by hookedonhouses on November 14, 2009
Have you shopped at Heather Bullard’s Boutique? Here are a few of the things I’m swooning over right now, starting with the elegant Louis XV chaise (above). I can easily imagine myself curled up there with a good book this winter–and I think that just sitting there would make any novel better, wouldn’t it?
This Vintage Songbird is part of a collection of hand-painted reproduction oil paintings that are created to look like antiques.
I think this Mercury Glass Votive Cup would be a pretty way to store makeup brushes on the vanity (they also come in pink mercury glass!).
I have never been a good sleeper, but if I was lying in this Antique Reproduction Louis XV Corbeille Style Bed, I don’t think I’d mind insomnia nearly as much.
I’ve been a fan of Heather Bullard’s style for a long time (she has a beautiful blog), so I’m thrilled to have her as one of my newest sponsors. Have you shopped her boutique? What’s your favorite thing?
by hookedonhouses on November 13, 2009
Congratulations to the winner of the $50 Sticviews Giveaway: Sherry Elsberry! In her comment, she wrote:
I enjoyed looking at all the Sticviews. I would order the laptop cover and something for my nephew Caleb’s room. Caleb is 13 and a cool kid who has had 4 open-heart surgeries. He lives with my brother who has been a single dad for 9 years. They need some decorating help.
I’m happy that we can send some decorating help their way!
What fun things could you do with Sticviews?
Upload your own images or use one of theirs. They’ll stick to just about anything (like this cute ballerina on the fridge). It’s easy to create a unique, personalized look for a room.
When you’re ready for something else, just peel them off and presto, change-o! They’re easy to hang and easy to remove (no residue gets left behind). They’re reusable, too. Can’t beat that.
Visit Sticviews to browse their Gallery of Ideas!
by hookedonhouses on November 12, 2009
When I went on a rant about laundry rooms earlier this year, telling you how I hate when they’re in an inconvenient spot near the garage or kitchen, some of my readers from Australia commented that they wouldn’t want them anywhere else. They don’t use dryers as much as we do in the States, so they need their laundry as close to the back door–and clotheslines–as possible. My second-floor laundry room wouldn’t work for them.
Hanging clothes out to dry isn’t even an option for me. My neighborhood has a strict Home Owner’s Association (HOA) that will send you unpleasant letters, followed by a fine. A lot of communities believe that a neighborhood filled with clotheslines will look so bad, it’ll affect their real estate values.
Look how much fun this couple has with their clothesline!
The LA Times’ article “Is Your Clothesline Illegal?” reports that some homeowners, calling themselves “right-to-dry” activists, are fighting back. They point out that clothes dryers hog 6% of the electricity used by U.S. households, which isn’t great for the environment or utility bills. Do you use clotheslines? Do your neighbors?
by hookedonhouses on November 11, 2009
When you see Billie Jo Armstrong, the lead singer of the Grammy Award-winning rock band Green Day (that’s him in the middle), what kind of house do you imagine him living in? Is it anything like this?
I guess I was expecting something a little more rock ‘n roll. Or at least a little more “Entourage.” But there’s not a stripper pole in sight! It actually looks like a nice, comfortable family home.
Love the ceilings in the kitchen:
According to SF Gate, Armstrong’s 5-bedroom, 4.5-bath Mediterranean-style home in Upper Rockridge (California), and is on the market for $4.85 million.
Not sure about these pointy chairs. Or the pointy light fixture that goes with them:
The house is beautifully staged and photographed, but I can’t help wondering why the photographer didn’t have someone fix all of the window treatments that were slightly askew.
Even if you don’t think you know who Billie Armstrong and Green Day are, I bet you’ve heard their latest hit “21 Guns,” from their album 21st Century Breakdown. If you turn on the radio right now, there’s a good chance it’ll be playing.
Interestingly, The Real Estalker recently mentioned this listing and the photos were different than the ones I found. Looks like the house has been whitewashed and staged to sell:
My guess is that they moved most of their own things out and brought in furniture to keep it from looking too empty. The window treatments are all a lot lighter, too.
Do you like it better before or after?
SF Gate has more photos and all the scoop about the house. Big thanks to Jennifer S., a reader who sent me these photos. She says, “An interesting detail about this house is that the site of it was located in the 1991 firestorm. It burned a Julia Morgan-designed home, and this house was built in its place.”
Visit my Celebrity Houses page for links to all the famous homes I’ve featured. Most popular this week: Mel Gibson and Madonna.
Do you know about Solstice Home?
It’s an Etsy shop where you can find fun vintage items for your home. I’m loving this lotus-bowl set (only $8!). I’m excited to have Solstice Home as one of my newest sponsors and hope you’ll pay the shop a visit!
by hookedonhouses on November 11, 2009
Have you seen the “Pets on Furniture” feature at Desire to Inspire? It’s so much fun. Every Monday, they show photos that readers send in of their dogs and cats on sofas and chairs. Ashley’s puppy Gertrude (above) was my favorite this week.
My friends Amy and Angie, the women behind the photography site I Heart Faces, had a “Best Faces” photo contest this summer and created a book displaying the beautiful winning entries by over 60 talented photographers. The book launches today and you can get all the details here.
Maya is hosting a fun “Tabletop Giveaway” worth $50 at Completely Coastal today. I love the sea-inspired accessories you can win, like this seahorse dessert plate. They’ll be perfect for that beach house I’m going to have someday…
by hookedonhouses on November 10, 2009
On the iVillage Garden Web forums, there was a fun discussion this week about the impracticality of Susan Mayer’s kitchen on the TV show Desperate Housewives. One of the members posted this photo of it showing how high the microwave is.
I had never noticed that they had it stacked way up there! We all know that Susan doesn’t really cook, so you’d think she would need her microwave a little more conveniently located for all the frozen dinners she eats. Actress Teri Hatcher is fairly tall, so she can at least peek inside–I’d need a footstool to reach the handle!
What do you think the ideal location for a microwave is?
(Thanks to pllog for the photo and to Susan, who sent me the link to the thread.)
There’s still time to enter my $50 Sticviews Giveaway! These window stics that mimic wrought iron are just one of the things you can create for your home at Sticviews. What would you buy if you won?
by hookedonhouses on November 9, 2009
I have always loved old skeleton keys. I think they’re so beautiful. I was excited when I saw that the talented jewelry designer behind the Etsy shop Beyond the Rockz was inspired to create necklaces based on his own collection of antique and vintage keys (above).
Al created molds from the old keys, and this is how the necklaces turned out:
Aren’t those cool? I think this would be the perfect gift for a house lover. In fact a girlfriend of mine (and loyal reader) told me she already gave the Beyond the Rockz link to her husband as a hint, hint for Christmas. Clever girl!
I’m proud to have Beyond the Rockz as one of my long-time sponsors. Using mostly antique and handmade tools, they create each piece of jewelry with fairly-traded stones and recycled or repurposed metals.
by hookedonhouses on November 8, 2009
Welcome to Movie Monday, when I feature the sets from our favorite films. The Break-Up, featuring Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston, was the anti-romantic comedy. Instead of following a couple in the process of falling in love, we watched a relationship fall apart.
In the movie, Gary and Brooke share a fabulous condo in Chicago that becomes a battleground after they break up. Neither of them wants to move out, and we can hardly blame them.
The movie has a lot of funny moments, but I found it kind of depressing to watch them fight (and fight and fight some more). Most of the action happens in the apartment, though, so at least we had something pleasant to look at in the background.
Entry Hall:
Brooke works in an art gallery and is an artist herself. The apartment is filled with sketches and paintings, many of which we assume are hers (but are actually Francine Turk’s).
Living Room:
[click to continue…]
by hookedonhouses on November 7, 2009
When this historic mansion in Leesburg, Virginia, served as a Designers’ Showhouse for the Loudoun Arts Council, designer Paula Grace was commissioned to return the library to its former grandeur. She was inspired to create an elegant, French-inspired room, as you can see by her drawing. But when she first walked into the library, it looked like this:
Kind of blah. Paula transformed the fireplace with a Louis XV hand-carved mantel, dramatic drapes, and two crescent-shaped sofas. Here’s how the room looked after she worked her design magic on it:
Paula painted the inside of the bookcases a muted gold, which really makes them stand out more than they did when they were totally white, doesn’t it? (Love those bookshelves!)
You can see the rest of the photos and get more information about the room’s makeover (and see other amazing before and afters) at Paula Grace Designs.
I’m joining the Metamorphosis Monday party at Between Naps on the Porch. If you love before & afters, that’s the place to go!
P.S. If you haven’t entered my $50 Sticviews Giveaway yet, you still have time!
by hookedonhouses on November 5, 2009
See this fireplace wall decked out for fall? Four kinds of Sticviews were used to create a look that can easily be changed again for Christmas: 1) the leaves on the overmantel, 2) the patterns on the tile, 3) the message across the mantel, and even 4) the black and white family photo.
The stics are like magic when it comes to creating a personalized look for a room. And when you’re ready for something else, just peel them off and presto, change-o! They’re easy to hang and easy to remove (no residue gets left behind). They’re reusable, too.
One lucky reader is going to get a $50 gift certificate toward anything they want on the Sticviews website.
What would you do with $50? You could put Santa in your window. Or order some unique Christmas gifts, like a laptop or iPod skin created from a favorite photo (starting at only $10).
You can also print custom labels, get a car stic with your business logo on it, or make your windows look like stained glass. The possibilities are endless. Browse the Gallery of Ideas and I’ll bet you’ll find yourself saying, “I never would’ve thought to do that!”
How can you get that $50 gift certificate in your hot little hands?
- Visit the Sticviews website and then leave a comment here, telling us what kind of stics you’d create.
- For extra entries, you can sign up for their e-mail newsletter (you’ll get 25% off your next order if you do!), and become a fan on Facebook.
Easy, right? If you’re going for extra entries, be sure to leave a second or third comment here telling me what you did to earn them. The giveaway ends next Friday, when I’ll be announcing the winner. Good luck!
