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chi chi chi chihuly...

as i was going back through the (literally) thousands of photos i have on my computer looking for some random shot of a light fixture or something, i came across my photos from spring break 2014 with my kids.  i took them to seatle and portland for what i dubbed the "transportation vacation" - we rode planes, trains, automobiles, buses, trams, ferris wheels, ferries, carousels, and walked.  but!!!  one of the highlights was the chihuly museum in seatle.  it is beyond breathtaking.  i also received my membership renewal notice for the atlanta botanical gardens and guess who's coming back??!!!!!  yessiree!!!! the man himself!!  i couldn't be more excited!  i've seen him in 3 separate time zones (est, cst, and pst) - yeah, whateves, that's culture braggin' ;)  anyway.  as i looked over the pics i took i'm really floored by how phenomenal the museum is that one cannot take a bad photo.  seriously.  take a gander...

i was falling all over myself in sheer awe of the magic that is dale chihuly, thinking my kids, who were too eager to move along, weren't grasping it.  on the plane ride home, my daughter drew every single piece in her sketch book.  from memory.  one of my proudest accomplishments as a parent will be that my children absorb the magic of art. whatever they do with it is up to them.

back to the beauty of chihuly...

these are some shots in the garden, as well as one in the glass ceiling atrium with the seatle space needle in the background!  the purple spears (?) at the bottom remind me of the purple irises my mom loved so much :)

this is a color explosion.  beautiful.  inspiring.  joy.

every so often i find myself asking of art, but what's it's function?  and i want to whack myself upside my head.  how wonderful is art to feed the soul, to stir emotions, to inspire, to make us dream, to make us react.  that is worth something.  that's the function.  to feel it down deep.

beijos,

beth

i'm dreaming of a pink christmas...

so i was invited to design/decorate a charity christmas tree for shoppe artisan, happening this weekend at the cobb galleria!!  i'm a little rusty at this, having converted to judaism just over 11 years ago, but wow, what an excuse, i mean what a wonderful charitable event, to rekindle the themed tree decorating talent!  the benefactor is childrens healthcare of atlanta.  having spent (more than enough) time there with my own kids, i am more than happy to support them!!

i actually had a fantastic stream of consciousness thing going on and then safari shut down and now i'm not so pleased so you're getting the really condensed version...

ooohhhh design tree, pink is cool and matches logo, peace, fabulous doves at olive and cocoa, too expensive, will make them, no time, white feather boas instead, abstract art, 20 yards of tulle for tulle balls that wind up not working with the tree in the galleria lighting like they did in my living room, grrrrr, custom-sized, gorgeous, glass moravian star tree topper too heavy, friend lends wire, strap that sucker on, reminiscing about used tire planters in the front yards of myrtle beach homes, candy canes, everyone loves candy, sparkly stuff, how many times am i going to cut myself on this tree, wth, singing "at the car wash" while hanging the glass bubble ornaments, it's a love/hate relationship with the tree, this is spiraling, pull up pull up...

so, above and below is complete validation as to why i pay top dollar for professional photography.  i love small, artsy shots, but absolutely suck at the wide lens shot!  anyway, above are the components that are all part of the finished tree, which looked super cool, retro, beautiful, fun, separately!  all together, with the lights from above, um, where did the neon come from and where are my sunglasses!!??

so here's a great before and after!!  I'm seriously having second thoughts posting this!! the before looks like a tall drink of fried cotton candy, while the after looks like aliens may have invaded!!  in person it actually looks better than this picture and i am really happy with it :)  it's very girly girl, a bit retro, very sweet, definitely different, and joyful!! everything i hope for in life!

in case you were wondering, yes, i bleed glitter.

beijos,

beth




is wallpaper back...

i have been asked this many times in the past 1-2 years.  my response is an enthusiastic, "heck yeah!!!"  take a gander at some projects of mine where the wallpaper sometimes steals the show...

photo credit: top left, jeff herr photography; the other 3, me

photo credit: top left, jeff herr photography; the other 3, me

we'll start with the grasscloth shots, cause that's a bit more traditional, and perhaps a bit more comfortable.  i'm a very tactile person, so anything i can touch and really experience first hand is fabulous in my mind!!  above we have 3 dining rooms and a bedroom - all with so much more depth and texture thanks to the grasscloth!

photo credit: gold floral and blue fern patterns, emily jenkins followill photography; bottom right, jeff herr photography; all others, me

photo credit: gold floral and blue fern patterns, emily jenkins followill photography; bottom right, jeff herr photography; all others, me

now on to some of the patterned papers i've used.  when i look back on these pics i am a bit overwhelmed.  these spaces are so exceptionally cool, in my mind at least ;) and mostly because of the wallpaper.  it just adds that extra element of "wow, how daring is this person to try this?!".  ok.  maybe that's a tad over the top, but i think all of these rooms would be much more "yeah, that's nice" without the additional vavavavoom that happens with the wallpaper.

the real point here is, yes!  wallpaper is back and embrace it baby and have fun and unleash your tactile, your sensual, your over the top, your vibrant, your confidence, and hang some wallpaper already!!

beijos,

beth

i'm falling for you...

ahhhh love!  love of the crisp air, the crunch of fallen leaves underfoot, warm apple cider, snuggling up in your favorite sweater, boots (oh lord, don't you know i love me some boots!!), tweed, and all the decorating and festivities that seem to kick into high gear from now until the end of the year!  i love fall.

fall is also a great time to take some pretty pictures and for me, a perfect time to take more meaningful walks.  ones where i seem to reflect a little deeper and remind myself that change is natural and beautiful (and usually inevitable!). 

above are some shots i've taken over the last few years, from atlanta to michigan to the berkshires to paris.  all special memories.  some by myself, some with very special people.  all lovely and transformative.  happy fall, ya'll :)

beijos,

beth

how 'bout more overwhelming...

seriously, there are too many pictures from my recent trip to morocco to neatly fit into a blog post (or two!).  even in writing this post (part 2), i've left many pictures out.  it has been so nice looking back and reflecting on the time i had.  my aunt once called me a "free-spirit".  a label i fought.  (i have no idea why i thought this could ever have a negative connotation)  as i go over these pictures, i want nothing more than to continue to travel and be amongst new friends and learn from people out there in the world following their dreams and to just enjoy the rich memories that come from being in someplace foreign.  this to me now, is the essence of being a free spirit :)

i mentioned peacock pavilions in my last post, but this photo sequence is mostly about them and eatpraymove.  maryam and chris have built a beautiful, magical oasis in morocco.  erin, founder of eatpraymove, is living her dream of yoga and travel.  i admire them all tremendously in their pursuits and their offerings.  above we have me in front of one of the suite doors at peacock pavilions (just after arrival).  the henna party was a night or two in and was a perfect opportunity to test out future tattoos!!  (you heard it here first ;)  i have a thing for hearts :)  the great room of my building was beautifully decorated and such a welcoming retreat at the end of each day!  these beads were in the main lobby and just so textural and colorful!!  one of the lovely things peacock pavilions does is gives back to the community, through their non-profit organization, project soar.  i was fortunate enough to get to experience their good works first hand as i helped repaint some of the villagers' doors.  this little boy was very interested in what we were doing (and i just love this picture).  the man's door we were painting invited us to celebrate ede, the next week.  i soooooo wished i would still be there to have had such an experience!! i've done a fair bit of traveling, but to be able to have those intimate moments with real people is truly priceless.  the landscape shot (on our way to the village just beyond peacock pavilions) is, yes, filtered via instagram, but exactly how i saw it!  slightly hazy, somehow lush for a desert, with the atlas mountains in the distance (next trip!!!).  the food was crazy yummy!!  i have a love affair with lentils and this dish did not disappoint!! sweet jesus there's egg on top!!  we were all begging for the recipes!!  one night, we headed out to "new" marrakech and had dinner at a lebanese restaurant, where they had belly dancing.  i think i took 30 shots of this chic swirling round and this is my favorite.  i love her expression.  love the hanging basket lights next to the pool:)  i'm gaga over the red hot embers from the hookah during our big night on the town!!

looking at some of these pics i just feel i need to give a shout out to apple!!  good lord my phone takes an amazing photo!!!  i have this crazy thought i'm going to design a tshirt with the "theme" of souk sprint 2015.  we had a souk tour through eatpraymove, but i also got to (literally) run through the souk with mohamad, looking for a particular pottery place i had seen on the first tour with epm.  running through the souk is like participating in a defensive obstacle course.  on one hand you are struggling to not make eye contact with anyone for fear their relentless sales tactics will suck you in.  you're also putting your rote memorization skills to the test as you look up "what's your best price for that soccer jersey, rug, tassel, basket, pillow, 54 pieces of green ceramics, glass of freshly-squeezed orange juice" (all of which i purchased) in french!  all while dodging locals, mules, suspicious liquids underfoot, and f'ing motorbikes (!!) along the narrow walkways inside the souk!  talk about exhilarating!!  i'm already planning my trip for next year!!  ok, back to the pictures. tea at the wonderful rug shop (just beyond the open square, just past the cafe, nomad, through the alley, with the chickens and unpleasant stench), typical leather shop (and fabulous blue door!), shadows on the floor of the souk (as i was running in flip flops, trailing mohamad!), some of the insanely gorgeous primitive ceramics.  they are so beautiful.  i seriously had tears in my eyes to think that real people made these works of art, in a desert!!!  the shot of the metal smiths shop cracks me up because there's all this traditional stuff (design and wardrobe) and then the bright yellow baseball cap!!  the last shot kinda sums it all up for me.  morocco is overwhelming in the sights, smells, textures, hospitality, magic, and then on top of all that, there's a woman in a hot pink dress that out shines everything else!!  thank you morocco for feeding my soul!  it was a beautifully, magical trip!

i accidentally (subconsciously?) spent an extra night in marrakech.  i booked my last night's stay in a 4-star hotel after determining which hotel had the "best" cooking class!  it was just me in the class.  the hotel's manager, pierre, from bordeaux, france, conducted the class and lead me on a tour of the jewish quarter, market, and spice market.  he also translated in the kitchen while i had my lesson with the hotel's "dada" (the chef, who was trained to cook at age 5 and sold, once she was a little older, to support the family!  she will never marry, wasn't educated, and will just cook for the rest of her life).  i was assured the hotel treats her (and her sister, who they also purchased) quite well.  i was assured this after an apparent look of horror appeared on my face as pierre was educating me!  both of my kids enjoy lemons, so i had to take a shot of the preserved lemons in the market!  pierre lead me through the jewish quarter (where less and less jews actually live anymore, thanks to the french pitting the muslims against the jews many years ago) and took me into one of the public bread baking establishments.  that's the wooden door.  most households cannot afford an oven (that's right!) so there are public ovens where the community can bring their dough to be baked.  socializing also happens.  i wasn't allowed to take any pictures in the oven room, because, apparently, moroccans don't understand our infatuation with poverty and don't want anyone taking pictures.  go figure!  the concept of providing such a basic necessity, such as bread, for one's community is beautiful ( and yes, there were tears).  i'm not a big olive fan, but when you are surrounded by olive groves, you develop an appreciation!!  these were some reeeeealy good olives!!  the pigeons are what's for dinner!  nyc and venice should look into this!!  

i actually did not make pigeon for dinner ;)  i made 4 small salads.  an eggplant (which pierre kept referring to as "aubergine" - which sounds decidedly more tasty with a french accent!), a zucchini, a pepper, and a tomato jam (which was so yummy it could have been my entire meal).  i also made a lamb tagine and real couscous.  that's me above "fluffing" the couscous and burning my hands in the process.  pierre thought my pain and suffering was amusing (don't be fooled by the smiling, it was right off the stove and $#*#&#$ hot!!!).  i think it was his way of punishing me for admitting to making couscous from a box!  before i started my lesson, my hands were washed (by someone else) with water from that beautiful metal container (during seders, jews wash each others hands, and i couldn't help but wonder if that was a jewish practice adopted by the muslims here or if it's just yet another common thread).  there's an action shot of me preparing to prepare the carrot ;)  i was relieved and impressed that i did not cut myself! and there were plenty of instruments to cut myself with and plenty of maneuvers that seemed to be begging to cause injury.  i am so grateful i had this opportunity.  cooking at home is usually focused on necessity, but this meal was infused with humor (blame it on the rose i was sipping, but there was a lot of laughing, and not just over my preparation techniques!), tradition, the honor and supreme coolness of cooking in someone else's kitchen on the other side of the globe, and appreciation for my life which is rich with experiences like this one.

after my retreat was done, i stayed an extra night closer to the medina, in a lovingly restored hotel, dar les cigognes.  i'm a huge fan of staying in boutique hotels and this one was sensational.  it's right across the street from the royal palace and was the riad (arab home) of a wealthy merchant.  the unassuming entrance door is on a street that's a cross between an alley and a moped training track; dirty, busy, and a little smelly.  when the driver dropped me off i thought, oh dear, this isn't looking good!  then i walked through the doors (which are only marked with the address number!) and into moroccan heaven...the center atrium lobby was truly divine.  you might think all that plaster and tile would feel very hard, but there's such an elegant warmth to it, i wanted to touch every surface and never leave.  the top shots are in the lobby.  gorgeous iron work on the stairs and seemingly every possible tile pattern in one place, just outside my room's door.  that's the plaster vanity and tub in my bathroom.  the blue on the floor is tile!!  i really couldn't get enough of this bathroom.  it was simply perfect.

going through all these pictures has given me an overwhelming case of wanderlust!!!  i wanna go back now!!!!  booking flight...

beijos,

beth

prepare to be overwhelmed...

the next stop on my extra long vacay was to morocco!  i've been overwhelmed just trying to reign in all the beautiful photos, so it has taken me some time to get to this point of actually posting something!  i have wanted to visit morocco for a very long time and just assumed it wouldn't be the safest trip as a single female.  this was idiocy.  there were a couple of times where i was noticeably the only american.   i find this kind of thing kinda exhilarating.  i think more americans should put themselves in that situation...  and i was completely safe at all times!

ok!  back to the good stuff!  there will be a part 2, so stay tuned!  i've been so busy trying to get back into everything, i just can't do it all at once, people!!

one of my favorite hashtags is "lookupanddiscoversomething".  i think this practice is important.  there are things above us that are wonderful and interesting and complex and thought provoking.  and we miss them if we only stay focused on what's directly in front of us.  just a sampling might be a textural stairway in the ben youssef medersa, the lattice over the upper terrace where we had sunrise yoga (i should mention the reason i conjured up enough nerve to travel to morocco solo was because i signed up for an amazing yoga retreat with eatpraymove!  it was perfect!!  activities planned out, our beautiful instructor and founder, erin, is living her dream, the food was insane, our retreat location was none other than peacock pavilions!!!)  back to looking up!  the sky above the main mosque in marrakech.  the lattice above the bar at the lunch spot in essaouira (the blue sky was so pretty I can't stand it!!).  that is the overhang outside the marrakech airport!!  that's the sky you can see through the cut outs!!  really!  the lights in the stairwell of the restaurant we went to, azar.  the last shot is looking up from my bed on my last night in marrakech.  my retreat was over, but i (accendently/subconsciously??) stayed an extra night in a 4 star hotel closer to the medina (more on this later - it was awesome!!!)

do you think you know a handy man here in the states?  well, he's got nothing, nothing!!, on the plaster carvers of morocco!!  holy intricate detailing batman this is insane!!  and it's everywhere!!! i'm a pretty simplistic girl, but i now want everything carved!!!  by hand!! and it needs to last 7 centuries please.  

one of the days we took a day trip to the coastal city of essaouira (on the beautiful mediterranean sea).  the feel was still morocco, but the look was slightly more mediterranean (duh).  lots more white and that blue, you know the one!  along the way, we got a speeding ticket, stopped to photograph tree climbing, argon nut eating goats, and made a very quick visit into a women's rug weaving co-op.  the three little birds against the sky (no filter!!!) had me singing bob marley in my head the rest of the day :) the white stucco and bright blue accents reminded me that i plan to retire anywhere on the med.  although, not right on the wharf.  it smells reeeeally bad there.  like, overwhelmingly bad.  the orange peels at a stand on the wharf were a nice distraction, though.  art from orange peels.  who knew?!  you know i'm a sucker for graffiti, and was rather impressed that in such a poor country i really didn't see too much of it (ha! it just occurred to me that even in our poorest neighborhoods in the usa kids can still "afford" spray paint!!  sorry, moving on).  anyway, i was touched by the universal symbol of rebellious love - just find something sharp and carve that shit into some ancient architecture ;) 

on to the camel riding!!!!!  this was probably the thing i was most excited to do before my trip and it didn't disappoint!!  morocco is magical.  camels are majestic.  and so much beautiful, soulful personality.  no, there was no spitting, no running off crazy or biting. there was some public peeing and pooping, but i think that's fairly natural?  just look at that face!!!  such a welcoming, friendly soul and with such sweet eyes.  do you see a smile??  i see a smile :)  the ride was not the smoothest and i was pretty impressed i managed to not fall off while lunging along, one arm wrapped around the grip and the other hand trying to take pictures, without dropping the phone or losing my grip.  i'm in the very back of the line.  do you see how tall my camel is??  that would have hurt.  i love the shadow shot, but the sun and the moon and the camel caravan shot is pure money!! the pic of me and the camel, both without heads, is an homage to my ex, who used to make fun of me for always cutting off the heads of people in the photos i took (maybe it was just him? ;)  anyway, obviously i didn't take this picture and i found it hysterical when i saw it on my phone.  it's my photography soulmate!!  the selfie on the camel is just there to make the kardashians jealous.

there is more morocco to come, so please come back soon :)  for now, i am overwhelmed and going to bed!

beijos,

beth

prepare to be seduced...

i recently took a little vacay.  a much needed reprieve.  not only for my body, but for my soul.  it was wonderful.  truly.  since i've had kids, i've not traveled as much as i would like.  that happens.  they're getting up in age now and i'm bribing them with the potential of traveling with me.  but for now, it's me time and o.m.g. i loved it!!!

my holiday started in paris, with a special friend of mine.  we'll call him, "jason".  insert french "huh, huh, huh" ;)  anyway, as audrey hepburn said, "paris is always a good idea" is very true and we had a wonderful time just wandering around, drinking wine, eating, and just being there.  paris is a seductive place, without even trying.  it just happens. here's my version of a tour guide...

the architecture and craftsmanship are simply to die for.  just walking around looking at the buildings was enough.  this particular plasterwork reminded me of keith haring's work.  one of my favorite artists is rodin.  i've been to his museum before and it was high on my list to visit again.  art that moves you to tears is totally seductive.  look at how delicately his hand lays on her hip.  it's stone!!!  how amazing is that??!!  i've always found merry-go-rounds very romantic.  on one hand they transport you back to childhood, when life was simpler and carefree, but on the other hand i always have this image of gazing into my lover's eyes as i try to suppress the nausea of the endless circling... ok maybe it's not so romantic?  moving on, i found the condom machine in. the. subway. to be rather humorous.  really?  you're that seduced you have to go at it in the subway?? well, see other picture...

we happened upon the pont des arts, where lovers attach pad locks to the bridge as a token of their unbreakable love to whoever's initials are on said lock.  this is sweet, but i remember reading an article a few months ago that the government had to remove many, like thousands, of these locks because the bridge was being compromised due to the weight of the locks.  lovers were outraged.  of course!  because, without a tangible symbol, true love doth not exist!!!  i may be exaggerating.  back to the real seduction... intimate conversations at cafes over a smooth glass of wine, making out on the subway like no one is watching (or taking a picture ;), open seating for two to simply sit and be as the world strolls the park before you.  definitely seductive.

paris is the perfect muse.  i don't think one can take a bad picture, nor have a bad meal. there are feasts for the eyes and soul and stomach everywhere!  completely inspiring.  the bottom left shot is a restaurant, just around the corner from our hotel, where we had such a wonderful lunch!  such a quaint and quintessential french spot!  we came back for dinner and were turned away at 10 on a friday night because it was too late?!?!  zut alors!!  everyone else must be making out on the subway?!

on our last day in paris together, it was raining (which squelched our 2nd attempt to visit the catacombs!).  this cafe is the one i think we were at the most and it was even better a little less crowded and without the smoke (I am really surprised how many young people still smoke in france - not seductive!)  our room was perfect and who doesn't love a sleepy gaze out a window with really fancy ironwork?!  beer, wine, olives, nuts, and a fake candle...let's get it on.  this odd little building, with the doors.  when we came across it, jason says, "now, those are the kind of doors i just want to go in and explore".  what?? learning something new about someone is incredibly seductive, albeit in this case a little creepy, but seductive none-the-less.

finally, one of many bridges we crossed (literally), beautiful lights, perfect weather, arm-in-arm.  seduction at it's most basic.  just happy to be there.  soaking it all in :)

beijos,

beth

trust me...

client: "have you ever done this before?"

me: "um. no."

this past week has seen some major awesomeness in terms of let's go for it, push the envelope, i've never seen that before, and can you explain that to me one more time, please?

i am so incredibly fortunate to be working with some clients who allow me to push them just a bit and fully stretch my creative bandwidth!  to me, that's exactly why you hire a designer.  because you need the extra push to say it's ok to step out of the box, have some fun, it'll be fabulous, trust me...

first up is the powder room, like 9 damn months in the making!!  i am bananas over this space!  it all started with my concept of "hey, wouldn't it be cool if we took a root and turned it into a vanity??!!"  mrs. zen glam was on board (9 months ago...) and it only took 3 months to find the root, 1 month to modify it to accommodate plumbing, 3 attempts at the glass counter and backsplash and 5 plumbers to install it (and a f'ing partridge in a pear tree...), but here we have it! I knew all along it would be fabulous.  trust me.

please keep in mind this is iphone photography!  the wallpaper is from studioprintworks and somewhat urban english countryside and i love it dearly, sir.  you can't see the white paper mache moose head reflection in the mirror but it's there and fierce!!  trust me.

also last week, i bore witness to the spiritual design statement that is the striped wall. homeowners, contractor, and painter all questioned me.  and i made a special trip out just to meet with the painter to physically map out the stripes on the walls myself!  it's really not that complicated, but it does need to be executed perfectly.  all hail, my painting god, javier, he did a heavenly job!  

at the end of last week and over the weekend I was at my fabulous modern house clients installing a custom hemlock root chandelier in their dining room.  here's the pitch: hey. let's take a 50 year old hemlock root (yeah, the poisonous one), electrify it, and hang it over your dining table!!  whatdaya say??  trust me, it's gonna be fab and if there's ever a couple to have this in their house, it's you!  :)

this thing is so wonderful, words can't describe (i'm really hoping professional photography will be more effective ;).  thank you, thank you, michael of lighting lab !!  i was having some reservations at the end and it was michael who said, trust me, this is most incredible piece i've done.  well, ok :)

in the same house i designed custom glass pieces to sit on the 'ledge" of their living room. i started with a concept and some simple sketches and the basic premise of trust me, I think they're gonna look insane.  see the blog before here.  skip ahead a bit.  glass blower extraordinaire, hayden wilson, brought the pieces down from asheville over the weekend (actually on my mom's birthday :) and we finished installing them today!

here's hayden bringing in one of the large pieces (this is one of the things that took 5 people to create!!!).  love the root chandelier in the background!!

here's a quick shot from today, elevated bubbles (custom effervesience if you will)...

it is so hard to trust in a normal day, but when you're spending lots of money and someone is tearing up your house or proposing some crazy shitaki mushroom schemes, i understand this may be challenging.  i'm here to say, sit back, take a deep breath, and... trust me :)

beijos,

beth

7 minutes of fame...

i would have thought it woulda been longer, but that's the amount of time it took me to read the not one, not two, but three articles my design work is in recently!!!   could not be more pumped at the publicity i've had lately.  seriously.  holy crap!!!  the past month has been bananas.  thank you thank you thank you to becky harris, contributing writer for houzz, who wrote a "room of the day" article on my "house on the ridge"!!!  read the wonderful article yourself here.  what is completely amazing to me is that the photos on my houzz profile from that article all now have 2 and 3k saves.  this is astounding to me! truly blown away. 

the perfect timing gods were definitely in it to win it when the fall/winter issue of kitchen + bath makeovers came out!!  i was actually visiting my dad when i saw the facebook post from uber field editor, lisa mowry, that the current issue was on newsstands!!!  you know i'm a sap, but how really, truly, honestly, awesome was it to get to read the article out loud to my dad...  who moved my tissues??!!

here's the article:

thank you, emily followill jenkins, for such gorgeous photos and thank you, linda eggerss, for translating my telephone ramble into a coherent article!!  i love this bathroom to the moon, but the fact that there are so many emotions behind it in reality makes it all the more special.  seriously!!  where the hell are the tissues???

and then there's this...

i really can't express how honored i am to be included in the september issue of atlanta homes and lifestyles showhouse issue!!!!  one of my design crushes, robert brown, is on the cover!  when i found out i was one of the designers selected to participate in the 45th atlanta symphony orchestras decorators showhouse and gardens i was beyond ecstatic. it was such a wonderful experience and i've made so many new friends and colleagues! i am so very grateful for the opportunity.  to be one of the rooms in the magazine is really an honor (trust me, after the initial elation of being selected wore off a bit, i searched all the back issues of ah&l and realized that powder rooms rarely make it into the issue).

i am so fortunate to be doing what i love and to be working with so many cool, interesting, and trusting clients, but to have my work showcased in national publications is just out of this world.

damn.  wow.

beijos,

beth

kiss my glass...

do ya'll remember the tv show "one day at a time"??  and how the character, flo, used to always say "kiss my ass"??  well, this post has nothing to do with that.  instead, it's about some custom glass work I'm doing for some super cool clients over by piedmont park! they live in a beautiful modern house.  it's so well done, I am so honored to be helping them with the decor aspect!!  they have allowed me to be as creative as i want to be and give them things that speak to them.  we have some crazy beautiful and faaaaaaar from run of the mill wallpaper going in. a vintage orchard ladder scaling the 20' living room wall to reach the custom, floating walnut shelves for their favorite books (they're both reeeeaaly smart like that!), gallery wall of artwork teetering on the macabre (i love butchering that word...).  that is actually her word, not mine, but it's fitting and cracks me up every time i say it!  kind of like, "brett faaaaaavre" in "there's something about mary". ok, sorry, i'm digressing. 

the stars in the living room will be the custom glass pieces.  i can't even begin to explain how excited i am to see these pieces in person.  here's the presentation sketch of my idea for the space.

and here's what the living room looks like in real life...


they have these perfectly positioned windows in the front of their house.  you can't see into the house from the street, but from the inside you can see the sky and the greenery of the trees across the street.  i designed several glass "bubbles" to sit along the ledge just under the windows so that the outside view comes through the glass in somewhat of a distorted way, but the colors are still true.  we all held hands and took the leap to design heaven when we decided to hang some of the bubbles from the ceiling!!!!!!  holy crap!  i cannot wait to see this installed!  neither can the glassblower, hayden wilson!  a special, extra large glass cooking thing was required for the large pieces and 5 people were needed to handle each piece!  5 people!  pop your popcorn and watch some fine glass making video...

more video...

but wait, there's more!!!  the super sexy heat protection suit!!

of course, i will share the final installation pictures, but still can't get over how fantastic this project is and the fact that i've gotten to create something like this!!  many, many thanks to hayden and his awesome team!!  many, many thanks to my clients for trusting in me.  and if you don't like it, well, you know what you can kiss ;)

beijos,

beth

you think you were a nester...

oh no.  have i got the queen of the nesters for you!  and by nester i mean exactly what you think i mean.  a pregnant woman preparing her home for her impending child. sometimes kinda unbeknownst to the dad, but in this case, there's no possible way he's not aware!  if you are pregnant and think it's a perfectly good idea to dismantle half your house (including your kitchen and master bathroom) 2 months before your baby is due, call me!!  i'll buy a ticket on your crazy train and we'll ride off into the sunset or the maternity ward, whichever comes first, together!

i love my super nesters dearly and am praying to any and all construction gods on my side that everything falls into place just fine :)  i really think it will.  the contractor is on it! of course, demo is usually the easiest part, but whatever, i'm still optimistic!  this is an exercise of "if it's not in stock, it's not happening."  ok, on with some pictures...

oooooo hello!  buh bye parquet floor that doesn't match the rest of the floors, "vintage" stove, and yucky cabinets.  the galley layout will essentially stay the same, but will be more open and beachy keen!  the homeowners want a beachy, cottage feel and that's what they'll get.  neutral grey cabinets, butcher block counters, sandy ceramic floors, and slight nautical touches here and there!

everytime i see this built in bar (in the living room) i feel compelled to belch out "how you doing??".  i can't help it.   i am, like, so over this popcorn ceiling.  there's a lot of it throughout the house and it's all getting removed!  oh glory day :)  the living room will be completely transformed by opening up the ceiling and vaulting it.  that's one way to remove the popcorn effect.

my clients call this the "holiday inn" bathroom.  no offense to holiday inn, of course, but for god's sake there's carpet in there people!!  carpet.  in the bathroom.  and orangey laminate countertops and pink shower tile.  they have given up on the shower curtain rod that won't cooperate and usually use the other bath instead.  we'll continue the beachy feel in here with a pretty white, louvered double vanity, sandy floor tile, simple, white subway tile and ocean glass accents.

since these pictures were taken a little while ago (like 2 months or so) and we've finally gotten around to sledge hammering this awfulness, let's take a gander at where we stand now.  2 months away from baby...

if i were completely sane, i might be a tad concerned that there's no way in hell we're going to have their house looking pretty and actually functional by the time baby arrives. but i've done a gut job before with a pregnant client and i have video of myself, at 8 months pregnant, tiling my master bath, so none of this worries me in the least bit. renovation is kinda like labor.  you can plan all you want, but in the end, no matter how you want things to go, someone's going through a lot of pain and crying and sweat and perhaps a little blood, but the end result is far better than you ever could have imagined and so very much worth it.  (tearing up now...)

stay tuned for progress!

beijos,

beth

the 80's called...

and they want their faux black marble, brass, and lucite back.  hey kids!  it's finally time for some before and after shots, a throw back thursday, a lesson in please dear lord, don't let this ever happen again!  like.  ever.  even i'm a little amazed at the beautiful transformation of this master bathroom!  this is my "on the ridge" project and i could not be more thrilled with the outcome!!  the homeowner has great, eclectic taste.  colorful, fun, and a little bit exotic.  but, she's thinking about resale in the future and wanted a master bath that was gender neutral, but soothing, a little more classic, but could carry her own personality.  i think we've accomplished that!  let's have a gander...

oh my word.  just in case you're not certain, the pre shots will be on the left and the post shots will be on the right.  upfront, please allow me to thank my photographer, jeff herr, for the beautiful post photos.  the pre shots are all from my totally non-professional iphone.  

so.  we had flourescent lighting, faux black marble counters and tub.  lots of mirror.  a fridge.  yes, a fridge (it's actually a pretty sizable bath) and black tile everywhere!

the tub stayed in the same location, but i swapped the old shower (in the far corner) for a linen closet and moved the shower to the old toilet and bidet room (a black bidet with brass and lucite handles - oh yes!!)

the only thing black we kept were some black iron accents, as seen in the gorgeous (and slightly girly) anson ribbon chandelier by urban electric co. and the small side table. even though she's in a fairly secluded location, privacy in the bathroom was still a concern.  i used gauzy cafe curtains in the bay window to keep the light coming in and the peeping toms frustrated ;)

speaking of a black bidet and black toilet and black tile...  there they are, in all their dark splendor!  i'm a tad biased, but i like the new, marblelicious, over-sized shower much more!  it only seemed to take forever to get the shower door installed.  i'm still not sure what happened there, but it's up!!  and functional.  and looking like a spa!!  (you may think the plant in the shower looks silly, but i'm a huge fan of life and green and i think it's refreshing :)

more great lighting with the sconces.  i actually found the mirrors at world market and the vanity is from pottery barn!  yeah, that's right - looking like champagne taste on a beer budget, baby!  and we kept that beer cold in the mini fridge!!

well.  on the left we have some bold design for it's time.  loving the right!!!

on a final note, i give you a close up of the bidet.  i have traveled to europe and i've worked in healthcare and i should be old enough, but for the life of me, i still don't really understand the purpose of this thing.  why not just get in the shower??  which happens to be the pic on the right.  perhaps sitting on a black fire hydrant is preferred to standing in a dark cave with a trickle of water moistening one square foot of your body at one time?  

beijos,

beth

happy mother's day...

i lost my mom 31 years ago, so today is always somewhat bittersweet for me.  it is so hard to believe it was that long ago and somedays feels like just yesterday.  she is with me always and lives on in the things i see, do, and love.  i see her beautiful hair and face in my son.  i see her warm and loving soul in my daughter.  whenever i paint my nails, i remember painting her nails when she was sick and couldn't do it herself.  when i cry, my eyes turn green like hers (that's a little freaky actually, but true).  she was the epitome of grace and sophistication to me.  i know she would be proud of me and is watching over me.  and she's probably wearing a cocktail ring and a smile :)

happy mother's day to all!

beijos,

beth

meanwhile down at the farm...

believe it or not, other things have been happening at beth kooby design besides just the aso show house and gardens!  i know, right?  who knew??  the master bath on the ridge has been completed (pretty photos to be taken soon!).  a mostly happy family is moving into decatur shangri la today!!!  we're still plodding along over at the modern house in lake claire.  i've started a crazy cool house deep in the heart of decatur, i had a first meeting with a new master bath project this week, and we'll be getting some kitchen demo on and racing the baby birthing clock starting in about 2 weeks!!  there's also some boundary pushing decorating beginning at a super duper modern house by piedmont park, some lively and welcoming decorating in a contemporary foyer, and a couple of smaller things.  go on, ask me when i sleep.  you can't see what i look like presently, but it. ain't. pretty.  i do however, have a big smile on my face, and an occasional joyful tear in my eye, because this is awesome!!!  oh yeah, and i was asked to audition for a tv show - ha!!  yep, true story.  i didn't make it, but how nutso would that have been??!!

ok, blah, blah, blah.  on to the updates down in serenbe, aka, maison zen glam.

 

here's the exterior looking like a real house, people!!  strong men carrying in the live edge mantel piece!  rainey, aka, atlas, hoisting one of the (over the top fantastic) entry hall lights.  mrs. zen glam getting in on the fun of light delivery day.  the cesspool we all took a dip in to cool off!!  just kidding, we all would have died.

some of my favorite things!!  for today!  the gorgeously large glass dome and rope pendants over the island.  the island is that recycled green glass and concrete lusciousness in the bottom right shot!  it took 4 very strong men to get that baby into the house.  upper right makes me smile.  the fab hand made tiles to surround the fireplace, the wood for the mantel, it's walnut and simply to die for; below that are the bad ass mirror finish metal brackets that will hold up said mantel.  boxes and boxes of tile - makes me so giddy thinking about all the lovely in there!!  the big and beautiful custom cases. the ceilings in the great room go up to 18', so as my new friend, douglas hilton, would say, "go big, or go home"!  the outline on the kitchen wall makes me think of crime scene markings, but far less tragic.  cannot wait to see the tile and custom hood up on that wall.

other wonderful things happenings in the house include the to be insanely gorgeous interior stairs!!  shiplap wall treatment all the way down the stairwell and through the lower level gallery hallway, wood risers and concrete treads.  oh yes!  check out the killer "apple pie crust" edging on the pantry counters!!  the incredible (and authentically dirty) french industrial lights in the pantry!  mrs. zen glam's writing retreat room custom shelving and daybed.  beautiful, but potentially dangerous, moroccan tile in the master bath.  some of the edges are a little sharp and the builder is in a bit if a tizzy worried that someone might bleed to death in the bathroom... sigh.  last, i have fallen in love.  with this fan.  i'm the number one fan of this fan!!  oh no she didn't.  it is so time to go to bed.  

anyway, as you can see, lots of progress down in serenbe.  this is one incredible house and i am so very honored to be working with them!!

beijos,

beth

 

let's talk about dex baby...

dex industries that is.  the sultans of concrete.  the king and queen of custom fabulousness. omg!  i love them!!!  i have designed a few custom concrete things and dex is my go-to, johnny-on-the-spot, no-fail, bees-knees, steady-eddie, happy-ending... whatever :)  they are the bomb, people!!  and i just love visiting them.  out in the hood.  the first time i ventured out there, lauriel gave me directions that included "turn left when you see the goats".  true story. 

so, down at maison zen glam we are quickly approaching the finish line for major house components!!  more on that later, but for now, i'm showcasing what dex is doing for us down in serenbe!  well, you'll have to stretch your imagination a bit, because it's a bit abstract at this point.  i stopped in last week to go over the custom pieces they're doing for us.  the hearth, the kitchen counter tops, the gonna-be-ridiculously-breathtaking, recycled, green glass island (with waterfall sides!!!) and the crazy cool, "pie-crust" edged pantry counter tops (yes, i actually had a conversation about the name of the edging we're doing - depends on how your mamma makes her pie crust.  lauriel's made it with scalloped edges, but mine used a fork and thus, the edge on the pantry counter looks just like my mom's apple pie crust (if you want to take that down the american pie route be my guest...).

anyway, here's some shots of what's being lovingly made for maison zen glam...

maybe it doesn't look too exciting at this stage, but just wait!!!!

next up are some shots of the dex i love.  getting there is really part of the fun.  you enter through the gate (after navigating the hood), then drive between the buildings housing all kinds of interesting businesses.  auto-body | window tinting places, caterers, welders, people just hanging, places with no signs, goats...  after you turn left, there's a tall tower that looks like someone may live there, because there are curtains on the windows (it's like a creepy live version of some weird fairy tale) and a smallish sign on the back fence that says "dex" with an arrow pointing toward the gravel road twisting behind another set of old industrial buildings.  (have i said how much i really love visiting this place??!!)  a few pot holes later and you arrive at dex.  custom concrete fabricators extraordinaire!!! lauriel is a huge bulldog rescue doyenne, so, of course, there is a concrete bulldog to greet you.

even their stairs are badass!

even their stairs are badass!

now for some artsy shots, cause that's how i roll...  most of the light comes from above; industrial skylights.  you can't take a bad picture in there if you tried!

not only do they do standard home pieces, like countertops and sinks, they do a lot of fancy pantsy custom work for companies like louis vuitton, and super slick, super cool tiles.  even the workroom doors are incredible and the templates of projects past just ooze awesomeness.  i was particularly drawn to the wheelbarrows.  i want to blow that shot up and frame it, i love it so!  it's a dirty, noisy, industrial space and they make some truly beautiful things.  ahhhh...dex!

beijos,

beth

i believe in miracles...

if you didn't sing that out loud a la tom jones, go back and do it again!!  i am a tad late on this post thanks to a 2 holidays, a duke championship game, and my birthday (i'm older now and that must be an excuse for something...).  if you are opposed to blasphemy please stop reading.

this past weekend celebrated 2 religious holidays, passover and easter.  two holidays famous for a couple of miracles.  prior to this weekend, if you were following me around with your cell phone, obnoxiously filming me in case i did something worthy of a geraldo special, you would have captured some miraculously divine intervention at the show house.  my tile installer managed to turn the statement "i don't think we're gonna have enough tile" to finish the floor of the good girl powder bath, into a stunning floor.   lest i be crucified for not finishing my space, more wallpaper was sent from heaven, delivered via fedex, to complete the walls (wallpaper hanger apparently miscalculated the amount of paper needed - paper i've had sitting around for a month and a half waiting to go up!!).  you see in the pictures below, i too, have risen from the deadly choke hold of show house stress and smoted my wallpaper pharaohs to be just. about. done. with my powder baths.  second guessing is an evil i am welcoming to the table, but will miraculously overcome!

i am truly grateful for all the wonderful people who have been with me on this show house journey.  keith, james, efron, the men of meer electric, derrick, men of someone else's painting company but so very helpful, rainey, keith, gary and his wife, and tom torrey (house mister extraordinaire and chief drama queen).  you all have been mini miracles in your existence and i am so fortunate to have had you with me on this adventure.  thank you.

moving on to other miracles...  hot damn there is finally a shower door up on the ridge!!  i still don't know what the heck the problem was with this shower door, but i was desperately trying to do a photo shoot to enter this bath in a contest and the door just wouldn't happen!  here's a itty bitty peak at half the bath.  i promise, beautiful, professional photos to come!  the miracle here it this bathroom is the first one done since diving in to this full time!

traveling east, not 40 days, but more like 40 minutes, we find ourselves in decatur shangri la, where the master bathroom solid surface trim work is still not done (don't ever plan anything else in your life, like selling your other house, around finishing anything at the new house...).  but!!!  the niche is looking really fab and check out that unicorn horn in the kids bathroom, super fly, custom concrete, back slide sink!!!  unicorn horns just scream miracles.

last, but not least, the miracle in serenbe!  mr and mrs zen glam have a facade to their new home and, praise the lord, sheet rock!!!!  it is a total religious experience that i have witnessed raw earth transform into an actual house.  it will truly be a miracle if the thing is actually done by the time their rental lease is up in a month.

just the fact that i was able to stay up and get this post out is a miracle!

beijos,

beth

show house bath #2 tease and the big dance...

to say this week thus far has been an emotional roller coaster would be an understatement.  my powder baths for this year's atlanta symphony orchestra's designer show house must be completed (all major renovations such as painting, plumbing, ripping stuff out and patching it back together) by this friday.  from the beginning i have been all over this.  to say coordinating all the various players that are an integral part of pulling these spaces together is a challenge is also an understatement.  it's more of a highly-synchronized dance.  a haute square dance if you will.  someone could get seriously injured if you step out of line!  i stood in the grand foyer today watching the painters on very tall ladders balance their paint buckets on the top of those ladders thinking that it would really suck (and i might have to kill someone) if one of those paint cans came tumbling down and splattered my freshly laid (and insanely gorgeous beyond belief) marble floors in my powder bath off the grand staircase.  this was a real concern and i'll have you know i've medicated appropriately.

but today's post isn't about the upstairs (good girl bath), although it's looking so good it made me weep (and almost forget that yesterday my tile installer called to tell me, as i was speeding down 85 headed to meet up with mrs. zen glam in serenbe, that we may not have enough tile to finish the floor!)  um.  what the $#%%??!!  ok, really, i'm over that. i nearly had a full blown meltdown over the thought that i might have to rip out what floor was laid and somehow magically produce a new floor to lay by friday.  and do it myself cause my tile installer was already booked.  deep breaths, that didn't happen.  and james, my tile installer, earned the miracle worker of the week award for somehow turning water into marble and finishing the floor.  you have to see it in person!!

ok, ok.  on to the other powder bath i'm doing!!  i have shared many crude and completely inappropriate jokes about the vibe for this space with my vendors and fabricators (partners in crime ;).  this is the terrace level powder bath (aka the bad girl bath) and it's just off the party space.  i wanted this bath to be very sensual, in every way. i'm a very tactile person and i wanted it to be a space that you want to touch and breathe in and sort of move with.  it's the sultry space, the smokey, dimly-lit, retreat from the party that your lipstick gets smudged in.  but it's also drop dead gorgeous and shimmery and moody and interesting.  and hopefully somehow manages to keep it classy!!

the background on the faucet is driving me a little nuts, but please ignore that!

the background on the faucet is driving me a little nuts, but please ignore that!

it's looking so awesome in person!!  this is definitely a space that is pushing my own boundaries greatly, so i really hope it all comes together perfectly.  i've spent a summer on the jersey shore.  i know there's a fine line between sultry and "maybe you want the next size up, honey?"

beijos,

beth

show house bath #1 tease...

hi!!  lots of everything is happening right now and it's all so exciting i can barely contain myself!!!  as of this week, i have 2 full weeks to complete my 2 powder baths in the show house.  things are rocking and rolling over there and i wanted to share a little snapshot, a tease if you will, of the powder bath by the grand staircase.  looking back on my paperwork for the show house, i originally dubbed this space "fresh elegance".  wth does that mean??  ok, yes, i am asking myself that as well... at the time it represented a fresh, joyful space, with an essence of classic french design (think marble, lots of moulding, black iron, natural oak).  my schooling in french design comes from the streets of paris, so maybe it's a bit more urban look.  regardless, things are moving along toward an easy, sophisticated space that i have casually been referring to as the "good girl" powder bath. the old wallpaper has been painstakingly removed, the old tile floor removed, the sconce wiring moved, new wall moulding put up, custom vanity hung, painting has started ( i actually threatened the painter with his life if he gets any paint on the vanity - he understands the sacrifice at stake - i love you efram:)  so here's a collection of some of the players in the room.  i think it's going to be breathtakingly beautiful and fresh and chic (and cover worthy ;)!!!!  let's just all pray the interior custom door actually makes it on time!

tickets for the tour are now for sale, as are tickets for the opening gala evening, where you get to get a first look, personal tour by all the designers, and eat, and dance, and support our most wonderful Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and get dressed up, and ride in a fun bus!!  (ok, it's just a shuttle, but come on let's get a little crazy and make it like we want it!!)  Go here for tickets for both.  if you live intown, please visit stanton home furnishings, who is one of the locations to purchase tour tickets!

please let me know when you plan to visit and i will meet you there for a personal tour!!!

beijos,

beth

 

sherery, sherry baby...

so the flurry of activity continues.  between my business and show house craziness one day just dumps into the next.  i've had two phone interviews this week for separate magazines for features and I have another 2 photo shoots scheduled for next week!!  it's a swirl of things to do, people to call, drawing, driving, remembering where my kids are supposed to be at what time, what their names are...  so as i sat quietly last night, checking my metrics to see who's checking me out, i came across multiple hits from the same website.  usually, for some strange reason, a rash of hits is from fastmoneynow.com or momsslammingdesigners.com, but this stream of interested parties came from designindulgence.blogspot.com.  low and behold, my new bff (she doesn't know this yet), sherry hart, has been so gracious to include my participation in the aso show house and a couple of my portfolio pics in her blog post about the show house!!!!!!  seriously, i wept.  no, really.  i've told you before, i've just given in to weeping in public out of sheer amazement, joy, integral sappiness.  as i was reading this i was in the middle of a texting session with a friend who described my reaction and current existence as "the realization that what you (i) have created has come into being".  yes!  misting up again, here's the link...

thank you sherry hart!!  please let me know when you plan to visit the house, i'd love to meet you out there and give you the personal tour of the transformation!!

(that was a frankie valli/four seasons reference up there, just in case...)

beijos,

beth