Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts

Friday, April 11, 2014

Cherished Hearth Studios!!!

I've been keeping mum for a while now but it's officially time to let the cat out of the bag! This blog has really evolved over the past two years, progressing from my adventures in both Boston and Virginia into more of an interiors/lifestyle focused space. It's quite obvious where my passions lie and I'm excited to announce that soon this blog will be moving to a new location, with a few extra perks accompanying it! 


Cherished Hearth Studios is soon to launch in the next month! Along with a new blog URL will also come a new business endeavor! Expanding on my serious love for styling interiors, I am launching my own interior design company.  Focusing on the organization and styling of interior and event spaces, I hope to bring a modern and fresh twist to the traditional sense of interior design in the Washington DC area. 

I hope you'll continue to follow me as I embark on this new chapter in my life. It's going to be difficult, and it's definitely going to get messy, but I look forward to sharing all of it with you! 

Thanks for your unwavering support and continued interest! I will keep you all posted on Cherished Hearth Studios new home very shortly! 

Cheers! 

Saturday, March 29, 2014

The Evolution of a Bedroom

Bedroom. overhaul. is. finished!

Sincerest apologies it's taken me so long to get these photos up on the blog! I have been working on a few exciting things that I can't wait to share with you, but I must keep mum for now. So, let's dive into what was once a vision and how I brought it to life, shall we?!

First off, let me just say that this project was 2 years in the making. I honestly couldn't wait to get my hands on this room and really deep dive into full decorating mode. But I needed to get our dining room and family room (and part of our kitchen) up to par for entertaining and dining purposes before I tackled the more intimate rooms of our home. So our bedroom sat with old furniture, cream walls and limited details for 2 years! Mind you, I was plotting it's makeover from the very minute I moved in, but patience is everything when it comes to good design and I had to take it one room at a time and really save up my pennies for the perfect execution.

To say this room was no retreat is an understatement. Here is a snapshot of what the bedroom looked like when I first moved into my husband's bachelor pad:

Bedroom
Hubbie and I knew we'd tackle this room the minute the holidays were over this year. First things first, the furniture had to go. It was my husband's bedroom set since he was a boy and it just wasn't translating into the new millennium, nor into the married chapter of our adult life, so we donated it. And then we set out to find the perfect furniture for our room. We knew this would take a while...Jon and I have slightly different tastes. This was our first step in the room overhaul and I'm quite happy with what we eventually compromised on ;-) 

Secondly, the crown molding in the bedroom, and throughout the entire house, needed some major TLC. The previous owner of our unit did not make this his priority and unfortunately it showed. Cracking wood and flaky paint just didn't bring out the beautiful charm and elegance of the wood work. It's one of my favorite features of our home and it needed some serious loving.

Third, we needed a major paint overhaul. Not just in the bedroom and en suite but throughout the whole house. Touch ups were necessary.

Lastly, I wanted to make our master bedroom a complete retreat. A place where we could come home from work, kick off our shoes, open a good book or dive right into a beautiful bed. I wanted this space to inspire us when we woke up, comfort us when we got sick and relax us after a long day. These were my absolute must haves:
  1. Tiny recess and accent lighting were mandatory to create atmosphere and mood. My husband is an electrician and also works for a lighting design company, so I put him to work immediately. Lighting is everything and can truly transform a room.
  2.  A beautiful accent wall. I love the look of exposed brick but unfortunately in our 1970's built condo, I wasn't getting that. So I turned to wallpaper for inspiration!
  3. A cohesive paint color that could be translated from bedroom to en suite.
  4. A beautiful, elegant upholstered bed. I wanted a foot board as well but that silly husband of mine can't seem to make up a bed that has a foot board. We needed to find a compromise we both loved.
  5. New chest and dresser.
  6. A mounted television...without a clunky DVD player and cable box in sight! Hubbie had his work cut out for him!
Once we settled on a color-scheme and a design plan, we tore the room apart....

A messy overhaul! 
Fixing the crown molding
Serious painting going on.

And now, for the big reveal!!









Sources:
Upholstered bed & bedside cabinets: Presido Collection from Bassett Furniture
Wallpaper: Feather design in Bone from Serena & Lily
Dresser with mirror and chest: Emporium Collection from Bassett Furniture
Corner Accent Chair: Colette Armchair in Flax from Pier 1
Decorative bed pillows and bedding: ABC Home, Arianna Belle, Pier 1 Imports, West Elm
Window panels: Wayfair.com
Lamps: Dorset Collection from Feiss Lighting via Lamps Unlimited in McLean, VA
Moroccan-style Rug: Overstock.com
Moroccan Wedding Blanket: Calypso St. Barth 
Bed throw: Nate Berkus for Target 
Decorative details: Target, Anthropologie, Z-Gallerie, Waiting on Martha & West Elm
For-Like-Ever print: Super-Rural 
Not shown, Prada Marfa Cowboy Photograph: Gray Malin Photography

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Bliss Celebrations Guide Feature

It feels like an absolute dream to be able to relive our wedding day through the pages of the spring 2014 edition of Bliss Celebrations Guide magazine! What a true honor. Jonathan and I count our blessings every day for that special moment in our lives with our family and friends from all over the globe. We had such an incredible team there to make that moment completely perfect. A huge thank you to Unique Weddings by Alexis for executing every single detail so perfectly, Tangerine Creations for fashioning the most exquisite florals and the incredibly talented Kelly Dillon for capturing every single moment perfectly. What a dream day!


Thursday, February 6, 2014

Details to Follow

A new accessories bag from Madewell carrying my favorite everyday beauty essentials!



A rainy day in New Orleans called for hot chocolate and beignets at the famous Cafe du Monde

Captured at the new DC hotspot Kabin Lounge!

A beautiful evening snowfall in New Hampshire equaled a gorgeous sunrise over the lake the next morning!


Family ski day on the slopes in New Hampshire!




Playing with the details in our newly redesigned bedroom :-)


Our newly stocked WestElm bar cart!
Come follow along with me on Instagram!

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Feature on Grace Ormonde Wedding Style!

I have to toot Anna Rousso's horn here. The photoshoot of our Parisian Anniversary that she exquisitely captured is being featured on the very chic Grace Ormonde Wedding Style website. I am so thrilled for Anna. Her work is stunning and she deserves this feature! If you are planning a destination wedding in Europe, I highly recommend contacting Anna. She is the epitome of professional. If you want exceptional service, incredible attention to detail and absolutely stunning photos to look back upon for the rest of your life, Anna is your girl!


Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Parisian Wedding Anniversary Photoshoot with Anna Roussos Photography

It's been almost two months since our wedding anniversary trip to France in October and I'm still relishing what was probably one of the most memorable and romantic excursions I've ever been on. Don't get me wrong, our Italian honeymoon last year was beyond amazing, but there is just something about Paris. Autumn in France alone is beyond romantic, but add in cozy afternoons filled with hot chocolate at a local cafe, incredible baskets of florals on every corner, the sites, the sounds, the smells...and a lovely photoshoot with Anna Roussos Photography, and you've got yourself one incredibly memorable trip. I loved waking up the morning of our wedding anniversary next to my sweet husband, slipping on this beautiful La Petite Robe gown via Neiman Marcus and reliving our wedding day amongst the streets of Paris...all the while Anna was capturing every moment! The memories are still so vivid, I can almost taste them! These photos help me savor every single moment. Here is a peak at Anna's incredible work:









 



Anna was also able to capture the placement of our lock on the Pont de l'Archeveche 'Love' Bridge, bringing luck to those who lock their love on this famous bridge.




And below is my favorite behind the scenes photo of us with Anna's husband, Xavier, trying to stay warm under cafe heat lamps during a very chilly autumn day in Paris! It was a beyond fantastic experience and we're so blessed to have a lifelong friendship with Anna and her husband!



Wednesday, November 13, 2013

In-flight

I had to book an unexpected flight home to Boston this week to be with family. While it isn't under the best of circumstances, I am very grateful to spend a long weekend with my loved ones. Jonathan and I have already committed to Thanksgiving in Virginia this year with his family, so sneaking up to Boston a few weeks before the holiday makes me feel like I'm part of the New England festivities that I'm going to miss very much this November.

Tossing my current favorites below in my carry-on tote for in-flight! What products must you have by your side when you're traveling? 

Kilian Hennessy perfume, Frends headphones in rose gold, Emily Schuman's Cupcakes & Cashmere lifestyle guide.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Dining

After hosting a very large dinner party this past weekend, it occurred to me that when Jonathan and I do eventually move into a single family home and begin to host large dinners more often, including holiday gatherings, we will need a much larger table to accommodate his incredibly large Lebanese family!

I'm kind of digging the look of a large oval table. I love how it can accommodate more guests if needed but looks incredibly classic and elegant when set just for a table of 4! What are your thoughts on the new trend?



 


Monday, November 11, 2013

Fancy Feasting

As I mentioned earlier last week, I threw a little family dinner party on Saturday! Everything went smooth as silk...that is until 2 more guests showed up that weren't expected and I had to frantically pull in seating from our patio set and rearrange the table to accommodate two more members! My husband and I laughed through it though and even though we were a cramped table, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, the food...and especially that bar cart!

Here are a few snapshots!


Autumn florals for a coffee table centerpiece
Place setting: West Elm place mat, charger and cloth napkin. Pier 1 napkin ring. Wedgewood English Lace china dinner plate and Bernardaud Ecume Platinum salad plate. Waterford Crystal stemware. Silverware is a family heirloom.
Bar stocked with Johnnie Walker Double Black, Vermouth and Veuve Cliequout Brut champagne!

The table.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Life Through a Rose Colored Instagram Filter

We're coming up on the beloved weekend and if you aren't already, I hope you'll start following my adventures on the ever-so-popular Instagram! Happy almost Friday!!!! xx

A photo capture of our guest bedroom for the #HowIStyleMyBed @OneKingsLane contest.
Had a plentiful amount of apples laying around, so I actually baked some bread. Wine Apple Bread of course!
My husband and his friends invited me along last weekend. Enough said.
A Saturday afternoon brunching in DC's Adam's Morgan neighborhood.
My attempt at being Halloween festive. I'm never Halloween festive. This was a big step. Thank you #Vampify!
Virginia was bursting with color this week!
My Boston boys won the World Series! Photo credit to my little brother who was actually in attendance.
I had the urge to throw together a floral piece just for the heck of it.
Bride's maids at my best friend's wedding.
I still dream about this moment. #Paris #AnniversaryTrip