I’ve always been a fan of a great at-home bar. I strongly believe it’s a must-learn life skill to mix up classic cocktails, and as an avid host, it’s important to provide an array...
Looking back on Easter as a child, I remember how excited I was to dig through my Easter basket. Full of chocolate bunnies, malt ball Easter eggs, Peeps, golden coins, and my favorite Cadbury...
Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter...
Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter...
Somedays it’s all about easy accessories. Pieces that add automatic interest to your outfit and showcase your personal style. Accessories are a chance to be a little more daring after all, even if you usually play it safe wardrobe speaking. This everyday uniform of mine includes all of the standards…the jeans I can’t stop wearing, my favorite hat, a signature button down (which is on MAJOR sale), and a bold statement necklace. And my Celine bag, though expensive, should be a frontrunner if you’re in the market for an investment bag. I’ve had it for five years and it’s still kicking. Ray-Bans I’ve found are always guaranteed to fit under a hat (which you may laugh but that’s very important). Lastly, how could I not mention my Res Ispa shoes?! Handmade from 100-year old rugs, each pair is completely custom, and are one of the most comfortable pair of shoes I’ve ever worn. Plus they’re local, and I just adore the gentleman of Res Ispa, Josh and Odini. Truly, MKR
Well today is the day, The Big Reveal for the One Room Challenge. Over the past five weeks, you’ve watched my loft come together, and you’ve seen the colorful and quirky vibes that inspire the space. Today, I couldn’t be more excited to show you the final product.
A cozy reading corner with a hanging rattan chair seemed like an obvious choice in the room. Paired with white sheepskin rugs and my favorite gold pouf, the pieces created a separate and distinct sitting area still in view of all the gorgeous art. And I love that I can easily pull my tini table away from the main seating to provide a place to set my wine and current reading materials.
The sofa upholstered in custom Steve Mckenzie’s loop fabric, which you caught a glimpse of last week, is grounded by a classic jute rug that lightens up the dark wood floors and brings the vibe back to casual. Society Social’s python parson table in stone provides the perfect set up for our bar and the Cleo Bunching Tables work perfectly for the odd room size, while allowing space for books and personal items. And because seating is limited my funky, marabou feathered poufs are ready to be put to use as additional seating or to pull up for a quick game of backgammon.
Finally, rounding out the room, and really putting the cherry on the sundae, is my gallery wall. With 24 total pieces hung on one gigantic wall I mixed and matched 3d items such as a gold hand hook, skateboard, and sconce with classic photographs and one of a kind paintings from the likes of Gray Malin,Britt Bass, Minted, and Sally King Benedict to really give it a collected and personal feel. Plus there’s room for the wall to grow and evolve as I continue to find and add new pieces.
Well my friends, that completes my second One Room Challenge (check out the past 5 weeks HERE). The space may have turned out more Palm Springs than Palm Beach, but regardless, I hope you love my loft as much as I do, and I hope that it inspires you to be bold and have fun with design. Life is too short to always play it safe. Truly, MKR
A few weeks ago during Atlanta Food and Wine Festival, I had the immense honor and pleasure of being included in a list that two years ago would have been crazy to think I would appear in; Rathbun’s Watch List. The brain child of Chefs Kent and Kevin Rathbun, Rathbuns’ Watch List was created to introduce food and beverage lovers to Southern chefs and beverage professionals who are making their mark on the Southern culinary industry. Through a partnership with ADAC, the Rathbun brothers expanded the event to also showcase the rising stars of Southern design professionals creating an evening that is as beautiful as it is delicious.
Designers are paired with a Chef and invited to create a space that completely encompasses who they are as a designer, while allowing the Chef to represent and share his or her culinary talent. I was thrilled when I found out I’d be paired with Chef Dylan Fultineer of Rappahonnack Oyster, Virginia. Immediately when I heard the word Oyster I started dreaming of the water, but I didn’t want to play it safe. So instead of designing a space inspired by say the coastal waters in Nantucket, I chose to do an East-Coast-meets-West-Coast vibe.
A more traditional table from Holly Hunt, drapery using Lacefield’s Sahara Midnight fabric, and accents such as ginger jars (lovingly borrowed from Parker Kennedy Living) represented the tried-and-true traditions largely found on the East, while the boldly designed wallpaper from Lindsay Cowles, the Morrocan rug, brassy modern chairs and console table represented the eclectic vibe of—say, Venice Beach. Together they made a crazy, mixed, in-your-face, go-big-or-go-home explosion I couldn’t have loved more.
Being tapped as one of the rising stars of design was humbling and overwhelming all at the same time. It was definitely a new chapter for my career as a designer, and has led me to really sit down and ask myself the important question: do I want to take on more design clients? That’s a question I’m not quite ready to answer, but it was pretty amazing to be surrounded by the talent of the design community and be recognized as Southern designer. Truly, MKR
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