Canyon Crest: Living Room + Half Bath

For the 

CANYON CREST LIVING ROOM

we had the task of using furniture pieces from my client's previous home.

This can be a challenge for many people.  Lucky for us, the living room was 

pretty neutral to begin with, so it was a matter of rethinking the floor plan

 and adding in pillows and accessories.

The entryway into the living room had a long bare beam across the top. It was odd. Very odd.  Every time I would visit the home, I would scratch my head and think "why in the world is that beam there?" 

My solution? BARN DOORS! 

Oh how I love barn door hardware and I was excited to incorporate the look in this space.

The half bath on the main level was SCAAARRRYYYYY when we started.  It's a small space with no windows and a high wood paneled ceiling... and it was blood bath red.  I'm not kidding.  It looks liked someone was massacred in the half bath. Instead of spending hours upon hours trying to prime and paint over the dark dark red, we decided to cover it in a light grasscloth wallpaper. This ain't your momma's grasscloth either.  It has a slight metallic sheen to it which reflects light and makes this little room shine!  Add in a little quatrefoil mirror (from this post), some rustic sconces, geometric rug and art and this blood bath of a bathroom is transformed into a jewel box!

{Interior Design by Brooke Jones, Photography by Jylare Smith}

Canyon Crest: Family Room + Dining Room

I'm excited to introduce you to the CANYON CREST home!

This home was purchased by my client a little more than a year ago and though it wasn't a total gut job, it was pretty darn close.  The first time I stepped into the family room I thought to myself  "this is where taxidermy goes to die."  Almost every member of the deer family was represented on the walls: elk, buffalo, antelope... all staring at you from two stories up. CRREEEEEPPPPYYYYY... 

(to see before shots of this space as well the custom furniture process, click here).

 Needless to say, this home was a little more rustic than my client's personal taste. First thing we did was rip out worn shaggy carpet (can we PLEASE get over that trend?) and replaced it with a loop pile broadloom that resembled sisal (MUCH more tailored and timeless).  We repainted the faux-plastered walls in Kwal's Old Washer and restained a lot of the stain grade baseboards.  This proved to be the perfect facelift!! It did wonders. Once we had the base of the room squared away, it was just a matter of layering in a fun elements, like a rug from Anthropologie, a huge custom ottoman in a Celerie Kemble fabric, and lattice wingback chairs from Bassett Furniture.

For the kitchen and dining space, there were two existing stains: a honey tone on the knotty alder and a dark java.  Since we wanted to add as much light into this space as possible, we painted out all the dark java elements, namely, the oven range area, island, and built-in china hutch.  We replaced the dated Tuscan lighting fixtures with more contemporary glass pendants adding even more brightness to the space.

Add in custom designed wingback dining chairs, farmhouse table and bright rugs and accessories, 

and you have yourself a fresh vintage rustic space!

To jazz up the built-in china hutch, we also wallpapered the back of the cabinet in a pretty blue geometric print.  Having the colored background really makes the accessories pop!

  

{Interior Design by Brooke Jones Designs, Photography by Jylare Smith}

The Copper Onion

As I'm preparing to leave my home state, I am looking around and 

realizing all the things and places I'm going to miss 

(don't even mention the mountains to me... I don't want to think about leaving those yet).  

One of my favorite places I have only recently discovered is 

THE COPPER ONION

in Salt Lake.  I'd describe it as an American take on a Parisian Bistro. 

If you have multiple food allergies like I do, they are more than accommodating, too.

 I took what may have been my last brunch there this weekend, 

which was great timing as they just wrapped up a little interior face lift. 

(please excuse the Instagram pics. I'm NOT a photographer...)

The lighting was PHENOMENAL. 

I mean, I didn't shut up about it the entire time we were there. 

It was CRAZY good lighting.

Next time you're in SLC, I highly recommend dropping by and ordering yourself some Huevos Rancheros.

They are life changing. Literally.

Here are some sources to get the Copper Onion look in your home:

(sources listed clockwise from left)

1. Thonet Era Chair via DWR

2. 1890's La Mere Germaine French Menu Sign via 1st Dibs

3. Jean Pelle Bubble Chandelier via PELLEshop

3. Barn Light Radial Wave Flute Pendant via Barn Lighting Electric

4. Orbit Wall Sconce Clear via Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co.

5. Franklin Wall Sconce via Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co.

6. Solomon Dining Table via Pottery Barn

Brooke Jones Designs Sneak Peak: Kid's Playroom

Hello my lovelies!  I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and 

I wanted to pop in to give you a quick

SNEAK PEAK 

on another project I'm working on. This time it's for a fun 

KID'S PLAYROOM.

We are on a definite time crunch on this one.  

Keep your fingers crossed we can finish in time!

{design by Brooke Jones Designs, LLC}

Brooke Jones Designs Projects

Hello lovelies!  I just wanted to pop in and let you know my posts may be 

a bit sporadic over the next week or two. 

 I am wrapping up a project I've been working on for about a year now, 

along with taking on two new projects for returning clients. 

WHEW!! It's going to get busy!

I don't want to leave you hanging, so here's a quick sneak peak of one of

BROOKE JONES DESIGNS PROJECTS.

Seriously, it's going to be lovely.

I can't wait to show you the final results!

My Home Office Inspiration

I'm in the market for a new 'home office' for my living room.  The other day my husband informed me that he was really sick of our living room chairs and I that I needed to sell them.  For a man who has no opinions when it comes to... well, anything, this was definitely a shock!  Not that my chairs weren't cute (they were green and white houndstooth with black lacquered frames) he just knew they weren't 'me.'  So I placed them in the classifieds and they went to a cute young couple who just bought their first home.

Now I have a large area in front of a large picture window that is a blank canvas.  I've been toying around with the idea of adding a 'home office' area, as my apartment doesn't have a second bedroom or home office space.  After some tinkering around with some ideas, here is what I came up with so far:

I would swap out my green curtains for a pair of dove grey velvet panels, add a white Parson's desk, and a sleek lucite cantilever chair.  

(Clockwise from left)

1. Pottery Barn's Velvet Drape

2. Custom Abstract Painting from yours truly!!

3. West Elm's Lacquered Trinket Tray

4. Z Gallerie's Lotus Tealight Holder

5. West Elm's Cowhide Rug

6. Ikea's Tobias Rug

7. Bungalow 5's Parsons Console

8. Ikea's White Vases

Did you notice the abstract art?  It was my first attempt at being an artist.  I think it turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself.  It's all because of my adorable muse, Jack.

He was a great help sitting on my lap, sniffing the paint, and getting in the way of my elbow with each stroke.  How could you get mad at a face that sweet though?

So what do you think?  Should I purchase two more chairs that are more 'me' or does a home office in a living room fit the bill?

Can This Be Made Into A Room? Gucci Pre-Fall 2011

Gucci's Pre-Fall 2011 collection combined my current two loves- shades of grey and updated 1970's silhouettes.  The collection made me think 'can I make a room that's entirely void of color and still make it seem warm and interesting?'  It's a challenge I took on so let's see how it turned out.

{images via FRG}

The trick to designing monochrome (one color) or achromatic (no color, which grey is technically a neutral so it's not a color) rooms is varying shades and textures.  I started my room by finding the perfect modern sectional in a charcoal grey wool flannel (Room and Board).  To ground the room, I would add a large and luxe flokati rug in a lighter shade of grey (Teak, Wicker, and More).  On top of this, I'd place a sleek and streamlined cocktail table in chrome with a grey quartz top (Room and Board).  The polished look of the cocktail juxtaposes nicely against the heavy pile of the area rug.  Mixing opposite textures like this is what gives the room interest.

Now for the finishing touches.  I'd place multiples styles of pillows on the sectional for more added visual interest.   I wouldn't worry that some of the fabrics are warm (Etsy) while others are cool (West Elm) as mixing the diverse tones adds the variety an achromatic room so desperately needs!  I would dress any window in dove grey velvet curtains that puddle elegantly on the floor (Pottery Barn) and add a shiny starburst mirror (Arteriors) for some dashes of glamour.  The crowning moment in the room?  Jonathan Adler's Meurice chandelier (I new I'd find a room to use it in!).

So what do you think?  Could you live in a room completely void of color?

Design Lesson: How To Mat Art

My sweet husband made me a pair of these for Christmas: (ignore the protective cardboard covers)

It is so handy having a live-in custom framer!  He used this frame from our bedroom as inspiration:

and he's leaving me to choose the art and matting.  Smart boy!  One of the most common mistakes I see when it comes to framing is the use of too small of mat board.  A general rule of thumb is to have the matting twice the width of the frame.  If you have a chunky 3" frame have 6" of mat board surrounding your art.  But you don't have to stop there!  Check out this beauty:

The larger the mat board, the greater the emphasis on the art.  Isn't that what it's all about?  The one place I feel it's alright to break this rule, though, is when you have a gallery wall full of art.  Some can be heavily matted and others, not at all.  This is a great way to add variety to your collection.

"A piece of art cheaply framed or with wrong proportions and scale can detract enormously from the piece. I know it can be expensive, but if you’ve already invested in the art, you should finish it properly. It’s like buying a wonderful dress and wearing it with cheap, wrong shoes."  -Vincente Wolf

Yet again, another element I MUST have in my future home: a hallway chock-full of black and white photography. Tres chic!

The moral of the story?  Don't be timid or chintzy when it comes to matting your photos!  Be daring and make that artwork POP! 

Stay tuned for the finished product of my Christmas frames!  I'm off to find the perfect black and white prints...

{images via Canadian House and Home, Houzz, Pottery Barn and Vincente Wolf}

Look for Less: Urban Home

Are you like me and have champagne tastes on a root beer budget? Well we are not alone. Though I always stress "buy the best quality you can afford," sometimes the budget calls for some compromises (ok, EVERYONE'S budget calls for compromises, even the rich and famous, I've come to learn).  That's why I was so happy to come across this amazing source!  Check out these looks for less from Urban Home. 

 {Urban Home's Lauren Chair vs. Crate&Barrel's Colette Chair}

A savings of $350 a chair!

{Urban Home's Devonshire Day Bed vs. Crate&Barrel's Simone Daybed}

A savings of $620!

 {Urban Home's Entice Mist Ottoman vs. Global Views' Poof Ottoman}

A savings of $600!

{Urban Home's Entice Mist Sofa vs. Z Gallerie's Pauline Sofa}

A savings of $400! 

I would actually recommend the Z Gallerie version, if you could afford it.  Upholstery is not an area you want to cut corners.  But then again, if you have to, Urban's Home's version isn't too bad!  Just change those pillows. Please.

{Urban Home's Chesapeake Side Table vs. Pottery Barn's Stratton Bedside Table}
A savings of $110!

{ Urban Homes' Ray Table vs. West Elm's Parson's Table}
A savings of $200!

{Urban Home's Havana Bed vs. Restoration Hardware's Camden Arch Bed}

Choosing the bed on the the left would save you a wopping $1500!!!

Not to shabby, if I do say so myself.  There really are many more "copy cat" pieces at Urban Home, but instead of having an endless post, just know, if you like something on this site, there is probably a more expensive version out there and you are getting a steal!