(Another) Demo Day!

We have spent this past weekend prepping our 2nd floor for demolition.  And, today is Demo Day!  I am so exicted!  Unlike the 3rd floor (whose floorplan will remain the same), the 2nd floor is changing...  we are opening up the landing by knocking out part of a wall, we are expanding the master suite and adding a bathroom.  So, the configuration of rooms will be different.  I can't wait to see the space down to the studs.

In preparation for this tear out, we labeled the trim (so we will know where it goes when it's time to put it back in the rooms), and then we removed the trim.  We killed the electrical (safety first!), removed light fixtures, ripped up the carpeting on the stairs and the landing to reveal fabulous hardwood floors underneath (yay!).  Then, every inch of floor was covered with industrial grade plastic and then covered in builder's paper.  Plastic was hung on every exterior wall to protect windows and window trim from dust and debris (the exterior walls will be left alone since the plaster was applied directly to the brick).  Once we get the space down to the studs, we will rewire the house (at a cost I am dreading), insulate and put up drywall.  And then maybe, we can move our bedroom out of the family room, into our upstairs bedroom, and live in the house like semi-normal people.  That would be nice.

This is what one bedroom (our future master closet and bathroom!) looked like this morning... all prepped and ready for demo.

This is what the room looked like when we moved in...

A few extra shots of the 2nd floor, prior to demolition... as you can see, some of these pictures were taken before all of the trim was removed.

It's going to get pretty dusty this afternoon!

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Happy Weekend!

Happy Weekend, everyone!  I hope that you have an enjoyable weekend wherever you are!  We will be prepping for yet another round of demolition...  because next week, we will be working on the 2nd floor walls and ceilings just like we did the 3rd floor.  It's going to be a dusty one around here.

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Ellen Pompeo, Hollywood Hills

Yesterday, I posted a picture from Ellen Pompeo's Hollywood Hills home, recently featured in the May issue of Elle Decor.  Now, I know that for most of you design junkies, this is totally OLD NEWS.  So sorry.  But, I must have been living under a rock (code for "working on our house") during the month of May, and I never fully indulged in my Elle Decor because when I picked up the issue again, I felt like I was looking at everything for the first time. 

So, let's get to it.  Her home is SO well done.  Designed by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard, who seems to be a total genius.  Where do I start?  The hexagon tiles, fabulous striped pillows and rugs, white upholstery, eclectic textiles...  and, the views!

The following images came from my (shitty) scanner.  Please excuse the quality, and appreciate the gorgeousness of the rooms!

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Midcentury Spider Coffee Table

I was psyched to activate all of the new vintage items today(!!!), and one of my FAVORITE things (besides this, this and this) was this fabulous midcentury modern spider coffee table with a brass tray top.  The tray can be lifted off and the base folds up completely, if need be.  It's totally gorgeous.

It reminds me of Ellen Pompeo's table, recently featured in Elle Decor...

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New Vintage & New Pillows!

Today, I added over 50 new vintage items to the shop-- including two new throw pillows (made from fabulous vintage chintz)!  I'm really excited about everything.  There is a FABulous midcentury modern spider coffee table and an amazing plaster zebra (it's awesome).  Really, go check out the shop to see everything, if you're interested.

And, if you would like to be included on the High Street Market email list, to receive alerts on new vintage, please sign up at the upper right hand side of the blog!  Right where it says "join the mailing list"...  It's easy, and you will get about 1-2 emails a month from me.  :)

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Shades of Gray

I saved these images from an amazing home ages ago, when I spotted it in Metropolitan Home Magazine.  It's modern and sophisticated, yet very clean and comfortable.  I can't get over this beautiful entry...

An Unpretentious Kitchen

Today, I'm loving these bright and clean, utilitarian kitchens.  They're unpretentious.  Not too fussy, not trying too hard, and they inspire me to cook something lovely.

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The NY Times Talks About Lonny Mag

lonny mag founders and editors, patrick cline and michelle adams

If you are a Lonny Magazine lover, like me, you might be interested in reading a great article featured in this Sunday's issue of The New York Times.  I personally think that Lonny is the best thing to happen to shelter magazines.  Yes.  I can swoon over a living room, and then click that lamp sitting on the side table to buy it.  How rad is that?  Not to mention that every space that the magazine features is brilliantly different than the one before it.  Beautifully shot, beautifully styled.

So, read the article HERE.

And, here is a highlight...

For one of the issues, they shot the upstate New York country home of Eddie Ross, who now runs a design company and was formerly senior style editor of Martha Stewart Living.

A typical shoot for Martha Stewart required seven people and “meetings about Pantone chip colors and meetings about meetings,” Mr. Ross said. “It was just crazy, because who lives like this, in a $300,000 room I put together? I’m sorry, but I can’t relate to a $40,000 mirrored coffee table.”

Lonny displays people’s own décor, instead of shipping in items to redecorate homes, as many magazines do. In the case of Mr. Ross’s home, that meant including lamps found in a Goodwill store.

The technique infuses the magazine with the accessibility that Domino was known for. “It’s not as stiff,” Mr. Cline said. “We’ll leave lamps on and animals walking through shots.” At daylong shoots for print magazines, he used to get four usable photos. At Lonny, he typically gets 27.

No one in the industry is saying that Lonny-type magazines will save publishing. But it does provide an avenue toward electronic reading devices like the iPad.

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Backyard Critters

We live in the historic district of an old town outside of Philadelphia.  Most of the residential lots around here are nicely sized, however, ours is pretty big (by borough standards) at over one acre.  I realize that with this large expanse of yard, we will have small animals crossing through it from time to time.  And, coming from a heavily populated area of Southern California (with minimal wildlife running through the average backyard), I really enjoy seeing some of the Pennsylvania critters from my office window.

Our regular backyard visitors include Robins, Blue Jays, Cardinals, and a couple varieties of Woodpecker...

Of course, we regularly spot wild Rabbits...

And, the most popular guy in the backyard is the Squirrel.  We have a ton of walnut trees, so it's basically an all-you-can-eat buffet back there.

I will often see some of the neighborhood cats crossing through the yard, and one time while removing the side yard, we spotted a mole! 

Then last week, as I was sitting at my computer, I watched a very slow moving animal walking through the grass...  I looked closer and noticed that it was a turtle! 

I was able to run out a snap a couple of pictures.  After all, he doesn't move very fast...

I'm cool with all of these guys (squirrels, bunnies, turtles, birds) running in and out of the yard.  But, I draw the line with this fatty...

I saw him this morning, scoping out the place.  He is a giant and hardly afraid of me.  I tried to scare him away like a crazy woman and when that didn't work, we just stared eachother down for awhile.  He even stood up to get a better look at me.  The arrogance!  I want him out of here.  Like, today.

I did some research on Groundhogs to reveal some disturbing facts:

• Major damage [from Groundhogs] comes from structural damage. Groundhogs burrow, digging extensive tunnels underground. If they build tunnels under driveways, foundations, sidewalks, and other places, it can cause the structure to crack or give way. Any of these damages can be expensive to fix.
• Groundhogs have been known to inflict severe wounds to pets.
• They are vegetarians, and can wipe out a garden in a very short time. They will also consume many ornamental flowers and plants.
• They dig numerous dens which provide homes for many other types of wild animals.

And did I mention that they are huge?  Like the size of a small dog? 

So, what do you guys do to manage the Groundhogs?  Any Midwesterners or East Coasters out there with some good advice?

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UPDATE:

Add this guy to the list!

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West Elm Fall Preview

I'm digging some of the new items for Fall at West Elm.  Especially this "loft task lamp."  Here are my favorites...

loft task lamp

loft floor lamp

woven veneer pendant

kite kilim rug

chevron floor pillow