Before, After & Everything Else | A BTS Look
What's between before and after? Waves arms around to indicate EVERYTHING.
YEARS.
Plural. That’s how long it can take to usher my design projects from start to (photo) finish. It’s slowly dawning on me that the messy middle is where I reside most of the time, both professionally and personally. In her seminal craft book, The Writing Life, Anne Dillard famously said,
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing.”
In other words, when it comes to design, the messy middle IS design. Between the excitement of a project launch, which feels like a stomach-flipping crush, and the thrill of a fully styled photo shoot, where every detail you’ve imagined, is brought earth-side and memorialized, there’s a lot of shlepping, a lot of pep talks, a lot of pivoting, a lot of “oh fuck now what,” a lot of billing and buying and mathing and zooming and calling, and rallying to sell clients on concepts they loved a few days ago but are rethinking now, since their sister’s plumber had a “cool idea.” There are so many wins and losses along the way—some small, some large — that I think it’s time to start shouting them out a little more.
Are you with me? We’re talking unstyled, behind the scenes snapshots taken with a grimy, frequently dropped iPhone. Let’s go!
Prospect Heights Office | Before
I adore this client. She knows what she likes and she trusts us. GLORIOUS! She’s a full time writer/editor so the two stand-alone bookshelves weren’t cutting it. At the same time, we all agreed it made sense to save here and spend elsewhere in the home, so custom millwork was not on the menu.
Prospect Heights Office | MM
We wound up creating a custom look with off-the-shelf pieces from Cozey. Gaining some closed storage, with a surface that could be styled was a big win for our client—and she loves the overall look.
Still needed: A great piece of art and a cool lamp.
If given carte blanche: A curtain upgrade and maybe a chic rug.
Kitchen/Dining | Before
Here are a few “where we started” snaps. A bit cold a bit impersonal, a bunch beige.
Kitchen/Dining | MM
With a mandate to keep things spare and un-done looking, every addition was deeply intentional. I love an unexpected upholstered piece in a kitchen—so the vintage green settee was a yes. It feels luxe and relaxed, in an under-the-radar way. We framed a collection of 60’s Finnish botanicals (our client is from Finland) and hung them, along with a few curve balls, to keep things from skewing too decorator-y (more on those when we get to the AFTER). I’m partial to a pressed herbarium over a gorgeous botanical print. For me, imperfect + organic wins every time. Here’s a similar collection for any like-minded scrollers.
We also found the most charming vintage Svenskt Tenn candelabra for the dining table. It had one shortcoming—cups that seemed only to fit those little white candles used for vigils, which felt way too grim! Enter (after a deep dive) these lovely beeswax numbers handcrafted by monks. Vibe successfully shifted.
A huge through-line with this project has been the layering of textiles, which we’ve tucked into every corner. Our client’s late mother was a master quilter, and in a way, our guiding light. Incredible fabrics and handmade pieces abound, all while hewing to the natural, gently off-kilter brief. The custom shades above are good examples. A danish swing lamp, and a French Audoux & Minet rope lamp (living in different rooms) got shade upgrades via one of my favorite Décors Barbares fabrics.
I love to use fancy materials in un-fancy ways. I believe in surrounding yourself with exceptional things and then using them to bits. I want the homes I design to feel personal, lived in and comfy.
Still needed: A new rug which is going in any day now!
If given carte blanche: More art = more magic, every time.
Boy’s Room | Before
Here’s a quick look at where we started. a groaning bookshelf and a few piles of toys were keeping this cute room from feeling as joyful as we thought it should.
Boy’s Room | MM
While still incomplete, there’s enough in place to give a sense of the room’s refreshed DNA. The bookshelves continue to climb up the wall, with the monkey bars offering a fun take on a library ladder.
*The soundproof windows are a step above tempered—virtually shatterproof—for anyone serving side eye about placement.
Custom cafe curtains in a jaunty Scalamandré plaid, and a glossy red sconce from Etsy (no longer available, sadly) helped keep the chic kids’s bed from feeling too serious. But the oversized paw as bedside table is probably my favorite detail.
Still needed: More toy storage to wrangle all the stuffies.
If given carte blanche: Art art art.
That’s all for now, but I’ve got endless Messy Middles to (potentially) share. Let me know in the comments if seeing things in flux like this is something you’d like more of, or if there’s something you’d rather see.
Can’t wait to hear from you! H.
Just Trust Me
A few things you should read/watch/taste/buy
Christene Barberich and Kevin Baxter’s upstate home in House Beautiful. This modernist hay-bale house (handcrafted by a duo I adore) was a labor of love and it shows. I’m constantly impressed by how light-hearted and cozy it feels, and I bet you’ll feel the same.
My friend Michael K Zipp just made Frederic Magazine’s It List, which is nothing short of major. The announcement coincided with a tour of his own gorgeous upstate home in the pub, and it’s as lovely as you’d imagine.
If you’re not already following Owen Cutts on instagram, be prepared to crack a smile. His “Old Music Fridays” are nothing short of hilarious, and I love the unexpected tracks he highlights.
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Lovely post! That prospect park office is going to be stunning 😍
More than just words for our material surroundings, I’m really feeling how spiritually “in the messy middle” we all are. So rejoice! Also, Scalamandre cafe curtains!