Finishing touches

For most of us, moving into a new home is an experiment in re-purposing...up-cycling...and re-organizing...taking our beloved (can also be read "tired" or "well-loved"!!) pieces, furniture, artwork and accessories, spreading them through the new spaces, often reaquainting ourselves with forgotten treasures or seldom seen favorites...

Often times, the new space, being different than the last, needs something new to complete it...taking the rooms from, just-moved-in to the welcoming, warm space you love to call home!!



 





We began the process by warming up the walls with a deeper cream and adding wall to wall draperies in a rich ivory silk...this added a fabulous feeling of texture and depth without sacrificing the light airy feeling of the space!



Adding new accent tables, lamps and fresh accessories finished off the room.



 In every project, our primary concern is that the space reflects those that live there...so we love when we can use pieces/artwork/accessories that have been selected by the client...often times a favorite painting simply needs a fresh mat and new frame to be completely at "home" in the fresh design!  In this room, we accented the fabulous ceiling height by running a colorful collection of art up the wall!



This gorgeous barely twist table was the client's own...we rescued it from the corner of another room and brought it front and center into the heart of the home!!  Gorgeous!

 In the dining room, we added a delightful blue to the walls that made the trim and wainscot look brilliant!  We again ran artwork higher on the walls to pull the eye up the dramatic walls!!  New drapery panels, a woven tray with very clean lines and linen shades on the chandelier blended the more formal tones of the room with the comfortable, casual feel the client wanted to bring into the home!  And now this delightful client's home accurately reflects her lifestyle...surrounded by her collection, past and present...at home!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Round-top...or bust!!!

Has this ever happened to you??  You are paddling along blithely through the river of life and you hear about this amazing....something-or- other...and then all of a sudden, it's all you hear about or read about every time you turn on the TV or open a magazine???  Well, that's how Round Top, Texas was for me!!!  Just one year ago, I'd never even heard of this strange and mysterious place!!!  But after hearing about it time and again...and being told over and over how I "just had to go"  the plans for an antique adventure were hatched!!

With two dear friends and my brother riding shotgun...ok, not all at once, but you know...we hitched up our 29-foot trailer and headed south!

Giddy-up! With Lyle Lovett's, "That's Right, You're not from Texas, But Texas Wants You Anyway" as our anthem, we road tripped the 11 short (not really) hours to Round Top, Texas in search of treasures.

Of course no roadtrip is complete with out great food stops!!  And Fred's Cafe in Fort Worth did not disappoint!

There is a reason I make it a point to stop at as many roadside eateries featured on "Diners, Drive-in's & Dive's"!  If Guy endorses it, I'm all in!!

  In addition to the mouth-watering tex-mex and the country music, of course,  a trip to Texas isn't complete without extravagant local gas station purchase...the cowgirl hat!

After good food and fabulous treasures, another highlight of any great trip involves scoping out the perfect accomadations...and when you are antique-ing down the small back roads of Texas, this sweet little cottage was perfectly quaint!!

 

Let the shopping begin!!

Score, $45 pair

 

Where oh where could I use this...cool beyond belief!!!

 

Brass buckle and leather belt, Spanish origin, turn of the century. $15!

$90 super large globe for Eryn's patio!

One of our favorite finds? Cowhides! We bought five and have three more on order!

One full trailer! Tucked among the treasures were also a great 12-foot farm table and a uniquely beautiful wooden chest from Tibet. 

Oh Round Top, you didn't disappoint! We'll see you again!

Until next time...we will spread the word!!  Giddy-up!

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What a picture is worth...

I love wall art hung in a gallery style arrangement!!  It is a fabulous way to combine the pieces that make people happy into a display that reflects those who live/work in the space!! 

Sometimes these walls are symmetrical, neat, tidy and soothing because of the similarity of content and the layout of the pieces in an even grid-like pattern.

Houzz.com

Other wall galleries are a selection of various pieces, but create the same symmetrical quality thanks to matching frames that pull the look together.

 

Houzz.com

  In other settings, the display is set apart by the rich colors but the cohesion of the subject and framing keep the look very tailored.

Tobi Fairly

  For those who prefer a more eclectic aesthetic, the trick to pulling it all together is in the arrangement. The obvious forthought that went into this gallery wall, make it a purposeful arrangement and not just a "hodgepodge" collection!

Houzz.com

We have all seen the wall gallery that was just a bit too eclectic...and sometimes we wonder what makes the difference??  How do you take a seemingly disimilar group of objects and create a vignette that makes you smile??  It is all in the planning, layout and execution...

 

AsterHouse Design

Whether you are going for a symmetrical look...or you want the thrown together eclectic style, you will need to plan it well for it to be successful!!  (And yes, this will require a tape measure and quite possibly a level!!)

Check out this adorable video tutorial put together by my fabulous sister-in-law, Ashleigh Graber with Design Aglow...then get out your hammer and nails and make your walls talk!!!!

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Form or Function?? Yes!!

Over the last few months, Amanda and I have been slowly but surely pulling our own design space together.  We approached our office in the same way we do any client's space…we have just been implementing our plan VERY. SLOWLY. 

Honestly, we didn’t actually set out to “do” the AsterHouse office…we had literally dumped all of our paraphenalia into the raw space and thought we would tackle it when we had the time and budget to do it "right"!!  But because we both operate best when we are inspired by our environment,  it didn't take long to see the need to get the office done…or least started...

As much as we desired the space to provide the inspiration for great design ideas…we knew it would never be right unless it functioned well…and that, we knew, was the first place to start.  AsterHouse loves to create gorgeous spaces, but if that space does not function well it is a huge FAIL in our minds…so, that is where we always begin…whether for a client or our own office!

For our home away from home, the wish list was kinda long…we have a nice size space…about 20’x18’, but it needed to house two desks, an "island-ish" place to lay out projects or splay our huge drawings.  We needed a “lounge area” to host clients as well as attractive storage space to hold our growing collection of fabric samples, vendor catalogs and our office stash of Twizzlers!!  (Must have creative fuel!!) 

When thinking through the function, elements of form always enter the mind and often inform the layout…for instance, we like to work facing each other…it makes bouncing ideas off so much more fun when you can see each other face to face…so, instead of two separate desks we found this fabulous “dining table” at West Elm...

...and it was our jumping off point for the whole work station!  We sent a friend on a wild goose chase through IKEA (a whole other post!!) to pick up some fabulous storage pieces for the walls and we had a local contractor build us a custom wall unit!!  (the top will eventually be covered in stainless!!) 

With the white laquered furniture, storage pieces and white trim, we chose a pale gray for the walls...I will admit that it took two tries to get it right...but we love it!!  Perfect backdrop to all the gorgeous colors that roll around our creative space!!

SW7671 On The Rocks

So here is what we have so far!!  I don't really have any good "before's" and it is not even close to complete so it cannot be referred to as an "after"...so here is a "now"!!

(I will save the lounge area for another post....the furniture is in place but everything is still in "before" condition!!)

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Really???

There are days Amanda and I pinch ourselves...really?? ...we ask...really??  This is our job??  We get paid to do this??  Really???  On the days we find ourselves headed out on the open road....

....to fabulous destinations (complete with grain bins and "vintage" gas stations)...

 

(Please ignore my finger..new phone...camera is in a different spot!!)

...to rent trailers, that may or not be filled for the return trip home....
...ummm, did you print the directions?? 'Cause my cute new (very expensive) cell phone doesn't get a lick of service here and we are in the middle of NOWHERE and don't have a clue where to go...ok, let's pull over and get directions from...that cow...oh, I have a bar...oh, it's gone...oh now I've got two bars...google it quick!!...is that a map under the seat...what do you mean Sparks, Kansas isn't on the map...how big is this place anyway???...population; 9...is that for real??...oh, ok here we go...just a few more miles....

...and...here...we...are...don't hyperventilate, Amanda...each tent represents a possible find, a potential treasure,

a probable gem...
...MUST. STAY. FOCUSED....where do we begin???...Let's start at the back and work our way forward...oh did you see that??...let's go over there...oh, we said we were going to start there...Eryn, stay on track...

 

 ...where are we???...is this a barn???...in a forgotten town that has been brought to life by piles of junk, loads of treasure hunters, and rows of great finds...just waiting to be discovered...yep, it's a barn...and I'm feeling woozy from all this fun...time for a power-up visit to the food stands...

...when you travel to such exotic destinations as Sparks, Kansas, Population: 9,  you are not going to find a fabulous salad, gourmet anything...so, we committed fully to the experience...pulled-pork sandwich, hot dog, chips, iced tea and amazing home-made peach cobbler topped with fresh ice-cream!!!...back to work, folks...slave-driver, I know...but someone's gotta do it...

...a long list of clients...when inspiration hits you gotta go with it...

cause you can't come back, ya know...

...and who can pass up sturdy chairs for $7...for real, $7each...can you say "AsterHouse Pickers"...through the piles of trash, past the rows of tourist-y trap-y stuff, we came away with some great finds...my first McCoy pottery piece...a wooden dough bowl...metal signs...on these trips, you just never know what you are going to get...more flea, or more market??...but always worth it...somebody, please, pinch me!!

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Quick update....

So, after my last post...I was thoroughly inspired...out came the tubs of spring decor...the tops of the buffets and niches were dusted...(not that they needed it, of course!) and here is what I came up with...

Happy Spring!!

Did I mention...

....that we have been published?? This article was so well-written, beautifully photographed, and a huge hit with the AsterHouse fan base!! (Thanks, to each of our families!!) The experience was a huge treat!! And each of the team members at Manhattan Magazine were fabulous to work with!!

Fresh from the Market...

Oh, my goodness...we are so excited!! The last few days were a blur...

We have been up and down and all around the Dallas Total Home Market and Lighting Show...

And we have found some great stuff!!

Our original goal was to discover the vendors who would help us provide unique, beautiful and budget sensitive pieces to our clients! That goal was met...and then some! We are thrilled to have found several lines that we will begin offering to our design clients!!

Market is a fantastic way to explore the current trends in home design/decor...this trip, it was impossible to miss the trend of all things

vintage, shabby french, grey, rustic, bucolic (anything rural, pastoral)

...these looks (and a combination of all!!) were EVERYWHERE!!

Coming soon...Eryn and Amanda's market favorites!! And a special surprise for you...stay tuned!!