Bye Domino!

Today is my last day at Domino. I am moving up to Marblehead permanently to work on the house. Leaving New York was stressful decision I went back and forth on for the past year. In the end the experience of renovating an old house and starting a store seem to match up more with my lifestyle. I will miss New York and all the great people I meet working at House & Garden and Domino. Starting after Labor Day I will be blogging full time about the house renovation and new products and finds. See you next week!
-katy

Bathroom Tile Inspiration

Penny Round Tiles in celadon from Ann Sacks, apartmenttherapy.com.

One of first projects on the new house is re-doing one of three bathrooms. I've been pulling together a little bathroom inspiration to maybe get an idea of what kind of tile we might want to use. We definitely want something classic in white or carrera marble. The house is 250 years old so we don't want to get to modern. I love hexs, penny rounds, basketweave, and subway tiles. But which one to choose? The bathroom is on the first floor and maybe a potential rental apartment. So I don't want to go to fancy. Check out some of my ideas above and below.

Small hexs, apartmenttherapy.com.

Larger hex tiles with subway, apartmenttherapy.com.

Subway tiles with hex floor, dominomag.com.

Cork penny rounds, dominomag.com.

Carrera marble basketweave, merchantcircle.com.

More $1 Design Finds

Here are some more $1 finds that didn't make the domino slide show. Want super cheap placemats that look like hemstitched linen? Check out Christmas Tree Shops for a huge selection available in a number of colors for just a $1 each (above). Below are a few more items to add to your entertaining arsenal. Striped Mexican candles add just the right amount of color to get a fiesta party started. I found the candles at a dollar store in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The bottom pick are glass cups that I think could easily double as votives. Scatter on the table for instant moodiness. I found the blue cups at Jacks 99 cent store in Manhattan.

Sarah Perlis

Three bezel ring with sapphires, $1,070, thisisauto.com.

I'm not a huge jewelry person but something totally struck me with these simple organic pieces by Sarah Perlis. My favorite is the 3 tone sapphire in the image above. Super pretty! The different tones in the sapphires are so exquiste! Check out more from Sarah: shop.sarahperlis.com.

Three bezel emeralds, $1,230, shop.sarahperlis.com.

Disc Charm and Pink Sapphire Bezel, $540, shop.sarahperlis.com.

Mixed circle earrings, $710, shop.sarahperlis.com.

Blue Striped Hand Made Tabletop

I've been craving really simple shapes and colors lately. Totally opposite of what I normally would want. I'm a big pattern and bright color freak. As I pick out things for our new house I'm kinda moving away from the rainbow colors and toward a restrained palette. Right now I am drawn to these simple tabletop pieces by Hering Berlin. Each piece is handmade in their Berlin studio.

"Pieces are either thrown and shaped on the potter's wheel freehand, hand thrown over plaster forms, or slip-casted. Molds are a no-no in the Hering studio."
The blue you see in the stripes is actual cobalt blue. Each line is carefully hand-painted onto the pieces. Gorgeous! Check out more: roseandradish.com.

Bottle Opener Knives

This find comes from the September issue of Food & Wine. "Young designers working out of small studio in Vienna are turning factory rejected knives into bottle openers." I love this! Each one is unique and a totally fun gift for someone that has everything. From $31 each. Check out more: cuttingupknives.com.

Michaela Scherrer: Doily Drapes

I spotted these doily drapes today and was instantly transported to my grandmother's house. Growing up my I remember lace doiles handmade by aunts and friends covering nightstands and dining tables. I was always fascinated by there intricateness. Michaela Sherrer expands on the doily theme with her line of doily shades. The shades are more for a decorative use then a practical shield for privacy. I just love that they make me want to cuddle up under a blanket and drink hot chocolate. Check out more: lisafontanarosa.com.

Tugboat Printshop

Here is a little evening eye candy for you. I've been eyeing these prints from Tugboat Printshop for awhile. I decide to buy the two to maybe put in my new office. I love the color and texture the blockprint gives. Each print is $45 each and custom framing is available. Check out more on their site: tugboatprintshop.com.

Weekend Warriors: Tackling Floors and Clogged Drain

Greg chilling at the local bar after a long day of hard work.

We just back from a weekend of working hard on our house. I managed to pull up the old tile from the bathroom and kitchen floor. What a pain in the ass. I got blisters on both fingers!

On Sunday, we tackled one of our nastiest jobs yet. We been having a problem with a backed up drain that causes water to back up in the toilet every time we take a shower. We tried the standard issue snake to get the clog out with no luck. Turns out we needed to rent the "Electric Eel" which is a motor powered large snake with a cutting bit. Friends suggested that the clog was due to roots growing into the pipes.

The electric eel proved to work but not without a lot of mess. We pulled up 4 large root systems that resembled small animals. Seriously gross! The situation got ugly once the electric snake started flinging excess poo up from the drain. I had to make a poop gaurd so that we didn't get soaked. (I know doesn't it make you want to throw-up!). We eventually got it all cleaned out and feel pretty good that the problem is solved. I would have never done the job without Greg. It was way so messy and stinky! Thankfully he's tougher then me. See more images on my flickr page.

Kitchen with tiles down

Katy pulling up the tiles

Greg using the standard issue snake

Rental sign for Electric Eel at Home Depot

First big root

Claire Coles Inspiration

I am about to pack up the car and head up to the house in Marblehead for the weekend. We have to tackle a leaky roof and some backed up pipes. The toilet on the first floor backs up with water when we take a shower on the second floor. Joy!

Before we go I thought I would share some wallpaper I saw at ICFF that I'm inspired by. Claire Coles is a UK artist that designs wallpaper, ceramics, and accessories. I've been wanting to pick a wallpaper for our front entry but I just can't decide. I don't know if I have found "the one" quite yet. What if I painted it myself? I did go to school for textile design. I could do it! At least I think I can. I love the colors in Claire's work. Blues, reds, and golden yellows are a great combo. Maybe I could stamp an allover design like Claire's on the walls first. Now I'm thinking! Check out more of Claire's work: clairecolesdesign.co.uk.

Mecox Gardens: Dining Tables

I checked out Mecox Gardens for a little dining room inspiration last night. Mecox is extremely expensive. It's the Hamptons crowd Crate & Barrel. Ok not really. Seriously though most of these tables are anywhere from $2,000-$15,000. It is one stopping shopping for gorgeous antiques, reproductions, and lots of indoor/outdoor pieces.

I found a antique zinc top table in an old domino and thought it might work in the dining room? The zinc has a rustic look but the texture and color bring a little life into the room. I pulled together a few zinc tops and some other shapes that I like above and below. I have to keep looking because these are all way out my price range but are still great inspiration. Check out more: mecoxgardens.com.

Beach Dwelling

I just discovered Beach Dwelling out of Birmingham, Alabama. I love the casual vibe with with a bit of Swedish sensibility. Even better? Everything I clicked on I could actually afford! Well not exactly...if I saved up I could. I love this pearled chandelier ($1,075.) for maybe my bedroom? We are thinking of bumping out the ceiling up through the attic. Might look cool? The wood stool ($295 each) could be an instant buy. I was thinking I could group three together for a little bench at the end of my bed. I've seen tons of these wood stools but this stool has wavy carved stripes that feel so beachy. Check out more: beachdwelling.com.

$1 design finds at dominomag.com

My $1 story for domino launched tonight on their website. Check out 25 great finds under $1 that seriously are not cheap or tacky. I can't believe all the good stuff I actually did find. A tip for shoppers: shop big chain stores clearance section—99 cents stores and dollar stores don't necessarily sell things under a $1. Check out the slide show here.

Assorted colored gift tags, $.40 each, mannysart.com for information

Small bowls, $.85 each, crateandbarrel.com for information

Front Garden

Over the weekend we were up in Marblehead working a few small projects. We finally got majority of the garden dug up. We just need to patch the basement window and add more cobblestones. I can't believe how long that took. I dug down about 2 feet to remove all the roots and add new healthy top soil. The roots were seriously out of control! We put in some cobblestones my Mom brought down from Maine along the border and planted three Endless Summer Hydrangeas.

We were trying to decide if we wanted the cobblestones to be flush or a little bit raised? A neighbor walked by and said they look better vertical and raised up. I hate them that way! They look like teeth.

Eventually we will add in more flowers and bark. We tried to space the hydrangeas as far apart as possible since they get so big. The placement feels strange. I want one under each window but the space doesn't really work out that way. I guess they will grow in? Greg promised to make me window boxes for all the front windows for next Spring. We don't have a yard but we will have plenty of flowers.

Kara Weaves: Striped Bath Towels

I just found these awesome stripe towels from Kara Weaves via Design Sponge. Love! This is the perfect thing for my store. Colorful, beachy, and casual. I just ordered three different colors to check them out. A total great deal for $13 for the white and stripe and $15 for the full color. Check out more here: karaweaves.com.