Ballard Designs Backroom Bonanza

via Ballard Design's Facebook Page

Claire and I were discussing fabric options for the banquette at my dining room table and she casually suggested I check out Ballard Design's Backroom location to see some of the fabric in real life. Little did she know (OK, she probably knew) that a visit would solve all of my dilemmas.

Upon my visit, I immediately checked in with the salesperson to see if I could take photos. Alas, no, as a previous blogger apparently took photos then posted a negative review AND showed locations of all the hidden security cameras. So, my personal before and afters will have to suffice. But the showroom near downtown Atlanta is fabulous. I ran up to check the one is Roswell too and just didn't like it nearly as well.

On to the good stuff- my salesfriend helpfully informed me that they had four upholstered Parsons chairs available and on sale- at the greatly reduced retail of $94 each (sorry, I'm just so excited!). I snatched them up and picked up 2 natural linen slips (Joni, you've convinced me). I would have bought 4 slips, but alas they could only find two. Off to the website to order the other two. And yes, they need more ironing and straightening (sorry! I'm also packing for a trip. But I'm cringing at how wrinkled that one chair is!).

But wait! There's more! Ballards also had the black check Coventry bench. While we were not really considering the black and white check, the discounted $186 option prompted a quick change of heart. An immediate/panic email to Claire and some quick verification measurements at home, and the bench was mine.
I added the square linen-covered pillow to help pull the slipcovers and bench together. Claire suggested adding some black ribbon along the bottom of the chairs as well, which I think would work nicely. Additionally, we still need to strip the wallpaper and swap out the chandelier. But progress!

A quick review of the before:

And after!



And Kaylee was dying to be included in the photos, so I had to post this shot of her. She's still available for adoption!!


Clearly Mr. Southern and I do not use the breakfast nook very often. I'm embarrassed to say that most dinners are consumed while we're sitting on the couch (I know! What are we, 19!?) When we're entertaining, we eat in the dining room. So my hope is that these comfy chairs will encourage us to act our age and actually eat at the table.

Also, I must apologize for the science project on the table but we're starting our veggies (tomatoes, sweet peppers, yellow and green squash, and cilantro). Yum!

Best,
Emmie

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To Market To Market

Mr. Southern and I went to Market over the weekend to meet with a potential vendor. Afterward, we tooled around AmericasMart, popping into shops that really, we really had no business in visiting. As I've mentioned, both Mr. Southern and I are in some way involved in retail and can gain access to AmericasMart. Which is sort of a blessing and a curse- while I love my job, I, probably like many others not in the design world, feel a twitch of envy when I see all the great products for which I could envision the perfect home. But alas, none fit into my "job role" (which is food, if you're wondering).

One of my favorite predominately wholesale companies I've realized, is Two's Company. This will sound like an advertisement for them but I am in no way compensated for my love. :-) The diversity of the products is what gets me.

Need to add some polish to the bath? May I suggest:

Carrington set of vanity jars, Chatelet Perfume Tray, Timeless Crystals and Pearls Box, Charlotte Antiqued Victorian Hand Mirror (all available at Organize.com and numerous other sources).

Entertaining? Here are some great "must-haves."

Va Bene Murano Glass Butter Knives, Be Seated Bud Vase/Place Card Holders, Victoria Ribbon Cake Stand Set.


Dying for a seaside home and need some seashore accents to get you through?


Large shell on glass stand, Blue Coral Sculpture, Triton Sea Shell Mosaic

And let's not forget the furniture.

Cote d'Azur bench (I need for my bathroom vanity!), Golden Bamboo Butler Table, Golden Bamboo 5-shelf Stackable tower (would this work for housing my china, Claire?), and Haute Couture Dress and Jewelry Rack (OK, probably not furniture, but how cool is this!!??)

And I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that they are the ones behind these fabulous prints.


What I also learned though, is that Two's Company makes these fabulous enamel bracelets (just saw the nautical series at their showroom-- does anyone carry them? I'd love to get one for my MIL) and cute glass rings, which I actually picked up in Puerto Rico for myself and my "girls."

The company was founded more than 40 years ago by Bob and Bobbie Gottlieb. Bobbie and son Tom are the current "two," keeping Two's Company a family-owned venture. If you're in the New-York area, I believe they have sample sales open to the public near the Elmsford HQ. Has anyone been?

-Emmie

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A Look at my "Sea" room... and All Modern giveaway preview

Back when I was actually blogging ;-), I wrote my list of recommended items for hosting guests. Unfortunately, I did not take any photos of my hostess preparations. I'm out of town AGAIN and have "Auntie DiDi" staying with our dogs. While our friend is doing a "service" for us, I certainly want her to feel welcome in our home so I employ the same strategies for her as when planning for guests (although I forgot the fresh flowers, so it's not quite perfect). Also, I dangled the carrot of a giveaway last week but did not give any details- I'm thrilled to offer a choice of several great items from All Modern- great pieces that can be used in the kitchen or in creating a perfect guest room space.

Without further adieu, here is one of our guest rooms, which I affectionately nicknamed the "Sea" room, aka the "C" room, or the first letter of our last name.

Here's an overview of the room.

WOW that ceiling fan light looks bright.

OK, there are some flowers- my faux orchids here (they're not too bad are they?) along with the bottle of water. I'm using a bottle of water as I haven't decided on the bedside carafes I'd like for the guest bedroom. Dresser is an antique, from one of my grandparent's guest rooms, that I'm considering painting white (again, much to Mr. Southern's dismay). Parasols, in the silver vase, are from our wedding.

Slightly different angle, but you see the bedding.

And a close-up of one of the pillows I won on Completely Coastal's Giveaway from OBX Trading Group! I LOVE these and they are so perfect for this room.

Here is the other pillow from OBX Trading Group/Completely Coastal, resting on the chair in the corner of the room. Seriously, weren't these pillows MADE for this room?!

A look at the bedside table- an end table I bought and now repurposed. Shell lamp from my grandmother, magazines, a book, candle, and mini framed photo.

The bed again. I need to frame the artwork I bought from Jean and put above the bed to add some visual height.

I welcome any suggestions on the room- especially the painting of the dresser! My inspiration is from Traditional Home's First Nest article featuring designer Suzanne Grua McGrath and daughter Laren McGrath.

Hope y'all are having a great week!

Emmie

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Pull up a Bench

It has been a week! I feel so unbelievably guilty for my lack of presence in the blogosphere. I missed the connection so much, yet somehow was completely sucked into my work sphere. Last night at a fundraiser, I met some gals who had heard of my blog through a mutual friend and it occurred to me that this is a commitment just like anything else. Yep, it's a bit indulgent, certainly doesn't pay the bills, but boy does it add a lot to my life. For the bit that I invest, it pays tons in returns! So thank you for your patience through my challenge to juggle it all (how do you guys manage to raise children too!!?? We had doggie bath night recently and it nearly killed me!) So THANK YOU for sticking with me!

I'm celebrating my return to Blogland with the announcement of my Interior Designer, Claire Watkins from the blog High Gloss Blue. Claire is a fellow resident of Atlanta and I fell for her sharp wit and enthusiasm for design. As you likely heard me mention, I finally came to the realization that while I LOVE home decor, I really do need assistance. My own space is much too personal to critique and, having lived here for four years, I certainly don't have that fresh look. I would imagine that having a design-loving blogger for a client may not be the easiest task, but Claire handled it in stride. She took all of my suggestions to heart, gave me guidance, but in the end, is allowing me to make my own decisions. With her eye and framework, however, I feel much more set up for success.

As all you designers/experts in your field have said, it is so much better to just hire the talent from the beginning. One would save so much time and money. During our walk through the house (which I was SO nervous about!) I kept saying, I bought that because I thought... and that because I was thinking... blah blah blah. The advice, "buy something because you LOVE it and you will find a home for it"... ignore that voice. That is just not true. Unless you happen to own four homes and then yes, that object will likely work in one of them.

OK, so onto the redesign. I have several rooms I want to update and, like many of us, a limited budget. So we broke things down by room, but keeping in mind the overall "master plan." One of my first projects will be the breakfast room area, just off the kitchn.

I am blessed in that I've inherited several antique pieces of furniture. The down side is that I feel compelled to use these pieces and am hesitant to change anything. Our breakfast room set is a great example. I freely admit it- I'm not an oak person. But this set is very oak. Claire suggested painting the hutch (below)- which Mr. Southern nearly passed out over. But since I agreed not to paint the kitchen cabinets and showed him some lovely examples of painted furniture, I think we've gotten to an OK to paint.

Could we pull off the Belgian/Swedish look here a la Brooke, Joni, and Gina?

via Velvet and Linen

The other challenge is seating. These chairs just are not super comfortable. But they've been in the family for years! So, I will let them rest in the attic and just go for the comfort (I'm hoping) Parsons chairs and bench from Ballard Designs. Oh yes and the walls. I loved the red wallpaper when we first moved in but have realized how drawn I am to neutral palletes. So at some point this paper will go and be replaced with (ideally!) grasscloth- but done in vinyl for washability. I've heard that these options are great, despite all the negative connotations of vinyl paper.

First, the eye candy inspiration for creating a great breakfast nook (though some of these are a little "country" for me)... I grabbed these images for their banquette seating, which Claire suggested for the far wall in the bay window.

Young House Love

The Kitchen Designer



Country Living


Better Homes and Gardens

Better Homes and Gardens

Better Homes and Gardens

Here's the Ballard Design bench Claire suggested paired with several of the fabric samples she had.

There's the Como Ikat Dijon from Sunbrella...

the Daphne

I honestly forget the name of this one and it was not in our sample list, but I like it!

Easy Care Anya in Chocolate (Mr. Southern worries this is too busy)

and the Arabesque- which here looks far less pretty than the actual fabric sample.

And of course, must replace that builder light fixture. Claire selected this one for us from Pottery Barn, which I think will work perfectly.

I'd love to hear what you think! OH! And, I have my very first giveaway coming up this week, so please stay tuned!

-Emmie

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