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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

A beautiful kitchen seating area featuring framed agates


I have sold quite a few beautiful custom items to customers around the country, and I love it when my customers send me a picture of their purchases hung in their home or their client's home.

In the fall, designer Caroline Beall Brackett of CBB Interiors contacted me about the purchase of a set of nine framed agates, and sent me a sketch of a kitchen eating area that was currently being constructed at a client’s site.  We had a wonderful set of medium sized agates in stock at the time, teal in tone, and she felt they would be perfect for the space.

Here is the end result – Caroline’s camera battery died when she got to the client site, so these are iphone snapshots of the newly designed space. (More information on CBB Interiors later in the post)


Isn't this a beautiful space?  The designers at CBB Interiors are so talented.  I particularly love the unique element that the framed agates give to the space.  Every group of agates is unique; they are creations of nature, and are one of a kind.  This is what makes them so special. 

We currently have a new batch of large framed agates in the store, and the frame is larger due to the fact that this particular group of agates are large (14”x18” outer measurement of the frame).  This new grouping is beautiful – the agates are particularly wonderful, and have a vivid sapphire tone.  

Update: all of the framed agates have sold. We will have a new group of framed agates ready in a few weeks; if you would like to be notified when the new group is framed, please email quatrefoildesign@gmail.com

To see the framed agates currently available, please visit http://quatrefoildesign.bigcartel.com/category/agates  


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Caroline Beall Brackett has a full service interior design firm based in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Her firm’s work has been featured in Cottage Style Magazine and HGTV Magazine.  Here are a few examples of her work, from her lovely website, http://www.cbb-interiors.com:

 

Images from CBB Interiors,  http://www.cbb-interiors.com/


If you are a past (or future!) customer of Quatrefoil Design, I would love to see images of Quatrefoil Design products installed in their new home! I will be featuring the work of Quatrefoil Design customers on my blog on occasion throughout the year. 
Quatrefoil Design specializes in original art and custom framed items, with a focus on framed antique prints, custom designed intaglios, and framed agates.  We can also custom frame any item to a customer’s specification.  

To see our offerings, please visit www.quatrefoildesign.com.  Questions? Please email quatrefoildesign@gmail.com.


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To see design, architecture, art, and decorative books that I recommend, please visit the Things That Inspire Amazon store.



Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Five beautiful houses: Inspiration in Brookwood Hills–2013 Home Tour


There is a wonderful tour of homes this Saturday (March 23, 2013), taking place in one of Atlanta's most charming neighborhoods, Brookwood Hills.  The theme of this year's tour is inspiration, and I was invited to be on the ‘expert panel’ that had the opportunity to preview the houses and provide reflections and observations on the five houses featured on the tour. 

I don't write about Brookwood Hills very often, as it is not on my beaten path (it is wonderfully located in Buckhead, but is fairly private because it is a completely self contained neighborhood).  However, it is one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Atlanta, with many older homes built in the 1920s - 1940s that have been meticulously maintained, and newer homes that are built to suit the eclectic character of the neighborhood.

I love this description of Brookwood Hills, from Buckhead.org:
Large Mediterranean, Georgian, Colonial and Tudor homes line streets shaded by towering oaks 100 years old. Lush ivy on walls and in beds keeps the area green even in winter. Lots tend to be small, often less than one-half acre, with homes set near the street, but the landscaping is lush and gardens are carefully maintained. Sidewalks and absence of traffic encourage walkers, joggers, bicyclists and impromptu street games. (Source)
The Home Tour takes place this Saturday, March 23rd, from 10 am to 4 pm.  Tickets are $30 each, and proceeds benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.  Tickets can be purchased online through the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta website:

Or, tickets can be purchased at any of the houses on tour (on the day of the tour). 
 
Here is a sneak preview of the houses...

 
This low country style home, designed by architect Jack Davis, was built in 2006. The charming exterior (built with hand crafted bricks) and the large, peaceful lot inspired the current homeowners to make their second intra-neighborhood move.   The wife, an interior designer, worked with architect and Brookwood Hills resident Stan Dixon to reshape the interiors to reflect the family’s personality.

The most dramatic aspect of the redesign came from reconfiguring the kitchen layout and adding new windows to bring in natural light.  A new lighter and brighter color scheme was introduced, reflected in the painted cabinets (which were recycled from the previous kitchen design), the marble countertop on the island, and the stunning mosaic tile backsplash.

Throughout several areas of the house, wood beams and shiplap paneling were added to create a more casually elegant feel. Unique light fixtures are clearly a hallmark of the home décor, bringing charm and style to the spaces. Another highlight is the homeowners’ extensive art collection, built over time with a focus on what they love rather than simply for investment purposes. All this comes together to reflect the family’s style in a highly personal way.

This charming, architecturally significant house was built in 1926 in the Tudor Revival style. So appealing is the exterior that it was listed as one of Atlanta’s top 10 homes in 1988.  When the current homeowners purchased the house in 2006, they began a year long renovation in order to lovingly restore the home to its original beauty. Some of the original features were restored, including the cedar shake on the exterior, the walled garden, and the fireplace in the living room (the original mantel was found in the basement and was reinstalled).  Many of the original windows are still in place, with their characteristic wavy leaded glass, so reflective of the time in which the house was built.

The most significantly updated element of the home is the kitchen, situated in the center of the house. The custom cabinetry and furniture in the kitchen were designed by Cb Miles and fabricated from a single rare Rosewood tree.

The homeowners have a passion for collecting and have a discerning eye for fine and unusual furniture and art. The resulting décor is highly personal, marvelously curated, and a beautiful reflection of the passions and interests of the homeowners. The combination of the classic and traditional architecture, and the eclectic and modern interior shows that the old and the new can be juxtaposed and even blended beautifully in modern day life.

Built in 1931, this bungalow style residence was the childhood home of a current Brookwood Hills neighbor and has been remodeled three times. The most recent renovation was completed in 2009 by Paula and Glenn Wallace, president/co-founder and senior vice president (respectively) of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). The home features works by more than 50 talented SCAD artists, both alumni and current students.

The Wallaces personally redesigned the current interior, which includes a curated mix of European and American antiques and contemporary art, accented by a luxurious assortment of textiles from around the world.

While they refurbished much of the original kitchen cabinetry and millwork, the updated look is a superb complement to the home’s original character. During the recent renovation, the most significant structural change was the addition of a beautiful screened-in veranda that features slate floors. Antique wooden angel wings that flank the outdoor fireplace, another highlight of the space. Many of the items throughout the house were imported from France, including a set of vintage French dining chairs with original leather seats that came from L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue.

This 1920’s house was renovated in 2011 in order to meet the changing needs of a growing family.  Architect Stan Dixon (also a Brookwood Hills resident) worked with the homeowners to create a design to update the spaces and make the house more functional for the family.

One of the highlights of the renovation is the kitchen, which was enlarged to create a magnificent light-filled space that is truly the heart of the house, and has ample room for a family of six.  The design is beautiful, with gray and white marble countertops, a solid slab marble backsplash, and white custom cabinetry accented with dark knobs and handles. 
A new screened porch with fireplace was added, which has become a favorite space for both entertaining and family time. The flow of the house was dramatically improved by creating a hall that connects the family room to the kitchen (eliminating the need to pass through the formal dining room en route to the kitchen). In addition, an exquisitely designed stairwell with a wall of windows was added to provide better access to the existing basement space.

The homeowner also redesigned the interiors during the renovation, working with designer Lauren DeLoach. The foundational elements of the rooms are soothing and neutral, with punches of the homeowner’s favorite colors: orange in the living room, green in the family room, blue in the dining room and kitchen. The neutral base allows the rooms to flow beautifully from one to another, and the unique colors give the rooms personality and individuality. This Brookwood Hills home has style and functionality that will endure for generations to come.

This house is the quintessential classic Brookwood Hills home. Designed by one of Atlanta’s most renowned architects of the 20th century, Francis Palmer Smith (the architect of the Cathedral of St. Philip), this house has only been lived in by three families since it was built in 1924.  The curb appeal of the house is storybook perfect, with its  classic lines, great architectural beauty, and perfect scale for the lot and neighborhood.

The interiors of this home, primarily designed when the owner purchased the house in the early 1970s, have remained timeless and reflect the trend of bright décor that is once again in vogue today. Additions to the décor have been accumulated through the years and hold rich and dear family memories. The piano in the front hall and the sparkling crystal chandelier in the dining room are particular sentimental favorites.

A walk through this home poignantly reflects the way in which a charming Brookwood Hills house is full of memories, and is lived in, loved, preserved, and cherished through the years.

(As a side note, this house is featured in a new book on the architecture of Francis Palmer Smith – click here to see on Amazon).


The Home Tour takes place this Saturday, March 23rd, from 10 am to 4 pm. Tickets are $30 each, and proceeds benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Tickets can be purchased online through the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta website:

Or, tickets can be purchased at any of the houses on tour (on the day of the tour, March 23).


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To see design, architecture, art, and decorative books that I recommend, please visit the Things That Inspire Amazon store.




Tuesday, March 19, 2013

On the market: the house with the iconic Jackye Lanham Southern Accents cover

http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2013/03/on-market-house-with-iconic-jackye.html

We had a beautiful weekend in Atlanta, so I took my dog on a long walk in one of my favorite areas of Buckhead, Haynes Manor.  Spring is the selling season for Atlanta real estate, and this spring seems to have brought out many sellers that have been on the sidelines due to the weak real estate market in recent years. Although I can’t say this with any authority, based on my observations and things I have heard, the real estate market seems to be on much stronger footing these days in Atlanta, and there are many wonderful homes on the market this spring.

I walked by a house on one of my favorite streets, and made a mental note to check the real estate listing when I got home.  Later, when I perused the pictures on the real estate listing, I had a small shock of recognition – the bedroom from the house was one of designer Jackye Lanham’s most recognizable rooms, and was on the cover of Southern Accents in January-February 2006 (I initially thought it had been in Veranda, but after looking through my stack of old Southern Accents, I quickly found it).

Unfortunately, I had ripped out many of the pages from the article, but based on what remained in my magazine, the interiors of the house are virtually unchanged from the way they appeared in the article.

Here is the cover of the Southern Accents issue…
And here is a picture from the real estate listing.  It is wonderful to see the rest of the room – the display above and around the chest on the wall is charming, and (to me) classic Jackye Lanham – there is no one better at the art of the wall arrangement – especially when plates are involved!
A view from the other side of the room.  I love the scale of this room, and the combination of soft colors and textures.

A wider view of the bedroom, from Southern Accents, shows that very little has changed in this room through the years.  Baskets are on the nightstand in the magazine image, perhaps a nod to styling the space for the magazine, and the items on the corner shelf might be a bit different but other than that – the bedding, the curtains, the pillows, the lamps (although the charming blue shade from the photo shoot appears to be swapped out – or maybe the photo shoot image was color enhanced) – all are the same. And of course, the intaglios are still there – the intaglios are what ‘makes’ the room, in my humble opinion.  The seem to be mounted on a custom fabric.  

Of course, I have a fondness for framed intaglios (and have a wonderful selection available in my online store, Quatrefoil Design, and can custom design to any specification).
A view of the entry, from the real estate listing, also shows designer Jackye Lanham’s skill at wall arrangements (again, with plates and framed items, a great combination).
The dining room, according to the article, was designed with maximum furniture flexibility (and no chandelier to support even greater flexibility in furniture arrangement); apparently it is also a main passageway in the house as well as a dining room.
The bar caught my eye, with its lovely shaped stone backsplash, wall mounted faucet, skirt under the sink, and of course the masterful arrangement of paintings and illustrations.
A long view of the room that contains the recessed bar – it appears to be a sunroom.  I remember this from the magazine, although this is one of the pages that I ripped out (perhaps because the bedroom was on the other side of the page).
A cozy library with beautiful library lights. I wonder what is over the door? The architectural detail above the door is beautiful.
A traditional living room, which appears to be virtually identical to the way in which it appeared in the magazine article (although, I only have half of the living room spread, as one of the pages was ripped out).
The kitchen, while updated, stays true to the roots of the original 1930s house. Apparently it had been remodeled by previous owners to open to the family room, but the current owners closed it off a bit in order to capture more wall space, and kept an ‘I Love Lucy’ opening to the family room.
And here is the charming exterior of the house( built in the 1930s), that is listed by Bonneau Ansley of Harry Norman. The Southern Accents article title is ‘Cottage Charm’, although the article notes that looks can be deceptive – the house actually has around 5,600 square feet (the house has a finished basement).  Click here to see the listing – but hurry, as the house is under contract!
The current homeowners noted that the expansive yard was part of the appeal of the property – it is beautiful with a rolling green lawn and a charming playhouse is the perfect touch.

For more recent examples of Jackye Lanham’s work, please visit her website: http://www.jackyelanham.com/

I hope you enjoyed this small glimpse inside a former Southern Accents cover house! Do you have a favorite room?  Mine is still the bedroom…there is a reason that it has become one of those iconic images in the design world.


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To see design, architecture, art, and decorative books that I recommend, please visit the Things That Inspire Amazon store.


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