Category Archives: Uncategorized

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What TV? Eliminating the black box

Finally- we can almost eliminate the elephant in the room, aka: the television. I’m not ready to give up the occasional Seinfeld or necessary weather update- but these solutions for the housing of the television truly do minimize the aesthetic distraction of the “tube” right down to the image on the screen- which is all we really want to see.

Our local “glass & mirror guys” at Carolina Glass & mirror have used this TV Majestic Mirror

(shown below as a mirror, then the tv) with great success on a recent project in downtown Raleigh.

You can also try creating a shallow recessed area in Sheetrock to embed the television into a wall- very neat & clean!

This living room designed by Newell Turner featured in House Beautiful showcases the TV on an easel!

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Molly’s favorite: Sit for a Spell

I love creative places to sit- those extra places to perch that don’t look overly contrived. These examples featured below fit into in each space very naturally, yet provide a bit of surprise.

For the hostess-adding floor cushions provides a place to perch on the floor and a quick way to prepare some space for even more guests.

A built-in bench in the foyer, stairwell, or kitchen can become a efficient use of space.


What space could benefit from extra seating in your house?


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I wish I were here right now…

Today our studio has seemed a bit like the RDU airport, a thoroughfare of multiple clients, piles of fabrics and furniture catalogs, along with presentations in multiple locations, even our lunch room. Looking over some photos I snapped on Thursday at a drapery installation, I think I’d like to go on over there and settle down here: in this quiet corner of our client’s study. This composition represents a mix of things she loves: Pineapples, the color blue, a fantastic semi-antique French Baker Chair, and her floor to ceiling wall of books.

Drapery Fabric: Donghia’s Spice Market Warp Print in Blue & Grey Salt


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Local Design: RDU Terminal 2

I had the pleasure of fetching two friends from the Raleigh-Durham International Airport over the holiday and was excited to see the architecture of newly completed Terminal 2.
Descending from level one to baggage claim, I fell in love with Lydia Rubio’s aluminum & steel tree sculpture. The sculpture’s trunk is firmly mounted outside the airport, with its branches continuing inside the terminal. I liked it so much that I went back the second time with my camera. Read more about it here , or even better, check it out live.
What are your thoughts about RDU Terminal 2?

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Molly’s Find: Lighting!

Designer Molly Simmons is always finding beautiful items to place in her client’s homes. A few days ago the following page from the Anthropologie catalog was open on the Design Lines Lunch Table:


Wouldn’t this lamp in ivory porcelain look fantastic on a buffet in a kitchen or a dining room? We love the bit of whimsy it could add to a formal asethetic.

These cloisonne lamps are also very beautiful and could add some color & pattern to a mostly neutral space.

I hope to showcase more of Molly’s finds in a bi-monthly blog series. Be on the lookout for more items spotted by Molly.

Product Photos from the Anthropologie Website.


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Website of the weekend: Designers Guild

Here’s a little color (or shall I say colour?) inspiration for your weekend. I was perusing the Designers Guild website for some fabric and came upon their paint products. The hues were remarkable and decidedly European in their saturation levels.

From the website:

“The Designers Guild paint range of 98 exciting paint colours reflects a fresh and dynamic approach to modern living. The paint is of superb quality and offers enormous coverage.”
I am especially drawn to their collection of pinks & fuschias- they are beautifully vibrant & unusual. My favorite part of the website was comparing the paint colors- this tool allows you to create schemes very easily. See mine in the screen capture below:
Be sure to check out their website to see a diverse collection of inspired fabrics and schemes. I love the image below:

Photos from the Designers Guild website.


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Fortress Findings


My family and I recently went to Fort Macon near Atlantic Beach, NC – what a treat! I have been many times before – beginning in grade school. Now with 3 kids in tow – one of whom is enamored with the history of battlefields and forts – we seek such destinations.


This last trip revealed yet again the beautiful architecture that resides within the walls of the fort. Built from 1826-1834 and designed by an architect in nearby Beaufort, NC, Fort Macon has many features worth noting…

From the simple yet classic iron railings,


to the intricate brick barrel vaulted rooms,


to the sliced lumber entry pathways just beyond the moat that surround the Pentagon shaped fortress –


I found each detail to be representative of years of talent and labor that was tested by warfare and somehow survived ( with a little restoration effort). During your travels, I encourage everyone to pull the car into the next parking lot designated to accomodate an historical site – you are likely to discover not only a slice of our history but a quick study in architecture that not only served a purpose, but was a quality built structure reflective of it’s period.

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A stuffed chicken, an old hunk of wood, & a chia pet


Molly, Judy, and I traveled to the Center of the world at the beginning of the month for an ASID Conference in High Point, NC. The conference was filled with plenty of mingling time with our fellow Carolina Designers, a superb couple of hours hearing from the talented & famous designer, Barry Dixon, & let’s not forget, our favorite…shopping time. We perused our mainstays for antiques and came home with some interesting & unexpected objects (see post title). But first, a few delicious photos from the showroom of Randall Tysinger Antiques…

French cloches c. 1920 on an executive table

Scaled Beautifully

There were interesting compostions like the one above on every wall…


Who wouldn’t love to have a pair of natural slate and forged iron nightstands from France? This bed is a feast for the eyes, for sure.

Molly selecting a stuffed chicken for a lake house client, now that’s a trying decision…

Cha Cha Cha Chia! This planter, from Bali, had too much potential for a conversation starter, we just couldn’t resist. (This one can be yours, folks)


& last, but certainly not least is this stunning Petrified Wood Table with beautiful coloration we picked up for the ASID Showhouse. (Look for Molly’s blog on the topic, coming soon) At the end of the day, the DLL van was packed with a collection of interesting objects we can’t wait to place in our client’s interiors.