The Little Girl Who Has Everything...

I was recently tasked with making a babies nursery for twins in a miniature fashion. What started off as hot pink Barbie furniture ended up a metallic gold. The carpet is purple, the walls are black-and-white polkadot, and the wallpaper is a metallic gold and white Greek Key design.  I lit the room with small amber lights to continue the gold theme, and hung a black glitter chandelier to match the houndstooth rug.  Since the room is designed for twins we gave them names and I use their initials as the wall art above their beds. A few little mirrors reflect the light and are a precious touch.

So, what do you get the little girl who has everything? A HollyWould Original of course!  Custom made, sophisticated doll furniture and a coordinating room.

Here are before and after...

Because of the fairies we named the room "A fairies tale".  A small book on one of the black chairs is titled "Once Upon a Time".  Totes presh!

Happy Halloween

Some of my Halloween decor.

I themed my dining table "The Death of Disco".  I named my black and silver skeleton Disco.  I have 3 disco balls on the table.

This is my big witches broom.  A gift from my mom.  It's my favorite Halloween decoration.  The pumpkins, birdcages and other decorations I hand made.

A gift for a friend.  She specially requested nothing shiney, no sparkles and no ribbon.

I'm doing some set design for a haunted house.  In keeping with the no frills, just spooky theme I made a six light chandelier out of bones, moss and lichen.  Turned out pretty cute.

Knock Knock!!!

Fall is in the air. I like to change my front door almost as much as I like to change my kitchen island.

I made a beautiful fall front door ornament from silk flowers of different-colored metals - Silver, gold and bronze patina's.

Black feathers and different textured ribbon run through out.

Classy but Casual Kitchen

When we bought this house I knew immediately what direction I wanted to go.  Elegant but informal. Classy but casual. Lovely and pulled together but introducing new elements of my ever evolving style. Never is that more prevalent than the kitchen. The walls and cabinets are Sherwin Williams taupe tone, the cabinets are a super high gloss  while the Sherwin-Williams seal skin island with its fancy hardware completes the look.

I wanted to make the island seem like a piece of furniture and have it be able to stand on its own against the Thermidor range with its grill and griddle. It even has warming lights.

I added mercury glass knobs and drawer pulls for that extra panache. Just painting all the dark wood in there made a huge difference. Everyone was against me painting over the wood, people thought I was crazy to cover over all of the lovely dark wood.

I didn't have a second thought. I knew I wanted my cabinets to be the same color as the walls so that they color on the island would stand out. It's the piece d'resistance of the room. When my honey added all the hardware the kitchen began to sing to me.  It's my favorite room in the house.

Here are before, during and after.

Welcome!

I made a "wreath" for my front door.  Hydrangea and a birds nest with a Swarovski blinged out letter "U" and fleur d'lis adorn a mossy garden gate.

Come on in!

Dinner Anyone?

I finally have a dining room that will fit my dining room table. Of course I had to have the banquet sized Marge Carson with three leaves.  The wood inlay on the top of the table really has to be seen to be appreciated.  The exquisite scrolling tressle in black underneath is my favorite part of the table.  I wish I didn't have to have chairs around it, so I could just see it all the time...

It came from my favorite furniture store in Atlanta.  Tuscany Fine Furnishings in Roswell/Alpharetta.  I know the owner really well.  She's a doll.  I bought furniture from her for a lot of my clients.  She always had great taste and was an awesome buyer.  I got a call from her install man, Jorge, that HE saw a table that looked like me.  Jorge and I did many installs together.  I was the brains and he was the brawn.  If I asked him to put a piece of furniture in a particular spot, he never gave me a sideways glance or thought I was crazy.  He would just do it for me, then he would say "I would never have put that there but it fits."  He saw every design style of my clients.  From French, French Botanical, French Country, Feng Shui, African, Traditional, Transitional, Spanish, Modern, Arts and Crafts, Eclectic, Prissy, Plain, Quaker, Classic, Tuscan, Kids and Teens,Theatre's, Kitchens, Bathrooms, a historic redo in Roswell and a lot I've left out.  He saw it all.  How could he possibly know what MY style would be?

He told me he had just received a piece that Kathy had special ordered and I needed to get to the store to see it before she put it on her floor.  I was intrigued.  So I went over there to see what he was so impressed with.  

When I saw this table coming out of the crate I almost swallowed my tongue.  I've done a lot and I mean many dining rooms  and I've never seen a table like this.  When I told him how much I loved it, he was so happy with himself.  So, I had it delivered...to Texas where we were moving.  And that sweet Kathy didn't re-order it for anyone else.  Have I mentioned how special this table is?

I didn't like the fabric on the chairs so I had them re-upholstered with a different fabric on the fronts and backs.  Dynamite!!!

In my other house I had it on an angle in the room.  Only way it would fit.  But not a problem in the new house...  With the open floor plan my table eats up the space like a warm Brie.  I usually love florals on tabletops with a sumptuous runner or trimmed out throw.  Anything to make the dining room outstanding and formal.  It's your show off room right?  Your one room that is its own jewel box.  

I like dark colors in dining rooms.  I like dark colors anyway.  I also enjoy the warmth that metallic accents give to a room.  The reflection of the metal brings warmth like a lit candle.  So I had my ceiling painted in an antique gold.  I hung my gold fleur di lis embroidered grass green silk drapes with a 4 inch animal print border in creams, golds and taupes.

I mentioned that I usually go frilly on the dining table top.  Not this time.  I took out all the frill and added chill.  

I found two natural wood trays in a light finish and filled them up with natural wood candlesticks and candle holders.  Very informal.  Not like my usual high style florals.  I went a completely different direction.  Dinner is at 6.  All are welcome.

The drapes are reversible.  With a golden color on the back side trimmed out in taupe cheetah print.  The chairs are upholstered in the same colored taupe zebra print and a different architectural fabric on the back of the chairs.  My upholstery guy is amazing and these chairs are to die for...

Here is a pic of the front and backs of the chairs...

French Modern

When I realized that we were moving houses I knew that I could change styles as well. I did a lot of research looking through home magazines and touring homes around the world on the Internet trying to find a style that I could call my own.

I couldn't really find anything that would agree with how my tastes are changing and evolving.  I'm looking for a less cluttered asthetic but pairing that with glam and panache.

I finally decided to call my new style French modern.  I am a Francophile. I love anything to do with France.  I love the people I love the small cities on the beach I love the architecture I love Paris I love the Eiffel Tower I love the Arc de Triomphe I love Musées Dorsay I love the Louvre I love all the pontes and I love the styles, (decorating or fashion) I love the language and way of life.

Our country house is decorated in French Botanical.  It's lovely.  I've posted it on my blog before.

When we decided to buy this house I knew I wanted to stick with a French style. But didn't want to go French country or French botanical but I wanted French influences throughout the house.  

I found a gorgeous pair of refinished French style chairs at a local shop and as soon as I saw them I knew which direction I was headed.  A glorious blend of aged patinas and mixed metals.  I could see two modern wingback chairs in white leather with nickel nailhead trim opposite these two little aged beauties.

I wanted texture, which I usually do with fabric but this time I chose mixed metals and shiny finishes to add visual interest to the room.  

I made a 6 piece art collection focusing on mixing black, silver and gold metallic textures.  I chose white mattes to make the pieces jump off of the dark Sealskin walls.  The frames are mirrored and add that panache and glam I was searching for.

Adding to those seriously dark colors I chose a light celadon green silk for my drapes and put down a trellis patterned rug in celadon and white.  The pattern from the rugs brings the room together by pulling in the white leather chairs and the white mattes on the art.

I have a 6 foot tall green patina finial that was just begging to be brought in to balance the prissiness of the room.  Beside that I placed a modern style gold screen and hung an architectural print above that.  It takes up the entire wall without making it seem cluttered or over filled.

The final touch to bring the metals together is a damask velvet throw that features my silver, gold and grey.  I put 2 different trims to finish the edges.  It's pretty fantastic.

Here are before and after...

Stay tuned for more house tour...

All the best!

High Heel Holly

Home Sweet Home

I was asked by my sons baseball team to put together a basket for the end of the year foundation fundraiser.  I chose the theme "Home Sweet Home" and decided to make a wall hanging with fleur di lis for the "o's".  Turned out pretty cute.