Live Like You & Marmalade Interiors
  • Marmalade Interiors

  • 18Mar

    6 Comments

    Sneak peek at some Design Projects

    Posted in: Before/After, Marmalade Interiors

    I sometimes wonder where all my time goes, and all I have to do is have a look at some quick Iphone shots and I get an idea. This is a super busy winter/spring where I’m completing work on several residential projects, and starting work on an additional few.  The plan is to get all the work done then take late spring and summer off from private client design work to focus on moving!

    Here are a few Iphone images from projects I’m working on.

    Two Teen girl rooms. Lisa sent me these Iphone pictures as soon as the curtains went up.  These are from my private label my REGENCY CURTAIN with brown silk border.  A great and chic alternative to custom curtains.

    On the new upcoming site (3 more weeks!) you will be able to get these in a number of colorways.

    New headboard shape LUCAS, will also be available on the new site.

    I just started putting together design plans for a couple from Santa Barbara and France, so we are creating a French inspired, classic, relaxed Santa Barbara look with a modern twist and unusual color combinations.

    Curtains, curtains, curtains. Been working on a old beautiful home in Georgetown. It’s getting thick chic linen curtains, upholstered walls in very peaceful beach ocean colors. Some of the rooms will have colored Ikats.

    The right curtains I always say is like putting the right makeup on a woman!!

    Below is another client I’m working with–

    Sometimes small functional changes can be my favorite thing. They can make a big difference in peoples lives.  So many people think their home doesn’t have enough space, but it’s normally because the space is not utilized.

    A hallway did nothing….

    Enter…

    -A new curtain rod raised it just below ceiling height to make space feel bigger-

    -Nice custom curtain in Windsor Smith fabric-

    - A new modern light fixture

    -Painted stair railing to make it more defined.

    -Add a desk, chair and you have a perfect spot for the family to check their mail.

    AFTER:

    It’s now one of the most used spots in the house. And this offered more space in the living room downstairs.

    Finally finishing up work on my project for a family in NYC.

    I’m really loving how it’s coming together, they have fun taste and open to take chances which is great.

    If you hire a designer the best thing a client can do is trust the designer. It’s the designer’s job to listen to you carefully and interpret your vision, but you in return got to trust your designer and be willing to have an open mind to what you’ve been sticking with previously.  That’s the way you will really get the value for the money you spend on a designer AND get the best result.

    Here is a quick snap shot of bedroom BEFORE….

    And here is one of my sloppy Iphone shots..

    ..of what it looks like now.

    AFTER:

    Completely different.

    Can’t wait to get this photographed. Really excited about how it’s turning out!

    Planning for a photo shoot in Sweden for my label , so playing around with updates to place there. This is my new carpet the MAZE in cream and orange. It will also be available in my new site.

    A NEW LIVE LIKE YOU site is coming in April. I can’t wait to have a FAST website!!

    Really excited about how nice and clean and big and F-A-S-T! the site will be.

    The products look like this!  I get so excited when I see this because it looks so much better than now!!!

    Can’t wait to find time to expand my label.

    And if you watch my video blog or follow me on Instagram you know of the upcoming One King’s Lane sale.

    Here are some items coming up for sale…

    I will post here in the blog as soon as my One King’s Lane taste maker sale is up. It’s items that I loved and some point in my life!

    Thanks for letting me share. Have a great week!

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  • 4Mar

    10 Comments

    GOODBYE dear old House.

    Posted in: Adventures in Jill Land, Marmalade Interiors, Personal

    Some years ago (too many!) I got married and moved down to DC. I was working as a model in NYC  so we hired a designer to renovate an old home we bought.  Except…within a month I found myself doing a lot of the work, and was quickly offered a job by the designer we’d hired. To make a long, complicated story short – I ended up designing this big, old Virginia home on my own, having no previous experience. Instead of relaxing on our honeymoon I obsessively read a book on how to start a design business. And Marmalade Interiors was born.

    Fast forward a bunch of years. Luke was born, we divorced, I moved out, but we lived a few minutes apart. Sadly last Christmas Luke’s dad passed away from brain cancer (some of you might have read it).  After sitting empty for a year – tomorrow this pretty old house will have a new owner.  They will move in to the house just the way I designed it years ago.

    This weekend Luke and I got to have perhaps the sweetest farewell.

    Chris, a filmmaker friend of mine, asked Luke to in one day write and direct a short film for a film festival. (He’s an avid writer and director at 11!).  Chris crew would film it, and make a short film of the making of the film and the location was Luke’s dad’s house.

    A day that would have been difficult became a great memory instead.

    I couldn’t think of a better farewell for Luke. Saying goodbye to the memories of his dad, while creating new memories for the future and having his first real film to show for it.

    He had a blast.

    Since back then I didn’t design to “Live Like You” (mistake!) I designed around fantasies (crazy!!), the two stone walled rooms in the back look like a Medieval castle.

    So in the story there had to be a king….

    King Bubba of Bubbaville.

    And at last…all those medieval interiors MADE COMPLETE SENSE!

    There is a reason for everything I guess, you just never know when that reason will show itself.

    The old English crest in it’s glory.

    A chair fit for king. (I always had a lot of imagination.)

    Pretty old settee in faux zebra.

    If you can’t tell I was influenced by Ralph Lauren and old European castles.

    It all made perfect sense.

    This room was originally the stables that later turned in to an art studio, then the next family turned it in to a bright family room. And of course it was my turn and I made it a medieval billiard room. The house spoke to me I guess!

    Luke gave a tour of the house. Some stuff was moved around.

    Everything in the house tells a story. Not necessarily our story, but a beautiful story non the less. I always felt the house had to be designed a certain way because it deserved to. Sometimes you just can’t ignore the spirit of the house.

    The back billiard room was for the day called the THRONE room in the story. It looked perfect with the smoke machine.

    We both got our farewells.

    I of course took pictures of old designs I did (here in the guest house bath).

    Luke took a walk on the land.

    There is one thing constant in life and that is change.

    We can look forward yet embrace our history and our experiences and aim to make the best memories we can.

    This week marks a beginning of huge changes both personal and business.  The next blog post we will share our next big adventure.

    Hope you will come along for the ride, share yours, and perhaps give us some good advice!

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  • 3Jan

    7 Comments

    Sneak peek at teen girl bedrooms

    Posted in: Marmalade Interiors

    Hope you’re all back and rested up after the holiday. I’m up in New York for some client meetings, but home in a couple of more days…

    I want to share a fun project with you. Lisa, a mom of two teenage girls called me a while back she needed some help with her most challenging design project to date. Her teen daughters bedroom redesigns. Although having done  a fantastic job designing her home, she found herself challenged with the new teen rooms. The girls wanted color and their own look and vibe.  I was happy to step in and help -teen rooms are really fun to design. Kids of all ages are naturally pretty fearless with ideas and color.

    Can’t wait to share the full before and after, but here’s a little sneak peek!

    Caroline’s desired color scheme was pink, orange, brown, beige inspired by the NY Tory Burch store.

    Hot pink PVC Louis chair with gold X desk.

    Hot Pink Lucky bedding with custom HOT Pink Pagoda Headboard.

    My new Jill Sorensen MAZE carpet in Cream, Hot Pink and Brown.

    Coming soon!

    The custom Pagoda Headboard with brass nail heads. Lucky Euro shams.

    The pink is carried though in small doses in a a more salmon tone in Katie’s bold turquoise room…

    Pink Artichoke lamp.

    Great choice of lamp!

    A two second sloppy mock up and sketch while going through ideas with Katie and Lisa.

    Here is Lisa with the velvet for the headboard. Getting just the right shade of yellow is key.

    Daphne lamp with brown shade. Love this lamp!

    The Artichoke lamp on the Ming dresser with existing mirrors which will be hung up behind.

    Full reveal coming soon.

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  • 13Sep

    7 Comments

    Client installation day–

    Posted in: Marmalade Interiors

    I made a quick trip to NYC this week to install the apartment I’ve been designing for a NY couple and their two young boys. Soooo exciting to see it come together!!  The style really represents two people with two design desires, but with one motto, they wanted stylish but not boring. Really, really thrilled with the way it’s looking. It feels like a NYC apartment with color, pattern, and sophistication with a large dose of “coolness’ – and a warm vibe.  Seriously can’t wait to get the rest of the items in!

    Here are Iphone sneak peeks from closeups and textures.

    Entry wall paper and mirror. Love the layer of patterns.

    Below it is a super cool studded entry table and cowhide. These are the dining chairs that you see as soon as you walk in. Seriously crushing in this fabric!!

    Okay had to put them here so you can see! My favorite part is always seeing how color and texture work together.

    Bedroom has a modern damask wallpaper, the Pagoda headboard in custom fabric and my new LUCKY bedding which arrives next week.

    We’re still sourcing the right dark gray sheets and bed skirt.

    In the boy’s room we punched up the color.

    I’m a big believer that children should live with lots of color!

    A bad picture of the fantastic over sized bold red mirror!

    The carpet is a piece of art!

    Have lots more to show, but will share later.

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