Moonefield Interiors

relaxed and stylish interiors

Porch Life – A Modern Farmhouse Design

by Filed Under: Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Happy Friday!  As promised last week, I’m bring you another porch design I’m calling Modern Farmhouse.  Modern farmhouse combines the charm of the traditional farmhouse aesthetic with the sleek lines of more contemporary style.  I also refer to this style as refined farmhouse because this design is more chic than farmhouse styles of the past.  The key to success is paying attention to the contrasts between old and new and rustic and sleek.  Pair a rustic wood dining table with simple chairs that have clean, modern lines. Upholster a contemporary armchair in a plaid or check fabric.    It’s all about the balance!

outdoor barn light/door paint color/floral pillow/monogramed pillow

wreath/door mat/galvanized planters/bench/pig

 

I couldn’t help adding the cast resin piggy from Ballard Designs– I am from Smithfield!  Enjoy the long weekend!

Need help planning your porch or another space in your home?  An in-home consultation can give you just the jump start you need.  Or let me do all the work and choose a full-service design plan.

 

Spring Cottage Inspiration

by Filed Under: houses, Inspiration, Uncategorized 1 Comment

Last week, I took my youngest to see the Peter Rabbit movie.  He’s almost ten and all boy but still has a sweet, tender side that loves baby animals, hugs and holding my hand in public.  Well, I made up that last part but I’m so happy that he doesn’t feel too old to watch Peter Rabbit with his mom 🙂  The movie was soooo cute and funny and if you’ve ever fantasized about living in the English countryside (duh, who hasn’t) then you’ll love it, too. Isn’t this cottage the sweetest?  I decided immediately that I’ll one day live in such a cottage and I set to Googling “English style cottages in America.”

Bea’s Cottage

Bea’s Studio

What I found is that we don’t really have the type of architecture in the U.S. that we would think of typically English.  What we DO have here that we often consider “cottage-style” are often craftsman bungalows, traditional Cape Cods, Tudor revivals, farmhouses with Victorian elements and shingle style homes.  Add a lovely front garden that can only be described as “restrained chaos” and we can come pretty close to recreating the charm of an English country cottage.

This gambrel style guest home on Long Island is the perfect quaint cottage.  Designed by architect Stuart Disston, it seems to capture that timeless feel of a house that has just “always been.”

The exterior of the home looks like a storybook cottage.

Gambrel Style Cottage by Stuart Disston

The interior designer, Douglas Graneto, perfectly marries the unique architecture with a layered, textural style that speaks perfectly to casual, seaside living.  The exquisite drapery fabric sets the tone for the whole home, I think.

Douglas Graneto Design of Greenwich created warm, inviting interiors.

The kitchen is kept light and airy with traditional white cabinetry.

This shingle style home on the other coast was built and designed by Steve and Brooke Giannetti.  You must read her blog, Velvet and Linen,  So much eye candy.  I’m so in love with Brook’s casual elegant style.

Steve and Brooke Giannetti's house in Santa Monica front garden

Steve and Brooke Giannetti house in Santa Monica

Brooke Giannetti house in Santa Monica

Steve and Brooke Gianetti

11.jpg

Brooke Giannetti house in Santa Monica

This sweet little cottage belongs to Frances Schultz, a contributing editor at House Beautiful.

Bee front exterior

Bee Cottage

Bee garden room

I love the iron gate at this charming Tudor.  Nothing says cottage garden like climbing roses!

Our beautiful brick home is on the National Historic Register!

This sweet Tudor home in Birmingham, Alabama belongs to Betsy Fleenor and was showcased in Southern Living.

Tudor Cottage

Betsy’s Keys to Success: Improve Your Soil

Meandering paths help keep the garden organized and easy to maintain while staying true to the romantic, cottage style.

Multiple Seasons of Interest

And in my neck of the woods, there’s Colonial Williamsburg.  Every time we visit my heart gives a little lurch because #dreamhome.  The kids are admiring the muskets while I’m fantasizing about colonial cottage life.   Without people trying to peak in my windows, of course 🙂

 

 

Photo Courtesy: Jerry Gammon

Custis Tenement Fred Blystone

Throw in triplet baby lambs and life would be just about perfect!

Colonial Williamsburg/Fred Blystone

Colonial Williamsburg Blog

Happy Spring!

Want to freshen up your home?  I’d love to help!

What’s Missing From Your Dining Room?

by Filed Under: Blog, Dining Room, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

My girlfriend recently decided to turn her large but mostly unused formal living room into a dining room to better accommodate family get togethers.  Great idea, right?  I thought so, too, but the process turned out to be more of a project than she thought it would be, mostly because the new room is so much bigger than her previous dining space.

In a small or average sized dining room, you’ll usually have space for a table with seating for six or eight and either a buffet OR a china cabinet, but not both. The space and shape of the room will normally dictate where you’ll place these items.  Throw up a mirror and a couple of pieces of artwork and call it a job done.

But in a large or long dining room, there are more decisions to be made.  Larger rooms need larger chandeliers.  Maybe even two.  A large room can often feel “flat” without decorative moldings or wallpaper to give it added dimension.  A large room can easily handle a sideboard and a buffet.  Large rooms also benefit from larger artwork and larger mirrors.

For inspiration as I help her tackle this space, I’ve gathered together some ideas for creating drama in a dining room that might be larger than average and therefore need more decorative elements to help it feel “finished.”

First, consider adding wallpaper or a mural to give the space visual interest and dimension.

Leta Austin Foster

 

emily henderson design navy wallpaper dining room with white dining chairs

Emily Henderson

 

Check out these incredible murals from Mural Sources! This one is of an “idyllic Virginia coastline.”  This would be gorgeous along one long wall in a dining room.

Grand Haven Watercolor

Grand Haven Watercolor

muralsources.com

 

Built-ins are always a great way to add practical storage as well as depth, dimension and a feeling of coziness.

Benjamin Moore “Harbor Haze”

Skip Sroka

 

A large room or long table can easily handle two chandeliers instead of one.  Two lighting fixtures are practical, providing consistent lighting for large gatherings, and also add elegance and drama. Just remember to put those babies on dimmers!

Andrew Howard Interior Design | Arch Top Medium Lantern by E.F. Chapman | circalighting.com

Andrew Howard

 

Our dining room reveal... A traditional dining room features cloud wallpaper, double beaded chandeliers, parsons chairs and a beautiful wooden cabinet.

Addison’s Wonderland

 

Oversized artwork always works on a large expanse of wall.  This room doesn’t have any mill work or crown molding to add interest, but the large print in the dark frame adds drama and contrast on the light walls.

Studio McGee

 

The dark mirror in this otherwise light and bright room accomplishes the same task, reaching all the way to the ceiling and drawing the eye upward.  Imagine if the mirror were only half the size?

Image unknown

 

Last, consider adding wainscoting, crown molding or mill work to add dimension to the walls.

Romo Kiku Wallpaper

Decor Pad

You could argue that this room needs artwork or a mirror, but the mill work adds so much interest that the wall becomes a feature.

Transitional

Kerry Spears Interiors

 

The dining room below, with it’s pale, neutral palette, would fall flat without the built-ins and wainscoting.  With it, the room is full of architectural interest.

Corner China Cabinet

Decor Pad

 

And here we have the ultimate in stunning mill work and lighting.  I. Can’t. Even. with this dining room.  See this entire INSANELY gorgeous 1920s colonial here. 

 

HB_Gridley_DiningRoom_0243.jpg

 

Janet Gridley

Wanna take your dining room up a notch?  Contact me to make an in-home appointment!

 

 

2018 Home Decor Trends

by Filed Under: Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Even though styles and trends don’t miraculously change on the day we flip our calendar page, it’s fun to talk about the direction that we see home decor moving toward in the upcoming year.  Of course what’s “in or out” can be somewhat subjective, so I always like to abide by the golden rule of filling your home with things that YOU truly love, trends be damned.  Lists like this work as guidance, not hard and fast rules.  Also, there’s that other golden rule “do unto others…” That’s a good one, too 🙂

1. Refined Farmhouse So many people love farmhouse style so be assured that many farmhouse elements aren’t going away any time soon.  There will always be an appreciation for well crafted simplicity such as we see with the traditional farmhouse table or a hand-stitched quilt.  But farmhouse is becoming more refined and a little more sophisticated.  How can you adopt this trend?  Keep farmhouse elements to a very few well-loved things.  Place a great value on authenticity.  Pair a vintage chair with an crisp, modern fabric seat.  Opt for clean lines.

Refined Farmhouse StyleLonny 

2. Soft Curves In the coming months, we’ll see more furniture pieces with curves instead of angular pieces with sharp edges.  So many pieces in a room are rectangular and square, from picture frames to chairs to sofas to TVs.  A curved piece can soften hard lines and create intimacy and a feminine softness.

A circular sectional feels sophisticated, cosmopolitan, and downright statement-making in any space it occupies. Photo by Tony Vu.

One Kings Lane

Boat House Bed King 66

upholstered bed available to the trade

Demilune Console

curved console table available to the trade

3. Velvet Move over rustic. Lush fabrics in deep jewel tones are back and they’re here to stay for a while.  That wallpapered ceiling? Also a trend…

blue velvet tufted sofa

House Beautiful

r7

Roger and Chris

4. Matte black fixtures Unlacquered brass is still hot, hot, hot, but matte black is being seen all over, too.  And you can definitely mix the two.  In fact, mixing finishes adds a layered interest to any space.

blackhardware4

Studio McGee

modern black and white kitchen with leather stools, marble counters, black fixtures

source unknown

5. Bold florals: Feminine florals back in a big way BUT NOT in an 1980’s way.  This year’s florals are jewel toned, graphic and bossy.  Pair them with subtle textures and smaller prints to really make a statement!

fabric available to the trade

House of Turquoise: Turquoise and Coral

source unknown (I am madly in love with this space)

6. Colored Cabinetry While white kitchens will always be classic, we’re seeing more and more colored cabinets in shades like this deep green.

DeVol Kitchens

Or this stunning cobalt blue.

House Beautiful

What do you think about these new trends?  Which one are you most excited about?

The Best Autumn Art on Etsy

by Filed Under: Art, Etsy, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

I haven’t written an art post in a while but I’ve been saving and pinning all sorts of original art and vintage prints and other wall decor that I love.  I’m always on the lookout for unique artwork because I think dressing your walls can sometimes be difficult.  But when you get it right, beautiful art can really make the space and help tell a story in a room.  I LOVE fall and autumn “motifs”  but really I’m always drawn to natural elements in art, fabrics and accessories no matter what time of year it is.

Becca Stadtlander is an artist I just discovered on Etsy and I love her work.  She offers prints of her original paintings printed on watercolor paper.  I couldn’t decide on just one so I included two of my favorites here.

Goats

 

Amish Clothesline

 

The next two art pieces are more whimsical and would be fun in a boy’s room, I think.  I love charts, nature studies and field guides.  Unique and educational 🙂

Pinecone Field Guide by Kate Dolamore on Etsy

 

Antler Study by Vol. 25 

 

I love the colors in these original watercolors plus I have a weird things for mushrooms.  Olena creates custom home paintings, too!

Olena Baca

 

I’m always picking up vintage art in consignment shops and antique stores.  This one is a mid-century original piece by a Ukrainian artist.

Autumn Forest Landscape

 

Here we go with mushrooms again…A reproduction of a French educational chart. I’d hang this is my kitchen in a simple wooden frame.

Curious Prints

 

I’ve loved this shop forever. StudioLicious creates “paint-by number” style art on wooden blocks that can stand on their own or hang on the wall.

Fall Barn

 

Here in the south, autumn is the time for harvesting cotton.  Where I live, it’s growing all over, acres and acres of white fluff.  It almost looks like snow!

Susan Windsor

 

This piece is sent as a printable file in two different sizes.  I like the simple, graphic of this one.

Flutter Shy Designs

 

I love Amber Alexander’s work.  She paints the sweetest watercolors of animals and has holiday cards in her shop, too!

March Fox

 

I saved one of my favorites for last!  I love, love these prints made from original herbarium pressed botanicals.  So beautiful.

Day 3 Creations

 

Need help selecting and framing your art? Not sure where to hang it?  Like the look of gallery walls but don’t know where to start?  Let’s chat!

 

 

Office Space

by Filed Under: office, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

I’ve written before about turning a dining room into an office to make efficient and practical use of a space that may not be used much formally.  But today I’m talking offices that are just offices and beautiful ones at that!

If you are a visual or creative person, it can be difficult to work in a space that isn’t stimulating in some way.  If you have a window (I pray and hope that you do!) you can simply look out to help give you a burst of energy.  Color on the walls can help stimulate creative thinking as well.  I like using landscapes in a work space because it help brings the idea of organic and living elements into a room–especially if you don’t have a window or if your view is less than appealing.  Here’s some yummy offices and tips for making the most of your own creative space.

Pick a paint color that appeals just to you.  This minty green (Farrow and Ball’s Arsenic) ain’t for everyone, but it’s right at home in this Alabama cottage and pairs perfectly with the vintage desk.

Bill Brockschmidt and Courtney Colema designed this study to look like a garden shed. Like the millwork throughout the Alabama house, it was painted in Farrow & Ball's Arsenic — a fresh green hue — to contrast with the more traditional architecture. The client's desk chair was re-covered in Lee Jofa's Althea Linen.

Bill Brocksmidt and Courtney Clema via House Beautiful

Customize it to suit your needs.  I love the file cabinets here that are built in under the desk.  It helps keeps a small office so visually neat and clean

homedit.com

Turn your desk toward the outdoors! The olive lacquer on this desk serves to blur the line between the outdoor and in.

source: bhg

designer unknown

Create a library in your office.  These floor-to-ceiling shelves packed with books help up the coziness factor and keep the office from feeling cold and stale.

 

Raji Radhakrishnan's Virginia Home. Check out the ceiling light treatment.

Raji Radhakrishnan via Pinterest

Swap out a desk for a table.  In a small space, a table can really open up the room because your eye can move around and under it.  This works here because the built-ins offer storage.

Peek Inside the San Francisco Decorator Showcase 2015 | Interior Design Styles and Color Schemes for Home Decorating | HGTV

Julia Morgan via HGTV

Add warmth to an office with a rustic wood table.  Top it with glass to create a smooth surface for writing.

jennifer_fisher_jewelry_athena_calderone-24.jpg 1,100×733 pixels

Jennifer Fisher’s office via eyeswoon

I’ll leave with with this insane office.  It belongs to Matthew Weiner and was featured in House Beautiful during the last season of Mad Men.

House Beautiful

Does anyone else miss Don Draper? All the heart eyes #amIright?

Image result for don draper

Design Crush ~ Sarah Bartholomew

by Filed Under: designer crush, Kitchen, Living Rooms, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Today I’m featuring my latest (and dare I say my favorite?) design crush, Sarah Bartholomew! I can’t remember exactly when I discovered, her work, but it’s amazing and I think I’ve pinned nearly her entire portfolio.  I think you’ll agree that her mix of vintage and antique pieces with natural elements and newer pieces creates the most beautiful, livable spaces.

These photos are from Sarah’s family room in her own home recently featured in Southern Living.  I love her mix of pattern and texture. It creates such a casual elegance, doesn’t it?

This beautiful Georgian house belongs to designer Sarah Bartholomew that she shares with her husband and their four young children. Dec...

And I always love birds.  A bird gallery wall? Now that’s perfection. The simple black frames really pop against the gorgeous millwork.

This beautiful Georgian house belongs to designer  Sarah Bartholomew  that she shares with her husband and their four young children. Dec...

She’s a master at layering pieces to created that “collected over time” look.

Green Hills Georgian – Sarah Bartholomew | Whites, browns, green, black | #country #cottage #traditional

More birds in a 1901 Georgian rowhouse featured in House Beautiful.  Again, I love the easy elegance she creates with the leaning artwork.

I’ve always loved the idea of living in Washington, D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood and this stunning 1901 rowhouse published by House Beautiful is keeping the dream alive. Located on a charming cobblestone street, the interiors were decorated by Nashville-based designer Sarah Bartholomew (see more of her work here and here). The result? A stunningly chic space …

The bull-eye mirror over the brick fireplace creates the perfect mix understated glamour.

A bull's ­eye mirror by Carvers' Guild surveys the living room from above a custom mantel painted in Benjamin Moore's White Dove.

Never has a small eat-in kitchen looked so inviting!

sarah bartholomew kitchen

Want more Sarah Bartholomew?  Check out her monthly newsletter, Sarah’s Studio as well as a fun interview with designer Paloma Contreras, here.

 

Happy weekend!

My Favorite Podcasts

by Filed Under: Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Happy Friday!  Today for a change of pace, I’m highlighting a few of my favorite podcasts in no particular order.  If you have no interest in business or design podcasts at all, feel free to scroll to the end where I talk about my newest find, a podcast so amazing that I don’t even have words for the amazingness.  Truly.

1. BizChix by Natalie Eckdahl

BizChix.com

Don’t let the cute logo fool you.  From her website:

Natalie Eckdahl, MBA, is a business coach, professional facilitator, keynote speaker and host of the Biz Chix Podcast which iTunes featured as a top New Business Podcast in March 2014.

If you’re an entrepreneur in any business, this podcast is for you.  I love her voice (hey, that’s important in a podcast!) and I love her real-world business advice.  She works solely with women in all stages of business and she knows that family and home responsibilities are constant competitors for our time.

2. Women With Balls in the Air by Casey Destefano

Casey is another wife and mother that inspires her listeners to jump back into their careers after having children. She worked in Hollywood in her past life and I love how she relates those experiences to her new career as a business owner and coach.  Check out her first episode “Jump Out of Your Comfort Zone and into Martin Scorsese!” Did I mention she’s super funny and crazy-smart?

3. A Well-Designed Business by LuAnn Niagra

The gold standard of design podcasts!  Seriously.  The gods smiled on me when I first started this business and introduced me to LuAnn.  I don’t know how I stumbled on this podcast but she is the real deal.  A brilliant business woman herself, she interviews both veteran designers and new business owners and gets all the dish on how to make it in this industry.  But truly, so much of the practical advice you’ll hear is relevant to any business owner in any field.  All hail LuAnne Niagra!

5. Design + Style by Rachel Moriarty and Dixie Willard 

This one is a podcast strictly for designers by designers.  If you’re a solo designer, this business can feel very isolating.  Not anymore!  Rachel and Dixie are your new design besties that hold your hand, feel your pain and coax you gently out of your comfort zone.

5. Young House Love Has a Podcast by John and Sherry Petersik

YoungHouseLoveHasAPodcastJohnSherryPetersik450

So fun.  You don’t have to be a DIYer  to appreciate their hilarious take on game show quizzes and wacky sense of humor.  They also interview a diverse variety of industry folk and offer loads of practical advice for your home.

6. Terrible, Thanks for Asking by Nora McInerny

Image result for terrible thanks for asking

Author of the book  It’s OK to Laugh (Crying is Cool, Too), Nora is a wife and mother with an incredible story of love, loss and life.  And now? She encourages others to tell the truth when asked that ubiquitous question, “How are you?” As an interviewer and speaker, she’s empathetic, funny, irreverent and a million other things.  She knows when to ask the hard questions and she knows when to just be quiet and listen.  The stories you’ll hear are full of sadness and fear and hope and love. I’ve listen to three or four episodes and each one left me with an amazing feeling of catharsis that’s difficult put into words. Warning, you’ll hear sad stuff and hard stuff and you’ll laugh and cry and hear bad words.  If you’re OK with that, tune in.

OK, here’s an update because I found a few more just since posting this a few days ago.  What can I say? I’m officially a podcast junkie!

7. Ballard Designs: How to Decorate

8. The Hilarious World of Depression (Great if you’re depressed, ever have been depressed, or know someone who’s ever been depressed. So basically its for everyone.)

9.  Business of Design by Kimberly Seldon

Have a wonderful weekend!

Michele 🙂

At Home…With Pets

by Filed Under: Living Rooms, pets, Uncategorized 10 Comments

A lovely home or a family pet? Although it may often seem this way, you truly don’t have to choose between a stylish, beautiful home and a furry friend.  Even if your pet sheds, there are many practical steps you can take to keep your home and your pets happy.  Really!  When we first adopted our little Jack Russell pup, I thought I’d have to kiss a stylish home goodbye forever.  He sheds big time and it was a while before he was totally trained.  But my house survived and with a few changes we’ve all learned to live together.  And good thing, too, because he’s really my favorite child.  At least when school’s out for the summer!

Below are nine tips that will help your home and your pets live in harmony.

1. If you need to restrict your pet to certain areas, select a gate that isn’t hideous. I bought an ugly, plastic baby gate to contain our pup before I realized there were much better options!

20-inch Freestanding Barrier

Freestanding Pet Gate

2. Have pillows and slipcovers made in synthetic performance fabrics. There are some gorgeous, resilient fabrics on the market today.  Try Crypton, Perennials and Sunbrella.

 

Sunbrella Reflex Regatta

3. Pick forgiving prints over solids.  Prints hide dirt and fur so much better than a solid color.

Chiang Mai Dragon

4. Choose tightly woven fabrics.  Pet claws and nails can get caught and snag looser woven fabrics like tweeds.

5. Invest in a good pet hair vacuum

Bissell Pet Hair Eraser

 

6. Choose indoor-outdoor rugs like this beautiful kilim!

Image result for pottery barn gianna rug

Gianna Kilim

 

 

8. Opt for washable slipcovers over upholstery.

9. No pets on the furniture!  Just kidding–who ever sticks with that rule?  Instead keep a washable throw blanket on the areas of the sofa your dog or cat likes the best.

10. Buy a stylish pet bed with a removable cover.

Rhombus Dog Bed

Since we’re talking pets, I had to share this link to the cutest, funniest photo shoot.  I’m so in love with our little rescue pup, I would totally do this if my husband would go for it 😉 😉

8.6.14 - Baby Photo Shoot1

lifewithdogs.com

Happy Friday!

Don’t Miss Home Decor Sales!

by Filed Under: Accesories, Art, Budget Design, Uncategorized 2 Comments

If you’ve been wanting to spruce up your home for summer, Memorial Day weekend is a great time to shop.  From furnishings to throw pillows to accessories, it seems nearly everything for the home is on sale!  Below I’ve linked a few of my favorite things from my favorite shops at can’t-miss prices.

Wisteria is offering 25% off of everything with code salut20. I love this scalloped bone inlay stool.

Ballard Designs  is offering 25% of orders of $500 or more and 20% off of everything else. No code necessary! Long, narrow consoles like this one are always great, especially in a smaller space.  I love the x stretcher with the ball in the middle.  Simple but pretty.  $375 is a great deal!

Lindale Long Console

Save 20% at Serena and Lily with code AMAZING.  Time to get those famous stools you’ve been eyeing forevvvver . Perfect for a stack of books or a plant.

Lulu and Georgia is offering a sliding scale discount from 15% to 25% depending on the purchase amount. Use code HEYSUMMER15 (or 20 or 25.)  They have loads of on-trend accessories like this blue and white denim pillow.

Coastal decor. Coastal blues. Coastal interiors. Lulu and Georgia Radde Pillow. Joss and Main grace pillow. horchow rippled glass lamp. one kings lane spike side table. anthropologie Aldalora throw blanket. Blue throw pillows. Restoration hardware sofa. Q design Centre drapery. Simply white Benjamin moore. Millwork. Coastal interiors. Hamptons Style. Braided Wool rug.:

JS Home Design via Instagram

World Market always has the best seasonal outdoor pieces.  I love this bar cart!  Enter MAYSAVE for an extra 15% off plus free shipping on already reduced prices.

Robinson Rattan Rolling Bar Cart

Target is having a big summer pation sale with an extra 10% off using code SPRING.   They have a huge selection of outdoor rugs like this distressed medallion rug that I love.

Um, hello Martha Whiteware Pitcher for $7.99 at Macy’s! Special deals like this are not further reduced, but some items are an extra 15% – 20% off with code SUNNY.

Art.com is offering 30% off with no code needed.  This 12 x 16 woodblock print by Katushika Hokusai (c. 1834) is only $3.49! So beautiful!

Goldfinch and Cherry Tree, c.1834 Art Print by Katsushika Hokusai at Art.com:

Have a fantastic Memorial Day Weekend!