Lake House Retreat

Living Well

Lake House Retreat

With the weather turning colder, we are excited to be working on a renovation/addition to a condo at Lake Martin. Yes, it’s still cold there, but at least it allows us an opportunity to think of summertime fun.

This retreat will have a new kitchen, bathrooms and outdoor living spaces. We are designing a custom banquette for the kitchen and the side porch to allow for lots of seating for family and friends.

Our client’s focus is all about making memories instead of being worried about making a mess, and we couldn’t agree more. The lake is supposed to be a place for less stress and more fun.

With a house full of children and grandchildren, we plan to use a lot of outdoor and durable fabrics.

As you can see below, our color inspirations are gray, plum, taupe and cream.

Stay tuned for more updates on this project. Have a great day!

dana

Please don’t forget to vote for the Traditional Home/ Ethan Allen Pinterest Sweepstakes at http://newtradsweeps.com/. Check out the last blog post if you missed the information about this contest.

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Living Well

A Friday Favorite

Who doesn’t love a Friday?!

It’s one of the best days of the week, and to mark my favorite day, I am starting a new series.

Friday Favorite begins today, and to kick it off I have chosen an image from a TV segment that I taped a few years ago.

Know all of those pumpkins and gourds you see at the farmer’s market and grocery? Well here are a few ways to implement them into your fall decor.

Both of these arrangements are super easy, so anyone , yes, anyone (I mean you!) can pull them together. Choose your flowers and gourds and let your creativity do the rest.

I always love having fresh flowers in my house, especially when they are in beautiful colors and add a touch of fall.

Enjoy your day and have a great weekend,

dana

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Living Well

A Few Favorite Pins Off Pinterest

Who doesn’t need some inspiration from time to time?

I am always looking for a new color palette or a subtle detail to add into my interiors, and Pinterest has become one of my favorite tools lately.

Not only does it inspire me, but it is a great way to share photos back and forth with my clients.

I encourage all of my clients to join Pinterest so we can collaborate on a board and pin together. This is a great way to kick off a project and help me find the look that is best for their home.

Here are a few of my favorite pins of late….

This first interior speaks to me. It could be a room that was installed yesterday, yet it looks like it has evolved over time. What a great balance between old and new, shiny and matte, smooth and textural.

Eleanor Cummings — Love the mix of elements here. Wood, stone, and mirror against lush fabrics and old, crusty pieces. Beautiful!

The objects in the room below look like they could be pieces from the homeowner’s collection (instead of off a showroom floor), pulled together to form a seating area. Again, notice the mixture of elements- stained wood, marble, metal, and painted wood. Very little duplication of pieces of furniture, but enough to allow your eyes to rest.

This seating area blends beautifully together. I also love how the fabric panels soften that big, gorgeous window without obstructing the view.

Feminine Alabama Home - Susan Ferrier Design - Veranda — Interiors by Susan Ferrier

Are you familiar with Ruard Veltman? If not, look at his work here. He is extremely creative and I bet you will find his work as inspiring as I do. The kitchen below is from one of the homes he designed.

If you aren’t using Pinterest to organize and collect your thoughts, sign up here. Follow our boards, create your own boards, and discover great things. After all, can’t we all appreciate a little “eye candy” every once in a while?!

Happy pinning,

Dana

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Photo creds:

Pic One: Eleanor Cummings Interior Design

Pic Two: Design by Susan Ferrier

Pic Three: Ruard Veltman Architecture

Pic Four: Emerson Fry

Pic Five: Kathleen Clements Design

Living Well

Memorable Monday

Hi Everyone,

Is it me or are there other people out there who have files and files of beautiful rooms torn out of magazines to be referred to at a latter date?

For today’s Memorable Monday, I wanted to share a photo of an incredible kitchen that was featured in Veranda several years ago. Bobby McAlpine was the architect of this home, and in my opinion, everything he creates is perfection. I have always admired Bobby’s work, and I am looking forward to meeting him in person as he is the featured lecturer at Antiques at The Gardens show I have been blogging about lately. He is creating a vignette (like Jeff and I are for the show) with Cindy Smith (Of Circa- I blogged about her amazing book several months back) for it as well.

Bobby is the author of the critically acclaimed best-selling book, The Home Within Us, and will be available to sign copies of his book during the show. If you don’t have a copy of his book, grab one as it will not disappoint. FYI…. He has a second book coming out soon, too.

bobby

Hope you have a memorable Monday!

Dana

Living Well

Kitchen Must-Haves

Who doesn’t love a beautiful kitchen? Throw a little — or a lot — of function in there, and you may possibly end up with your favorite room.

I am working on a kitchen remodel right now, and there are a few must-haves I always try to incorporate.

1. Natural Stone Countertops: To me, there is nothing prettier than an aged piece of marble or limestone. I love the texture it provides and the fact it has endured many years of the elements.

299000762_p5nGdaCz_c — looks clean but still has texture thanks to the gorgeous marble! (Image from...)

2. Warming Drawer: Okay, not a must have, but I sure do like them. For a family on the go, it is a wonderful luxury.

3. Function: Yes, a kitchen can be beautiful, but if it is not functional, what’s the point? Make sure the flow works well and that there is plenty of good workspace. After all, this may be the most lived-in room in the house, and cooking is so much more enjoyable when everything has its place and is within reach for your next great meal.

299001759_WYhkhGid_c — beauty + function = perfection (image from...)

4. Soften the hard surfaces: With so many hard surfaces found in a kitchen, try to incorporate ways to soften the room. Many of you know I love adding banquettes whenever possible, as they are a great way to make a kitchen more functional and unique.

BANQUETTE in kitchen — banquette design by Dana Wolter, photographed by Jean Allsopp

Also, wood is a great texture to incorporate against shiny surfaces found in kitchens. Whether on your island, on the ceiling, or as an accent, it whispers “nature” and takes the edge off all those kitchen appliances.

5. Good lighting: Natural lighting is ideal, but a good kitchen also needs task lighting in all of the right places. Again, think functional!

6. Make your kitchen a reflection of you: Yes, you can create a beautiful kitchen many different ways, but if it does not look like you or fit your lifestyle, what good is it? Your home should be your haven, and your kitchen is no exception!