Very Bold and Ballsy

My good friend and client called recently in a panic:
Client: Hooper, help!
Me: What's wrong?
Client: I've ruined my living room!
Me: What exactly did you do?
Client: I painted the entire room, trim, walls, fireplace... Farrow and Ball's "Hague Blue". 
Me: Awesome! I can't wait to come up. Don't panic, it sounds fabulous. She sent me this picture.

I couldn't get to Raleigh fast enough for this so called, design emergency. One, I adore "Hague Blue" and two, anyone willing to do this is ballsy (to say the least). I love a client who is willing  to take risks! 

Needless to say, when I arrived at her doorstep. I was drooling over her "design emergency". Not only was it Hague Blue, it was... wait for it... LACQUERED. I'm talking high shine, gloss, light bouncing off of everything LACQUERED. I would lacquer my children if I could. What do you think? Let me tell you how we got here...

We kept her coral chair in the corner (sentimental and gorgeous). 

 Hung this baby over her antique chest and added a crystal column lamp. 

 Accessorized the built-ins with white and color that pops against the dark blue walls. It also lightened up the space.

 Took a fab brass chandelier out of her attic... and found an antique gold/glass coffee table for steal...Rummage sale... 
$15 bucks.

We kept this Jean Harlow portrait over the mantle. What screams Hollywood glam more than a Hollywood starlet? We added some antique candlesticks and family heirlooms. 

 Peach (in a good way). Not 80's peach, vintage peach. 

 Threw in some amazing pillows and one very cute little girl...

 Killer artwork from client's eclectic and wonderful collection...

 What do you think? The art on walls pops against the Hague Blue.

 The sisal rug and velvet bench add texture. 

 Notice the cornice and beautiful drapes. I found the fabric on Matters of Style Marketplace and instantly fell in love. Look at the detail and the unexpected color.

Look at all of the reflection and light in a very dark painted room. It is lush and cozy and right up my alley. 

Thank you dear client for taking a very bold step most would be too afraid to take. I love the result!
bye bye birdie...
~H

Giveaway!!!!!

I am so excited about this giveaway! Cute Jen from Fotojenik made me these cuffs for the fall. They  are my all time fave accessory. I wear one or the other EVERY DAY! (can you say one trick pony?)

Anyway... Cute Jen made one for you! We asked which one you wanted and you said.... drum roll please.... The cowhide!

Soooo.... you might just be the proud owner of the coolest cuff ever by next Friday....

To Enter:

Leave a comment on any of our post written in October or November between now and 11.10.11 for 1 chance

Become a follower for another chance

Check out Jen's blog Fotojenik and tell us you did for another chance

The winner will be announced 11.11.11 (next Friday!)

Have a great weekend and Good Luck!

Bye, bye Birdie,

~A & H

I spy with my little eye....

Something red! Guess what we saw at market...red! Hooper didn't, she blocked it out. She hates red. I however, don't mind it (in little doses of course). I knew it was time- It's been trying to sneak it's way back in. I know you enjoy that I am a bit of a geek so I will indulge you. This is why red is coming back:

We have seen blues, aqua's and over the past few years, the aqua's have turned to teals. Soooo... guess what is right across from teal on the color wheel? RED!!! ( Be patient with me, I'm trying to put my 4 years of art school to use... thank you Mom and Dad for letting me go...)

Red is naturally a good combo with teal. Strong, but good...

Here it is with a lighter blue...

Red and chocolate are great together as well with a little bit of teal in the fabric. Are you ever tired of seeing that fabric? Me neither....

Red is considered a restless color. I think I could sleep here. Let's be honest, I think I could sleep anywhere these days.

How fun is this from CB2. If you are scared of red, try it in small doses. I love this stool!!!!

How bout you? Think you could add a little red back in your life? I'm not talking a 1990's red dining room. Just a pillow here or there...

Bye by birdie,

~A

Happy Halloween! 

I'm loving this pumpkin with nail heads. My sweet client's mother made it for her and it is the perfect addition to her front stoop. 

Months ago, her bedroom looked like this.... a little scarey

Now... What a transformation! 

 The vaulted ceiling called for something dramatic, so I designed a 6' tall upholstered headboard. 

I love the fabric and the nail head detail...

 I added drapes to soften the window, changed the paint...

 And brought in beautiful Noir dressers. One for her and one for him...

 I love the finishes and the modern shapes. 

 Her grandfather made this sweet rocker, so we brought it in to mix the old with the new. 

 Another cool twist on a traditional dresser. 

 Added some accessories and family photos...

 Threw in some colored lamps from Pier One -- love the color and texture!

 Bright pillows from ZGallerie...

And re-matted a series of shell pencil sketches for the walls.

My client fell in love with this tufted chair so we turned this corner into a reading nook. 

What do you think? Quite the make over. I love a Halloween transformation! Have a wonderful, safe Halloween!

Bye bye birdie,

~A&H

Dear Genevieve,

Dear Genevieve, 
Congrats on your new line for Capel Rugs! We are big fans (I'm sure you couldn't tell because we were so cool and collected).  We were so enamored with your new collection of rugs that we chose some for the mountain project. When we were milling around the Capel showroom (for hours), it was because we were looking at the rugs and were just trying to make up our minds. It had nothing to do with the fact that we just wanted our picture taken with you.

So glad you loved my Missoni (for Target) work bag. It made it so worth it (that I knocked that girl out to get it) when you complimented me and said you wished you could have gotten one. I would have given you mine (on the spot) if it wouldn't have seemed just a little weird and stalker-ish. Ann almost took her shirt off when you said you liked it and it reminded you of your fab rugs. So glad she didn't, may have been a tad inappropriate. 


You were truly lovely and so down to Earth and make me want to be a better designer (and taller and prettier). 

 Ok, back to work... the new collection is fresh and fun and a refreshing take on chevrons and ikats. We love the colors and can't wait to use them in some of our spaces. 

Thanks for your inspiration and style. We love you the new line!  
XOXO
~A&H


credit to: Genevieve Gorder, Capel

25... (for the 13th time)

Yes, 25 for the 13th time means 37. That's how old I have been for a day now. Feels pretty good, still not buying 30 is the new 20 though. Thank you Hoop for the birthday post and most importantly my new super cool yearbook page!!!! Framed and matted in purple...holla!!! I am still shocked you found it! (Read previous post if you are lost...)

I have to mention my birthday is a day after Addie's (my baby is now 5! sob, sob...) We both had great ones and ended the week at Lindley and Molly's school Fall Festival. Who says you can't throw down on your birthday when you are 37?

(cute little blond in front is one of Lindley's besties from practically birth!)

I had to show you the whole fam. Jeff ditched the wig, mustache and glasses pretty quickly after we realized no parents were letting their children near him. He did have quite a creepy vibe going on.

I know this is technically a design blog and you probably do not want to hear any more about birthdays so I promise we will be throwing so much design your way over the next few weeks your head will spin! We are off to market! We can't wait!!!

Have a great week and we'll be back soon!!

Bye, bye Birdie,

~A 

It's Your Birthday!

On this day (we won't say how many years ago), Ann White Schutte was born. I tried to find some historical events and truly, there aren't any except for a couple of baseball stats that make no sense to me. Ann shares her birthday with Princess Leah, Mick Jagger's daughter and Miss Teen USA. Big Whoop. 


To honor her on her birthday, I wanted to share her birthday gift with you. She has no idea she is getting this, but I guess she will find out when she reads the blog this morning. Before I the big reveal, I want to share a little background with you...


Ann and I met in 9th grade. 

We were super cute and WAYYYY cool.

Ann was a cheerleader. I was a tennis player. No need to show a picture, this post is all about ANN! 


Ann was kinda like a hippie (picture cut off jean shorts with a sunburst painted on them). I wore big collared shirts (picture flying nun). Ann worked at a bar-b-que joint, I worked at a preppy sportswear store. We were/are complete opposites and still are.

We were on the homecoming court. We both have shoulder pads. I look like I'm getting ready to play the bag pipes. Did we color coordinate on purpose? God, I hope not.

 We were also, the epitome of cheesiness. Senior year, we decided to leave a legacy of cheese and do a yearbook memoir together. We noted all of the "bad" stuff we did that made us soooo "cool".
Ann, I found the original and to celebrate your 25th birthday, I want you to have it!

I hope you have a wonderful birthday and many many more!
Bye bye birdie,
~H

Brand New Room!

I finally photographed my friend's new room. Before, it had a desk and the large wall unit on the back wall. When she called me, she said she wanted a room where she could hang out with friends and have a cup of coffee. "I want it to feel like Starbucks." I'm not sure that I got the "Starbucks" vibe going on, but I tried. Kinda Starbucks with a triple shot of something...

 I started with these amazing Anthropologie flocked drapes. She wanted a large table where the kids could play games/puzzles. We found this clean lined table on Overstock.

 The room took off from there. The West Elm chaise is perfect for reading or can double as a sofa. Every room needs a pouf so...

 Notice how her dog Oscar is the same color as the hide. It was not planned, but cracks me up every time.

I love the reclaimed wood table with the glossy West Elm owl lamp. 

 Here's another shot

And a close up of the pillows...

A close up of the amazing drapes. They are linen flocked with orange velvet. 

I love all of the different textures. Do you?

Bye bye birdie,

~H