SPECIAL GUEST: ABCD DESIGN

Hello! My name is Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo. Believe it or not, my initials are ABCD! For the last 3 years, I have written a blog called ABCD Design. I just want to thank Erika for inviting me hold down the fort on the beautiful Blu Label Bungalow while she is enjoying some time on vacation. I'm not sure how many of you know me from the ABCD Design sketchbook, but for the last 11 years I have called New York City my home. About a year ago, we sold our apartment in the heart of Soho. At that time, everything we owned went into storage while we waited for our next step to present itself.

Back in early May, we decided to keep roots on the East Coast. The Mr. and I are renting an itsy-bitsy apartment in the City and just recently purchased a home in the hills of Connecticut. We're going to try to enjoy the best of both worlds. The Country House is going to be our primary residence, but we're keeping the little rental for nights where we work late, or have early morning obligations in NYC.

I can't wait to liberate all my belongings from storage, but first... we're doing a country house renovation! For this post, Erika asked me to pick a room in our house and share my interior design inspiration for it.

I know this might seem crazy, but the Laundry/Kitchen Pantry is the room I am most excited about. It's a little spot in the house - but for me, it packs a big punch. Never in my entire adult life have I had the luxury of dedicating an entire room to the act of storage or laundry! City apartments just are NOT built that way. One would be lucky if there is a closet dedicated to it, otherwise you have to schlep it to the laundry room in the basement, or worse yet, down the street. (Which is NO FUN in the dead of winter!)

In the new house we have three large, built-in shelves that are going to provide ample storage. I love the lighting in the room - it's quite industrial. The question is: How can I make it my own without blowing the budget?

The house is Shaker style, but has contemporary and ultra modern elements that I would like to preserve. My aesthetic is transitional and I have an appreciation for vintage, industrial antiques and even a little bit of country flair. I always refer to my husband as Mr. DWR. (Enough said!) Together, the house we selected suits us to a T.

I have long been a fan of Cole and Son wallpaper. Malabar (From The Contemporary Collection) is my favorite pattern. I purchased three rolls of it on a trip to London a few years ago and never found a place for it in the Soho apartment. Good thing I didn't - I think I might line the back of the shelves in our new laundry room with it. Besides storing extra food and kitchen items in the laundry/kitchen pantry room, I also hope to use the shelves over the washer and dryer to store my vast collection of cook books.

So what do you think, am I on the right track to a dreamy laundry/kitchen pantry room? Fingers crossed, (once the renovation is complete) perhaps Erika will have me back in the Fall to show you the finished product?! {ABSOLUTELY... xoErika}

SPECIAL GUEST: DECOR DEMON

Known for his fast paced ability to raid garage sales and flea markets for unique pieces with which he creates bold, beautiful, and bad ass spaces, Brian Patrick Flynn has earned the moniker Decor Demon. Currently, he is the associate producer, set decorator, and on-air talent for the TBS series Movie and a Makeover. He joins us today with a unapologetic discussion on experimenting with color.

OVER THE RAINBOW
A designer's quest to experiment with every color over the rainbow.

My friend Jennifer once overheard a TV style expert preach how red shoes were solely for children and whores. Naturally, she had me at whores. Although the aforementioned fashionista fancied all things NON-crimson, yours truly happens to crave the company of reds both fire-engine AND candy apple. My point---and I do have one---is that color is too personal to be deemed right or wrong.

I’m a self-taught designer and [a] should STFU, step aside and have an ASID scribe this post [b] have my lawyer scrutinize these words of mine before they go onto the Intranets; however, I’ve received genuine praise from my formally trained peers in regards to my experimentation with color. Well, maybe we’ll disregard the writer who “complimented” me on my “garish, wacky and loud” body of design work. NOTE TO WRITER: when complementing someone, perhaps try using COMPLEMENTARY adjectives. Anyhow, in my book unexpected color pairings are to design what multiple orgasms are to sex. Classics are always fantastic but some become so trendy that they just kinda suck it hard. Robin’s egg and milk chocolate bachelor pads? SNORE. Blood red dining room walls? Sure, if you’re serving up Cliche Casserole to children and whores. Ballet slipper pink and antique white girl’s nursery? Stabbing. Self. In. Eye. With. Pencil. How about a black, kelly green, white and cobalt lounge? Ding, ding ding! There are so many hues out there begging to be played with and it’s up to both you and I to color them happy.

ALL DRESSED UP
In this girl’s bedroom, Brian chose a shade of blue-green for the walls, weathered grey wood for the ceiling, charcoal drapery and bed fabrics with pops of tangerine.

BOYS CLUB
Brian designed this Jane Fonda-inspired room for the Oscar winner’s GCAPP charity auction. Geared towards male bidders, Brian bucked routine bachelor pad color schemes and instead opted for silvery grey-brown tones set against lavender walls.

COLOR ME HAPPY
When asked to design an infant boy’s playroom, Brian kept the walls white, then introduced pea green and dark brown on the ceiling and in accents.

GROUP THERAPY
This dining room made from mismatched chairs showcases Brian’s love of kelly green paired with black-brown, fire-engine red and ultra-white.

WELCOMING DRAMA
On Decor Demon, Brian transformed his own carport into a fun dining space pairing black-brown with marble grey, charcoal and red-orange.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK
To create the perfect shot in a boy’s room, Brian styled the overall blue space with lime green and red accents.

GRAPHIC CONTENT
Instead of the common pairing of powder blue with chocolate brown, Brian often persuades clients to try black paired with navy blue, silver and ultra white as seen here in this bachelor’s lounge.

FASHION STATEMENT
Brian is the associate producer AND on-air designer for the TBS series Movie & A Makeover. When asked to redesign the set for the show’s eight season, Brian brought in glamour with grey and silver tones paired with accents of violet and hot pink.

Visit Decor Demon for more of Brian's awesomeness...

ON VACATION...

BUCKHEAD BOTTLE BAR - ALL DAY COCKTAIL HOUSE

Last night, Marian and I met up to check out Buckhead's newest dining experience, Buckhead Bottle Bar. The proprietors A.D. Allushi, Chef Ian Winslade, and Zaza Pachulia (of the Atlanta Hawks) were on hand to receive guests for the restaurant's special bloggers dinner. 

 

Located on the corner of East Paces Ferry Road and Bolling Way, this urban loft meets modern dining experience was both tantalizing to the my eyes and taste buds! Designed by Patti Krohngold of Art Mix, the space boasts four bars, a spacious patio, and rooftop deck.

 

The food menu is divided into three main categories Small Bites, Bigger Bites, and Best Between Buns. The beverage menu offers an expansive wine selection and featured cocktails.

I started my evening with the White Peach Cosmo a well appointed cocktail of Ketel One, white peach, and fresh lime juice.  I moved on with the Grilled Italian Bread Pizza from the Small Bites section. The pizza, with its light flaky crust, was tasty and layered with a tangy tomato sauce and fresh cheese. For the main course, I selected the Lamb Burger with Goat Cheese and Chow Chow from the Best Between Buns section. The lamb was grilled to perfection, the goat cheese complemented the burger's flavor adding just the right amount of zest.  I finished my meal with the most decadent milkshake I'd ever had.  The Chocolate Hazelnut Milkshake was unforgettable. Hopefully the dark chocolate will serve more as an antioxidant and less of enemy to my thighs.

I'm always looking for great spots to dine Atlanta visitors or somewhere to meet with clients. Buckhead Bottle Bar seems to cater to the casual crowd and serves yummy bites and cocktails all day and night. Stop by and see for yourself, cheers!

MASTER BEDROOM MAKEOVER

A Master Bedroom receives a extreme makeover courtesy of Erika Ward Interiors.

My client has lived in this house for 6 years and has a home full of beautiful, well-made furniture. She had made significant progress in decorating the main level of the home, but very little progress in her Master Bedroom. Her only purchase so far was an elegantly upholstered bed with nail head trim (as shown below) and she requested that it be included in her design plan.

I approached this project with the intention of creating a restful retreat my client could come home to after a demanding day on the job.

In the initial consultation, the client mentioned that she would be looking to move within the next year. With that in mind, I installed crown moulding in the bedroom (great for resale) and carefully chose accessories that would give the greatest impact.

THE FURNITURE

The initial plan was to have a mix of furnishings, but my client preferred to have furniture from the same collection. I presented the Metropolitan Collection/Brownstone Furniture sold through Erika Ward Interiors and she was smitten! Each piece is made from solid plantation grown mahogany, wears and espresso finish with antique gold crackled trim, and has solid brass hardware.

My client and I are very pleased with the outcome of this design and the improvements made for resale. What other improvements can you make to a bedroom that will attract future buyers?

Are you looking to greatly improve the look and feel of your home? Need quality home furnishings that outlast current trends? Contact me to schedule an online or in-home design consultation.

GOOD NEWS: APHROCHIC

Thanks to Hello, Splendor, I am the proud owner of an über stylish silk pillow from AphroChic! When I received the tweet Monday evening it felt like Christmas in June!

 I chose the Haze Silk Dove (the black and white ikat print) from the Dreamland Pillow Collection.  In addition to home decor, AphroChic also offers stylish tees!

If this photo gives any indication of what it's like to own something from the AphroChic Collection, then I'm in for a real treat!

Sidenote: Aside from having a rockin' home decor collection, AphroChic has a blog, written by Founder and Creative Director Jeanine Hays, that proves to be a valued design resource as well as a place for business chat. Jeanine is also a guest judge via twitter for this season of HGTV's Design Star!  Join her for conversation at www.twitter.com/aphrochic #designstar.

Pop over to Hello, Splendor and AphroChicBlog to say hello! Tell them I sent you!

#NATEDAY

In case you haven't heard the ladies of the Moggit blog have rallied fellow design bloggers via twitter to declare today as Nate Berkus Day! In an effort to show The Nate Berkus Show producers how much we love "Nate the Great" (and why they should include an audience full of design bloggers) today we are posting on all things NATE!

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
When Nate released his book Home Rules: Transform the Place You Live Into a Place You'll Love in 2005, I purchased it the first day it hit the bookshelves.  I devoured each page of decorating advice complete with before and after photos of gorgeous room transformations.  The book included makeovers designed for celebrities such as Kirstie Allen, Jerry O'Connell, and Paige Davis, but it was love at first sight when I came across this bedroom design for celebrity hairstylist, Ellin Lavar.

THE INSPIRATION
Inspired by the dressing rooms of Paris couture houses, he transformed her nondescript bedroom into a European lap of luxury. The walls were given architectural interest through the use of crown and picture-frame moldings and boasted a smoky purple color palette.  His brilliant use of color and texture seduces all senses with plush, ivory carpeting, a headboard upholstered in lavender linen, silk drapes and toss pillows, and a gray/metallic wallpapered ceiling.  This dreamy bedroom truly defines the phrase "casual elegance."   

Join in the #nateday fun, there's still time! Write a post to show Nate some love, tweet it, then add the #nateday hashtag behind your link to identify yourself as a Nate Berkus fan!

Do you plan to participate? If you did, please leave the link to your #nateday post in the comments sections for others to see!

DESIGN + DOMINO

Design and Domino Magazine are two things I could talk about all day, everyday. So when Rachel of La Bella Bungalow invited me over to share my favorite room from one of my favorite mags, I could not have been happier!

Click here to check out my favorite room and why....I'm also wondering which issue of Domino featured the room. Head over to Rachel's and see if you can help me out!

Writing this post has made me want to get lost in a few issues of Domino along with my required weekend reading! I can't wait...

REQUIRED READING - LONNY MAG

This weekend, my plans for relaxation include reading Lonny Magazine's June/July issue  available online (free).

My original intent was to save it for Saturday afternoon, but couldn't resist taking a peek. Here are two of my favorite features:


LEE KLEINHELTER (MODEL DESIGN)

 ...and...

BUNNY WILLIAMS (ISLAND RETREAT)

 *I'll admit it... I'm a city girl who could use a little of the country life right now*

Have you been flipping through the pages of this month's Lonny Mag? They deem this one to be the best issue yet. What do you think?

GLAMOUR GIRLS GATHER AT THE RITZ CARLTON

In keeping such a busy schedule, it's important to take time to connect with the ladies for lots of fun, food, and fellowship. I had the pleasure of doing just that at the Glamour Girls Sunday Brunch held at The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead. The Ritz-Carlton has literally rolled out the red carpet for this special event taking place each Sunday through June 27th.  There's still time to schedule a meetup with your glamour girls, don't delay! Click here to make your reservations.

THE BRUNCH
The live pianist, courteous wait staff, and chefs help to set the atmosphere for a most enjoyable Sunday afternoon consisting of breakfast fare complete with a full service omelet and waffle station, caviar bar featuring the freshest sushi, caviar, roe, oysters on a half shell, and prawns, a carving station spotlighting the salmon wellington and prime rib, as well as a cold salad station and an amazing selection of elegant desserts.

THE GLAMOUR GIRLS

Throughout the entire restaurant were Glamour Girls enjoying their food, engaging in amusing conversations, and sipping delicious Buckhead Cosmos.

We also received a special gift bag that any socialite would love.  Manolo Blahnik notecards, a certificate for 10% off spa services at The Ritz-Carlton Buckhead, Kerstin Florian beauty products, and a cookie shaped like a stiletto filled The Ritz-Carlton signature blue bags.

THE AFTERNOON DELIGHTS
Just when I thought the afternoon couldn't get any better, we headed over to Neiman Marcus for champagne cocktails and customized sketches of us Glamour Girls in our stilettos!

[photography courtesy of Erika Ward, Tammie Reed, and Roxanne Stritt]

So what are you waiting for? There are still 3 Sundays left to reserve your space. I'm so glad I did. I extend special thanks to Roxanne Stritt of My Skin Concierge and Sandra Ryder of The Ritz-Carlton for catering to the Glamour Girl in me!