We are entering the shoulder season, when you start looking around the interior of your home thinking, oh, hello old friend…let’s dust off some of these summer cobwebs. But the thing is, many of us are hanging on to summer still. Especially here in the Midwest, the onset of fall means thoughts of winter, and who is ready for that when we just sent the kids back to school??
An easy way to ease into the seasonal transitions? Switching out display books. We have some favorites that we’ve included in the round-up below, in addition to a few simple styling objects that we often turn to working with books. And after that, a little inspiration for places (not just for coffee tables!) to display these beauties.
Let the heavy-lifting of a full fall refresh wait for September.
The hardest choices to make as a designer are in your own home. Everything is crystal clear in someone else’s space, but we encounter the same problems our clients do when tackling our own projects: emotional attachments, decision fatigue, overwhelming choices. The pool and patio at Renee’s new home were no exception. But, after much ado, they are finally complete: landscaping, furnishings, accessories…all decisions have been made and she is so excited to share it here with you. (Her kids are pretty thrilled, too.)
Ready for a swim (virtually)?
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While the last several years have seen a shift to more people working from home, the summer season typically always means logging a few more hours in the home office. We’ve been designing a lot of these spaces lately, and with more nooks and crannies to contain the trappings of a typical office. One of our primary aims in a home office is address practicality, but also provide a cozy space that still feels like home. It can be done!
Whenever possible, we always start with built-in cabinetry to tuck away small printers and wiring.
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When space allows, it’s always nice to have a spot to to read or review away from the desk. (Or, enjoy a cocktail with a visitor!)
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Offices provide great opportunities to display books and personal items, making the space unique to homeowner.
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Often, there are areas of the home where a small space to work is helpful, but a full office is not necessary. Little work areas can be tucked away almost anywhere!
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Lastly, if you scroll back through all the photos, you’ll notice we always add art. Vintage or original art goes a long way toward warming up an office space and making it feel like a natural extension of home.
When we were preparing to launch Collected, there were a gazillion decisions to make about what types of products we would carry. Vases and planters. Glassware, flatware and bar accessories. Kitchen tools, table linens and serveware. Pillows and blankets. Baskets, bowls and decorative objects. Our heads swam.
But, one of the product lines we are most excited about is the collection of antique and vintage items that we’ve hand picked for Collected. This is a feature of our shop we are so passionate about. There is no replacement for the patina and timelessness of a vintage or antique piece. And hunting for these one of a kind gems is one of our great pleasures!
One thing we see a lot of questions about is the difference between antique and vintage, and also about thrifting versus antiquing. Lisa, our vintage and antiques specialist, shared some notes on these topics, and below, we’ve included a gallery of some of our current favorites from Collected.
Thrifting vs. Antiquing
Thrifting is often inexpensive and these stores price items to sell, so there is usually no room for bargaining. Items are priced quickly, typically with little to no research involved: think Goodwill and Salvation Army. These stores usually have a lot of piles, and there’s typically a lot of sifting you’ll need to do to find something of value. That’s not to say it can’t be done – did you hear about the ancient Roman bust purchased at Goodwill for $34.99?!
Antique shops typically have items with more value, and you’ll usually pay more there. Sellers do their homework on their inventory, and price it accordingly. Antique shops are usually set up in a booth format, and the owners of the booths rent the space from the store. Sellers are responsible for pricing and selling their inventory, and so there is usually room to negotiate prices. The store clerk can call the booth owner if they aren’t in, and ask if they are willing to offer a better price. A lot of times they’ll do 10-15% off list price!
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Antique vs. Vintage
Antique is at least 100 years old. The definition of vintage is a little more fluid, and often depends on who you ask. Most experienced sellers define vintage as at least 20 years old, though they will often say that “true” vintage should be at least 50 years old.
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Ready for some of your own vintage and antique pieces? Listed below are a few of our favorite spots throughout the U.S., some with markets upcoming. And after that, shop a few of our favorites from Collected – no need to leave the comfort of your own home!
Massachusetts: September 6-11 https://brimfieldantiquefleamarket.com/ (noted to be one of largest outdoor markets in the country and has been running for over 50 years)
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Check out the progress on this beauty. We are so proud to have been involved in every step of this build, from original plans and groundbreaking, to the final decorating and furnishings phase we are in now. Stay tuned for a full reveal soon!
We can’t be the only ones pining for simpler times. Summer often brings with it a bit of longing for ages past, memories of childhood, and the idea of slowing down. Reliving the best parts. We feel this deeply in this, the heart of summer. Summer nights by a fire pit, lazy days riding the neighborhood with friends, reading books in the grass in the late afternoon. Nostalgia often carries with it the unspoken importance of family time — cooking and eating together, spending time at the lake, watching old movies well into the night. Speaking of movies, even popular culture gets in on the spirit of nostalgia each summer as classic movies are re-released, or long-awaited sequels are dropped (hello, Maverick, Lightyear, Firestarter).
Of course, the centerpiece of time with family is our homes. At Park & Oak, we feel so lucky to work in these most personal spaces, and one of the things we pride ourselves on is how we incorporate clients’ sentimental and personal things into the overall design, because part of what we react to in certain spaces is the feelings evoked. This aspect of home design is so important to us, as it honors each family, and allows them to celebrate nostalgia in a way suits them best. This is also why as a rule we love vintage pieces, because they add patina and history to a space. They tell a story.
These days, as many of us seek something to soothe the soul a bit, we wanted to revisit the personal touches in our projects. Below are some of the ways we’ve used a family’s own collected objects — or the original details of an historic home — to evoke the positive, comforting feelings that go along with nostalgia. Here’s to slowing down, and appreciating the best things in life.
Celebrating the original details of this 1873 Victorian, with a nod to the living spaces in the home that were renovated by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1908 #POoakparkreno via Park & Oak
Showcasing some of the family’s extensive collection of artwork in the upstairs hallway at #POwinnetkanewbuild via Park & Oak
At Collected, we’ve tried to curate items — be they new or truly vintage — that indulge a nostalgic soul. Here are a few of our favorites.
One of our favorite types of interior lighting has its origins in the humble outdoor oil lamp. Outdoor lantern lighting can be traced as far back as ancient China, Egypt and Greece, when men and women living in caves scrambled to create light from whatever was available. A common combination at that time was moss and animal fat, set into a carved out stone. These primitive designs would evolve over time into something closer to what we picture today, a durable metal case with glass sides, protecting an interior oil-based light source. It wasn’t until 1803 that lantern lighting would make its first major evolution, when William Murdoch pioneered the use of coal gas for lighting. This opened up exciting new possibilities for creating light more efficiently. Ignacy Lukasiewicz would follow up in 1853 with the first kerosene lamp and a patent for the wick burner, and in 1862, John Irwin created the first coil oil lamp, which was more practical for indoor use since it was less likely to cause fires.
With Thomas Edison’s invention of the lightbulb in 1879, possibilities for indoor lighting would explode. But the design of the simple oil lamp would hang on, with modern day lighting continuing to embrace the centuries-old formula of a durable case with glass sides, shielding an interior light.
At Park & Oak, we like lantern lighting as a focal point in a smaller space, or used in pairs to make more of a statement in an area where you might normally see smaller sconces, like above an island. The centuries old design is a favorite among our team for its timelessness, and it can pair well with both traditional and modern elements in a room. We’ve included some of our favorites below, as well as some Park & Oak room designs utilizing lantern lighting for inspiration.
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The next installment of an occasional series where we share tips and tricks of the trade to help you navigate sometimes puzzling home design questions.
Today’s Question: How should I arrange the pillows on my bed?
Ah, yes, the age old question. How do I wrangle all these pillows into something that is pleasing to the eye? We can help.
First, know that our recommendations vary depending on the size of your bed. Here, we’ll give tips on king and queen size beds, but you’ll be able to apply these concepts to smaller beds also.
Here are your goals:
1. Comfort and ease
Dislike taking mounds of pillows on and off the bed each day? Don’t! Choose a smaller number of pillows, or the configuration you are most likely to want to repeat each day. Because our number one tip is…make your bed EVERY day! A made bed means not just a finished space, but a clear head and a soothing place to enter at the end of a long day.
The goal in all our configurations is to give the bed — and the pillows — a cohesive, connected look. The best way to achieve this is to break up the visual voids between each pillow, creating a cascading effect. This is especially important when you are using a lot of pillows!
Floral wallpaper might call for pinstripe pillows. A mostly neutral room may benefit from pattern or color in your bed pillows. Pillows can be a a great place to introduce texture, especially in a bedroom where soft and smooth often rule.
You can use pillows to get a little dramatic, but simple works, too. Whichever direction you choose, you can elevate your space significantly with pillows.
Without further ado, here are some sketches with our recommendations for arranging pillows on your bed in a way that is practical, and also pleasing to the eye.
Who doesn’t love a gallery wall? We’ve been designing a lot of them lately, and are reminded what great character and layers they give to a space. A gallery wall is such an excellent way to tell a story about the people who live in a home, and give visitors a little insight into their hosts. Plus, they make great conversation starters!
We thought we’d share some of the principles we live by when getting ready to help a client with a gallery wall.
Mix Your Materials
Textures, composition, finishes…we pay close attention to the marriage of these elements when laying out a gallery wall. Don’t be afraid to mix modern and traditional, landscapes and portraits, oil and etchings. Be sure to incorporate something personal to you…whether a family photo, or a vintage piece from a trip, one of the keys to a great gallery wall is making it personal.
Don’t limit yourself by what fits in a frame. Anything that can be hung can be part of a gallery wall. Shelves, sconces, shadow boxes, clocks, mounted sculptures. Think outside the box…literally.
When most of us think “gallery wall,” we picture frames of different shapes, sizes and materials and an eclectic mix of artwork. But a gallery wall can also be built to please those who prefer a little order in their lives. We like this type of layout for art that is part of series, or pieces of a whole, as in the photo below.
It may come as a surprise that paint is not always the first thing we think about. Once a budget is set for a project, we want to make sure we are selecting the best possible finishes for the space. Often, this means waiting to choose a paint color until we have a rug, lighting, upholstery. In this project in particular, the abundant natural light in the room meant that the color story could wait a bit – virtually any shade would work here.
What we did know was that we wanted some wow factor in this space. As you move through the entry of the home, and into the living room, this room beckons from the back. We wanted guests to spy a glimpse of this room and think…”oooo, what’s back there?” A jewel-box cocktail room was a natural choice here, the question was just, what color?
We kept coming back to the Montpelier swatch in other color research, so when the rug and upholstery were chosen for this cocktail room, after also considering the black floors, and warm wood stain for the built-ins, we knew that Montpelier would be the perfect complement.
