Thanksgiving 2011

This was an epic Thanksgiving for me. Every year, since the beginning of time (or since the 1960s, when my mom moved to NYC), she has celebrated Thanksgiving with a long-time friend (and later, her family, which has always felt like an extension of my family). This year, our family friends had the opportunity to travel abroad over the holiday, so the tradition was put on hold. With that, my parents flew down to Austin for the long weekend. At first, I was planning to make reservations to go out. Oliver's and my jobs have been uber busy and the thought of spending hours in the kitchen over what was sure to be a lovely weekend didn't sound appealing. Then I remembered that I actually like cooking, and I especially love baking. It dawned on me that Thanksgiving for a small group could be less "maniacal party planning" and more "dinner for four;" simple, casual, relaxed and, most importantly, FUN. Let the planning begin!

Some favorite dishes came from Smitten Kitchen:
• Appetizer: Creamed Mushrooms with Chive Butter Toast
• Side: Sweet Potatoes with Pecans and Goat Cheese

After spending the morning and afternoon with Oliver and my parents, hanging out and strolling around our neighborhood (it was 75º and sunny!), I got to cooking. Can you believe I was too wrapped up in cooking and enjoying myself to remember to take pictures of each dish? Thankfully, I'm not a food blogger because I would have failed, friends. I didn't even get a good shot of the Thanksgiving table, even though I wrote a Houzz article on eclectic holiday table settings earlier that week, and took some of my own advice! Here are a couple of detail shots:

I am pretty proud of this bouquet. It was fresh and bright, just like the day!


I just wanted to show off the cute little owl napkin rings I snagged in Mineola a while back. 

I did, however, snap some shots of dessert (you know, the most important food group): Mini pumpkin pies with fresh whipped cream!


They tasted delish after brunch and leftovers over the next few days, too!
You like those green rope-themed napkins? My mom made them years ago – aren't they great? 


The rest of the weekend was spent exploring Austin. We hit the Blanton Museum of Art, roamed around the UT campus, checked out the first-ever Renegade Craft Fair Holiday Market in Austin as well as the City-Wide Garage Sale, drove to Wimberley for wine tasting, where we picked up a cute bar cart for pennies (post forthcoming), had happy hour at Hotel San Jose and popped into the shops along South Congress, and ingested way too many good dinners and brunches. I hope you all had wonderful dinners with friends and/or family – whomever makes you feel loved and thankful!

Lately, Pt II

In addition to the day job, I've continued to write for houzz.com twice a week, which has made for a very busy life! As a result (and much to my disappointment), I haven't been blogging as much, but I'm diligently working on returning to a routine while maintaining a good work/life balance. That said, let me catch you up on some of my recent Houzz stories!

By Coburn Architecture and Interiors

A long-time supporter of mixing styles, I find the stark contrast between traditional and modern to be most striking, especially in the form of art. This was one of my favorite articles to write and research to date: Opposites Attract: Modern Art in Traditional Rooms

By Jon Lum Architecture

Pocket doors speak to me. They say things like, "Old-World glamour," "decadence," "grand soirees." Stuff like that. Not only are they lovely, they are also quite functional, saving space in tight rooms. I pulled together some favorites from houzz designers in Deep Pockets: Pocket Doors with Panache

By Faiella Design

I know dark bathrooms aren't for everyone, but I love them and had wanted an excuse to spend some time mulling through images of them for inspiration. Someday I intend to have a glamorously gloomy powder room in my house. In the meantime, I live vicariously through these bathrooms: Chic and Moody: Dark, Seductive Bathrooms

Many of you are familiar with my love of taking a small space (especially outside) and make it a precious escape. I've belabored this subject, so I think I'll just let you enjoy the pretty pictures. Balconies: Precious Rooms in the Sky 

This article garnered passionate commentary; people seem to hate tablecloths! I think they're great in some settings, unnecessary in others, but overall, I appreciate an additional dose of textile thrown over a table (especially when it's an ugly table!) to dress things up. Dressing Your Table: Cloth or No Cloth? 

By Dufner Hughes Inc. 

I had one friend growing up who had a canopy bed and I thought it was the most magical thing I'd ever seen. As I grew into a cynical adult, I thought canopy beds were for wussies (not really, but I wasn't as into them). Then I became the open-minded designer that I am today, and I know that everything has a place in the right application. Canopy beds don't just have to be for fancy little girls. They don't need to be swathed in 8,000 yards of fabric in order to add grace and elegance to a room. And, most importantly, they don't have to be feminine at all: Canopy Beds: All Grown Up and Still Magical

Barn doors are much like pocket doors in their function and grandness, but because they are a bit unexpected, I think they make even more of a statement. Doors with Character: Raised in a Barn

If you're in the U.S., I hope you have a great holiday weekend. If you're not in the U.S., tough luck, but I know you have some of your own great holidays! xoxo 

Lately

Hiya! Remember me?

Me, being wacky, 2.5 years ago

I suppose now is a good time to divulge what I've been up to lately. In moving to Austin, knowing very few people, I planned to find a job working under another designer, rather than continue as self-employed. Just before we moved, I was so busy wrapping up projects in New York, I really had no time for job hunting in Austin. So, against everything I stand for and am comfortable with, we hopped into a truck and drove to Texas without a well-mapped plan. Once here, I sent out some cold emails and attended a handful of horrifying networking events (where I met some terrific people, I might add...in the end, they weren't all that horrifying). In the first couple of months, I picked up some freelance and temporary work. Eventually, I landed the real deal: I recently accepted a full-time position with Cravotta Studios, owned by the illustrious and infinitely talented Mark Cravotta, who has an impeccable eye for high-end design and a thirst for finding the latest, greatest and most beautifully created furniture and accessories. A few favorites from his vast portfolio (note: I had nothing to do with these projects, although I wish I did!)




When Mark told me he'd been to the furniture fair in Paris and was thinking about going to Chicago's Merchandise Mart at some point, I made a passing recommendation that he someday check out New York's own International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF). I made this comment about two weeks before ICFF was to begin, assuming my suggestion would perhaps be taken into consideration for next year. Much to my surprise and excitement, a few days later I received a text reading, "We're going to ICFF!" WE? Yes, we. Lucky me!

So, last Saturday, May 14, we boarded a non-stop flight to New York, spent Sunday at ICFF and Monday jetting from one designer showroom to the next, squeezing in a stint downtown to hit the less mainstream boutiques. There has already been a lot written about ICFF (mostly about its shortcomings), but Mark and I returned to Austin with new contacts and inspiration, so, as far as we are concerned, it was a success – I'll leave the constructive criticism about how the show failed the greater design community to other bloggers. I pulled together some of my favorites from the show on houzz.com: check out Killy's Top Picks from ICFF!

Around the Houzz: House Plants

Numerous people (clients, prospective clients, friends, etc) have asked me what I think is the easiest, quickest way to transform a home (or room) on a budget, especially on a renter's budget. My answer has always been paint, which obscures all signs of the people who occupied the place before you, memories of ex's, filth or simply breathes new life into a space without breaking the bank. But I recently added plants to my answer. Plants have an uncanny ability to make everything look and feel clean, fresh and alive while simultaneously scrubbing grossness out of the air we breathe. That shot of green (or many shots) does wonders for any space, and in my opinion, you cannot have too many. For high-end projects, I recommend choosing sculptural, statement plants that add texture and interest to a room, and almost act as a piece of art. But big plants don't come cheap. For the rest of us, I think just about any healthy plant will do. We used them liberally in our last apartment: plants became "curtains" over our bathroom window, they softened sharp edges and brought your eye up to the ceiling when placed high on a top shelf. But more than anything, they made our small apartment feel airy, breezy and a little more connected to nature. We only have one right now (sadly, our plants did not survive the freezing cold drive from New York to Texas) but we have big plans to get more soon.

With that, check out my most recent article for houzz.com was all about our leafy green friends: Bring In The Outside With House Plants!

Dining Under the Stars, or Sun, or Whatever, As Long As Its Outside

Our move to Texas was 95% motivated by the opportunity for nearly year-round outside living! I've written about outdoor showers (I will have one someday. Oliver has actually promised to built me one/have someone build one for me…like, in the very far off future, but now that he's said it, it will happen. Homey don't play); I've written about outdoor rooms, which seemed so out of reach for me, until somewhat recently; I've written about how nature-deprived New Yorkers misguidedly think fire escapes are legitimate terraces; and I've written about water towers and life inside them, a post inspired by an afternoon on the roof deck of my parents' building in New York. So, if you didn't know before, now you're aware that I love being outside.

This week has been kah-RAZY busy (in so many good ways) but its left little time for chillin' outside (although we've done our best to make time). So, it made me happy to write a post Houzz.com that allowed me to scour all the amazing photos of enviable, romantic outdoor dining nooks. We're still working on the inside of our house; we haven't even gotten close to thinking about the outside, but inspiration is swelling, thanks to Houzz. Check it:
Romantic Outdoor Dining Inspiration


I swear, I have some fun things to report on. I just need a minute to sit down and sort them out. In the meantime, all I've got time to write about it what I'm writing about on Houzz.com. I'm just dying to tell you all about the awesome Heritage Homes Tour we checked out last weekend – a photo-filled post is forthcoming! xoxo

Versatility in Tiles: Subway Tiles

I love subway tiles. They are so common in New York bathrooms because they're cheap, durable and relatively easy to apply. I grew up with them and have lived and have specified them for several projects. Our current home is the first place I've inhabited in recent years that doesn't have subway tile and I don't see them a lot in Austin, in general, except in homes that haven't really been changed in 100 years (seriously). To fill the void, I recently wrote an article for Houzz.com on different applications of subway tile – horizontal, vertical, white, colorful, combining styles to create patterns, dark grout versus light, herringbone (my personal favorite, although clearly not everyone's, since good images of them are scarce). Check out the many sides of the subway tile: Classic Subway Tiles Go Uptown


Below, I've included a few photos of how I've used them in the recent past.

White walls and small tile accents created a classic 1930s New York look in this Williamsburg bathroom and kitchen:



The dark green marble 1"x1" borders enliven the subway tiles in this traditional bathroom:

(I used the same contractor for both of the projects above – he applies tile with the tightest, straightest lines!)

Glass tiles, though more expensive than simple white ceramic, gave the Sunnyside bathroom a clean, serene yet bright and dimensional feel:


Of course, our landlord used them in our last bathroom, and they paired beautifully with stripes and patterns:

The Well-Concealed Kitchen on Houzz!

Another ideabook by yours truly just went live on Houzz.com – ideas for cozying up your kitchen with furniture from other parts of the house! Hope on over to Houzz.com to read it:
The Well-Concealed Kitchen.

Contributing to Houzz – Mixing Metals in the Home

I first wrote about Houzz about a month an a half ago, because their contributors were showing us a lot of love by including our work in their inspirational and informative ideabooks. Shortly after that, they featured our Harlem apartment in a wonderfully written, in-depth houzz tour. I'm so proud to announce that I recently joined the Houzz team as a contributor! My first ideabook, about mixing metals in the home, went live yesterday – please hop on over to Houzz to check it out! Metal Mixology: Multiple Metallics Give A Room Layers of Interest