New In Town

Last week, we went downtown with some friends to finally check out some of the new happening places.  There are a few places that have opened in the past year or two, in spite of the economy, that I haven't kept up on. We decided to hit the new spots on K street which have gone in on K street.  Being a Thursday night it wasn't too busy, so we stopped into Dive Bar while we were waiting a short time for a table at Pizza Rock. 

I thought both places emit a vibe of The City (what we Sacramentans call San Francisco) in that they were long narrow spaces with exposed brick walls.  What makes the Dive Bar unique for Sacramento is the fish tank above the bar with actual mermaids swimming back and forth, flirting with the patrons.

Pizza Rock had excellent food!  I loved the selections for their pizzas and the atmosphere was fun and suited my age group.  Rock music from the 90's played loudly  while we sat at our high top watching pizza dough being twirled for entertainment in front of the giant semi truck sticking out of the wall. 

They are both worth checking out if you're going to downtown Sacramento, especially for the 30 something crowd.

A Fresh Look

I had some major computer problems this week and am now trying to catch up!  I thought you might like to see how the presentation board turned out.

We're going to make a few small adjustments but for the most part this will be it!  Looking forward to seeing it actualized!

Photo by Rebecca Ward

Sneak Peak

Here is some inspiration for my next project.  Presenting tomorrow so I'll make this short and sweet so I can finish!

Via Ballard Design

These pillows were my first inspiration for bright, cheerful colors.  My jumping off point, so to speak.

Ok, off to finish my presentation! 

A Vision Comes To Life

As the last step of completing a project, I like to go back and compare my original vision of a project with the end product.  I think this one came pretty close!

Original Presentation Board

I hope you're having a great weekend!


Photos by Rebecca Ward

Before and After

Now's the fun part: the Before and After comparison!

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Happy Friday!!  I'm working this weekend on a new presentation.  I may give you a sneak peak later.  Stay tuned!

The Bigger Picture

Continuing in the unveiling of my latest project, I am now going to share some full size room shots of how it all turned out.  Like I mentioned before, it's not 100% finished with accessorizing and details but the main design is in place. 

  

Next posting will be the fun before and afters!

Photos by Rebecca Ward

Behind The Scenes

Last week I installed a new living/dining room and study at the Love Residence.  I loved this project and my clients, the Loves were ideal!   I will reveal the project to you over a series of posts.  The first is a look behind the scenes on installation day.  So much preparation and coordination goes into this important day. 

The design is beginning to come together

I have to time ordering all the furniture so it arrives approximately at the same time to my delivery company so they don't have to store it for very long. 

Then I have to coordinate the necessary people to do their part on that day.  This time around I had one of my workrooms installing reupholstered chair seats and one of my contractors to hang art. 

I also had a design assistant to help me take photos and bounce ideas off of for last minute touches.

Unfortunately, due to budgeting limitation, we had to cut new accessories and lamps but I was able to make do with their existing items for the time being.

Installations always take a lot out of me but are so satisfying.  It is one of my favorite parts of my job to see the concept go from an idea to reality.

I love the new fabric on this classic chair

More to come!

Wishlist

One thing I can't get enough of are books in the subject of interior design and decorating.  Yesterday, I visited a bookstore to thumb through a few to see if they are, first of all, helpful for the current project I'm working on or a future project, and secondly, worth the hefty price tag on the back.  Design books are not cheap.  What I end up doing for most that I can wait a day or two to get is to take a picture of the cover and then order them off of Amazon.  I know it's not good for keeping my local store in business, but I also have to keep me in business by not breaking the bank!

Here are a few covers that I snapped with my phone yesterday:

Do you have any of these or others that you recommend? I will be linking these soon on my Amazon store if you want to easily find them there.