affordable find: swing arm sconce

swing arm sconces can be a lifesaver in a tight space, especially next to a bed. they have
become quite popular over the last year, and are pretty difficult to find under $100.
but looky what i just spotted:

modern functions swing arm wall sconce
$89

i have already pinned this to my affordable find board, so you can
click here to re-pin it!

seeds of inspiration--pimlico magazine

pimlico magazine is a new (it will launch in about a month!) online magazine dedicated  to "artful celebrations and inspired gift giving". 

it is the brain-child of my friend, jen, (whom i collaborated with on this room), and her friend allison.

jen contacted me and asked me if i would be willing to pull together an inspiration plan for a summer get together that they would stage and photograph.

my first task was to pick some color inspiration, and so i looked through jessica's amazing selection of color inspiring "design seeds".  

i finally settled on this one:

(you can see more design seeds here.)

i loved the fresh, summery feel of the tomato hues, and the vibrant greens mixed with the deep peach and vivid red.

from there, i decided that i wanted something casual.

something fun.

something approachable.

my theme became "preppy rustic"...with stripes, rustic wood, peach flowers, and fresh tomatoes.

here are a few of my inspiration images:

* the photo shoot was last week, and i will share some sneak peek pictures with you shortly!

 to see more of our ideas and inspiration, go here.

you can follow pimlico's blog here, and follow them on pinterest here.

spotted: ikea storsele chairs

i love it when i spot a budget-friendly find in a beautiful, well designed room, don't you?

room design by tara bussema

ikea storsele chairs, $119 each.

stuff on the wall

well yay for me!
we have been in this house for just over 8 months, and i finally have a few things hung on grady's wall:

exhibit a:

the "g" from print collection that i picked up from the framers last week.


exhibit b:

the rhino head from cardboard safari, hung on top of a picture of grady's 18 month old feet
in the sand. i think every mother has a secret favorite photo of each of their kids...and this is my favorite of my little man. even though it doesn't even show his face, looking at this picture always takes me back to the exact instant that i took this picture on the shores of lake tahoe in 2005. i LOVE that you can see just a peek of his diaper in the picture. yes...he was in a diaper at the beach. totally redneck, i know, but that's the way we roll sometimes.

exhibit c:

i decided to rehang the vintage license plates i had up in his last bedroom. they represent where my husband (alabama), me (i  was born in georgia, but grew up in ohio), and my son (tennessee) are from.
i love using vintage items in kids spaces. i think add a sense of history and charm. plus, vintage stuff is already all dinged up, so when the  kids ding it up even more, it just adds to it's "character".
it's a win win situation.

phew.
i think i am worn out from the hanging of all that STUFF.
i may need to take a 4 or 5 month break before i attempt any other project around my house....yah. that was a joke, but it will probably become a reality.
happy weekend friends!

to see the design board for grady's room, and a few pictures of his room-in-progress click here.

affordable find: the perfect accent chair

what makes the perfect accent chair?
well, in this case, it is  simple, small, affordable, armless and comes in 8 neutral fabrics
that can blend with any interior.

the deco solid accent chair is available in charcoal, grey, blue, green, brown, lavender, bark and ivory,
available here, here and here.

happy shopping!

summery lamp

i am really digging this ceramic wicker lamp base.
the woven texture reminds me of summer, and i especially love the acrylic base plate.
...just look at all the great colors it is available in:

the lamp shade is sold separately which allows you to get a custom look.

found exclusively at shades of light.

a peek at a master bedroom e-design "after"

a little "after" glimpse of an e-design bedroom that i worked on for my friend jen... 

 the katie ridder wallpaper cost a small fortune, but makes a huge impact.
(and isn't her cute little pug a great addition too?)
because the ceilings are slanted and vaulted, the room lacked a sense of coziness and warmth. we added
a strip of molding about 8 feet from the floor and painted everything above (including the ceiling) charcoal grey.
this also helped in minimize a plant shelf that jen and her husband weren't crazy about.
everything below the trim was painted a soft warm grey.

the gallery wall commemorates some of jen and her husbands travels. as they continue to travel and collect, they can add pieces. 

one of the stars of the bedroom are the linen and silk drapes that i blogged about last week.

we were also fortunate to snag one of the metal stump tables at z gallerie before they sold out.

the design plan for the room:

interested in working together to create a more functional and beautiful space?
i am currently booked through july for full room designs but am now accepting clients for august.
email me at autumnclemons@yahoo.com to get on my waiting list.
i can always fit in a phone consultation or a pinterest board + phone consultation anytime.

schumacher look-a-like

just spotted this on spoonflower:

bird and butterfly toile, by liasteele

bears a striking resemblance to one of my favorite fabrics:
shumacher's chenonceau, no?

a touch of metal

my oldest daughter will be a teenager next week...AND she just got braces put on yesterday.
i think she looks even cuter with a little touch of metal in her mouth.

speaking of touches of metal...i always love to add a touch or two of metal into a room. i think it
adds a balance to wood and other "soft" materials in a way that nothing else can. there is something great about the reflective "sparkle" that a touch of metal adds to a room.

(via here)

i really like how the shiny metal lamp and drum shade breaks up the pattern of the wallpaper

and the solid texture of the drapes. i am totally digging the two sketches on the mantle too!

(via bhg)

the sconces and two square side tables look fabulous in this eclectic space, and add just 

the right amount of sparkle.

(via here)

these oversize pulls are perfection. and the patterned drapes in the background are 

making my heart beat fast! i love them!

(via lgn)

i have a similar side table to this...i adore the classic shape reinterpreted in metal...
and those legs on the chair are pretty incredible too!

isn't that window surround gorge-eous?
i used that window as an inspiration picture for a dining room design plan i recently completed.
the house is under construction, but when it is all finished, i will be sure and get some pictures
from my client.

linen + silk striped curtains

i sent this snapshot and a quick sketch and some measurements to my client when i proposed
having some panels made from stripes in a charcoal silk and an ivory linen.
when she approved the plan, i sent the specifications to the village workroom...one of my sponsors
and my favorite source for custom silk panels.

here is what they look like installed:

i am doing the happy dance after seeing this picture!
i couldn't wait to share it with you.
(i will be sharing a few more pictures of this bedroom later in the week.)
what do you think? are you getting tired of seeing striped curtains? i have to admit
that there are times when i get a little jaded at seeing the same design elements over
and over again, but there is something so classic and fresh about stripes that i NEVER
get sick of them....especially in silk + linen.
am i RIGHT or am i right or am i right?
sorry..had to sneak in a little quote from one of my favorite movies of all time.
happy monday friends.

milo baughman

have you heard of milo baughman?

i sure hope so.


if not, here is a brief introduction, taken from the thayer coggins website:


"Milo Baughman pioneer in modern design and one of the leading modern furniture designers of the second half of the 20th century. Baughman was brought east from his native California by Thayer Coggin in the 1950s to design the first lines for his collection of related upholstered groups. Baughman's uniquely American designs were forward-thinking and distinctive, yet unpretentious. The relaxed and timeless quality of his furniture created a ready and consistent response and his highly influential work continues to be collected and reinvented and revived by designers around the world. Paramount to Baughman's design philosophy was that good design is enduring design. Baughman's characteristic restraint does not permit the look of mere novelty to enter in. Rather, he achieved a look that is uncompromisingly modern, but which never violates the timeless standards of classic good taste."

(lounge chair design by milo baughman-elle decor)

i first learned about milo baughman when i was in college.
a professor of mine announced to my interior design class that milo baughman (pronounced my-low boff-man) was going to be teaching a furniture design class the following semester, and encouraged us to take it.

(image)

 i signed up immediately, even though the only information i know about him was very limited....this was before the internet exploded (1995. yeah. that makes me feel really, really old, by the way)

not only did i take the "intro to furniture design" class with milo baughman, but i also took the "advanced furniture design" class and did an internship with milo for a few months, assisting him in a few local projects he was working on. he was a kind, and deeply thoughtful and intelligent man with a quick wit and a deep love and knowledge of interior design and modern furniture design.

(a console table design by milo baughman-elle decor)

one of the things he said to our class that has resonated with me for the last 17 years is this: 

(and i am paraphrasing a bit...)

"everyone thinks they have good taste. but this cannot be. inevitably, some of the people who think 

they have good taste are wrong"

whenever he said it, he would softly chuckle. 

(and that would make the entire class chuckle!)

milo's work has become a lot more popular in the last few years.

you can do a quick search on ebay, and come up with dozen of items.

like this rosewood and chrome console table

or this mohair and chrome sofa

(i would LOVE to own this baby!)

crate and barrel is now carrying several pieces that he designed:

including the  milo classic leather lounge chair

and the shelter collection.

it was a great privilege for me to get to know such a wonderful man. because of the internship i did with him, i spent more time with him than the other students, and he was always an inspiration to be around.

you can read more about him here.

you can shop on ebay for his furniture here.

see his collections for thayer coggins here.

to shop his furniture at DWR click here.

happy friday!