eclecticism at it's best & charcoal paint

The above space appeared last year from an issue of Austin Monthly Home. The charming home sits in Austin's Hyde Park neighborhood & was designed by Kimberly Renner. What I really love about the space is that the charcoal color paint on the walls and ceilings provide the palette to make the white settees, trim and artwork really pop. I wanted to see more of Kimberly's work but can't seem to find a portfoilio so for now I will have to view one of her latest projects in the October issue of Martha Stewart Living which included some really fabulous elements to make up a lovely space. I really liked what she created and according to the lastest issue of Martha Stewart Living her home will be featured on marthastewart.com as a home tour (it is not currently up). The below is a sneak peak. All I have to say is that I want to see more of Kimberly's work.

{images via here & here}

{mamma to the mia}

Give me a recipe today.

1 part homey kitchen

1 part berry tart

Go to Spain, take off your shoes, feel the summer breeze, bask in the summer sunshine & eat sweet summer cooking. Mix the above together, sift a bit and ENJOY.

The above place is suited for a Momma who loves to sing her mia in the kitchen. What a perfect summer retreat. I am in love with the portfolio of Spanish designer Isabel Lopez Quesada (thanks to a reader over on Habitually Chic). To see more of Isabel's refined work go to her website right here.

Tia Zoldan's favorite spot in her home and her NEW BLOG

Remember how I recently blogged about Tia Zoldan right here?

Well I had the pleasure of corresponding a bit with Tia & that is when she shared the great news of her new blog. I thought what better then to not only share the word of her new blog but to also dive a little further into Tia's world.

I asked her what her favorite spot was in her home.

Would you all like to see it?

I know I did and was so excited that Tia was so willing to share a peak into her beautiful home and to give the scoop on her ever evolving living room....which happens to be her favorite spot. So without further ado lets get down to the meat of this post. Being that Tia is not only a mother (which is HUGE in itself) but a talented artist, decorator, and designer, I think you will all enjoy what she has to say.

ME: Tia tell us about your favorite spot in your home.

TIA: My favorite space in my home...would have to be my living room. This room has definitely evolved through the years! It is the biggest room in the house so I have the most fun with it because I can bring in and out so many different pieces! Black and Gold are the base colors of the room which are two of my favorite color combinations because all other colors look great with them. Because it is such a big space, I brought in really big pieces, the chandelier is huge as well as the art work and the coffee table. When designing a large space you need big pieces or the furniture will look lost! I try to keep the bigger pieces in a neutral color, and then go a little crazy with pillows, art, and accessories.

ME: What was the inspiration for this room?

TIA: Pink is one of my favorite colors (I have a very tolerant husband) so there is a lot of pink scattered throughout the room. Through the years I have collected brass figures, statues, vintage sconces, murano lamps, and lots of coffee table books! All of these objects are meaningful to me and beautiful to look at. I guess this is why it is my favorite room in the house, it is filled with the colors and objects I love and really big cozy seating!

I also asked her if there were any sources that she used in this room that she would like to share and guess what I smiled when she answered saying:

"I would love to give good resources but I really don’t have many because most of the objects and accessories are flea market or antique store finds! The couches/chairs/ottomans are custom made by my design company Zoldan Interiors and all the artwork was done by me! :) This room is such a mish mosh of old things brought back to life, I think that it is why it is my favorite!"

I smiled because Tia is a really good collector and flea market shopper...a girl after many of our own hearts and another testament to the fact that collecting vintage and antique items can add so much character to a home. Did you happen to catch the fact that she was the artist behind all that great art hanging on her walls...very impressive.

Of course now you will want to see more of Tia so you can follow her adventures over on her brand spankin new blog, the roof over my head, or you can visit her website over here.

Also Julie over @ Milk & Honey Home did a great little interview that touches on many more details on how Tia started out in design and her journey along the way. Go here for the scoop.

One of the things that I actually enjoy on Tia's blog (besides the design related stuff) is when she includes snippets of her personal life with her daughters. As I read through her blog I came across the below picture and had to share because it is so darn precious.

SEE! Ok now me can move onto pictures of Tia's favorite space in her home nestled in a quaint little Los Angeles neighborhood.

Thank you Tia for sharing a snippet of your lovely home and life. Just so you know I'll hit the flea markets with you anytime.

color part 1 {Tia Zoldan}

Do you remember Tia Zoldan's home in Cottage Living? It was such a great space. Anyway with it being Summer and having mucho kids I tend to crave color more now than ever and Tia's portfolio is plum packed.

East coast lovin'

Take me back East...That is where the above lovely home is located. When I first noticed the above spread in Traditional Home I was taken with the IKAT accent pillow in the top photo. In fact I loved it so much that I emailed Terrat Elms who were the designers on the above project. Guess what, not only are they talented but they were super nice as well and wrote me back with all of the information I had requested. I especially love all of the Quadrille and Schumacher fabrics used in the bedroom. How would it be to have an ocean view like that?

{All photos via Terrat Elms & Traditional Home}