Houston's Chic Brasserie 19

One of my favorite Houston restaurants is Brasserie 19 which just opened here a couple of years ago. Part of Clark Cooper Concepts, Brasserie 19 marries a menu filled with brasserie classics done with a  modern twist and an extensive wine list that would impress even the most discriminating oenophile. Aside from the delicious food and great atmosphere, one of my favorite things about Brasserie 19 is the beautiful interiors. The dining room is filled with bistro chairs, the most amazing light fixtures, and a bar topped with carrera marble and antiqued mirror accents. My first visit to Brasserie 19 was just this Spring when I had lunch with a friend. Since then, I've brought out of town friends to this fabulous restaurant and Fabian and I have enjoyed several delicious meals here including my birthday dinner earlier this week.

{The Gorgeous Dining Room-- The gray leather, tufted banquettes along the wall on the right served as the inspiration for a banquette I had made for my client's breakfast room.}

{So Many Divine Design Details}

{A Painted Built-In Lined with Wines}

{I snapped this shot and posted it to Instagram during a visit during lunch a few months ago. Aren't the light fixtures fabulous?}

{For my birthday on Monday, our waiter brought over this special treat of freshly spun cotton candy topped with a glittering sparkler.}

{Images 1-4 via Zagat}

Look to Love: Beautiful Ball Skirts

{Ball Skirts at a bientot}

I have always loved ball skirts. They are chic, timeless, glamorous, and unabashedly feminine. What's not to love? I was so excited to see that my favorite Houston boutique, a bientot is currently carrying a collection of gorgeous ball skirts in a variety of fabrics including classic taffeta and some vibrant ethnic prints. The photo above illustrates how beautifully a ball skirt can work for either day or night. I recently opted for an a bientot ball skirt in timeless black taffeta and am so excited to wear it with a crisp white button down, sleek heels, and beautiful jewelry. If ever there were a good time of year to break out the ball skirts, it would definitely be around the holidays. Do you agree?

While I know I'd like to wear my ball skirt with a crisp button down, they look just as fabulous with a pretty blouse or a simple tee. Here are just a few examples of chic ways to wear a ball skirt. 

{Uliana Sergeenko at Valentino's White Fairy Tale Love Ball}

{This woman opted for a chic emerald ball skirt and some fabulous jewelry at S/S 2013 Paris Fashion Week | Image via Harper's BAZAAR}

{The Beautiful Herrera Sisters, Patricia and Carolina, Jr. Photographed in Manhattan for Harper's BAZAAR}

{Christian Siriano recently showed some vibrant tulle ball skirts during NYFW.}

{A Gorgeous Saffron Yellow Ball Skirt by Oscar de la Renta}

{A Green Oscar de la Renta Ball Skirt | Image via Martha Stewart Weddings}

{The Most Classic Way to Wear a Ball Skirt by Carolina Herrera, of Course!}

Are you loving this look as well? How would you wear a ball skirt? Where would you wear it?

On My Mind: Design Details

{A Few Fabric and Trim Options  that I’m Considering for this Project}

I’m currently working on a very exciting project. It is a new construction home, so it is wonderful to be involved in all of the design decisions as well as many of the architectural decisions. My clients are a young, stylish couple, so we’re going for a modern spin on a traditional aesthetic which just so happens to be my signature style and part of why it has been such a joy to work on this project so far. We’re still working on the overall design for each room, but I thought I’d share a few of the details that I envision using in this project.

{We are leaning towards contrasting cabinets in the kitchen. We will most likely end up doing painted white cabinets with a dark island for visual impact. We’ll also have some fabulous lighting, of course! | Image via Benjamin Dhong}

{We are also planning for a beautiful stainless steel hood over the range. Isn’t his one chic? | Image via House Beautiful}

   {We would carry over the contrasting color of the island into the butler’s pantry. |  Image via Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles}

{The family room will have a fabulous built-in bar. I’m toying with the idea of painted doors vs. mirrored doors. I’m not sure which direction we’ll go in just yet. | Image via Pinterest, Original Source Unknown}

{Inside the bar, I’d love to do something visually impactful for the backsplash. Depending on what happens with the doors, I’m thinking we’ll go for a fun, patterned wallpaper or beautiful antiqued mirror as shown here. | Image via Pinterest, Original Source Unknown} 

{I have been doing a lot of tone on tone, saturated color in most of my projects recently and love the idea of carrying that into the study in this particular project. I love the lacquered nook for the sofa in this image from Veranda.}

{We will most likely do some pocket doors for the entrance to the study. | Image via Pinterest, Original Source Unknown}

   {In the foyer, my client definitely wants to create a beautiful moment. She likes the idea of an oversized mirror, so I think doing some sort of inset mirrored paneling on the wall could be really stunning although this particular vignette is a little too traditional for the direction in which we are taking this project. | Image via Veranda}

{I’d love to do a gorgeous stair runner like this one by Markham Roberts}

{For the kitchen backsplash and various full bathrooms, we’ll incorporate beautiful natural stone and will most likely incorporate an unexpected pattern or two somewhere.}

{This bathroom by Pritchett +  Dixon has some beautiful tile details as well as some great mirror inlays throughout the millwork.}

{We’ll most likely incorporate some fun wallpaper into one of the powder rooms. | Image via At Home in Arkansas}

{While the majority of the house will have hardwood floors, we will be using large, black slate tile in the mudroom, back entrance of the house, and the powder room nearest the outdoor kitchen. | Image via Pinterest, Original Source Unknown}

      {Another beautiful design detail that I would love to incorporate into this home is painted black doors. I think they will work perfectly with the architecture of the home, especially since the windows will be black iron. | Image via Pinterest, Original Source Unknown}

{I’d also love to do a lacquered wall treatment somewhere, perhaps the dining room. We’ll see if this one pans out! |  Image via Veranda}

Have you incorporated any of these same design details into your own home or design projects?

I hope to share some sneak peeks of this project with you as it comes together. If you’d like help with your own design project, please contact me here.

An Update on Tate

If you follow me on Instagram, you've probably seen my updates about Tate over the last week. He injured himself jumping onto our bed last weekend and hasn't been himself ever since. He is typically a very active, jumpy dog. He jumps up and down when someone knocks at the door, or if he has to go to the backyard to potty; if we're going to give him a treat, or when he wants to take a nap on the sofa or jump up on the bed, so jumping has never been a physical issue for him. When he started to leap onto the bed last Saturday night, we didn't think anything of it, but as soon as he landed, he started yelping in excruciating pain. We took him to the vet and she wasn't able to really find anything after a physical examination. X-rays didn't show any broken bones, but they did show that one of the discs in his lower spine has morphed in shape over time. The doctor said it could be completely unrelated and just a coincidence that they found it on the scan or it could be pinching some nerves and possibly causing the pain. For the past week, Tate has been on pain killers and bed rest with orders from the vet for limited physical activity. He seemed to be getting a little better each day even though he hasn't fully been himself. Unfortunately, on Friday, before his follow-up visit at the vet, he decided he felt well enough to jump on the bed again. It all happened in the blink of an eye and we weren't able to stop him in time. As soon as he was airborne, he was yelping in terrible pain again. 
We are taking Tate to a neurologist today to see if we can get more answers since the vet wasn't really able to give us a solid prognosis. It's so difficult to see him in pain and suffering when he so badly wants to engage in his regular activities, but knows that he can't. I wish that I could explain to him what is happening and that we are doing everything we can to get him healthy again. I wish that he could transfer his pain to me because as an adult woman, I know my limits and could handle something like this better than my sweet puppy son can. Fabian and I have been worried sick and have hardly slept thinking of all of the what ifs. 
Today is my birthday and I honestly don't want anything for myself. On this birthday, my only wish is for my wonderful dog to get better without having to undergo surgery or anything quite so major. Please keep Tate in your thoughts and prayers today as we see the specialist. Thank you so much!
P.S. Thank you to everyone who has contacted me about being a contributor on La Dolce Vita. I am still reading through all of your submissions and will get back to each of you shortly!

Fabulous Room Friday 11.01.13

Good morning! I hope everyone had a fun, safe Halloween. Can you believe it's already November? I feel like I say this at the beginning of each month. It's so cliche, but goodness, time just flies by! Do you feel that way, too?

This week, I'm loving this bedroom by California design firm, Bonesteel Trout Hall. I came across the image above on Pinterest. It didn't say who the designer was and was linked back to a broken page, so after running the photo through Google Images, I found everything I needed to know about the room from an old blog post by Katiedid. Apparently, the room was featured in Western Interiors & Design magazine at the beginning of 2008. Unfortunately, the magazine fell victim to the publishing crisis and appears to have been replaced by the fabulous, Luxe Magazine. I love knowing that because nearly six years later, the room still looks so fresh (aside from the staged shoes and handbag-- a styling trick that does feel quite dated). 

I love the framed wallpapered panels flanking the bed. I've become obsessed with bed hangings since the first time my friend, Mark Sikes was sweet enough to invite me to stay at his home while I was in Los Angeles. It's like sleeping in a cloud and makes you feel a bit like a princess. I also love that the linens are crisp white with touches of coral which work so beautifully with the turquoise and blue tones in the chinoiserie panels. The zebra stools add a graphic touch, while the seagrass rug adds texture and lends a casual vibe to the room. 

{Everything just works here! I love the simple, white lacquered Parsons bedside table as well as the gorgeous framed Chinoiserie panels. The gourd lamp works perfectly in the space and the accessories are just right.}

{A Comfortable Reading Nook on the Other Side of the Room}

Have a wonderful weekend!