Small Spaces for a rainy day.

This apartment is only 400 SF! The designer, Anu Suebsawangkul used mostly white and black to make the space look bigger! Point Click Home.

It's been a terribly long time since I've written about small spaces. Since I live in NYC I'm very familiar with living in less than 800 square feet and am learning how to make my apartment seem bigger than it really is. My main principle is to make the most of the space by way of strategically arranging furniture, scale, and storage.

This mini 47 square metres home is free from clutter. The book cases are definitely full and I think the repeating ceiling beams expand the space a lot. Marie Claire Maison.

Another funky space from Marie Claire Maison. I love these stairs but I'd be afraid to climb them. This space has more clutter but less furniture and things that take up space. Keep it simple.

A lot of attic spaces have pitched ceilings so built in bed is a smart and cozy idea! From Coastal Living. Also, aren't you dying over the white painted wide planked floors? I am.

In this super small entry way, the designer put a day bed and storage underneath to hid clutter and make good/comfortable use of the space! Cottage Living.

You wouldn't guess this for a MOMENT but this space is 95 square feet! This is Garrow Kedigian's amazing little room from the Kip's Bay 2009 Showhouse. The Greek key motif throughout the room and the lines created by the moulding expand this space.

Another shot of this amazing room. I LOVE it! From Habitually Chic.

I love living in a tiny apartment. All the places in my apt are cozy and special. I will be excited to live in a giant farmhouse one way and have a large wooden trestle table and Orkney chairs but for now, I'm enjoying getting creative with my mini space.

Alicia B.

Paint Party

******I have updated my paint colors- click HERE to see the newest colors********

320 Sycamore is having a Paint Party! Everyone is sharing their favorite paint color. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Sherwin Williams paint fan deck. Sometimes I pull it out and just dream about all the rooms I would love to paint. Of course I would need a 40 room house to do that! But here are some of my favorites:
The living room- (which I JUST painted about a week ago-by MYSELF: $60 in paint compared to $800 the paint contractor quoted me!)




Its Sherwin Williams Ivoire (I cheated and had Home Depot mix it for me). This room has sooo many windows and the paint changes color all day. It starts off very yellow in the morning then by afternoon turns to creamy butter then a warm Tuscan bronze/gold in the evening. It truly is amazing. If you plan on painting a large room-please please make sure you view your paint in all kinds of light before you paint an entire 2 story wall and then hate it and have to prime it with Kilz and then repaint it (not like that happened to me or anything ;-) )

I heart this Sherwin Williams paint swatch- from the Navajo White all the way down to the Relic Bronze- I would love to have all of them to create a harmonious flow throughout the house.


The Kitchen is Sherwin Williams Blonde (one step darker from Ivoire), the cabinets are Behr Jet Black and the Island is Sherwin Williams Navajo White (the lightest on that same swatch).



The Laundry room is a Walmart $6 oops- and I unfortunately threw away the can. But I love the sunny yellow against the black.



My bedroom was the 1st room I painted in our house- I first had this over-zealous, Tuscan yellow (which did not make for a warm, romantic room) I lived with it for 2 years and then repainted it with Sherwin Williams Toasty- and let me tell you- it is T.O.A.S.T.Y Love it!

Dont mind the jumping kid- this was the best true to life color I could get and he happend to be in the way :-)






I bought this AMAZING blue and brown fabric for one billion dollars a yard! but it was so worth it and I made a duvet cover and round table cover.



The guest bath downstairs is another color I have no clue what it is-sorry- but what I love about it is the stripes I painted. I first painted the walls with a flat- then taped off the stripes and painted the stripes with a gloss of the same color.




Once I finished the bathroom- I felt quite empowered and decided to paint the dining room a rich red with the tone on tone stripe. We first painted the walls with black primer (actually it turns out dark grey) then we painted with the flat red and taped off the stripes like in the bathroom. I was a huge project and dont know if I would do it again- (I HATE measuring and taping and measuring and taping) but I do enjoy this room. The color is Lowes Cherry Pie (flat and gloss).



I still have the small den to paint and plan to use the Sherwin Williams Navajo white-since this room adjoins both the kitchen and living room.

And just so you know- I have passed the paint-swatch loving addiction onto my 6 year old daughter. I found these in her purse the other day:



Now head on over to 320 Sycamore for more fun paint colors!!

Window displays

A friend was recently in Copenhagen and snapped this photo of the Royal Copenhagen's flagship shop window display. What great marketing! China companies probably do 75% of their business anymore from wedding registries: why not market that fact? The pretty wedding dress, cake and display of china really play into that; apparently the store was full of dresses too. I also love the reflection of the typical traditional Copenhagen streetscape in the window too!

Trend Alert? Objects in low places.

I've noticed a few times now when objects are placed very very low. They seem out of place but then you look at them and you notice them more that you probably would if they were where you thought they were going to be. I've only found a few examples but I think they're pretty interesting.

Nancy Boszhardt placed this still life painting underneath this desk, as opposed to above it. I was worried at first that the painting would get hurt under there, but I suppose the desk is deep enough...

It is a great idea to place objects under the console table and these lanterns look amazing. Miles Redd then added a mirror to draw attention to them.

My new design love, Grant White Design placed this sconce next to the fireplace where you might usually see it above the mantle.

Have you all seen this anywhere else? Perhaps this is an old trend and is coming back again? What do you all think? I was skeptical at first but designers are always being applauded for placing things up high to draw your eyes up; why should this be any different? Just something to think about.

Alicia B.

La Ronda UPDATE

The hearing of the local commission is on Wednesday, June 3rd at 6:30PM in the Lower Merion Township Building on Lancaster Avenue to decide the counties' stand on the demolition of the Addison Mizner designed mansion. Please attend and show your support if you are in the Philadelphia area!

http://www.lowermerion.org/index.aspx?recordid=1671&page=51

Clerestory Story Time

Traditional Home. Look to the left to avoid the TV over the mantle (ugh) to the clerestory windows!

A very loyal reader asked me yesterday what clerestory windows were. For those of you who didn't have a proper art history education, clerestory windows, which originate in churches, are a narrow band of windows placed up high, to let light in from above. Here are some great ones that I found in residences, not churches.

This is from the Golf Digest Showhouse by Suzanne Kasler. If you can get past the astro-turf patch, there are gorgeous clerestory windows in the kitchen. The kitchen is a great place for them if you don't have an amazing view from your sink or you want privacy but still want light to come in, then these are perfect!

The light that streams in from these windows is so beautiful/ethereal. By Suzanne Kasler.

These next two are used as decorative elements on the interior of the room. This bathroom was designed by Robert Young for Traditional Home. These windows let you know that there is another room behind those slatted doors.

By Phoebe Howard, these almond shaped clerestory windows are placed above closets and add a great architectural element to the room.

These are more reminiscent of a church setting, as the windows are placed very high, and the ceiling is slightly pitched. By Christopher Coffin.

There are so many different kinds of windows out there so it can be confusing. I love clerestory windows because they remind me of my early days in art history classes, which eventually led me to interior design. Sigh.


Alicia B.

Making quick work of a reroofing project

I just ran across this interesting You Tube video.  This illustrates a nifty new way of removing shingles from a roof.  Aside from this being absolutely crazy, one has to marvel at the skill of the bucket operator.

PS - don't try this at home!