Reflections

Two weeks in to 2017, one more year under my belt (hello, 29), and lots of free time over the holiday really has me thinking about life.  My favorite thing about it is it's unpredictability-  try as we might to set goals and make plans, often times we cannot even predict where we might end up.  I certainly couldn't have imagined I'd still be penning this blog 6 years after it's haphazard launch or residing and working in New York.  Living in New York for a bit had always been a desire of mine, but it felt more like a pipe dream than something truly tangible.  Moving here on a whim 2 summers ago and starting fresh really sparked something in me that has made me approach life differently since then.  I have found in my life that any time I've taken a considerable risk in order to follow something my gut has been telling me to do, the risk has always been worth it.  It's also encouraged me to take bigger and bigger risks.  

I've been told by lots of people I love that you learn so much in your 20s, but your 30s are really the years where you finally just feel relaxed in who you are.   And the 2 things I've clearly felt and noticed as I've gotten older is that I'm more comfortable and happy with myself and I'm generally not as scared anymore.  I feel like we put so much pressure on ourselves in our early 20s to have it all figured out.   And the older I get, the more I find myself open to the unexpected twists and changes life brings along every so often.  One thing I love about meeting new people in New York is that everyone has a crazy, interesting story of how they got to the city and what they are doing with their lives.  It's very inspiring, and every story includes a certain degree of risk and unpredictability.  I think life often has a sense of humor and likes to keep us on our toes, so it's good to never get too comfortable.  I've found that when I let change flow through my life how it needs to, the result is always overwhelming peace.

Which brings me to fear.  Having a public blog and working in a creative industry has made me highly sensitive to the thoughts and opinions of others, probably more than I'd like to admit.  But at the end of the day- none of that really matters.  I've been rearranging furniture since I was in second grade and design really is my first love.  Even if this blog didn't exist and I was making a living doing something else, my apartment would still be full of design books and fabric samples.  I don't take it for granted for a second that I get to get up every day and do what I love: creating beautiful, intimate spaces for people.  It's a very personal and emotional experience, and that's what I love most about it.  So I've allowed myself to just let go of that fear of judgement and focus instead on doing what I love.  I just finished reading You'll Grow Out of It by Jessi Klein, and one of my favorite quotes from the book is this:

     "I saw an interview with Joan Rivers once where she talked about why she felt she was doing her best work at seventy-one years old. 'Because I'm not scared anymore,' she said. 'There's nothing they can do to me. They've already done all of it. I've been through everything and I just have no fear.' I thought about Joan, and thought about my fear of telling my story and having no one care, and then I thought- F**k it. I care. I don't care if they care. It's my story." 

So thankful + grateful to get to continue sharing my story , my inspiration, my work, and my life with all of you!  Thanks for following along, and cheers to a new year.

XOXO,

Sam

Winter Blues

I’m not a winter person.  In truth, I can’t understand anyone who says they “love” the winter.  It’s freezing cold, the days are short, and you’re stuck indoors most of the time.  I’ve been relying on Soul Cycle classes these past few weeks to keep my endorphins high and a few tequila cocktails to keep me warm.  Suffice it to say- I have the winter blues.   This time of year I have to be extra diligent about seeking out inspiration and COLOR amidst such a dreary season- so today I’m focusing on the *pretty* side of winter blues:

Winter Blues (Top to Bottom, Left to Right):

-Navy Edit Bootie $89.95/

-Loved all the beautiful blues in this John F. Staub house tour designed by Bruce Budd.

-My OCD brain enjoyed viewing Antony Todd's well-organized and pared down apartment. He takes editing to a whole new level- and I love the rich blue paint color on his living room walls.

-Ikat 18" x 18" Pillow $59/

-I got these Ishigaki Drops, $48, for Christmas from my brother and sister-in-law, and I've been wearing them nonstop.  

-I love the tassels on the handles of Oomph's Easton Nightstand $2,850/

-The always-chic Iris Apfel looking gorgeous in navy.

-A stylish combination:  skinny ankle jeans + black pointy-toe heels.

-Small Blue Marbelized Bowl $48/

XOXO,

Sam

Needing, Wanting, Loving: Upholstered Doors

Happy Monday!  Is everyone surviving the frigid weather?  It was definitely a shock to go from lying on the beach in Miami to trudging through the NY snow in 20 degree weather.  Since it was snowing for most of the weekend, I stayed inside and did some work around our apartment, including re-painting my bathroom and bathroom ceiling.  Nothing is more terrifying than painting a ceiling and praying paint doesn't drip down in to your eye.  I also stopped by the MoMa to see a few new exhibits and checked out a new mezcal bar in Soho- Ghost Donkey. It has the coolest decor and the drinks were excellent, so I highly recommend it!  Now, on to today's lustful topic- upholstered doors.  I have a serious obsession with quirky, interesting doors and upholstery just takes a door to the next level.   Adding a nailhead trim is practical in the sense that you need to cover the edges of the fabric, but can also be decorative when applied in a pattern:

{Design*Sponge}

Applying the nailhead trim in an inset framed pattern gives the illusion that the door has panelling:

{Bories and Shearron}

This rich leather door is a perfect entry to a wine cellar.  I love the brass zigzag pattern of the nailheads, as well:

{Palmer Weiss}

{Bories and Shearron}

{Apartment Therapy}

Miles Redd's zebra doors have become infamous (and are my personal favorite):

{Miles Redd}

Dying to try this on a door of your own?  Here's a DIY tutorial from Design*Sponge.

I hope you have a great week!

XOXO,

Sam

Take Me Away: Oklahoma City's 21C Museum Hotel

TGIF!  Sorry for the radio silence this past week.  I was enjoying a much-needed extended vacay in Nashville and Miami with friends.  I'd never been to Nashville, and was surprised by how cool the city is- we stayed near 12 South in an Air B&B.  We went to see Andrew Jackson's Hermitage home and explored the neighboring town of Belle Meade.  It was a great time, although if I never hear "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy" again it'd be too soon.  Before Nashville, I was in Oklahoma City celebrating Christmas with my family, and two of my closest girlfriends and I did a staycation at 21C Museum Hotel:

I first heard about the hotel while having drinks with my New York friend Gaby, who is a home decor editor at My Domaine.  She also knows everything about the latest and greatest restaurants and hotels, no matter where they are located.  She mentioned that 21C hotels had recently opened an Oklahoma City location and that it had been getting lots of good press.  The hotel sits inside an old Ford Motors assembly plant in downtown OKC originally designed in 1916 by Albert Kahn.   The hotel building includes a 14,000 square foot exhibition and event space that is partially dedicated to displaying 21st century art, like this collection of baskets by Pepe Lopez with all our favorite labels:

{Pepe Lopez (Venezuelan), Guapisimas, Acrylic on 47 traditional Venezuelan baskets, 2004}

The art-filled lobby:

{Chen Lei (Chinese), The Big Kiss, 2007, Mixed Media}

So when Gabs mentioned to me that my hometown city was getting lots of great publicity for a new, chic hotel, I knew I had to check it out.  We arrived the day after Christmas on the 26th, and were greeted curbside at valet by the cutest girl ever, Jace. She took our bags and showed us up to our room and just made us feel so special our entire stay.  The rooms include high ceilings, large, expansive windows, and comfy, modern furnishings:

Many of the rooms also include vibrant artworks created by Laura Lee Brown herself, the co-owner (along with Steve Wilson) of 21C hotels.  The bathrooms feature standing washbasins with pretty stone and Malin+Goetz bath products:

In addition to a fab hotel stay, we also went to dinner at Mary Eddy's restaurant, which is housed in the hotel.  I loved the decor, especially the turquoise banquettes with alternating fabric and leather upholstery:

Toasting with a glass of prosecco:

Enjoying Mary Eddy's "toolbox" cheese and charcuterie plate for an appetizer:

The pickled mushrooms were the best part.  For my entree, I had the 'shrooms pizza and my girlfriends had the rigatoni and the farm greens salad.  The pizza was UNREAL- they cook their pies on a stone hearth oven and you can taste the difference. We enjoyed a few more proseccos and then headed out for the night.

{SuttonBeresCuller, American, You Always Leave Me Wanting More, 2015, Aluminum, enamel, LED light bulbs, electronics, flooring}

Thanks to so many new, cool establishments like this special boutique hotel, OKC should no longer be called just a " fly-over state." :)

A big thank you to the 21C Museum Hotel team for such a relaxing, incredible stay!  If you live in OKC or are traveling there soon- this gem is not to be missed!

21C also has hotel locations in Bentonville, Cincinnati, Louisville, Durham, Lexington and in Nashville coming this spring.

Nashville + Miami Packing List

Last night a few friends and I arrived in Nashville for a girls trip. We got the cutest Air BnB house for the next few days and can't wait to explore the city.  We have reservations at Rolf & Daughters, Josephine, and Merchants, and definitely want to check out Poppy & Monroe, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and Broadway of course.   After this I go to Miami for a few days before going back to NYC.   Here's what's in my suitcase:

Shop My Packing List:

MIAMI:  

LemLem Off-the-Shoulder Top $160/Current/Elliot Boyfriend Jean Shorts $180/Crap Eyewear Nudie Club Shades $65/Metallic Tote Handbag $20/Luna Crochet Bikini Top $165/Luna Crochet Bikini Bottom $120/Sueded Loafers $15/Tory Burch Sandals $225/

NASHVILLE:

Easy Rider Leather Jacket $98/Topshop Moto Jeans $70/Peera Cutout Bootie $129.90/Floppy Wool Hat $23.40/Grey Ombre Earrings $48/Lace-Up Back Skater Dress $24/Faux Leather Clutch $49/Fin Velvet Bow Heels $58/


Happy Thursday!  Let me know if you have any recommendations for Nashville + Miami via email (sam.e.penner@gmail.com)!

XOXO,

Sam

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Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone!  I hope you all enjoy the day with your family + friends.  Here are a few festive photos I've taken this season around New York:

{East 72nd street between 2nd and 3rd- the trees are always decked in lights!  It's beautiful.}

{a festive stoop in the Upper East}

{Bloomindales windows lit up at night}

 {our apartment Christmas tree- thanks to my roommate Meagan for making it so pretty!}

{the One Kings Lane offices decked with a magnolia garland}

{One of my favorite decor stores, Creel & Gow, with a faux zebra in the window!}

Have a lovely holiday, and for those feeling the pangs of sadness/grief/anger/loneliness, just know you aren't alone and my thoughts are with you!  Illustrator Mari Andrew always nails it with her drawings.

XOXO,

Sam 

My 8 Favorite Home Libraries

Leaving the city for 2 solid weeks means 1 thing:  I'll be getting lots of reading done.  From plane rides to car rides to long days stretched in front of me with nothing to do but relax with family, I'll be devouring a few new books (this, this, and this are in my bag, waiting to be opened).  Speaking of books, I love a beautifully-designed bookshelf.  Here are 10 of my all-time favorite stylish shelves:

#1: Fashion designer/editor Laurann Claridge converted her Houston home's guest room in to a library and office to house her extensive collection of books:

You might recall the photos above being shared over and over in the blogosphere circa 2010.  Lauren did a beautiful job on her entire high-rise. 

#2:  The millwork detailing in this library designed by Hein + Cozzi is perfection.  I love shelves that are incredibly intentional and have interesting panelling.  The peacock wall color is lively without feeling overwhelming (although I kind of wish it was lacquered):

#3 J. Randall Powers' Houston home was featured in 2012 in a before and after series on Architectural Digest.  I fell in love with the wallpapered ceiling, the Paul Ferrante light fixture, and the olive green paint color on the shelves:

{J Randall Powers}

#4:  Architect Ariane Provost's Marimekko House in Perth, Australia features a wall of books in a space that can be indoors or outdoors, based on whether or not the adjoining doors are closed:

{House Nerd}

#5 Alessandra Branca's bold red library includes a ladder (of course), sharp black trim, and brass swing-arm sconces:

#6: Both Aerin Lauder's library...

...and her dramatic home office are framed with a perimeter of bookshelves:

#7: Caroline Seiber's Nottinghill Home has a room that serves as both the dining room AND the library.  The space was designed around an eighteenth-century Indian textile depicting the tree of life that hangs in the room's window:

{Vogue}

#8:  Last but not least, I cannot get enough of this Manhattan dining room and library, designed by Celerie Kemble.  The Tony Duquette California Sunburst fixture for Remains Lighting is one of my all-time favorite lighting pieces, and it makes a statement against the blue paint and ceiling panelling.  I also adore the Liz O'Brien dining chairs:

{Veranda}

And speaking of books, my latest obsession is collecting vintage entertaining manuals/self-help books.  Here are a few I've had my eye on:

How to Be a Party Girl (originally published in the 1968 by Pat Montandon):

The Way to a Man's Heart: The Settlement Cookbook:

Entertaining is Fun! by Dorothy Draper:

Happy Friday, and Merry Christmas!  I hope you all have a great weekend and holiday.

XOXO,

Sam

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