Live Like You & Marmalade Interiors
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  • 28Feb

    Turquoise to the rescue

    Posted in: Color

    I want spring to arrive, and winter to END!  I’m tired of being cold, I’m tired of everything looking gray, I’m tired of getting up at 6.30am every morning getting Luke ready for school freezing in the dark, and I’m tired of being tired of it! I’m talking so much about the weather lately, my chiropractor said I could have a job as a meteorologist, as I’m giving other patients weather updates off my new iPhone.  Scary…But I’m sure many of you feel the same way.

    So I was thinking of things you can do to your home that would pick you up.   And few colors pack a punch like turquoise, and has the ability to lift your mood in an instant.  Maybe it’s because it’s the color of a delicious ocean, and the sky on a sunny day.  Painting the walls this vibrant hue is a sure fire way to beat the February weather blues!

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    Image via House of Turquoise.

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    With one of Madeline Weinrib’s unbelievable carpets on the floor you will be jolted.

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    Four 60′s  Marmalade Interiors custom vintage chairs  that I painted white, and finished in bold turquoise fabric, make me dream of a beach house.  Why not a cool bold wallpaper from Room Service in a powder room?

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    Love this Jonathan Adler designed room. A turquoise curtain and a vase cheers you up.

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    How about a headboard and a bedspread?

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    Some peppy pillows in turquoise velvet, and turquoise and lime zebra print I designed (Marmalade Interiors).  And one of my favorite lamps you’ll be able to find soon on LiveLikeYou.  Quick easy ways to liven up any room.

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    Interior design: Robin Karp Interiors

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    Turquoise velvet and chrome nail head angular sofa from Room Service. Funky and cool.

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    Love the different color turquoise on the wood chairs.

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    You’ll never feel bored cooking in this kitchen.  Do you have a small kitchen? A bold color can be just what it needs. Love the turquoise knobs.  Sometimes it’s the smallest detail that makes a room.

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    Turquoise, gray and black…awesome

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    Here’s an inexpensive way to fix up your room – great velvet headboard from JC Penny. How cheerful!

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    Ahhh…to lounge by a pool in a pretty pool cabana….LOVE the garden stools.  Another product we’ll carry on LiveLikeYou.

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    Another smashing carpet from Madeline Weinrib. It’s like a geometric ocean!

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    This is a chest of drawer I picked up at the flea market, and painted it a fun turquoise.

    It makes me happy when I see it!

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  • 26Feb

    Gimme Shelter!

    Posted in: Shelter Redesign

    I was going to wait and post this on Monday, but was so inspired by Jennifer Sergent at DCbyDesign, swift call to action when I asked her to help, that I’m posting this today instead. Turquoise can wait, this can’t!

    Fifteen years ago together with my good friend Cheryl Masri we founded Knock Out Abuse Against Women in DC, a not for profit organization raising funds and awareness for victims of domestic violence.  Learning that the number one reason for emergency room visits by women in the US are due to domestic violence, 1 in 3 women will be abused in their life time, and 4 women a day in the US alone are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends, we just had to do something!  The thought of children having to grow up living in fear breaks my heart.  And I can only imagine a mother’s desperate anguish not being able to shield her children from such cruelty.  Domestic violence is violence of the worst kind.  It takes place in your own home (that should be a sanctuary)  and it’s perpetrated by someone you love.

    I’ve spoken to many victims over the years, and done many mini documentaries for our charity event.  The violence these women and children are exposed to is of the extreme sort, and is possibly happening right now, right down your street.  When it comes to domestic violence neither race, social status, education or age matter.  It can happen to anybody.

    At Knock Out we have a program called “Sharing Spaces”, where we encourage people to donate what they no longer need, and use it to redesign a shelter.  Working in design, I want to commit, at least once or twice a year, to redesigning a shelter. It’s amazing how, what can feel like a little effort to you (like getting rid of a piece of furniture), can make a HUGE impact in the life of someone else!

    Danielle and I went to one of the shelters last week to see what needed to be done. The women who run these places are truly angels. They do an incredible job helping the women and children heal their wounds and get them back on their feet.  All the funds go to much needed programs, and sadly not much is left to the interiors. They have to rely on the kindness of strangers.

    They gave me permission to post these images I took on my blog, as I’m going to post the progress here.  When you’re life is in a state of chaos, I think no woman and child should have to live like this.  Sadly this is reality for many shelters.

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    Are you up for helping?

    Here’s how you can.  Most urgently right now they need furniture. Vastu furniture DC has already kindly agreed to donate some pieces, and so have other people and stores.  Are you a painter, upholsterer, carpenter, contractor, designer and want to help out? You can e-mail us at contact@marmaladeinteriors.com or contact Ellen Blankenstein at Knock Out Abuse (202)725-5604.   They need EVERYTHING!  But for now, we’re starting with two bedrooms.  Here is the immediate  wish list.

    1. 2 Bunk beds with trundle
    2. Single bed frame and headboard
    3. Tall large dresser ~ 3.5 ft.wide (tv above)
    4. Wide dresser ~ 5 ft. wide
    5. Carpet 8 x 10
    6. 3 Nightstands
    7. Lamps
    8. 4 x 3 bathroom mat (bathroom color mint green)
    9. Bathroom needs new vanity
    10. 4 Single bedding sheets sets (duvet/sheets/pillow case) – this is a continuous need
    11. Chairs of any kind

    I would feel much better if I knew the kids were sleeping in places that looked like this.  Wouldn’t you?

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    And the women could sleep in cheerful rooms like these below.  Maybe we can’t get all the way there, but at least we can aim for it…

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    P.S.

    Thank You to Ada-Marie for posting the super nice article on my beloved summer house on her fun blog! If you want to check it out needspark.wordpress.com.

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  • 23Feb

    The Modern Bachelor moves in

    Posted in: Marmalade Interiors, Masculine interiors

    Brad just relocated from London to DC.  He was moving  in to his new rental with only his clothes, TV and a Tempurpedic mattress.

    What to do?

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    His busy new job gave him no time to buy furniture, and it wasn’t in his budget to hire a designer. And even if he did have time, he felt unsure how to go about it.  He had checked out some stuff at Restoration Hardware but wasn’t sure what his style really was.

    Brad’s dilemma is a very common one, and of the reasons we’re launching LiveLikeYou. (We’re two weeks away!)  On LiveLikeYou you’ll find designs matched to personality types. You can walk through designed vignettes for every room in your house and buy everything you see. If we don’t have the right product, we’ll send you to someone who does.  Paint color selections are given, budget and green options, as well as design advice along the way. For a small fee you can even get a complete layout for your home in your selected look.

    Even though not launched yet we asked Brad to be our first LiveLikeYou test client, with one demand–we would follow him on the blog.  After sifting through a bunch of masculine personality types he was surprised to see where he ended up.  Thinking his style might be French Country he ended up choosing  “The Modern Bachelor”. A stream lined classic modern look in black, tan, silver and espresso brown.

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    Black and rattan modern chest for bedroom, great design from Bungalow 5.

    Roberto$316bb+shade24hx16dx16w Global$699-43wx37hx7.75d

    Cut glass lamp with black shade from Worlds-Away and awesome entry console from Global Views can be purchased at LiveLikeYou.

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    West Elm simple bar stools.  Geometric entry carpet from Outdoorrugsonly.

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    Modern black chest from Bungalow 5 and cream Garden Rope stools also will be available at LiveLikeYou.

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    Silver leaf finish on stacking tables from Worlds-Away, extremely chic and usable at the same time.  The apartment building does not allow for painting, so we had to make it work with neutral walls.

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    George Marmaras and his great crew from Handle with Care did a first class job as usual delivering and installing the pieces.  If you live on the east coast and opt for “white glove” delivery service from LiveLikeYou, they will do the job.

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    Rick, Moody, George and Stone from Handle with Care.  And Danielle my fantastic design assistant.

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    Left photo:  Brad surveying the apartment while the previous tenants where moving out.

    Right photo: The halfway point. Clean symmetric lines make the space more defined.

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    Brad selected a beautiful painting from one of the talented artists we’ll carry on LiveLikeYou.  This painting is by Josh Rosenthal, “Man in boat in Apartment”.  I personally dislike “decorator art” and I’m always looking for artists whose work I love.  (Know anyone great? E-mail us at: contact@marmaladeinteriors.com)

    Below are two gorgeous images he selected from Christine Matthai.

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    “Trees”   26 x 32″

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    “Bird in the Sky”

    The finished photos of Brad’s apartment I’ll post in the coming weeks!

    P.S.

    When I left Brad’s I happened to stop and pet this sweet little dog. He had just been rescued from death row in a South Carolina shelter by the kind people of Lucky Dog Animal rescue.  He needed a home…so he now lives with us.  Lucky timing!   We’ve named him “Bubba”.

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  • 20Feb

    Summer house

    Posted in: My House, Swedish Interiors

    Okay…don’t you all wish it was summer?

    Every June I head over to Sweden to spend a few weeks at our country house by the lake. These photos are from a shoot for a Swedish interior design magazine done last summer.  The house is located in the village of Torp, situated on Lake Torp – a village consisting of only 7 houses from the 1800′s.  Not exactly an action packed town!  But when you get there you just want to kick up your feet, relax and gaze at the amazing view of the lake, and never leave.  The house needs to be finished, but for now it’s a casual, bohemian family place we all love. Can’t wait for June!

    All photos: Jennifer Jaunsch

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    The turquoise chandelier is from the early 1900′s. It was a department store staple back then.  I painted all the floors white when I moved in, after removing plastic flooring the previous owners had put in.

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    Luke and I in what we call the “View Room”.  Without the backlight you would see an amazing view of the lake.

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    60′s vintage chair with original mustard green velvet. 1920′s mirror and console.  Hand picked wild flowers for Midsummer night. (My mother is in the photo above in the rowboat. She hates this photo but I love it, so I refuse to let her remove it!)

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    Painted everything in my bedroom white as well. Bought a shag carpet for ten dollars at a vintage store. But I love it.

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    This chair has old, original upholstery, Swedish Tenn fabric. ( Fabrics you see a lot of in the movie Mamma Mia). It has a tear in it, but I want to keep it so covered it with a small shag.

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    Toy cabinet.

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    Every room in the house has these old tile fireplaces. Very common for houses from this period. In the winter time they really heat the house well.

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    The small guest cottage right on the lake. Painted everything white here as well. Except the chest-wanted some turquoise!

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    Vintage pieces and shell curtain.

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    The funky 60′s bathroom.  Needs to be redone, but for now I’m working with it.

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    Lupines, they’re everywhere in June.

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    Luke’s bedroom with two old kid’s birch beds.

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    Happy weekend!

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