Transitional spaces between rooms can be tricky to furnish. Often times the furniture needs to serve dual purpose and have the ability to suit the aesthetics of both connecting rooms. I have such a space between our kitchen and dining area and found this French Display Cabinet from Kathy Kuo Home fit perfectly. I love that it will allow me a space to serve drinks, desserts, or appetizers during parties and also have fun with seasonal vignettes and decor.

This year has been filled with a generous amount of travel...both business and pleasure. The later of course being the most fulfilling and memorable. This year also marked our 15th wedding anniversary and to celebrate we decided to take an extensive trip to Europe together. Our journey included traveling to Amsterdam, Venice, Florence, Rome and several cities within the region of Tuscany. To say there was a vast amount of planning for this trip would be an understatement. But fortunately all those little details made for a very smooth holiday and incredible experiences we will both never forget.

We began our adventure with a flight from LAX to Stockholm then on to the first city on our agenda...Amsterdam! And let me just cut to the chase here...we both LOVED Amsterdam!

 Over the years, there have been countless times I've been asked for advice about my career. Depending on where the person was on their own path, the questions would range from photography advice, blogging and brand image topics, to how I got started styling, and what it takes to work with magazines and major brands. I've realized there are so many creative people wanting to pursue their passion and learn to refine and improve their own body of work. I also noticed there weren't many offerings of teaching others creative and editorial styling. Most were geared towards the wedding or floral industry and not specifically on professional styling. So after a year of contemplating the idea of helping others learn the art of styling, I've created   The Academy - A Creative and Editorial Styling Event.

I'm just going to put this out there...farmhouses have been and always will be my favorite locations to style. It doesn't matter if it's a dilapidated 100 year old home with creeky floors and vines growing out of the walls or a complete renovation that's been updated with modern conveniences - I love them all. This one I styled for Country Living is no exception. It was small with tons of windows, nestled in California wine country with a homeowner who adored simplicity. She enlisted the talents of designer Laurie Furber of Elsie Green to accomplish the task of renovating and decorating the home. And I think they struck the perfect balance of antique and new furnishings with a result that is warm and welcoming. For the dining table I created an early morning breakfast scene with casual fare and a pile of mis-matched pillows on the banquette. It ended up being my favorite shot with that gorgeous light streaming through the window panes.

One of the design elements I incorporated into building our home was the use of salvaged wood. The warmth and character it can give new construction was the main reason I chose the material. By using it sparingly in several rooms I was able to achieve the clean modern farmhouse aesthetic I was going for. It unified the home design by creating a cohesive element throughout the spaces.

For the master bathroom my vision was to have simple lines and an overall light & airy atmosphere. I designed a floating vanity made with salvaged scaffolding planks and marble counters to fit inside a recessed wall. You can see a before photo of the area in this post. Because salvaged wood can vary extensively, we had to go through each and every board in order to find enough that would work seamlessly together. This was especially important since your eye is drawn down the entire line of the vanity when you walk into the room.

Hello! I wanted to pass along one of my favorite purchases this year, a handcrafted leather tote made by local LA based leather works company 1.61 Softgoods. Seriously. Obsessed with it. The quality is impeccable. The simplicity and attention to detail are what caught my eye. It's handcrafted from a single piece of leather with modern solid brass handles, cleats, and rivets.