Textured

In a previous post I talked about my design aesthetic and what words I would use to describe it. Textured would be right up there on the top of my list. I think its one of the basic design elements that give rooms a grounded, inviting feel. A connection to the real world we live in. I especially like textures that represent nature or in the case of these gorgeous pillows found here at West Elm evoke the sense of season. I would love to throw one of these on my sofa or leather chairs to announce that fall and cozy times are on the way. Out with the shiny silk summery pillows. Time to make a switch and I cant think of a better way to do it than with texture!
k

Zinnias

Well I guess you can tell from this post that I LOVE
zinnias. They have to be one of the most prolific and long lasting cut flowers of any species I know.
We buy them as seeds and plant several planters on the side of our house and here it is almost October and they are still going strong. I like the variety pack in all sorts of  colors, shapes and sizes. In thinking about the design question happening over at Little Green Notebook blog should we design our homes with a limited color palette or medium I think the zinnia selection at my home points out the limitations of such a tight strategy. The seeds come in a wide spectrum of colors which cannot be edited out in the planting process. If my color choices for my home absolutely ruled out orange or red I would have to ditch the zinnia idea. Or at least leave half of them languishing on the vine with no hope of making into my color schemed house. Instead I have the gift of flowers in my home pretty much on a daily basis throughout the zinnias VERY long season. They are above all FUN which I think adds a pop of interest and personality to any interior. k

Lovliness

I took this photo on our last trip to Mexico and whenever I need a lift I look into the eyes of this precious little boy who shared an eye to eye, heart to heart moment with me. Have a great day!
k

Loving/Wanting/Buying?

I came across these handcrafted book/sculptures from Jayson Home and Garden and well, they caught my eye. I thought they were really interesting and different. In other words I haven't seen them cropping up on any flash websites or on every other shelter magazine page I read almost daily. I get tired of trends. While I love deer antlers I have to admit I'm tired of their looming presence pretty much everywhere I click or browse. These sculpted books however were different. I could feel their uniqueness and originality. But would they pass my 'home invasion" test?  From loving, to wanting, to actually buying and integrating somehow into my already bursting home. Well maybe. My first question to myself is usually very simple. Other than the fact that I am attracted to the piece is it useful or is it art?  Well in this case definitely not useful  but yes they would qualify in my "art" category as each piece is wonderfully unique and handcrafted. I like that a lot. My next question would be, what if any  personal relationship do I have to the piece? On this question I am pretty brutal. I'm not a fan of things for the sake of things taking up valued space. There has to be something more to make the cut.  So in this case I would give it a yes. I am a huge reader. I LOVE books. Books define a significant part of my story. They are present throughout my home. There would definitely be a personal connection here. But the final question is tougher, more subjective and  challenging. Where do I see this piece in my space?  Would something else have to go to allow this new intruder an opportunity to shine? On this point I could waiver for weeks, sometimes months. And well, if I never manage to hit the buy button that action speaks for itself. So in the end only time and my current pocketbook will decide the fate of this "object art" and whether or not it finds a coveted space somewhere in my home. So what about you K style friends? What questions do you ask yourself before you hit the buy button? I would love to hear. Talk soon
k

Hint

Yes, I bought this little guy today. Not for me but for another little guy whose about to join me very VERY soon. Stay tuned kstyle friends. Cuteness is on the way. Talk soon
k

Please Yes!

Did I buy this absolutely stunning sculpture for a beautiful blank wall in our backyard garden?? Well my kstyle friends there's a story here. When I first saw this piece while casually surfing online it was one of those stop you in your online tracks sort of moments. I mean seriously, it had my name on it and more importantly husband R's name on it because you guessed it, it wasn't cheap. Not cheap at all! The name of the piece was "Riverbed Dish" which again suggested a serious connection. After all there is a riverboat parked in our garage, river stones collected through the years line various garden beds in both front and backyard gardens. Many hours and days of our life have been spent floating the myriad of rivers in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. We are river people through and through.Well you get the picture. This gorgeous sculpture found here at Wyatt Studio seriously called my name. So I began the process of acquiring this piece. Both R and I thought it worth pursuing. We contacted the artist and began a discussion involving everything from availability, to the process involved in making, to the time frame necessary to complete a custom piece just for us. Things were going well. I could feel its gorgeous presence and inspired conversations already happening at our next out door gathering. And then it happened. The deal breaker. Yep, I'm so sad to say this piece does not adorn our empty garden wall. There was a problem. Unfortunately a big problem and even I who tend to ignore the practical had to agree. You see the "Riverbed Dish" is made out of metal. It would hang outside. Outside in rainy Oregon. VERY rainy Oregon. The artist who is from California advised us that it would have to be treated for rust prevention. Not just once but probably every year, forever. I could not picture this gorgeous piece going to rust and I could not picture R and I year after year obsessing over every little spot that we did not take care of. I like aging on some things but not this. Rocks in the river  for the most part stay clean and shiny. For me this is part of their beauty. So sadly we did not buy this signature piece. At least not for now. Who knows, maybe someday we'll find a spot for it on another wall, in another place, in another home. But for now I will be content to share its beauty with you, my dear kstyle friends! Talk soon
k

Personal/Design

A little background and an update. Those of you who have followed kstyle in years past remember that I have three sons. Three amazing sons who are all doing very interesting things. The young son pictured above, formerly known as "waterboy" will now be referred to as "the climber" on this blog. The middle son formerly known as "the photojournalist" will still be referred to as the "photojournalist". And as you might have guessed "the photojournalist" who is now 6 years into his career with the Mail Tribune in Medford, Oregon took the photos of the "the climber" in the images above. My oldest son who currently owns a tourism company in Manzanillo, Mexico will still be referred to as "the Mexican". His life has been one big photo op which I have been privileged to witness and enjoy and so I hope will you.

So you might ask. What does this have to do with my blog post title which is Personal/Design. Well in a word everything! The current 'it" word on the decorating scene is personal. Spaces should be personal and then some. They should tell the story of who you are, where you've been, what you care about. Out are the perfectly designed showplaces that look beautiful, gorgeous in fact but have no real reference to the people who live within their sterile spaces. So how do you go about this? How do you make your home beautiful, true to your aesthetic but also personal? Well, there are many ways of course. Some expensive and involving a lifetime of travel or serious collecting. Or perhaps you come from a family with generations of antiques and interesting curiosities which you have been honored to receive and revere.

But if you're like me and none of the above really apply what can you do to create this ambiance, this sense of personal "history" in your home? Well one way, one very effective way is with photos.Not just any photo,
not the cliched I've seen this a million times boring photo, but the deep down, deeply layered, drop dead personal photo. This deserves a space on your wall or on your bedside table or yes even tacked up on your kitchen frig.

So yes, I know I have a bit of an edge in this department given that my son is a photojournalist and award winning photographer. But and this is a big but. Anyone can do it. With a decent camera and a good idea wonderful, personal "art" for your home is just a click away. Take the photos above. It started with a simple idea. I asked my son, "the photojournalist" to "shoot" a climbing sequence of his brother,"the climber"  for me for mother's day, (sometimes you have to milk it) and even better to find somewhere if possible to do it with our beautiful city (Ashland) in the background. And I wanted it in black and white. Just the pure essence of the experience and the place in focus. And this is what I got and this is what I did with it and now I have something deeply personal, layered and yes beautiful on a wall in my home. I love it and I hope you do to.
k

My Design Aesthetic

K's Garden Summer 2012

I love thinking about this. In truth I think about it way too much. But here's the thing. When I ask myself how I came to arrive at my current design aesthetic I know one thing for sure. It involved a lot of thinking! Somewhere along the line the notion entered my head that I should care about my surroundings. That I should take notice of the visual world presenting itself to me on a daily basis. And that is what I have done. Every single day for as long as I can remember. From the interior of someones home, to the inside of a bathroom stall I took it all in. Noticing everything. This became routine, second nature. This was key to developing my personal aesthetic but there was more to it. Much more. I was not formerly trained. For me this was a personal journey not a professional one. I would have to knock around this arena for awhile on my own without the benefit of a set of rules to guide me. Did this make it harder or easier for me? I will probably never know the answer to this question. In any event the next stage of my journey involved decisions. Tough decisions. Okay I noticed "it" but did I like "it", was I attracted to "it" or did looking at "it" make me want to gauge my eyes out? And if yes to any of the above the bigger question loomed. Why? What was the deeper connection causing my reaction, good , bad or indifferent. This was much harder to know and while I have made progress I expect this part of the journey never really ends. So what is my design aesthetic you may ask? What words would I choose today to describe it? There are many of course but I will try to edit the list and fittingly my first word would be---

Edited

Personal

Simple/Layered

Masculine/Feminine
Hi/Lo

Comfortable

Natural

Whimsical

Unexpected

Tailored

Textured

Dramatic

Imperfect

Useful
Clean
Airy

As the "new" k style evolves I would like to talk about each of these words and the concept behind them and what they mean to me and perhaps you! 

What words would you use to describe your aesthetic. I would love to hear.

k

In

Hello Kstylers,

Yes I know I have been silent for awhile and you might think I left the blogging scene entirely but that would not quite be true. I have definitely been around. Lurking around that is and watching quite intently from afar. I have seen new blogs arise and older ones reinvent. But mostly I have missed participating. The interaction, the "noise", the hustle bustle of design driven conversation. I would like to participate from time to time. To engage once again in this gorgeous arena. Maybe a little less often, and with a more personal slant but YES count me in.
k

On Our Way

Hi all!

We will be leaving soon for a sun filled month in Manzanillo, Mexico. Stay tuned for k style to go SOUTH OF THE BORDER!
Nos Vemos Pronto
k

Update

Hi everyone,

I apologize for not posting for so long and in response to those who have voiced their concern about "K" and the future of kstyle here is an update.

All is well on the homefront. The move is behind us and life is in full swing. I miss blogging and hope to get back to it although I do have the need to shake it up and reinvent to keep my creative juices flowing. But the real issue for me right now is focus and time and a boy named Troy known to many of you as "waterboy". He is in his senior year and simply put I don't want to miss it. I know from previous children how fast it will go and how soon this layer of my life will change. And I am willing to wait on other things so that I can fully savor this last hurrah that I will know as mom of a kid still at home.

So we are knee deep in water polo tournamnets, senior projects, GIRLS, driving and of course everything else assosciated with a seventeen year old son. I've told my friends, family and now you my blogging friends that we are hatching an adult and this needs to be my focus right now and bottom line I want to be present for the experience.

So everyone I will be back in some way down the road and know that even though I'm not commenting right now I am keeping up with my blogging friends and the blogging world. Take care and talk soon
k

Biker Dog

Hey kstylers,
Just had to share photojournalists latest doggie shot. This was a vender at the Art n Bloom show in Medford and he had a "closet" full of biker dogwear for sale. I love the sunglasses. Talk about a "hip" dog. Things are very busy in my life right now. Waterboy is off to Annapolis Naval Academy for a national water polo tournament, the photojournalist's longtime girlfriend is arriving permamently from Mexico on Saturday and we have boxes piled up everywhere for the move in two weeks. So be patient. Will be fun showing the new house and decorating projects. We just need to get through the next few weeks. Hope all is well with you. talk soon, k

Update

Hi everyone,
Just a quick update on upcoming move. So much to do and so little time. Our move in date is June 2, and I have been pretty overwhelmed with the years of accumulation that have to be boxed and sorted and of course we will be having the expected garage sale. I have also been doing some furniture shopping and lots of browsing looking for inspiration like the gorgeous lanterns I found on Gumps today. Will try to check in with some of my finds as we count down to the big move. It's going to be sporadic here at Kstyle until we settle in so thank you in advance for your patience. k

Soon

Hey Kstylers,

I have finished the website project for my son which I will show you in my next post and my mom is doing pretty well so I will be back in full design mode soon. But I have one more project coming up which will interfer just a tiny bit. We are MOVING! No we are not leaving Ashland, just changing neighborhoods. The house is awesome and I will be having some decorating fun soon. We are scheduled to move around the 1st of June but we will take our time. Just the thought of dealing with all of our accumulation makes me crazy. Hope you are all doing well and thank you for sticking with me. Talk soon. k

Update

Just popping in to say hello to all of you who are still dropping by. It is so tempting to post as my design radar is still alive and well. I just don't dare go there right now. BUT I want you to know I really miss my blog.

Thank you all for your kind words of encouragement for my mother. She is holding her own although it is really one day at a time for her and for us. I am also involved in a huge design project for my oldest son who lives in Mexico and has started a relatively new endeavor there. I have showed you the logo I designed for him but now we are adding a fullscale website and it has been a monumental task.

I hope to finish this project in the next few weeks and then I would hope to be able resume Kstyle. Thank you all for staying with me and know that I really miss participating in the design blogging community. When I can I will be back. Take care and talk soon,k

Checking In

Hey Kstylers,

For those of you who are checking in a quick update. Am back from visiting my mom and
she is working hard to recover her strength and stamina after major surgery. It's been a
tough road and she is such a strong woman and a real fighter. Will continue to be on leave from Kstyle for awhile. Have quite a bit on my plate right now and need to focus on family and promised commitments. Take care and talk soon
k

Family Leave

Hey Kstylers,
My mother is undergoing a very serious health crisis and so I will be taking a leave from Kstyle until she is stable and back on her feet. I am happy to report that she got through major surgery today and wanted her ipod and of course had to stay awake to watch the latest episode of American Idol. Now given that she is 81 I can only hope that I have half her meddle down the road. Anyway I will be leaving soon to visit her and help in her recovery so I will only be in sporadic touch until this has settled down. So think good thoughts for my mom. Talk soon
k

Valentine Green

I'ts hard to believe it's almost Valentines Day and I know we almost always think in terms of red or pink but I love the unexpected greens in this set by artist Mondring. And it doesn't hurt to be thinking Spring which is also just around the corner. So lovely, k