hello from phoenix

Well, this is a highly belated post but here it is nonetheless. I am going to make a long story short: back in July 2015 John took a job in Phoenix. He moved out to Phoenix and came back to Denver to visit on weekends. In October, Raffa and I came down to Phoenix and stayed through Thanksgiving. We were in Denver for December, through Christmas and New Years, and came back to Phoenix July 12. In essence, John works down here and we live in Phoenix now, but still in Denver, too. We are doing the back and forth thing, going between our little Denver bungalow and a house (classic 1950s Arizona ranch) we are renting here in Phoenix.

We got really lucky, and the place here is just perfect for us. Not our style aesthetically as far as tile, cabinets, etc. goes, but it is a great home, super cute - the perfect place for us to call home in Arizona for now.

It has been fun to have the opportunity to nest here. Since we left all of our furniture in Denver, we had to start fresh here. After one big trip to IKEA (back in July) and then sourcing items here and there (over the past several months), things are coming together. I love starting with a clean slate, and I don't like to fill up rooms. In Denver, our house is so tiny it is impossible not to fill rooms, but my preference is to leave empty space. I have the opportunity to do that here in Phoenix, so although we do have all the essentials, there will be purposefully left blank walls and corners and spaces.

Here is a look at the living and dining space which is completed pending the arrival of the artwork. I am also commissioning a quilt for this space but that is a couple months out.

Silver Floor Lamp // IKEA Ranarp Floor Lamp
Rug to be hung on large open wall as art // Ferm Living Kelim Rug *
Sectional // Gus Modern Atwood Sectional in Urban Ink Tweed
Nesting Side Tables // IKEA Kragsta Nesting Tables
Mirror // CB2 Acacia Wood 40" Mirror *
Rug // Tjareby Rug 
Coffee Table // IKEA Stockholm Coffee Table
Ottomans // IKEA Alseda Banana Fiber Stools
Floor Lamp // Brass Tripod Lamps from Target
Media Stand // IKEA Ramsatra TV unit

* not yet purchased, undecided

Pendant Light // West Elm Pendant
Artwork // Snedker Studio Marble Artwork Limited Edition Print “Taking Shape”
Table // IKEA Melltorp Table
Chairs // IKEA, no longer available
High Chair // IKEA Antilop Highchair
Cowhide // IKEA Koldby Cowhide Rug

The dining room table is darn cheap and is already wobbly. We plan to replace it with something inexpensive but durable (and similar in color/style soon). We will likely move the existing Melltorp table to the guest room for use as a desk.

The living room and dining rooms are connected (one large room), so it was important ALL the furniture work together.

Raffa's room here in Phoenix has been a labor or love. I am really pleased with how it has turned out and I will have to share that some time soon.

And, it is worth recognizing, I obviously post very little here on andchloe lately ... our move and back and forth has been a big part of that. I hope to be posting with a slightly more frequent regularity (once a month, at least - ha!) but I am not nailing myself down to sure plans as far as that goes. Hope you have beared with me and that you are up for reading along when I am up for writing.

home tour in Crescent Park

This beautiful home in Palo Alto featuring no chemicals, no bright colors, and no clutter is absolutely gorgeous. Featured in Lonny Mag, you must check out the full tour of this house, which includes furniture sources.

raffa's toddler room plans

I am thinking about making some updates to Raffa's room to transition it to a toddler room. It'll still be a while until we convert his crib to a toddler bed, but since I enjoy planning out rooms, the process of thinking about what I might do it part of the fun for me. As you may remember from the various nursery revisions, I can be a little fickle and I have to lay out things, change them up, and see it all come together over time until I finally have a space I am happy with. So you can consider this the first version of Raffa's toddler room, because I am certain I will come up with some variations before I implement a final plan.

sources

crib/toddler bed // Babyletto Hudson Crib with toddler conversion

lamp // Blu Dot Stilt Lamp

chair // Hans J. Wegner Shell Chair

mobile // Calder style black mobile

pillow // Scout & Whistle Geometric Black and White Wool Pillow

ottoman // Room & Board Otto Pouf in Dilcrest Spa

artwork // made by me

skateboard as art // Salt Surfboard in Mint

bookshelves // IKEA

creatures on bookshelf // Finkelstein Center toys

nightlight // Owly Shadow Puppets "Love You" nightlight

blanket // Happy French Gang natural cotton blanket in mint with neon green stitching

sheets // Land of Nod Field Guide sheet set

vintage Turkish Kilim rug // "Cricket" rug from Amber Interiors

colomo house in marfa

Last week I shared an Instagram photo of the Colomo House, a vacation rental in Marfa, Texas. The Colomo House is a Marfa landmark and was once the Colomo Handy Store and Texaco Service Station. The home is a whopping 4,000 square feet of open concept, loft-like space which is described as "Far West Texas Comfort and High-Design". It was renovated and designed by New York City contemporary artist and Texas native, Michael Phelan.

The Colomo House is available to rent on vrbo.com which is where I was able to explore it further. See more of the house on vrbo.com. 

toy storage

I saw this photo on Chris Rann's instagram and thought it looked like a pretty cool space. But what caught my eye the most was the toy storage. I love how there are colorful wooden toys housed in some open shelving, showcasing them rather than hiding them away. I thought it was a great idea as a way to organize toys. Unfortunately, so many toys these days are big, bright, ugly, and plastic. But for the beautiful wooden toys, this is the way to "store" them.

Look for more about the house this space is in next Wednesday ... it's a vacation rental in Marfa, Texas.

We are headed back to Denver today. We had a great time in Durango and being there for over a week really allowed us to get settled. I got a lot of work done, too ... in case you didn't hear, last weekend I launched my redesigned REMEMBER the day website. In honor of the occasion I am offering 25% off with the coupon code NEWSITE25. Head over to my newly redesigned website, check it out, and let me know what you think.

building a home on Pinterest

The other evening I spent a {ridiculous} amount of time organizing my pinterest boards of home interiors. Up until then, I had a board called "rooms + spaces" that was my catch-all for any interior, any room type. But, I got a wild hair and decided I needed a separate board for each room (living room, dining room, kitchen, bedroom, and so on); you know, so that it is easier to look for design inspiration as I design and build our new home {in my mind}.

Yeah, we aren't moving. Not buying or building new home, but I want to have the inspiration ready for, you know, when we eventually do. Ha.

So, I got all my interiors organized on boards by room, and in the process, I saw a lot of gorgeous rooms and spaces. It inspired me to "build" a little home from some of my favorites - piecing together rooms from here and there to "create" a home.

This is the result. Here are the sources:

home exterior // House and Home
outdoor space // Wish Flowers
living room // The Everygirl
kitchen // House Crush
dining area // Design Milk
bedroom // Laviva Home
kid's bedroom // Amber Interiors
bathroom // High on Dreaming

And, if you are on Pinterest and want to follow along, you can fine me here.

my favorite spot // rapson chair

One of my favorite spots in our little bungalow is the seating area of our living/main room. Not only is some of my favorite art in this space (our bicycle paintings), but my favorite of our chairs - our Rapson chair inhabits this space, too. Add our antique buffet cabinet and comfortable leather arm chair and the space becomes on of my favorite.

Adding a statement chair, like the Rapson, adds visual interest to a room and can even be a conversation starter. For this space, I blended a few design styles and special pieces to create a comfortable, livable space. In this case we have the modernist/mid-century Rapson chair, the antique cabinet, and a comfortable, large mid-century leather arm chair.

We have a modern lamp on the antique cabinet and a mid-century inspired black and brass task lamp on a Danish modern style side table. All of those styles are mixed with our bicycle paintings to create a curated space filled with pieces that have a story and are a part of our story.

Of course our story includes a little guy named Raffa so this space also includes his toy basket tucked in a corner.

One King's Lane has a great resource for learning more about and choosing a statement chair; their complete guide to modern chairs is one article out of a whole little online library of home decor resource guides that they have on their site.

home tour // smitten studio

{images courtesy of Smitten Studio}

I have a major house crush on this home. I have followed the renovation updated over on Smitten Studio with adoration. This beauty is the home of Sarah Sherman Samuel, designer behind Smitten Studio and her husband.

I love all the various details and would be happy replicating all elements for my own home.

See all the renovation journey of this home on the Smitten Studio blog.

home tour // sunlight filled Sydney beach house

{images courtesy of HomeLife}

I love this Sydney beach home featured on HomeLife, the website for the Australian magazines InsideOut and CountryStyle. The abundant windows let in a delicious amount of sunlight. And, the cottage is a great mix of mid-Century and beach styles; it feels comfortable and casual. It has some more rustic pieces mixed in that I usually would not go for, but mixed with the mid-Century pieces it all works for me.

I really want to visit Australia; it is on my travel list. Let's go and stay in a vacay rental like this! Okay?

rugs of instagram

I keep finding rugs I want on Instagram ... except they aren't for sale; they are in other people's homes. Here are four I found this week and was drooling over.

clockwise from upper left: @sharonbeesley // @bleubird // @ecmothdesign // @comfycozycouture

kiev apartment

{photos courtesy of Design Milk}

I am loving this apartment in Kiev. Ukraine with it's white and gray tones. There is something clean but not clinical, and cozy but not stuffy about it. I also love the white brick that makes its way into most rooms. It was designed by Olena Yudina and I found it via Design Milk. You can view more photos of it, as well as read a little more about the apartment on Design Milk.

vintage kilim hunt

I am on a vintage kilim hunt. I have limited my search to online, and there are an overwhelming number of kilims on various sites - craigslist, ebay, etsy, etc. However, it seems so scary to purchase a vintage kilim rug online, sight unseen. What if the colors weren't accurate in the photo? What if it smells? {We had an issue with a purchased antique smelling!} What if it just isn't right?

I have never purchased an antique or vintage rug before, so I feel in the dark as to what I should be aware of in doing so.

I am going to take my hunt local, so that I can see the rugs in person. But, these are my favorite online picks. I am loving that first one (upper left) the most - for Raffa's room {see that idea here} and I like a few of the others for our living room {perhaps 2, 6, or 7?}.

Have you ever purchased a kilim or other vintage rug? Any tips for me? Which do you like from the above?

the rugs:
1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8

update: after I published this post, Salih of Turkish Crafts Arts on Etsy contacted me to address my concerns of color accuracy and smells. Here is the very helpful information he provided to me:

"I saw that the first concern of yours was about the colors, well that's like the most important of all (for me as well).  I get all of my rugs washed before taking their pictures and one more time before sending them to my customers, the worst scenario of smelling, therefore is the smell of the cleaning products (which disappear over time). 
I shoot all my pictures under daylight with colorchecker passport. So I get the true colors on them. But that's like the one aspect of it - which means you need to get your monitor's color calibrated as well (that's why I write the disclaimer on my listings). But if you have a chance to look at my site on an iPad (4Gen) or iPhone (4S or later) you will see the right colors. I get all of my rugs washed before taking their pictures and one more time before sending them to my customers, the worst scenario of smelling, therefore is the smell of the cleaning products (which disappear over time)."

room // kitka

I am loving this living room from Canadian bloggers Kitka. Mostly I am in love with that copper side table, the wall to wall bookcase and that rug (!!!). I am on the hunt for a rug ... when am I not on the hunt for a rug. It is a mid-century Swedish rug by Judith Johansson. Seeing this rug spurred me to look into her other designs, and I will never be the same. And, I want one.

MONTECITO RESIDENCE photographed by jessica comingore

{photos courtesy of and ©Jessica Comingore}

I am in love with this Montecito, CA home by architect Michael Eserts. It was photographed last October by graphic designer, photographer, and lifestyle blogger, Jessica Comingore. She shared the photos on her blog yesterday and I just had to reshare them here.

I love the brightness of this home; achieved with the help of the large windows, white walls, and neutral furniture. I also love the natural beauty of the outdoors surrounding the home; which those large windows take full advantage of. I love the simplicity of the kitchen and bathroom (and that bathroom, funny enough, sports the elements from my 4880 bathroom mood board).

4880 :: bathroom

I think I may want to remodel our bathroom. I may be delusional considering I know nothing about remodeling a bathroom. However, we have a tiny bathroom, and although I know it is most certainly much more complicated than a tiny bathroom would make it seem; it is a project I want to tackle. Who knows if I will do it, and if I do then I am most definitely in the most preliminary of stages.

That said, our little bathroom which services the whole house {it's a little house, with one tiny bathroom} is in desperate need of a facelift. You would perhaps think I am exaggerating, but I am not. And, after the kitchen got some TLC, it seems the bathroom should too.

So, logically I created a mood board for the bathroom. I want to keep the bathroom appropriate with the age and style of the house - a 1920s bungalow that has original doors and doorknobs, woodwork, kitchen cabinets, wood floors, and you get the idea. Along those lines, I am dreaming of small hexagon tiles (for the floor), a painted gray bathroom vanity/cabinet with a craftsman-style door, Carerra marble subway tiles or large gray tiles for the tub surround, and white walls.

I threw together some inspiration on Pinterest, so you can see all of it on my 4880 bathroom Pinterest board, as well as the links for all my mood board elements. I will keep you posted on whether I move forward.

nursery update

I am happy to report that I have pretty much stuck to the last revision of the little John's nursery plans that I shared back in October. I am still in the process of putting everything together, but any changes that have been made to my plan are more of the accessory variety.

I wanted to offer a little update on the progress, however, and share some of the changes and additional pieces with you. The drywall work that needed to be done in the room was finished in November; carpet was installed in early December {finally!!!}.

Take a look at the progress on Instagram.  I have the crib and lamp in their place (can't see the lamp in the Instagram photo); and the mobile above the crib. I put one of our nightstands in there (only one of our nightstands would fit in our bedroom), to use as storage. And, I ended up deciding to use the Wegner shell chair we have instead of purchasing a new nursery chair. It is not the most cozy chair, but really is surprisingly comfortable. I snapped up a cowhide ottoman to go with the shell chair (increases the comfortable factor). A few other little details I have recently added: a coin bank (or a bud vase I will use as a coin bank, a pillow, and a wood cutting).

Next up, I am waiting for the rug to arrive. It is not due to ship until late January, maybe later. And, we are still working on the dresser situation. I have decided not to use the dresser I showed in my plans. I want to go with a white or walnut one, so I am on the hunt.

Take a look at my Pinterest board for sources on all items in the nursery, including the ones shown above.

mill valley california remodelista

{images courtesy of Remodelista}

When I read this article about combining style and practicality in small spaces in the October issue of Martha Stewart Living I wanted to see more of the home featured in the article. It is the Mill Valley, California home of Remodelista blogger, Julie Carlson. There aren't that many photos in the Martha Stewart article; although they are good ones and offer some good tips.

Surprisingly, Remodelista does not offer a good home tour fix of Julie Carlson's home either. These photos are the summation of what I could find on there.

I wanted to share, nonetheless, because I like what I see and I enjoyed the MS article. I like the comfortable and livable look of this home.

The MS article spurred my interest in Remodelista ... I am loving the Scandinavian section. Definitely worth checking out for some home inspiration and some serious Pinteresting.

australian home tour

                                                                                                                                                 

This Beautiful home designed by Nettle Architects is located on the other side of the world in Malvern, Australia, a town of around 20,000. This small town is nestled only seven miles from Melbourne, the second largest city in Australia with a population of over four million. I love how the back of the house is completely exposed with no window treatments and a uniquely angled roof line. I love the amount of natural light that pours into the kitchen and living room along with the pops of color and simple stained glass touches at the tops of the windows. I wish I had more photos of this gorgeous home!

hotel tour :: italian hotel

This amazing little hotel is located just outside Martano, Italy, a town of only 9,573 which dates back to 1746. Martano is basically on the heel of Italy's  boot. It is actually quite a remote location, making the trek quite difficult, and if you make to these parts you really must stay at this hotel. Those of us who never make the journey can enjoy the tour! 

Oh...I almost forgot to warn you!  The hotel has chosen the "Sexual Healing" song, so if you go to their website via the link after the break, and you are at work please turn your speakers down! We don't want anyone thinking you are up to something raunchy. The song seems totally out of place on the website, but I don't judge.

home tour :: tel aviv stone house

Reserve your judgement on this gem of a house until after you see the interior! The home was designed by Pitsou Kedem Architects and is located in Jaffa Israel,  the oldest part of Tel Aviv {I had to pull out my world map for that one}. Jaffa is an ancient port city with references dating back 7,500 years BCE {read: old}. The history of this port city adds to the charm of this 1,940 sq. ft. house that faces the Mediterranean Sea. The architect believes that the building is hundreds of years old, but can't be sure when it was built. I would love to know what the building was used for back when it was originally built and throughout time! All the photos were taken by an extremely talented photographer by the name of Amit Geron who specializes in architectural images.