Here & Now: Our Dining Room "After"

My dining table has made many appearances on this blog- usually as the backdrop for one of Adam's gourmet creations. I'm feeling brave today, and I thought I'd show you how it fits into our dining room (or our dining alcove, to be more accurate).

For those of you who've started reading recently, last year (at about this time) Adam and I were informed that his job would be moving from Seattle to Berkeley. We had very little time to decide our course of action- and only a weekend to find a new home in California. Our apartment was selected for its practicality rather than its prettiness. In fact, it was downright ugly. If you don't believe me, check out the "before" pictures here. 

The only remotely charming feature of the otherwise bland apartment was the bay window in the dining area. I thought, "I can do something with this." And I think I did.

Setting the Table

Last weekend Adam and I got over a major hurdle in our new apartment: we actually invited people inside. This wasn't just the first time we'd entertained, it was also the first time in weeks we'd eaten something other than macaroni and cheese. Definitely an occasion for a pretty table!

A guest brought us calla lilies cut from his own yard.
They were a perfect complement for the table (and a perfect compliment to the host!).

Adam decided to serve his chilled flank steak on a bed of wild rice, garnished with bleu cheese crumbles, mint leaf chiffonade, and a drizzle of pomegranate balsamic reduction. I assembled my tablescape with the textures and colors of the food in mind.

Fresh and airy linens for a simple Spring meal.

Red glass bowls with the same color and gleam as Adam's pomegranate & vinegar syrup. 

Scalloped feather placemats to match the confetti neutrals of the wild rice.

Crisp white plates, sparkling glassware, and some tarnished silver for a rustic touch.

An elegant table- just the thing to keep the focus on the food (and off of the last pile of moving boxes in the corner!).

California Dreamin' is Becoming a Reality...

It's been a month and about 900 miles since I last wrote!

On Valentine's Day Adam and I traveled down the coast, and I moved into our apartment in Berkeley, California.

We're still sizing things up a bit.

I can't say that the transition was easy for me (did you see my tweets about ants and leaks and laundromats?). However, it's time to spring forward. I'm almost completely unpacked, I've memorized my new zip code, I no longer get all homesick and weepy when watching reruns of Grey's Anatomy, and I'm busting out my tank tops and getting acclimated to this absurdly warm weather. I'm not quite used to saying "I live in California," but...

Here we are.

I'm no longer decorating vicariously- I'm decorating, and I'm so excited to share my progress! 


More soon,


Elizabeth


Edit: I had no idea when I wrote this post, but March 22nd was my one year anniversary of writing Shock the Bourgeois! Thanks to all of you for following along- and here's to another year of inspiration.

Decorating for Two

They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, which is definitely true- I like Adam way better over Skype.


No, completely kidding.  In truth, the distance is really starting to gnaw at me.  I'm a strong and independent girl, and I've found a thousand ways to keep myself busy... but that doesn't take away the stab of disappointment I feel every morning when I wake up to face another day apart, especially since our reunion in Berkeley is not a "when," it's an "if."


I'm waiting for the stars to align (in other words, I'm searching for a job in CA) and when they do, I'm going to be so grateful to be with Adam again.  I'm so very thankful to have him in my life- and it's occurred to me that I need to tell him more often.  Better yet, he should feel appreciated every day in our house.


I'm determined to make decorating our shared space into a much more collaborative project so that our apartment is a reflection of both of our tastes.


Upon reading that last sentence Adam is likely uttering the heavy sigh that he usually reserves for trips to Ikea (even though he's always amply rewarded with a heaping plate of Swedish meatballs).

Can't understand why he's not happy to be standing next to that handsome Edland cabinet...

Don't worry Adam, this isn't going to be a chore for you- it's going to be a test for me.  I'm challenging myself to pinpoint his taste and infuse it into our home.  This week is going to be all about successful couples decor- and what I'm doing to get us there as well.


Any other cohabitators out there who want to get in on the discussion?

Giving Credit Where it's Due

I love the blogosphere- it's a constant stream of inspiration. I can't even count how many times another blog has shone a light on a fantastic source or opened my eyes to a new idea. Bloggers, thankyou-thankyou-thankyou. I can only hope I'm able to return the favor on occasion!

Inspiration and admiration are nothing new, but here's a first for me: for the first time, I actually bought an item that another blogger featured!

Making it Lovely is one of my favorite reads. Not only do I get my fix of rosy-colored decor (that would definitely not fly in a house shared with Adam), I also get my adorable baby fix (thanks to Nicole's little Eleanor!). Nicole recently featured West Elm's Nailhead Linen Window Panels:

Shown in Flax

I read her post, made an excited utterance, and put my money down.

Our new apartment was in desperate need of window treatments! The windows themselves are horribly prison-like. Small rectangular cut-outs with no trim. Eek. We're also in need of a little more privacy, as we're on the first floor in a bustling neighborhood (and Adam has discovered that some of our neighbors enjoy planting themselves directly outside of our living room window to smoke and yammer on the phone).

I'll be using four of these panels in our living room- two for the windows, and two flanking the open closet that I've converted into an office nook (basically, they'll be concealing my cluttery desk and trying to shield us from our neighbor's messy social life [oh, no-she-di'n't!]).

Paired with these, I think they should be smashing.

Crate & Barrel's Walnut & Bronze Curtain Hardware

Thanks so much for the tip, Nicole! SO excited to see how they look in your living room (and mine, once I move in February!).

A Little More Bunny Love

While I've been online shopping for basics for the new place, I've found it hard to keep my focus. I go to Anthropologie for a shower curtain, and the next thing I know I'm dreamily clicking through sumptuous sheet sets and furniture that wouldn't even fit in the door. I'm also loving that the animal decor trend is continuing- you know I go ga-ga over this stuff! However, since we're making a move to a rather expensive locale, my budget has constricted (and so has the size of my apartment).

No matter how cute they are, I am not allowed to buy these rabbity things.

Not even if they remind me of Christmas as a kid...

West Elm's White Jackrabbit Snowglobe

Not even the cheeky little guys would be so perfect peeking out among my children's book collection- just right for a nursery someday.

Painted Cast Iron Bunny Bookends at Venucci

And not even if I've wanted them for a reallllly lonnnnng tiiiiime, and they're finally back in stock.

White Bunnies, also from Venucci.

I will resist. I will resist. I will resist...

Homely Bathroom Desperately Seeks Sexy Shower Curtain

Now that I've got my foot in the door with decorating my apartment in Berkeley, I'm rolling up sleeves for the next challenge: the bathroom. As far as out-of-the-box apartment bathrooms go, I suppose we lucked out. The floor is tile with little black glossy squares, which are rather appealing, and though the vanity and sink are cheap and unattractive, it will be easy enough to draw attention away from them with decor. The ugliest things about the bathroom are removable- a completely bizarre plastic light fixture, rusty towel bars, and a dilapidated medicine cabinet.

The focal point of the room will be shower curtain. It's the largest thing in the tiny space, and it will be drawn closed most of the time in order to conceal the 80's-era-beast-of-a-shower.

Sadly, the zebra-print shower curtain that I featured in my former apartment has been retired (after its experimental use as a climbing wall by Miss Catty-wompus). It was time for a change anyway.

I'm looking for something versatile enough to coordinate with my collection of towels (lavender, rich red floral, pale blue, deep purple, dark gray), washable, and made of fabric (not plastic). I'm not into modern color-block nonsense, and I am the only person in the world who doesn't drool over Marimekko (*bracing self for flood of hate mail*).

So far, I'm not terribly impressed. Most that I've found are either plain and boring, frighteningly kitschy, or targeted toward a very specific demographic (that last example, by the way, was in the "traditional" category). Apparently one must take up fly-fishing to find a shower curtain these days?

I have found a few options that might suffice. What do you think?

The Birch Forest curtain at Urban Outfitters initially caught my eye- it reminded me of the Woods Wallpaper I'm dying for. However, the trees don't really look as nice up close, and that's what counts in a little bathroom!

I'm not sure that this is a curtain for all seasons- is it too trendy?

My lovely friend Ann pointed me in the right direction with the Wallflower pattern at Sin In Linen (and that is a new source for me!). I love the pattern, and I think it would be a good match for most of my towels. However, I haven't had great luck washing black and white shower curtains... and I'm not sure how good this one would look if it faded to gray.

I might choose this one just for the name!

The front runner is the Bustled Shower Curtain from Anthropologie. The only things stopping me from picking one up immediately is the color (cream, not white) and the price (yikes). Despite my reservations, it's one helluva shower curtain.

A good match for all of my bath decor, with a very romantic shape.

I love how the sweet crochet lace looks when tempered with dark colors.

I feel like I've exhausted my resources- anyone else have a good recommendation?

Starting Off on the Right Foot

I have officially made my first purchase for the Berkeley apartment!

I'd been agonizing a bit about where to start in an apartment with so many needs. The bland bathroom? The naked windows? The bare floors? The white walls?? The answer, of course, was to take a step back.

Because the flat is on the first floor, we need a doormat!

I selected the CB2 Black Crow Doormat.

Perfect for setting the tone.

You all know I can't resist decor with a gothic twist... this is a great first step to making the new place feel like home. I can't wait to hear what Adam thinks when it arrives on his (our) doorstep.

Now the "Fun" Begins

Poor Adam. Because our belongings arrived in Berkeley a few days late I didn't get enough time to unpack and arrange. On Monday he moved into an apartment brimming with boxes!

Adam, though brilliant, is artistically challenged. At the very least, his taste tends to clash with mine. Think empty beer bottle collection and dart board vs. Great-Grandma's bone china and framed print of J.W. Waterhouse's Crystal Ball (with the skull, naturally). That could get ugly real fast. Thankfully Adam is the pliable sort of boyfriend who generously gives his girlfriend free reign over their home (either that or I'm the bullying sort of girlfriend who selfishly squashes her boyfriend's freedom to decorate?).

Since my excursions to Berkeley will be limited to a weekend here and there we're faced with an interesting project: decorating vicariously.

This week we're getting organized: drawing up a floor plan, taking lots of pictures, creating a list and budget of the purchases that will be necessary to spruce the place up. Here's a bit of what I'm working with...

These are pictures of the space taken when we first toured. The (ugly) furniture in the pictures is not mine!!

The Bathroom

For the sake of your eyes, I've cropped out the heinous broken medicine cabinet and fluorescent light (neither will make it to the next stage of decorating).

The "Living Room"

We're going to be using one of the two bedrooms as our living space.

We've already torn out the closet doors so that the closet can be used as an office nook.

The Kitchen

A corner kitchen that will be quite serviceable. A dishwasher! A hood! A disposal! A double sink!

If we focus on these glorious elements we can ignore the plastic cabinets and odd layout.

The Dining Area

This shows any charm that the apartment might have: the bay windows will accentuate my octagonal faux-bamboo table and chairs!

This is a rough floor plan, showing how we've got our furniture laid out currently. I've omitted the boxes :D

This is drawn from memory and to "optimistic" scale (as in, I hope it's as big as I remember it).

Coming up next, a serious debate: which shower curtain??

Feeling Low

This morning Adam got on a plane to California.

He's really in hot water now. (Okay, he's actually in Berkeley)

As of this morning, I'm a 20-something living at her parents' house with a resentful cat and a rapidly deteriorating car. Don't get me wrong, parents, I love you- but it's going to be a teeny-tiny bit weird to come home to my teenage bedroom and wait for a goodnight phone call from the guy I've seen almost every day for the last four years.

My sweet Mom has planned out some excellent distractions to keep me from moping about, but for the time being I'm rather stuck in the Doldrums. I find that a bottle of wine is an excellent distraction, but unfortunately I'm at work at the moment, where that sort of thing is frowned upon.

In lieu of whine, I give you Wine Country- the incredible (and unplanned) trip that Adam and I took in October (when our belongings failed to arrive on time leaving us with two days on our hands... no, still not ready to talk about this calmly).

Miles of vines between Napa and Sonoma, 80º weather, and a convertible.

The most amazing aromas of grapes and olive oil and earth all baking in the sun.

Glimpses of deer on winding country roads.

And, of course, wine tastings.

Adam, I miss you like crazy.

Matilda on Furniture (and on the internets)

Well, we did it. We moved all of our stuff to Berkeley. I can't tell you that the move went smoothly (that would be a lie), but it's done, and all that's left is to sweep up our empty Wallingford nest and ship Adam off to NorCal next week. *Whew*

I feel it would be cathartic to share all of the gory details of our move, but I will have to wait until I can talk about it without raising my voice and cursing. It might be an appropriate post for Halloween, as it was a *$%#ing HORROR. See, I told you I wasn't ready to talk about it yet!

While I'm simmering down, here's a happy thing:

My adored little Cattywompus was part of Monday's Pets on Furniture post at Desire to Inspire!

Matilda luxuriating on the sunporch.

Check it out here, and be sure to peruse the glorious Desire to Inspire while you're at it. Tildy-Cat has asked me to mention that any fan mail can be emailed to shockthebourgeois@mac.com, attention Matilda Warlock!