by studiotullia | Apr 27, 2024 | DESIGN TRENDS, INTERIOR DESIGNERS THAT INSPIRE, STYLE TIPS FOR DIY, THE CREATIVE ENTREPRENEUR
Have you shopped for Mother’s Day? What do you usually do on that day?
As a mother of 17 year old twins, I pretty much just don’t want to have to lift a finger come Mother’s Day. I want to put my feet up, maybe take a bath. No thoughts about meals, dishes. We usually make an effort for the awesome Mom’s in our lives – a fancy brunch with crepes, a trip to a beautiful garden or the beach. How about you?
I don’t need much, just a break from the daily burden of life. As I write this I am home alone for the weekend, which is rare. And such a treat. I’ll be melancholy for them by tomorrow. Just me, the cats and the dog. My husband took the kids to the coast to visit his parents. I wanted to buckle down and get some work done. I stocked up on food to make food prep easy. I watched 2 episodes of Dream Home Makeover with Studio McGee in bed with coffee until 10:30 AM. Dreamy it was. I am coming to appreciate the subtleties and freshness of white, neutrals, earthy accents. It’s all new builds, with few antiques, and in Utah, a world away from Oregon so it is an escape.
Now, I’ve got Brandi Carlisle on, a little more writing to do, and then a movie of my own choice. No science fiction, Avengers, Star Wars or action packed movies for me. Most likely an historical drama.
In fact, this song about being a Mother, ‘I am the mother of Evangeline’ by Brandi Carlisle brings me to tears every time. Check it out:
Mother’s Day. A day to treat one’s self as a mother, whether of children or furry ones. And/or a day to honor your Mother, Grandmother, Aunt, or any other divine being kind enough to treat you in a maternal way. When I think about it, there have been many: neighbors, friends, colleagues, teachers, relatives. It’s also a day to feel honored for the opportunity to be a Mother. Now that is a cause for celebration.
Need gift ideas? There are so many great artists/vendors on ETSY if you know what to search for. We all need to support small businesses and makers more than ever.
So here are just a few that seem extra special, with a few other sources thrown into the mix, to get this party started. What are some favorite shops for you? If you have any, please comment and let me know.
Here is my round up in a nutshell…
Here we go…
1.CALHOUN & CO. COCKTAIL PARTY TEA TOWEL
You need to check out this New York based boutique. The towels, throws and other graphic gifts are so whimsical and fun.
2. JULIUS ROBERTS THE FARM TABLE COOKBOOK
I discovered this British gent on Instagram and love the way he cooks. He started out in a posh London restaurant where he was soo burned out by the stress and long hours. He ended up moving out to the country where he now has a farm, hunts and fishes, raises pigs and goats, and grows fresh herbs and vegetables. The cook book is divided into the four seasons and it is beautiful. I am once again inspired to cook as he keeps it simple with a gourmet touch.
3. SPECIAL LEATHER GIFT
How cute is this? Send in your photos, pick your leather color and have a custom gift back to you in no time.
4. LINDA RENEE POTTERY
This potter makes beautiful pottery and also reinvents vintage mugs with her touch. So cool, don’t you think?
5. MOTHER HOPE
I love this concept of asking your Mom to recount family history and stories of her life in a beautifully cohesive way. If you are lucky enough to find a time to do this, these are the kind of questions one might want to ask. And this can be personalized with color choice.
6. HENRICKS GIN
A personal favorite; always a nice treat. The different gins and the cocktail recipes that can be found on the website are super inspiring for Summer time gatherings.
Boodles is also a favorite.
How festive are these?
And if you want to add lovely crystal barware, Williams Sonoma is always a great place to look…
7. CELERIE KEMBLE, ISLAND WHIMSY
One of my favorite designer’s latest books. Pretty exquisite.
Paradise by the Sea is right.
8. FLORAL LINEN PILLOW, STUDIO TULLIA
Shameless plug for decorative pillows by STUDIO TULLIA.
And you know there are many more where these come from.
9. JOYE MADE CLAY
Love her aesthetic – modern and lovely.
STEVEN SMITH TEA MAKER TEAS
By the way, a few teas that I really love, by a company from Portland, are also available online. These make great gifts with beautiful mugs.
10. CALHOUN & CO. PATCH WORK THROW
Again, the same NY company I mentioned before. Great colors and design.
That’s a wrap of some nice ETSY finds of late with a few other items thrown in.
Thanks for following along!
All the Best,
Suzanne
by studiotullia | Apr 11, 2018 | DIY, INTERIOR DESIGN
Here we are at WEEK TWO of the ONE ROOM CHALLENGE.
MY DINING ROOM…
If you are not already familiar with the ONE ROOM CHALLENGE, it is a bi-annual event created by Linda from CALLING IT HOME that has been going on for thirteen years now. There are some seriously talented DESIGNERS that are asked to participate:
Over a hundred GUEST PARTICIPANTS like myself that must be design bloggers also volunteer to participate:
So how about that ORANGE dining room?
I’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR SOME INSPIRATION…
IKSEL DECORATIVE ARTS & de GOURNAY murals are just beyond. A girl can dream, right? This reminds me so much of my great grandparents dining room in a southern mansion that was once in our family 🙁 
I love the nod to the south, where I was born, in North Carolina. And I want the room to have character. I have always loved palm trees in restaurants and hotels.
These are all so wonderful although over the top for our house.
Look at that mirrored ceiling!
I saw this at the de Gourney showroom last time I was in San Francisco and it was stunning:
I love this color scheme below but don’t want to go too gray/blue in Portland where half of the year we really crave light. It’s a more subtle palette with pops of green and color:
Love these colors, which I can bring in as accent colors here and there in the room:
And an even softer palette, which is actually where I think I am headed:
This is one set of dishes that I use a fair amount:
And I found this fabric awhile ago and bought it thinking I might use it at some point in the house:
This is a rocking chair that floats between the living room and dining room. The jungle theme is brewing.
I am playing around with whether or not I like it in the dining room.
Stumbled across this wallpaper by Schumacher – Zebra Palm – that has me thinking.
I could do it on one wall behind this dresser/bar area:
I sent away for samples so we will see which ones looks best in the room. These are on grasscloth:
This is also a more economic option I am considering for a similar effect that is a tall stencil from OLIVE LEAF STENCILS
I’m just not sure I can pull it off and I might get tired of it.
The present curtain situation:
I would love these woven shades from Pottery Barn on the bay windows:
This is a crisp look too:
But curtains might be nice with the woven shades in a neutral that works with lots of different accents and stays light:
This is a gorgeous space and I love the soft silver blue with the more neutral walls:
I’m also dreaming about this bell jar pendant from THE ENCHANTED HOME with etched palms to replace the brass chandelier we have.
That will be a happy day when that comes down.
Pretty wallpaper by Mad Cap Cottage:
And this soft palette is lovely too – light gray, green, cream, a touch of coral…
A sisal rug or something durable that can with stand kids, a dog, meals, etc. This one is from Pottery Barn:
So its time to start making some decisions and get moving on this thing.
I am completely open to your ideas/thoughts. If you have any, please share them with me!
Thanks for following along and I will be back next week to share more.
