Craigslist Commandments

One of my all-time favorite Craigslist purchases - this green cabinet - was a diamond in the rough.

So I know almost everyone in the english-speaking world has heard of Craigslist - but to my amazement, I've discovered that a ton of my friends are not frequent buyers or sellers!  It's my understanding this lack of involvement usually stems from a lack of knowledge about the site and it's many intricacies - spoiler alert people, it's not rocket science!

I love the thrill of the treasure hunt, and just like estate sales, you never know what you'll find in you own backyard.  Truth be told, I have absolutely driven 40 miles away for a really great purchase, and I'm not ashamed.  I think my husband would probably kiss the ground I walked on if I swore off Craigslist for good (Sorry Mark, you married an addict) but I just simply can't give it up.

We drove almost an hour to get this little brass table once... I'm a woman possessed! 

I started Craigslist-ing when I was in college and have amassed a little set of "rules" I try to follow to ensure that A) I am always safe and B) I always find the best deals!  Below are my ten commandments of Craigslist:


FOR  BUYERS:

1) Thou Shalt ask questions - If you are unsure about an item, it never hurts to ask for additional photos, measurements, details, etc.  I have purchased quite a few items that upon first glance were not so great, but looked much better from a different angle!

2) Use thy imagination - Craigslist is the ultimate place to find a fixer-upper.  I purchased the chest in my living room (above) off Craig's, sanded it down, added many coats of green glossy paint, new hardware, and voila! It's always important to remember that one man's trash could be your new treasure!

3) Thou shalt not pay full price - I ALWAYS offer lower than the asking price.  Typically sellers build a little wiggle room into their pricing anyways for negotiations (at least I always try to).  Even if they only knock off $5, I love the feel of a good bargain!

4) Pick up thine own purchases - this is a simple courtesy, but some buyers overlook the fact that the seller is not here to provide them with free delivery service.  Offer to pick up your purchase yourself, and if you simply are not able, offer some extra cash if the seller can provide delivery. Simple as that.

5) Limit thy communication to normal waking hours - nothing is more inconsiderate to me than someone texting me at 1am asking to buy one of my ads (I could rant for days about late-night texters).  I too enjoy a good Craigslist trolling session when I can't sleep, but generally I try to follow this simple rule: If I wouldn't text a client at this time of night/morning, I won't text a seller.


FOR  SELLERS:

6) Thou shalt never advertise thine own address - this one seems like a no-brainer, but I have seen several postings that go something like this "I live at 1234 Sunny Rd and I'm not home from work until 5:30, so please don't come before then" - these people are basically begging to get robbed.  I arrange the pick-up time with my buyer, and have them call me when they are on the way. Only if I am home do I give my address - very simple.  I do like to provide a general area, cross streets, etc. so the buyer can have an idea of how far apart we are.  I think it should go without saying that this rule also applies to your children when posting ads for children's furniture, etc.  Perhaps I am just paranoid, but If I were the "Craigslist killer" I'd sure look for the seller with lots of kids in their photos...

7) Meet up with thy neighbor - I did a lot of Craigslist purchasing when I lived in my "single girl" apartment, and I did not want some random dude who may or may not be a serial killer seeing where my roomie and I lived... alone (do you sense a paranoia theme yet?).  In those days was a big fan of the "let's meet up at the parking lot of Target".  A well-lit area with lots of bystanders is key, and it goes without saying that you shouldn't do a meet-up after dark.  Bringing a friend along is always a good idea.

8) Have a man at thy house - this may be a little old-fashioned of me, but I always like to mention the fact that my husband will be home when a buyer comes over.  Even mentioning that your boyfriend, roommate, next door neighbor will be "around to help with the heavy lifting" is good.  Anything you can do to let a potential buyer know that you will not be home alone!

9) Thou shalt not accept personal checks - I always include "cash only, no checks" in my ads.  I assumed this was a no-brainer, until one day these really sweet girls came over to purchase a dresser from me, hauled it down two flights of stairs, loaded it up in their friend's truck, and handed me a check.  I had to awkwardly explain to them that I didn't know them from Adam and would they please pay me in cash. Laying your ground rules out in your postings can help smooth over an otherwise uncomfortable situation.

10) Do thy research prior to posting - Craigslist is not 1st Dibs.  It's not even Ebay.  You are never going to get as much cash for an item as you originally put into it.  It took me some time to figure this one out.  When I first began selling things around my house, I would ask way too much and the postings would get no traction.  Eventually I learned to research my market a little better before posting.  For example - if I have a small bench I want to sell, I take a look at what other sellers are listing their benches for and compare the condition, size, age, etc. to my piece.  I find that if I price competitively, my pieces sell pretty quickly!

Do any of you have any tips or tricks that I'm missing out on?  Hoping this post inspires you to do a little Craigs creeping for yourself!

Xx
Ivy

Summer To-Do List

CZ Guest at home in Palm Beach - Photographed by Slim Aarons

With a new season just around the corner, there's no better time to make a new checklist.  If you read this post, you'll have noticed that I tend to over-committ myself when it comes to these seasonal goals - hopefully I can check each one of these fun activities off the list by Fall!

1) Learn to Water Ski (finally) - This one might be a bit ambitious, but I'm hoping to make it out to the lake often enough to give it a solid try!
2) Celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary - They say your first year gift is "paper"... Do you think furniture counts?  Paper is made from wood... sales receipts are paper... I'm reaching here...
3) Set up my home office once and for all.  This room tends to get the short end of the cleaning stick (it currently houses everything random we own, my desk, and dog crates) so I plan to pay some extra special attention to it!  Now that I have been blogging for a few months, I need a more inspirational work space than my bed/sofa.
 4) Attend a "few" weddings - tis the season, and love is in the air! I'm so excited to be included in the nuptials of some very dear friends this summer.
5) Install new front door hardware - finally purchased! Just need it installed... hint hint, Mark!
6) Play more tennis - I fell off the weekly play-date wagon with some of my girlfriends during the colder months... now that we can play outside I have no excuse!
7) Finalize selections for the Traverse City project - I have a trip to Michigan planned for later this summer to do a little bit of work with the 'rents (oh and some play as well!)
8) Install an amazing new office at Chisholm Creek - this one is near and dear to my heart, and I can't wait to share the final outcome!
9) Master my grandmother's homemade peach ice cream - it wouldn't be summer to me without a taste of farm-fresh peaches.  I'll be sure to share the recipe!
10) Host a summer cookout for friends - I'm thinking casual burgers and tons of delicious sides like this and these. If you're intimidated by grilling your own meat (I always have Mark do it for fear I will undercook it) check out these must-have grilling tips that have helped demystify the grilling process for me!

What are your summer goals? 

Xx
Ivy

Baby Blue Bath

When we purchased this house, it was very... colorful... bright blue kitchen, butter-yellow living room, mint-green hall bathroom - the previous owners had painted every room a different color!

The hall bath was by far the most funky. The house was built in 1963, and it has the tell-tale baby blue tile, sinks, and tub to prove it! When looking for a home in this neighborhood, we saw it all - pink, orange, green, brown, you name it.  It could have been much worse! In our initial remodel, we decided to hold off on completely overhauling the three bathrooms and to focus most of our energy on the kitchen and living spaces.

Some before pics for your viewing pleasure:

We ripped out the funky little corner cabinets and painted the walls, trim, and cabinets white.
We also switched out the hardware, and replaced the (BLUE!!) toilet.  I'm still debating what to do about a window treatment in here. I know I will ultimately want to do a roman shade, but I am not totally sure of my color scheme for the future. So for now, my great grandmother's blue and white milk glass decanter collection provides a little shelter from the outdoors.  This was really all we did in here, and I think it made a huge difference. For the time being...

My favorite thing in the entire bathroom - a sketch of my wedding gown by Nardos Imam

Much better without the funky cabinets. I recovered a little vanity stool in Martin Lawrence 

Bullard's Adras Ikat to add a pop of fresh color - you can't see, but there is a stripe of chartreuse in there. I also practice restraint with accessories in here, which is extremely hard for me.

The sweetest way to corral tiny hair supplies - a portion of my vintage tea cup collection gifted to me by my grandmother.  When Mark and I moved in together, I had a pretty hard time letting go of all of my feminine frills.  After a while, I realized that a little goes a long way, and if it makes me happy to look at something everyday, then by-gosh it stays! 

I would not have chosen blue myself, but it's growing on me - pretty and serene without being overtly feminine. 

A lucite tray helps contain my primping mess.

 With this bathroom I am trying to practice what I preach to clients all the time... live in the house for a while and decide how you want to use the space before committing to a design scheme.  Its a challenge, because I really do not love the blue tile counter, but I am learning certain things about this bathroom and how we use it:

• I prefer to shower and get ready in here instead of our master bath, which is teeny tiny and covered with Mark's beard trimmings (gross!)

• I love love love having a sit-down vanity in the bathroom - I had previously only used a vanity in my bedroom, and I will never go back now!

• The fact that this bathroom opens to the guest room as well as to the hall is amazing. When my parents and friends come to stay with us, they love that they don't have to walk around in their bath towel in public! I had initially thought of closing off this door to make room for a larger tub/shower, but now I'll think twice about that.

• I absolutely need a taller bath tub.  This one holds barely any water - baths are hardly enjoyable when half of your body sticks out of the tub... and maybe a little soap niche to hold my glass of wine during said baths... a girl can dream! 

Of course I have big dreams and plans for this little bathroom in the future, but for now, this will do!

Xx
Ivy

SOURCES

Paint: Benjamin Moore Decorator's White (entire house is this color - love it)
Shower Curtain: Target
Vanity Stool: HomeGoods, also love this one
Stool fabric: Schumacher
Lucite Tray: Amazon
Mercury Glass Canisters: Anthropologie
Cabinet hardware: Rejuvenation's Mission Collection in Brass. We used this collection in our kitchen and all 3 bathrooms for a cohesive look.

Pure Michigan

I am SO excited to share this new project with you all!  My parents (ever the adventurous duo) have recently embarked on a new-build condo project in Traverse City, MI.  They currently live outside of Detroit, and TC is just a hop skip and a jump away - only a short plane-ride for me - and perfect for weekend getaways! 

I credit a lot of my interest in the design world to my parents, who have always placed great importance on hiring a professional designer.  Both my mom and step-dad have fabulous taste, and I was shocked beyond belief when they decided to turn the reins over to me on this project! I've been scheming up plans for the space ever since they told me about it last Spring, and this past weekend I finally had the chance to see the job site in person.  

Mamasita and I - you can see their condos in the background and the beautiful inland lake they are situated on.  Northern Michigan is chalk-full of these little lakes - this one is called Boardman Lake and is just a short walk/bike ride/kayak trip into town and the Grand Traverse Bay.  

Sailing lessons in your backyard? Why not! I can't wait for many summers up here filled with all kinds of fun outdoor activities! 

Our main focus on this trip was to select finishes from the options provided by the builder. Typically, I am the one providing the various finish options to clients, so it was nice to have it all laid out and presented to me for a change! Very quick process - we made all of our decisions within about 30 minutes.  

The first order of business was to select the hardwoods. My parents liked the light wood, but they've been-there-done-that in a previous house.  I exercised my veto rights and selected this dark gray/brown instead. 

We'll use the wood throughout the ground floor and on the lower floor/basement we selected a steely gray looped carpet.  

Next, we selected the cabinet finish - I went into the situation knowing I wanted a light gray, so this one was perfect! We will use this color in all bathrooms as well as the kitchen.  

We selected this Cielo de Marfil granite for  the kitchen island and countertops.  It's durability was the main selling point, as my parents are big entertainers and didn't want something that would stain easily (we're talking to you, marble!).  I also wanted a light, casual look so the white color was a bonus for me! 

We're using the middle glass subway tile for backsplash in the kitchen for just a tiny bit of contrast.  My parents style is fairly contemporary, and we are going for a midcentury-modern twist with this house, which I know I'm going to have a ton of fun with! 

A round-up of all the finishes selected, including the brushed nickel cabinet pulls.  We ended up choosing the larger-scale wallpaper by Cole & Sons for their powder bath - I'm dying to see this installed - I think it will make a huge impact! 

The mamasita surveying her new view of the lake.  

Upstairs living and dining - open plan for maximum natural light! 

Downstairs living - the kids' quarters.

One more, looking through the living/dining and towards the master bedroom.  I can't wait to see how this all pulls together - right now we are projected to be finished by September, but we shall see how that goes.  Stay tuned for more posts on furniture selections, inspiration and more! 

Xx

Ivy 

Lately...

I'll be the first to admit: I'm not great at describing to friends and family exactly what it is that I do all day at work. Truth be told, I am often so exhausted by the end of a long day that when asked, I sum up my work life as "it's going great, just busy with lots of fun projects" rather than going into great detail over the ins-and-outs of my day.

One of the reasons I started this blog is to chronicle these fun little details for those interested parties, and also so I can one day look back on my 27th year of life and see what I was up to at that particular point in my career.  Hopefully by that time, I'm a wildly successful designer with scads of clients and a house of my own on the French Riviera... but I digress... Here's what I've been up to lately:

This past work-week was particularly fun for me, as I had the opportunity to stage an absolutely gorgeous home that has been completely overhauled by one of my good friends and his partners.  Stagings are so great - no one actually lives in this house yet, so you can decorate with a bare-bones mentality... none of the practical stuff, just the pretty stuff.  At any rate, it's mostly about highlighting the architecture of the house and just enhancing the overall experience for potential buyers.

And this house - can we talk about this house? It is drop-dead gorgeous, and I would basically donate my first born to live here! I'm sure it will be on the market for all of a few days because the guys paid such great attention to detail. The pool, the balcony, that fireplace - it is all too good! Without further delay... a few pics:

 Master bedroom - that view! 

Such a fun wallpaper - the neutral tones are perfectly soothing for this master retreat.

Living room - awaiting a flatscreen to float above that middle shelf. 

Such a bright, sunny kitchen

Love the mix of this antique oushak rug with these contemporary swivels, the zebra wood coffee table, and a casual slipcovered sofa.  

Wouldn't mind spending a sunny afternoon out here!

Molly & Troy hanging some art in the background - I love to get a sneaky pic of them hard at work! 

Isn't this white resin stag bust amazing? Very noble in his soldier's uniform!

A bit of color in an otherwise neutral setting - love an overdyed rug.

* All furniture available through 30A Home - if you are interested in staging services - please contact me and I can send information! 

Xx
Ivy

Spring Spruce-Up for your Front Door

I always say a first impression lasts a lifetime, so you'd better make it a good one! I feel the same way with houses - the relation between a home's interior and exterior is one instance in which you can definitely judge a book by its cover!

I've been walking my dogs in our little neighborhood each morning and even occasional evenings in an effort to burn off some of their extra energy and enjoy the beautiful Spring weather.  As we explore the neighborhood, I play little game with myself called "what would I do if this was my house?" ... it certainly keeps me occupied! Most of the homes are completely charming and I wouldn't change a thing (ok maybe a paint color, but that's it).  Others are total makeover projects - does anyone else do this, or am I a truly crazy person?

These walks always inspire to work on the curb appeal of our little house. This past Sunday I installed a new door knocker from Waiting on Martha - one of my favorite online resources for cute decor - and it is definitely my new favorite thing about the exterior of our house, second only to the adorable mailbox we added when we moved in.  My least favorite? Our doorknob - note to self, order a new one! Below, are my favorite door knockers available online:

1)  Hexagon
2) Brass Lion Head
3) Brass Pineapple
4) Sly Fox
5) Classic round
6) Simple Midcentury

Fun fact: The pineapple has long been a symbol of hospitality - see this article for more history on the subject!

Xx
Ivy

Shagreen Obsession!

A recent install - fabulous faux shagreen table by Made Goods

If you are anything like me, you're obsessed with all things faux shagreen.  This is not exactly a groundbreaking new material, but I've seen an influx of demand for this mock-stingray finish recently in our shop.  Not only does it look incredibly luxe, but the faux variety is extremely durable, making it ideal for flat surfaces that get heavy use like coffee tables and dressers.  

A little history on the material: The Art Deco period is credited with popularizing the use of sting ray skin (shagreen) in furniture and objet d' art, but it's use actually dates back to ancient Egypt and the Chinese Han Dynasty.  In more recent history, Madame du Pompadour, Louis XIV's infamously opulent mistress had an insatiable appetite for little trinkets covered in shagreen and would order something from the French shagreen expert, Galluchat, almost weekly.  

While many contemporary furniture makers insist that they only harvest sustainable ray skins, their rarity drives the value up exponentially.  Faux ray skin, often made of resin or other plastics is much less expensive and can be made in unlimited quantities.  Plus, you get the feel-good factor of using something faux - knowing you didn't harm the same creature you swam with in the Bahamas to make your new side table!  

If you happen to speak French and would like a little light reading on the subject, check out this book about Monsieur Galluchat.  

Isn't this little vignette just dreamy?  I just delivered this gorgeous table this week to a long time client and friend, and it totally elevates the space - very luxurious.  Chair is Lee industries, Antique textile pillow is from 30A Home, and the stunning rug is by Amadi Carpets (available through 30A Home).  The table is by Made Goods, one of my favorite sources for a good faux shagreen.  I fell in love with this line a few years back at High Point Market, and have kept them in constant rotation for clients ever since. Below, are my five faux shagreen favorites to help you achieve this look at home!

1) This fabulous faux shagreen coffee table from OKL is to die for!  Give their shagreen selection a browse while you're at it!

2) A little goes a long way in the shagreen department - a tiny bit can add a lot of pizazz to your otherwise simple decor.  I love using it on teensy accent tables like this one.

3) My absolute favorite way to use shagreen these days is in a bright pop of color like these green nightstands.  I'm literally sitting here scheming up a way to get these into my house as I type!  I love how the vibrant punch of color takes an otherwise serious piece and makes it whimsical and fun. 

4) For the gal on a budget (ahem, yours truly)... West Elm has a beautiful selection of shagreen products right now, including these little trays. You can never have too many catch-alls, and they are the perfect way to bring in this trendy finish without breaking the bank!

5) And finally, if you're looking for a gorgeous shagreen mirror, look not further than my old favorite, Made Goods.  This mirror is one of my favorites, and I'm dying to use it on a job soon! 

Madame du Pompadour, eat your heart out! 

Xx

Ivy

A Contemporary Palace for a Modern-day Princess

I came across this Parisian home tour on Elle Decor a while back and just have not been able to stop thinking about it!

The opulence of Jean-Louis Denoit's design for a young Middle Eastern Princess is something most of us can only dream of.  The gilded 1970s touches, the aqua tinted silk rugs, the fabulous lighting, and of course the bespoke mosaic marble flooring - this is the stuff my dreams are made of people! Shockingly, there isn't one ounce of pink in this abode - this is no disney princess, but rather a chic, sophisticate young woman (I mean - check out her closet!).  I've determined that rather than envy this glamorous home-owner, it is better to simply emulate her style (in a much more budget-friendly manner, of course).  Below, my top ten princess-worthy purchases:

1) Johnathan Adler Rider Etagere $2,995

2) West Elm Metal Frame Upholstered Chair in "Celestial Blue" $499

3) CB2 Vega Flushmount $249

4) Zena Side Table - One Kings Lane $1759 - love the aqua shagreen!

5) Mark & Graham Hexagon Ice Bucket $125

6) AERIN Hampton wall sconce via Circa Lighting $315

7) Nate Berkus for Target Gold Gem Box $16.99

8) Another Fabulous Nate for Target find - Gold geometric taper Candle Holder $14.99

9) Williams Sonoma Home Tetra Pieced Hide Rug - From $2995

10) Nassau Glassware - starting at $65

I hope this little lust-list has inspired you to treat your home like the palace it is!

Xx 

Ivy