Official Design Blog of SummerHouse
We recently did a guest blog post for one of our new favorite blogs, Color Issue, and it’s officially LIVE! We were asked to talk about warm spaces and how color (among other things) plays a key role in warming up a space!
The post is already getting some great comments! Check out the full post (and some pretty pictures) by clicking here!
We’ve got a new column for y’all called Lisa’s LOVES! Ever wonder what designs Lisa Palmer loves personally, or what she’s into outside the interior design world? Lisa’s LOVES will bring the spotlight to what catches our favorite wonder-woman’s eyes! Here is Lisa’s LOVES, first edition!
Lisa, what is your favorite….
Essie Chinchilly. Gorgeous!
Perfume? CK Be. It’s unisex! My husband and I both use it. It’s been my fragrance for 15 years.
Nail Color? Right now I’m obsessed with Essie’s Chinchilly.
Pratt and Lambert Chanteuse 25-27
Wall Color? Pratt and Lambert Chanteuse 25-27 It’s a blue-gray hue. It’s beautiful with metallics and white and any saturated accent color.
Modern printed fabric? The new collection from No.9 Thompson by Jim Thompson has a print on an ivory texture named Bamboozle. It’s a large scale jagged stripe that comes in several color combo’s. I want to use it on a sofa or large window covering. LOVE IT!!
Bamboozle by Jim Thompson. Awesome fabric!
Blog you follow? Besides Always Summer…I love Dolce Vita. I think I have a girl crush on Paloma Contreras!
Cam is the BEST!
TV Show? I never miss Modern Family for a good laugh, (Isn’t Cam the greatest!) and The Housewives of Atlanta is my guilty pleasure! sssshhh…don’t tell anyone!
Fall Fashion Trend? Black suede booties. I can’t live without them!
Favorite piece in the SummerHouse showroom right now? Artesia Beatrice Cabinet in White Wash. It’s modern and earthy at the same time and it’s all about the details on this one! I’d put it in a living space flanked by tall white slipcovered covered chairs. Instant gorgeous!!
It's easy to see why Lisa loves this cabinet!
Thanks Lisa! You have great taste! (As if we didn’t already know that… 
) Stay tuned for another Lisa’s LOVES coming soon!!
Got an idea of what we can ask Lisa about next time? Are you dying to know her favorite restaurant, her favorite artist, or something else? Leave a comment and we’ll be sure to ask her on the next Lisa’s LOVES!
Our new friend Aarean, editor and publisher of the beautiful new blog Color Issue, asked us to do a guest blog post for her talking about how to add warmth to a room. Her blog focuses on the importance of color, so several of us gave our two cents about the importance of warmth in interiors! The post is scheduled to go live tomorrow (Saturday, 11/19) on the Color Issue site, so keep your eyes peeled! 
Here’s a sneak peek at one of the rooms we thought was a great use of color to create warmth.
Be sure to read the full post tomorrow!
**11/21 Addendum: Due to a mix-up with Aarean’s scheduling sofware and the fact that she is out of town, it will be next week before this post goes up! We are still very excited about it and hope you are too!**
The newest wallpaper collection from Designers Guild is really, really cool. This collection has that traditional Designers Guild funky flair with some great colors and awesome new patterns. Check out a few of the many patterns/colors that caught our eyes!
Amarapali Peony
Ottelia Oyster
Ottelia Noir
Ottelia Aqua
Mehsama Indigo
Jacaranda Slate
Jacaranda Chartreuse
Kalpana Duck
Kalpana Pewter
Lotus Flower Noir
Lotus Flower Oyster
Do you have a room in your house that needs something a little extra? May we suggest black walls… (But don’t put up any black paint before you consult a designer! Please!) A room with black walls is dramatic and full of personality, and is also a great new take on the neutral wall. Here are a few ideas of how to do black right. It’s really not as bleek as you’d think!
Thanks to LonnyMag and Rue for the great photos and ideas.
Do you have any black (or almost black) walls in your house? What color were they before? We want details!!
Happy Monday to you! Since it’s a little dreary in the metro area this morning, maybe this post will help combat the blues that today seems to be trying to give us. This beautiful outdoor living space inspires us every time we see it. The bright colors used in the accents, the painted brick wall, the Brown Jordan furniture, the outdoor shower, the beautiful plants… We love pretty much everything!
We hope you’re having a wonderful summer!
Remember the beautiful home we showed you pictures of on Friday? (It is the blog post right before this one.) Well, here is the upstairs guest area of the house. It is fun, bright, colorful, and best of all, designed by Lisa Palmer!
This particular client fell in love with the bright green velvet of the Earl Chair, so the room was designed around that chair, as well as the items that this client already had. The bedding is by the oh-so-fabulous Ann Gish.
From one side of the jack-and-jill bathroom to the other… The art, the paint colors, and the beautiful tile countertops make these bathrooms very happy and welcoming!
If this room doesn’t make you happy then… Well…. It should!
We will have more from this beautiful home later this week. Rachel Kabukala took so many fabulous photos that it’s impossible to get them all into just one or two posts! Stay tuned!
Remember the behind the scenes pictures we posted earlier this week of Rachel Kabukala in action at our Eastbrooke client’s home? (You can see them here if you missed them.) Anyway, here are our favorite photos of this condo’s living room… We’ll show you more rooms next week! This is just a little teaser to get your weekend started off right! Enjoy!
If these pictures don’t make you happy, then…. We need to talk! Have a great, safe weekend and we’ll see you back next week!
Y’all have seen this house before. It is our most dramatic Before and Afters to date (which you can see here) and the customer holds an extra special place in our hearts! Rachel Kabukala, who has sort of become our house photographer!, was over there taking pictures the other day. We can’t wait to show you the finished products! Until that time, here are a few behind the scenes shots…
This house is so beautiful, and the colors make it so photogenic! We’ll post the finished pictures as soon as we can! Have a fabulous Wednesday!
Elizabeth Gullett
SummerHouse designer Elizabeth Gullett recently finished a project in Santa Rosa, Florida that we are all in love with! See what Elizabeth has to say about the challenges that the project presented and how she overcame those challenges. And check out these gorgeous photos!
I must say that this Santa Rosa Beach, Florida carriage house has been one of my most favorite projects yet. Not only was the location divine -with its ocean views, private pool and private beach access- but the client and I shared a unity of vision that made this project go incredibly smoothly! Right off the bat, Kay and I knew we were going to work great together. She’s as enthusiastic as I am, and there was so much to be excited about!
The Challenge: 1) To create a relaxing environment that was livable, fresh, and interesting, while easily accommodating guests ranging from grand-kids to business associates. One of the main issues we had to consider was the fact that this would be where Kay’s kids and grandkids stayed when they came to visit. So everything needed to be super durable, easy to clean, and all around super family friendly, with as much sleeping room as possible. 2) The carriage house needed to have a “chic” element about it as well, because (very fortunate) business associates and clients would be staying here occasionally. 3) The furnishings should direct attention outside toward the amazing views, and not steal it from them. 4) The carriage house should also flow smoothly from the main house (they are attached), and yet stand on it’s own two design feet.
The Solution: 1) This was accomplished with heavy duty fabric on a sleeper sofa, cleanable slipcovers on the chairs, and a darker wool rug downstairs. Wool is naturally stain-resistant, and the darker color makes it even more kid-friendly. The bar stools are made of a heavy-duty grey washed rattan – just wipe them clean! 2) A variety of carefully mixed finishes and washes brings an eclectic, yet sophisticated flair to the different case pieces in the house. The accessories-from classic, thick coffee table books to white coral on acrylic bases-add another layer of chic. The furniture is more rustic, while the accessories are more classic and elegant. 3) Furniture was arranged with each spectacular view as the focal point; every seat gets a good sightline to the ocean! 4) I chose a palette of crisp white, soothing greens and fresh blues- a classic beach palette, done in a slightly unexpected, dressier way. The blue was pulled from the main house, bringing a sense of cohesiveness.
The words we both kept using to describe the feeling we wanted for the house was “Non-beachy, beachy.” Sounds silly, but it fit. Clean, relaxed, sophisticated, and fresh, but with no wicker or “coastal” furniture to be found anywhere…a “different” type of beach house. Kay pretty much gave me free rein in the fabric and furnishing selection, and after the initial presentation didn’t change a thing. It was so affirming that she not only loved, but trusted, the entire vision!
Like I said, one of my most favorite projects yet.
GREAT JOB, ELIZABETH!
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