happy Sunday friends!
below is an assortment of random favorites we’ve saved over the past few weeks— some are interiors & others are simply pictures of the outdoors. we hope they inspire you as they’ve inspired us.
all images via Pinterest
MAY [no. 1]
Welcome May! When I think back on the past 2 months, perhaps the biggest blessing has been the weather. The time spent outside has been life-giving and kept me going on the days when quarantine has me feeling down. Every time we talk on ZOOM or text, our KBM team all echoes the same sentiment- the weather & nature is a gift. We are collectively trying to focus on the good and the positives coming out of this tough situation. Today’s blog post focuses on the natural palette and organic feels. This feels right to us, not only because we want to celebrate the gifts of nature we’ve been savoring the past few weeks, but also because it is the palette that we are consistently drawn to in our work, both pre-quarantine and during quarantine …. and post-quarantine! Our favorite rooms reflect that which you find outside — texture (wood/ wovens/ bamboo), blues, greens, whites, creams, browns, with pops of lilac yellow & blush.. all the colors of a garden. We are committed to this garden palette because it makes us happy and we hope these images also bring you some happiness and inspiration. Please reach out to us with any questions on sourcing and / or to purchase OR if you simply want to talk about anything design or life. We are here to chat! We are grateful for all those following along with us and hope you are all well!
all images via Pinterest & instagram
SPOTLIGHT ON: ARIEL OKIN x SOCIETY SOCIAL
Today we wanted to highlight the recent collaboration between New York-based interior designer, Ariel Okin, and North Carolina-based furniture company, Society Social. The talented duo, Ariel and Roxy, joined forces to create a seven-piece furniture collection rooted in their love for rattan, scallops, and traditional design. The line was revealed this past Saturday morning, April 11th, and KBM Design has been gushing over it ever since! We cannot wait to be able to use these pieces in future projects. During these unprecedented times, it’s wonderful to be able to see this collection launch and we know that it is bringing smiles to everyone’s faces at home. Please enjoy these images and read along to hear our thoughts on what makes these pieces so special.
we love how Ariel and roxy created an ottoman with a twist. the combination of the scalloped wicker base with the comfy upholstered top are sure to please. it is sturdy enough to serve as a coffee table, yet practical in that one is able to put their feet up after a long day. here at kbm design, we strive to find pieces that are functional without compromising design. we think that ariel and roxy created a piece that does that such thing.
How adorable is this console? it comes in a variety of beautiful colors or you can specify your own. we love how roxy and ariel are thinking about the consumer who wants to customize their furniture without spending a fortune doing so.
love this close-up of the details in their scalloped design.
The Bunny sofa…a nod to tastemaker, bunny melon, and her ever-inspiring Antigua estate. we love the combination of the clean and refined lines with the subtle curves of the arms. it is inviting, yet chic. referencing the past, yet modernizing it for the present.
once again, ariel and roxy have succeeded in taking a classic material, cane, and freshening it up with a pop of color and contemporary silhouette. these side tables will brighten up any space!
Shop the collection below
A P R I L [no. 2]
I always love a good “how to get the look” so I thought we’d try bringing it to the blog this week! With all the home sitting we’ve been doing, my mind has been ALLL over the place about the different ways I could spruce up our home. It has been fun to find simple ways to refresh it— its mostly looked like bunches of flowers & the many (!) ways i’ve rearranged our rooms (sorry mark!)… but with all the great sales going on right now, i’ve been thinking about a little online ordering, or better yet-using curb side pick up to add a few new items. Most importantly, its a great way to support local & small businesses at this time!
The room below is from a project we completed in Atlanta a few years ago. We love this cottage — its so happy and airy! The younger client wanted the room to feel fresh and youthful while still being rooted in tradition with a couple key, classic pieces that would grow with her over time. We love helping our younger clients start their collection of antiques, artwork, or fabrics. Although sometimes the initial investment of a “nicer piece” can feel a bit overwhelming, I promise you- in the long run, it pays off. And just to be clear, a “nice” piece does NOT have to break the bank. We all have different budgets and priorities so a “nicer” piece for you might look quite different then the price tag of another’s “nice” piece. The investment pieces I made at 23 for my first home were by no means expensive but they were intentional. I took the time to select a couple few things that had value to me & that I knew would stick with me over time, as opposed to rushing out and buying a bunch of low priced items that I wouldn’t want in a year or 2. Quality over quantity folks!! It is all about what works for you and what feels right for your home & your budget.
One of the ways we help clients to identify what has value to them is to prioritize. From the very beginning of a project, we help our clients to identify the items that have meaning/value to them. For example - some of our clients are fabric people - [They love the textures, colors, & patterns. They are interested in the fabric houses & designers.] Other clients are into furniture — [They appreciate the story of a piece. They are interested in the integrity of the materials & the design.] We have clients that care about all lighting, some rugs, and others art. You get the idea! its all about figuring out what is important to you and then prioritizing those things. You can fill in the rest over time or if it is a necessary piece (i.e. I’m in love with this fabric and therefore i’m going to invest in these nice pillows. But I don’t care that much about this side table, but I do really need one for this room to function.) then there are a lot of great treasure hunt stores (I prefer this term over the idea of a flea market) & also some catalog finds out there.
These are a couple things I encourage a client to think about as they prioritize the items for their home
If furniture is important to you (which honestly, it should be! A good quality sofa will definitely earn its keep over the years) invest in the best upholstery you can afford, but make it worry-free — as a clumsy person, I honestly cannot imagine what it would feel like to not be worried about spills on upholstery ( I hear these people exist but they are a rare find!) — But if you’r more like me, then you want to be able to live your life & enjoy your space without feeling anxious about the next wine spill, child shoe, dog rub, etc. Thankfully today, there are so many options for worry-free (or at least worry less!) furniture. There are great solid options of all sorts of textures & patterns. Also, when investing in upholstery, check & double check your spacing as well as the dimensions of sofa. I highly suggest enlisting a designer to help you with this before making an investment. If you buy quality the first time around, it’ll last years & you’ll love how it feels in your space.
If rugs are important to you, but you can’t afford the rug of your dreams today, there are a lot of natural fiber options that come at great price points. we love the safavieh one thru Wayfair & amazon. You can use them alone or layer a smaller, vintage piece for a more collected look. for me, rugs are not a priority right now so i’ve chosen to use lower priced natural fiber rugs that are good with our lifestyle but provide the warmth our rooms need. I also love how a natural fiber rug (sisal, seagrass, woven grasses) provide a base of the organic & natural to a room. They are the perfect backdrop to any colors you want to bring in the space. Another pro- is that they help keep things feeling relaxed & approachable even if the rest of your furniture is your grandmothers brown furniture. The mix of the high & low is just right!
If fabric is your thing, but your budget for it is small— invest in a yard or 2 of something you love— and make some fabulous pillows. you can use a low cost linen on the back and you’ll never know the difference. A great pillow will instantly elevate the rest of your room and every time you see that fabric you’ll be happy about it
If art is your thing, start following artists— see who you really love & support them! That might look like a small print today, but later might look like a bigger piece. Regardless, you will find joy in supporting an artisan and you’ll always treasure it. If you need art for your walls and want that gallery look for less, explore old coffee table books and search treasure hunt stores. There are old pages to be collected or purchased and you can either frame them or buy existing frames.
If lighting is your thing, but you need to do it on a budget — lampshades. invest in a good looking lampshade for a lower budget lamp, and it makes it look like a million bucks!
If wallpaper is your thing, save money by using bamboo blinds or a less $ drapery option
If you want custom looking drapery, but don’t want to break the bank - use a less $ fabric option but invest in trim.
If drapery is important to you, but you need to cut down on cost, consider doing roman shades or cafe curtains. They require less yardage and generally are less expensive to fabricate.
Collect! If you want to add instant style to your space, introduce a collection that is uniquely yours. It can be anything — random blue and white plates found at a treasure store, pretty white bowls, platters, paper weights, boxes — just something that you love & put them on display as a unit in your room. I like to buy a blue and white piece whenever I travel even if its a $3 tiny little bowl. When its put with other items, it looks more important & it always feels special to me because it invokes a memory.
Buy old things- really. Buy items that have some age on them. It’ll give your room instant history and patina. The best rooms have old and new. Again, to get back on my soap box, this can be a really budget friendly way to finish a room. There are so many amazing treasure stores. If you need help locating one, email me! Often the people who run these stores are amazing resources of the history of pieces & will help you find any item you might need.
Include brown furniture— whether its important to you at this point or not — I encourage all my clients to buy brown furniture — maybe its a small side table or a bigger chest. Whatever it might be, it will ground your room and will likely be something you have for years!
Get to know the makers, artists, and artisans out there. As you learn where things come from and how they are made, you will have greater appreciation for your space and more easily be able to prioritize your choices.
This is by no means a comprehensive list, every room & every person is different… thats what makes this job fun! But I hope that these tips and thoughts give you some thinks to ponder. I really love helping people figure out what they like & don’t like about their spaces. Its so rewarding to watch clients & friends (they’re really all the same) find joy in putting together their spaces & fall in love with their rooms. 💛
Below, you’ll see some sourcing ideas to obtain a look like this room — enjoy!!
A P R I L [no. 1]
Hi everyone! In an effort to create some continued normalcy and routine to our days, we wanted to welcome this month with a new post. I hope you’ll read along with us & find some sunshine in the pictures.
While we are busy working from home on our current projects (a huge shout out to our amazing & kind clients who have been so patient & supportive thru all this!), we’ve also found that working from home has brought new rhythms. One of such is an overall slower pace. There is less (or almost no) time in the car, less time rushing around for client projects, and just an overall sense of intentionality in everything we do. I have found myself thinking more intentionally about the day because with all thats going on, the value of each day and what you do with it has become even more clear. It reminds me of the verse in Psalm 90 “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (vs. 12). It is heartbreaking to watch what is going on not only in our country but around the world. My heart is so heavy for all those who are struggling with their health, with their jobs, and so much more. I pray that out of this, we will grow stronger in faith, in compassion, and in our thoughtfulness. I believe that thru this we may all learn to slow down and to value our days with greater gratitude and a more thoughtful spirit.
Its no secret that yellow is one of my favorite colors & i’ve found that during these tough days, i’m even more drawn to it. Yellow communicates Light & joy to me, and those are just the things that I need to be reminded of right now. I hope that these images are uplifting to you today and that they pass on some smiles.
all images via pinterest & instagram
STUDIO CHRISTMAS LIST
We are in the full on the Christmas spirit at the offie. truth be told, the Christmas tunes started playing the day after thanksgiving and will certainly continue until the day that we close up the office for the holidays. We feel very thankful that our job allows us the joy of celebrating Christmas throughout the month — from helping our clients prep their homes for Christmas to delivering Christmas gifts to those we work with all year— we like playing the role of elves. Below are some of the items that we hinting about to Santa this year.
You’ll see below that we have a theme of self-care & home-care (but maybe they are the same thing?) this Christmas. One of our hopes for the new year is to consciously carve out time for some slow moments. Life is busy and although that likely will not change, our goal is to take time to take care of ourselves, our spaces, & our loved ones. As we take care of ourselves, whether that means making time for a walk or cozy pjs for a good night sleep, we are better equipped to care for those around us. And as we thoughtfully make time to care for those around us and the places where we live, I hope, we will be filled with the gratitude and the enthusiasm for full and joyful days.
1. Sister Parish X LAKE Pima Long-Long Set in Serendipity 2. Arundel Grande Ornate Chandelier 3. weezie towels Perfectly packed weekend bundle 4. aerin picture frame 5. migolondrina skirt
6. brooks Thomas wallpaper 7. brooks Thomas wallpaper 8. paravel perfectly packed weekend bundle 9. hunter rain boots 10. pj harlow pillowcase set 11. tata harper skincare set
12. burberry vintage scarf 13. Simon pearce glass lamp 14. Neely and Chloe weekender tote 15. jo malone English pear & freesia 16. burl wood coffee table
Y E A R T H R E E
Today marks year three of our design business. and so, We wanted to take a minute to thank you for supporting us over the last 3 years of Katherine bramlett (& now Katherine B. Melvin!) design. when I started this journey in design, I wasn’t exactly sure what I was getting into, but I knew I had a passion I wanted to pursue. I began by interning for Rachel halvorson in nashville, then pursuing schooling in design in Texas, and after, working for marjorie Johnston & co in birmingham for years. I was not certain of what this career would become, but had a strong desire to take a chance. so I just set out to learn as much as I could. now in year 3 of running this design business, I have learned more than I ever imagined about design & business, & really life. our office in MB village has grown and our team has grown too. I am thankful for each person & project that has been a part of this journey. and in the spirit of growth & change, from now on, we will officially be Katherine B. Melvin Design. We hope you’ll continue to follow along on our design journey.
Below, I've shared some of our mission statement here at KBM- aka essentially a nerd out session on why we love design & home. I hope it will inspire you in some little way! but mostly…
T H A N K Y O U.
I am fortunate to have grown up in a place and family that loves home. The solace & joy that one takes in their home is very present in my hometown. You come to associate certain elements of home with different neighbors— each home a part of the whole of a beautiful community. There is an inherent value in home here that I am thankful that it embedded in me at an early age. As time has has passed & life has gone on, I’ve found myself constantly returning to home — reflecting upon the spaces that have shaped me and those that currently surround me. The further I think on it, I’m more and more certain of the importance of home. Some will say— why does it matter what your home feels like or looks like? It is simply a place to rest your head. They will laugh at my belief that home is one of the most important elements of our lives. Others might think: a beautiful home is a nice idea but not practical for my life— due to circumstances (kids, dogs, etc.) or my budget doesn’t allow for a home that I love (“I’ll have my dream home someday, but not now), or “I’d love to have a home that I love and feel comfortable in but I don’t know where to begin.” All of these thoughts are understandable and valid; however, I believe that a beautiful home is not the one that is the most posh (although there are certainly places for glamorous homes!) but that the most beautiful homes celebrate the simple, beautiful every day.
Our design team uses this as the banner over all of our work— we want to work with each of our clients to create the home that celebrates their beautiful everyday life. This will look different for each of our clients. For some of our clients, they live a more glam life with more formal gatherings & would rather their surroundings dazzle than be durable; while for other clients, responding to their everyday life means indoor/outdoor fabrics and open floor plans. There are, of course, some things that are universal amongst projects — we have developed a path of principles that we use to guide our clients (and ourselves!) through each project. We have found that thinking of each project — whether a full home or one small room — in this way is both helpful & beneficial to all.
My hope is that in sharing some of our process that it will help you to think about your own home. I also hope that it will inspire you to reflect on your own home— what you love, what you don’t. Perhaps beginning this thinking will allow you to fall in love with your home again or for the first time. Home can be a place of great importance and joy. We ought to also feel comfortable in our homes— may they be a place of love, growth, and peace. I think also as you read this, you will see that there is a place for professionals in home design — whether its an interior designer, architect, a friend with a good eye, an online program, or studying one of the great shelter magazines. There is without a doubt a science and a thoughtfulness to home design that if considered can greatly multiply what we get out of our homes.
We hope you’ll join us as we share more about how we work, the work we do, and home design (& home-living!) in general. To summarize a lot of thoughts: design & home are our passion and its fun to share it with others.
O C T O B E R [no. 1]
image via @townandcountrymag
image via @markdsikes_interiors
image via @roman_and_ivy
image via @housebeautiful
image via @jeffreydungan
images via pinterest
image via @sisterparishdesign
image via @markdsikes
july has us dreaming of & inspired by all things outdoors & red, white, & blue… enjoy inspiration photos & products linked below!
kbd team
all images via Pinterest
J U N E [no. 1]
M A Y [no. 1]
M A R C H [no. 1]
F E B R U A R Y [no. 1]
We have been referring to 2019 as the year of the kitchen so far… it seems that every other project we are working on includes a kitchen renovation or at least a spruce up! As a team of people who both love to eat & cook, we are very happy about this development. A question that I’ve been asked many times is what is my favorite room to design. While I can make a strong case for several spaces that I love to design… consistently, the kitchen is my go-to. I love that a kitchen has a purpose, it serves as the center of the home — the main gathering spot. Many of my favorite memories include hovering over an island in a warm kitchen. When I get to help design kitchens, I like to start by envisioning what that scene will look like in that particular space — what should it feel like? how should the lighting be? whats the right scale? Then to see that dream come to life, its why I love what I do! We can’t wait to share more of the kitchens we are working on, but until they are ready for their photo-op, enjoy our inspiration images below!
all the items are linked below!
J A N U A R Y [no. 1]
The new year has us gearing up for new projects and the one word we keep turning to is R E F R E S H. A new year, a new beginning, with new ideas… its exciting & we have found that in the office “refreshing” looks like new fabric samples coming in, new floor plans being drawn, meeting with new clients, and the introduction of new creative thoughts. A big part of the new creative energy comes from the hard work & joyful presence of two of our team members — Sellers & Gretchen. Its been a huge gift to have them on board to help with all that is going on in the studio and in our projects. They help me keep my head on straight as our project loads expand to include new places, new challenges, and new opportunities. So its with a refreshed sense of gratitude and excitement that we begin 2019. Thank you for following along!
And because we are focusing on refreshing, we thought we’d share some of our favorite “refreshed’ interiors. Maybe its the constant grey skies, but we are dreaming of days by the sea and the sun. We hope the images below bring inspiration to refresh your own homes or plan a beach trip (or both!)
Lastly, as of now most of the items in our posts are linked to product in our shop! If you haven’t taken some time to browse around the shop (see the “edit shop” tab above), we’d love for you to do so! We ship throughout the country and are always updating with new & found product.
D E C E M B E R [no.2]
D E C E M B E R [no.1]
its our favorite time of year! We hope these images + items inspire you as you deck the halls.
wishing you the merriest Christmas with your friends + family. merry, merry!
source: pinterest
source: atlanta homes
source: pinterest
source: pencil and paper co and pinterest
source: pinterest
source: pinterest and palm beach lately
N O V E M B E R [no.2]
aS WE CLOSE OUT the MONTH OF november, we want to express our gratitude for your support of our last journal entry. Its been so fun to hear from you guys & to see positive response to our new project. we are thankful for you! as we discussed weekend plans today at the office, we realized that most of our plans revolve around sharing meals this weekend, which is more than fitting as we enter this season of gathering with loved ones to celebrate Christmas. we love the continuity of gathering with those we love, beginning with thanksgiving & headed into the christmas season. with this in mind, we’ve created a little snapshot of our favorite gathered looks. there will be a time (quite soon!) for all the christmas trees & holly that one could desire but we are holding on to greens and browns for one more week before we plunge head first into red & green. consider it a palette soother as we prep for happiest time of the year.
images via instagram - maria delaord and singita_
Image via instagram - olivia brock
Images via pinterest
images via instagram - town & country, heatherchadduck, and studiofournyc
image via instagram- kristinblakeneyart
images via pinterest and instagran - citychic4ever_
image via better homes and garden
N O V E M B E R [no.1]
architectural DIGEST
WELCOME TO OUR FIRST JOURNAL ENTRY!
WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SHARING MORE OF WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE STUDIO
AS WELL AS OUR CURRENT INSPIRATION AND FAVORITE FINDS— OF ALL TYPES & PRICES.
THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING ALONG
IMAGES VIA PINTEREST
IMAGES VIA PINTEREST
IMAGES VIA PINTEREST
source: mimi thorisson
IMAGES VIA PINTEREST
textiles
[ fabrics we are using in current projects & love ]
color
[ colors we are using in current projects & love ]
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF THE ABOVE OR
QUESTIONS ABOUT A PROJECT - EMAIL US: STUDIO@KATHERINEBRAMLETT.COM
THANK YOU!
all images via pinterest
fall
