We've moved!

We packed our bags and moved to a great new spot! Come check us out at www.cherishedhearthstudios.com! As I mentioned in my last post, I've launched my own interior design studio with customized services that cater to any budget! And, be sure to check out the new look and feel of the blog! I'm excited to take you all along on this new journey with me!

Cheers! ~ Jill

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! 

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

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!

Ocars! Oscars! Oscars!

This year's Academy Awards was undoubtedly one of the better! Not only were the nominated films incredible and the winners beyond deserving, but Ellen DeGeneres was hilarious and the fashion was impeccable! What I loved most about the red carpet was that Elie Saab was a prominent designer this year. You all know how much I love his designs. Back in September, I predicted that this gown would end up on the red carpet during award season...and boy did it ever! And on Hollywood's most prominent star, Ms. Angelina Jolie!

On the runway

On Angelina Jolie

 Elie Saab was also spotted on Pink during her incredible performance of Somewhere Over the Rainbow during the 75th anniversary tribute of The Wizard of Oz. His gowns are perfection.

Pink in Elie Saab

 Aside from Angelina's gorgeous fall 2013 Haute Couture Elie Saab gown, here were my top best dressed contenders at the 2014 Oscars!

Charlize Theron in Dior

Kate Hudson in Versace at the Oscars and nailing it again at the Vanity Fair After Party in Zuhair Murad

Naomi Watts in Calvin Klein Collection

As guest host on E! News during the Oscars, Kristin Cavallari looked gorgeous in her Alexander McQueen gown!

Gray Malin Photography on One Kings Lane!

I've always liked the idea of art. Finding that piece or style of creative that makes you just stop. But I never thought it was something I could truly consider investing in at my age or at my tax bracket. And let's be totally honest here, art is intimidating, completely subjective and truly scary. I didn't spend much effort indulging in it or getting really serious about purchasing art until I grazed upon this post last fall.

I had never heard of Prada Marfa. But the images! I. couldn't. stop. staring. The concept was so unique and the mission behind the photographs was so inspiring. The photographer, Gray Malin, is a fellow Bostonian and a young entrepreneur with a serious eye for pristine landscape and color. I filed his images away in memory to retrieve one day, when I had a blank wall to adorn.

And then came our bedroom remodel. I had a vision and I wanted Gray Malin on my wall! I immediately went back to his Prada Marfa collection and bought the photograph that had lingered the most in my memory. It's humorous and contradicting and completely perfect for our space. For $200, I felt it was worth the investment and a piece I could hopefully build off of in the future years to come.

Cowboy & Mule photograph by Gray Malin framed in our bedroom

Now that Gray is hanging in my bedroom, I'm pretty smitten over all his work. His collections are bold, unique and so beautiful. Today on One Kings Lane, his latest work, Antarctica: The Private Collection is debuting and available for purchase.

I hope to add to my Gray Malin piece one day. Maybe because it's the dead of winter and it won't stop snowing down here in DC, but I'm really feeling this photograph right about now! Take me there!

A very LEIFy Valentine's

I stumbled upon a great 'lifestyle' site recently that needed to be shared! From tabletop, home decor and art to stationary, accessories and jewelry, LEIF has some unique pieces! Not to mention their pricing is totally affordable!

We're a little snowed in down here in the Washington DC area! A delicious batch of homemade chili is currently stewing on the stove and a bottle of champagne is chilling on ice! We're not taking our day off for granted and are catching up on reading, home improvements, a good movie and a little online shopping for the holiday weekend! Here's what I'm currently coveting for our cozy little Valentine's Day from LEIF:

Heart Scarf

Bronzed utensils

Heart box full of matches

A sweet valentine for your special someone

Polka dot linen dinner napkins

Pink ring