Kay Douglas...

Last week I wrote about my recent trip to South of Market in Atlanta. As promised, I'll take you on a quick a tour of a house Kay Douglas designed in Rosemary Beach.

Kay's signature style is using neutrals with pops of color to make things fun and informal. She's also known for her knack for repurposing old objects. One tell-tale sign of her work is the extensive use of rustic chic lighting fixtures and large-scaled drum shades.

Let's take a look at some of my favorite features of the home.

I know from personal experience that bedside tables are hard to come by. I had a really hard time finding some for our master bedroom. They don't have to match, but take a look at these rustic tables.

{love the lamps, btw}

Upon further inspection…

You'll notice this was once a dining table that was split down the middle to make two end tables. Smart, right. I plan to steal this idea some day.

An old pale used as a basin for the powder room sink…

Wall mounted faucet. Beautiful patina. You certainly wouldn't have to worry about keeping this sink shiny and clean.

In the master, she used a rustic table for the vanity with a vessel sink on top. Another wall-mounted faucet is mounted directly on the mirror. As a mentioned in my earlier post, iron sconces and chandeliers abound at her shop. Love this one.

Moving on to lighting.

The tall ceilings in the master afforded enough height for this enormous drum shade pendant that is centered over the bed.

{notice the reflection of the triple-height bay windows across the room}

From another angle you get a better look at the prints hanging over the headboard. Love them.

The home's color palette is neutral -- dark browns and white slip covers. This bright red over-sized drum pendant adds a big splash of color in this bedroom. It's really the only vibrant color seen in the house.

 Here, she has framed maps that pick up the red tones in the shade.

Wire pendants with white canvas liners that look like cafe curtains hang over the kitchen island.

That's all for now. The house is at located at 383 West Water Street. Watch the video on the rental site for the full tour. While you're there, check out 384 West Water that was being built during our last visit.  With a bit of snooping we discovered the house is owned by HGTV's Vern Yip and his adorable partner Wag-A-Lot owner Craig Koch. It is amazing.

To read more about Kay's beach house designs, including photos of her Rosemary home, visit Coastal Living for her ten tips on how to age a new beach house.

Viburnum...

Spring is my favorite season. This year it is exceptionally welcoming after such a brutal winter. New flowers are starting to show their blooms all over my garden.

Let's start with my fave right now -- viburnum. They have been in full bloom for a couple weeks fading from bright chartreuse to white snowballs, and should be hanging around for another several days if they don't get pummeled by rain. In the language of flowers viburnum very aptly mean "idleness." They make lovely cut flowers on their own or in a mixed bouquet. If you're ever in the market for them for a special occasion, they are commonly called "guelder roses" at floral wholesalers.

Here they are hanging around in my garden.

 A few snuck in among the azaleas.

Wondering how I display them in my house? Of course you do.

I brought a big bunch inside in the morning to condition them for arranging. Viburnum are woody stemmed flowers so you should split them vertically about an inch up the stem to draw in more water before placing in a vase.

I placed a few tiny snowballs in a frog cube for my powder room.

And, these made a lovely, bright table display.

 {mercury glass vases from west elm}

Pull out your julep cups and mix them with something sweet like ranunculus -- another one of my faves. If you live in Atlanta, Trader Joe's has a nice selection right now.

Flower heads tend to get heavy and flop when making large arrangements. I usually gather a bunch in my hand until I like the shape, and then tie them together at their necks with twine before placing in an urn or wide-mouthed vase.

Simply plop them in. Done.

Enjoy them while they last!

Kudzu...

No, not the invasive climber that has overtaken most of the south. I'm talking about my favorite antiques market located right here Indie-Catur. Atlanta Magazine recently listed Kudzu as one of the seven favorite antique destinations in and OTP named by some local interior designers, including  Sherry Hart. Her blog Design Indulgence is one of my faves.

Except for an occasional trip to Scott Antique Market, it's highly unlikely that I would wander OTP for home goods or anything else for that matter. Sherry says that she shops at antique markets for her clients because you can't get that "curated look" from stores like Home Goods. So true. Reminds me of a trip my friend Allison and I took to Kudzu last fall. Allison was looking for some mid-century cocktail glasses. She didn't find any, but we did spot some fabulous finds.



Take this vignette for example. Your accessories don't have to match the sofa. That's for sure. And you certainly could not curate this gallery wall with items from Target.

Let's break it down. Remember the Sesame Street song "One of these things is unlike the other?"

{Note: The bloody heart is three-dimensional with a real butter knife running through it.}

None of these things belong together. None of these things are kind of the same. Can you guess which ones don't belong here? Now it's time for you to play the game. Can anyone take a stab (no pun intended) at what the common theme might be here?

This eclectic collection can be found in the Cottage Cheese booth. I'm guessing the curators might smoke some weed for inspiration.

Cottage Cheese is a must visit. This was our absolute favorite find. Perfect for your kitchen or office break room. Or you could just keep it in your desk drawer and flash it next time your boss asks you to make a Starbucks run. The "shut up" sign can be yours for just $27 -- that is if it's still there.

I have lots more to show you from Kudzu, including the perfect gifts for any occasion. Stay tuned. In the meantime, if you're in the market for an authentic Shriner's fez, you're in luck. Or you could buy the knock-off at Cottage Cheese and have it monogrammed.

{Allison makes a pretty cute Shriner personal aide, doesn't she?}

p.s. Rumor has it that a head shop is opening Indie-Catur. Might be seeing more "legalize it" signs around town soon.

Hoo...

 {Anthropologie}

A Wise Old Owl

A wise old owl lived in an oak

The more he saw the less he spoke

The less he spoke the more he heard

Why can't we all be like that wise old bird?
-- The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes

Curious about the wise old owl, I did some research. In Greek mythology the Little Owl was a messenger of Athene -- the the goddess of wisdom. This may explain why owls symbolize wisdom today. The Greeks used owls as decoration for their army as they believed it offered them protection. If a Little Owl flew over the army during battle, it was an omen of victory. During World War II, the US Army used the rhyme on a poster tweaking the ending line with "Silence means security."

Has anyone else noticed that owls are trending big time this holiday season? I'm seeing them everywhere. And they are really cute. Let's take a look.

Anthropologie…

{flannel wreath}

{fluffy ornaments, accessories and more mugs than you can shake a stick at}

Star Provisions is filled to the rafters with holiday decor. Owls abound, including this owl adorned tree…

{The silver owls are my faves.}

{Love this vignette. The white porcelain guy is a piggy bank -- cute idea for a child's bedroom.}

Jonathan Adler added an unglazed porcelain owl ornament to its "swanky swag" menagerie...

Here's the wise guy hanging on a gilded tree...

Last, but certainly not least, what a fun way to plate your eggs Christmas morning and store your contacts before bed. Ace is the place.

It was pretty obvious what to order with my delicious dinner at Sobban last weekend.

{Hitachino Nest beer from Japan}

Restaurant review coming soon.

My holiday tablescape...

Thanksgiving was an exciting day here. We celebrated Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and my sister's birthday.

Remember my blue and orange mood board? Here's how it came to life:

Hope you all had a good one, and for those of you who are still enjoying the festival of lights...

Escutcheon...

es·cutch·eon

noun -- a flat piece of metal for protection and often ornamentation, around a keyhole, door handle or light switch.

A few years ago I bought this original water color and its partner from artist Holly Ward Bimba's Esty shop Golly Bard. I was drawn to the colors, shapes and shadows. As an art student, Holly spent a summer in Italy where she fell in love with old world doors, knockers and escutcheons. She found them mysterious and made her curious about what was beyond reach and hidden from view. They are mysterious, don't you agree?

{Escutcheon Collection No. 6}

BTW, Holly has a fabulous blog and sells her beautiful line of fabrics, including escutcheon and keys, on spoonflower.

I made the purchase shortly after we finished our renovation during which I was knee deep in selecting door hardware. As the saying goes, they don't make 'em like they used to. The old 1920s doors that remain in our house have the original brass plated key holes and keys. The plates are covered with layers of paint though. I guess I could have them stripped, but that's never gonna make it to my "to do" list. While our new door hardware is nice, it's not nearly as unique or charming. 

A recent trip to Rosemary beach piqued my fascination with door hardware again. We stayed in a house designed by Atlanta's Kay Douglas. Kay owns South of Market -- a store I love, but the furniture and fixtures are scaled to fit spaces much, much larger than mine. The house is what I'll call industrial chic (more on it in an upcoming post). Each door had a decorative pivoting key hole escutcheon. Although they are faux -- no keyhole behind the pivoting cover. A nice touch nonetheless. 

Some that are decorative, as well as functional. From the UK, of course.

{via}

Love these from Collier Webb:

{via}

I discovered these pivoting escutcheon in Alys Beach. Lovely patina. I was certainly tempted to go inside.

As a sneak peak of my upcoming post on Alys -- check out this edgy hardware. The Moorish star opening gives you a small glimpse of what's inside. You'll have to check back later to see.

 {courtyard gate Fonville Press}

With locks and keys on my mind, I was thrilled to find this adorable leather coin purse (key chain within) on sale now at jonathanadler.com. Comes in other colors too. Cute, right.

Gas lanterns

 

{Beacon Hill, Boston}

I became obsessed with interested in outdoor lighting this summer when we redid our front walkway. Although I wasn't in the market for one, I love gas lanterns. I see them all around -- in shelter mags, my neighborhood and on my travels this summer.

A bit of history. Before electricity became widespread and affordable for general use, gas was the most useful form of lighting. Early gas lights had to be lit and unlit manually before they became self igniting. While touring Beacon Hill in Boston, my guide told me that during the late 19th century lamplighters used tall bikes to light gas street lamps. Tedious job. The helpers look pretty somber.

Back to my summer hobby...

A front entrance doesn't get any more charming than this -- designer Sally Wheat's West University home in Houston. I saw this photo on Cote de Texas some years back. Love the oversized gas lanterns and the way the wisteria frames the arched front door. Also, the simple boxwood planters and door wreathes.

Too bad my house doesn't look like this or any of these that I saw at the beach. You see, I have a thing for vine-covered doorways flanked by lanterns.

 {Alys Beach -- love the peace wreath}

Or just one centered above ...

{Alys Beach}

 {Alys Beach -- graceful curved arms}

And, just a few of the lovely ones I saw in Rosemary...

Just in case you're wondering, tasteful path lights are hard to come by. After much searching, here's what I chose. Cute, right. They will look much better with some patina.

photo images: 1, 2