design crush: elizabeth dinkel

y'all. seriously.

when i look through the portfolio of a talented interior designer, the feelings i experience can only be equated to a teenage girl at a beatles concert in the 1960s. or a teenage girl at a twilight movie in 2009. or a teenage boy seeing a victoria's secret catalog for the first time.

like, i might hyperventilate.

today i came across a new-to-me designer portfolio that had me drooling on my keyboard. elizabeth dinkel design associates, inc.

this was the first image i saw:


speaks to my southern mentality - this reminds me of a lot of well-decorated homes in my neck of the woods. those walls are fabulous. and those chairs...THIS is EXACTLY why we're holding on to those old chairs of my parents that you insist are taking up too much room in your precious guyrage, captain fantastic. because some day when our living room is larger than a postage stamp, i will recover them to be awesome like this. I WIN.

consolation prize for c-fan:


she'd like your beloved ram too. she'd even approve of it in our blue and green living room, apparently. score one for you, babe.

this room also jives with our current color scheme:


except with way awesomer ceilings and a nice neutral sofa and no dog hair.

here is another fab living space:

the desk chair! the shiny velvety striped poufs! the pendant lamp! i can't even think of anything clever to say! only to use exclamation marks!

i would love to have a black and white checkerboard floor in our someday house:

the black lacquer door, pendant and hand-painted green wallpaper can come too.

this couch speaks to me:


it says, "reupholster something to look like me." well, if you insist.

check out this fabulous window seat:

the pelmet box. i die.

and you KNOW i'm all up on this paisley powder room:

love the mirror too. filing this in my hopefully-soon bathroom makeover file, as my shower curtain (which i adore and intend to keep) is very similar to these walls.

what gives c-fan a nervous tick even faster than the chairs filling up his precious guyrage space? BABIES. so let's look at some of elizabeth dinkel's gorgeous kids' rooms, k?

youthful-yet-sophisticated for a wee lad (look babe, what if we have twins!):


i love a daybed for a little girl:

just try not to have a seizure over the fabulous detailing on the curtains in this room. JUST. TRY.

super love these beds too:


i mean seriously. have you not passed out yet? elizabeth dinkel, i heart you.

time for a cold shower.

quick-n-dirty curtain hanging

aka post wherein i bombard you with crappy pictures. because it's hard for a 5'2" girl to get good pictures of a drapery rod in situ. please excuse.

so anyway, anne inquired as to how i hung my curtains from the wooden rings all stealth-invisible-like. i simply took these thangs:

(drapery pins, which it would behoove you to purchase on the interweb or at a fabric/upholstery establishment instead of a craft store like joann because they will be way cheaper)

and measured seven equidistant locations along the length of the curtain (starting with one on each end to avoid any droopy corners) and stuck the point right into the fabric of the back of the pole pocket (taking care not to poke through the front of the panel). then i hung the hooks through the loops on the wooden rings, thusly:


aaaaand done! now. this is not exactly how you're supposed to do it. i thought about getting all technical up in hura and sewing on pleating tape etcetera and so forth, but we all know when that project would actually get finished and the answer is never. so half-a$$ed it is! but it looks lovely and no one will ever know. except all of you.

also happening chez stone:

1) dining room progress...

rug has arrived, chairs have been recovered, plate rack has not been hung AND NO ONE IS SURPRISED. you may also recognize that the fabric intended for living room pillows has been traded to the dining room for team curtain. i am super awesome at changing my mind. for serious this time though. it will be perfect in there.

2) the knock-out roses are blooming in the most delicious shade of hot pink...


the pictures don't do them justice. they are a deep, velvety, rich dark pink. so pretty to look at first thing in the morning when i let the big dogs out.

3) sterling got a clean bill of health at her annual check up...

and also an adorable doggie band-aid. which i had to photo-document, because AWWW.

the end.

preach on, sisters

in the past 24 hours, i have come across two articles that really speak to me, in all my ocd perfectionist prep school neurotic glory. i'm all WHO ARE YOU AND HOW DID YOU GET IN MY BRAIN? and, according to the articles, they'll probably make you feel that way too.

so for anyone in need of a reminder that no one can do it all, take comfort in the words of these wise ladies this weekend:

"The New Decornographers: Bloggers with Perfect, Beautiful, Crafty Lives" by Sadie at Jezebel (thanks for sharing, kate, my daily bastion of gchat support)

"The Key to a Well-Lived Life: Lighten Up!" by Elizabeth Gilbert in O Magazine (thanks to erin at elements of style for posting)

and can i get a resounding TGIF?

fab(ric)ulous

i got an inquiry via comment from sweet kathryn as to where i find fabric. short answer: everywhere. i have a hoard of fabric chez stone that includes not only yardage cut from fabric stores, but also place mats, towels, blankets, sheets and even ill-fitting or torn clothing with great prints that send my mind spinning with possible future uses (recall the falltastic pillows made from napkins?) i always keep my eye open to the possibility of finding great fabric in unusual places.



as far as fabric stores, i know there will always be quality fabrics at calico corners, broomcorn (local) and johnson's fabrics (local). johnson's is my current fave - they are a big warehouse with a nice variety at many price points, an outdoor fabric section, tons of trim and lots of intense upholstery supplies at great prices. you can also get furniture legs, bare ottoman forms, plywood tables for skirting and the like there. i also usually go to joann and hancock; though the quality of their decor fabrics are generally lower, i have found plenty of great stuff. they also have upholstery supplies, but generally the quality and price are much better at johnson's.

bedford gingham, calico corners

bocce, calico corners

tommy bahama sea breeze, joann

fabric on my chairs from joann

there are also great online sources for fabric. i hesitate to order anything online without having seen it in person, or at least having the recommendation of someone who has seen it in person. it's hard to tell the exact color and texture of a fabric online, and it's generally not returnable, so you don't want to order a lot of yardage of something only to not like it once it arrives. it's also hard to tell scale online - even though most vendors list it, it's difficult to envision a 1 inch square of pattern on your screen blown up into a life-size piece of fabric. i do like to comparison-shop online. many times i've been able to find a nice fabric i liked at calico corners or broomcorn for a lower price online, and i know that it'll work because i've seen it in person. buyfabrics.com is a good source, as is lewis & sharon textiles. i often google the name of a fabric i like and see where else it pops up for a good price.

sheshimmers latte by robert allen, buyfabrics.com

sudan, lsfabrics.com

crossection, lsfabrics.com

medici, lsfabrics.com

i've been in a neutral mood lately. can you tell?

i've also ordered fabric from online decor stores. the linen for my living room pillows came from ballard designs. i knew i would like it because a) i'd seen it in person in another fabric store and b) ballard carries pretty quality stuff. you can also order fabric by the yard from places like pottery barn and williams sonoma home (if you're feeling spendy).

fabric for my pillows from ballard designs

tile print, pottery barn


creme mini grid, wshome

of course there are higher-end designer fabrics like schumacher that are only available to the trade, if you're wanting to make more of an investment. you can get it through a local designer, and a lot of your friendly neighborhood interior design bloggers will order it for you if you ask. i'm pretty sure high heeled foot in the door, little green notebook, caitlin creer interiors and high gloss blue have all mentioned taking fabric orders. i also subscribe to the designer's attic, where shannon of pink wallpaper sells small increments of yardage (usually 1-4 yards) leftover from her projects for insane prices. these also happen to be some of my very favorite daily reads - these ladies know what the heck they're talking about. do visit if you haven't already.

schumacher crosstown

schumacher's ubiquitous chiang mai dragon

the equally ubiquitous kwid imperial trellis

i obviously spend a lot of time looking at fabric. it may be a sickness. but it hurts so good...

any other favorite fabric haunts to share?

who knew, y'all?

not i.

paula deen has a line of home furnishings. all southern and countrified. like the food. but less calories. i made this discovery just this afternoon when i saw this rug at shades of light and started thinking it may need to come live in my still-to-be-striped cream hallway:


tis indoor/outdoor. paula invented it that way for to use in the kitchen. would also work in any room terrorized by giant mutthounds. like, for example, my entire household. cute, eh? i don't know what it looks like for realz, but the zoom view and "hooked stitch" description on the website lead me to believe it has a desirable texture. has anyone seen it in person?

p.s. i think paula would approve of my new window treatments, no?

progress...

has been made. in my living room.

old drapes:

new drapes:

old curtain rod:

new curtain rod:

it's amazing what a difference it makes to mount the drapes all the way at the crown molding with a nice rod. i feel like i live at freaking versailles now, what with the majestic flowing draperies and heightened ceilings and all. but minus the hall of mirrors and pretend farm village. next step is to procure a longer bamboo shade and mount it up there too, to further perpetuate the high ceilin' feelin'.

AND ALSO

upholstery project. sneak peek. i've got the "ta" but not the "da." ran out of nailheads when i was almost finished and it took a minute before i could make it to the sto' for mo'.

the chair before, recall:


aaaaand almost-after:



contrary to what you may be thinking, no i was not swilling patron whilst applying the nailheads. #1 the back of the chair is supposed to curve like that in the first picture and #2 even with the assistance of a handy guide, it is nigh impossible to make them straight. or maybe i need more practice. whatev. first project, don't hate.

i also got some fabric to make pillows for the couch. it's the same fabric i waxed poetic about before, but in a different colorway.


i also plan to make pillows and upholster a stool in another fabric. considering:


thoughts?

that IS so perfect

NEED:

set of coasters in a lucite box

IT'S LIKE THEY WERE AT MY WEDDING. seriously.

also likely cannot live without:

lucite tray for my coffee table

picture frame for my desk

salt-n-peppa for my kitchen

recipe card holder

just look at some of my fave available patterns:


all available at that's so perfect. perfect indeed.