Fan Girl

Sampling of the work of DISC Interiors

See more of their work here and here.

Baby Quinn may not be due until June, but I'm already in nesting mode. Last year, le huz and I enlisted my design crushes, Krista Schrock and David John Dick of DISC Interiors to transform Casa de Olive y Beans into a comfy, yet tailored space. In all likelihood, I will be on lockdown with two little ones and a breast pump for the rest of 2014, so investing in the beautification of our 85 year-old senior-citizen-of-a-crib seemed like a no-brainer. I considered taking on the arduous task of working out the interiors myself but felt the benefits from working with and learning from my idols were worth pursuing. Luckily my frugal-but-loving-and-understanding husband agreed.

Like any good fan-girl, I performed my fair share of digital stalking of the talented duo before contacting them. There wasn't a single sampling of their work that my husband and I disliked, so it was easy for us to hand over all reigns to Krista and David - subject to a budget, of course. I loved that they understood our need for a livable space (dogs and babies roam our home) and shared my love for a classic palette and appreciation for the teeniest of design details. I actually salivate over pretty hardware. Who does that?!? During our design journey, I was introduced to artisans, materials and textiles I had only read about in glossy magazines or admired in blogs. What a treat and privilege to have had their guidance on executing our idea of the dream home. Talented, kind and unassuming, Krista and David are interior design unicorns.

Some of the pieces we ended up purchasing have yet to arrive, but the following images provide a taste of the space that lucky Baby Quinn will be welcomed into. To think that I didn't even have a decorated baby room ready for Olive when she emerged. Winston Churchill was quoted as having said, "We shape our homes and then our homes shape us." Perhaps this explains why she was so angry during her first year of life. See? All of this? Worth it.

Credits: From left to right and top to bottom

mirror by Casa Midy, console by Egg Collective, fabric swatch from Ralph Lauren

fabric swatch by Zak+Fox, sconce by Billy Cotton, lamp by Aerin Lauder, 

throw by Tabula Rasa, vintage Spanish cabinet from Revival Antiques in Pasadena, chandelier by Apparatus Studio 

Supermodel, Work

New perspective.

Taking a moment.

Olive and the nectarine.

Death of the nectarine.

The talented Emily Ulmer photographed my nugget a couple weeks ago.

Above are a few of the magical images that resulted.

I gasped when I saw them...

Happy Together

The antique and vintage rug selection at Woven Accents makes me want to burst out in song. It's my happy place, and I am convinced nothing pulls a room together like a gorgeous rug. That said, last week, I paid a visit to my crack dealer, Jeannene, and told her I wanted to trade in a vintage rug we had purchased two years ago. Since moving into our Silverlake crib, we've introduced a munchkin into our lives, and seeing that she's here to stay, our original living room configuration had to change. Instead of one massive rug (our old vintage, which you can peek at here, was quite large), the huz and I opted for the combination of one smaller rug (a cushy baby-friendly Moroccan) and one medium-sized one. We went with the all-over-blue-flowered piece...

The new combination is more neutral and is better in the long run because it goes with everything (spilled Cheerios, mushy Goldfish, oatmeal cookie crumbs). Placed next to our creamy Moroccan, it's pretty darn perfect. They're so happy together! Le huz loves the new set-up, and so do I. Pics to come.

Floored

the berber.

she's light.

she's neutral.

she's got the potential to be manly. 

 

      

the ponti.

she's hypnotic.

she's bold.

she can be super duper manly.

 

the ushak.

she's versatile.

she's moroccan.

she's kinda-sorta-not-really manly.

with the arrival of olive 7+ months ago, le hubby's man-cave took a high-dive from being a space with great dude heaven potential to becoming glorified storage room. (will post photos one of the "before" one of these days). it's been in need of a makeover since our move 1.5 years ago, and well, it's high time that i grab the proverbial horns of this baby and do it justice. i'm starting ground-up. literally. 

some flooring options in consideration.

Rot Spot

As promised, a sneak peek of our rot spot in the making. Can you spot our uber-comfy couch with the massive pores? AHHHHHHHH. Even nanny Marbles digs it. Next up? Some color to lighten-up all the poopy browns...

To Each Their Own

Everyone has a fetish or two. My husband I conveniently share one for large pores. *Collective "EEW!* Okay. I mean "tufting". We have a thing for tufting. The shot above is one of our master bedroom bed. Alas, this is where the magic happens. On an enormous saltine! A Nickey Kehoe saltine, no less. Bottom shot is of our most recent home purchase. (Husband is no Vanna White.) A Timothy Oulton leather two-seater covered in pores. Super duper strange-looking, but after eyeing it for some time at H.D. Buttercup, le hubs and I ultimately decided that this weirdo will go perfectly with the rest of our eclectic decor. Contrary to what it seems, this couch is compact (the camera added ten-thousand pounds!), incredibly comfortable and completely childproof. Can't wait to share a shot of our living room once it gets closer to done...

Dream A Little Dream

Am well aware that my priorities now should be Olive and my physical recovery, but I can't help but notice that le cub and cougar home is looking like a turd. Le hubby and I have been living in our potentially-awesome crib for half a year now, and we've yet to fully unpack and finish decorating a single room.

A polished and done home...

A girl can dream, can't she? Have been flipping through magazines and surfing the web for inspiration. How lovely are these images from House Beautiful? Decorated by Amy and Todd of NickeyKehoe.

It's Beginning to Smell a Lot Like Christmas

Our 7 foot tall noble fir. Smells so good...

Fleas

Spotted at the Rose Bowl Flea.

Awesome.

Training Baby

women-to-be need training bras.
mamas-to-be need training babies.

ooh, credit needs to be given where credit is deserved. my hubby built that bassinet :)

Monster Mash

Oh-em-geeeeeee. Our new (actually old) Paul McCobb nightstands have arrived! They were selected because they resemble grouchy monsters...

Belly Nice

Tah-dah! Le cougar and cub's rehabbed kitchen and breakfast nook! We've since plopped this-and-that here-and-there (think pillows, rugs, mats and bowls) so it's no longer looking so stark. But wah-lah. The finished product. Much thanks to Tim (of Shepphird Associates) for helping us bring our vision to life :)

Sources: Indulgent faucet from Dornbracht, cabinet hardware from Restoration Hardware, backsplash tile from Waterworks, magnetic chalkboard paint from Magnamagic, vintage glass pendant in nook from Homme.

Floored

Our yummy new (actually really old) living room rug from Woven Accents.

AWE-some

Waterworks' Brickworks tile line is effin' amazing, no? Wait til you see this room with all the appliances, cabinet faces, hardware fixtures............... omigosh, omigosh, omigosh.

Kitchen

Switched out the original Malibu Tile choices for shades that are a tad more neutral. Renovations are on track. Should be done by end-May and moved in by June. EEEEEK!

This Drink's On Me

Inspired by the bar cart owned by THIS famous blogger, I have been on the hunt for le perfect bar cart for the hubby's man cave, er, den at our new home. Scored the perfect cart this morning at Mohawk General Store - a well-curate little shop in Silver Lake. Our cart may not be as as shiny as Joanna's, but it's definitely got its own offerings! This handsome lad is Danish, made of teak, and get this, has removable trays. Looks and brains?!? A rare combination indeed.

Eat Your Heart Out

Bits and pieces of our new kitchen cabinets are in, folks. (What you see is not the final paint job. It's just the primer.) Giving you a lil' taste of what's to come. Gaaaaah. So excited. Inspiration board for the kitchen below...

Master of the Universe

Well, our universe...

Le hubby and I have decided on a king-sized headboard from Nickey Kehoe! Love that it is simultaneously minimalist (the color, the lines) and boho (the tufting, the brass).

Also including two inspiring shots of a master bedroom designed by Amy and Todd (of Nickey Kehoe) for Mark and Sunrise Ruffalo. Gaaaaaahhh... *drool*

Sweet & Sour

Le hubby and I received the keys to our new (actually very old) home in Silver Lake two weeks ago, and have been working hard towards repairing it ever since. Though we've yet to move in (and probably won't be doing so until mid or end-May), we have been visiting her (yes, it's a "she") every other day. She's the biggest purchase we will probably ever make, and the most important one as well, for it is there that we hope to plant the roots of our lil' family of three. (Beans makes three.)

On a much less pleasant note, I found this chilling image online of a Japanese home that'd be swept away by the tsunami. I can only hope that its owners (family of three?) managed to escape safely.

My heart breaks for Japan...

Source: Reddit. Image taken by U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Dylan McCord.

Room with a View

View from our new crib in Silver Lake. Snow-capped Mt. Baldy paired with a faux lake. Not too shabby, huh?