Meet me in St. Louis, Louis

The title of this post has nothing to do with my life except I was watching it last night. And now the song is in my head!

An update: My classes finally started despite the efforts of our atmosphere to thwart them. I have three classes: Principles of Elements and Design (so fun, we rip out pictures from Elle Decor and analyze them), Products (we visit local trade showrooms), and Professional Practice for Interior Designers (very interesting, answers all those lingering questions). Reacher is now in doggie daycare two days a week. We knew he would not be able to handle the kennel for 8 hours two days a week, nor could I handle him once he got out of his kennel. He LOVES it. And sleeps hard for 24 hours afterwards.

This was after his first day at daycare, he is holding his duck and Max is concerned that he has stopped breathing. If you are in the Charlotte area, Reacher goes here. This morning I took Reacher out to do business and when we came back in he got in our bed (yes, spoiled, we know.) and slept until 10:30, alone. Max is growing like a beanstalk and he lays down to eat. 

Our schedule is filling up too quickly for our comfort and we are almost booked until June. How do you do it once you have kids?

For Christmas and my birthday, my parents got me a Saarinen tulip side table. We (me and the side table) are in love. 

The clutter in my guest room is a combination of real life, lack of storage, and fear of organizing. The clutter in my kitchen is just laziness...but we won't share pictures of that. As spring draws near Nate and I are anxiously awaiting the listing of more homes on the market (we have been through a handful, but we are kind of picky, anyone out there relate?). Who knows where the Lord will eventually land us, but we would like a home in disrepair so that we can renovate it to our tastes. We have about 10 months left with Apartment Life and we figure it would take at least that long to find a house, close on it and do at least some of the thousands of repairs and renovations (hopefully) before moving in and living a vagabond life on the floor with no furniture. Except my tulip table and Parson table, of course...and all my lamps. 

And lastly, I turn 24 this Thursday (really big hint to some people ;) ). Mixed feelings. I LOVE birthdays, but 24? 

Parson table re-mix

You might recognize this Parson table from my mom's office. We got a new tv here at the Sittema pad and she graciously allowed me to steal it right out from under here so we could put the tv on it. It originally came from my dad's veterinary practice and my guess is that it is from the 70's. We decided to paint it a high gloss white which will  (one day) smartly juxtapose my dream classic pieces such as tufted back club chairs (unfortunately, they might not be chartreuse like the ones we have now...darn), an English roll arm sofa, etc. I am in LOVE with my freebie Parson table. 

I began by using wood filler and a putty knife to fill in some dings.  

Then I sanded that blue laminate down...laminate, yes, but this is one solid piece. That laminate was tough stuff, built to last.

I used Benjamin Moore in Mountain Peak White (not too white, very subtle warm undertones, no blue undertones, perfect for this). We had a few snafus throughout the process. 1) I forgot to start with a primer...ooo boy... it took us three, maybe four (I can't even remember) coats to cover that blue. 2) I used a high gloss latex which I love using because it cuts out the extra poly step (everyone has their own way to paint, try them all and use your favorite) BUT the high density foam rollers that we used to paint the bookshelf ages ago kept causing bubbles (they were unused). Apparently with a high gloss the best roller to use is a mohair...sounds fancy and it works.

And now she is the home to our tv. Her leggy form unfortunately leaves everything else to be seen...oh well. One day she will be an amazing desk or sofa table or bar...until then she will hold our tv, against an equally while wall.

I realize that I left off on our history of furniture lessons last semester so here is one for today. An article from the New York Times on the history of the Parson table:

Now considered the Gap pocket T of American interior design, the Parsons table used to be a deluxe decorating item, available only to decorators and architects who had it custom-made by cabinetmakers. Even so it seems to have somewhat egalitarian roots.

In the most likely version of the story the French decorator Jean-Michel Frank, the undisputed master of luxurious minimalism, was lecturing at the Paris branch of the Parsons School of Design in the 1930's. According to an oral history in the Parsons archives, Frank challenged students to design a table so basic that it would retain its integrity whether sheathed in gold leaf, mica, parchment, split straw or painted burlap, or even left robustly unvarnished.

What grew out of Frank's sketches and the students' participation was initially called the T-square table, rigorously plain but with stylistic distinction: whatever its length or width, its square legs were always the same thickness as its top.

Stanley Barrows, a Parsons student who became one of the school's most celebrated professors, recalled that the student creation was brought to 3-D life in New York by a handyman janitor at Parsons. Exhibited at a student show, the table, whose designer remains unknown, quickly became a favorite of tastemakers on both sides of the Atlantic.

In America the first Parsons tables were mass-produced in 1963 by two leading furniture companies, Mount Airy and Directional. And since then the design has been knocked off at every conceivable price in every possible material, including plastic. Ikea makes the tables, as does West Elm, whose 36-inch-square coffee table, above, is veneered fiberboard; $199 at westelm.com or (888) 922-4119.

And there you have it. 

And then there was one...

One more lighting decision to make...at least for the big room in the basement at the lake. 

Two of these pendants will go above the foosball table...

Now we need some kind of lighting fixture to be centered above the sitting area...remember, the ceilings are only 8' high. I browsed around yesterday and this is what I found on the internet.

20.5"dia x 14.5"h

Wisteria

13"dia. x 12.75"h

Wisteria

8" wide x 10.25"h

here

11.75" wide x 9.7"h

here

14.5" wide x 8.5" h

here

16.5" w x 8.5" h

here

17" wide x 10" h

here

11" wide x 10" tall

here

12" dia. x 14" h

here

Any thoughts? Bueller?

Badgley Mischka at home

Today in class we were flipping through old issues of Elle Decor (yes, for class- envious yet?) and I re-discovered the home of Mark Badgley and James Mischka. 

Umm, yes, please. Please. 

Ok...because you asked...the kitchen before renovation:

Don't you just love their elegant use of black throughout the spaces? Land, leather, black and brass. My kind of (dream) home.