Hey guys, I’m still in New York for NSS (and flying back today) but I wanted to check in with you all. Anks for the tweets and messags asking if my family is okay. Yes, we all are, thank The Lord, but many of our friends and relatives have lost much. I fly back to OKC today, my heart is heavy for my fellow Oklahomans.
I can’t wait to share all the fun things I saw and learned at NSS. More later this week when I can wrap my head around it all.
Xoxo,
Rachel
Remember a few months ago when I made my list of things to accomplish this year? Number 7 was attending the National Stationery Show and now it’s finally here. Saturday I’m hopping a plane to go stay with my Stationery Academy roomie Caroline Hull (who is KILLIN’ it this year!) and check out all the fabulous paper action happening at NSS and Surtex. It’s almost an Alt Summit/Stationery Academy reunion; I can’t wait to catch up with Amber Housley, Whitney English, the Ampersand Design Studio girls, Jessica Bishop, Libbylane Press , Jenn Sprinkle… the list goes on and on!
I haven’t been to Manhattan a few years (remember this trip?) and while I won’t have a ton of time for buzzing around town, I will for sure be hitting up the following new-to-me picks –
And of course I might sneak in a visit to ABC Carpet & Home and Jonathan Adler. But we’ll see. And hopefully some of my paper peeps will want to go out to Eataly. And Shake Shack. And … well, the list could potentially be endless.
Got any suggestions for new must-sees? And of course some must-eats?
Ok, so the title of this post may be a bit deceiving, as I haven’t quite mastered the picking of the wallpapers. BUT! IT’s fun to look, right? Oh, by the way, I love all the feedback coming in about the Saarinen tulip table and matching chair roundup I did yesterday! Hearing everyone’s input is always so fun.
We were having lunch w/ my brother and his wife (remember this fab kitchen before & after?) when Simon asked them if they went through the “We Might As Wells” during their reno. You know what I mean — the whole “Well, we’ve gone ahead and painted everything, we might as well redo the backsplash…” Or, “We might as well rewallpaper the dining room while we’re on a roll…. (no pun intended – ha! wallpaper! rolls!).
And so that’s where we’re at. There’s a definitive laundry list of All The Things We Want to Do To The House that’s now on a shared Google doc between Simon and I. We’ve been in our home now for five years this summer, and we’re starting to get to the things that have been bugging us, like the frou-frou wallpaper in the dining room, or the overly rococo-style wallpaper in the bathroom. Getting the kitchen done was a HUGE item crossed off the list, and now we’re snowballing into other projects along the way.
Here’s the checklist of things we’re working on, and then we’ll chat about wallpaper a bit. Continue Reading →
I started noticing a recurring theme in my Pinterest boards when it came to inspiration for my breakfast nook in the kitchen redo, and that came in the form of the midcentury classic Saarinen tulip table. This was kind of surprising to me as I’ve never been into super-retro furniture, but the more I thought about it and analyzed the photos I was collecting, I realized what a versatile piece it really can be.
Originally designed in the 1950s, Saarinen’s goal was to get rid of all the unnecessary clutter of table legs. Thus, the super-sleek, almost Jetsons-like appearance of the base was born. It comes in a variety of finishes and tabletop surfaces, including marble, wood, and white laminate. Its simple design makes it surprisingly versatile even in more traditional interiors where you wouldn’t expect the presence of something so crisp — but that’s always the fun of design, isn’t it? The unexpected! And the chairs you could pair with it? OH THE CHAIRS! The never-ending parade of chairs!
Now, the real deal will set you back at least a cool $1800. And that’s just for starters. But if you’re lucky, you can come across Burke reproductions from the 1960s and 70s, or you can go with a modern knockoff. Companies like CB2 and Ikea also have pretty great options, although the size is on the small side. For us, we needed something closer to the 48″ size because we like being able to seat up to 6 people in our kitchen – we got really used to having the flexibility with our previous dining set.
Speaking of the nook, check out my inspiration for the space. While not all of these include the actual tulip table, I specifically looked for images of all-white spaces with pops of color and I LOVE the direction that it’s heading. I am itching to show you the finished product!
Clockwise from top left: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5
So. Now that you’ve got your fabulous Saarinen table (whether it be knockoff or not – no judgment here!), what chairs will you pair with them? From the photos above, it’s evident that it can mesh very easily with practically any style from traditional with a twist to more modern. But, whatever you do, I can’t say that I recommend pairing them with the matchy-matchy tulip chairs — if so, you’ll head directly into Jetsons territory.
Here for your viewing pleasure, I’ve put together my handy dandy guide to Chairs That Play Well With Tulip Tables.
The Moderns: BERTOIA // EMECO NAVY
The Colorful: TOLIX (SIMILAR) // EAMES
The Updated Classic: BUNGALOW 5 // JONATHAN ADLER
The Glamour Girl: WORLDS AWAY // DIAMOND CHIAVARI
The Woodsy Option: INDUSTRY WEST // WEST ELM
Ok, there you have it — which one would you pick? Are you into the more modern feel of the tulip tables?
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