local playroom project featured on Apartment Therapy

I'm excited to share that one of my projects was featured on Apartment Therapy yesterday - so fun! Click on over for more details. 

This project was a joy to work on for so many reasons. The home belongs to dear friends of ours, and this playroom is now enjoyed by their two gorgeous little ones. (They were expecting number two while we worked on the project.) I love the combination of colors we ended up with. We didn't have a strict color scheme, and used some pieces they already owned (like the kids' size table & chairs). I love the unexpected punch of bright green which keeps things interesting. Overall, they wanted to keep the furniture to a minimum to allow ample room for active toddlers to roam, play, spread out, read, explore, etc. 

Here are a few shots not included in the feature... 

If you're interested in working together to make your home a place you love, please contact me for more info at katiegaviganinteriors@gmail.com. Thanks!

billiards room: design plan

I recently worked with a client who wanted help updating and refreshing several rooms in his home. One is a large room which traditionally would be the living room but instead houses a pool table! Unexpected and fun. My client wants to keep most of the furniture as well as the massive art deco mirror (which might be permanently mounted to the wall ;).) I'm confident that a few cosmetic changes will give this room a whole new look. Here's the plan…

The paint color is driven by the fact that several rooms flow into each other and we're going for continuity there. If this was more of an enclosed room, I would definitely go with something dark and moody on the walls…midnight blue or forest green would be so amazing!!

I put together several inspiration boards to pick and choose from. I love every combination, honestly!

So cool, right?! His kids' friends are all going to want to hang out here, I know it. Can't wait to see it come to life!

If you're interested in working together to make your home a place you love, please contact me for more info at katiegaviganinteriors@gmail.com. Thanks!

the right vessel

What do you usually do with flowers from the grocery store? Stick them in a vase you've had forever? Let me just encourage you today to take a teensy bit of extra effort and enjoy much more beautiful results! 

I picked up this pretty little plant from Trader Joe's in a wimpy plastic pot. By moving it into this little goblet (something I've had forever, from a thrift store for less than $2, I'm sure), the impact is so much more dramatic and beautiful. I find that unexpected scale often works well…you may think this pot would be too small, but it's perfect. Don't limit yourself to traditional flower pots or vases!

This vase, below, was another thrift store find. If you have a collected of acquired vases under your sink or in a cabinet, I challenge you to stop by your neighborhood thrift store and pick up one or two different shaped vases or vessels. They'll bring your flowers to the next level, I promise! By mixing it up, you'll find that it grabs your attention when you walk by. Beauty brings joy.

I wanted to also show you the same flowers, but dried. A different look, and probably not for everyone, but I love the character!

Pulled these lilies out of a standard bouquet mix - I think they're so interesting in this mini-vase and will be even more so when opened.

And... I succumbed to the peony craze. For the photo shoot at our house, I used peonies but they were a deep wine color…I was resisting the pink ones just because they're everywhere right now, but then I realized that was silly. There's a reason everyone is enjoying them - because they won't be around for long, and because they're BEAUTIFUL. So, I will enjoy them as well. I love them in this taller vase, and I think they'll look even prettier when they've opened a bit more.

So, the next time you pick up a bunch of flowers or a little potted plant, take a moment to arrange it in a new, unexpected way. It will be worth the extra effort for the joy it will bring - I promise!

If you're interested in working together to make your home a place you love, please contact me at katiegaviganinteriors@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you!

on inspiration

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What inspires you? This idea has been coming up for me in various ways as of late. 

To me, there's such a fine line between seeing something and experiencing a feeling of "ooooooh," or "ahhhhh," compared to more of a "I want that," or even, "I can't keep up." To be fair, they can probably be the same sometimes. I just pick up on so much more/bigger/better/faster all around me in our world today, and it exhausts me. Noticing this, and recognizing the need to find new sources of inspiration, is starting to rise to the surface for me. (To be clear, for the sake of this conversation, I'm referring to visual inspiration, which for me as a creative person is such an important piece of life.)

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Part of my experience of being a visual person means that my "eye" gets bored very easily. I love pretty things...I crave beauty all around. But the inspiration wears off, with rare exception, when there's less variety. I notice that the effect is actually the opposite - that I feel exhausted - when the promise of visual stimulation exists and then instead, disappoints. For example, I'll visit instagram or pinterest with the hope of something new catching my eye and getting my wheels turning, and don't find it. 

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Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying it's the responsibility of these mediums to feed my creativity. What I'm realizing is that I probably need to seek other sources. I know that for many of us creative types, this is why travel is so satisfying to us…it gives the opportunity to see, take in, experience and be inspired by the different. 

A few shots from our trip to Merida, Mexico in 2012….

As you've heard from me before, I believe that it's SO important for each person to figure out what it is that hits them at that visceral level - at the place of the "ooooooh" or "ahhhhhh" - and to create it in your home. Start simple, if needed! If natural light is important to you, watch the light entering your home for a few days, and rearrange the furniture to be able to enjoy the light, shadows, warmth, etc. If fresh air does it for you, find or create a reading spot near a window and carve out a few minutes to spend there every day. Light a candle. Frame a meaningful family photo (you can find beautiful frames at thrift stores, if needed!) and place it where it will make you smile every day. Start paying attention to the colors that you react to positively, and then look for ways to bring them into your home. TAKE TIME to create the home you love. Just because everyone else is incorporating a certain item or pattern or style into their home doesn't mean you have to. Start creating a home you can build on and enjoy for years to come.

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As for me, I'm on the lookout for new sources of inspiration and would love to hear what works for you! I have some ideas about where to start - I'll keep you posted. :)

If you're interested in working together to make your home a place you love, please contact me at katiegaviganinteriors@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you!

our settee & seating thoughts for one kings lane

If I had to name a favorite piece of furniture in our house, our settee (or daybed) would definitely be near the top of the list. I LOVE this piece. The deep seating, classic lines and perfect spot for curling up in a blanket to read or take a nap. It's seriously soooooo cozy.

I'm sure most of you know all about One Kings Lane. (In case you're not, they run flash sales on all kinds of great home decor items.) You may not be familiar with their Home Decor Resource Guide, which they've asked me to share with you. I've enjoyed perusing the Guide and learning more about the historical aspects of various decor elements. For example, with each category of furniture (chairs, mirrors, sofas, etc.), they've outlined the evolution and cultural influences along the way. I love seeing how various artists and cultural factors have influenced design through the years. A great example is the Guide to Styles of Sofas & Settees. It's fascinating to think about the more formal use of sofas and settees 100 years ago versus how we use ours today! 

We have truly personalized this piece, and use it to its full advantage. We love it!!  To this very classic design, I decided to add just a twist of personal, funky touch by gluing a simple tassel fringe. The black keeps it subtle and classic, with just a bit of edge. The pillow mix is constantly being switched up.

Although counter-intuitive, larger pieces of furniture are often the best choice for small spaces. True, in our case. We've tried several different furniture arrangements in this room over the years, and a sofa + daybed absolutely provides the most - and most comfortable - seating in our living room. Not to mention that it doubles as a guest bed when needed. 

A few other interesting categories to explore within the Resource Guide:

Beds
Cabinets
Mirrors

Happy reading!


If you're interested in working together to make your home a place you love, please contact me at katiegaviganinteriors@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you!

my crazy jewelry storage

I am forever looking for creative jewelry storage solutions. Although I love my colorful, eclectic mix of non-precious jewels, I don't want them taking over. Especially in our small bedroom, I've struggled with this and have tried all kinds of different ideas, from hanging necklaces from nails to draping around our bedposts (which I still like, but also like to mix it up!).

As I was prepping for this week's photo shoot, I went out on a mission one day with a focus on a few specific loose ends. This was one of them. I wandered through thrift stores, Ross, HomeGoods, etc. with an eagle eye for some good solutions…and found a few, yay!

You may remember that I LOVE to hang beads anywhere and everywhere around the house. This works great for longish beaded necklaces, but not for everything. Like earrings! Especially earrings. What do other people do? Please share! I like these cute hooks below, but it's not super practical as it doesn't hold a lot. I actually hung this one in the bathroom to spread things out a bit.

I realize the look is still a pretty maximalist one, and is not for everyone, but it worked for me! This elephant stand, above and below, is so the perfect dude for our house (although a bit hidden :)).

I actually meant to take a few things away throughout the photo shoot, so that some shots would be a little calmer, but in the craziness I don't think this happened! Whoops!

If you're interested in working together to make your home a place you love, please contact me at katiegaviganinteriors@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you!