Favorite Room Feature: The Mustard Ceiling

We first found Elizabeth over at The Mustard Ceiling by finding her series, "Bam or Slam." She features an item that is currently hot in the design world and she asks her readers to give it a bam or slam? We love participating! Elizabeth has the most refined and tailored style. We know you will enjoy her transformation!

Thank you Lindsay and Lindsay for having me over today to share my favorite room, I am excited to be here.

My favorite room is our dining room, even though it is still a work in progress.

What I love about our dining room is the drastic change that has taken place
since we moved into our home in 2008.

It was the first room we started renovating when we moved in, because it was the worst.

Here is our dining room now:

This is what it looked like when we moved into our home.

I have to admit, I was not a fan of the rustic, green barnwood wainscoting...so
the day after we moved in I told my husband it had to go.

He built the wainscoting, which drastically changed the look and feel of the room.

After he built the wainscoting, we painted the room SW Dovetail gray
and moved in our furniture.

This spring, I decided the room needed a little more color and I started adding pops of coral.

I started by designing and sewing these burlap drapes trimmed in coral.

I felt like it needed a little more coral, and I was tired of the giraffe print,
so I made a coral ikat print for the chairs...

and added fresh artwork.

When I look back at where we started, I can't even believe it is the same room.

Would you guess this was the same room?

This is my favorite room because the change from before to after was so dramatic.
I honestly still cannot get over the fact that my husband built such beautiful wainscoting.
Before this project I had no idea he was so handy!

Thank you ladies for having me today!

suh-suh-suh summer statements

Make a statement! We are totally loving statement jewelry this summer. Make it bright. Make it funky. Make it chunky. We are so there. The best things about these pieces is that they are so expressive, you can pair them with a white t-shirt and a skirt or shorts and be on your way. We hope you love these items as much as we do. Happy shopping!

coral bracelet/tribal necklace/chic friendship bracelet/parrot necklace/friendship bracelet/turquoise coral/teardrop necklace/coral dipped necklace

Monday Musings: Neon Hues

Something to wake you right up this Monday morning...neon bright hues. Thats right. No we are not back in the 80's and yes fashion has yet again come full circle. There is something so nostalgic about these colors for people our age and why not incorporate it into decor? So fun! Now I wouldn't recommend doing your entire space in the color scheme, but pops and hints of the shades? Absolutely. 

Screaming pink chairs in a sophisticated space? I think so. 

pinterest

Neon yellow chairs in a dining room/library. This space is so intriguing. Obviously the dark canvas the designer built the room from was complimented with loud accents, including the amazing light fixture. I have seen an amazing diy for one just like it, here. Simple and oh so chic. 

design sponge

Again with the grey backdrop. We love the dramatic contrast. NB stands for??? Lets guess. New baby? Never bark? I need that for my dogs. Yes. That is what it stands for. No bark. 

adore

Hot pink linen bedding. Gorg. 

decor 8 blog

Pops of neon hues in this ultra worldly space. Velvet neon, no less. Larving. 

art decoration

Neon club foot tub. So unique. Guaranteed they are the only people on the planet with this tub. 

design sponge

Another grey room with loud accessories. Cannot seem to get enough of it. Oh and those books. We want to close ourselves in that room and read for weeks! 

candace rose

Welcome back to reality, my friends. We hope you have a great Monday. More to come this week...keep your eyes peeled. 

S+S chow: grilled eggplant and tomato stacks

I was craving something fresh and simple to make for dinner the other night and stumbled upon this little gem via Eating Well. With just a few, fresh ingredients and only four steps; this fit the bill. My husband and I enjoyed this for dinner with a side of couscous and a glass of wine but it would make an excellent appetizer as well! It's too simple and tasty not to try! I actually think we might be having it again tonight... 

INGREDIENTS

            Extra-virgin olive oil

            1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

            Coarse salt

            Pesto

            2 large beefsteak tomatoes, each cut into 3/4 inch thick slices

            Fresh mozzarella, cut into thin slices

            Fresh basil leaves

            Balsamic vinegar

            Freshly ground pepper

           

PREPARATION

1. Preheat grill to medium-high or place a grill pan over medium-high heat until hot.

2. Use 2 teaspoons oil to brush both sides of eggplant slices; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Grill the eggplant slices for 5 minutes. Turn; continue grilling until tender and marked with grill lines, 3 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a large platter.

3. Spread each eggplant slice with 1 teaspoon pesto. Top with a slice of tomato, a slice of mozzarella and a basil leaf.

4.  Drizzle vinegar and about 1 tablespoon oil over the towers; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Have a happy weekend sweet readers! 

S+S E-Design: a navy master

If you saw Monday Musings, we promised a design board for the navy, yellow and grey master bedroom for our client...and here it is! Navy, yellow and grey, oh my! We decided to go with an understated yet jaw dropping palette. Oxy moron, but hey, it works. Let's start this off!

Let's begin with the bed. As you can see below (ignore the shoddy phone pic) our client has decided to go with an iron canopy bed. We love the romance and mystere this bed brings into the room. It is the perfect addition for the space. This bed would be nothing without crisp white linens. You all know we adore white linens here at S+S! They are great as long as you don't let your dog chew their bones etc on them. Disgust. Stella and Billie love to grace our white bedding's presence with their brightly colored bones. Ok. I digress. Another element we included was striking drapery. We were looking for something simple and chic but also eye catching. I introduce to you, the grey striped drapes. We are thinking this would also be an easy look to recreate. Any brave diyers out there? We know you are!

On to the accessories. One of our favorite elements in this look are the artichoke bedside lamps. OMG. Truly gorg. Topped with a simple white shade and a grosgrain trim? Uh yeah. We just did that. Bedside tables topped with some brightly colored flowers in a monochromatic vase. This room was dying for an x-bench. Obviously. And what better color to incorporate than navy?? Hello! A fabulous beige printed linen chair for their secretary desk and lovely throw pillows to match. 

To the wall! A burst of sun was clearly what the doctor ordered. And who argues with a doctor? So we decided what better way to achieve that, than a sunburst mirror?! Love it. The photographs you see adorned with the gold frames, were actual wedding photos from the clients wedding. As you remember, we said their wedding had these same colors in it, so the combo is dear to their hearts. A great way to weave wonderful memories into an area you spend lots of time in. 

What do you all think of the space? It is a place where you would like to curl up to and relax? 

Favorite Room Feature: Amber Interiors

We first found Amber a few months ago, as her home was being featured on another blog favorite of ours. We instantly fell in love with her and her style. Her home has a modern bohemian chic aura and everything she puts together is completely stylized. Today she is sharing her remodel story about her kitchen, a total rags to riches scenario. This kitchen went from a major blah to the biggest aha! We love it and know you will too! Take it away Amber!

Hi lovers, Amber from Amber Interiors. Just a little thanks to Lindsay and Lindsay for having me over to post on my "favorite room" today. I am gonna share some of my current Kitchen before and afters. As some of you may or may not know from the blog my family and I recently bought and gutted a 1960's California ranch style home. One of the biggest and BEST rooms to do was the open floor plan Kitchen, Dining Room, Family room. It's now the heart of our house, but when we bought our little diamond in the rough, the kitchen was the last place in the house anyone wanted to be. It was small and cramped and dark. I knew that I wanted to rip everything out and create a whole new space from scratch so that's exactly what I did. I chose a white and gray palette to work from and knew I wanted a HUGE center island for entertaining. Even though I am a designer, this was my first ever Kitchen re-model. I had worked on kitchens before but had never taken on my own Kitchen project solo from the ground up essentially. From the cabinets and appliances to finishes like the counter tops and back splash, I had my say in every single detail and I was my own client. I loved doing it and I look forward to years of Kitchen re-models!

Before:

And After!

Thanks again for having me guys! xoxo

Amber

Haymarket Designs: and the winner is...

Brittney over at Our Poverty with a View! Congratulations Brittney! Brittney said: 

Brittney said...

Cute giveaway! I like the clover design. I'm a follower!

We can't wait to see what you choose, Brittney! Thanks to all of you for entering!

S+S at home: wowwie wall art revealed

Awhile back, we posted some wall art inspiration for the space shown below.  We were obsessing over the uniform gallery wall with differing prints and mat colors.
Here is what we arrived on:

Here was the original inspiration:

And a close up of the after:

This was the easiest DIY art project. After finding a few favorite prints, framing them with spray painted frames and matching each image with a different color mat. We think the after product is very impactful and we love the uniqueness of the art.

Haymarket Designs Giveaway Reminder!!

Folks. Folks. Folks. Do NOT forget to enter in the Haymarket Designs giveaway, which ends tomorrow! You can find the post to enter here. You could win one of these FABULOUS frames...

Don't miss out. Truly. Check out Haymarket Designs. She has divine items for your abode. Good luck!

monday musings: navy, yellow and gray

Is it already Monday? Yes. It. Is. The weekends always seem at least one day too short. Every weekend should be a three day weekend in s+s's humble opinion. And we are very humble. 

We are in the process of doing an e-design for a clients master bedroom. Navy is a color that is near and dear to their heart since it was part of their wedding colors! We thought that would be a fabulous theme for their master because clearly they love the color, and it would bring fond memories of their big day.

While fabulous, navy and grey tend to be thought of as a more masculine colors. We wanted to add a flirty hue to the room as well...A splash of yellow is sure to brighten up the seriousness of the room and give it a playful aura. Rich, luxe white linens, brass accessories. The. Works. This room is going to be Fab. Ulous.  Those both just became words. 

Here are some images that are serving as inspiration for our bedroom design.

Holy chandelier. Wowie. Seriously?? The blue french doors are absolutely breathtaking and play well off of the blue lacquer dining table. We love how there are a few shades of blue being used in this small space. And you know what? It works!

This room is so clean and chic. The headboards are gorg being a rough linen texture adorned with a fabulous nailhead trim. Clean white linens? Please and thank you. Do you see the ceiling? Wallpapered ceiling. Clever. We love it. 

Love the yellow dress. Oh wait. We are supposed to be talking about the space. Ok, ok. I tend to bounce off topic easily. Amazing Louis IV chair. Again with the clean colors in the room and pops of color. Kudos on the gallery wall as well. 

I dont know about you all, but we are dying over that lamp. That blue and white designed porcelain is some of our faves. What a gorgeous, intricate bed. 

Love the shape of this room and it is definitely well utilized. The overhead shade is so unexpected in this space and it really draws the attention above. Oh and who doesn't love a chevron rug in any space? Not us! Fabulous and mature artwork in this space.

Capiz shell chandelier? Loving it! Light fixtures get us everytime! Loving the matching lamp shades bedside. A sleek shade with a black trim may be making its way into our clients space. Elegant look. The tufted, nailhead ottoman is a grand addition to the foot of any bed! Gorgeous room! Gorgeous!

This clover canopy bed is so unique and we absolutely adore it. Finished off with the sunburst mirror, it totally works for this eclectic space. There are so many patterns happening in this one area and yet it is completely unified. 

This print used with the headboard is absolutely stunning. Obviously calls for clean white linens and a navy wall. These folks answered the call. Divine.

Lots happening this week at S+S...do not forget to enter in the Haymarket Designs giveaway, (you would be foolish not to enter for this fabulous prize!) S+S home wall art reveal, Amber Lewis is sharing one of her favorite spaces with us, S+S e-design and more!

flutter flutter: diy juju hat

Calling all juju hat lovers! The talented and creative Rosa Pearson over at Flutter Flutter has made a tutorial for us juju hat lovers that it is so quick and cheap! Two words we love here at S+S. This may be making its way into our homes.  Check it out!

Flutter Flutter

With only wool yarn, some posterboard, and some popsicle sticks, this beauty can be yours for the having. 

Remember this? Looks quite similar, doesn't it? I think this is a must try diy. Insanely affordable (ahem $10) compared to the real life juju hat ($300+). 

Thank you for sharing Rosa. We will be forever indebted to you for this little gem!

S+S chow: greek turkey meatballs and tzatziki

It doesn't get any better than Greek. Give us a gyro pita smothered in tzatziki any day of the week and we are happy girls! It's tough to re-create the flavors from our fave local greek joint but this sure does come close. This recipe is a winner. Enjoy! 


Greek Turkey Meatballs via Skinny Taste

• 1.25 lbs 93% lean ground turkey
• 1 cup zucchini, grated and liquid squeezed out
• 2 sliced whole wheat bread 
• 1/4 cup seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg
• 2-3 cloves garlic, grated
• 1/4 red onion, grated
• 2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped (less if using dry)
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh spearmint, chopped
• kosher salt and fresh pepper
• about 1 tsp worth of olive oil cooking spray 

Wet bread with water, squeezing excess out. Tear into small pieces and place in a large bowl. Combine with turkey, egg, zucchini, breadcrumbs, garlic, onion, mint, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper.
Using a 1/4 cup measure, form each meatball 1/4 cup in size. For best results,refrigerate before cooking to help hold their shape. Spray olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan and cook over low heat or on the grill. Makes about 17 meatballs.


Skinny Tzatziki

• 8 oz fat free greek yogurt
• 1 small cucumber, peeled and seeded (1 cup grated and drained)
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
• kosher salt and fresh pepper

Strain the yogurt using a metal strainer or a coffee filter for a few hours to remove as much liquid as possible. Set aside.
Scoop seeds out of the cucumber with a small spoon. Place cucumber in a mini food processor or grate with a box cheese grater. Drain the liquid from the  cucumber in a metal strainer and sprinkle with a little salt (this helps release the liquid). You may want to use the back of a spoon to help squeeze out any excess liquid.
Combine strained cucumber, garlic, yogurt, salt, pepper, lemon juice, dill, chives and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.
Makes about 2 cups. Store in refrigerator for about a week

Favorite Room Feature: The Zhush

Today, Sue from the The Zhush blog is going to be sharing her Master Bedroom of her vacation home with S+S readers. We found Sue a few months ago and have been hooked to her blog ever since.  Sue claims she is not a professional decorator, but we beg to differ. Her taste is immaculate and we just love what she pulls together. Enjoy!

Hi! I'm Sue from The Zhush Blog, here to talk about my favorite room to decorate, the bedroom!
This photo from Healing Barsanti, that was featured in House Beautiful a few years back was the inspiration for our Master Bedroom in our little ski condo up in Southern Vermont. I fell in love with this image the moment I laid eyes on it, to me it was everything I want a bedroom to be; fun, stylish, inviting, serene and calming.  A place to rest and restore after a hectic day.

Here are some photos of our actual bedroom in Vermont.  As you can see, I took the inspiration photo quite literally, and was able to find almost every single item online!  Since I'm not a professional designer, using inspiration photos like the one above, is a great way for me to achieve a pulled together look in a bedroom.  Currently, I'm working on the redesign of my oldest daughter's bedroom, using photos we both found online.  So far, its been a lot of fun.  Thanks for having me over here today!