TALENT: Jumping on the Nate Berkus Bandwagon

I've been hearing the name "Nate Berkus" dropped here, there, and everywhere for the past while. But without cable and a lack of patience for Youtube, I haven't really seen his work to judge for myself. I just know that he's loved on the blogosphere and is very pro-DIY on his show.

As with anything popular where I didn't jump on the initial bandwagon, I'm always hesitant to try it out. Harry Potter, Trueblood, chevron stripes, and the current Izayaka craze in Toronto come to mind. If I get into it now, will I be able to make an objective decision or is it just repetitive exposure to the craze that's influencing me? Is it really all that awesome or 50% hype?

That's why it was quite a pleasant surprise to come across a beautiful One-Day Makeover feature in this month's House Beautiful and only connect the Nate Berkus in this feature to THE Nate Berkus. Not sure why it didn't click instantly but I'm glad for the temporary brain freeze. Because I came to the (objective) conclusion that yeah, that guy is pretty good!

BEFORE & AFTER






THE FINAL PRODUCT


This certainly isn't a dramatic makeover. No dilapitated house turned model home here. But this has to be one of my favourite makeovers for how useful it is to the everyday home dweller on a budget.

Sure there are beautiful spaces featured in every magazine, but I find it hard to recreate many of them because they are just so dramatic or call for too many changes to furniture or structure.

This article shows you how minor furniture changes, use of accessories and thoughtful arrangement can really complete a room. Upon seeing the room for the first time, this was what Nate had to say:

•Eclectic is fine, and I love certain pieces, like those leather chairs. But if you want people to gather here, the room needs to be more comfortable.

•Let's get a sofa to anchor the seating area and give you another reason to come in.

•Bare walls make the room feel cold. I'm going to get something to go over the fireplace.

•It's missing that last layer of detail that adds texture and warmth, like throw pillows. Everything seems to stand alone. We're going to pull it together."

And folks, this is why he's the professional and I'm not. I find it easy to work big. To create the general layout of a room, come up with a color palette, etc. but it's hard to "complete" the space. There's always that something-something that's missing but I can't put a finger to it. Every comment he had about the house above made me go, "Ahh, so that's what it was". In short, I can tell something's missing but he can tell what that is.

Check out the article on House Beautiful's website for additional photos from the day and Nate's thought process in putting this room together. CLICK HERE!.

Are you a fan of Nate Berkus? Has he done other work that you particularly like? Please share them! I'd love to see.

A Cosmic Encounter

I came across glassblower Sean Clayton's beautiful and mesmerizing creations through a Featured Seller's interview on Etsy.com and just had to share. Aren't they beautiful?

images courtesy of SCGlassStudio

If you're wondering what exactly you're looking at, these are large marbles handmade from borosilicate glass and the manipulation of 99.999% pure silver fume and particles. When the piece is almost complete it is allowed to cool to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit then is brought back up to a specific temperature. This action "strikes" the silver producing the different colors you see.*

What I find really fascinating are not only the pieces themselves but that Sean is self-taught and is now a full-time glassblower. It's really inspiring to read about artists who were able to take their craft from a hobby to a full-time career, even more so when they did not train for it.

To read the full interview with Sean Clayton and to see more of his work in his Etsy Shop: SCGlassStudio, click here.

*description taken from SCGlassStudio

TALENT: Fawn Galli Interiors

I came across the first photo with the luscious green curtains and fell in love. I would never have thought to choose such a color but it's just absolutely PERFECT. I had to find out who designed this place!

After some digging, I discovered that the room was designed by Fawn Galli of Fawn Galli Interiors in New York City. Not surprisingly, her work has been featured in two of my favourite magazines - House Beautiful and the now defuncted but very much missed Domino.

What I love about Fawn's work is her fearless use of colors and her ability to work with various styles - mid-century modern, country, minimalist, bohemian, eclectic, etc. I also love how she adds a pop of bright pink to many of her rooms using everything from pillows to art to fresh flowers. It's one of my favorite accent colors and I'm quite partial to this detail she adds.












all images found via google

I highly recommend a visit to her website at www.fawngalli.com for her portfolio of works.

TALENT: We Live Like This

I love Wayne McGill & Chad Farquharson of We Live Like This's Vancouver apartment. It's obviously not a large apartment (700sq feet!), but this couple has created such interesting and unique rooms that it feels bigger than it is. Each room is in itself a highlight and instead of blending together, they give this home the illusion of having many rooms.

I've read over and over again that not-so-secret designer trick of keeping wall and decor colors similar to create flow between rooms and thus creating a more spacious feel. Wayne & Chad have gone the complete opposite but in my opinion, achieved the same result with a lot more fun.

While I'm a little less adventurous (hello, fan of the monochromatic monolithic Restoration Hardware fall catalog here!) than these two, I do appreciate how much fun their space is. It's obviously personal and really, at the end of the day, isn't that what we should be striving for in our own homes?








photos courtesy of Style at Home

Original article at StyleatHome.com.