Patio Perfection

As I alluded to yesterday, I am not ready to even acknowledge the fact that we're on the downward slope of summer.  I am a summer girl through and through, and I also love lounging on a good patio.  When meeting friends for dinner, I am always the girl pushing to sit outside in the sun.   Backyard patios are another favorite spot, although they are few and far between in Manhattan.  It makes me wish I hadn't taken my terrace in Houston for granted!  Here are a few backyard arrangements I'm lusting after:

{Ward Jewell Architects}

{Vogue}

{Architectural Digest}

{Apartca}

If I had an opportunity to decorate a patio now, I'd definitely fill it with bright, punchy colors.  Think Palm Beach and a dash of Mrs. Lilien:

From top to bottom, left to right:

Safavieh Tangerine Outdoor Umbrella $349/Mariner Stripe Indoor-Outdoor Pillow $31/Adirondack Yellow Chair $128/Adirondack Green Chair $143/Katrea Indoor-Outdoor Pillow $25/Crosby Teak Chaise Lounger $1995/Genoa Turquoise Side Table $799/Pink Striped Textile $75/

There's still a month or so left of summer, and maybe even a few more weeks after that for backyard lounging.  Let's enjoy it!

Chic Shop Alert: St. Frank

I love to come across new, interesting, and/or different sources for home decor.  Working full time as an interior designer, I often feel that I see the same things again and again when sourcing for clients.  Finding a new store or website that offers a unique selection of items is like discovering buried treasure.  And St. Frank is just that- a treasure trove of one-of-a-kind textiles, pillows, and curiosities from artisans around the world.

{Green Otomi Tablecloth}

St. Frank's products preserve the traditional artisanal craft while providing economic empowerment to these artisans, who often live and work in middle and low-income countries.  I particularly love their framed textiles!

Shop St. Frank

1.} Organic Indigo Mini Print $275/2.) iPhone 6 Textile Cases $48/3.)Juju Hat $395/4.)Cactus Silk V Morocco Textile Print $995/5.)  Modern Indigo Pillow $325/6.) Alpaca Throw in Red $225/7.) Day of the Dead Skull $225/

I'm also thinking this might be the time I finally make owning a juju hat a reality. 

Great work, St. Frank!  Happy Friday, everyone!

Pool Season

It's Monday again, and after a long getaway weekend in Austin, I'm still craving more pool time.  I spent yesterday morning reading and swimming at the Barton Springs pool.  Have any of you Texans been there?  I love it!  It's such a fun spot and I love that it's a natural pool and home to the endangered Barton Springs Salamander.  As we begin another work week, I thought it would be fun to share a few beautifully-designed pools and their surrounding landscapes.   Architect Nick Noyes designed this lap pool in a client's backyard, and the waterfall and surrounding greenery are lovely.

{NN Architecture}

And what could we expect from Tory Burch other than a stately pool house with trelliswork details?  

{Vogue}

I love the minimalist feel of this pool, with it's cast-concrete walls and steps.  The shape of the pool is interesting, as well! 

{House and Home}

Located in Southern France, this 80s residence was given new life by ML-H Design.  The clear water is calling my name.  Now, if only this house was listed on Behomm.

{Home Adore}

Taking in to account the details when designing a pool can be just as important as designing an interior.  I love the pattern of black and white tiles surrounding the edges of this one, as well as the adjacent chic cabana.

{Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles}

I could definitely lounge in this picturesque outdoor space for hours.

One of my all-time favorite designers, Suzanne Kasler, has a stunning backyard with a serene pool at her Atlanta home.  I love the Janus et Cie bench, too!

{Suzanne Kasler}

Speaking of Atlanta, I am heading there tomorrow for work.  I can't wait to visit the city and maybe have time to do a few fun things and reconnect with a few friends.  Atlanta people- any store or restaurant recommendations?

Happy Monday!!

House Updates (Pt. 2)

TGIF!  Any big plans for the weekend? I am headed to San Antonio to visit a friend and so excited to get away, even for a few days.  It's supposed to be sunny, which will be a nice change from the continuous rain we've been having in Houston.  A couple of weeks ago, I shared a few small house updates I made around my casa, and today I thought I'd follow up with a few more.  First off, I added Schumacher silk velvet throw pillows to my sofa:

Ever since this fabric came out, I have been utterly obsessed over it.  But, it costs a pretty penny, so for a few years I tried to talk myself out of using it.  Nevertheless, I could never picture any other fabric in my living room, so I finally bit the bullet and went for it!  To save a bit of money, I only did one side of the pillows in Shockwave, and did Schumacher's Gainsborough Velvet in Charcoal on the welt and opposite side.  I'm really happy with how they turned out and how they look against the painting.

The next thing I wanted to do was replace my dresser.  I originally found my current one at a cute antique shop in Oklahoma and had it with me for awhile, and eventually repainted it gold.  But when I moved in to my current house, the dresser got lost against the wall color.  I've also have created a more streamlined look in my bedroom, so the French-country style piece really doesn't fit anymore:

Luckily, I found a loving home for it with a close friend of mine.  To go in it's place, I found a vintage dresser on Jasper Kane Design's Etsy page  for $489 that just needs a bit of love:

I love the bones of the piece, and am getting it sanded down/repainted in Benjamin Moore's Soft Chamois (OC-13) for a fresh look.  I think it will look a lot better against my wall color and not get lost in the room, like my current piece does.

And just for fun, here's what's on my bedside table:

I can't live without Diptyque's Ambre candles.  And I adore this picture of my mom and niece!  Two of my favorite girls in the world. :)  Now I just need to find some great bedside table lamps, and my bedroom will be finished. 

Have a great weekend, everyone!!

Wedding Wednesday: Place Cards

Happy Wednesday, lovelies!  I am thrilled to be bringing another "Wedding Wednesday" post your way.  Today I wanted to share some beautiful place card inspiration.  Admittedly, my favorite elements of planning our day have been working with our planner on the paper products and invitation components and working on the overall aesthetic and look of the ceremony and dinner.  I suppose it makes sense since I love all aspects of design, but I also love the personal touch you can bring in through these pieces.  For instance, this couple added a natural element through utilizing petrified wood as place card holders:

{The Knot}

{Wedding Chicks}

For a whimsical touch, a clothes line displaying the place cards with clothes pins creates a makeshift banner and adds a splash of color:

{Style Me Pretty}

I loved these map-themed escort cards!  They would be perfect for Sam and I's wedding, because most of his friends and family are coming from Australia:

{Clementine Weddings}

Another idea to represent a destination wedding or to honor your guests who have traveled from far away is to make the place cards in the shape of luggage tags.  I also love the way this couple displayed the tags in a suitcase!

And you can't beat the classic look of place cards with calligraphy.  You can get creative with the color of ink/paper to incorporate your wedding colors!

{Style Me Pretty ; Calligraphy by Kathryn Murray}

{Style Me Pretty ; Styling by Lovely Little Details}

And in other news.... we are 6 weeks out from the big day!

{photo via my Instagram}

Time is certainly flying by.

So brides to be or anyone interested- are there certain topics you would like for me to cover in future Wedding Wednesday posts?  Feel free to comment or inbox me at sam.e.penner@gmail.com

XOXO,

Sam

Bar Cart Hunt

As much as I admire and discuss bar carts, you'd think I would actually own one myself!  But sadly, that is not the case.  And with our wedding 4 months away, we have been receiving a lot of fun cocktail-related gifts that are lonely for a pretty home.  If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen these fun Mark & Graham cocktail napkins we received from a bridesmaid of mine:

So, the hunt for the perfect bar cart is on!  There are so many gorgeous options out in the market today, so I thought I'd discuss a few options I am considering:

I love the look of acrylic/glass bar carts with metal accents.  They are versatile and would let my pretty bar essentials shine.  I love that Bradley accessorized hers with a python tray:

{Luella and June}

But of course, I adore vintage brass options...

{Laura Collins Design}

{This Time Tomorrow}

And how could I do a bar cart post without mentioning Society Social?! Their faux bamboo carts are calling my name...

{Society Social}

{Stroke of Luxe}

Shop Bar Carts:

1.) Sedgewick Bar Cart $515/2.) Global Two Tier Bar Cart $525/3.) Aldo Tura Malachite and Gold Liquor Trolley $2,450/4.) Truman Bar Cart $799/5.) West Elm Parker Mid Century Bar Cart $349/6.) Arteriors Brass Bar Cart $1,260/7.) Roland Bar Cart $948

I think I'm leaning most towards #2 and 7.   Which is your favorite?!

Wedding Wednesday: Aisle + Centerpiece Florals

Happy Wednesday!  I'm so glad the "We Love" series with Albertina is back for fall.  I hope you liked our posts yesterday!  Today's "Wedding Wednesday" topic du jour is florals.  Sam and I are thrilled to be working with Jacin of Lovely Little Details for our wedding flowers.  Although we have an overall vision, we are working together to define and refine the small details.  Our first decision is the wedding aisle florals.  Since our ceremony is planned to be outdoors, I love the idea of just having a small bouquet lining the aisle chairs and keeping the pathway natural:

{Style Me Pretty}

{Style Me Pretty}

Attaching a floral arrangement on each aisle chair creates a beautiful frame for the bride as she walks down the aisle:

{Beauty in the Making}

But I also love the romanticism of petals strewn throughout the walkway...

{Beth Helmstetter Events}

Lining the aisle with a thick layer of petals makes a bold and beautiful statement...

{Wedding Bee}

We are also discussing centerpieces for the reception dinner tables.  I think we've pretty much decided that we're going to do unruly, overflowing florals in shorter vases.  Something similar to these in terms of style:

{Style Me Pretty}

{Ariella Chezar}

{Odalys Mendez Photography}

Did you (or do you plan to) utilize flower petals on your wedding aisle?  

What is your favorite floral style for table centerpieces?

Wedding Paper Obsessions

When most brides think about their wedding, they get excited about finding the perfect dress, picking out a cake, and finding the perfect band.  Me?  I'm most excited about the design elements of course!  From finding beautiful rentals, to arranging a lovely tablescape, to the paper suite, I never want the planning and daydreaming to end!  We have begun discussing invitation styles, and I'm having trouble narrowing down the choices.  I love the handwritten letterpress + map suites...

Watercolor invitations are so special, too!  I can't get enough of Julie Song Ink's designs:

And part of me just loves timeless, classic calligraphy design:

{Elizabeth Anne Designs}

{MM Ink}

And how great are these fabric menus with calligraphy?

{Style Me Pretty}

What's your favorite style?  What did you or do you plan to use for your own wedding?

I'd also love to know- would you be interested in reading a weekly wedding column over the next few months, as my wedding approaches?  I'd love to share details of my planning and prep, but definitely don't want to be annoying about it.  I personally loved when Alex and Ashley did this, but want to hear your thoughts.  

XOXO, Sam