Things are gearing up for the summer and getting quite busy around here since we got back from vacation. When things get busy, the blog falls to the wayside. But I just wanted to drop a line and include you in what’s going on. On the boards, we have a cool Scandinavian minimalist meets vintage midcentury modern house in Silverlake. Look at the Pinterest board I created to get a sense of where the house is going. Not much remodel work – the scope includes some paint, new lighting, scraping of the popcorn ceiling, and removal of upper cabinets for open shelving in the kitchen. And lots of good vintage midcentury pieces to give the home character, old kilim rugs and beat up leather, a bit retro, a bit eclectic, but edited to feel modern and uncluttered. This project is just so me!

Lighting for the dining room isn’t finalized. Here are the options. Which would you pick?

Also up for debate is the bed and wallpaper accent all for the master bedroom. I think I woudl go with the first bed since it allows for eclectic nightstands. What about you?

The den is masculine and manly for our client. He is bringing the Knoll sofa with him. The rest open.

Don’t forget the kitchen. Here is the style and mood we are going for before we have any actual drawings. Shopping for unique and original midcentury goodies will be the best part. I already did a “research trip” to the Long Beach flea market this past weekend to see what’s out there. When the client takes possession of the house in early June, we can actually pull the trigger on these pieces.

I’m back from our tropical Kauaian vacation and in my absence, the wonderful bedding canopy Crane and Canopy posted my contribution to their blog. I’m truly honored to be in such fine company for their bloggers we love series. And have you seen their bedding line? To die for.

If you want to sources to the products featured in the bedroom round up, follow the link.

Guys, we are off for a week starting today for a sun filled, cocktail infused, sandy toed vacation. I will report back upon my return. My hint to you is “mahalo” and have a great first week of May.

1) My mister turned 4 years old. His cake was a stunner thanks to Sabba and Safta. 2) Alec flew a kite at the beach. The gift wa sfor Lev, but maybe really for him? 3) Moments like this one makes having two worth all the effort. 4) Fighting crime is a full time job and he means business. 5) When your son asks for nail polish, the color mint mojito is really the only way to go. 6) I had a little fun getting supplies for the beach.

Sometimes things are perfectly fine and good and yet we, I mean I, still feel the urge to mix it up. Take my dining room for example. Everything is AOK in a traditional and functional sense. It looks good. But lately, I know it can look great if we swap out some key pieces.

The existing fan is silly. We never use it and the light is so low we need a secondary floor lamp to see our food. Our bedroom gets hot in the summer so I think it makes sense to move the fan up there. And in its place, finally take on the DIY challenge of the Lindsey Adelman chandelier. I was intimidated in the past and kind of forgot about it, but now it seems like its back on everyone’s radar and I want to do it. The parts have been ordered. This is happening.

As much as I like my midcentury Broyhill style hutch, I have learned that I am a stower, not a shower, and seeing all these objects on display doesn’t make me happy. I’ll sell it and bring in a vintage midcentury low sideboard instead. It will sit under the window and provide storage for all those dishes and glasses. The reconfiguration should give the seating around the dining table some breathing room. I haven’t found a vintage piece yet, but they aren’t too hard to find with my craigslist skills :)

The recently aquired bentwood Thonet chairs I’m keeping. The Stokke highchairs too. Both are natural wood. Now I’m toying with the idea of swapping out the glass dining table with a white one. I’m not sure Parsons is my style, its a placeholder. But I’m over the glass and I think white would brighten up the space. I have to get Alec on board with the table swap though. He really likes our current table.

I’ll let you see how this little update comes along. Its nice to flesh it out in virtual space first and talk through it to see if I like it. That’s the plan right now.

I’m so happy to let you know that I was quoted in an article for ABC News about painting interior doors.  The founder of Apartment Therapy and Valspar Paints are also quoted so I’m in good company. 2013 is starting off well for Veneer Designs.