House Beautiful | Milk and Honey Home

January 5, 2012

I don’t think we have ever had an initial meeting with a new client and they just love one style. Aren’t we all that way? Don’t you find yourself attracted to more than one look?

I feel sorry for anyone who follows me on Pinterest. First of all, I pin all the time so I know that gets on people’s nerves. Second, I love farmhouse, modern, bohemian (in particular)….so they will have an assortment of images coming down the pipe.

As for two recent clients, they are no different. They don’t like to be tied to just one look (and how boring, anyway?)

For clients “J”, they are what I would call “mod cottage”. Think Sarah Richardson.

Turned wood, spindles, texture, color, clean lines and slightly minimal.

Here comes picture overload:

The following represent “mod cottage” to me:

Phoebe Howard for Coastal Living’s Showhouse

Martha Stewart

Our client LOVES color (fun!), so this was our inspiration (Schumacher’s Chiang Mai Dragon)

We went nuts with fabric…

But narrowed the choices to these (part mod/ part cottage)

For client “B” it is an entirely different story. These are our first true city-living clients. Don’t believe me? This is their view:

And this is their lobby (with doorman greeting us, of course

So when you exit the elevator and walk down the elegant hallway to their door, most guests would expect to see rooms like these when they enter their home:

McAlpine, Booth & Ferrier

Yet, these clients were drawn to Anisa and me because they love wood, white and simple. Think modern farmhouse in the city:

no other way to describe this kitchen from Suzanne Kasler than bad ass

Nickey Kehoe in Jan 2012 House Beautiful

Kay Douglass

Meg Ryan’s home in Elle Decor (Meg, by the way–this should be what you do. You are a natural!!)

Anisa and I agree, however, that you can’t just totally take where they live out of the mix. We believe we need to honor the regal elegance of the place and not totally ignore it.

How do we plan to do this? Mix!

For instance, in the powder room our plan is:

board-and-batten millwork

natural fiber rug

hand-carved wood baroque mirror

simple & classic sconce

We hope they will love it as much as we already do in our heads. Already a busy year indeed. We are finally hiring an accountant and renting a Milk and Honey Home storage unit. Our garages and our boxes for receipts just aren’t cutting it anymore

Hope your 2012 is amazing! Oh, and did I mention Anisa is preggers? Yep, due in April.