood consignment shop. Here's how it happened: This past Friday night I looked on Craig's List and saw a really cute 1930's vintage love-seat. That lead me to the store's Facebook page and gallery (really smart marketing) which made me decide to get myself into Furnishments first thing Saturday morning. Yes I saw the Bauhaus love-seat on the store's Facebook page and made sure I was in there the second the doors opened. It turns out that the love-seat had been used by a stager, who owns the store,(another smart move) and had been barely used. Retail price, I'm guessing since I'm a love-seat expert now, $900. Consignment price: $450. It pays to recycle.--R

5 Questions for Tom Maul, Architect

Describe your perfect client:
Knows what they want programmatically and lets us do our stuff formally and volumetrically.

What is your passion?
Being experimental. Being in relationship. But not necessarily experimental relationships.

Where are you from?
Joyzee (Translation—New Jersey)

What was your favorite job?
Catering. There’s something very architectural about cooking and planning for an event.

Tell us something no one knows about you:
hmmmm…

See Tom Maul's work HERE.

Photo: Top row and bottom right--Tom Maul's house. Bottom left: Tom Maul.  Bottom center: Tom Maul Jr. and Michael Drumheller.

Decorating for the holiday party

Last night Well Done Events put the finishing touches on a party that we were planning for a corporate client. The finishing touches--they are what make the difference between a so-so party and a great party.

The theme, Casino Night, was fun and easy to decorate for: lots of poker chips and cards and martini glasses and candles. We mixed all of this with burgundy linen and a gorgeous tapestry cloth for the raffle prize table.

The room looked warm and inviting and festive and, fyi, we spent less than $350 for all of it...now that's Well Done.--R

Table-top photos. Day one.

About a year ago my Canadian friend Joe Biegel introduced me to the world of table-top photography.  I find I'm becoming mildly obsessed with it. As a follow-up to Anne's week of sandwiches, I'm going to share photographs from my growing table-top collection. Enjoy and see if you can name the restaurants where the photos were shot.--R

2736 Part 2, daylight basement

So, yesterday I showed you the exterior and upstairs interior... and today I am showing you the lower level interior. This space is unfinished, yet not completely devoid of assets.. For example; there is heat, water, a fireplace, a yard level exit and a 25 year warrantied waterproofing system. I think the house was on the market for so long because it looked just plain ugly. For us ( a contractor husband helps with this) the upgrades are cosmetic and not structural which is a huge difference compared to 2341. The lower level here will eventually be a family room, music room, office, bathroom/laundry and art studio/garage.

I promise to not bore you with only posting about my new house project, but I think there is something exciting about sharing the process and getting opinions from all you readers.

My first step in visualizing this house was to look at tons of pictures on websites and in magazines and them throw them away. I throw them away because they are already in my subconcious ( just by viewing once) and the concepts that are worth while have already affected me and how I am seeing the space. By throwing them away I am then filtering those ideas thru MY design and style filter, ensuring an original design. I never recreate a room or look exactly as I see it in a book or website. Published pictures are an example of someone else's vision of design and style filtered thru their lifestyle and budget....

So there you have it, my starting point exposed.... and my ugly (soon to be lovely) new house.

Inside 2341.

The Raquet Club of Philadelphia

I felt like Daisy, from "The Great Gatsby", while staying at The Raquet Club of Philadelphia this summer. The club, a product of the Philadelphia blue-blood scene circa 1910, is a palatial building designed by Horace Trumbauer of Philadelphia Art Museum fame. It is minutes away from Rittenhouse Square, great restaurants, shops, and lots of fabulous American history. For $150/night, I had access to all of the club's amenities (court tennis, squash, gym, barber shop, restaurant, pool, breakfast) and more. It's my new favorite place to stay in Philly.--R

Summer wrap-up

This week on the blog, summer excursions. I'll start with Georgetown, one of my favorite destinations in Seattle. Friends and I went down there one Friday afternoon and discovered, among other things, this wonderful coffee shop--Ground Control. The staging was first rate. A lot of coffee shops in town try to do the vintage decor look, but few succeed. Check-out the Madonna, vintage lamp, lollipop vignette--it's truly inspired.--R

The Great Room

The Color Palette

Happy Monday all! This week I will be featuring a home that I have been working on since 2009. It was a full custom home, designed by one of my favorite architects, Paul Whitney (www.whitneyarchitecture.com). I met Paul 6 years ago, only because of the birth of my second daughter . His wife was my doula.. he then designed our remodel and we have been collaborating ever since.
This picture is of the color board and the spreadsheet I give to clients. This is the marked up version after our first edits, which is then re-typed and issued to the painter, contractor and homeowner.
I had the great honor of working on designing all of the installed surfaces, otherwise known as architectural surfaces. This is my ideal job, I love being part of the whole thing, inside and out.
-Anne