Inspired by Cy Twombly

I really loved the colors in this painting, Untitled, 2001, so last week I decided to pick up a paint brush and try my hand at reinterpreting the work of one of my favorite artists, Cy Twombly.  I'm really happy with how the piece turned out - it adds the perfect pop of color to my neutral bedroom!  Next up, creating a piece for over my sofa...yes, that canvas is still blank.  I'll share my inspiration for that project later in the week.

Right Round, Baby

Clarendon mirror $249 | White Mosaic Mirror $595 | Palazzo Antiqued-Glass Mirror $519 | Bistro Antiqued Brass Mirror $500 | Tork Brass Dripped Mirror $229

So to follow up to yesterday's post, today I bring you a wee little sneak peek at my bedroom. For as long as I can remember I have wanted my very own vanity so since my bedroom is very long and narrow I decided to forgo matching nightstands and set up my own little makeup station using an Ikea Malm console which I painted high-gloss gray, a stool topped with homemade fur cushion and a lovely round brass mirror from CB2.  I was attempting to channel the look and feel of lovely vanity in the second picture above.  I already had the console, stool, and vintage lamps but it took me forever to source an affordable large round mirror.  Big round mirrors are tricky to find, but as luck would have it, I stumbled across the perfect piece in the most recent CB2 catalog.  I had tried using a rectangular mirror that I already owned in the space but the images above convinced me that round was the way to go! So in case you too are on the hunt for a round mirror, above is my round-up (catch that?) of reasonably priced large round mirrors. Which one is your favorite?

Images: one kristin kerr interiors / two / three / four / five / six / seven

Kristin Kerr Interiors | Office Space

Happy Friday!  I've been meaning to write this post since November but the timing never felt right.  Why you ask?  Well, I needed to figure out some of the logistics before screaming from the rooftops but now, two months and one can of chalkboard paint later, I feel proud to share the news that I am officially self employed and the proud owner of Kristin Kerr Interiors!

Yikes, right? In November I stopped working at my full-time finance job and finally took the plunge into the world of self employment.  The timing felt right but to be honest the reality of my current situation didn't really sink in until after the holidays.  I am so thrilled to be starting this new adventure but at the same time I am completely overwhelmed.  At my old job, everyday would crawl by but now I feel like there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done.

Where am I going with this?  This week I decided to make Kristin Kerr Interiors feel a bit more official so I cleared out my den and set up shop.  I already owned pretty much everything in the inspiration board pictured above I just needed to get organized and make the space look pretty.  My all white walls were killing me so I bought a $9 can of chalkboard paint and went to town on one of the walls.  I don't know if I will actually write on the wall with chalk (I feel like it gets too messy) but I like the contrast of the black vs white walls and the way my Ikea pendant pops against it (first picture above). I'll photography the space as soon as I clean up the piles of paper but for now I leave you with some of the spaces that inspired my design.

The office is just the beginning of the good things to come so I hope you will follow along on my journey and, of course, pass along my information to anyone you know who is in need of a designer!

images kristin kerr // habitually chic // home dsgn // carlyle designs // dvf desk via instyle

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  The last few weeks of December were jam-packed with celebrations, decorations, and tasty treats!  A few festive highlights – finding thoughtful gifts for my family and making sure the wrapping was as perfect as the present inside, baking sweet treats like tree-shaped coconut macaroons and peppermint bark, setting the table and making the floral arrangements for my family's Christmas dinner table, inheriting a few more pieces of silver service ware from my great aunt, having a Margot Tenenbaum moment for a night out on the town with my love, Paulie, and so much more.  The month flew by and I can hardly believe it's already 2013.  Here's to a new year and the adventures ahead!

A Blank Canvas

The title of this post is just about a literal as they come.  You may remember when I posted shots  of my living room last year that I had set up a gallery wall above my sofa.  Well, about a week after that picture was taken I was sick of the "clutter" so I took everything down and replaced it with a single abstract painting.  The painting served it's purpose but was a little small.

Having a sofa up against a wall isn't ideal. Most of my favorite interiors have freestanding sofas--it can make the seating area more intimate and actually enlarge the feeling of the room. I, however, live in a long, narrow apartment and don't have such luxuries. My sofa is parked against a wall and the area above it is a major focal point because my ceilings are ten feet.  The wall runs through my living room, dining room and kitchen and has the potential to look very cluttered, that's why I'm going for the less is more approach.

I love the idea of creating a beautiful focal point with one fabulous large-scale piece instead of lots of little things. It's also a clean look that can really set the tone for the rest of the space. Getting the scale right can be difficult but I sternly believe that every room should have one oversized piece. My sofa is 6.5 feet (78") long so I picked up a 40"x30" canvas from Blick during their last sale. I could have gone bigger but given that I'm not a professional painter I didn't want to pay more for the larger canvas. The scale is (almost) right, now I just need to decide what to paint! I'm going to look to the rooms pictured above for inspiration.

So I must ask, what's above your sofa?