It was so exciting to open up the current issue of Southern Accents and see a pair of BeeLine’s Luna Lamps on a vanity table in a room by Birmingham designer and shop owner Mary Evelyn McKee. I love how those lamps work as a pair and am actually planning to use them on my dressing table in my bedroom in CT, which I am in the process of redoing. I will share photos with you as soon as I can.

In the mean time, I encourage all designers to submit photos of BeeLine products in your work. My staff and I love to see how you have incorporated the items we’ve worked so hard on into your visions.

Please send your images to contact@beelinehome.com

Photo Credit (top): Southern Accents, September/October 2009, p.24
 

THIS IS OUR FIRST BUNNY'S BUZZ CONTEST:

Our upholsterer hand applies each and every French nailhead on our Nailhead Sofa.

How many nailheads do you think are on one Nailhead Sofa?

Send your guess to contact@beelinehome.com by September 1st.

The lucky BeeLine Home fan who is closest will win a Tote Debris wastebin!
 

Last week I installed a project in Georgia for wonderful clients of mine. I have been lucky enough to decorate their townhouse in NYC and country home in Connecticut, so when they approached me about decorating this condo, I eagerly accepted, despite the only 3 month time frame in which I would have to complete the project. As many of you know, with European fabric houses and custom upholstery workrooms, it is not uncommon for a custom piece to take 12 to 16 weeks to produce. A typical design project of mine lasts between 1 and 3 years.

For this project, I accepted the challenge of decorating with ready-made items. I found a lot of stores like Mrs. Howard, Mecox, and Paysage and catalogs like Wisteria and Pottery Barn that have really wonderful things in stock or in their warehouses that make quick decorating possible. I like to mix and match these items with a few antiques and vintage fabrics (like those sold at John Robshaw) to achieve a more layered look. As an example, in the Living Room, an antique wooden console really anchors the room and works perfectly with the set of new, painted chairs from Paysage.

I wanted the client, a large family, to have a comfortable, bright and fun space in which to relax. My inspiration was the great view of the ocean and the colors of the beach below. I brought out these colors especially in the bedding and pillows, and items like BeeLine’s Turquoise Ceramic Lamps. All of the upholstery in the Living Room was slipcovered in the same fresh blue fabric. This is another quick and easy way to give stocked items more of a custom look.
 

I want to introduce everyone to my magnificent mutt, Lucy. For nine years Lucy has brought such joy into my life. It is funny to think that when I met her, I wasn’t even looking for a new puppy. My husband, John, and I were on a tour of great houses in Atlanta with the Institute for Classical Architecture. Another tour member ran out of film, so the tour bus made a quick stop into the Peachtree Shopping Center. There, in front of the Three Dog Bakery were pens with dogs for adoption.

John said, “Bunny, do NOT get out of the bus.”

But, I did. And there in the pen among the numerous scampering dogs was a little one who looked just like my dog Charlie. She had big eyes, perky pink-lined ears and was wearing a red bandana around her neck. I bent toward her and she jumped right onto my hip! I knew then that I couldn’t leave Atlanta without her.

Lucy suffered from a stroke last year, but through physical therapy she has recovered well. Now she wears fashionable little boots when she’s out about town. She loves to come to work with me and even made it into the BeeLine photoshoot with me in the July/August Issue of Veranda!

P.S. Wallybeds are chic dog beds that I use all the time in my house and design projects - http://www.wallybed.com