Design

Weekend Notes

Is it true? Could it really be the last weekend of summer? Sure, temps will still hit triple digits here for a few more weeks, but once I spot that first kid with a backpack headed to school on Monday morning, the mental shift will have begun as I realize it’s time to set some goals […]

Essentials for A Modern Bath

The bathroom is the spot where I start and end the day — blow drying my hair in the morning as I consider the day ahead, putting on makeup before I head out the door, and then in the evening, winding down as I sink (finally!) into the tub. Luckily, since the bathroom is such a small spot […]

Monochromatic Monday :: Indigo Shibori

Don’t make the mistake of calling it tie-dye — today’s board is inspired by the much more glamorous and way more hip version of everyone’s favorite summer camp activity. Made by twisting, folding and binding fabric, then dying it with natural dye (in this case, gorgeous indigo), the result is a rich pattern that looks […]

Weekend Notes

Today I’m spending the day with four of my best girl friends — having lunch, laying by a pool, and most of all, just catching up on life. In our early twenties, the five of us (plus a couple more) were thick as thieves, but since half of our group has moved away from Austin, it’s a […]

Live Kindly :: Buying Your First Road Bike

When I moved to Austin almost 4 years ago, one thing was very clear: this city has a strong cycling community. Cycling wasn’t prevalent in the small Nebraska town that I grew up in, but after my Dad raced his first biathlon in the 90’s and a family member rode RAGBRAI (a seven-day bike ride across Iowa) several […]

How to Organize Your Closet

Three months ago my closet was a mess — and when I say a mess, I mean I had to call in the professionals. With a little help from Jill Siegel and Peter Stafford of California Closets, I was able to transform the scariest room in my house into a place of inspiration. Getting ready […]

Weekend Notes

So far, this weekend has been absolutely perfect. We’re hosting our cousins who are visiting from England, and there’s nothing like out-of-town guests to make you hit the pause button on work and other commitments and take a little vacation yourself. After a morning hike and trip to the farmer’s market yesterday, we spent the […]

10 Best Dramatic Staircases

Some might argue that staircases are inherently dramatic — they’re architectural in an ancient way and provide instant intrigue to a room. What’s up there? There’s truly no version of my dream home that doesn’t have a staircase, although sometimes they’re simple stone steps and other times they’re carved from dark wood. We’ve rounded up ten […]

Duffy Stone’s Barn Style Bungalow

Pushing open the wrought iron gates of Duffy Stone’s 1930s barn style bungalow feels like you are walking in to another world. The serene, overgrown gardens that surround the house on all sides are a contrast to the buzzing, vibrant East Austin neighborhood around them. Interior designer Duffy and her documentary filmmaker boyfriend, Ben Powell, […]

Modern Play Yard for Phoebe

During the warmer months (75% of the year here in Austin), our lives pretty much revolve around our backyard swimming pool. We spend the weekends in it, eat dinner around it, and hang out next to it while we’re grilling. While I’d never complain about having a backyard that’s almost completely pool and patio, ever […]

How to Create a Home Office Space

Shay Spaniola was only 16 when she caught the travel bug, and since then, her love of globe-trotting has only intensified. It was in that spirit of adventure and wanderlust that she started her own Austin-based design studio: bunglo,where Shay creates hand-painted fabrics and art. Needless to say, Shay’s travels are a major influence in her […]

Dream Job :: Art Curator at Wythe Hotel

When we think of “hotel artwork,” most of us can’t help but imagine mass-produced abstract prints in poor color choices, or large-scale, arbitrary stock photography (insert sad face). But at Brooklyn’s Wythe Hotel, that’s not nearly the case; instead, each and every piece of artwork you’ll see has been carefully and intentionally selected to bolster […]