Shea McGee is used to designing extra-large ranch homes and spacious mountainside retreats. So when her husband and Studio McGee cofounder, Syd, surprised her with a run-down vintage Airstream, she felt a little out of her element. “All of my normal dimensions went out the window,” says Shea. Syd had sought the help of a local Utah Airstream renovation company to track down a van that was big enough for the couple and their three daughters—they happened across the perfect one in Idaho. The camper had been abandoned in someone’s yard, and its mere 180-square-foot interior was in a dire state. 

While the design obstacles piled up, Shea was unwilling to compromise on certain elements of comfort, like central AC, a functional kitchen (boat-grade fridge-freezer included), a walk-in shower, and a queen-size bed. Ahead, the designer shares how she packed plenty of style into her smallest reno yet. 

Be Light on Your Feet

Shea is used to shopping for sturdy, durable, heavy natural stones and woods for her residential projects, but an Airstream requires the exact opposite. “Everything needs to be lightweight,” she notes. When the camper is in motion on the highway, everything inside shakes as if it’s experiencing an earthquake, which means all the stuff has to be a little bit flexible so it doesn’t snap mid-drive. Exhibit A: While the floor looks like vinyl planks, it’s actually a plastic sheeting with a wood design printed on it.

Feast, Then Sleep

The McGee children’s favorite job come nighttime is pushing the button that lowers the walnut dining table. The surface is set on a motorized stand that allows it to become level with the U-shaped banquette. The next step? Grabbing an extra cushion and—voilà!—you’ve got an extra-large bed that comfortably sleeps three kiddos. Shea took advantage of the space underneath the bench by decking it out with drawers for clothes storage.

Take the Spa on the Road

As you make your way toward the back of the Airstream, you’ll find a bathroom with a marble-tiled walk-in shower—yes, you read that right. “I really wanted marble,” insists Shea. She knew the Airstream had strict weight limitations, so she ran the numbers and compromised on the aforementioned flooring and plywood cabinetry. Still, the stone-covered shower couldn’t stand on its own, it needed something to balance it on the other side of the vehicle. Cue the Caesarstone vanity countertop. 

Defy the Layout and Lighting Tropes

Shea took every other opportunity she could to make the teeny home-on-wheels feel high-end. This included brass light fixtures from Visual Comfort and a queen-size bed that faces the rear. “A lot of RVs have a bed that’s turned to the side, so you can only get in on one end. I didn’t like the look,” she says. Someone also recommended going with a full—she said no way. The headboard is made out of superthin wood, wrapped in foam, and affixed to the end of the trailer. 

A good night’s rest is essential after a day with the McGees’ mobile. The family fills their afternoons with hiking to get everyone’s energy out after sitting in the trailer, followed by campfire meals and s’mores. “We set up the beds and go to sleep, and then hope everyone stays asleep,” Shea says with a laugh. 

The post Shea McGee’s Most Ambitious Reno to Date Is Only 180 Square Feet appeared first on domino.

When the opportunity presented itself for the sisters and cofounders behind contemporary jewelry brand Otiumberg to build houses right next door to each other, they hesitated. “It’s intense!” says Christie Wollenberg, who is four years older than her sister and business partner, Rosanna (the design duo also have a third sister). “People always find it interesting that we can even work together, and then to live next door as well…it sounds nuts,” she adds.

But there was a sentimental motivation: The plot of land where the siblings’ deceased great-aunt had lived could be redeveloped and was located just three streets from where they grew up in southwest London. Plus with their parents still in the family home, it would place Christie’s three children closer to their grandparents (in fact, her mom bought her eldest son a walkie-talkie to communicate, but it turns out the signal only runs as far as Rosanna’s house, which she shares with her husband, Charlie). 

The task of creating a pair of houses from scratch was daunting, but they were guided by their father, who works in the commercial property sector. The interior architects at Covet Noir also helped them maximize the floor plans and create airy, open-plan living areas suited to their individual lifestyles. Each home is set over 4 floors with 5 bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms—a tight squeeze for the amount of land they had to work with. “I don’t think anyone would have believed you could build two houses on this plot,” says Christie.

Christie’s Home

While the footprints echo each other, the interiors aren’t a mirror image. “I wanted a Mediterranean feel,” says Christie. She set out to accomplish that in the kitchen with a micro-cement floor, vintage wood table, and marble-topped island. In a weird but magical way, the organic aesthetic helps the small messes her kids inevitably make appear less messy. Still, she is a tad envious of her sister’s artfully curated open shelves in the living room: “Mine have definitely been kidproofed,” she says, laughing (she went with cabinets instead). 

Meanwhile, Rosanna’s style skews more Scandinavian, with limewash from Bauwerk adorning the walls. The pandemic put a stop to joint shopping trips, but the sisters exchanged references throughout, and their shared desire for tadelakt in the bathroom meant negotiating better rates by sharing the same suppliers. “The kitchens look different, but they are made by the same company, so we got a better deal,” says Rosanna.

Rosanna’s Home

The pair consciously avoided current interior trends—which lean toward scallops, floral wallpaper, and frilly accents—and created spaces that feel timeless, much like their jewelry. “We treated it a bit like our brand in that it’s akin to a minimal second skin to which you can add in details,” explains Christie. 

While choosing where to position outlets was no easy feat, the sisters trusted their gut and visual inclinations to make quick, game-changing decisions. A major one was to leave the staircase open rather than to block it off as originally planned. The effect is industrial and lends a greater feeling of space: “I love how the bannister is a seamless continuation of wood that really connects the house,” remarks Rosanna.

Owing to the permit process, the fine-tuning of plans, and the major delays caused by the pandemic, the houses took four years to take shape. But the benefit of starting from scratch was being able to incorporate small but impactful details. “I have a sliding door that goes into the wall to compartmentalize the kitchen area from the living room, so it’s not an open plan when I don’t want it to be,” says Christie. In Rosanna’s house, she waved farewell to the days of storing suitcases under her bed by going big on built-in cabinetry. The sisters also requested cat flaps, despite not having pets (yet). “We grew up with cats,” says Christie.

It has been 18 months since the Wollenbergs moved in, and the neighborly dynamic has proved harmonious so far. “It makes life easier. We work with Australia and can do an 8 a.m. Zoom call together over coffee at my kitchen table. And we can hang out as a family more easily,” shares Rosanna. Their early-morning commute to the Otiumberg office in Southwark, however, remains a solitary affair: “I like to be mute for half an hour!” confesses Christie.

The Goods

Mallow Pink Stripes Duvet Cover, Tekla ($140 to $295)

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Heart Earrings, Otiumberg ($265)

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Ribbed Glass Bathroom Wall Light, John Lewis ($52)

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Way Out art, Lucy Laucht ($152)

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The post These Sisters Don’t Just Design Jewelry Together, They Live in Almost Identical Houses appeared first on domino.

“Friday night is a ritual,” says designer Thomas O’Brien. Every week, he and his husband and business partner, Dan Fink, load up the car with items from Aero—O’Brien’s much-loved Manhattan store and studio—as well as recent vintage eBay scores or finds from their travels to Paris, London, and Japan.

Their Maltese, Cairn terrier, and two cats go along for the drive to the couple’s weekend home in Bellport, New York. “We call it moving day,” says O’Brien. “When we arrive, Dan gets out a bottle of Grand Ardèche, our favorite French white. I unpack, and we watch late-night TV.”

In Bellport, their philosophy of enduring design comes to life. And their restored and renovated shingle-clad 1833 schoolhouse (known as the Academy) embodies their love of living history. “The way we work becomes real by making a home for ourselves,” explains O’Brien. “Everything springs from this house.”

Their affection for homemaking, entertaining, cookware, and dishes inspired Copper Beech, their general store just down the road from the Academy. Named after the 300-year-old tree O’Brien and Fink were married under in 2015, Copper Beech is a celebration of thoughtful design.

From the kitchen’s marble tile floors to the pot rack filled with classic copper in the sunlit mudroom, the couple fills their home with practical, timeless pieces—including the occasional standout item from O’Brien’s collaborations with the likes of Circa Lighting, Target, and Century Furniture. “We love new things with old values—well built, from good materials,” says Fink.

On summer days, they keep things simple, bringing bunches of flowers and bowls filled with salad from the kitchen out to the pool house, a small, open-frame structure that O’Brien describes as “teeny-tiny—about the size of two full beds.” From the 1920s through the ’40s, Anne Lloyd—a suffragist, poet, and the home’s former owner—used the outbuilding as her writing studio and called it the Temple.

An aura of calm and contemplation permeates the pale gray-green walls and handmade terracotta tile floors. “Everybody takes naps there,” says O’Brien. “We have plenty of guest rooms in the main house, but lots of people choose the pool house to sleep in while they’re here.”

On the weekends, Fink and O’Brien dip into their library of more than 300 vintage cookbooks, looking up a recipe from Alice Waters or Julia Child to make fish and vegetables from a favorite farm stand nearby. “People are so interested in things that are automated or convenient,” says Fink, “but the work of cooking is good for your soul.”

Even when it’s just the two of them, the couple doesn’t skimp on the details. They set the table for lunch or just a glass of wine outdoors. “We always have candles, tablecloths, napkins, and flowers,” says O’Brien. “We don’t consider it work—it’s a joy.”

The Goods

South Seas Rattan Bar Cart, Serena & Lily ($748)

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The Vintage List Crystal Coupe Glasses (Set of 4), Anthropologie ($90)

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Stripe Linen Napkins in Navy, Food52 ($60 was $80)

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Casper End Table by Thomas O’Brien for Century, Perigold ($1,798 was $2,397)

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This story was originally published in our Summer 2017 issue with the headline “Weekends on the Bay.”

The post Weekends at This Long Island Home Include Pool House Naps and Meals From Vintage Cookbooks appeared first on domino.

In 2013—with New York City cocktail gems Apotheke and Pulqueria under her belt—restaurateur and interior designer Heather Tierney dreamed of opening a daytime hangout. After finding a sun-drenched corner space in Nolita, she got to work whitewashing the wood walls, bringing in bright accents like lemon-colored barstools, and developing a menu of heritage juices and vegan-leaning dishes.

With fruits and veggies on the chopping block, the name The Butcher’s Daughter felt apt. Rather than sausages and shanks hanging from above, she strung up fresh greenery, creating a distinctly California vibe. So opening a sister location in Venice Beach was a natural next step.

Lured by the West Coast’s forever sunny skies, Tierney moved to Los Angeles, took some time off, and fell in love with her now husband, Jake Mathews. The couple lives a stone’s throw from Abbot Kinney Boulevard and the Butcher’s Daughter outpost, which draws creative types and cool kids with a hankering for mango lassi smoothies and smashed avocado toast.

Tierney’s other property, a tiny hideaway on the Venice Beach canals, has been transformed into her version of a B&B: bungalow-and-breakfast. Her old-is-unexpectedly-new-again style manifests throughout all her spaces. “It’s modern-day living but in a more bohemian way,” says Tierney, who started the agency Wanderlust as a catchall for any project that encompasses design. “I love to blur the line of where the indoors stops and the outdoors begins.” We caught up with Tierney to learn more about her inspiration, favorite local shops, and how she brings her signature style to life at home.

Bring the Inside Out

Saddle Leather Oval Chair, Garza Marfa ($1,760)

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Song Fire Pit by Foundry Select, Wayfair ($390)

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Whether working with her home’s spacious yard or her rental bungalow’s small patch of grass overlooking the canal, creating a gathering spot is Tierney’s top priority. At the former, she assembled an indoor-style lounge area complete with outdoor sofa, lounge chairs, and floor cushions. “A firepit surrounded by vintage butterfly chairs really adds to the coziness,” she says. Her material of choice: “Leather lasts outdoors and looks great as it gets weathered by the sun.”

Shop Like a Local

Tierney’s hunt goes far beyond Etsy and eBay. In addition to her regular flea market circuit, she has discovered artists simply by exploring her neighborhood. A painting on an old mailbox spied in Venice led her to local artist Alisha Sofia, who made the custom watercolor of a girl surfing in a sea of succulents. Another favorite: a dark, modern macramé piece by Ojai-based Sally England, which hangs in her living room.

Coastal Cool

Pari Curved Rattan Bed, Anthropologie (starting from $1,998)

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Lanai Floral Throw Pillow by Eastern Accents, Wayfair ($177)

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When Tierney bought her 1,200-square-foot rental bungalow, she tore up the carpets, whitewashed the wood, and brought in a mid-century Malm fireplace. “I wanted to create a total beachy vibe,” she says. In came the rattan furniture, like a 1960s dome chair and curved bed. “Flea market finds feel fresh when you pair them with a few sleek and modern pieces,” she recommends. “Otherwise they can look dated.”

Strong Meets Soft

The cool concrete, light wood floors, and steel windows of Tierney’s converted 1920s home could come off as austere, but she has a way of softening things up. “The key to keeping a room in balance is working with materials that have both masculine and feminine energy,” she explains. In the bathroom, poured concrete is paired with cream ceramics, sandy-hued baskets, and an antique mirror. Tierney also had door panels made from a large vintage Mexican blanket to bring in texture and draping.

Lounge Act

Mudcloth Pillow by One Fine Nest, Etsy (starting from $65)

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Ivory Sheepskin 70″x23″ Bench Throw, Crate & Barrel ($100 was $329)

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Being in one of Tierney’s spaces is all about lounging. “Adding pillows, preferably ones filled with down or a down alternative, is essential for making a room comfy,” she says. “You want to have several areas you can just fall into.” In the living room, that means a traditional Indian charpai wedding bed covered in throw pillows, and on the porch, a circular rattan chair layered with striped cotton blankets.

Set Your Green Scene

Metal Watering Can, H&M Home ($35)

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Small String of Pearls, Rooted ($25)

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“I like to style the greenery and plants differently to suit the mood of each space,” explains Tierney, who has such a thing for plants that Mathews had to hold an intervention when she brought home one too many of her little green friends. “For more of a bohemian/desert look, I like cactus. Flowing succulents add a feminine feeling to a room that may seem cold without them.”

Tierney’s Favorite Venice Beach Spots

• Rose Bowl Flea Market: I love not having any reason to go and just seeing what I find. Lately, I’ve been shopping with friends who have recently moved from New York to help give their new homes more of a West Coast feel.
• Venice Vintage Paradise: It sources a lot of rattan, and I found the bar in my bungalow here (it’s actually a really cool coatrack that I turned into a bar cart). Venice Vintage also has great rugs, Navajo blankets, and baskets.
• Stahl + Band: More modern with a boho flair, this new shop sells designer-made goods, like a beanbag chair covered in a wool cable-knit that we keep in our office.
• Venice Plants: This plant guy knows I can’t resist a good succulent! He’ll text me photos of cool stuff he’s received, even though I have nowhere to put anything…but adding a big cactus inside or outdoors is so California.

This story was originally published in our Summer 2017 issue with the headline “Three If by Sea.”

The post The Unexpected Furniture That This Restaurateur Insists Belongs Outside appeared first on domino.

This story was part of Sofa Week, our seven-day stretch of, you guessed it, sofas. After years spent styling, sitting on, and searching for the best of the best—from bespoke designs to rare under-$500 gems—we’re compiling our couch knowledge in one comfy spot.

One of the perks of working at Domino is the fact that we look at homes, beautifully individual and dynamic, all day long. And with said perk, we spot commonalities along the way. There are a handful of trademark trends we have grown to expect every season: pastels for spring, vibrant hues for summer, and cozy textures for fall. Then there are those that skew toward the less expected and timeless. Case in point: the best red couches.

A departure from the standard white, beige, or taupe-y seat, this fresh alternative immediately brings a bold dose of color and character to any space. We’ve spotted the primary hue in every shade—from blush and tomato to rust and even rich maroon. And the look is surprisingly more versatile than you may think and can be seamlessly integrated within a wide variety of aesthetics. Below, a closer look at a few of our favorite spaces featuring this particular hue, and how creatives and designers tapped it as the centerpiece of their living quarters or let it blend in with the rest of their decor. Then we share a few shoppable look-alikes (especially if the original was bespoke), to boot. 

Armless Red Sofas

In Slash Objects founder Arielle Assouline-Lichten’s Brooklyn studio, this Ligne Roset sofa is an attention-grabbing conversation starter thanks to its bright velvet upholstery. Thankfully it’s also small-space–friendly, making it an appealing pick for apartment dwellers (even if Assouline-Lichten’s lofted space is quite large). The armless, futon-esque frame allows for the creative’s other vintage finds to shine. Our picks, below, also deliver a love seat-like vibe.

Alcott Hill Parkes 50-Inch Upholstered Settee, Wayfair ($490 was $753)

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Dylan Velvet Bean Bag 2-Seat Sofa, Urban Outfitters ($379)

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Aris Armless Loveseat in Mabel Rose, Crate & Barrel ($2,248)

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Kumo 3-Seater Sofa, Canyon, Hem ($4,949)

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Softline Duet Daybed, Design Within Reach ($1,271 was $1,495)

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Clyde 67-Inch Sofa, Blu Dot ($2,095)

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Square-Arm Red Sofas

With retro wood paneling as the backdrop, this Reath Design custom sofa covered in a deep red-toned velvet by Kravet makes a straightforward, square-arm design instantly more interesting in Brynn Jones’s home. You can do the same with our favorite sofa brands—Floyd, Lulu and Georgia, West Elm, Pottery Barn, and more all offer a range of reds to dress up their simple frames. 

Hadley Plaid Sofa, GreenRow ($4,700)

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Belmont Sofa by Ginny Macdonald, Lulu and Georgia ($3,298)

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Urban Queen Sleeper Sofa (84-Inch), West Elm ($2,599)

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Two-Piece Form Sectional in Sisu Pink/Orange, Floyd ($2,744 was $3,920)

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Curved Red Sofas

We’ll never tire of a velvet sofa, especially one that comes in just the right shade of saturated crimson or a softer red-tinted blush. Add to the material a curvy frame that looks and feels like a hug and we’ve pretty much summed up Anthropologie’s Vera sofa, the very one that can be found in Lathan Thomas’s joyful Brooklyn home. As one reviewer so aptly summarizes, “It’s beautiful from every angle.” We tried to channel that feeling into our finds, below. 

Vera Sofa, Anthropologie ($2,798)

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Orren Ellis 86.61-Inch Upholstered Curved Sofa, Wayfair ($1,700)

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The Chelsea Sofa, 80-Inch, Spice Mohair, Maiden Home ($6,650)

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Gramercy Curved Sofa, Paprika, abc carpet & home ($6,630)

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Emet Three Seat Sofa, Soho Home ($5,195)

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Pumpkin Sofa by Pierre Paulin for Roset Line, Chairish ($4,846)

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Statement Red Sofas

Leave it to a former Prada architect to get experimental with living room design. We still think about the custom-made raspberry sofa—with the perfect fringe detail—that Roberto Baciocchi designed himself. The original proves that, sometimes, color is just the start of a standout piece. If you’re seeking a look as unique as Baciocchi’s Tuscany guesthouse, double down on the bold factor by pairing the shade with a funky silhouette, channel-tufting details, or a pattern.

Grady Pleated Sofa, Serena & Lily ($6,998)

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Saxon Sofa, Ap2B ($2,748)

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Popus Editions Lena 3 Seater Sofa in Red Verone Velvet Upholstery, 1stDibs ($3,703)

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Maisie Channeled Sofa, Rust Velvet, One Kings Lane ($4,395)

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Svenson Sofa, Lava Cannes Velvet ($4,155)

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Offset 3-Seater Sofa, 08 Boucle, Audo ($3,565)

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The post We Found the Best Red Couches, as Inspired by Our Favorite Spaces appeared first on domino.

There is something undeniably mystical about artist Carly Jo Morgan and her Topanga Canyon home, which she shares with her daughter, Cookie Jo. Though Morgan hesitated about moving back to Los Angeles after living in New York City for almost a decade, the wild expanses of nature and close-knit community won her over. “It felt like home immediately,” she says.

Six years later, and she’s made only a handful of modifications to the 1920s structure—painting the exterior black, the walls vibrant teal and dusty pink, and the floors light lavender. A wood-burning stove in the living room took the form of a “Santa Fe ziggurat.”

Playful snake and hand motifs appear throughout, like the terrazzo serpent base of a coffee table, a ceramic light slithering down a wall, and carved wood hands placed on a dresser. Morgan effortlessly marries softer elements with space-agey details. “I love the juxtaposition of past and future. I always try to make things that either conjure up the feeling of an ancient relic or a sci-fi badge from the future,” she explains.

Much like her home—an amalgamation of energy from hosting group meditations, dance parties, and the birth of Cookie Jo— Morgan’s career has followed an equally prolific and varied trajectory. She interned for Mara Hoffman, hand-dyeing dresses in a tiny studio on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Then came her wallpaper line, followed by a jewelry collection.

She wrote The Sacred Door, a children’s book inspired by Cookie Jo, and cofounded the market and music festival Mercado Sagrado. (Morgan plays a few instruments, some of which hang around the space.) Her latest project is a line of terrazzo creations, including the globe lighting fixtures that illuminate the many nooks in her house.

Outside, the backyard’s geometric landscape of earthy pinks is a natural extension of the interiors. “I spend a lot of time out there, and I enjoy creating spaces to host people,” Morgan says.

It was once an overgrown English garden, and she realized that the watering system was hugely impractical. “There was no way to justify it in such a crazy drought, so we spent years slowly conceptualizing a garden based on gathering people together around food and music.”

Her concrete bench design, a balance of form and function, serves as a terrace to redirect flooding rains into a dry rock creek. Morgan’s long-term plan is to transform the backyard into a sculpture garden.

In the meantime, the interior walls have become an unofficial gallery of her friends’ artwork. Pieces by Morgan’s best friend (and favorite artist), Elena Stonaker, abound—including the heart pillow that sits on Cookie Jo’s bed and the wedding dress Stonaker designed for Morgan that hangs on the bedroom wall, featuring a shimmering yin-yang pattern.

Describing her own work and the environments she creates, Morgan says, “As an artist I always intend to evoke a feeling, but it never really works if you haven’t allowed enough time for the space to speak to you. Home is an energy.”

The Goods

Bongusta Tiger Rug, Urban Outfitters ($99)

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Kelleia Outdoor Lounge Chair by Wrought Studio, Wayfair ($98)

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12″ Table Lamp in Gloss Pink, Entler ($925)

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Signature Dutch Oven in Caribbean by Le Creuset, Nordstorm ($290)

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This story was originally published in our Summer 2017 issue with the headline “The New New Age.”

The post A Terrazzo Snake Here, a Space-Age Lamp There—This Artist’s Home Is Its Own Mystical World appeared first on domino.

We simply can’t quit pink. Ever since 2017, the millennial variety has had a hold on everything from our makeup packaging to our bed linens. Then the star-studded Barbie movie catapulted bolder shades of flamingo, fuchsia, and magenta back into the spotlight and our shopping carts. Every hue is on the table, which is all the more reason to set up a pink nursery for your new addition to the family. And it’s very possible to dip a toe into the trend and still keep your baby’s room timeless. Read on for seven pink nurseries that employ lots of layers—and an unexpected accent color or two—to achieve just that.

The Pink Nursery That’s an Ode to a Doên Dress

Doên cofounder Margaret Kleveland had a few tricks up her floral sleeves when she created her daughter’s nostalgic wonderland. First, she skipped a standard dresser for a timeworn English pine dining hutch that tones down the modern lines of the crib. Next, she draped the latter in a blush pink canopy that turns all the other accents—from the chevron rug and ruffled throw pillows to the Setting Plaster by Farrow & Ball walls—into one big happy family.

The Floor-to-Ceiling Pink Nursery

Dealing with tight quarters? Follow designer Allison Crawford’s lead and use the same hue everywhere. We’re talking walls, molding, ceiling, and even the floating shelves to ensure the room feels as expansive as possible. Crawford went with Clare’s bright coral Pop in this little client’s nursery, which reads cool rather than cliché.

The good kind of baby blues.
Check out our blue nursery ideas →

The Pink Nursery That Masters the Mix

The leafy amber Soane Britain wallpaper overhead, twin scalloped canopies, and coconut shell pendant lamp in this Diablo, California, nursery by designer Marea Clark put the dusty rose walls in a supporting role. And with its subtle gray undertone, the paint color easily swings neutral.

The Fairy-Tale Pink Nursery

Activewear designer Jasmine Tookes’s starting point for turning a guest room into her daughter Mia Victoria’s nursery? “Vintage fairy-tale storybooks,” she told People. Working with Crate & Kids, she made real-life magic with James Alexander’s limewash Rosa Pink and a swath of hunter green wildflower wallpaper, all watched over by a trio of sweet felt animals.

Feeling sage?
We’ve got sage green nursery ideas →

The One-Hit-Wonder Pink Nursery

Gucci’s Heron wallpaper, the hero of this nursery by designer Tara Magel, is undoubtedly a splurge, but it’s the only one you’ll need to make. With everyone’s eyes on the oversize print, the rest of the details, from the daybed to the dresser, can be supersimple.

The Pink Nursery With Arch Support

A salmon pink built-in archway does it all in this nursery by Paris design studio Space Factory. For now, it creates a designated nook for the bassinet, provides enough depth for proper wardrobes on either side, and squeezes in additional storage up top. When the child is older, the open shelving will take on a new role as the bedside “table” for a twin mattress.

The Just Enough Pink Nursery

Can you spot the subtle optical illusion in this nursery by design firm Chango & Co.? At first glance, it seems like every wall is painted white. But look closer, and it becomes clear that the stretch behind the crib is a pastel woodland wallpaper. Thanks to the small-scale motif and pale colorway, it reads more texture than pattern—ideal if you’re not ready for all-pink everything.

The post 7 Pink Nursery Ideas You’ll Still Love After the <em>Barbie</em> Mayhem Subsides appeared first on domino.

Meg Kelly, the founder of Nashville-based design firm Clella Design, was partway through designing her client’s high-rise apartment when his girlfriend moved in. Kelly swiftly tweaked her plans to de-bachelor-pad the place, but not even a year later, the young couple, who have a knack for entertaining, bought a house that would be—from the outset this time—completely their own. They called on Kelly once more. This time, they didn’t need help striking a balance between their two styles—they needed to free the home of its builder-grade past (a flipper had recently gutted the space and added on to it, leaving it void of character). 

“Because we had just wrapped up [the apartment], they definitely wanted to bring some of that stuff over to the new space,” shares Kelly. “The goal was to make sure this home felt cohesive with what we had previously.” The pair had to put all their trust in Kelly: They were busy planning their wedding at the time. Ahead, Kelly shares how she designed for their next stage of life.

The thing I had to convince them on: 

I had to fight for the green corduroy sofa (I think they were initially scared it was going to be too much color). I ended up finding a great inspiration photo that showed a green sofa in a space, and that was what helped save the day. Now it’s one of their most favorite pieces. They’ll text me pictures of it when they have friends over; they love to show it off. 

The big entrance:

Previously, the dining area had some weird shelving system that almost looked like it would be in a mudroom. They were very confused as to what to do with that space. We wanted to fill it with high drama because it’s just off the kitchen and it’s the first space you see when you walk in the door. They loved the white oak I used in their previous kitchen and bathroom, so this felt like a good spot to do that again. 

The party trick: 

What was once a very odd little cubby space off the dining room we completely transformed into a bar that they use all the time. They could be sitting around the table having a dinner party and be social and making drinks—they really don’t have to leave that space. The wife got really into laying out the pattern for the tile (she probably tried 15 different ones). 

For the second bar downstairs, we wanted it to feel fun and casual because it’s right off the pool. This is where people can come in and grab a beer; it’s not so fussy. We used the same blue quartzite on the bar counter upstairs here, too. 

The design challenge: 

Because the living room is so long and skinny, with the stairwell coming up right into it, we tried to maximize that space and make it dual purpose. Since it opens to the kitchen, we added a banquette and table to create a little breakfast nook (you can also utilize it for playing games). The pendant lamp, which came with them from their last place, helped anchor that space and give it a little more intimacy.  

The new source I uncovered during this project that I’ll use again: 

Pierre is local and owned by a pair of ladies; one is an artist and sculptor, and the other works at a gallery in town. They have a great eye for amazing art and quirky, fun accessories. 

The tie-it-up-in-a-bow moment:

In my opinion, the bedroom can be a little moodier because it’s a place you want to sleep. We played with this dark green, which was a way to tie back to the sofa (my color choices are always pretty consistent throughout a whole house). A lot of the furniture, including the bed, was from the apartment, so refreshing the palette was our way of giving this space new life.

The Goods

T Short Marble Side Table, CB2 ($299)

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Half & Half Pendant – Hemisphere; Roll & Hill ($780)

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Modern Handmade Cotton Area Rug, Etsy ($473 for 6’x9′)

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Balboa Rattan Counter Stool, Serena & Lily ($978)

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The post A Pistachio Green Bar Freed This Nashville Home of Its Builder-Grade Past appeared first on domino.

Most campers whip together their meals over a portable burner or folding table, but not Carlene and Michael Duffy. The Cedar + Suede interior designers, who have become known for renovating vintage caravans (they recently wrote a whole book on the topic, titled This Old Van), prepare their food on a full-size peninsula that’s complete with a sink and utensil drawers. The clever innovation is just one of many they’ve made to their newest trailer. To fit the pull-out counter, they raised the main bed on the inside of the van. After unlocking the hatch door on the facade, they can slide out the surface and quickly screw on the legs so it’s ready to use. “It’s very efficient,” attests Carlene. 

While their latest caravan, which they’ve lovingly dubbed Goldie in honor of their hometown on Australia’s Gold Coast, is a good 6 feet smaller than their last one, moving the kitchen to the outdoors left plenty of room for cozy sleeping nooks and storage inside. With this marking their fifth RV reno, the couple compiled all the lessons they’ve learned from previous projects and implemented it into this space—an outdoor kitchen was only the beginning. Here are a few more game-changing updates they worked into their tiny vacation home on wheels. 

Enjoy Taking Your Shoes Off

In past spaces, when it came to installing flooring, the Duffys always went for wood-look vinyl. And while it was long-lasting, it proved difficult to clean and didn’t feel great underfoot. This go-around, they went with carpeting. Yes, it sounds like a disaster waiting to happen in a van, but the designers selected a low-pile goat-hair covering that’s commonly used in commercial spaces and laid it in square tiles so that if a section ever gets damaged, they only have to replace that particular square. “It’s also a very good lightweight flooring option, which is important in a van,” says Carlene. 

Spread Out While You Play and Sleep

When the Duffy’s two kids, Paddy and Stella, were little, they could curl up in just about any nook, but now that they’re 14 and 12, respectively, they need bunks where they can stretch their legs. To accommodate their fast-growing teens, Michael and Carlene made sure there was adequate headroom and a small niche next to the mattresses with a light for reading at night. The primary bunk actually folds up into the wall like a Murphy bed when not in use, allowing them to pack the area with tables and chairs when they’re on the move. 

For morning meals or Connect Four games, they can post up at the breakfast banquette. The bench spans the entire width of the RV’s interior, making it extra-functional if they ever have a fifth guest riding with them.

Keep Your Wardrobe Wrinkle-Free

The other perk of elevating the primary bed was that it allowed Michael to build a set of drawers underneath the mattress for storing folded clothes. Still, the solution left out Carlene, who prefers to hang most of her things. So she turned to Facebook Marketplace and scooped up an old wardrobe for $50. Inside the tall cabinet, there is a rod and two shelves for shoes. The set of cubbies next to it is where she keeps things like shorts, swimsuits, and socks (although the very bottom drawer front is completely fake—it covers the wheel arch). 

Encourage Shut-Eye 

One of the biggest design challenges, surprisingly, was the curtains (there was also a lot of head scratching to meet everyone’s different preferences for privacy and light). “Paddy and I like to sleep in complete darkness,” notes Carlene. But she also cared a lot about how the window treatments would look from the outside of the van, which meant selecting a fabric that was both chic and didn’t come with unsightly blackout lining (they landed on a combo from Warwick and Walter G). They also made two internal curtains that offer privacy for changing using the same textiles.

Leave the Sand at the Beach

Whether they’re traveling to Yamba in northern New South Wales during the spring or North Stradbroke Island (their annual Christmas holiday destination), the Duffys fill their mornings and afternoons with swim sessions in the ocean. The aftermath, however, isn’t as dreamy: Sand and tiny caravans don’t mix well. To avoid constant vacuuming, the couple added an outdoor shower to the exterior where they can rinse off in their suits. “Sometimes we book en suite campsites or use the public showers at the campgrounds, but it’s far more satisfying showering in the open air,” shares Carlene. 

Get the Look

Pasco Outdoor Wall Light, Emac and Lawton (Price upon request)

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This Old Van: Plan, Renovate and Style Your Own Vintage Caravan, Amazon ($25)

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Roll of Bibery Antique Fabric by Warwick, Etsy ($100)

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Aged Brass Cabinet Knobs and Handles by Yester Home UK, Etsy (from $11 per piece)

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The post A Breakfast Nook, an Outdoor Kitchen—Yep, This Tiny Pink RV Has Those appeared first on domino.

Brynn Whitfield is sure she has the best view on her block. When the longtime public relations consultant and new cast member on The Real Housewives of New York looks out her living room window, she can see directly into one of the stately single-family brownstones on her West Village street. And through the paned glass is what appears to be a spidery Serge Mouille ceiling lamp, a new version of which goes for a cool $8,500 at Design Within Reach. Even though her prewar apartment is a fraction of the size, Whitfield decided she needed one of her own, so she went to West Elm and bought a look-alike for roughly $400. “Now we’re twinsies,” she says with a laugh. 

Davenport Sofa, Kardiel ($3,627 was $4,390)

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Coffee Table, CB2 ($799)

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Now she’s finally able to show it off. Shortly after Bravo approached Whitfield about joining the show, she went to her building management to get permission for filming and the answer was a firm “no” (so instead, all of her scenes are captured in other people’s homes or around the city). But here we are. When Whitfield really wants something, she makes it happen. Yet another example: For a long time, she held off on investing in her dream copper cookware, thinking it would make for a great wedding registry addition one day. “Then two years ago, after another breakup, I was like, screw it, I’m buying myself the pans,” she says.

Mason Arc Floor Lamp, Brightech ($170 was $215)

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Cowhide Area Rug, 4’x6′, CB2 ($399)

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She’s been that way since she was a kid growing up in Indiana, where she and her siblings were raised by their single grandmother. On Sundays, when the newspaper would arrive, they’d skip to the furniture advertisements and announce which pieces they’d buy if—when—they could afford it. While in college at Purdue, as everyone else scoured Target for new dorm decor, Whitfield riffled through flea markets and her grandmother’s basement in search of secondhand scores. She hung her Strokes posters on the walls, used a cut-up sari to spice up the bland ceiling panels, and swapped the landline for an old-school rotary dial phone. “Hoping and dreaming of having a nice house one day stuck with me,” she shares. 

Peel & Stick Tiles, Pack of 20, Amazon ($19)

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Peel & Stick Tiles, Pack of 20, Amazon ($17)

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The fact that Whitfield’s one-bedroom is a rental hasn’t stopped her from making updates—the kind that can be easily reversed when she moves out, at least. The green-tiled floor in her tiny galley kitchen wasn’t her speed, so she found peel-and-stick squares on Amazon to put on top. It only took her a few hours, during which she even took a Zoom call. “I think that day I just told people I’m going to be off video,” she says. Her time-saving trick? Lay all the black pieces down first.

Copper Cookware Set, 12-Piece, Williams Sonoma ($2,300)

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Cabinet Cup Pull, Amazon ($8 was $11)

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Partway through painting the cabinets and walls in Farrow & Ball’s Sulking Room Pink, however, Whitfield almost backed out of her plan. “I did two coats of this greenish gray primer, and for a day I left it because it reminded me of one of my favorite shows as a kid, The Nanny,” she recalls. She only pushed forward with the muted rose color because she had already paid for the expensive paint cans. Although, once she got the idea to swath the ceiling in the hue, too, she realized it was still the right move. A portrait titled The Smoker hangs in the center of the picture molding she nailed up after painstakingly sawing the Home Depot–sourced trim by hand. “I wish I had bought an electric saw. It was like going to Barry’s Bootcamp,” she jokes. 

Level Bench, Article ($449)

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Audrey Dining Bench, Amazon ($307)

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The tool has since been filed away alongside her measuring tape, which she uses even less frequently. Whitfield reveals she’s eyeballed almost everything and got it right on the first try. “It’s my weird superpower,” she says. The banquette just outside the kitchen was admittedly a tight squeeze (it took three strong nudges to get it into the nook), but it was a necessary addition in her eyes—it’s the foundation of her main entertaining space. When friends come over, she’ll turn the chair at her vanity-slash-desk around and use it as extra seating at the table. 

Maria Wall Art, Anthropologie ($338)

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Papier-Mache Bust, CB2 ($50)

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Burl Wood Chair, CB2 ($499)

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One such friend: Fellow season-14 castmate Jenna Lyons, whose interior style she’s admired for years (she spotted her old Brooklyn brownstone in the pages of Domino back in 2008). “I remember thinking, one day I want to have a townhouse and be giving my child a bath while wearing a ballgown,” says Whitfield, who joked to Lyons when she first arrived that her brass-and-velvet–filled home is the “bootleg” version of Lyons’s SoHo loft. The former J.Crew creative director gave her blessing right away. “She took a call in my room and was lying on my bed looking around, touching things,” recalls Whitfield. “To me she’s just Jenna, but at that moment, when it came to design, I was like, she’s Jenna.”

Her costar’s perch, an upholstered bed frame from CB2, didn’t require a kick in order to fit into the space, but it did take Whitfield a while to come to terms with having to crawl over her mattress to close the curtains. “My first place in New York was a six-floor walk-up on Thompson Street where my bed touched all three sides of the room. I promised myself I’d never do that again,” she says, “but I really love this bed.”

Lack Wall Shelf, IKEA ($25)

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Standing Mirror, Amazon ($90 was $120)

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While the closet opposite the windows is technically deep enough to step into, it’s not the spacious walk-in you might expect a RHONY star to have. Whitfield makes up for the lack of storage by keeping all her off-season clothes (along with her expansive collection of antique books) in a Manhattan Mini Storage unit and tucking shallow bins underneath the bed. “Mostly I just wear jeans and a baseball cap because I can’t be bothered to do the ‘great rotation,’” she confesses. It wasn’t until she hit the nine-month mark of living in the apartment that she added shelves to the random jut-out above her doorway, completing it with a Beauty and the Beast–inspired ladder. Her shoes deserve a proper home, too.

Italian Percale Duvet Cover, Bloomingdales ($276 was $345)

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Dates have to wait a while to see that project—or her whole apartment, for that matter. For Whitfield, inviting someone to hang out means you’re really getting to know her. “I can be very flirty and fun and silly, but then you come to my house and it’s more serious,” she says. Classical music dominates her playlists, she talks to her orchids (she heard it helps them grow), and chessboards are scattered around her living room (Whitfield took lessons once a week for a year, long before The Queen’s Gambit premiered).

One of her most prized possessions is a U.S. Census record tracing her father’s lineage back to a slave plantation in Marion County, Alabama. When Whitfield, who is biracial, found out her family members had worked in the kitchen, she decided to hang it above the doorway in her own. “I’m not hiding it, but I also don’t need people to walk and see it and go, ‘What’s this?’ It just means something to me,” she shares. In a fire, she says, it’s the first thing she’d grab.

Curvilinear Chandelier, West Elm ($364 was $429)

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Gleaming Primrose Mirror, Anthropologie ($548)

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Slight Table Lamp, CB2 ($149)

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“I used to think, I want to move to New York. I want what I see in the magazines. Now I’m proud of what I have after not being proud of it for a while,” says Whitfield. The next big thing, though, is always on her mind: “I have my eye on the brownstone across the street.”

The post Step Inside <em>RHONY</em> Star Brynn Whitfield’s Never-Before-Seen West Village Apartment appeared first on domino.