Really Beautiful Homes

I love to tour really beautiful homes so on any given Sunday, you might find me at a real estate open house.  The house above is located nearby in Creighton Farms which is a lovely gated community.  Although the home was completed a couple of years ago, it has never been lived in.  The craftmanship of this home is impeccable!  You had me at Habersham kitchen!!   When I asked the listing agent, Lisa Thompson (super friendly, by the way) what she loved about the house, she said there were too many details to list, but that the five fireplaces and multiple outdoor living areas were really what set this house apart. 
This is a golf course community.  The Jack Nicklaus signature golf course is recognized as one of the the premiere golf courses on the Eastern Seaboard.
Even if you can't travel to Leesburg, VA, you can take your own virtual tour here.
Contact Lisa Thompson if you want your own personal showing.
As of today, the home is listed at $2,999,999.

While I was in Creighton Farms, Lisa told me about another listing she had that was a little older but just as beautiful.  This one was in the neighborhood of Beacon Hill, which is also in Leesburg but at the opposite end.

Take the virtual tour here.  And see more photos, here.
If you are looking for a house that is traditional on the outside, but with contemporary touches inside, then this is the house for you!
What was truly striking about this home were the 12 foot ceilings! Even in parts of the basement! The dining room was expansive and light.
The pool area, the patio and the loggia were so inviting, especially in the 100 degree heat we had the day I was there.  This home had a very cool hand painted mural in the bar area and the largest home theatre I have ever seen.  You could host a movie viewing for, I don't know, about 75 people in there.  There was also a great bonus room over the garage which was a perfect teen hangout.
The home is listed at $1,699,000.
Contact Lisa Thompson.

The Finishing Touch

We added the finishing touch to this room.  A pillow made of Duralee fabric. 

Actually, two pillows did the trick.  This one is a bolster we call a Tootsie Roll.

It looks great on this extra long sectional!
Bolster fabric also by Duralee.

The Palladian Shelf - my new bff!

My new BFF is not very photogenic.  You will have to wait for the sequel to this story to see her real loveliness.
Have you ever had a Palladian window - a half circle over a rectangle - that needed covering? And then you realized that there was no piece of wood moulding to install the shade to?  Lots of newer Palladians have a mere piece of vinyl separating the top from the bottom.  If you have a window treatment that can't be installed into the sides of the window, you are in trouble.
This has happened to me before and it always seems to be in 2-story foyers or over bathtubs where the installation is more difficult to begin with.
Enter the Palladian shelf!

This beauty comes in several colors and stains or unfinished so you can customize the color yourself.

First you install this bracket horizontally on each side of your window where you want the shelf to go.

You can see where the shelf is notched to go around the bracket.  You just slide it on!

Side view of a shelf that has been slid on to the bracket.

And that's it. The shelf is extremely sturdy.  Now you can install the window treatment to the underside of the shelf.  In my case, I will be installing to both the underside AND the top. Stay tuned!
I think there could be plenty of other creative applications for this shelf.  Let me know what you think!
Shelf is from Graber.

A little inspiration

word.

Wine Shelf

We don't know what to call it, so it has become the Wine Shelf by default.

German made by a former Brit (he Brexited??) out of wine crates from the Bordeaux region of France.  It has a rustic wood top and whisper quiet slide out drawers. 
We started calling it the Wine Storage but we are not storing wine it it - although you could.

Here in the studio we are storing fabric samples. The top is perfect for laying out design schemes.
These wine shelves are available for order in all shapes and sizes. Some are double sided and make a great kitchen island. Some even have wheels. Let me know if you need me.  I assure you, you do!