Hi friends,
It’s been an eventful summer, and now that the kids are back in school, we are back in the swing of many exciting new projects! As you may have noticed, I was pretty lax in my blogging over the summer, so I thought I would recommit to my writing and to you. After all, this is one of my main sources of inspiration, and I truly hope you enjoy it as well.
Regarding my summer joy list, I did get to tube, kayak, eat al fresco (a lot), enjoy 4th of July fireworks, go to an outdoor concert (The Revivalists), eat oysters, celebrate my mom’s 80th birthday with my sisters and family, and see my oldest friend from 2nd grade in Erie, PA. This weekend we are also having a bridal shower for the one and only Melody (interior designer on our team and one of the kindest people that you will ever meet!)
Sadly, we did not camp (there is still time), didn’t make s’mores, and didn’t go on a sailing trip to Maine. I also rarely left at 5 pm, although I did it more often.
So what’s next? I wanted to share a few things that I am excited about. First, I have seen some very unusual but beautiful exterior color palettes in Chautauqua, NY.
A Victorian Bed and Breakfast in Chautauqua, NY.
This historic place has Victorian homes and cottages that date back to 1875. Such a fascinating place that encourages art, music, debate, and spirituality during its summer season of June-August. We have been going for years, but I think that it would be fun to stay for a week and really feel like a local. This year we stayed for 1 night at the Atheneum Hotel and saw the above-mentioned concert at their outdoor amphitheater. We also went to a wonderful juried arts festival, and I got introduced to several new talented artists.
Such a sweet Victorian Cottage in Chautauqua, NY.
I saw my dear friend (since 2nd grade), Lara in Erie, and we started our plans for walking the Camino for our 60th birthdays next year. I know many of you have walked this ancient pilgrimage in Spain and Portugal, so I wanted to ask for any advice as we are planning our journey. So far, we are planning for Spain in September for about 6-7 days on the Camino Anglaise. We are looking into where to stay and hiring a porter for our bags so we can travel with just a backpack. Please reach out to me at stephanie@balancedesignatlanta.com with your thoughts. In the meantime, we are both walking more to actually enjoy the walk and not complain too much!
A pool bath that features a composting toilet and a sink that hooks up to the outdoor hose.
Personally, from a design standpoint, I designed something that I had never had before-a bath shed for a pool. What made this little building special was that it holds a composting toilet and a sink that is connected to a garden hose. So it is kind of the opposite of a fancy pool house, yet it is so cute and useful! The petite size(8×8′) is so that the grandchildren can get out of the pool and use the bathroom without having to trek back down to the house. It is the perfect shade of green: Farrow and Ball Reduced Green. One note about choosing outdoor colors: go darker than you normally would, because the sun makes them look significantly lighter. We learned this the hard way by choosing the wrong door color: Farrow and Ball Setting Plaster. Once it was up, we needed to switch to Farrow and Ball Sulking Room Pink to ensure it read as pink outside, not just off-white. We worked with the company Urban Sheds to build it, and the carpenter, Aaron, was detail-oriented and kind. I am not sure why this little project gave me so much joy, but when I reflect on it, it holds many of my values: making the most of a small space, working to be as sustainable as possible, and creating a space with the utmost care and attention to detail. I hope that this little bath shed brings our client and grandkids lots of great memories around the pool.
This fall brings some new design projects that I look forward to sharing with you:
A rendering from Marlee featuring a new primary bath space and dressing room.
1-Marlee is working on a major renovation to a primary suite that includes a beautiful custom dressing room and bath, architecturally designed by Helen Crawford of Primitive Huts and built by the one and only Scialabba Construction.
I love this little kitchen! So thoughtful and colorful.
2-Jennifer is working on an adorable Candler Park kitchen for Godiers Architecture that’s colorful and resourceful with budget-saving ideas. Her ideas really struck a chord with me and my little kitchen!
A dramatic powder room is one of my favorite places!
3-Melody is working with Stryant Construction on a large historic renovation in Candler Park. This project includes a new kitchen, a screened porch with a fireplace, and a small upstairs laundry and powder room.
A rich and comfortable dining room, ready in time for the holidays.
4-Andrea is finishing up a complete furnishings project for a large home. We partnered with Copper Sky after they completed the major renovation and touched every area of this beautiful home on the west side. We selected most of their furnishings after the client’s renovation.
A foyer rendering in Druid Hills. Love this wallpaper!
5-Dorian and I are working on a historic update in Druid Hills for empty-nesters who are ready to claim their next adventure in the home that has served them well for the past 30 years. We love working with empty nesters!
6-Marilyn, our Director of Operations, is keeping us organized by ordering the right items at the right time, handling our billing, and ensuring we do everything possible to keep our projects on track. This behind-the-scenes work allows us to do what we do so well.
7-Finally, Allie and Jean-Luc, as Project Manager Coordinators, are helping us accomplish so much more than we could by ourselves. From meeting subcontractors to hanging art, assisting with installations, and managing social media, these 2 are helping us make our jobs much more efficient.
Our team without our newest interior designer, Dorian. Time to get new team photos!
These are just a few of the projects I look forward to sharing in the upcoming months. We still have a little space in our fall schedule, so please reach out if you are thinking of updating your home, making it work better for you, and creating a place that you love, simply because it feels just like you. As you may have guessed, I am very grateful to have such a hardworking and talented team! I don’t want to brag, but I know I am very lucky!
Until next week,
Stephanie