JOSS & MAIN

Joss & Main

OK everyone.  I am so excited to curate a sale for Joss & Main!  The sale will be on Tuesday, May 21st- so mark your calendars!  First of all, you must sign up in advance because it takes a little while to set up.  Just hit this link: http://www.jossandmain.com/invite/feb and off you go!  Don't worry, on the 21st I will remind you to SHOP!

The event is called "Approachable Luxury."    Joss & Main is an amazing flash sale site for all of your designer home needs.  I just love that they used a photo of one of my favorite projects!  The products that they sell will help you design a space that is just like it!

Here are several of the items that will be on sale!  

A yummy velvet sofa and a beautiful gray granite hue.

A Caramel velvet chair to luxuriate in.  I love velvet because it is ALWAYS comfortable to nap on and even if your dogs jump on the chair (not that MY dog ever does- wink,wink!) the chair still looks fab!

This is one of my favorite coffee tables by Arteriors! Do you see that I used two of them in the picture of the room I designed? It looks gorgeous, bounces light around the room AND is bullet proof.  Go ahead.  PUT THOSE FEET UP!!  No one will ever know!

Yes, I love designing monochromatic rooms in grays and beiges because it is such a challenge to make them interesting through texture and light,  but I am also a HUGE fan of my POPS of color!  I think it has been my travels to India or Turkey or even Greece where I adore seeing people living with vibrant colors.

You know that turquoise is one of my favorite colors.  Turquoise and green.  Ahh!  This stool can be used inside and out- and don't forget throwing one in your shower if you don't have a bench.  It is waterproof and looks amazing.  

Love the Indian inspired pattern on this chair.  So fun.

In Turkey, I became obsessed with the fauta towels.  The look great, are completely absorbent and can be thrown in the wash. In fact, the more you wash them, the better they absorb.

The blue headboard has such a great shape.  The nail head trim adds the right amount of subtle luxury.

Aren't these pillows fun with the buttons sewn on?  The buttons are made from shells and have such a pretty look.  Did I mention they come in sets of two?

I use Indian silver trays everywhere.  Next to my desk, next to tables, on coffee tables- as I said, everywhere!  They always look great.

Bring a little beach into the home with this great lamp.  Love.

This stool rocks too.  Indoors, outdoors, in the shower- or next to the pool.

I have used this area rug in several projects.  It is a Coastal Living rug and has beautiful colors.  They truly remind me of all the colors you see at the beach.

 Who is a fan of this little bead detail?  ME!

Another great coffee table.  The texture, the natural colors.  This is made from coconut shells!  Amazing.

Can you tell I am a fan of texture?  These can be used in so many ways.  Hiding toys in a kid's room to using it as a coffee table and stacking books on it.

Some more fun pillows with great colors!

Speaking of color- why not get a few sets of these for the summer picnics?  I am crazy about these!!

 Ooh.  I have used this mirror in many projects too.  It's wavy and gorgeous.

The zig zag is one of my favorite patterns right now.  This rug will add such subtle movement to the room- and hide a few crumbs:)

Now, let's make sure you make time to go outside and sit on this bench with the pretty silhouette.

While playing croquette!!

Or Bocce Ball!  This is a big hit at the beach near me.  Such a fun summer game.

There are so many fun products, I can't wait to shop myself!  The prices are always amazing!!  Don't forget to sign up!  http://www.jossandmain.com/invite/feb

Have a fantastic weekend.  The weather here in Newport Beach is GORGEOUS!!!

xoxo,

HOUSE OF TURQUOISE

House of Turquoise

I am so excited!!!  You see, I was asked to guest blog for an idol of mine:-)  Erin is the blog Queen who writes the House of Turquoise blog!  I have followed Erin for a long time and never tire of seeing one of my favorite colors- TURQUOISE!!  So, please go on over and visit her blog.  

Here is a little snippet of my intro to get you excited...

First of all, shout out to ERIN!!!  I am so excited she asked me to share!!  I love Erin's blog.  In fact, it is the first blog that I subscribed to- and I have never stopped it coming into my email:-)  I am a little jealous that she is going on a baby moon.  I never did that, and 16 years later, I wish I had. Haha!

Below, I will share some photos of a room I recently installed for a 10- year-old girl.  She is one of four (2 girls and 2 boys) and her older sister already had a gorgeous headboard, so we couldn't compete. The great thing is that her sister chose lavender and lime green so my client had TURQUOISE and fuchsia all to herself.  We did bring in the lime green so that the rooms can relate to each other-  Hi sister's room!

Don't forget to click HERE to see my post and see the fun pictures!

xoxo,

BUILDING A HOME

Building a Home

I have been back spending a ton of time in the desert helping a client build a home.  There is no magic formula to follow when building a home.  No start with A and end at Z.  If you do start at A then go to Z, you will have taken the wrong path.  Building a home is about starting with a plan, sticking with the plan and then fluidly diverting from the plan- then don't forget to go back to the plan!  

This home has been no exception.  Ideally, I start a project when it is in the planning stages.  I can see things on an architect's plan that will and will not work for the people who are living there.  In this home, I started as the foundation was poured.  The architect's vision was a bit different than the homeowner's, but until walls are framed, a homeowner often can't visualize this.  So, the plan has been a little more fluid than usual:-)

This is the home in the framing stages.  You can see that the electrical has been started, the pool outside has been poured and as of this week, we have some drywall and wire and paper on the outside for the stucco!

It will be a beautiful view!

From the courtyard to the street.

From the street to the entrance.

The left garage.

The entry into the home.

Drywall in the garage.

The steam room:)

Behind the scenes, I have been working on the drawings for all of the bathroom cabinets  (there are NINE bathrooms!), the kitchen, the three bars, the closets, etc. The original plan had soffits and beams on top of the kitchen cabinets.  I really love a high ceiling, so I worked with the builder to route the ducting in a different direction, so we didn't have a soffit and now we can have cabinets and a hood that go to the ceiling.  Bye bye beams! 

All of the notes are from a chat with the homeowners.  We walk through where the silverware would go, the big pots and pans, the Tupperware, the spices, the olive oil, etc.  I love to have the client pretend that they are cooking a meal, getting their morning coffee, feeding the kids,etc.  This helps them determine where to place the items in the kitchen.

  A vanity.

Here is a selection of finishes...The stone for the outside of the home in the middle, the stucco color on the right, the roofing material on the bottom, the color of the beams on the left.

Here are some of the slab/tile selections.

Powder room #2.

 Master #2

 Master #1

 His casita bath.

 Kitchen island

 Loggia fireplace stone.

Well, that is it for now!  You can see the color  foundation for the home and all of the furniture will harmonize with this.  Speaking of furniture, I have been busy selecting furnishings, lighting and everything else!  I can't wait to show you lighting.  Have a great week!!

xoxo,

FUN GIRL'S ROOM

FUN GIRL'S ROOM

Hi all!  I feel like I have been living on the edge.  After the One Room Challenge, I have been immersed in many projects- one of which is my new business name!  Yes, Bye-Bye Pacific Family Homes and hello Kathleen DiPaolo Designs.  Here are some new fun things that go along with a new name!

Business cards:

Avatar

 Blog Banners

I will also be moving to a bigger office space in about a month!  I can't wait to show you pictures.  I am soooooo excited!  Can't wait to spread out on work room tables!

I have also been working on a hotel project in Laguna Beach and we have been fine tuning the "tester" room.  Window treatments went in today:)  New carpet, floor tile, bathroom has been installed over the past month.  We are still waiting on some furnishings, pillows, art work, light fixtures, beds, chairs and a sofa.  Once we get it all together, then we can order for all of the other rooms:)

Speaking of Laguna Beach, I have been working on a total remodel that has to be ready by June 1st.  The progress has been so fun and they are painting the outside the week and the interiors next.  Can't wait to see the new hardwood floors, tile, kitchen cabinets, bathrooms and, well, everything that I have selected.  I have been a drywall dusted girl!

I have also been schlepping out to the Palm Springs area for a new home that is being built.  Last week I finalized the tile and stone selections for the NINE bathrooms.  Yes, NINE bathrooms!!  This didn't even include the tile and stone for the pool, courtyard, the 5 fireplaces, and the exterior of the home.  The house has been framed, the windows are in and the electrical has been cruising along.  This has to be finished in time for a July 4th party so I am madly pulling together furniture/lighting/case good selections- and, of course, fabrics!

Now, last week, no, it was THIS week, I did an installation of a 10- year-old girl's room.  So cute I can't stand it!  The colors she wanted are bright and fun- as is the rest of the home:)  These are some project pictures.  I love the new bed that I had made. Her sister has an upholstered bed and she didn't want it to look like hers.  Of course!  The turquoise pillow is made from a new Jonathan Adler fabric.

The sofa is a sleeper and was re-incarnated as a modern sofa with square arms.  You should have seen it before!!  It had a heart shaped back and rolled arms.  Nothing a little elbow grease couldn't change:)

I had all of the side tables sprayed white and they became fresh again.

I also had an ottoman re-upholstered in white patent leather.  It is darling.  The fabric was late, so I just used everything else until is was ready.  It is in my car now:)

The little Oomph pillow with the pom-poms is so cute.  

Did you see the Quadrille Zig Zag patent leather wallpaper behind the bulletin board?  This was left over from my master bathroom.  It brings the turquoise to the other side of the room.

The other little snafu came when I had these green pillows made from some Kathryn Ireland fabric.  They were cut too small, so I had to re-order fabric.  I love the fabric though.  Now, the wing back chair fabric is one of my favorites from Quadrille/China Seas. Yum!

Anyhow, I will keep you posted- ha, no pun intended- and let you know about my other fun projects!

Have a great weekend!

xoxo,