I thought that I would start a new series - and do my best to keep up with it. God has blessed me with an incredibly exciting career as an interior designer with IKEA, and I thought that it would be awesome to share with all of you the cool things that I get to work on. I'm entitling this series "working girl", mostly because my mommy calls me her little "working girl" and it's cool to show people what I do to bring home the bacon. 

Every year Earthshare of Georgia throws a big soiree to raise money for its nearly 70+ non-profit organizations in the form of a silent auction. For the past two years, they've tapped IKEA on the shoulder and asked if we could help donate resources and design the event. This year, I served as the assistant designer to Michelle, our Activities Specialist. The event was held at the King Plow Arts Center which is quite breath-taking on it's own. Very raw, very beautiful, and dripping with original artwork, we didn't have to do much to enhance this space. Earthshare of Georgia's theme (always embodying a natural element) for this year was wind, and boy did we take it to the next level!


The centerpiece of the event was a tree branch which Michelle found in her yard. She used colorful pieces of fabric that we sell by the yard,  cut the fabric into strips, and tied them on. It really set the tone for the wind theme, as well as coordinated with the existing artwork and the invitations that Earthshare of Georgia gave us as inspiration.


Here's a closeup. It was pretty massive, but oh so beautiful.


The event space also had two super huge pieces of artwork that
 we used as inspiration for a coordinated seating area.


How perfect are these colors?!? We used  Klippan sofas, the IKEA PS Gullhomen rocking chairs, Marius stools, and Sigurd benches. Check out the strips of fabric - really indicative of wind.


So pretty, right?


This large piece of artwork (Yes, it's a man in undies with wings. Angel perhaps?) 
was hung directly across from the blue horse.


Cool side, warm side, get it? Same furniture, different colorway.


Adorable, right?


This was the larger space behind the curtain in the first and second photos.
 We thought that this space deserved some day beds.


So that's exactly what we created! But our budget was super tight, so we had to improvise on exactly how we were going to create that luscious daybed effect. We ended up using three of our least expensive twin beds with mattresses and filling them with various textiles from our range. We also used  the IKEA PS Vago chairs from our summer range. 


Extra cushy.


More IKEA PS Gullhomen chairs for an intimate seating area off to the side.


This project was so fun to work on and  learned so much from Michelle! Her coordination of the range is insanely awesome and her light-hearted personality makes her a blast to work with. 
Here's to other fun projects in the future! :)




While in Charleston, Brandon and I visited the historical area of the city known as King Street. For those of you who may be unfamiliar, King Street is divided into 3 areas - the design district (home furnishing stores, design firms etc.), the fashion district (clothes for every age and style), and the antiques district (with well... lots of antiques) which all form a huge "strip" of sorts with restaurants and bars laced throughout. Of course I was super excited about the design and fashion districts so that was where we spent most of our time. And it may seem a little weird, but these days I'm far less interested in taking pictures of us (you know that whole hold the camera up -or in my case the cell phone - and take a picture of both of us for Facebook's sake). I prefer to capture things that inspire me, particular design and architecture. So if you're looking for smile and pose pics, sadly there will be none. Anyhoo, by far the most amazing architecture belonged to Urban Outfitters that was housed in a gorgeous historical building on King Street. Allow me to elaborate -



The entrance looked like it was pulled from a lecture in our art history class! 
 I kept thinking, "Where have I seen this?" It looks eerily similar to the Basilica of Maxentius. So beautiful.


Weaved wire at the cash wrap.


The juxtaposition of the wrought iron railing and old brick was so stunning.
 You know I'm all about the sales at Urban Outfitter, so I had to go check it out.


This was the view from upstairs. Massive chandelier, or what?



This is where they were keeping the sale goodies. Believe it or not, these buckets are sitting in front of a huge piece of glass. It was just that clear. Looks like you can just walk back there.


Of course it wouldn't be UO if there wasn't some cool woodworking involved. 
I wonder how long this took to construct.


Here's Brandon on the staircase. Check out that ceiling!


This was the opening to the dressing room. The friezes were breathtaking.


Here's the view of the sale balcony where I took the the first picture of the giant chandelier. 
The bottom layer is simply an observation deck, and the top platform is used for the sale merchandise.


Empty frames, simple and graphic


Dripping chandeliers over the dressing room area


Skylights over the dressing area


The chair and wall covering  inside my dressing room. After some googling, I found out that the building used to house Charleston's Garden Theatre, and they did a wonderful job preserving the details. Read about it here. Oh, Urban Outfitters, you never cease to amaze me!



Since the very beginning our office has been the catch-all room. But I promised myself this time around that things would be very different. Not only would it be a nice place to surf the web, it would also serve as a place to be inspired, have guests sleep over if necessary, and store books, crafts supplies, and computer equipment (like most home offices). I've toyed around with a lot of different ideas, but I've finally come up with a concrete plan for how it's all going to go down. Allow me to introduce... 





The curtains are a lovely print called Janette that I've been in love with for a while.While in in Charleston, Brandon and I stumbled upon an Earthbound Trading Company store that was having a blowout on their canvas prints. We bought "the world" for only $60 (originally $120). It's actually perfect for the Karlstad chaise that we bought back in December. I purchased the Trollsta cabinet a while back to accommodate Brandon's shoes in our old apartment, but It's never been done up right. The pillows are a combination of Urban Outfitters, IKEA, and Target. The lamp will replace the classic college "Not" lamp that somehow made it into our grown-up apartment. And finally the cart will someday hold my sewing machine and other accoutrements.  

Here's a little sneak preview.


More to come! :)
Easter weekend Brandon and I ventured off to Charleston, SC to get away for a bit. We had a blast just enjoying each other and relaxing. Of course I took some pictures of our little escapade... you know, just in case you were curious. 

We stayed in what I now like to refer to as the "way too over-rated Aloft hotel (a vision of W hotels)". If you've been reading my blog since the beginning, you probably remember me writing about it here. Well, the Charleston location sadly did not live up to all the hotel hype. Maybe as an independent hotel that would have been okay, but not one that is affiliated with the W, or Starwood for that matter. This was mostly due to the fact that the owners were simply not taking care of it. Furniture in the lounge and finishes in our room (such as the carpet and paint) were sporting that "we need to be touched-up / replaced look", and it just killed it for me. Lovely design, horrible maintenance. But I've gotta be a Positive Patty about my surroundings! Here are some of the design highlights. 


Fun, bright artwork


Full circle reception area (I dig the synthesizer applique at the bottom too).


Outside lounge area


Coil curtains


"Liquid lava" floor tiles in the elevator - my hubby noticed them!


Double-sided fireplace


Striped doors on sliding tracks to hide the alcohol while the bar was closed


L.E.D. lights under the bar



 Bright slot for the pool sticks.


Banquette seating in the lobby - disheveled of course.


Huge cylinder ottoman


Small, creamy banquette

But we didin't stay in the hotel the whole time! Stay tuned for part deux! :)



So it's an understatement to say that I've been up to a lot lately. Work, play, design, you know... living the life. Here are some amazing interiors that I captured during the W Hotel High Style High Rise Home Tour that I attended with a friend of mine. The premise? Several well-known high-end designers in the Atlanta area were paired with high-end home furnishing retailers to design a residence in the W. Triple exposure - designers get their work out there, retailers get their products out there, the hopefully the W will get more buyers for their plush pads. Yeah, I didn't know that the W had residences either... but for a cool $450,000 to well over a million dollars, you too can own a 2bed/2bath condo within the confines of a gorgeous boutique hotel. Here are some of the highlights.



Serengeti in the city! I love the large-scale art and anything furry.
 Oh, and believe it or not, that's patchwork animal hide on the floor. 


I dig the idea of a settee at the dining table. There's just something so cozy about it.


All columns cry out for art. The Light fixtures are cool too - very porcupine-ish, but in a cool way.


Scrawling art over the bed, and why not, take up a whole wall in the bedroom with just one print.


I love the mix of chairs at the dining table. And I should also mention that where the designer chose to place them was very interesting. Oh, and yes, I sat in the huge ones. And yes, they were ridiculously comfortable.


Wall vinyl stickers in the half bath. (Shout out to my home girl Brandeis! She was the first one I knew to do this.) I also dig that this small space was painted black.


How would you like to have dinner next to this view every night? Yeah, me too. And the floor lamp over the table is pretty cool. That's always an easy and practical alternative to a traditional wired fixture. 


 Again, it's all about the view.


And I had to throw this one in here because it was crazy mad that someone could actually walk into their condo everyday and see this view. Yes people, that's I75/I85! Sends chills up my spine...


Magazine coffee table - can't wait to try this with someone. Such a great idea. 
All you need is a piece of glass and all those magazines you've been hoarding.


 Red in the bathroom. So luxe. 



Okay, I just thought that this was the coolest / simple idea, and it really stuck with me.
 Jars for your lipstick and nail polish. Easy way to add color and organization to your bathroom.


Color, color, color! So feminine and pretty.


I had to through this one in here. This mural was commissioned for a this particular condo space. Kinda cool, but kinda scary. Oh, and I saw my fellow alum at the tour, too. Hey, Cate!


Jewel tones, day beds, tufted ottomans, and an ostrich. 
What more could you ask for? Pretty coral fixture too. 


I love a fluffy ottoman and a printed chair.
Oh, and check out that nail head detail around the bookcase. So chic.


This seating area was curtained off to create an office on the other side. Forgot to take a picture, but I can assure you that it was fab. The artwork is linked and suspended from the ceiling.


Traditional nightstands not your style, or need your space to do double duty? Try a chest of drawers on one side and a desk / vanity on the other. Just keep the scale of the furniture the same.


Flanking the sofa with industrial shelving lays the foundation for a sleek focal wall. Just add art and accessories. Kinda reminds me of my post looks like money.

Lastly, I would like to give a shout out too all of the designers who created these lovely spaces. To learn more about them click here. Check you later!