Betsy Burnham "Tastemaker" Sale on OKL

Just a little heads up:

 

Tonight at 9pm EST, Betsy Burnham will be hosting her own "Tastemaker Tag Sale" on One Kings Lane.  And, it's gonna be good.  As some of you know, Betsy is my friend and former boss.  She's insanely creative, her taste is impeccable, and she's a master collector.  So, the OKL sale is sure to be fun.  I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of pieces she's willing to part with.  I imagine that the lot will include a variety of tailored, traditional pieces, mixed with rare and unpredictable collectibles.  She's pretty much a mix-master genius.  So don't miss it. 

 

 

 

 

6pm for the west coast shoppers / 9pm for the east coast shoppers

 

 

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A Modern Mix In A Classic Tudor

My friend (and former boss) Betsy Burnham had a recent project featured in this month's issue of House Beautiful, and I thought I would share the images with you here today.  The Beverly Hills tudor style home received a head-to-toe makeover, and the results are nothing short of stunning.  Each space feels traditionally formal without being pretentious or stuffy-- it's effortlessly stylish while still maintaining a cool Californian vibe.  And like many of Betsy's projects, this house is full of unexpected details: the foyer is painted lavender, the family room mixes pink & white chinoiserie with ikat and faux snakeskin, and everywhere you turn there seems to be another extraordinary accessory.  Check out the photos from House Beautiful:

Want to see more?  Here are some additional photos of this exceptional home (all images taken from the Burnham Design portfolio).  I'm swooning over the spectacular custom cabinetry (!!) and phenomenal area rugs.  Totally amazing.

To read the (excellent) article about this house, pick up the June issue of House Beautiful. 

And, to see more of Betsy's work, visit the Burnham Design website HERE.

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Good, Fast, Or Cheap?

I started my design career working with Betsy Burnham.  And when meeting with clients, she would often ask them about their top priorities: "Do you want the design to be good, fast, or cheap? Pick two, because you can't have all three at once."  And, I swear, it's totally 100% true.  Think about your top priorities...  good and cheap?  You'll spend hours and hours, weeks and weeks, trying to find the great deals!  Therefore, not fast.  Do you want the design to be good and completed fast?  You'll be spending money through the nose to get pieces off the floor, and expedited.  You might not shop around for better pricing, you might not get multiple bids for contracting work, etc.  You'll be pushed for time.  Therefore, not cheap.  See?  Totally true.  That being said, our definitions of "good", "fast", and "cheap" are all relative.  But overall,  Good, Fast, or Cheap? is a pretty good rule of thumb.

Betsy was recently interviewed by the gals over at Lamps Plus.  In the interview, she dishes over her favorite design tricks, her recent obsessions, and she provides some great design advice.  Read the interview HERE.

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Meet Max

Max Humphrey is my friend and former Burnham Design co-worker.  Last week, Nicole Gibbons of So Haute featured Max in her "Meet the Assistant" series.  I met Max years ago when he started working at Burnham Design.  We easily became friends, and he was even at our wedding.  Now, he's a Senior Project Manager at BD, and gets to work on exciting design projects with Betsy and the team everyday.  He loves design, fashion, and was once a muscian in a touring rock band.  He's got fabulous taste, and he's a little rebellious.  Max doesn't take anything too seriously, and I like that about him.  So, if you want to read a little about what's it like being in Max's shoes, head on over the So Haute HERE.

Happy Monday, kittens.

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Faux Bois Walls

"papier bois" wallcovering by Nobilis

I was first introduced to Nobilis faux bois wallpaper when I worked as a designer at Burnham Design.  We used it in the family room of this gorgeous Manhattan Beach home:

project by Burnham Design

featured in House Beautiful, December 2007

Then, I recently spotted it in a project designed by Nina Freudenberger, featured in TradHome Magazine (the shelter magazine love child of Traditional Home and Lonny Magazine)...

It's such a versatile wallpaper and looks great in SO MANY applications.

a bathroom?

bedroom?

dining room?

and, of course a living room.

I love how the Nobilis wallpaper feels like a modern interpretation of panelled walls.  It's cozy, and a little rustic.  But all together clean and modern.  The greyscale colorway is my favorite (seen at the top of this post).  The greys are so subtle, like a gorgeous chalky piece of grey driftwood.

Since this French wallpaper is a little pricy, here's how we can achieve faux bois walls on the cheap:

If you have a lot of patience (and a steady hand) you should try Martha Stewart's faux bois painting technique.  Here's Tom demonstrating how to "faux bois" at the Martha Stewart blogging party last year...

Looks easy enough!

Martha Stewart faux bois dresser

Here's what Martha says you'll need:

• a base coat paint (in this case BM White Dove)
• a glaze tint (in this case BM Sienna Laurel)
• Martha Stewart's Faux Bois kit (including the faux bois imprinted rocker), available at The Home Depot
• 9 inch (with a 1/4 inch nap) roller

If you're serious about this project (which in all honesty, does look like a doable technique)...  you should ABSOLUTELY watch the "How To" Video, on the Martha Stewart site.  They make it look eeeeeeasy.  Also, it's really informative and very inspiring.

I'm already thinking about what I can "faux bois" in the future...  a serving tray maybe?  Or, even a desk top?

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Rope Knobs On Sale!

My friend (and previous coworker), Max, emailed me this weekend to let me know that these super cool "rope" knobs are now on sale!  You might remember, I blogged about them last summer. 

Previously $10.00 these knobs are now $2.95 each!

I normally don't go for unconventional hardware...  but these knobs are pretty simple and SO fun.  A little nautical, a little preppy, a little earthy.  I like them.  And so does Max.

buy them HERE.

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Two Insanely Cool Teen Rooms

In the words of Rachel Zoe, I die.  Betsy Burnham, my friend and previous boss, has seriously outdone herself with the redesign of her two kids' rooms.  But really, nothing about these rooms screams KID.  They are creative, colorful, eclectic, and oh-so-layered...  maybe similar to a teenager's personality?  And, I am crazy jealous.  I never had a room that cool.  Union jack flags, menswear prints, chinoiserie, stripes... and lions and tigers and bears.  It's awesome.

Meet Carson.

And, this is Carson's insanley cool bedroom...

Her one-of-a-kind dresser was signed by Amanda Bynes...

And, this is Carson's equally awesome bathroom.  Classic tile and nickel plated bathroom fixtures, meet a python mirror (!!!) and modernly graphic wallpaper...  and that roman shade!

So, Carson's room is totally off-the-rails cool.  Are you ready for room number two?

Will is Carson's younger brother.  This is his bedroom...

This shot kills me.  It's so fabulous.

So, I'm speechless. 

To read the entire (excellently written) article, and to see a few more gorgeous pictures, please go to Decor Demon.  And, while you're there, make sure to subscribe to future articles.  They are so good.

for betsy's professional website, go HERE.

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