A little cubby... A long way.

It finally feels like Christmas time in Houston and it is actually cold enough for an outside fire. I just finished designing and (had) built an outdoor fireplace for someones home. It turned out beautiful and it was the perfect evening last night for them to enjoy it. Take a look at their new addition. unfinished. not decorated.

Having never designed a fireplace, I flipped through many many pictures to get ideas. I knew on picture number UNO.. this fireplace would have a cubby for chopped wood. Not only for convenience but it really adds character year around. With Rustic Chic on the rise... Here is how you can incorporate chopped wood into your home.

And if you are like me and have a non-working fireplace... you can still get the look...

And during the summer months... fill it with books...

I am in love with chopped wood walls too. Cozy. I first spotted "a wall" at Tillman's Roadhouse in Dallas, as you can see in the first two pictures below.

(If you like this look...keep reading... there is a "how to" below on how to create it in your home.)

And there is even chopped wood furniture appearing out there!

Check out more furniture by artist Jaehyo Lee.

If you just want a tiny piece of this look. Get this frame for $12 by Pt. OR mix tradition and chopped wood decor. For the past 4 years, my husband and I have been keeping a little piece of the trunk off of our Christmas tree. We write the year on one side. I usually put them in a bowl during Christmas as decorations.

Back to the walls of wood... This looks like so much fun and I will be participating after the holiday season is over. MAKE YOUR OWN CHOPPED WOOD WALL. Follow this link to see how to do this fun craft.

You can purchase the wood chips from a fun little store on Etsy named Monkeys on the Roof.

See you soon,
Alli

whats your style?

Do you ever wonder what style you would call your home? Do you have a style? I have been contemplating that question a lot since I have been on my blogging sabbatical. Every time something new trends, or a new color makes waves, I have to find a way to incorporate it in my decor. Then I browse the latest Wisteria catalog or Cote de Texas blog and always want to redecorate everything to look just like the picture. I know...magazine living... does not exist.. but still...am I a french decorator, vintage, minimalistic, Nantucket? uhhhh I like them all.

When I recently visited a friend in Dallas, her decorating inspired me to pull my vintage side back out of the closet and incorporate it with my new love for french decor. When I walked in her home office I almost died when I saw her huge vintage E from an old sign. I had to copy and find one of my own and I knew it was not going to be in the Wisteria catalog.

And she has the lower e too. Isn't her sitting room cute? After a long day of antiquing around Dallas, look what appeared in the trunk of my car!!!!! It wasn't until I came back home to Houston that I started contemplating, How can I fit these vintage marque letters into my country french decor?

It honestly took me forever to find the perfect spot to hang my A and C. (for alli and chad). Was it possible to mix my damask pillows, stark white couch, antlers, and wooden bench coffee table with huge industrial vintage lettering?

BUT... I did it. I obviously love french, must buy traditional antiques, have a hard time saying no to a good vintage find and need color and patterns in my life. Mix that with simple, classic, clean and what do you have? MY STYLE. So when I see something I like (considering I can afford it) I am going to buy it, mix it with what I have and call it ME.

I encourage anyone who is redecorating or trying to update... buy what you like, be unique and mix it with what you have and YOUR STYLE will shine.

Here are some ideas on how to MIX vintage marque lettering into your decor.


Thank you for the inspiration Ken Fulk Design.Thank you for the inspiration Rue Mag.
Perhaps a bed frame?
And if you are LOVING this look... collect the entire alphabet.. just kidding... but its a cool picture, right?

See you soon, Alli.

Giving some Love to: the latest rug trend.

Everyone needs a good piece of sisal in their life. I usually prefer sisal rugs over sea grass rugs. TOMATE-O, TOMOT-O, right?  Sisal is the toughest of all natural fibers and works great in high traffic areas. I also like sisal more because of the tight weaves versus the wide weaves of sea grass.  A client of mine has a family room that needs a 17x17 rug and of course we chose sisal. I had been on a mad search for an affordable giant rug until I stumbled upon The Perfect Rug. Have you seen this fabulous company? .

So, I ordered 3 free samples and received this cute little measuring kit. I fell in love with their marketing and easy approach to measuring.

Here are a few of the natural fiber samples I received. My client and I decided on the one to the far right, Sisal Boucle. Can't wait to show you pictures of the finished result.

Because sisal tends to be extremely coarse, it's not the nicest to your feet and small children whom might be crawling. So a nice way to soften the feel is to add a smaller more traditional rug on top. It not only softens the feel but adds a nice fresh look as well. Take a look at what I am talking about below:

(Thank you for the inspiration Better Homes and Gardens)

Look how the sisal rug covers the entire room and then the oriental rug sits just beneath the table to add color and softness.

Houston designer, Tami Owens, did an amazing job in decorating this model home. It seems that sisal covers the entire room (aka heaven) while the large light patterned rug lays on top.    

If you are covering large wood floors in a room, the sisal should be about 3-5 inches from the baseboard. If you place a rug on top of the sisal (and you should), it can be any size and be placed anywhere. The pictures above are from Cote de Texas, my go to french design blog.

Here is some more inspiration:

If you can not afford to have a rug made but love this trend. Then the picture above is for you. The sisal rug is only slightly larger than the rug on top and it still looks nice.

Do you like this latest trend in the world of rugs?

Let us know. Leave us a comment.

See you soon,

Alli

Euro Trash = Thrown away elegance.

Meet Lizzie Corney, the stylish lead designer of Euro Trash. A store, a design service, and a European guide service for buying trips. This article featuring Lizzie's 1000 square foot bungalow in Jacksonville, Illinois was in this months Country Living Magazine. It's true, I have a home crush!!!

Love the splashes of pink.

And here she is...Lizzie Corney.

If this is trash, then I am in heaven. :)

See you soon, Alli.

pops of jewels.

Happy Friday everyone. "Us Texans" are loving this cool Fall weather. As I was out and about yesterday searching through my favorite Houston fabric stores, I couldn't help but notice the pops of deep jewel tone pinks and rich printed fabrics everywhere! ie. the chairs in the pictures below. So as Fall approaches, think jeweled velvets and deep pink fabrics and let them POP in your room of choice. Here is the picture I have chosen for my color board of inspiration.

The following rooms know what is going on and I like it. (If this picture belongs to you. Please email At Home with Alli so we can credit you.)

(Thank you for the inspiration Elle Decor.)

(Thank you for the inspiration House Beautiful.)

And... for those of us (ME) that can not keep up with every new decor update. Try these simple purchases...Stack books....Throw some new pillows... Add a simple rug to a bathroom or kitchen...

(Thank you for the inspiration Horchow.)

(Thank you for the inspiration Alkemie.)

(Thank you for the inspiration Horchow.)

Are you going to add some color this fall? Let us know your favorite piece that you are using to pop in a room!

See you soon, alli.