Sunday, May 31, 2009

Bathroom Furniture!

via Traditional Home

via House Beautiful

We have been looking for bathroom inspiration over the past week for an upcoming project. I came across these images in my files and thought how lovely it would be to have a bathroom large enough for furniture. Maybe in my next house! Sorry about our lack of posts - there aren't enough hours in the day some weeks! Happy new week to you all!


Tranquil Bedroom Inspiration

Currently I am designing a bedroom for a dear friend and client who recently lost her husband after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. She desires (and frankly needs) a soothing, tranquil retreat that reflects her simple, yet sophisticated style. The room will be in soft hues of white and blue and will have mix of traditional and contemporary elements. We are also doing this on a very tight budget. I will be sure to share her new room in a future post.

Here are some beautiful rooms that have inspired us along the way…

This bedroom by Margaret Bobsyshell is gorgeous and I found the image in the post, “The house that keeps haunting me” at a wonderful blog called, Things That Inspire. The four poster bed by Julia Gray is lovely. The serene wall color, milk pail by Martha Stewart is nice a contrast with the white elements in the room.
(The above picture: photography Erica George Dines)

This bedroom is simply elegant and hands-down my personal favorite in this series. It was designed by L.A.’s very talented Brooke Giannetti and the image was found in her blog Velvet and Linen.
Brooke frequently collaborates on architectural projects with husband Steve Giannetti providing clients with full architectural, interior design and landscape services. In this room, I particularly like the wall colors, Farrow and Ball Skimming Stone with All White trim. But, my favorite design element is the nostalgic 40's mirrored bedside table from Aiden Gray. My client loves it too, but it's not in the budget... darn it!

Here’s another bedroom that has inspired my client. The image was found on House Beautiful and a darling blog call House of Turquoise.
I simply love the use of combined contemporary and traditional elements in this room. Such a peaceful, dreamy room… just what my client needs.

Sarah Jessica Parker & Matthew Broderick's Home in the Hamptons

sjp-hamptons-elledecor-ext

Elle Decor published photos of Sarah Jessica Parker's house in Bridgehampton that she shares with husband Matthew Broderick and son James Wilke a couple years ago. I featured some of them on my other blog last month but thought you might enjoy them, too. Here are a couple that I didn't post before. Take a look!

sjp-hamptons-elledecor3

sjp-hamptons-elledecor81

sjp-hamptons-elledecor4

sjp-hamptons-elledecor6

For more photos and information, click here to see my original post about it at Hooked on Houses. If you're a fan of Matthew Broderick's 1986 movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," then check out my Movie Monday post today! One of the houses from the movie is on the market, and I found the real estate photos.

Win an Original

Jump on over to Watercolors to "win an original" watercolor painting!
Also, Bright Bold and Beautiful is Available on the App Store.
View the the latest blog posts, facebook and twitter updates, as well as my
newest watercolor paintings while on the go!
Download your App today ~ it's FREE.
Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

More ways to follow BB&B

Bright Gift Tags

Stylish gift cards are a great final touch for any gift!
These are adorable!!
Visit Prudence Octavia to purchase these adorable tags
for your next gift!
More ways to follow BB&B

MINI-COMPOUND 1931 SPANISH-STYLE PROPERTY FOR SALE











Between Belvedere and Southern, east of Dixie, here is a 1931 Spanish-style house with 1526 sq ft living space and a guest house of 756 sq ft, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths. Pet friendly. Listed in 3/07 for $379,000, expired 9/07, now back on market since 5-6-09 at $198,500. It is NOT A SHORT SALE. Hardwood floors, fireplace and tower room, architectural detail, gazebo with walkways through tropical landscaping and statuary. Burglar alarm and motion detector. Studio interior has beautiful wood floors, tumble stone bathroom and oversized attached garage. Shutters, garage door and gate are automatic. Fruit trees include mango, papaya, tamarind, banana, coconut, and guava. Chicago bricks throughout backyard, outdoor brick bbq. Room to add a pool or add on to the house. Sold “as is.” May I show you this lovely Florida-style mini-compound? Garage and studio are done with permits.

SPANISH-STYLE HOME FROM 1930 FOR SALE – A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE COMPARED TO HOME SOLD BELOW







With 1570 sq ft, 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, this charming Spanish-style house went on the market for $400,000 on 10-17-08. There were interim price reductions and now it is listed for $250,000 as a short sale. Located south of Atlantic Boulevard off Swinton, it has a garden view and a guest house with 1 bedroom, 1 bath and living room. Construction is stucco and frame. Lease OK, e pets allowed, 50+ lb. Pets. Floors are wood, note the fireplace. There is a fence and an open balcony. Tenant in place, so 24 hours notice is needed. Marilyn Jacobs (561-988-0070), Realtor, will be happy to show you the property.

SMALL SPANISH-STYLE FIX-UP 1929 HOME SOLD RECENTLY IN LAKE WORTH













On the market since 11/12/08 listed at $34,900, this charming Spanish-style jewel at 619 Royal Palm Drive in Lake Worth was built in 1929 has 2 bedrooms, 1 bath and 760 sq ft of living space. Listed at the time of sale for $19,900, it sold for $17,500 on 3-13-09. It was a bank-owned foreclosed handyman special, needing total refurbishment and repair, as you can see from the photos, needing TLC. Sold for land value only. Located east of 95, south of 6th Avenue South.

I Love Mylar

In the southern most part of SOBE ( South Miami Beach) exist a nail salon named LACE.

The interior design in the first image is what nailed me (ha ha), because it has Mylar Wall Covering and Venetian mirrors.


The other day I was reading the Times and there was an article on a Nail Salon Company that makes designer fingernail films. And the one that they featured was a silver one.
'Voila' , and here I think you have Mylar Nails.
This company has AMAZING patterns on their films. Herringbone,stripes, nautical themes...it is wild. Check it out. I have provided the link , clock on 'Minx Nails'
It really is like microscopic wall covering.
How cool is that ?


Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her BLOG.....
Interior Design, Palm Beach, Boca Raton,Design Sources, Window Treatments, Custom Design, Paint, Color Coordination, Online Interior Design, Floor Plans, All Custom, Minx Nails

Share/Save/Bookmark

Tea Towels

These tea towels are so sweet. Who needs Martha? These are practical enough for everyday use & beautiful enough for company. Please visit la Marquise des Anges's shop for more great handmade housewares and home decor!

Also, Bright Bold and Beautiful is Available on the App Store.
View the the latest blog posts, facebook and twitter updates, as well as my
newest watercolor paintings while on the go!
Download your App today ~ it's FREE.
Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

More ways to follow BB&B

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Survival and Loss on the West End's Cabanne Avenue

The West End neighborhood began to be developed in the late 1800's as a somewhat pastoral escape for both residents and institutions from the increasingly polluted industrialized areas of the City farther east. While still urban in plan with a grid of streets, upper middle class residences were built on larger lots and many blocks lacked alleys, with homes instead having individual driveways from the street. Cabanne Avenue runs the length of the neighborhood from Union to Hodiamont and is representative of the areas ups and downs over the years.

One of the institutions that located in the West End was St. Philomena's Technical School, built in 1910 at the corner of Cabanne and Union, having formerly been located at Clark and Ewing in Midtown. The school operated until 1970, after which the building was briefly used as a nursing home and then a day care center before going vacant. By the early 1990's the building's roof of the east wing collapsed. Unfortunately I only snapped a few photos of this building, always meaning to stop back when I had a full roll of film to shoot. In late 1996 though as I drove north on Union to another destination I sensed something was missing. A glance to my left confirmed that the building was completely gone. The still vacant site is owned by the LRA.

Across the street stands this vacant house at 5309 Cabanne. It had been proposed for demolition in August 2006 but the demolition was denied by the Preservation Board. Here is the full board agenda showing photos of a partial collapse of the rear wall. Almost three years, this fragile home is still vacant and in limbo.

During the 1920's the large lots which once attracted residents wanting a large home began attracting developers of large apartment buildings. This gave opportunities to middle class St. Louisans to live in a relatively exclusive location. The Winston Churchill Apartments, one of the largest buildings in the neighborhood was built in 1927 at the northwest corner of Cabanne and Belt. The Winston Churchill recently underwent an extensive historic renovation after having become somewhat run down over the years.

A vintage photo of the Winston Churchill from the Globe Democrat
Collection at the Mercantile Library. Additional views here

Across Cabanne from the Winston Churchill was a majestic French Renaissance building whose elevation rivaled City Hall in scale. The Academy of the Visitation was designed by Barnett Haynes & Barnett and opened in 1892. Visitation had moved from the corner of 19th and Cass, just west of the Clemens Mansion. 70 years later in 1962, Visitation again moved west to their present location on Ballas Road near Highway 40. The building was sold for $378,267 to the City of St. Louis, who demolished it and created Visitation Park, now renamed Ivory Perry Park.
Align CenterAcademy of the Visitation 1892-1962 - photo from the St. Louis CIN website

After World War 2, the west end began to experience decline with many of the large homes being divided into rooming houses and large apartments were divided into smaller units. When Pruitt Iago was emptied and finally imploded in 1972, many of its residents were relocated to the West End. Eventually many of the slumlords that owned the large apartment buildings simply abandoned their buildings instead of investing in needed maintenance. By the early 1990's many of these large abandoned apartment houses had deteriorated to the point where the roof, floors and interior had simply collapsed into the basement leaving an open masonry shell. Eventually, the hollow shells were demolished and new single family homes were beginning to be built on Cabanne and nearby streets. Further details of the neighborhood's history can be found here on the City's web site

West of Belt on Cabanne, one such development is fittingly called "Maple Acres". The north side of the street has been built-out with cheap looking suburban styled houses, but the south side of the street is still acres of open prairie except for two surviving original homes.

New houses on Cabanne in "Maple Acres"
One of the two surviving homes amid an urban prairie
Just west of Clara is the other survivor

Further West at Cabanne and Goodfellow this large apartment at 5741 Cabanne building is undergoing a slow and seemingly needless demolition. The building was occupied and seemed to be kept in fairly decent condition. A few years ago there was a fire in the unit that is missing windows in the photo below, but damage did not seem wide-spread. A 2008 aerial photo on Geo St. Louis shows no signs of roof failure that would accelerate deterioration.

Photo from an on line real estate web site that still shows the building for sale for $225,000
Close-up of one of the building entrances

When the West End was first developed, the area centering on Cabanne Avenue had a relatively unusual concentration (for St. Louis) of frame homes, specifically in the American Shingle Style. Located at the southwest corner of Cabanne and Goodfellow was the Henry S. Potter residence designed by H.H. Richardson and built in 1886. The rambling shingle style home had attached shingled stable and the grounds were surrounded by a decorative wrought iron fence with large shingled posts. The home like Visitation met its demise when it was sold to the City and demolished for yet another park.
1942 photo from the Historic American Building Survey. Two additional photos here.
Here is the Potter House site today. Even the iron fence,
part of which had survived as of a decade ago is now gone.

Just west of the park at 5832 Cabanne is another success story. This U-shaped multi-family building appeared vacant for several years and I feared it would meet the fate of so many other apartment houses, but several years ago it was completely renovated and is always immaculately kept.Directly across the street at 5823 however is a six-family building that also had a fire a few years ago. The building is owned by Roberts Housing Investors, Inc. I am not sure if this is any relation to the Roberts Brothers. According to City records, the building has been vacant since at least 1991. It was condemned for demolition on 6.7.06, but three years later, it still stands. The aerial view below shows the dire condition of the building, which leads me to believe that it will not survive.
A photo from before the fire can be seen here on Built St. Louis.
Aerial view of 5823 Cabanne. The label "Suburban Track" refers to the former Hodiamont street car right-of-way which is still owned by Metro

West of Hamilton, Cabanne Avenue ends with the West Cabanne Place, a private place established in 1888. As one of the farthest reaching platted subdivisions at that time, West Cabanne is purposely toned down compared to the extravagant private streets of the Central West End. The street has several large but unpretentious Shingle Style residences and attracted several architects who built their homes there in this style, which has been called one of the few truly American styles of architecture. The street became a National Register Historic District in 1980, but unfortunately three of the Shingle Style homes have been lost.
One of the surviving Shingle Style homes on West Cabanne Place

This restored Victorian located at 5927 West Cabanne place was threatened until 2003 after being vacant for at least 15 years. The home was listed on Landmarks 11 Most Endangered list
from 1997 until 2002. Renovation began the following year. Click here for a "before" photo and history of the home.