Here I sit on this cool morning with my Starbucks Via in Mocha, listening to the sound of construction across the street, could it be the faint sound of a rebound in the housing market? Definitely, music in the ears of this designer (so no complaints here). Perfect time to take a break from doing floor plans for a client and share some pics of some amazing pieces that have caught my eye lately. Which all seem to fit perfectly with the subject of this blog.  It seems like so many homes that I’ve worked on recently have smaller hallways or odd shaped spaces that were obviously overlooked when an architect went to his drafting table. I have seen some really interesting foyers that really are no bigger than a shoebox, or the long hallway which looks more like an airport runway. So we have had to come up with some really creative ways of finding a place to park some shoes, keys, coats. All you need  is a really fun table, some cool lighting to create a stylish, functional space that creates an impactful first impression of your home….

So I am going to start with my “11″ of the week and its from the amazing line of furnishings from Caracole, these pieces are just so unique, stylish and just have that “wow” factor. When I first saw this console table in a showroom, I seriously wondered if I could somehow swap it out with my hallway chest from Wisteria, all without my husband noticing. (However, it’s not going to happen, gone are the days when I could say it’s been in our attic and he just overlooked it). So I had to settle on the fact that it’s going in the home of one of my favorite clients. It’s a perfect solution for that ”runway” dilemma, it is going to be a hands-down standout. (Sadly, just not in my home). This beauty is aptly named “Smoke and Mirrors complete with imported Italian mirrors, decorative metal mullions and a walnut case. Of course, it also has ample storage so it would be perfect in a foyer….beauty and functionality. What more could you ask for?

Another piece from Caracole that I just love is this piece called “Rive Gauche.” it was really a tough decision choosing between “Smoke and Mirrors” and this stunner for my client,  but I actually saw the latter in the showroom and fell head over heels.

P.S. For all you Francophiles out there ”Rive Gauche” literally means “The trendy left bank of the Seine in Paris.” The Caricole Furniture Line is totally beyond innovative and the names basically speak for themselves. Chairs called “The Party Chair,”  “Beauty Queen, or “If Looks Could Kill,” Mirrored pieces such as the chest called “Twinkle, Twinkle,” or “Its a Wrap.” I would love to meet the person who has the totally cool job of putting names on the individual pieces of furniture. Seriously, do I see a huge X-Mas bonus in their future? Okay, just one more honorable mention…the end table called “It’s Hip 2 be Square.”

Next, on my list is this totally fashion forward piece that is off the charts.  Again, this picture doesn’t even compare to the real thing. Think fashion for the home. When I saw it in the showroom, I think I let out the loudest “whoop” of just pure happiness!

Okay, now seems like a good time to share a secret (I ordered 2 of these “Tickle My Fancy” chairs for my living room), and knowing that my husband may read this, I have to say that I absolutely deserved them, and they can be an early Christmas present for the next 5 years. Or he could just look at them as an occupational hazard of my job…

But, since we are talking about hallways, I might pair the “Tickle My Fancy” chair with the “Tres Chic Table”  and this fabulous lamp from Wildwood and Company (both shown below). This trio would be perfect for a small foyer! It’s sophisticated, functional and will create an impactful first impression.

The “Tres Chic” table from Caricole.

The Diana Lamp is from the Italia Collection for Wildwood Lamps in old silver (quite frankly this lamp looks anything, but old) with the double shade, I would definitely say this would be an absolute stunner in a hallway, living room or bedroom.

How about this standout from Bunny Williams, it’s actually a bar, but why not put it in the foyer? Seriously, with the price tag of $5800.00, I would want it to be the first thing my guests see when they walk into my home. After checking out the inside of this bar/buffet/hallway chest, not sure why it can’t be used for a totally utilitarian piece because all it has is simple shelves and drawers. So in the foyer it goes, perfect for storing keys, baskets of mail, mittens (if you live in the North) or just about any of the small things that need a great home.

It’s from the Beeline Home collection from Bunny Williams. It’s a hand-carved, hand-painted Gustavian style piece. Check out the lyre motif and fluted apron. Perfect for the small items that seem to endlessly collect in the hallway. P.S. Thanks, Bunny for blessing the design world with your amazing vision.

P.S. I feel a little bad about showing this piece since the price tag is a little on the hefty side. So how about the Directoire Piece from Wisteria, at only $1499.00 it still has that same Gustavian feel without making you feel as if you would have to put it behind velvet ropes.

If you don’t want to spend all the money from your Tiffany piggy bank, there are some low cost standouts that still have the impact, but are all under $500.00. After all its really about individual style and what you are willing to invest. I have always mixed pieces from different price points to give my clients the look they want while being sensitive to individual design budgets. Design is all about surrounding yourself with things that you love regardless if they come from Target or Barbara Barry.

This packs quite a punch of glamour and elegance, and here’s the good news, it’s actually under $500.00. I found this amazing website that sells their wares for prices that actually make you increase the font on your computer to make sure that you didn’t misread the price (and I’m not kidding).  Okay, I would feel really selfish if I didn’t mention the website, its stacksandstacks.com. I’m in a sharing mood today, so enjoy!

It would be remiss of me if I didn’t point out some lighting standouts for the foyer. If you use something that has alot of drama for your console or hall table, use lighting that has simple lines, one statement piece is all you need otherwise you’ll have a look that is overdone and chaotic (think Donald Trump).  We’ve all been in a house that is all about glitz and filling every concievable space with pieces that are offensive rather than welcoming.

This Chandelier is from Currey and Company and I have to say that I have been in love with it since they introduced it. It’s hammered circles attached to a form globe, and I think you’ll have to agree that it’s definitely a show-stopper. Who would have thought going around in circles could be so much fun? 

Anyone that knows me, knows this: I absolutely adore adding natural elements to a home. Nature plays such a big part of our lives, why shouldn’t we pay homage to it? I have dishes of shells all over my home, a basket full of driftwood that came from the shores of Oregon, coral from Hawaii (you get the idea). So this faux-coral chandelier is just pure heaven to me (it would be a perfect partner to the Directoire Piece from Wisteria). It’s like being at the ocean all year long, and quite frankly who wouldn’t love that? I’ve always felt that adding natural elements soften your space and make it seem less contrived. Plus, it doesn’t break the bank since they are mostly found items.

On the Board….

Now for a glimpse into one of the projects we are working on for our client Miss G., she has an amazing loft with lots of natural light and alot of very long walls (and this is an understatement). These are some of the pieces we are bringing in to make her home what it should be, a home. What I’m most excited about is installing this piece from Century Furniture, it’s 88 inches long and when I called the warehouse to have them check it over before delivery, my rep. had no idea that it was that long, and kept looking for a much smaller piece. His reaction was priceless, he called me back and literally told me that it took his breath away (all good). We have already installed the upholstered pieces and next week it’s time to pull it all together. So here is the piece that is going to be the focal point on a wall that is 128 in. long. We’ll be adding a grouping of mirrors above to reflect the light back into the room, and adding several garden stools underneath in variegated tones of green and blue,  Miss G.’s favorite colors (and coincidentally mine too!).

Now ’The Board” for the hall leading to her office… with the absence of natural light I wanted to bring in a reflective element, which is the staggered mirrored bracket anchoring the grouping of 5 framed shells, each set in a shadow box to provide dimension. Each piece is 24X24, so its going to have an amazing impact on the wall painted in Marilyn’s Dress from Ben Moore, love the name, love the color. Of course, the rug deserves more than an honorable mention. It’s a blue and white stripe runner from Barclay Butera, with the stripes running in a vertical pattern down the hall, to help minimize the “runway effect.” I’ll post the final pics after the install is completed (hopefully this week). I always feel like it’s Christmas day before an installation, and the best part of all is the fact that my client is going to have a space that she can call home.

I would like to dedicate this blog post to my cousin, Susan Menard-Garland who passed away unexpectedly this week, and who left us much to soon. She had a smile that could light up Broadway, and I have no doubt that it is lighting up the heavens at this very moment. Rest in peace, sweet Susie.

“Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground. Let their spirit ignite a fire within you to leave this world better than when you found it.”

Happy Living and make every moment count……

  Vicki Gladle-Bolick, C.I.D.

“The Ace of Space”

Bolick Interiors, LLC