Crushing on Tommy Smythe

Every saturday afternoon I religiously DVR all my favorite HGTV shows and lazily lounge on my couch relaxing.  My favorite shows (besides Color Splash and Candice Olsen) are Sarah's House and Design Inc. I love watching the dynamic duo, Sarah Richardson and Tommy Smythe, remodel and redecorate fabulous spaces.  I love their creativity and quirky personalities, and I especially love Tommy's quick wit (his dandy sense of style rocks too)!

I about fell over when I saw Tommy's recent project in House and Home.  I love how he mixes traditional elements with a gentleman's haberdashery.  Zebra, houndstooth, and gray wool fabrics are so warm and cozy, but I especially love how he offsets these with glossy black walls, crisp white trim and lots of dark wood.  

This gold mirror hangs perfectly over the sofa.

I love the look of round mirrors grouped together up the stairs, gives it an aged look.

This bathroom packs so much punch for such a small space!  I love when a small powder room has a surprise element like this zig-zag pattern in yellow, black and gray! 

Loving the pops of orange mixed with navy!  This is fast becoming one of my favorite color combos!

Are you dying over the kitchen yet?  He perfectly blended gold hardware with classic chrome faucets.  That floor is beyond stellar!

I want that red Chesterfield and I love the mix of gray, black and gold.  

 Lots of crisp black and white, seriously I want to move in here!!!!

In My 'Hood

I've been meaning to write about Chris Barrett's Brentwood home that was on the cover of House Beautiful this summer, and here we are in Fall now and I figured, better late than never.  So here's the deal:  I about died when I saw this cover!  I walk by this house every time I take little Barron on our neighborhood walks (there's an adorable little 1200 sq. ft colonial style with a white picket fence on the same street listed for just under a million$ that I've had my eye on all summer).  So when I saw that front door with those crawling flowers I knew exactly which house was hers!

It got me thinking that I would love to live in a cozy little house, that was perfectly mapped out with little nooks to curl up in and read.  Everything has it's place and there's definitely no place for clutter and crap when you live in 1000 sq. ft, which I like.  I love a dining room that has built ins and lots of books.  It just creates conversation and thoughts and who doesn't love a banquette like the one above???

I love the dark rich woods and lots of white!  The perfect balance of texture and clean lines.  I would love to just lay here, light the fire and drink wine.

The kitchen is my favorite part by far!  The floor to ceiling subway tiles, white marble and dark cabinets are so homey.  Don't you just want to pick some oranges from the trees outside and juice them??  This is the California I love and this kitchen is the epitome of casual, healthy living that we love in California.

I love the open shelves with everything easily at hand.  I adore a white kitchen but this one makes me remember why I love dark rich woods as well.  There's something so earthy about this kitchen that feels really comfortable, yet refined and sophisticated at the same time.  It's romantic and I like that.

 White tufted bed and white sheets is perfection.

Dining al fresco year round with the cool breezes floating off the Pacific is what makes this whole picture perfect.  I can't describe to you how beautiful this neighborhood smells in the summer and winter.    There are fruit trees in everyone's yards, gardenias and night jasmines blooming, and the sun shines year round.  

The temperature rarely gets above 82 degrees and under 60, which (to me) perfectly justifies the million dollar plus price tag it costs to live in this adorable neighborhood.    

Inspiring Designer: Greg Natale

Images via Greg Natale and Pinterest

Daydream

Guess what I'm doing this weekend??  Absolutely nothing and I like it!  Oh what I would give to wake up (late) on a saturday morning with fresh air blowing through my room, with a view like this, and coffee, a croissant, my favorite reads, and the sun shining on my face.  Oh wait a minute, I hear the baby crying and the laundry needs to be done....if only in my dreams, this is what heaven looks like to me these days.

My dream starter house...

A couple nights a week my husband and I like to take walks through the back streets of our sleepy Brentwood neighborhood. We always pass by this house and I think it would be the perfect starter house for us! Well, it just went on the market and for a cool $1,325,000 you can have this 2 bedroom 2 bath, 1700 sq. ft home right off Montana Avenue by the Brentwood Country Club!
I can imagine having year long BBQs on this patio and entertaining outdoors all the time! How perfect does the teak furniture look!!?? You can't beat the mild Mediterranean weather complete with the smell of fruit trees and beachy breezes that comes with living on the West Side. It even comes with a guest house that would be perfect for a little design studio! Sigh...a girl can dream!