Hi friends, It’s interesting how different the seasons can be in various places. Here in Atlanta, spring feels quite brief before we move into a much longer summer. It reminds me of when I lived up north and we experienced long winters followed by short yet glorious springs and summers. This beautiful climbing rose in […]

Then and Now-28 Years Ago in France.   Photography by Ed Andrews Bonjour!  We have been in France for over a week!  We have seen Paris, the Chateau region with some dear friends, and now we are sharing an Airbnb in Provence with my mom and her husband, Charlie.  The words in the title (LIBERTÉ, […]

A Tail of a Mischevious Mutt. Hello friends from Paris, My view of the Eiffel Tower at dusk.  This may be my favorite city in the world. It has been a tough week, but I am now in my happy place-Paris.  This weekend, we said goodbye to our sweet dog, Maggie, after 14 years together. […]

Packing for Paris by: Stephanie Andrews Bonjour Mes Amies, I hope that you have had a good week!  Today, I’d like to continue to explore the intersection of design and travel with thoughts on travel wardrobes.  Over the years, I have shared my desire to build my capsule wardrobe.  Frankly,  I do not usually take […]

Hello there! Today, I was thinking about the word “tend” vs. the word “maintain”.  Although the difference may seem subtle, these words ignite a distinct feeling in me.  I looked up these words’ definitions to see if they are different. Tend: (verb) to pay attention to, to serve, to watch over. Maintain: (verb) to keep […]

By: Stephanie Andrews Happy Valentine’s Day, my friends.  I hope my email finds you well.  In Atlanta, my family, our Balance Design team, some friends, and I have been through it!  (A Norovirus that acted like the worst food poisoning I have ever had.) Couple that recovery with a difficult work week, and let’s say […]

Hello friends! Yesterday, I met with a long-time client and friend. As we caught up, we drifted to the current state of affairs in Washington DC. Amidst our fear and disbelief, she said something profound: we all have a “sphere of influence” that we alone can control. We may not be senators or movie stars, […]

By: Stephanie Andrews Hello there!  It has been a cold, feisty week here in Atlanta.  We celebrated MLK on Monday and ignored some other events in the country.  There were a couple of snow days this week, which brought our city to a standstill, yet the kids were ecstatic and the sleds found their way […]

Greetings! After last week’s trend/not-trend blog, I thought it might be helpful to have some design guidelines to share when you are working on your own home.  These are some helpful hints that I have learned over the years.  Although I do not consider myself a rule follower, I like to have a place to start, […]