Beach Barn
Yes, a beach barn!! Posts, beams, neutral, texture, barn doors and big windows…one of my new favs for sure!
As you prob know, I am not a beach girl, I am a lake girl, and I have really been missing Colorado lately. So, as I shopped Pinterest today looking for my country, farmhouse inspiration to cheer me up, I ran across this beach barn from Hutker Architects & Liz Stiving-Nichols of Marthas Vineyard Interior Design.
You only have 2 factors when you shop for your dream home…location and design. Design is easy, you can transform anything, and you have full control…. location might be a little more challenging but with persistence you can have it all!
Find your location first unless you’re in a temporary situation and then go for that look that feels like you clicked your heels and landed in your dream home!
There are no rules in design style…so whether it’s a beach barn or a mountain beach house you can create anything you want!!
Need decorating tips just email me!
Carrie
XOXO
The Neutral Home
Call it what you want…modern rustic, organic, timber home, cabin, neutral, mountain home. I call it cozy with a view. I found this cozy inspiration room on architecturian.co and just had to share! My clients are always asking me how to blend gray and beige in their space. In fact I just had a client last week that wanted to do just that. Take paint colors for instance. A foolproof way is to pick your favorite colors from your inspiration. Maybe it’s the view, a favorite color, or a piece of furniture or art piece. Check paint samples and decide if it has warm, cool or neutral tone or any added undertones. If you use a paint deck you can see the undertones go from warm to cool. Once you have a fav make sure it goes with what you currently have in your space. If you need coordinating colors or whites for trim check with your paint store or do a search for your color. They will have coordinating colors that were specifically matched to blend with that color.
f your choosing neutrals for stone, rugs, furniture, accessories or art you can mix warms and cools easily. Choose some pieces that have a mix of multiple colors as blending pieces. Neutral is a safe bet and will go with anything. Keep your large items such as flooring, wood and stone that cover large areas or are permanently built in neutral. Be careful with costly art and consider that a permanent piece also. Then just pick and choose all your favorite accent pieces such as pillows and accessories.
Neutral will always be my favorite color palette and I never find it boring or stale. I think we should go with what we like and not what is in trending for the year and this just works. OK so I do get bored easily and always like to change things up so yes this works for that. However, I realized that neutrals keep me grounded and I find them soothing and relaxing. The best part is I can temporarily add any colors, at any time for any occasion and totally transform the space and then change it right back! Neutrals are more than black, white, gray and tan. They have their own palette with thousands of variations. So, don’t underestimate neutrals…they do more for your space than you think. Why do I love neutrals?
- Provide a perfect background to showcase other elements in your home such as architectural features and favorite pieces.
- Give that fabulous view a chance to be the focal point
- Allow you to have more flexibility with the other items you choose for your space
- You can add pops of color for seasons and holidays
Neutrals aren’t for everyone but if you are drawn to them don’t be afraid to experiment and add your own pops of color as you go. It’s an easy, fun way to decorate your space!
Carrie
XOXO
I just love doing weddings!! Anything romantic or wedding related count me in! It was so much fun to be part of these romantic, whimsical floral designs for this beautiful wedding! My friend Marita of Marita Floral Designs is a true creative genius! We arrived about 1:00 flowers, bouquets, centerpieces, boutonnieres, corsages and flower basket in tow…along with bags of greenery, buckets of flowers, and tools. There is just something about starting with a blank slate and designing a space and creating the perfect vision for a bride and groom. Don’t get me wrong it is a lot of work…the design, the ordering, days and days of planning and creating designs…I love creating anything visual…OK so I’m obsessed with creating and designing….there’s just something about bringing a vision to life!
Hand tied bouquets, handmade greenery, extra-large aisle arrangements with pampas grass…one of my favorites… and that arch! The arch was the center of attention! The arch and the aisle arrangements were constructed on site. Carefully implemented layers transformed a plain wood frame into a creative design. As the handmade greenery was laid across the tables, we added the flowers and layered the tables with tall floating candles and smaller candles. After the wedding the arch became the focal point behind the sweetheart table and as day turned to dusk a new ambiance was created with the strings of lights and candle glow.
You have to go outside the traditional box to get that wow factor. That’s where a great floral designer comes in. Weddings are for wow factors. The decor, the floral, the cake, the dress everything!
So next time you want to create a wow factor at your next event…step outside the box. If you have a vision do it and don’t let anyone hold you back….it will definitely pay off!!
Don’t forget your wow factor at your next event!!
Carrie
XOXO
Floral Design
This was such a fun week of floral design! Even though I also love to bake and had an order go out for over 100 cupcakes, my favorite part of the week was all the flowers! You have to admit there’s just something about walking into a space that’s filled with fresh flowers! The smell, the beauty…it just instantly lifts your spirits no matter what your mood is! I honestly don’t know anyone who wouldn’t want to get flowers! This fall bouquet with black and white striped ribbon is one of my favorite inspiration photos and I get it out every year about this time as I transition into fall design! So, as I wrap up a lot of the summer events to make room for September and the cool weather that’s to follow…yay! I wanted to share a few pics of my simple arrangements from this week… even though you can’t smell them or touch them, maybe the pics will lift your spirits!
Boutonnieres and corsages are always cute in their own understated, simple way…but the flower crown always gets the “cuteness” award!!
I hope that at least gave you a little boost…next time your at the store grab a bouquet of flowers and your mood will instantly change I promise! I love them all but have my favorites depending on my mood and the occasion… What are your favorite flowers? Carrie XOXO
TENNESSEE BARN WEDDING
I’m back from doing a destination wedding in Tennessee! Y’all know Tennessee is one of my favorite places…. all that Southern hospitality! This time I ventured further south of Nashville towards Chattanooga and spent 6 sun and fun filled days in Sale Creek at an amazing lake house! Sunrise, sunburn, sunset, repeat!
Believe me I wasn’t in any rush to get back to reality, especially since I was missing the CMA Fest by a week…but I also couldn’t wait to get back and tell you about the venue we worked with for the wedding! It’s called The Barn at Drewia Hill in Sale Creek, Tennessee. It was the cutest, most amazing, authentic barn venue I have ever worked with!
We drove up the dirt road and I was still taking it all in when I spotted the barn and it was immediate barn envy! Little did I know what would be inside…. when those barn doors opened there it was…that high vaulted, exposed wood beam ceiling that I know you all love as much as I do! As you know the ceiling alone creates barn charm, but when you add soft draped fabric, and romantic twinkle lights… it takes it to a whole different level, and its magical!
There were vignettes and accessories set up all around the inside and outside, showcasing unique, vintage, rustic pieces! I saw old windowpanes, vintage luggage, antiques, metal signs, wood signs, candles, an old typewriter, and antique pieces of furniture! Old doors with vintage hardware, glassware, lanterns, wood and metal walls and ceilings, mirrors and frames, chandeliers, wine and whiskey barrels, and lots of twinkle lights! The bars inside and out are vintage trucks, there’s a trailer outside and even an old bathtub! There were hundreds of rustic accessories and so many things I don’t have room to mention…. literally enough to fill a barn…ha-ha pun intended.
The brides vision fit right in! She had collected vintage colored glass vases and bowls for each table, the dessert bar and the cake tables. The vintage glassware was filled with colorful, assorted wildflowers and placed on large aged doilies. The wildflowers were drop dead gorgeous! They hung from the archway outside, they made up the most beautiful bridal bouquet I’ve ever seen and even Mollie strutted with all four paws down the walkway with her wildflower collar.
So here I am taking all this in thinking I was either in heaven or a Hallmark movie….and the big barn doors swung open revealing not only the picturesque green countryside, but an old vintage truck parked outside in the distance… It just doesn’t get any more authentic than that… the truck belonged to the venue and has even been in the family for generations!
Talk about Southern hospitality, Kris the owner/manager is one of the nicest, most accommodating people you will ever meet! Just one of the reasons I love the South, everyone is so nice! She personally catered the food and it was amazing all the way around. Bundtinies, a candy table and a pressed wildflower cake fit right in! Fun fact; I actually made the cake the morning of the wedding…ha-ha no pressure there!
It was a, successful, beautiful, rustic, Southern wedding from the confetti kiss and the all-night dancing to the after dark sparklers. Even with a few unexpected surprises like the heat wave and the bee that flew up the bride’s dress….it was absolutely perfect!
If you need a rustic destination The Barn at Drewia Hill has it all! www.thebarnatdrewiahill.com
And if you need a destination wedding planner, or ideas, don’t hesitate to contact me at The Striped Barn….. we have lots of Southern hospitality to share!
What was your favorite rustic event?
Carrie
XOXO
Barn Weddings
Hi Y’all its Wedding Season
I’m practicing my Y’all’s for my upcoming trip to Tennessee! I love Nashville and I love Tennessee and after 2 years I can’t wait to go back and visit again! This time I’m doing a wedding for one of my good friends at a barn venue…yes, my favorite!! I can’t wait to share it with you!
So as I was browsing for inspiration I found this amazing barn venue at Hardy Farms in Maine. What an amazing venue...so much history and so much barn charm!
Weddings and events are my favorite part of summer whether I am planning them or attending them but I love planning them the most! When the romance, the excitement, and the hard work all come together at the end its amazing!
See y'all soon!
Carrie
XOXO
Towne Park Brewery
You’ve got to love design…one day your shopping for sofas and the next your designing a brewery! This is Towne Park Brew Co in Anaheim, California. They held a design competition to redesign their brewery, how great is that! Great ideas and design concepts. They are going for Denver Union Station, meets industrial, meets vintage. The space already has great bones, open industrial ceiling, big windows to view the brewing process, wood kegs, a great patio and of course great beer!
A design concept was chosen, and they decided to utilize a little bit of everyone’s design ideas…how cool is that! The new design will have lots of reclaimed wood and some exciting new features and concepts. The creative use of design ideas will make it one of a kind. The patio sits right by a railroad track….talk about outdoor ambiance!
That’s the excitement of design…being able to transform anything into whatever you can imagine!
So think about what you want your own space to look like and get busy transforming your space into something you’ve always imagined!
I’ll keep you posted on the progress, until then stop on by and have a beer! Let me know what your working on or if you have any questions…I always love a good design project!!
Carrie
XOXO
Mountain Lake View
Morning view… just kidding! I wish it was mine…all I can say is this is now my new favorite space. If this isn’t perfect, I don’t know what is. If you don’t work out now, I bet you would start:} The way the wood comes together in the ceiling and wall design is just as stunning as the view! And that floor!
This is exactly why I want to move to the country you can’t find this just anywhere. If this is the gym can you imagine the other rooms in this house?
Keep in mind when you are building or buying a house what checks the boxes on your list. This one checks all my important boxes. OK, so my list is simple…
View with trees, mountains and lake
Open interior space
Wood features
Yep that’s it…. once you have the important boxes checked off you can add some fun stuff. But not too much…in a space like this less is more, or what’s the point of these amazing features? The view is the important part for me and I have no idea if I had to choose between a lake or mountain view which one I would choose so I really fell in love with this one because it has both! Which would you choose?
So…. if I had a house like this, I really wouldn’t change much…I would add minimal touches especially in any room with a view. I’d make sure every room had some type of wood and follow through with a wide plank, distressed flooring throughout. I love this antique floor from Reclaimed Designworks How special is this space…I would start and end my day gazing out thinking how lucky I was!
This amazing space was found on Onekindesign and is by Carney Logan Burke Architects with the interior by WRJ design.
What would you do with a house or a space like this?
Carrie
XOXO
Stone, Wood and Granite Design
When stone, wood and granite come together its called design and can be a beautiful thing. Mixing materials can be overwhelming. Just keep it simple and be aware of busy patterns especially in natural stone. If you pick a granite with an active pattern then tone down the other patterns and keep them simple. Add a touch of texture to every room for the perfect balance, but too much can have the opposite effect and ruin a design. My favorite rule in interior design…less is more.
Carrie
XOXO