Eclectic and Dark Home

Full of texture, patterns, comfortable linens, picture frames, classic shapes, and classic pieces. Yum.

SuzAnn and Will's Eclectic Chicago home from Apartment Therapy.

A House Tour: Sheryl Crow

I recently had two interviews with the same company. One of which was a group interview, which is essentially a game of who can sit up the straightest and make all of the good answers fit into one run-on sentence.

I sat up so straight.

In one particular run-on sentence by a competitor she stated that this company was, in a way, that person. That person who always looks tailored, the one who can pull off anything, the one who gets the coolest jobs in the coolest cities and has friends all over the world, but still treats you like you are her best friend. You know, that person. I agreed completely with my competitor and started daydreaming about people I know and places I've been who have those characteristics.

Her explanation reminded me of a house tour I saw recently by Architectural Digest. I suppose I should admit that this is Sheryl Crow's house. I guess it's good that I'm a fan of one thing she's created...don't tell her I said that.

Thanks, Architectural Digest

What I like most about this home is that it looks like a harbor to her collections. It looks like someone lives there and that personal thought has been put into the decor. Not to mention the black and white theme that ties every room together - something I've become more fond of over the past few months. This house, despite it being a Hollywood Estate for a Grammy winning artist, seems reachable. It has elements that can be tied into the home of someone who has never released a studio album. It seems like Mrs. Crow found what made her happy, displayed what she liked, narrowed out what she didn't like, and slowly made her home into a library of furnishings and collections carrying her personality.

Final Rose of the Night

Editors Note: I apologize if this post brings back tender emotions for any of you. I also apologize if you lose any respect for me and the fact that I watch this show. Diligently.

I know I was supposed to be focusing on the fact that Brad let Shawntel go just a few days after she told him she loved him this season of The Bachelor, but during their long walk through the Gansevoort Hotel in New York City I kept pausing, rewinding, and taking snapshots on my computer screen. Why?

Those floors! Do you see them? Whoever designed this hotel thought the plans all the way through at an early stage. Floors often become a last minute thought in a space that result in the most budget-friendly option, but think of how far less exciting this lobby would be without the chevron pattern on the flooring.  In fact, after watching this scene (over and over and over again) I hopped back onto AutoCAD and redid part of the design for one of my school projects to add a little spice. While some of the other features in this lobby are a little tasteless in my opinion, those floors stand well on their own. How timeless! How innovative! Bravo expensive Gansevoort budget, bravo.

Spicing up forgotten spaces

This.

Thanks, Country Living / Victoria Pearson

This hallway. The frames, the chandelier, the out-of-place chair, and, of course, the walls! This hallway has been stuck in my head for nearly my entire school career.

Speaking of which,

Nailed it. 

Now back to the stripes. I love the way the homeowners applied their personality into such a small and generally forgotten space. I have wanted to do something like this for so long, but none of my "clients" had the personality for it. I'd be curious to try it with the glossiest paint finish in the business and in a space, like this hallway or a guest bathroom, that could use a little sprucing and can handle an overwhelmingly noticeable finish like this. I will continue to wait until someone has the gusto to live in such a stripy wonderland.