Kyrimai Hotel

05.07.2012

Is it possible that I haven’t dreamed up a Salvaged Getaway to Greece yet? It seems too unreal to believe! With the days having been so grey recently, sailing off the blue shores of Greece sounds quite ideal.

The Kyrimai Hotel, about four hours south of Athens, seems a good place to start. For one, the views are stunning, day or night. But my favorite parts are the interior stone walls, beams and the washed out linens and fabrics. The design of the structure feels almost medieval, but the room textures and accoutrements take the space to such a relaxed contemporary place. I normally go for rooms with a bit more color, but I’m totally digging this situation. Perhaps I’m spellbound by the sea. I believe that could happen.

Words

Images via Kyrimai Hotel

NOLA

05.04.2012

Everyone kept telling me I’d love New Orleans. And everyone was right, I definitely did. Old, historic buildings with a lot of charm and personality win me over every time. I love that it was possible to forget that I was in an American city and perhaps instead on some side street in Paris or even Buenos Aires, exploring a foreign land. I love that there was history on every corner and I wasn’t even mad about the cobblestones being clearly not conducive for platform heels. I love how engaged people are in the city – from the buskers all over the French Quarter sidewalks to the friendly people in the stores and restaurants. The only thing I can’t quite comprehend is how people live tucked away inside houses with those giant door sized shutters. Don’t get my wrong, I love the shutters but… isn’t it dark in there?

Yes, my trip to New Orleans, my first introduction to the old girl, was quite something. Thank you to Emmy, Em Ab, T and Caroline for making it a trip to remember and to Swirls and Brooke for planning this amazing weekend for us all. I appreciate and adore these ladies so much.

Happy weekend to all!

Biloxi and New Orleans Places

05.02.2012

Over the weekend, we visited or saw quite a few places that peaked my interest. Here are just a few:

My cousin, Em, and I flew into Mobile on Friday where we met up with our friend Swirls* who lives in Biloxi on the Gulf Coast. Swirls had to run a secretive bachelorette party errand so she dropped Em and I off at Mary Mahoney’s for an afternoon beverage. The story of Mary Mahoney’s is that it was built in the 1730s and then opened as the “old french restaurant” in the 1960s by one Mary Mahoney. The space itself consists of an beautiful white house, a wine cellar (that is currently the bar) and a idyllic courtyard. We chose to spend our afternoon outside, enjoying the light breeze and a glass of wine.

*My iPhone incorrectly corrected my friend’s name to Swirls, henceforth she shall be known by that name.

On Saturday morning, my gang of rock stars had brunch at The Court of Two Sisters. The two sisters, Emma and Bertha Camors, born 1858 and 1860 respectively, belonged to a proud and aristocratic Creole family. They ran a notions shop on the site, which was previously the home to five governors. The building is now home to a fabulous brunch place, with an unending buffet of breakfast delights. At the beginning of our meal, we were encouraged to go through the line at least four times. Especially interesting to me was the front hallway which featured the four flags that ruled over New Orleans throughout the years: Spain, France, the Confederate States, and the United States.

We hit a lot of traffic on the drive into New Orleans, which gave us optimal time for reading up on New Orleans’ most haunted places. Some days later, while waiting for dinner at Mona Lisa, we found ourselves standing in front of the LaLaurie Mansion, reportedly one of the most haunted houses in New Orleans. I’d tell you the story but I’m actually getting creeped out just writing this. So if you’re into horrific ghost stories read up on it. If you’re a big chicken, like I am, enjoy these photos of the home when Nicolas Cage was the owner back in 2009. It looks much less scary from this perspective.

Interiors of LaLaurie House via Examiner

New Orleans Antiquing

05.01.2012

Hello! I’m back from New Orleans and luckily not too worse for wear. My girlfriends created an amazing celebration and, most importantly, I was surrounded by friendships that are longstanding and fulfilling. If you follow me on Twitter (or want to check out my flurry of tweets from the weekend) you can get a sense of the fun that was had.

I’m not sure how we covered all that we did in two days: dinners out at Marigny and Mona Lisa Restaurant, jazz brunch at The Court of Two Sisters, afternoon at Jazzfest, singing along at the Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop piano bar, cocktails at the Hotel Roosevelt bar, breakfast at Cafe Dumonde… and we managed to squeeze in some shopping here and there.

One of the first shops we came upon was the gorgeous Antiques de Provence, which reads like a page out of the blog Velvet and Linen. More and more, I’m getting into (what I would call) a french/swedish hybrid design style -some combination of the whitewashed feel of swedish interiors with the pretty lines of french antiques. Were I executing that vision in my own home, I’d start with these classic french pieces. I love the scale of those big armoires and large garden urns, the detail of the chairs with their nailheads, and the overstuffed bergeres may be on my lifetime design must-buy list.

At the total other end of the spectrum (and kinda the other end of the French Quarter) sits a junk shop called Greg’s Antiques. Affordable and chock full of antiques, vintage and salvaged pieces, this is one of those place you’d want to spend a day wading through. They had a surprisingly large selection of giant drums that would be so cute as a low side table or nightstand. But I was most transfixed with an old yearbook, that belonged to a geeky looking sophomore named Steven, who was dating either a hot senior named Judy or a Judy in his class. Had I more time, I’d have rooted through the book to solve the mystery.

They’ve got some good antiquing in New Orleans! On my next trip I hope to get to spend even more time exploring the local shops.

Images via Antiques de Provence and Greg’s Antiques

Soniat House

04.16.2012

What a beautiful weekend! Spring in New York is so delightful, especially when it feels more like a mild summer. This season also kicks off a busy time for me… BC’s birthday is next weekend and I have a few surprises in store for him, my mom’s coming for Mother’s Day weekend in May, and between now and then I’ll be (finally) tackling some of the more important wedding details (*cough*, save the dates!) and heading down to New Orleans for my bachelorette party the last weekend in April. And unbeknownst to us (at first anyways), we’ll be there the same weekend as Jazzfest, can you believe the luck!?

I’ve never been to New Orleans before and I’m so excited to soak up the history of this city! The countdown begins with today’s Salvaged Getaway to Soniat House, a historic hotel in the French Quarter. The Soniat House is comprised of three townhouses of guest suites, all outfitted with antiques handpicked from around the world by the owners Rodney and Francis Smith. You can be assured every detail has been through out and the spaces carefully pulled together (evidence below). Even if you aren’t planning a trip to New Orleans, you can (and should) get your fill of Soniat House in their online antiques store. There’s a painted banquette that has my name all over it.

Images via Soniat House

Caton Avenue

04.09.2012

Even though we’re not planning to move anytime soon, I like to keep an ever-watchful eye on the Brooklyn real estate market. I’m not sure why, sometimes it feels like self-imposed torture. For instance, a few months ago I came across a property that had me convincing BC we should forget the big wedding and instead buy this house. It was actually affordable – by NY standards, anyways! The property is not too far from our neighborhood but in a bit of a thoroughfare with less shops and stores than we have now. But that was about the only downside. Ladies and gentleman, may I introduce you to Caton Avenue, the Brooklyn house of my dreams.

Aside from the airyness of the space and the handsome exterior, there’s a garage, 4 bedrooms, outdoor space and a full basement that could potentially serve as a rental income apartment. I can’t stop looking at the floorplan without imagining what I’d want to do in that kitchen. See where I drew the two red circles, those areas are my main locations for attack. And since I’m completely consumed with the idea of renovating this property, I thought I’d show you my “plans” for the space. This almost seems sad doesn’t it? Imagining the renovation of a house that’s not yours – sigh. On the upside, it does get my creative juices flowing…

Let’s start with the floorplan. This gives you a bird’s eye view of what I’d want to do. Mainly I’d make a minor tweak to the structure of the pantry so that you have a better view from the front door out the back and, the big change; to blow out that old school wall/bar and replace it with a huge kitchen/dining island. Since there’s little to no cabinet space, the other wall of the dining room would be fitted with custom floor to ceiling shelves framing a dining area.

Here’s a little more detail and visuals on each section of the space.

First order of business, creating that clear line of vision to the back door. And replacing that old wood framed door with something both heftier and more modern.

The kitchen wall isn’t a large space. I’d want it accommodate a larger fridge and a beautiful stove. I love the idea of tiling the wall with shiny, white subway tiles and then using the space to the left of the stove/oven to hang a gorgeous photograph or painting. I really want kitchens to feel like a room and decorated as such.

I’m not sure about the materials for the cabinets/countertop. Maybe a sleek wood with a white granite countertop? Or a matted black with a butcher block wood style countertop?

The kitchen island should feel almost like a piece of furniture, in fact, it could potentially be a huge, salvaged chest that is repurposed and re-designed to accommodate a sink, dishwasher, a bar, and all kinds of other custom elements. I might use different materials than the kitchen wall, but definitely they’d be coordinating.

Then there’s the wall of the dining room. Since the kitchen is so small, I’d create a lot of storage with a built in cabinet/shelf unit that has a center opening for a dining bench. I’d want the cabinets to almost create a frame for the dining bench and table.

As for the dining table, I could go for a chunky, organic wood slab table or something more modern, like the table below from Arta Vironi that I’ve had a crush on for some time! The dining bench should essentially be a sofa. The idea is that the room be fitting of formal occasions, but also be perfect for BC sitting there with his laptop, comfy while he works.

Then, finally, and I don’t know why I didn’t cover this at the beginning but the pantry would feel flush with the fridge and be perfectly organized and functional.

I wish I’d created a kickstarter campaign to buy that house. Wouldn’t you have liked to see that renovation take place?! We have a great deal on our rent so it makes sense to keep saving a few more years before investing in a house, especially with the wedding coming up. But still… It’s hard to believe a property like this will come to market again!

One final note, Salvaged Grace is all about repurposing and preservation, of course, but I also believe in renovations that keep the integrity of a space while making it more modern and relevant. That’s how I’d want to approach this or any renovation; keep the good bones and repurpose (kitchen island) or salvage (cabinets, appliances) as much as possible, but also bring in the right new elements to make a very lovely, modern traditional space.

Caton Avenue photos and floorplan via Halstead. Back Door: See from the front door to back via Heirloom, Modern iron french doors via You are the River/Vogue Kitchen area: White Tile via That Kind of Woman, Cabinets to the ceiling via House and Home, Impressive hood via Little Green Notebook, Large scale framed photo via The Aestate, Wood cabinets via Brabourne Farm, Black cabinets via Two Ellie Island Bar: Furniture like island via CocoCozy , Wood counter and painted Island via House Beautiful, Table lamps of island via Atlanta Homes, Custom elements via Southern Living Custom Cabinets/Shelves: Custom cabinets via Elements of Style, Cabinets frame bench via The City Sage Bench and Table: High back bench via Cote de Texas, Framed bench via This is Glamorous, Dream Table via Arta Vironi, Chair via Nightwood, Sofa via CS Post and Co Pantry: Flush Doors via Southern Living, Highly organized via IHeartOrganizing

Repop NY

04.03.2012

Oooh, I’ve been so in love with Repop NY for a super long time. They have incredible mid century and industrial pieces. But (and I’m ashamed to say this) I just never made it over to their Washington Ave, Brooklyn store. Recently, I saw on their website (that I stalk so frequently for vintage loot) that they opened a Williamsburg store. Ca-ching! I also noticed something in their storage section that needed some checking out. And so, I asked BC to take me on a date night to see The Artist (so good!), which was playing at the Nitehawke Cinema (they serve dinner during the movie – phenomenal), which happens to be a few blocks down from the new Repop Williamsburg. And here are images from the new shop and some pieces I found and love from their online store:

I noticed that Repop seems to have a good number of multiple use pieces right now. A picnic table that folds. A fan in a table. Oh Repop, you know what I like.

And as for that “something in their storage section that needed some checking out”… well, it also needed some having. As in ME, I needed to have it. I’m still working out the styling and decor in the kitchen, but here’s a sneak peek of my new find in action.

Images via Salvaged Grace and Repop NY

Chateau Marmont

04.02.2012

Let me preface this by saying “hello, again!” to the Salvaged Grace subscribers who were lost in transition from the old website design to the new. BC saved the day by finally cracking the code to getting the RSS feed emails up and running again. Thank you BC! And WELCOME BACK friends, I’ve missed you!

One of my favorite movies is Laurel Canyon. It’s a story about a guy and his med school girlfriend who move out to the Laurel Canyon area of LA to stay in his mother’s house for the summer. But, unexpectedly, his music producer mother is still at the house, producing a new album and cavorting with the lead singer/guitarist, who’s a bit cheeky and half her age. And… things get complicated. The cast is unbelievable (Frances McDormand, Christian Bale, Alessandro Nivola, Kate Beckinsale), the story is complex and interesting, and the setting, high in the hills of Lauren Canyon, is bohemian perfection.

The story culminates during a party in a suite at the Chateau Marmont. This hotel really doesn’t need any introduction – since the 20′s, Chateau Marmont has been the setting of many of Hollywood’s most scandalous stories . And the elegant, though somewhat shabby, design of the spaces are meant to convey a hotel steep in history.

Below you’ll find images of beautiful Chateau interiors paired with some of the most shocking stories happening offscreen in Hollywood. Glittering as it may be, the Chateau has its fair share of dirty laundry.

Dirt on the Chateau gathered from Wikipedia, Daily Mail, Flavorwire, NY Times, Hotel Chatter. Images via Chateau Marmont. Images (from top) via The Aesthetic Omnivore, Concierge, My Motels, Telegraph, AOL, TripAdvisor, Virtual Tourist

Delphi Lodge

03.19.2012

How can you tell it’s St. Patricks Day? Well, that would be the steady stream of pictures friends dressed in green on your Facebook newsfeed. We kept it low key this holiday, observing the celebration from afar.

But green hills were close as I learned of the Delphi Lodge, which may be the most idyllic sporting lodge in life. I want to go there. I want to wear those crazy fishing outfits with the suspenders and big boots. I want to come back to the lodge after a long day exploring the land, and sit by the fire drinking beer and playing cards. And I want to wake up in the morning, put on a cable knit sweater, walk out to the end of the lake pier, drink hot tea and just breathe in the air.

Totally into the fishing paraphernalia. And the striped wallpaper. And how the furniture looks slightly too aged.

Big fan of the black fireplaces. And I don’t generally coo over the cuteness of animals but that sheep is ridiculous.

Images via Delphi Lodge

Rough.South.Home.

03.05.2012

When repurposing and reclaiming is done right… well, it’s probably done by Clarke Titus, the owner of Rough.South.Home. His work may be made with reclaimed wood or salvaged metal, but it feels all new. Completely fresh and modern. Even sophisticated, which is definitely not something you’d necessarily expect in working with salvaged material. I suppose there is something to Clarke’s claim that “everything that is worth doing, is worth overdoing.” Apparently, “overdoing” means absolute perfection.

How did Rough South Home get started? Why did you specifically decide to work with salvaged and reclaimed materials?

From 2006 to 2011, I built, renovated, and maintained retail stores for a major multi-national company. I did their SouthEast stores. I learned so much. Not just about work, but about living and working crazy third shift hours in some of the major Southern cities. We (my wife and I) have traveled a bunch and lived all over, but this job forced me to see things and places and strangeness I never would have experienced on my own. Like most things, it was fun until it wasn’t fun anymore.

When work with them slowed down I got a chance to finally focus on my own house, a small 1925 bungalow in Atlanta. The first big task was to re-do the kitchen. My wife and I just wanted to re-work the low ceiling, but we ended up gutting and re-doing everything. It was great to have a totally blank slate to do whatever we wanted. We took everything out and went from there. People saw what I did and encouraged me to keep doing it. So last fall I started RSH, and it has been the best thing I have ever done for myself. I love it. I am unemployable anyway.

I started making pallet furniture for my own backyard about 5 or 6 years ago. We have a massive water oak in our backyard and limbs would drop and just smash any outdoor furniture we bought. I got tired of wasting money on replacements so I built a coffee table and 2 chairs out of pallets. Now when a limb drops on them it just bounces off.

I love the stories that come with reclaimed and salvaged material, the history behind each piece. I understand what I’m doing is hugely popular right now, and that is amazing. I just want people to be a little more wary of buzzwords and terminology that get thrown around. I think upcycled and reclaimed are becoming just tag words now. Can you reclaim something from Homedepot? Can you upcycle a bagel into a pendant light? They have no meaning. I love edison bulbs, too, but let’s be realistic; they aren’t even close to the only option.

To be honest, i chose to use salvaged and reclaimed materials because its what I had available. It was on-hand and cheap. Ingenuity was just code for poverty. Now if I choose to use salvaged it is because the material allows me to create a narrative with the piece. And I love the hunt. But I also love all kinds of lumber. Wood is persuadable. A good lumberyard is just as much fun to dig through as a good scrap yard.

I won’t take any holier than thou environmental stance, but the fact of the matter is that there is a tremendous amount of waste out there. If I can turn that waste into something beautiful then I feel like I’ve succeeded. I’m a huge fan of second chances.

What is an average day like at Rough South Home? Whats your process?

I wake up and head straight to my backyard. I start all of the furniture out back. The whole backyard is a workshop for me. No drawings, I just get out there and mess around until I like what it is front of me. If it’s raining or too cold, I’ll head inside to work on lighting. I try to make the rounds and hunt for materials at least once a month. I love Nashville and Charleston for road trips, but I’ll go anywhere. I need to have a bunch of different things on hand; I get into phases. I’m coming out of a table phase, thankfully, because I’m running out of room in my house. But when I get sick of looking at old railway wood, which is rare, I can do some concrete pieces, or work on regular lumber, or do some lighting. There is always something for me to do. It is kind of common knowledge with my friends that I don’t know when to stop, and that’s true, but to me everything worth doing is worth overdoing. I’ll be the first to admit it; i’m obsessed with what I make and it’s hard for me to stop until the piece is finished and it’s where I want it to be. I have to love it.

Of all the pieces you’ve made, which is your favorite and why?

My favorite piece of all time: right now, no doubt is a dining table i made with wormy white oak and rusty pipe. I got this incredible wormy white oak from a local forest free lumber yard, pretty and rare stuff. I joined up the table top, cut the apron, shaped the legs, and i knew from the beginning that i wanted to do something different. I had lengths of rusty pipe from some old streetlights i had found at a local scrap yard so i decided to imbed them into the legs, under the apron to make a second apron, but also strengthening the whole thing. It was so exacting, and i remember being in the backyard as all the pieces came together. My neighbor, who is an amazing stonemason and a big support system for me, came over and helped me flip it over. When that thing was flipped over I was absolutely stunned. To me, it’s perfect. I’ve never seen anything like it.

My “dirty cars” Georgia railway series table is a close second, just because every ounce of wood in or on that table came from the original boxcar. The legs are huge posts that were bolted into the boxcar. The planks were nailed to them. You can see where the bolts lived.

Where do you live or work in Atlanta?

I live and work in Kirkwood. Its an old neighborhood halfway between downtown Atlanta and downtown Decatur. I have a shop on the way that’s a few blocks from my house. It’s a great spot.

Do you have any heirloom pieces in your home?

We have a thing for antique rugs. My wife’s mother and grandparents have given us many of them; we have at least one in each room. They are amazing. Really tie the rooms together.

See more of Clarke’s work in his Etsy shop. (Man, I wish I had space for that floating entry table!) Thanks so much Clarke!

Images via Rough.South.Home.