See You Tonight!!!!

Come to Modern Market tonight for a fun party. You can shop after hours, and check out my new book House Proud. I will be signing copies.

From House Proud by Valorie Hart - Large paintings by fellow blogger Nicole Cohen of Sketch 42

It's TONIGHT Y'all Wednesday Nov. 6

See you tonight!!!

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Moving Art

There have been a couple of photo shoots at my house. That and the subtle feeling that the seasons are changing, got me moving things around again. Well, actually it's more like being a restless crazy decor maven, something you might know a thing or two about.

Sabina suggested I move the art around. So I did, and here a couple of photos. Where have all of you moved your art around to these days?

Moving art in the living room, - Symmetry rules the day! Swedish antique demi lune tables from Karla Katz. - This is the first time I have flanked this couch with a pair of lamps - "Quiet" art placed, not hung - Shades of white tell the story - Framed drawing (a portrait of moi done in 1985!) on the right by fashion illustrator  Mats Gustafson - All of the art was flipped from one side of the room to the other - Photo of the room by Valorie Hart

This is the view of living room with the way the art was hung before - It was more colorful -  Zak hot pink  tray - The portrait entitled "Audrey" by Ashley Longshore dominated one side, while a large  lithograph by Will Barnet entitled 'The Young Couple" balanced the other side of the couch - smaller portraits were stacked over the larger -The hot pink tray and the bold graphic pillows were changed out for a more quiet look as seen above - photo by Valorie Hart

The smaller portraits that were once stacked above "Audrey" and "The Young Couple" are now placed on the mid century Baker credenza, along with the portrait of a chair by Anne Harwell - The portrait on the left behind Anne's painting is of Michael Pelkey done by Letty Nowak  - "The Young Couple" now hangs where the portrait done of me by Mats was - The large lamps used to always be on this credenza, but I prefer them on the demi lune tables now - I like the way the art along with the vintage anatomy charts (and yes that is a mask on one of the skeletons) frames the flat screen TV to form a casual gallery wall of sorts, making the TV almost seem like another piece of art - The more graphic pillow moved from the couch to the orange chair - I retired a pair of Ikat pillows that have been in the living room for three years to the master bedroom - photo by Valorie Hart

"Audrey" moved to the opposite wall of where she was - "Marilyn" by Mario Ortiz, and "Cholo" by Patricia Van Essche remain as they were - perfect!  "Audrey" looks wonderful here, with the back drop of the Union Jack armoire (painted by Alberto and gifted to us by Sabina) - another graphic pillow (both from Modern Market) lands on the second orange chair - the Saarinen coffee table now resides as end table (the bench I recovered in white patent leather is now the "coffee table" with more room for Cholo and Kitty Kitty Bang Bang to play, and it's great to put one's feet upon it as well) - The tall lamp was made in Toledo, Spain, one of many props I had made for an event I designed in Madrid some years ago - It's been used both as a floor lamp and a tall table lamp - photo by Valorie Hart

 

 

 

A view of the opposite wall where both large portraits were flipped to - It's great to sit on the couch and look at these beauties photo by Valorie Hart

The long view into the living room - I think moving the art has changed it, don't you?

Another view of the living room to showcase the antique French settee - photo by Valorie Hart

So there you have it, the great art migration. Well not so huge really, since all the art stayed in the same room. But really, moving the art around is a sure fire and quick and easy way to refresh your rooms, and I thank Sabina for nudging me.

Portrait of The Visual Vamp Valorie Hart by Mats Gustafson

Help Me Decide

The curse of the decor addict! Our house is basically "done". Cute as a button and comfy. Made a few upgrades and changes in the process, and really there is nothing to do but to enjoy and maintain. So why oh why does the the restless eye try to find something else to do?

The Visual Vamp Living Room August 2011 - Put a fork in me, I'm done!

I have a photo shoot coming up, so I feel the need to refresh. Got a couple of cute pillows from Modern Market, and a lamp for the bedroom.

New pillows at The Visual Vamp from Modern Market - KKBB approves!

The Visual Vamp living room August 2011

Lamp in the bedroom from Modern Market - I spy a  Plexi tray with studs made by Nicole Cohen of Sketch 42

Moved the bedroom lamps to the bar set up in the dining room.

Nate Berkus mercury lamps on the bar set-up in The Visual Vamp dining room

Considered wallpaper in the living room on an accent wall, but nixed it. Considered taking down portraits and hanging two large abstract circle paintings, but nixed that too. Loved the green chair I borrowed from Modern Market for my TV segment, and dun dun dun, am considering replacing the white slip cover Parsons chairs in the dining room.

Fab green chair from Modern Market

Love the white chairs, but since we have adopted Kitty Kitty Bang Bang, there are little black paw prints and wisps of black cat fur to deal with. Me no likee wrestling off those slip covers to wash them (and wrestling them back on  the chairs).

White slipcovers on Parsons chairs that are in the dining room now

So I have been thinking about replacing the white chairs with a more modern chair. You know I love the mix of old and new, high and low. At first I thought about the classic white Eames chair with the wood Eiffel Tower legs. I love how they mix. They are such a classic that they are almost a new antique.

I think the  Eames chair would be fabulous!

My dear blog friends, and fellow decor mavens and addicts you are the only ones I can discuss this with.

Which chairs? Parsons are elegant and high back is super comfy - Green chairs are fresh and modern and mix well with my decor - is the back of the green chair profile too low - What do you think?????

Normal people don't get it. And perhaps even your eyes and ears are bleeding from boredom too, but HEY wake up and tell me what you think!

I can't make up my mind! This never happens to me!

Case Study: A Ten Year Old Boy's Room

I have been working on a house since last September, room by room, and today I am showing you an update of the little boy's room. He is ten. This was not as easy as you think. Ten is too young for some things, and too old for others.

The boy's bedroom "before"

I started by repainting the room in Winterwood, the same greige color used throughout the house. This is an interior room without any windows. I also changed the carpet, not only to refresh, but also because when the huge bookshelf was moved out, there was a patch of even older carpet under it, and needless to say it did not match. The carpet came from perch.

The "Nook" bed from Modern Market in New Orleans
Ceiling fan was replaced with Nelson bubble light

It was time to get rid of the bunk bed, and I chose a bed that can grow with him into adulthood, the queen size "Nook" bed from Modern Market. The little boy loves color, and his two favorites are orange and green. The ceiling fan was replaced by the Nelson bubble pendant (the large size) from Design Within Reach ion New Orleans ((504) 891-6520).

The Playroom "before"

I also worked on an adjoining room, called the playroom. It is very small, but large enough for a TV and some furniture. I replaced bean bag chairs with a pair of vintage chairs, and a sofa from Urban Outfitters.

Vintage chair from Neophobia in New Orleans

The chairs were reupholstered in orange velvet from Fabricut from perch.

A large wall hanging from Urban Outfitters was hung on the wall behind the couch, and another Nelson pendant light (the medium size) was hung above.

A pair of theses chairs were redone in a velvet from Frabricut

The Playroom "after"

View from the bedroom into the playroom "before"

View into the playroom from the bedroom "after"

Shelves from Blu Dot purchased at Modern Market were put against the wall where the bunk bed was. The boy has tons of Legos, and requested shelf space where he could store them and see them.

"Before" - We needed to get the Legos off the floor
The pine dresser was replaced with a vintage one

Blu Dot shelving from Modern Market for the Legos

When you purchase new furniture for children it is very easy to fall into the trap of the matched room. I like to do the mix I do everywhere else: Vintage, modern, antique.
I found an adorable vintage desk, dresser, and chair on Etsy from Rhan Vintage Modern HERE, and had it shipped from Los Angeles for this room.

Vintage desk, dresser and chair from Rhan Vintage Modern

The little boy was thrilled with his new desk. I have also ordered a rolling table in orange from Rosenberry.

The desk is in very good vintage condition. It just needed to be cleaned up. The little boy discovered "treasure" in the drawers! There was a vintage costume jewelry pearl necklace and vintage hankie that he gave to his mother. He also found a bottle of dried up India Ink. There was another object, something the young boy had never seen. It was a 45 record!!!!

In honor of that, I asked his mother to get him a record player for his new room. I suggested a vintage style one. She plans to build a record collection for him too. What records would you choose for him? The one he found is "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town".

The new record player
Also a peek at the new carpet

"Before" - This bookcase was given away...
And the vintage dresser was moved to this spot

"After" - This book shelf unit replaced it...

Check out the duck taxidermy!

I am showing you the bare bones of the room. There is more art to come, and of course the little boy will make it his own.

I added bedding from CB2, and mom added the hourglass with lime green sand. A pair of Stilt lamps rest on a pair of nightstands from Blu Dot.

I did choose several Blu Dot pieces, but I mixed the various styles they have, rather then matching them.

Bedding from Cb2 called "Ink"

Hourglass with lime green sand

I always like to leave a little gift in each room I complete, and for this young man I found a box of vintage pool balls I placed in a wire basket. He called me to thank me, and was pretty excited that a pool table might be coming too.

Modu-licious nightstand and Stilt lamp from Modern Market

I loved doing this room. There were unexpected challenges. I felt a different kind of responsibility for creating a room for a young person on his way to adulthood. I hope he will remember this room with fondness when he is grown up, and perhaps take some of this furniture with him.

My gift of vintage pool balls

Case Study: A Ten Year Old Boy's Room - Interior Design: Valorie Hart