House Beautiful

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Friday Faves | 2.17.17

Gooooood MORNING!  Happy Belated Valentine’s Day.  These are for you:

Daisies

OMG – WHAT is UP, people??!  Long time no see.  Just sitting here with my to-do list that is – like everyone else’s – 87 miles long, and I’m thinking about all the things I’m DYING to blog about – including but not limited to:

  • Beauty faves (Karrie and I have THE BEST stuff to rattle off – life-changing stuff),
  • Whole 30 (which I did in January and which was also sort of life-changing),
  • a long Musings post because I’m up to my eyeballs in design inspo,
  • the Bach (sorry!) which I am a cool 12 episodes behind on,
  • Casa Covet Living updates,
  • an update on my biz (I launched an official website last month), etc.

But alas… I’m pretty sure I have a few clients who will mangle me with their bare hands if I don’t get their designs over to them today… so howsabout just a little Friday Faves snack?

1 – THESE ADORABLE MUGS, which scream laid-back Cali beach life, and which I’m absolutely certain I need to have in my laid-back Cali beach life. I swear I look at them and see surfers at sunrise and hear this song playing. They just sold on Etsy, but the seller looks like she makes all her pottery by hand, so I’m sure she could make me s’more, right? My birthday is March 19, folks. Just sayin’.

Cutest Mugs Ever

2 – THESE PANTS. LIKE BUTTAH. The softest, comfiest pair of sateen britches *ever*, currently at Anthro. I had to size down 2 sizes from my norm (who doesn’t love vanity sizing?), and it’s taking all the self-control I can muster not to go buy ’em in the honey mustard color, too.

Anthro Pants | Covet Living Stephanie Ballard

anthro sateen pants

3 – THE PRETTIEST PINK LIPSTICK YOU’LL EVER BUY. First off, I love MAC lipsticks because they’re so buttery and rich. I was on the hunt for an everyday lip color that isn’t a bold BANG hot pink, but that also isn’t a sheer gloss (my usual go-to, which Karrie constantly reminds me makes me look washed out… gotta love that your besties & parents don’t sugarcoat anything). Anyhow – this color (“Lustering”) is just enough pink with a hint of sheer and it’s PER-FECTION.

Lustering, MAC Lipstick

 

Sorry bout the car selfie but this is what it looks like on:

MAC Lustering Lipstick

 

4 – THIS GLORIOUS IMAGE that the chick who writes the Gypsea Lust blog took. Every time I look at it, I feel like I breathe a little deeper and easier. It’s so beautiful – currently my screen saver but I can’t wait to blow it up big time and slap it on my wall.

SNORKLER

5 – THIS TILE my boy Amiel found for me last week at Country Floors while he was loading me up for my library. It’s a Tabarka I hadn’t seen before in that color combo, and because it’s so light & neutral, it’s a good one for the faint of heart to use – so simple but without being boring. You better believe I’m trying to weasel it into project #keepingupwiththejoneses – hey girl heeeeeeeeyyy! Talkin’ bout you!

Tabarka Tile Country Floors

6 – THIS DIVINE CLUTCH. Suede + a big tassel = true love.

Suede Clutch

7 – CONGAPLEX. I realize this is a bizarre add to a fave things list, but I’m just lookin’ out for all you campers: This immune booster is NO joke… think Emergen-C, on crack.. times 10. My chiropractor – who’s also a personal friend – told me to pick some up once when I was getting sick, and it nipped whatever I had right in the bud. I’ve turned a few friends onto it too when they’ve had something coming on, and they’re now Beliebers. Keep it on hand, just in cases.

Congaplex

8 – HOW STINKIN CUTE WOULD THIS BE IN A POWDER BATH?  Flanked by some sweet little sconces?  I mean, I doubt I’d pay $1,300 for it, but if I saw it at Homegoods I’d snap it up stat.

Gilman Wall Mirror

9 – THIS CHICK’S OUTFIT IS EVERYTHING. Or maybe it’s just her attitude. I’m not a mom jeans lover, but I am loving her bob + blunt bangs, sunnies, that shirt… the dark nails, the bag. Everything.

Jeans + White Tee

10 – THIS QUOTE ABOUT RISK. I realized recently that every. single. good thing I’ve got going would’ve never come to be had I not done something REAL scary, and maybe borderline stupid.  E.g. uprooting 3 years ago and moving to the other side of the country (best decision ever); leaving a job that had run its course at the end of 2015 and then just going – what the hay? – imma go ahead and start my own biz (other best decision ever); sucking it up and doing something that makes me inordinately uncomfortable and landing a killer gig (more on that later); getting into a long distance thang with someone I swiped right on who lived over 1,000 miles away –  which is legitimately insane.  And also something every person I know warned me against, as it had Craigslist killer / axe murderer written all over it, and about a 0.2% chance of working out. Uh.. that was almost a year ago. And among other things, he thinks Gus is the most precious thing that ever was. Which means I pretty much think he hung the moon.

79813-Denis-Waitley-Quote-Life-is-inherently-risky-There-is-only-one-big

11 – THE SWEETEST TANGERINE-EST FABRIC EVER. Just saw in House Beautiful and can’t wait to use it (anywhere)… like on some roman shades in a breakfast nook maybe. I can’t even.

IMG_8422

12 – THE BEST LEATHER JACKET OF ALL TIME. And the best $69 I’ve ever spent invested. I would SPRINT TO ZARA if I were you. Sizing: I’m 5’9″ / athletic build and I got a small, which is snug (but so cute), but I couldn’t wear it over a sweater – just tees & tanks.

Perfect Leather Zara Jacket
That’s all I got! …well, that’s a big fat lie but I gotsta get back to work.  Have a great weekend!!!!

Hearts & Stars,

Steph's Scanned Signature

 

A Nod to Mountain Chic

bistro-chandelier-in-kitchen-covet-living

{via}

I’ve been spending more & more time in the mountains this year – taking on a few projects in Colorado, and also splitting time between San Diego & Crested Butte.  Of the 12 projects I’m working on right now, only *one* of them is in San Diego – the rest are spread across the US, which means the aesthetic I bring to each home always has to be a little bit malleable and take a few cues from its surroundings… I’m not saying I’d ever go all vacation rental and pop a cheesy sign in the kitchen in Ohio that says “Farm Fresh Eggs, This Way!” or put a heart-shaped bed that vibrates in my Vegas project or use dining chairs made with skis in a Denver dining room.  But it is only natural that ya give a little hat tip to what’s around… or at least give it a nod. Ye know – the kind of nod the elusive hot guy in high school used to give you when he passed you in the hall that was SO subtle yet full of charisma that your stomach probably still flips when you think about it, 20-some odd years later.

Autosave-File vom d-lab2/3 der AgfaPhoto GmbH

{via}

ANYHOOSIT.  Every time I walk into a store, or cyberstalk the local designers in Colorado (yeah, I said it), I feel like it’s more of a head bang than a nod… Antler chandeliers galore (hey… they’re not all bad buuuuuuut still), all wood EVERYTHING, that way-overplayed industrial metal piping for legs on all furniture pieces and “ELK CROSSING” signs, etc etc.  I actually had a local designer who heard I was a visiting designer tell me with a scowl on her face the other day that she “hated it when young girls who have great taste waltz into town and pretend to be designers“… and then she lifted her leg and peed on the town of Crested Butte… okay just kidding on the last part.  But I just wanted to give her a hug and invite her over for coffee and be like, “oh sugar put the gloves down! I’m not the Fox Books to your Shop Around the Corner – there’s enough biz for all of us, always,” but instead I just smiled and pulled a T-Swift and let it roll on off my shoulders.  Moving along – this imposter of a floozy (that’s yours truly) has been stockpiling images I love that (I think) give a subtle Jake Ryan-esque nod to the Mountain vibe:

{antique shop counter as an island}

antique-shop-counter-as-island-mountain-decor-covet-living

{mini shades up the ante on the antler chandelier)

antler-chandy-mountain-decor-covet-living

{love this cozy nook in the same house}

breakfast-nook-mountain-decor-covet-living

{reclaimed nightstands with rusty copper pulls}

cfc-reclaimed-lumber-nightstand

{pretty please come to my living room and never leave}

peter-dunham-hollywood-at-home-chairs-covet-living-interiors

{loveliest exterior inspo I ever did see with that exterior coating, you can find information about Coolwall here}

exterior-mountain-decor-covet-living

{this one’s a pretty palette too}

birmingham-exterior-mountain-decor-covet-living

{that marble farmhouse sink makes me weak at the knees}

marble-sink-reclaimed-cabs-covet-living-interiors

{flank my front door whydontcha}

antique-copper-wall-lanterns-mountain-decor-covet-living

{love how cozy the exposed brick is… and the X-door detail}

exposed-brick-mountain-decor-covet-living

{I’ve been sweating this antique French nightstand‘s nuts for about a year now.  Maybe I should do something about that.}

antique-french-side-table-mountain-decor-covet-living

{Current favorite tile for a kitchen backsplash… updated, subtly iridescent and not even a little bit boring}

mop-backsplash-mountain-decor-covet-living

{Here she is installed.  From Clé tile.}

cle-backsplash-covet-living-interiors

{Ralph, bring on the plaid}

red-plaid-ralph-lauren-mountain-decor-covet-living

{I put this in a kitchen mock-up years ago.  I love it still.}

rocky-mountain-hardware-sink-mountain-decor-covet-living

{Look at how the backsplash becomes a wee ledge}

shiplap-backsplash-mountain-decor-covet-living

{favorite side table ever.  for any climate, anywhere.  adjustable height.}

edith-table-mountain-decor-covet-living

{exposed brick for the win}

exposed-brick-in-cabinet-mountain-decor-covet-living

{one of my favorite kitchens ever.  totally translates to the cozy rustic mountains.}

exposed-brick-in-kitchen-mountain-decor-covet-living

{live edge is about 10 seconds from being overplayed, but I love this application}

live-edge-bar-top-mountain-decor-covet-living

{antique msrocccan rugs}

moroccan-rugs-mountain-decor-covet-living

{favorite dining table in the galaxy}

oak-driftwood-pedestal-mountain-decor-covet-living

{those uppers… I’m dangerously close to wanting to do them in my own kitchen.}

obscured-glass-uppers-mountain-decor-covet-living

{what I would do in a heartbeat is that outdoor shower}

outdoor-shower-mountain-decor-covet-living

{DYING to paint any room that color.  Like my dining room.}

wall-color-mountain-decor-covet-living

{on that note.. benjamin moore’s salamander is an amazing color}

salamander-mountain-decor-covet-living

{while we’re at it, I might wanna hang this bad boy in there too}

white-milk-glass-chandelier-mountain-decor-covet-living

{this room is cozy… love the lamps, love the ceilings}

arkansas-house-mountain-decor-covet-living

{be still my heart}

bevolo-mountain-decor-covet-living

{ditto}

brass-hood-exposed-brick-mountain-decor-covet-living

{nomnomnom}

gold-hood-exposed-brick

{small but mighty kitchen}

exposed-brick-kitchen-mountain-decor-covet-living

{legit obsessed with this limestone lamp}

merlat-lamp-vc-mountain-decor-covet-living

{THESE CHAIRS….} midcentury-sirocco-lounge-chairs-mountain-decor-covet-living

{I can make this, right?}

rustic-island-mountain-decor-covet-living

{julianne hough’s bedroom… so lucious & so cozy. it’s in so cal, but it translates.}

julianne-hough-bedroom-covet-living-interiors

{you better believe I’ve just commissioned a new version of this table from my favorite trusty carpenter, Chris}

boss-coffee-table-covet-living-interiors

{be still my heart… down a long hallway? I can’t take it.}

two-light-gas-replica-sconce-covet-living-interiors

{you’ve seen me post this stair runner before – and it’s in a beach house – but I feel like the mountain vibe is sometimes a lateral move from the beach vibe… there’s a common denominator of comfort and of using materials with feel worn-in}

vintage-stair-runner-covet-living-interiors

{more of the kitchen from the 1st pic… love the slate floors, the bistro chandelier, the ceilings, the fur on the chairs}

bisto-chandy-kitchen-mountain-decor-covet-living

bistro-chandy-kitchen-2-mountain-decor-covet-living

{the stone, the doors, the lanterns, the palette – it’s perfection}

exterior-3-mountain-decor-covet-living

{needs a duvet for that comforter, but like the layers and LOVE the sconce}

fresh-farmhouse-bedroom-mountain-decor-covet-living

{from gregorius pine0… love how substantial these are}

gregorious-pineo-covet-living-interiors

{love this island that looks like it was repurposed, or handmade out back}

rustic-kitchen-mountain-decor-covet-living

{I’d give Gus’ first born for this thing. Ok that’s a lie but isn’t it rad?}

nostalgia-matte-black-range-mountain-decor-covet-living

{posted these awhile ago in a beach house post… they translate}

handmade-tabletop-covet-living-interiors

{perfect finish, perfect texture on the shade}

freya-tripod-lamp-wayfair-mountain-decor-covet-living

{mercury glass + rough hewn beams = heaven on the ceiling}

curved-black-windows-ue-lanterns-mountain-decor-covet-living

{more exposed brick}

jenny-wolf-interiors-mountain-chic-covet-living-interiors

{I could linger table side for hours in these dining chairs… on casters to boot}

low-belgian-track-arm-dining-chair

{perfectly imperfect}

vintage-turkish-kilim-mountain-decor-covet-living

{love how the ornate chandelier and casually dressy roman offsets the rusticity of this kitchen}

rustic-kitchen-ornate-chandelier-mountain-decor-covet-living

{those faded green chaises from Patrick Dempsey’s Malibu beach house = to die}

tufted-green-chaise-lounges-mountain-decor-covet-living

{I need these nightstands}

turned-leg-side-table-mountain-decor-covet-living

{tiled hood and chesterfield sofa on point}

tiled-hood-and-chesterfield-mountain-decor-covet-living

{I’d change out the pendants, but love the woven barstools and shades of greige}

shades-of-grey-kitchen-mountain-decor-covet-living

{steel & glass upper doors – sigh}

steel-and-glass-uppers-mountain-decor-covet-living

{brownstone upholstery kills it every time}
trenton-console-mountain-decor-covet-living
{urban electric is another company that can do no wrong… those pendants are killer}

ue-pendants-mountain-decor-covet-living

{look}

shaw

{#fave – from country floors… more imperfect than its Walker Zanger cousin, which I love}

walker-zanger-backsplash-mountain-decor-covet-living

{Side table that stands on its own like a boss}

zimmerman-table-mountain-decor-covet-living

{Baddest wet bar I ever did see – complete with Paul Bunyan-esque pulls}

wet-bar-mountain-decor-covet-living

{the metal + glass lantern gets a modern update when it’s done in a round shape}

ames-ingham-lighting-mountain-decor-covet-living

Last but not least… if I had my druthers and had to design a kitchen in the mountains – or anywhere, for that matter – this is what I’d do… favorite Ann Morris antiques pendants, gold hood, exposed brick backsplash (or that stunning Cle tile one at the beginning of the post), steel + glass uppers, grey/green lowers (this is Farrow & Ball’s Down Pipe, which looks more grey in real life), antique shop counter as an island, brass bridge faucet, and a leathered white macaubus countertop.  BOOM.

stephs-kitchen-covet-living-interiors

Actually I lie like a rug – one more thing… a good friend of mine and her family JYEST moved to the mountains last week, and I’m about to help a sister out and help her get her new (and STUNNING) mountain pad outfitted… so stay tuned for updates on that project!  Congrats, Nik!

Happy Saturday!

xoxo,

Steph's Scanned Signature

NOTE: Image credits all available via this Pinboard.