WG Holiday House Tour – Dining Room – Before & After

As you know, I was asked to assist a homeowner in decorating her home for the Webster Groves Holiday House Tour this year and I am positively ecstatic at how her house turned out, especially this knockout of a dining room!  Who wouldn’t want to host a dinner party in this space?

Here are the before photos…we had a great palette to start with and unique features like her carved table and antique chandelier.

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Her dining room table is complemented by a beautiful buffet with silver accents.  Immediately, we thought of doing a gilded metallic theme for this room.

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We went shopping for a few items and we also raided her china cabinet to set the dining room table…

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Luckily, she had beautiful gold rimmed glassware and plates and they looked great with the silver accents, like the stunning Smith & Hawken wreath from Target!  We also added a crisp white runner and napkins (great deals at Pottery Barn) while moving her existing runner to the buffet.

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One of the days we were decorating, it started snowing huge fluffy snowflakes which really put us in the holiday mood since it was still 2 weeks until Thanksgiving!

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We wanted something spectacular for the dining room centerpiece and I really just fell in love with this concept.  When our floral designer for the tour fell through; I was able to call on Patti Porter of Rusted Chandelier to make me a fabulous arrangement in a hurry!  Here’s our concept photo…

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And here’s the amazing arrangement by Rusted Chandelier!  It really makes the room!

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Here are photos of the completed room! Love how it turned out!

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For the buffet, we used her original linen table runner and added Mercury elements, lovely silver reindeer, pine cones along with leftover pine roping and battery LED lights.

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Some close-ups of the table settings & centerpiece…

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We added a bit of glitter ribbon, ornaments & gilded chargers to complete the look…

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Huge thank you to Julie Tesson of Tesson Interiors for helping with this project and for all who came out for the tour! Happy Holidays & Happy Decorating!

Fall 2014 – inspired tablescapes

Ahh, the magic of fall dinner parties.  The food, candles and dinner conversation all seem more intimate as the sun sets earlier in the evening.  I am a bit obsessed with setting the table and this fall, teal has found it’s way into my heart.  It’s such a great color to pair with typical autumn browns & oranges and pairs perfectly with gold touches and reclaimed woods.  From modern to rustic, here are a few of my favorite tablescapes to make your evenings inspired!  Happy Designing & Happy Entertaining!

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The Personification of Spring!

Happy Spring!  This is my favorite time of the year and also my favorite time to see what’s in store!  Spring is the best time to capture the bright hues and essence of the flowers blooming (or on the cusp of blooming)!  The weather is still teetering on warmer temperatures and we’re desperate to toss off/hide away our dreary winter garb for the refreshing colors of spring!

See below for what has inspired me thus far in 2014!

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Dot Sheet Set – West Elm

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Lovely Spring Colors – Crate & Barrel Roscoe Dinnerware

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Crate & Barrel – Fiesta Planters & Wall Hooks
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Love this mirror from Wisteria!
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Great colors from the new PB Bedding Collections – Penelope Duvet in Desert Rose
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Crate & Barrel – Harbor Blue Furniture

Would love to hear/see what has inspired you this spring!!  Happy Decorating!

Easter Entertaining Ideas

Easter is usually the first Spring entertaining holiday so after “6 more weeks of winter” we sometimes go all out.  This year is no exception!  The retailers have stepped up with functional and whimsical decorations for this spring holiday.  See below for a little inspiration + my favorite new products for the season!

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How cute are these bunnies from Crate & Barrel?
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Modern & Festive for Spring – CB2 Cube Lanterns

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Signature Emma Collection in Fun Easter Colors! – Pottery Barn
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Love these Seersucker Linens from Crate & Barrel!
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Classic yellow w/beautiful pattern! – C&B Toulouse Plate

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Cute little chicks for your table decor! – Pottery Barn
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A fun game for after the Easter Egg Hunt! – Crate & Barrel – Stack the Carrots
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Add a pop of color w/these Yellow Trays from CB2!

Happy Easter!

Decorating Idea: Outdoor Centerpiece Chic

Happy Almost Summer!  Are you ready to brave the heat and entertain friends and neighbors outdoors?

Some of you may know that I teach decorating classes at Pottery Barn a couple Sunday’s a month.  Luckily, they let me exercise my creativity and pull together some of my own ideas for the class.  Here’s a simple centerpiece idea I created using flameless candles, recycled glass candleholders and succulents.  It turned out very organic and natural if I may say so myself :)

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One of the reasons this works is it is very neutral and would fit in with almost any decor or color scheme.  Another tip is to let one thing “shine” through in your design.  In this case, it is the candles.  When entertaining, especially at night, lighting can make or break your dinner party.  Too much and it doesn’t feel intimate, too little and it is hard to see your guests!  One of the things I love about flameless candles is their ability to flicker and “dance” like natural candlelight without the hazards.  Bonus: most flameless candles have a timer built-in.  Which means if you want your candles to come on every night at 5:00 and turn off at 10:00, you can make it happen!

Hope this idea sparks your creativity, too.  I would love to help with your decorating challenges!  Please email me with ideas or spaces you would like me to address.

Thanks & Happy Decorating!