Phish... and a restoration???

Well, here we are in the new year!  Hi!  Are you loving 2012?

I had the nicest Christmas/New Years break with Jimmy.  (yea, I know... I talk about Jimmy all the time.  What are you gonna do?  I'm going to show you guys a house, so I get to talk about Jimmy as much as I want.  A deal's a deal! -- see the results.)

We started out our visit in North Carolina where his mom's family lives.  We went to his aunt's house for lunch.  You may remember her from the kitchen she designed in Jimmy's grandma's house.  She has a great eye for design, and I was really looking forward to seeing her house.  Her home used to belong to Jimmy's grandmother's sister (great aunt?).  She lovingly restored/renovated it and did an amazing job!  There were so many unique things about the house I had to take pictures so I could share them with you.  I found out later my camera was actually on the brink of death, so forgive me if these pictures are not my best.  One more side note...  Jimmy's aunt had an awesome lunch for us.  It was so great that I got distracted and forgot to take a picture of the kitchen.  #totalfail  Don't blame me though, I was on vacation and didn't have my head totally in the game.  Ha.

This is the foyer, which I love.  Why?  I love a glass front door.  It's nice to be able to open the wood door and see out to the front yard.  I also like the wood floors.  The man in the picture is Jimmy's grandfather.  Unfortunately he died before I got to meet him, but everyone in the family raves about how kind he was.

This is the other side of the foyer.  I was really drawn to the bronze wallpaper.  I tried to get a close up of it...

Aren't those pretty imperfections?

This is the formal living room.  I love those bay windows.  They looked like iron to be, but I am not positive.  You may notice Jimmy's sisters in this photo :)

This is the fireplace in the living room.  I loved the carvings on the mantel!

I really like the dining room a lot!  The China Cabinets probably had the most space of any I have ever seen.

See?

Here is the solarium.  Loving the oversized windows and brick floors.  You guys know I am a sucker for brick floors.  Duh.

His aunt told me that she chose these Christmas decorations to echo the bronze in the foyer.  How clever is that?  I would never have thought of it and really admire the fact that she did.  The decorations look amazing.  Let's walk outside.

This is the other side of the window we were just looking through...

and here is the back patio.  Is that flagstone?  Or maybe bluestone?  It looks great.  I love the size of the stone.

Here is a view of the home from the pond in the back yard.  They put in a lot of landscaping that all looks so natural and lush (even in December!).

More landscape and the pond :)

Lets head back in show I can show you my favorite room!

We are heading up the stairs.  I put in this picture of the window seat because that's Jimmy's favorite place in the house.  He said he would hang out there a lot when he was a little boy.... awww.

We end in my favorite room.  She vaulted this ceiling and added the beams, which really opened up the space.  The recessed lighting is such a nice touch because it really lightens up the room.  We had such a nice time sitting and talking in this room, and before we left we even got to have a fire in that great fireplace!  Jimmy's sisters hung out on that bench seat in the corner.  I love it now, but wouldn't that have been such a cool nook as a kid?  Jimmy's family has been visiting this house for their whole lives and were kind enough to share all their childhood memories with me.  I can imagine this would have been quite the place to explore as a child.

Here is a closer look at the craftsmanship on the ceiling.  They even had a stained glass window made and put up in the corner.  If my camera had not been failing every other shot I would have had a picture of it for you.  Sorry!  Just believe me that it was beautiful.

Here is the other side of the room, which had great buil-ins!  If I were in high school/college I would have done all my studying here... it just makes me feel studious.

A close up of the fireplace where we had the fire...

This is the coolest balcony off the room.  It was warm enough to open the doors and go out there for a little while, which was so pleasant!

Finally we have Jimmy just doing a little hanging out in the room.  Can't you imagine him there as a child?  No?  Let me see if I can help you out a little...

How's that?  I KNOW, RIGHT!!!  CUTEST BABY EVER!  Thanks for letting me use that picture :)  And thank you to Jimmy's aunt for having us over for a wonderful holiday lunch!  I love your house!

Moving along...  What did we do the rest of the break?

Phish MSG night 1...

Phish MSG night 2...

Phish MSG night 3...

Phish NYE and MSG...

And my new years dress!!!  Success! And see how I am trying to make my arm look skinny?  Success.

Did I have fun?  Yes.  Am I glad it's over?  No.  What was my favorite song they played?  46 days.  What song got stuck in my head the most?  Quinn the Eskimo.  What was my favorite set?  NYE set 3.  "How were you able to make it through four nights?  Didn't you get tired?"  Yes...  but it was totally worth it!   Am I glad Jimmy took me?  Absolutely.  Thank you so much honey.  I had a wonderful time.

HAPPY 2012 everybody!!!

Let's sell some houses this year!

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Keith Summerour, the perfect glass of wine, my NYE dress...

For those of you who have been reading this blog a while, you know I am slightly obsessed with Keith Summerour.

If you are looking for a laugh you can read this post I write about him 2 years ago titles "Keith Summerour: What makes it a Summerour?"  I think it was maybe my 3rd blog post ever.  Cute Blayne.

I somehow got the nerves to interview him a year later about this house.  It was a wildly popular post.  Read it if you like.

People like Keith's houses because it is modern without being too modern.  It's clean and European and just a tad bit equestrian.  I adore his work, and that is true for Glennis Beacham's new listing at 5549 Long Island Drive. It's lovely and everything a Summerour should be.

The home is beautiful from the approach.  I love the arches (back right), which are so characteristically Summerour.

The heavy wooden doors are very wide (like barn doors), which provides a nice entrance to the home.

This foyer is open and welcoming.

Love this dining room with the wood windows and cathedral ceiling.

The best part about the living room is the curved/trey ceiling.  Oh yea, that fireplace is pretty amazing as well.  Oh heck... I love the floors and the arched hallways as well, so it's all great!

What a great kitchen!  There is so much prep space with the center island, and then you can have people eating at the island closest to us in these pictures.  The wood beams on the ceiling tie the kitchen to the rest of the house and echo the floors nicely.

This is the family room right off the kitchen.  You can see how the wood beams are continued in here, and the oversized windows let you look out to the back (we will see that later).

This hallway leads to the master suite, and is so reflective of Summerour's style with the arched doorways, beamed ceilings and wood doors opening to the front porch.

I like the trey ceiling in the master, and all the windows allow for tons of natural light.  That's also a really cool fan that I am just noticing for the first time!

Look at the archway leading to the master bath!  It's interesting how it's open from the bedroom into the bath, but the shower is off to the side, so it's still private.

Let's head outside!

Not to shabby, eh?

Oh yea, this is the approach to the house.  Amazing, right?  It's like something out of a childhood fantasy.  Once again Keith Summerour=Perfection....  duh.

To see the rest of this dream home, click here.

In other news....  (I'll make this quick... I know you only came for the houses!  ha ha.)

1.

My NYE dress came in, and I couldn't be happier!!  If you don't ignore my horribly messy closet behind me I'll die.  I cropped it as tight as I could.   Now I get to wear this $70 dress that looks much more expensive for the Christmas party and New Years!  Shhh.  Don't tell anyone.  Also, sorry for the confusion in the dress post.  I am FOR SURE going to NYC to see Phish at MSG for NYE (wow!).  I have THE BEST boyfriend ever.  He got us 4 nights FREE at the Four Seasons New York and got us tickets to all four nights of Phish.  He is amazing...  I am a very lucky girl with a REALLY cool dress.

2. 

We finally took our Christmas card picture.  This is usually painful because Ben bitches and mom and I always think we look bad.  This year was a breeze!  My uncle, Rod Collins, took the picture.  He's very talented, especially when it comes to people.  Let me know if you would like him to take a picture for you!

3.

I discovered the perfect glass of wine.  Jimmy and I went to Roswell on Saturday and ate at Salt Factory Pub, which Jimmy claims was the best place he's eaten in Georgia... so there.  This glass of wine is called "Knights Valley" by Beringer.  I went to Beringer when I was in Napa a few years ago and and was really impressed.  I have tried a lot of their wine, but this was the best glass I've had by them.... maybe by anyone.  Do yourself a favor and order a case.  Since I don't know how to talk about wine, I am stealing this from The Wine Enthusiast, "an appealing wine showing likable softness and flashy flavors. The palate brings cassis, mocha, licorice, sweet tobacco, sage, Asian spice and smoky oak; finished long and rich. Notable for its superb structure."  See?  Told ya.

Don't say I never gave you anything! Happy Holidays Kid-Os

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One House, Two Styles (under contract in 24 hours!)

Well here I am at my new Wordpress blog.  What do you guys think?  Isn't it clean?  I am so pleased with the new look of it.  Now I am just going to have to buckle down and figure out how to work it (easer said than done).  This is my first post in the new space, and I am very excited!

Sheila Gray and Erin Yabroudy got this Morningside home (1696 North Pelham Road) under contract in 24 hours!  This is a testament to two fantastic agents and one amazing house!  The best part about this house is it's two completely different styles.  The main level is a traditional Morningside Tudor home, circa 1929.  There are classical architectural details everywhere.  The terrace level is a hip urban loft.  And how do these two styles go together in one house?  The answer is because of the amazing interior design work of Catherine Wilson of Catherine Wilson Interiors.

I fell in love with it the minute I walked in the front door.  I am such a sucker for arches!

Here is the formal living room, which is to the the right as you walk in the front door.  Isn't that fireplace beautiful?

Same room from the other side.  Don't you love the view into the music room?

If I was at all musically inclined (which I'm not) I could spend hours in this room.

This detail shot is from the living room.  The colors and so soothing and and the cabinet has such rich detailing.

The dining room is to the left of the entryway (across from the living room).

My favorite part about this room is the windows.   I always love to look at windows in older homes.

This is the view of the kitchen from the dining room.  It is so bright.  I love that it is open to both the breakfast area and the family room.  Since some people spend so much time in the kitchen, it's great when it's open to the rest of the house.

Here is the kitchen from the family room.  Wouldn't this be a great place to spend time?

And one more view just because I like this picture.  I also love the art hanging in the breakfast area.  Isn't it happy?

We can't forget to show the wet bar... a very important place in any home!

And here is the family room off the kitchen.  This would be a great place for the kids to hang out while the parents cook.

The family room leads to this fantastic screened-in porch.  I would spend so much time out here!

This is also on the main level.  The family room is to the right and the main hallway is through the glass doors on the left.  On a personal note, this wallpaper is fantastic!  I have been thinking a lot about putting wallpaper in my own home (I know! Right after I got it all finished...) and this would be perfect.

This is the other side of that hall, which I show because I am obsessed with that duck painting!!  Also, you can see that wallpaper really well in this picture.

Now lets go to the terrace level :)  Are you ready for a completely different look?

Isn't this cool?   This room has fantastic elements... the exposed brick wall, the sliding barn doors (remember these), and natural wood beams, and stained concrete floors.

You can see that behind the sliding doors are murphy beds!  That is so perfect for a slumber party!  And in case you didn't really feel like getting out of bed, there is a kitchen right next to you!

Isn't this a great idea?   I love the industrial look, as wella s the sliding barn doors you can see down the hallway.

This is an arts and crafts area!  Isn't this cool?  I would do so much art in this room!

I love these cubbies underneath the stairs!  They are like lockers :)

This is the other side of the stairs.  Great storage space.

And here is the office space.  I love the orange!

Here's  the fire pit in the backyard.  Wouldn't it be great to hang out with all your neighbors and have a glass of wine?  I'm very jealous!

And finally we have the back of the house.  Can you see why it went under contract so fast?  It's very cool.  Catherine Wilson of Catherine Wilson Interiors did a fantastic job.  The new owners are very lucky!

So there we have it.  The first post on the new blog.  Please take a second to leave a comment and let me know what you think of the new space?  I can still make changes if needed.

Harrison Design on Tuxedo

Nan Haverty has a new listing on Tuxedo!

It is a beautiful home by Harrison Design Associates. There were some great shots in this home. Isn't this family room pretty? I love the orange (of course!) And look at that mantel? Isn't it handsome?

The mantel and overmantel are carved in mahogany by Alexander Zwalinski who's work carving the desk at the Clinton brought much fame.  This project took nearly six months to complete and is fully equipped with hidden compartments and signed by the artist himself.

Love those built-ins! isn't this a great kitchen? I like the chandelier a lot and the island too! Here's the dining room. I love those curtains! They remind me of the ones in the dining room in this house. They might actually be the same... Another view. Isn't that cool art? I love how it's sewn to the frame. I thought this was a pretty detail shot. I think those flowers are called Chinese Lanterns. I tried to plant those in my yard last summer. failure! :) I do love them though. They look like tiny orange paper lanterns.

The mahogany in the library was "leftover" from buildout out of the Reagan library in Yorba Llinda California and meticulously installed by imported Craftsmen of the highest caliber.

I think that painting is by Susie Pryor, an awesome Atlanta artist and owner of Pryor Fine Art. And lastly, I love this bathroom! isn't that wallpaper fantastic? Thought so! Have a great Wednesday! P.S. Dove update. It was too rainy today. They are coming to my house tomorrow. Matthew keeps sending me text messages that say "coo coo," which is AWESOME! Keep your fingers crossed they arrive safely!

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Frazier and Bodin Classic

It's one of the best pieces of Atlanta Real Estate for sale today! This home is a Frazier and Bodine classic in the heart of Buckhead.

Listed by Glennis BeachamThis home was built in 1927 and as a true Tuxedo Park classic. I was so excited we got the listing and I got to go photograph it!

It sits on almost an acre and a half, and the landscaping is seriously spectacular. It almost feels like you are in a fantasy world... or at least on a huge manor in England! (basically the same thing, according to me!)

The foyer is beautiful and sets the tome for this handsome Tudor home. I love the Tudor arches in all the doorways!

This is the formal living room.

Isn't the light amazing? It actually reminds me of the Azalea House (also by Frazier and Bodin).

And the mantel shot!!! You guys know I'm a fan. It is so ornate, and I love the shield!

This is what I would consider the library. It's off the formal living room. I am a big fan of the arched bookcases :)

This shot is from the foyer into the formal living room. You can see the staircase here.

And this is from the foyer into the dining room.

I love the coffered walls in this dining room. So handsome. And the bay window (is that right?) allows for a ton of light!

This is the breakfast room, which showcases that gorgeous hallway!

Here is a closer shot.

And the kitchen! Perfect for a cook :)

Here is the family room. Aren't the arches amazing?

And then of course we have the office. I love the arches above the windows. Such a perfect detail!

And here is it from the other side :)

So do you love this house?

If so, be sure to enter my calendar giveaway, because this house is on the front and back!!