I Love City Snow.

I was in sunny San Francisco when the first blizzard of the season hit NYC. I love a good snowstorm, so I hoped for another one, and it finally came. It snowed all night, so the first thing I did in the morning was run to my kitchen window to see how many recognizable forms had been transformed into amorphous marshmallows. 

The entire backyard was completely white, and the only movement came from birds fluttering and bouncing comically from flimsy branch to flimsy branch. The sun was doing that crazy thing where it peeks through the clouds and it looks as though Jesus himself is shining a light on Brooklyn. 

With all signs of hazardous weather in the past, I armed myself with  3 cameras (4 if you include my phone) and ventured out into the wintery abyss. I had never seen city snow like this, and I think it made everyone feel like a kid again. Neighbors were chatting and joking while shoveling the sidewalks and stoops. Kids in giant puffy jackets were shoving handfuls of snow into their mouths. And then there were puppies. Oh god, I don't think there's anything I love more than dogs frolicking in the snow. I'm not sure if it's me projecting my joy upon them, but they look SO damn happy. 

I need to stop smiling. My face is starting to hurt. 

The view from my kitchen.

On the roof.

Overheard neighbors chatting.

"After I finish this sidewalk, I have to find a way to dig my car out."

"Oh man that sucks. Which car is yours?"

"Not sure."

I'm so not afraid of you. 

I think it would be fun to make little snow men with fruit faces on your friends' stoops or in really awkward places throughout the city. 

I think I'm becoming a pancake person. 

Fort Greene Park was a wonderland. People of all ages came with their toboggans, trash can lids, cross-country skis, and cafeteria trays to slide down that little hill. 

This is Shoko! He is the protector of Adelphi Street.

My Mom's Home Office.

I woke up this morning and thought, "Seriously Jen? 6 weeks since the last blog post? That's lame." No excuses here. I was just in a weird mood and didn't want to blog. My queue of projects to blog is pretty long, so happy 2011 everyone. Here we go...

Before the holiday I was working on Rachel's house. I was really hoping to have after pictures up before Christmas, but we ordered a few things that were backordered so as soon as those come in, I can take pics. Her place is alllllmost done. Can't wait to finish it up and show you guys.

In the meantime I went back to my parents' house in California for the holiday and worked on their house for a few weeks. Last year I showed you guys the exterior and kitchen, both of which we're super happy with. The house has been "done" for a year and the transformation still amazes me. I think when you put in 132.6% into a home improvement project, you never really tire of the finished product. Sometimes I sit in the living room and stare at the ceiling for quite some time and admire the crown moulding just bc i freakin' love it.

The entire house is furnished and functional, but I had to put some final touches on the rooms before I could release pics into the universe. My current favorite is my Mom's little home office. Unfortunately I don't have befores but it was pretty sad looking. Just take my word for it.  There was an ill-fitting glass table, the short end stump of a sectional sofa, a TV from the 80's, and a really ugly exposed storage area wallpapered in orange and brown tweed. I'm glad to say that ALL of that is long gone, and the room is looking mucho sexy. 

I was always a fan of the wide stripe we used on the Project Runway All Star Challenge, so I opted for the same paint treatment in my mom's office. The colors are Benjamin Moore Wet Concrete and Hazelwood. The gorgeous rug is from Williams Sonoma but has been discontinued. 

The cabinets are from IKEA. I spray painted them gray and embellished them with wood trim. More on how I pimped out those cabinets here. The desk is from Target. I found the chair on craigslist and sprayed it white. 

The sofa and ottoman is from Room and Board. The side table is from TJ Maxx. The pillows are from a home store in Taiwan. 

We finally put a door on that god awful storage nook. I put frosted window film on the glass to cover the clutter. The awesome shoe cabinet is from IKEA. It fills my heart with joy to see things fit that perfectly. The TV console is actually a buffet and is from Target. Again, perfect fit. <3 <3 <3 Oh and raisin colored french doors?!!

The pic on the left is me and ma with my grandmother. She's the real artist of the family. She made the shirt she's wearing as well as almost every article of clothing my mom and her 3 brothers wore in their youth. She's a self-taught everything and a wicked smart lady. 

THIS IS MY MOM! Isn't she fab? As you can see, she is WAY cooler than me. I definitely inherited her attention to detail and bargain shopping skills, but not her super skinny legs or keen fashion sense. I'm pretty sure every year she looks a little bit younger. Love ya, mama! 

New Project: Rachel's House.

My new client, Rachel saw my room in Apartment Therapy's Big Book of Small Spaces and contacted me about helping her with her home, a fantastic West Village 1 bedroom that she's lived in for about 10 years. We share an obsession with design blogs, so naturally she had a lot of great ideas for her space, but never managed to pull the look together.

There are so many decisions to make when undergoing an overhaul, from organizing and purging, to space planning, to paint and furniture selection. On top of all that, New York is one huge logistical nightmare, so even getting a table from point A to point B is stressful and intimidating. It's tricky achieving a look that is fresh and exciting yet functional and timeless.  It's usually not as easy as it looks on TV. Not to worry. I can help :)

The best thing about Rachel's home is that she has a lot of good looking stuff that she's accumulated over the years. When it comes time to style the space, I'm confident it will look fantastic and will really reflect her taste.  I met with her recently to talk about her wish list, then presented her with some idea boards.  I'm really looking forward to diving into the project. 

THE FLOOR PLAN

You enter into the kitchen on the left, the living room is in the middle, and the bedroom is on the right. 

THE KITCHEN

ADVANTAGES

- It's relatively large for a NY kitchen. 

- The cabinets and appliances are plain white. Could be way worse. 

DISADVANTAGES
- The lighting is H O R R I B L E. There is a fluorescent ring bulb fixture that casts the most dreadful light over the entire space. 

- It's the first room you see when you walk in, so there's no hiding it when it's looking disheveled. 

- The kitchen also serves as the entry, and there is no designated spot to hang coats, umbrellas, bags, etc. 

- There isn't a proper table for eating or working. (Paying bills, checking emails, etc) 

KITCHEN SOLUTIONS

- Replace the light with and incandescent feature

- Paint one wall with black chalkboard paint as a high contrast focal wall

- Turn the wall opposite the stove into a well organized "control center" for the home with a desk, shelves, and hooks for coats and bags.
- Replace folding cafe table and chairs with something more permanent 

THE LIVING ROOM

ADVANTAGES

- Hmm...let me think about that :)

DISADVANTAGES

- The tan color doesn't allow Rachel's vibrant accessories to pop

- The media cabinet is H U G E and completely dominates the space
- The small window with the A/C unit is an eyesore
- Too many accessories competing, so nothing really stands out 

LIVING ROOM SOLUTIONS
- Paint the walls a dark moody color for contrast so her art and accessories pop
- Get a new media storage unit that is shallower and more proportionate to the space
- Edit accessories and frame and hang art and prints

THE BEDROOM

ADVANTAGES

- There are 2 windows with nice light. 

- There is an beautiful fireplace

- Most of the furniture in here is neutral and versatile enough to be cleaned up and re-used

- Her existing bedding is nice and can be re-used

DISADVANTAGES

- Gross, old, blinds are the only window coverings

- Way too much clutter

- Paint is getting old and dingy

- Needs more closed storage for her clothes, accessories, and makeup

BEDROOM SOLUTIONS
- Paint the room a soothing shade of grayish aqua
- Make a headboard
- Add a new light fixture as a focal point
- New area rug

...WHEW! The planning process is well underway. I will be blogging regular updates, so stay tuned! 

Designer's Desk: Karim Rashid

I am so proud of my friends. So many of them are innovative entrepreneurs working on exciting personal and professional products. My good friend, Ashley, is the creator of KNSTRCT, a digital magazine geared up to be a global hub of design and innovation. 

Every couple weeks she's going to feature an article on a designer's desk, giving readers an inside peek at what surrounds and inspires the designers they love. She asked me to photograph the desk of Karim Rashid, a renowned industrial designer who has produced over 3,000 designs ranging from interiors to fashion to art installations. Check out the article and learn more about Karim and his products at KNSTRCT.

 Portrait © LesediSolin