life'sabeach...upstairs
Time to take a trip upstairs at the Coastal Living Ultimate Beach House 2012 in Rosemary Beach, Florida.

Welcome to the family room. It greets you at the top of the stairs...custom ping-pong table and all. 

We put the ping-pong table to action. How could you
not with such an inviting, fun pattern and ping-pong
paddles singing a taunting chant of "play with me"!
BTW – being the gracious host, the Coastal Living
tour guide let us win. Now that's hospitality. 

The media room bar is appointed well...in more ways than one. 

There's not a bad seat in the house of the media room. 

If you want to skip the movie and read a book instead, 
here's the perfect spot. Perched high above the street, 
it's the perfect nook for reading (which we all know is
code for nap.)

Another bunk room awaits pillow fights, jumping, and more giggles. 

Not exactly upstairs, but outside, you'll find an escape from your
beach house (like that is ever needed). If the rest of the photos
have yet to explain my comment from my first post...
that thing about selling my first born...then this pool does.  

Hope you enjoyed our tour of the Coastal Living Ultimate Beach House. You can find more about the house, hours, or sponsors/resources at the Coastal Living website. 

life'sabeach
On a recent trip to Rosemary Beach, Florida, I had the chance to visit the Coastal Living Ultimate Beach House 2012. It should be named the Coastal Living Major Ultimate Dream Beach I'd Sell My First Born to Live Here House. Since pictures are worth a 1,000 words...

Welcome to the Coastal Living Ultimate Beach House in Rosemary Beach, Florida. 

The entry welcomes you with plaster walls unlike any other I've seen.
Photos can't do them justice. 

As you enter the house and turn to the left you find the first guest room. I love the sophisticated yet cozy mix of colors and patterns. If I could of, I would of snuck the faux bois pillow out the door with me. 

The guest bath...ahhhhh! What do I love more? A) Colored cabinets; B) Marble counter with under mount sink; or D) All of the above!

The Master Bedroom awaits you at the end of the hall and a long day at the beach. 

Master bedroom is padded in herringbone fabric that adds texture and warmth.
The dresser is smart and stylish and topped with a beautiful, urchin mirror.

Urchin mirror detail. 

All the walls in the house are rounded off. The detail is brilliant!

Master bath just off of the master bedroom is welcoming with a well-placed mirror and double, under mounted sinks. 

Soap and bath salts sit inside a large, clam shell ready to be plucked like a pearl. 

The laundry room is nestled between the first guest room and the master bedroom.
It makes laundry not look so daunting. 

The dining room welcomes you on the opposite side of the entryway. 

The hearth room is part of the large family area that
includes the dining room and kitchen. 

The detail on the pillow in the hearth room is one example
of the beautiful details throughout the house. 

The kitchen is a work of art. The lights and vent are pieces of sculpture.
The highly, polished marble and shiny, stainless steel are warmed up
with clever placement of antique bread boards and slipcovered barstools. 

A butler's pantry to the right of the kitchen keeps supplies and prep out of the way in style. 

The microwave is smartly tucked into the wall of the butler's pantry. 

Even utility rooms in this house are beautifully appointed with art.
Oh...and don't miss the beauty of the walls. The clapboard walls are modern
and beach-y at the same time.

Four bunks are cleverly tucked behind the kitchen. What kid wouldn't
love giggling themselves to sleep each night? 

Giggling yourself to sleep might be hard with the temptation of your
own iPad just arms length away. 

Beach bags are packed and ready to go at a moments notice. 

Half bath encompasses a fantastic mix of grays and patterns. The patterns
of the marble counter, the marble tile wall, and the oyster shell mirror
work well since the scale varies from large to small. 

That concludes the tour of the first floor. Upstairs next time. Until then, here's a hint of what's to come...

The stairwell invites you upstairs with the lure of bleached,
wood floors and clapboarded walls. I love the repetition of
lines with the variation of direction.

wishihadtheblues

Lately we've been on a blue kick. Denim, turquoise, and especially navy. (Carrol recently painted her guest bathroom navy. Look for details in coming weeks.) And so, when I popped into The Hidden Lantern on my recent trip to Rosemary Beach, Florida, I felt right at home. Okay, maybe not at my actual home, but the one I'm pining for. 

I love the mix of blue shades, patterns, and textures in their reading nook. On a rainy day at the beach, there's not a better seat around. 

The Hidden Lantern, bookstore at Rosemary Beach
and favorite reading nook. 

pititzhomeandcottage

A recent trip to Seaside, Florida meant a trip to Pititz Home & Cottage. Located in Central Square, the store offers a perfect array of home furnishings for a modern beach home – or any home striving for a modern, relaxed vibe. 

They have a great selection of slip covered sofas and chairs, bleached wood tables, luxurious yet simple linens, accessories that say beach with a hush of the sea (not the typical crash of a wave from most beach decors), and candles that smell like a mix of fresh laundry and the sandy shore.

The store design is as thoughtful as the furnishings themselves. It is full of simple, even humble, surfaces used in unique and refined ways. I particularly like the plywood floors and the wood slats on the wall. The horizontal slats create a reverse wainscoting which is modern and approachable. 

Here's a few snapshots from recent visit: 

Love the grey/green slipcovered chair.
The height gives it presence while the slim arms
make it manageable in a small space. I think this one
is from a company called South of Market.

I'm dreaming of this chair at home
with a navy linen sofa. 

Glass bubbles the color of sea glass in a
concrete urn say beach to me. Notice the simple
plywood floors. They're worn to perfection.

More bubbles, this time the color of milk glass
and perched a top of zinc clad table. Notice the walls 
in the background. I love the modern twist on wainscoting.
In fact, I'm a little obsessed with them. 

Here's a detail of the wall treatment along with some
bleached wood furnishings. 

me&mrsjones...

...we got a thing going on. We'll maybe not we, but she definitely has it going on. She being Stephanie Jones, me & mrs. jones proprietor. 

Recently we had the privilege to join Stephanie for an afternoon of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint 101. In a few short hours, she taught us a few easy techniques to transfer furniture, walls, fixtures, or cabinets in to works of art. 

Stephanie Jones leading our
Chalk Paint 101 class. She is as
adorable as she is talented.

The materials, Annie Sloan chalk paint and waxes, were amazing. We're not sure what we love more, the paint or the wax. The paint comes in an amazing array of colors and sticks to almost anything. The wax transforms the piece from a beautifully painted finish to a work of art. (I know I said that already, but it's true.) 

Although, as I think it through, the best part was the warm welcome from Stephanie and Kim. They are as hospitable as they are talented. 

The ride home was one long list of potential projects including:

• Builder grade kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanity
• Kitchen chairs (that I actually liked until this class)
• $50 Pottery Barn kitchen table (outlet) that always needed refinishing 
• Pine accent chairs that feel a little too country casual

If you get the chance, stop by me & mrs. jones studio or take a class, located at 889 South Cooper St. in Memphis, TN, 901.494.8786. If just an ounce of their talent rubs off on you, it'll be worthwhile. 

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint displayed at me & mrs. jones studio.

Paintbrushes & doorknobs – a candy store for grown ups.

The perfect colors for this grown up candy store.

This is a series of first steps of techniques.
Just wait until you see what the wax does. It's magic! 

Hard at work...or play.

Here are a few final sample boards. The brillance of
Annie Sloan's paints and waxes, plus the guidance
of Stephanie Jones can make anyone look like an expert. 

pointofview...

Sitting atop the cable box in my studio is an assortment of objects that serves no real purpose other than I like to look at them. These items include...

• Pieces of found wood/tree limbs
• Dress mannequin from my first Barbie
• Shirt from Barbie's stewardess (a time before flight attendants) uniform
• Oversized clothespin I made
• Candy cigarettes 
• Rubber rock that squeaks

Despite how many times I reconfigure my studio space, these objects always end up prominently displayed. It occurred to me that this cluster of odds and ends represents my aesthetic point of view, my P.O.V.

There's texture (wood or rock), graphic pattern (doll shirt and faux cigarettes), something handmade (clothespin), vintage (mannequin), and humorous (the rock squeaks, come on?). Thus describes any room in my house.

So what is your aesthetic P.O.V.? Here are some good places to look for clues...

• What objects are gathered on your nightstand? 
• What images do you pin, and then pin, and then pin on pinterest?
• Is there a designer whose work you're drawn to?
• How would you describe your favorite room in the house?

Define your P.O.V. It will save you from buying a trend, bringing it home, then realizing it has no place in your space. Instead, fill your house with objects that fit your personal point of view and your house will feel like a home.