Apartment 46 for the home Blog

Apartment 46, Design inspiration, Floral Design, Good Design, Inspiration, Lovely Things

Uncommon Goods – The Beauty of Curious Things Part 1

January 26, 2017 No Comments

It’s no secret that I gravitate toward two distinct but complimentary styles – Curiosity Cabinet Chic and Darkly Romantic. The true core of my aesthetic is a blend of natural curiosities mixed with lush textures, cold metals and warm lighting. This isn’t to say that I don’t love clean, crisp minimalism or a riot of bright, bold colors and patterns – because I do. However, time and time again I find myself going back to the special beauty of what I’ll call uncommon goods. This three-part blog series will feature just a few of the want-worthy items I’ve been craving and how I’d love to style them if I were actually lucky enough to hold them in my hands.

Apartment 46, Design inspiration, Good Design, Inspiration, Lovely Things

The Timeless Beauty of Chinoiserie

August 7, 2016 No Comments

The gorgeous work of Benjamin Dhong as seen in a San Francisco Residence

Of the many things I am drawn to, in love with, can’t get enough of, chinoiserie has to be one of the most potent. Chinoiserie, pronounced SHēnˌwäz(ə)ˈrē,ˌSHēnˈwäzərē, is the imitation and interpretation of Chinese motifs and techniques in Western art, furniture, and architecture, especially in the 18th-19th century. The sheer volume of information about the style defies belief, and I’ve found that you either love it like crazy or you don’t.

Apartment 46, Design inspiration, Good Design, Lovely Things

Fantastical Animal-Footed Furnishings

June 20, 2016 No Comments

I have an obsession with animal-footed furnishings. I don’t even know when that started or why my world won’t be complete without them, but I know I need them in my life. Brass hooved and animal-footed pieces have been around for hundreds of years and have lived in the most luxurious homes – gracing castles, English country estates, and posh dining rooms the world over. In these very serious spaces they brought a touch of whimsy and mystery. In today’s homes, animal-footed furnishings play nicely with everything from traditional settings to ultra-modern surroundings.

Apartment 46, Good Design, Inspiration, Lovely Things

Sexy Shou-Sugi-Ban

June 5, 2016 No Comments

Photo courtesy of Keel A/P

I need to confess something. I am completely obsessed with wood. Not just any wood mind you but amazing wood. I’ve been heavily crushing on Shou-Sugi-Ban for about a year now and it’s getting kind of serious. Shou-Sugi-Ban 焼杉板 (or Yakisugi) is an ancient Japanese exterior siding technique that preserves wood by charring it with fire, cooling it, cleaning it and finishing it with a natural oil.

Apartment 46, Good Design, Inspiration, Lovely Things

7 Tips for Creating Sacred Space

May 26, 2016 1 Comment

It doesn’t matter if you live alone or are a family bursting at the seams. Whether your home is large or small, if you have a room or your own, or no room to breathe, creating a little sacred space can do wonders for your well-being. A while back, I wrote an article on Houzz about this very thing – ways you can carve out magical moments in your home that keep you grounded, remind you of what’s important in life, and touch on whatever spirituality means to you. To help get you started, here are 7 of my most favorite ways to add a bit of spirit and soul to your surroundings.

Apartment 46, Good Design, Inspiration, Lovely Things

Crossville and Kohler Add Laid-Back Luxe to RMH Stanford

February 6, 2016 2 Comments

Throughout the design and build process for the Ronald McDonald House Stanford’s, Where Hope Has A Home Project, one of the most challenging spaces for me was the diminutive bathroom. Knowing that some resident families will stay at the house for more than 30 days, I wanted to provide as much of a home-like feel as I could in such a tiny footprint.

Apartment 46, Events, Good Design, Great People

Coyuchi and Ronald McDonald House Stanford

January 5, 2016 No Comments

Coyuchi Luxury Organic Bedding — Coyuchi bedding, Modloft night tables, Rejuvenation mirrors, Elk Lighting swing-arm lamps

The last few months of 2015 were a blur for me, in large part due to my participation in the Where Hope Has a Home project at the Ronald McDonald House Stanford. Although it may seem like it’s just furniture in a room, it took a year of space planning, soliciting sponsorship, raising funds for purchases, shipment delays, architectural changes, electrical changes, paint selections, lighting installations, designing custom-made pieces, construction delays, multiple deliveries, and more nights spent in a 35 degree building with no electricity and no heat than I’d like to think about. In short, the project was/is HUGE, and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. We’re in the punch-list phase!

Apartment 46, Good Design, Great People, Inspiration

So Much Goodness Going On!

August 1, 2015 No Comments

It’s been a whirlwind couple of months! Yesterday my daughter and I got to tour the build site for the new wing of the Ronald McDonald House at Stanford and see the room that I’m designing as part of the Where Hope Has a Home project! It was awesome to see that the room has ample amounts of natural light and an unexpected 13 foot-high light well!

Apartment 46, Events, Good Design, Great People, Inspiration, Lovely Things

Where Hope Has A Home – Update!

June 14, 2015 No Comments

11350620_917453384986210_4338356998622625240_n — My beautiful niece Selah

Each time I sit to down to write a post I am overwhelmed by all of the things that have happened since I last updated my blog. It’s apparent that I need to devote as much love to the blog as I do to my projects because it’s an awesome creative outlet that helps me connect with you in a way that my Facebook and Instagram posts cannot.

Having been chosen as a designer for the Where Hope Has a Home Project at the Ronald McDonald House Stanford, has been such a humbling and challenging experience. I am continually in awe of the design talent that has come together to make this very special building a beautiful, safe and comforting place for children and their families.

Apartment 46, Good Design, Inspiration, Lovely Things

Spring Has Sprung!

March 29, 2015 No Comments

IMG_20150306_192618 — Flowers and table by Apartment 46

There is so much goodness to share so I’ll just dive right in! A month or so ago I was selected to be among a group of awesome and talented designers who will be donating their time and vision to help decorate rooms in the new wing of the Ronald McDonald House, Stanford. Conceived in conjunction with the San Francisco Design Center (SFDC), and titled, “Where Hope has a Home,” this amazingly worthwhile project will provide a safe, comfortable and beautiful space for families with critically ill children to be together and heal. The current RMH has had to turn away families for lack of space and this new building will enable many more to benefit from the loving environment that the home provides. My own daughter was treated at Lucile Packard for a rare heart condition. Though it was the most terrifying experience of my life, the staff and doctors at Stanford were outstanding and provided the care needed to save her life. I am so honored and humbled to be able to give back in one of the biggest ways – by providing a space in which those on a stressful journey may find a moment of peace.