A Holiday Tabletop

I spent some time at my mother-in-law's today working with her to set our table for a holiday dinner we will have at her house. We pooled our resources to create a really different look this year, using her favorite color, turquoise, with antique brass accents.

She has a beautiful antique table and chairs which make a great base for any table setting.  It's nice and wide, so you can really do some nice centerpieces without crowding things too much.   I didn't want to use a full tablecloth so we could see that beautful table, so she pulled one of her scarves in her favorite color to use as a runner. We combined all of our brass candlesticks to fill the table and she has this fabulous, heavy, round vase she picked up in her travels that I filled with creamy white flowers.  Her partridge figurines fit the color scheme beautifully.   

She has these great brass chargers we used under my creamware plates.  Then she pulled out a beautiful service of brass flatware with the best looking soup spoons!  We will be having a fabulous soup on this evening, so how nice to have these lovely spoons. Lastly, we clipped some magnolia leaves from her tree, included a few silk magnolia blooms, and folded the creamy linen napkins. 

This tabletop really reflects the style and personality of my mother-in-law, from the scarf from her closet to the magnolia leaves from her tree.  She loves the decor and can't wait to host this family gathering!

What A Difference Paint Can Make

Before

A sure fire way to get a quick fix for a room is paint.  Well, it's not that quick. A proper paint job takes time and money, but it's less trouble and less money than gutting and starting over.  Look at the difference this paint job made on these cabinets, walls, and trim on one of my projects.  New hardware and stained wood tops helped too!

After

Before

After

Painting everything all one color in this instance, helped accentuate the new wood countertops and beautiful wood floors.  It also makes for an updated, cleaner, less cluttered look.

I love fresh paint!

I'm currently booking projects to start up in January. 

Contact me

today to discuss your interior design project!

Whimsical Details

Several years ago, my family took a late summer trip to northern California and stayed in a most charming house by the sea.  It was a simple, lovely place with an outstanding view and some interesting, quirky details that I fell in love with.  Going through files of photos late the other night I found these and wanted to share.

The front door above was the first charming feature. 

Why can't I ever get fuschia to grow in Houston???

Well tended front garden full of herbs and flowers.

I love the weathered wood and shingled exterior.

 



Comfy window seats, pot belly stove, and a vintage kitchen. 

This kitchen wouldn't have been nearly as charming if it hadn't had those appliances. They were spotless and in mint condition. Just like my grandmother's!

 

I loved the kitchen's mismatched knobs.



The only bathroom with a hunter green sink.  Love those old brass faucets.

The board above the trim moulding is cut to follow the grain. 







I can't find my records on the details of this property, but it was so full of charm and whimsy.  I love the homeowner's attention to detail...check out the handle on the gate above.  It just made you feel the house was loved and infused with personality.  Of course, the view wasn't so shabby either.

Blog Name Change????

I need some help! I've been considering a name change for my blog for just about a year or so. I know "Design in the Woods" is a bit confusing. It sounds like I design log homes or tree houses or something!


I thought it was such a good idea when I started, some three years ago.  I live and work in The Woodlands, TX.  My design studio is here.  We're about an hour north of downtown Houston and it is very wooded.  This is a thriving, growing, sophisticated area and there IS new construction and a LOT of remodeling in mid to high end homes.  I named my blog "Design in the Woods" so that local people would realize that they don't have to go to Houston for quality design work.  There's someone right here in their own neighborhood! 



However, what I didn't realize is that blogging is more of a wide ranging endeavor.  The majority of my readers don't live in The Woodlands or Houston or even Texas for that matter.  When you first hear that name, it really sounds like I'm out in the woods swinging an axe to build my dream hut, in a plaid, flannel shirt with unshaven armpits.

Maybe this?



I've had several suggestions and mostly something with my name or my business name has been strongly advised for branding and name identity.  It just doesn't sound that spiffy though. 

I was thinking...

Carla Aston blog

Aston Design Studio blog

Carla Aston Blogs About Interior Design  (too wordy and literal)

???????

Of course, anything with interior design in the title would be appropriate, but how many blogs have "interior" and "design" in the titles that are so popular already out there?  Believe me, just about any name you can think of with "interior" in it has already been used! I've tried reserving some on blogger.

I've just gotten someone on board to help with coordinating all my online stuff.  I need a new website and want the blog to be part of it. He's got a marketing background, is young and computer savvy, and will help brand my business and build a framework for all my internet stuff.  I can't wait!!!!  All this computer navigation is difficult for me and .....I don't have TIME to create framework!  I definitely realize when I'm over my head and need the help of a guru.

Okay, you don't have to come up with a name (unless you want to), but I really want to know. 

Do you think I should change it?

A House Designed Around a Passion

I've just done a partial photo shoot of one my projects I've been working on for over a year and half. 

It's a whole house remodel that really involved every space, even the exterior.  Above are the flowers I took for styling, loaded in the back of my SUV.  Normally I take at least one vehicle, sometimes two, FULL of stuff to style the shoot. 

I have a stockpile of accessories for photo shoots.  Generic items ranging from rustic wooden bowls, assortments of glass vases, crocks and pitchers, white towels, French milled soaps, and beautiful baskets. 

I didn't take much for this shoot though.  Just flowers and fruit, a few wooden bowls, and the towels. 

This homeowner had everything I needed.

Flowers and items packed up for a design project photoshoot.

One of the best things about working on this project were the collections of art, furnishings, and objects that my client had and loved and wanted to showcase.  Many things were tucked away or just not displayed to be seen at their best. 

A Well-Traveled Life displayed in a home

They have lived overseas, in Pakistan and Kazikstan, and have traveled extensively all over the world. 

She is an artist, working in textiles and jewelry, and has amassed a collection of antique textile pieces that have incredible detail. Embroidery, beading, weaving, and unique stitching and dying techniques all interest her and are why she purchases the pieces she does. 

She also loves a rustic and comfortable feel to her home and has collected and inherited many antique wood pieces that have a worn, textural look.  You can tell from her collection that everything has been curated, carefully considered for their artistic beauty, complexity of detail, or hand hewn finish. 

Each item was purchased because of pure passion for the object or was inherited with special meaning behind the gift.

This project was not about filling the space with beautiful furniture, art, and fabrics.  The furnishings and objet were already here.  This project was about creating the subtle, quiet envelope that would bring these things to life and make them feel at home.

Here's a peek at a few of her unique items.

Textile wire brushes are fascinating collected in a bowl on display.

This handwoven native dress is used as wall decor over an old antique cabinet.

This native headdress adds color and personality and speaks to the places this homeowner has traveled.

My client is a textile artist and has many intricate pieces from all over the world hung on her walls.

The antique secretary has intricately woven hats atop and a throw over the chair. Every corner speaks to this homeowner’s passion for travel and textile art.

This highly detailed antique woven rug made for a colorful wall hanging in the study, to be appreciated as art.

I love the way these small beaded purses are displayed under plexi boxes, mounted on neutral linen. It makes for a beautiful display.

These pillows were made from textiles she collected while overseas. They stand out nicely on white upholstery.

These textiles were collected years ago and are so on trend now! My client collected them for her own appreciation of their beauty, not for the trendiness of their style.

She and I both have bemoaned the fact that prints like these beautiful antique textiles she owns are so popular now.  She's never collected these things to be popular or on trend.  She collected them because she loved them.

She has stacks of great art books about the things she loves.

A collection of books about the textiles and art she enjoys are stashed throughout the home.

When I looked in her kitchen cabinet to find some dishes to put out on the counter, I found the most beautiful handmade pottery.  Of course!  All her dishes were works of art as well.

In the kitchen, handmade ceramics are used daily.

I love homes with personality, that speak of the homeowner’s passions and life story. Books, art, collections, and bold style contribute to speak to the language of the design of a home.

Don’t be afraid to share your style and passion in your home.

See the finished look after the photos were taken in this post, below.

HOME TOUR - This remodel project brought a fresh, timeless vibe to the homeowner’s personal treasures.