Throwback Thursday: Studio Daze

Architecture
January 22, 2015

Good Morning Lacquered Lifers. Today I thought I would embrace the concept of Throwback Thursday and share some photos of my Philadelphia studio apartment that I lived in from 2009-2011 while I attended graduate school. The studio was 12′ x 24′, and while that may seem small, it fit me just perfectly. Sure I was hanging clothes in a closet in the tiny kitchen that only had a half fridge and two burner stove (no oven), but there was room for my bed, my desk, some great ikea club chairs, and I even through four person dinner parties in that apartment with a little drop leaf table I would pull off the wall and open up in the middle of the room. And the location? Perfect. I was one block from Rittenhouse Square. Built at the turn of the 20th century as a single family home, this Philadelphia row house between 20th and 21st Streets was once quite grand. However, by the time I got there, the home was broken up into small studio and one bedroom apartments that weren’t in the best shape … Here is a photo of the building from the exterior. See the dormer windows on the fourth floor? That’s my apartment. Even though the building no longer looked the way it had 100 years prior, there was still evidence of its past in some of the architectural details on the facade. Everything in that apartment was bought on a shoestring budget and became a DIY project, or was something I inherited, or was a gift from my parents. And some of these pieces are still a part of my life here in Charleston. Those silver tables are now coral and live on the piazza. My teeny tiny kitchen. And to think that I made dinner parties worth of dinners in that space! All on the stovetop b/c I had no oven. I painted the walls Benjamin Moore Caribbean Blue Water in high gloss which made a teeny space feel more like a jewel box than a closet. And the walls of the main room were Benjamin Moore Bird’s Egg. I loved that little studio. With all the studying and work I was doing, I probably spent more time in that apartment in Philadelphia than both of my NYC apartments combined. It seems like only yesterday, but I took these photos six years ago. Whoa. Happy Throwback Thursday.

Benjamin Moore Color Trends 2015 – My Picks

Paint
January 21, 2015

Good Morning Lacquered Lifers. Of all the questions I get from you, my loyal Lacquered Lifers, the majority of them are about paint colors. So today, I am giving you my top five picks from Benjamin Moore’s Color Trends 2015.

– Antique Jade: A soft but strong grey green, Antique Jade would make a wonderful trim color in a room with some architectural details … like say, a library with bookshelves. Done in a high gloss finish, this color would envelop you in a calming but chic cocoon.

– Pink Damask: Although I am typically not a lover of pink (what can I say, I’m a tomboy!), Pink Damask has always been a favorite. As it is an Off White color, this pale pink lends just a drop of pink feeling to a neutral toned room, giving it a warmth that glows especially in western facing rooms.

– Patriotic White: One of my all time favorite paint colors. I cannot tell you how many times I have used this color. It is the palest of pale blues, perfect for a piazza ceiling when you don’t want to feel too kitschy – or a bedroom ceiling where you want to stare up at something calming that is more than just white.

– Blue Danube: Chic chic chic. A deep navy with drops of peacock. Great for a bedroom, study, or front door. Really, great just about anywhere. I can’t say enough good things about this color.

– Halo: A wonderfully pale grey which has brown undertones, making it much warmer and more inviting than those pale greys that come at you from the blue family. Beautiful in a hallway or bedroom, this color has a calming effect that makes it so worthwhile.

REMEMBER TO ALWAYS GET SAMPLES! Colors never look the same on a computer screen, or in a fan deck as they do on your walls. And don’t forget to take finish into consideration!

Historic Homestead to Home

Architecture
December 4, 2014

The Ludlow Homestead, c.1786, Claverack, New York. Owners Peter Spears and Brian Swardstrom purchased this beauty in 2009 and began a long restoration of this once grand home. While the two have a keen eye for period details, Spears was a Colonial American History major in college, they wanted to make the home comfortable and accessible. In an effort to remain true to the house and its origins, the couple tried to purchase antiques that had been made in the area, and would have been accessible to the original owners. I am most impressed by the duo’s use of color throughout the house, and their effort to use an historical color palate. As you can see in the photo above, the baseboard is painted black, a traditional 17th and 18th century paint technique which hid the scuff marks and dirt that would have been visible closer to the floor. The trim and cabinetry here is Farrow & Ball’s Buff.
The shutters at the Ludlow Homestead are Farrow & Ball’s Calke Green. For more photos and the whole story on the Ludlow Homestead, visit Elle Decor.

Photos via Elle Decor