Kenny & Company

I love to see an eclectic room design that is well executed. I honestly believe that the mixing of different styles and design elements, in a way that is successful, is a special talent.  My favorite home is one that I visit and each accessory, pillow, chair, etc. is exactly where is should be, it’s different, and has a story behind it.  These homes are visually interesting and entertaining to experience.  However, the key is that all of these elements must  ”work” and not look like all the leftovers from your life fell into one room. 

An eclectic space usually develops from time spent collecting bits and pieces through the years and combining those unique items with newly purchased art, pillows, tile, etc. to tie all of the peices together. All that being said, you may not have time to collect interesting pieces with stories behind each one, but you can design a new space to look eclectic with newly purchased items. All you need is a starting point,  something a little different, like a black vanity and then pair it with an unexpected mirror, throw in a unique light fixture, or a fun tile pattern and there you go!

All of the items featured below could stand alone to make a statement or be grouped with other items.  Obviously you wouldn’t have two bathtubs in one space, but these are just a few items that could take your design to a new level.

All items above can be purchased through Kenny & Company, but if you’d like more information see the links below:

Item 1: Made Goods,Bea Table   Item 2: Visual Comfort, Flush Mount Star  Item 3: New Ravenna Tile Mosaic   Item 4:  Jason International, Carrera Bath  Item 5: Newport Brass, Cube 2  Item 6:  Made Goods, Katherine Mirror  Item 7: Victoria and Albert, Cabrits Bath

Personal Note: I have personally tried out both bath tubs featured above and each one, though different in design, is very comfortable to sit in.  Bath #4 is classic in appearance and is designed with ergonomics in mind.  Bath #7 is smaller in scale and a very unique shape but hugs the curves of your body.  Visit the links above to see more photos. 

A few more eclectic bathroom designs:

Photo: Laurendall.tumblr.com

If you’re like me, you might be suffering from the “winter blues.”  The holidays are over, spring isn’t here yet and you’re tired of the dreary cold weather…Well, since spring will soon be upon us and everyone will be gearing up to start those long awaited projects, I thought I might help you along a little bit to get your creative juices flowing.

Take a look at the Product Design Boards that I’ve thrown together. All of the products featured  below are from Kenny & Company and I’m hoping they will give you a few ideas or at least allow you see these products in a different light.

Design Board 1:

I really can’t decide what style category this would fall in…Rustic, Old-World chic?  I’ll let you fill in the blank.

 Design Board 2:

This second Product Design Board is a Modern take on a Traditional Bath.  If you haven’t noticed, Brass is Back!!  Brass is showing up a lot in modern designs and also in products that are putting a comtemporary twist on traditional pieces.  So get ready, it’s coming.

If you have questions about any of the products featured above, leave a comment and I’ll be in touch.

Here are a few sneak peeks at some of the new tile boards we’re getting at Kenny & Company-Nashville.  These are just shots from an Iphone so you’ll have to come to the showroom to see their true beauty in person.  We have over 24  new boards and they are fabulous!!

Working in close callaboration with New York design firm, Roman and Williams Building and Interiors, Waterworks has just launched it’s new R.W. Atlas and Distric Tile  Collections.  Take a quick look here to see the catalog that features the full lines.  

Atlas and District Tile Collage                                       megfrankinteriors.com

R.W. Atlas collection is quite unique and beautiful. The collection includes fittings, accessories, and fixtures:

The District Tile collection uses architectural trim and details as it’s building blocks. With deep rich colors and pooling glazes, these studio crafted cereamic tiles will look beautiful anywhere!

See these beautiful trim pieces a little closer.

Watch your design magazines closely, because these new products will soon be everywhere!!

Well, it’s Friday and I was looking through a few images that I’ve been harvesting from the internet and thought I might share a little eye-candy for the end of the day.  All the images below feature Carrara marble, which is a classic white marble with gray veining.  Carrara is timeless and beautiful!!

The vanities below are from Stone Forest.  The Bordeaux vanity was featured at a Show that I went to last Spring and when I saw the vanity, it literally took my breathe away.  Instead of thinking “Cara, you really need to get out more.” please imagine how beautiful the piece is in person.  It’s really fantastic.

Stone Forest’s Medium Bordeaux Vanity.

I’m sure you’ve heard…Brass is back! I never thought that I would  say this, but I think I’m starting to like it. Especially on this vanity.

Stone Forest’s Renaissance Console

The mirror inserts on the doors of this vanity really caught my eye.  This vanity is larger and a bit more typical in design, but the detail on the edge of the carrara top as well as the mirrored doors, give the design a fresh more contemporary feel.

Stone Forest’s Vintage Washbasin

Waterworks has several fantastic lines of bath accessories. This collection is called Luna and the items are made from solid marble. The marble is not technically “carrara” but it’s pretty close. These elegant accessories make a great addition to any bathroom!

Waterworks Luna Collection

Please take a look at these carrara tiles from New Ravenna! Are they not amazing? When I saw this installation photo it literally made me want to take my shoes off and walk on them barefooted.  They are called “Timeworn Carrara” and they really achieved a worn, aged look that I simply love.

New Ravenna’s Timeworn Bianco Carrara

Enjoy!

I’ve been picking up on three new trends in interior design that I guess could be categorized as art and accessories. The first trend I’ve been noticing are Turkish Pillows.  You may remember my post featuring New Ravenna’s IKAT tile patterns a few months ago, and this is the textile inspiration those designs come from.  Turkish pillows, as I will call them, and rugs have been around for years but are now resurfacing in interior design trends.  These pillows and rugs can be seen everywhere.  You can find these pillows on Etsy, in flea markets, antique stores, interiors stores and if you get lucky, maybe even a yard sale.  I got this beauty for $.50

These Pillows can sell for us to $250. Someone was selling their grandparent’s items at a yard sale and I snatched this one up!

Turkish Pillow, it definitely looks newer than mine.           Pinterest

Every pillow is different but they all look great together! Desiretoinspire.com

The next trend I’ve been seeing is Paint by Number art.  Vintage and new adaptations of this “old school” art are popping up everywhere.  There are some pretty beautiful and detailed pieces.  Over the weekend I went Antiquing with one of my designer friends and scored these two paint my number studs ;)  for only $12 ea.

Paint by number find

Paint by number find 2

There are some great modern takes on paint by number art that use brighter colors and more modern subjects.  These pieces look great grouped together or standing alone.

Contemporary Paint by Number Art. Stunning.                 pradaanswer.tumbler.com

Wall Collage             milkandhoneyhome.com

Fantastic Paint By Number Wall Mural callthemoon.tumblr.com

Lastly, I know you’ve seen the white animal heads in West Elm and Anthropology and they’re starting to pop up everywhere- cardboard and collage versions as well. Now, I love seeing just natural antlers mixed in with both contemporary and traditional designs. Antlers and entire animal heads are no longer just trophies for hunters, they are design accents!  Seeing antlers and horns used as accessory items on bookshelves and side tables is always an unexpected surprise.  They just add a nice, natural element to any design.

I LOVE this antler collection and the chandelier. It really warms up the design while maintaining an overall clean and airy feeling. desertgirlsvintage.blogspot.com

Antlers used to hold jewelry                        thenews16.net

Deer Silhouette and Chevron art                             etsy.com

Full Deer Rack used as a Coat Rack              camillestyle.com

Painted or ‘Bedazzled” antlers by Cassandra Smith are great and surprising additions to any room.

Keep your eyes peeled for Turkish Pillows, Paint by Number Artwork, and Deer/Animal Antlers.  If you find some good steals or have some of these pieces in your own home I’d love to see them.

Have a great weekend!

In my adult life, I’ve lived in apartments until I moved to Nashville. Now I rent an old English Cottage in 12th South (close to downtown Nashville) and I love having my own house to decorate.  I am a designer and collector of “treasures” so my house is very eclectic.  (By eclectic, I mean a combination of styles- I am not a hoarder.) All this to say, it’s the closest that I have come to having my own house, but since I am a renter,  I take a “work with what you’ve got” approach to designing it. However, the two areas that I can’t really alter are the kitchen and bathroom. Since I work at Kenny and Company -a kitchen and bath showroom- I feel like it’s a cruel joke. So in the mean time, I collect photos and images of what my “One day kitchen and bath” will look like.

As I look through the images that I collect, I always hope that the photos will lean toward an obvious style and that will reveal “my style.”  But you will notice, I seem to love them all!  These are my five favorites this week. I can see myself in every bathroom- the vintage, the outdoor shower, the dream bathroom……

Vintage Eclectic Bathroom                                          absolutelybeautifulthings.com

Fantastic Outdoor Shower. Note the multiple shower functions.                                     Pinterest

Dream Vacation Bathroom                                                                                                               Pinterest

Oh the egg tub    (Waterworks.25 )….so clean and crisp!                                 mydailydesigns.blogspot.com

Beautiful and Classic- Floor to Ceiling Marble               Paulourhome.blogspot.com

If anyone has a favorite bathroom that I can add to my collection, please share. I’m always on the lookout!

Have a good weekend!

If you are addicted to Pinterest like me, or just design in general, then you’ve seen the Chevron pattern everywhere and I love it!  Chevron is an age old design that can be linked back to a French embroidery stitching  pattern and has even been found on pottery dating back to 1800 B.C. (thanks Wikipedia). However, it is the “new” and trendy pattern that can be found anywhere- fabrics, rugs, dresses, lamp shades, plates….you name it.

Now that Chevron has “resurfaced,” it is often being confused with Herringbone, another timeless and age-old pattern.  I’ve heard them refered to as “Siblings, Not Twins” which I think is a perfect analogy.

See the difference below:

Chevron Pattern

Herringbone Pattern

Chevron (tile, wood, etc) is an inverted V-shaped pattern.  In this design, all planks/pieces are the exact same length and the pieces are installed at an angle with ends that have been cut at your desired angle, match up perfectly with one another. This creates a perfectly straight line on both sides of the planks. The inverted “V” shaped is repeated to create your overall design. 

Herringbone is very similar to Chevron, but instead of having the ends line up with one another, one end overlaps the edge of the other. This creates an entirely different look. 

With Chevron, the width of the planks can vary to add interest, however with Herringbone the planks must be the exact same size.

Chevron tends to come across as more modern and Herringbone more traditional.

See these images below:

The tile is actually laid in a Herringbone pattern, but because of the color selection, it looks like a Chevron design.           maisonboheme.blogspot.com

Marble Chevron Backsplash Pinterest

Chevron Marble Bathroom Floor Dalliancedesign.com

Herringbone lay with Chevron Color Pattern maisonboheme.blogspot.com

Herringbone wood floor Fashionista.com

Herringbone-Wood Plank tile in a commerical application

Chevron tile design in Calcutta and Thassos Marble

Chevron Wood Floor

Being immersed in the tile world, naturally I think both are fantastic tile patterns. Depending on the application, you can achieve a great look  and a variety of styles with either pattern.   Now that plank tiles are becoming more popular, there are a lot more opportunities to install some great chevron and herringbone designs in homes and commercial spaces.

I hope you are not more confused than before you read this post. Hopefully you’ll start seeing more of both patterns and educate the world on these “siblings- not twins” patterns.