Happy + Thankful

Below {at bottom} is the first and only professional photo I've shared of a kitchen I designed and personally oversaw with Pickwick House {my business} as the established renovation company.  I saw this project thru a complete whole home renovation that took the better part of a year.  For those of you who know and follow my work, you know that this was also 'my baby' along with the 'babies' {kids}.

I could recount in my sleep every decision, 3 hour meeting, measurement, source, appliance selection, vendor, color, finish, style, glider weight, lighting source, redo, complication, regret I had {and still had up until as of last week} over the work put into this as well as the rest of the house.  I have a design binder for the number of countless options and sketches I drew up for what was to be our family's 'forever' home.  It was a house I lived in with my five children for close to five months until as of recent.  

The 'forever' part didn't happen there, but I am counting my blessings here on the blog anyway.   Especially my children and that I didn't sell our long time Rountree home.   That is a truly happy thing.

I can tell you I am now doing really well...and YET, God is not done with me yet.   

I'm so excited for where my work will take me next and am happy to report that the following ad is taking on!  Thank you, Thank you!

I will leave you with what mom instilled in us.  She lived and breathed most all of these values {and plenty more} in her tightly run household of nine kids {my siblings who are a continual source of creative and entrepreneurial inspiration}.  I currently have this phrase written on our home's wall and hope that my kids will see these words as a call to daily action.  Everything except the 'LOUD part'.    Yelling is for house fires, in my opinion.

{Disclaimer for the rights to this image below:  Photos I share of my design work are copyrighted to Sharon Taylor Designs/Pickwick House. LLC.  The photography is by Heather Cherie Photography a and ownership was granted for printing and advertising purposes in spring of 2013}

I still have a special announcement to come for small business Saturday and Pickwick House.  Check in soon.

Happy Thanksgiving Prepping and Nesting in your kitchens!

xx

sharon

Thankful

Hello again.  It's Thanksgiving week.  What are you thankful for?    

I am so grateful for you, my clients, who have entrusted me with your homes this past year.  I feel you are an extension of family.  Thank you for allowing me the privilege of being in your home.  Thank you for also sharing with me that you enjoyed the process of making your house a home.  I know the process isn't always easy so when you can say that you find it to be enjoyable, that means I've accomplished my goal.

For whatever reason, God has allowed me to continue sailing my little boat into it's third year in my brick and mortar on Pickwick St.  That doesn't mean the sails haven't needed adjusting here and there.  "a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor."  

I definitely owe a lot of thanks to my family, neighbors, The Rountree community, and my neighboring merchants on Pickwick Street.  Your support means a lot.  I love being a part of this amazing and unique neighborhood.  I would not be here if it wasn't for you.  THANK YOU!

Here are a few more things I am thankful for.  'Words of Good' that I love from pinterest page.  These words remind me to be thankful for journeys, challenging choices, creativity, art, life AND music.  Life is beautiful, is it not?

I'll leave you with some Coeur De Pirate. She's a good reason to learn french.  Eleanor, Sylvia, and I love her. Also, this sweet video made me realize that beautiful music is sometimes all you need to beautify an empty room.

Happy Thanksgiving week to all of you and yours.  I have a special announcement for Pickwick House coming up this week...

Love and Joy to you!

xx
sharon

LOVE AND JOY!

Hi All!  I'm happy to finally be returning to this happy place once again.  It feels so good to be back after over six months!  

Doing great here and have to give you a big Thank you, oh, Thank you for your continuing support of my work at Pickwick House and the facebook page.  

Need some fast, fresh, revamping at your house for the holidays? Let us {me and side kick Neely} come and work some magic at your house. Loving fresh flowers, fruits, and seasonal greens.  And those aged marble urns of my friend/client's are perfection.

Limited time offer $50 service fee for any of the following areas in your home. Your choice of entryway, mantle, and foyer. Inquire about our other full service decor needs as well. We make it easy, and affordable for you. 

Nathalie Bearden Photography

A current project that makes me so happy with all of it's vibrant colors.   Last week, I stylized this console for a little party she was having.  Need some of those star candle holders?  We got 'em.   This client was amazing to work with.  All the pieces pictured here were vintage, revamped {painted or reupholstered}.  Don't forget, we have a library of wallpaper that is continuing to grow.  Also ask about our upholstery services.  It's all in house now!

Twin Town Studios

We've been booking some upcoming holiday bashes, cookie exchanges, crafting and birthday parties.  Call today to inquire about our amazing prices for a stylish and intimate gathering place.  

417-459-8988 

Love and Joy Come to You!

xxxx

sharon

SILVER GOBLETS w/Paper Towels

It's been a while.  How are ya'll?

*We've been moving a carload and a truckload at a time.  Across 'the pond' {one neighborhood away}.
*I've worked 'the business' throughout the time we were moving so it got pretty hairy and STILL is.
*Settled into my very first home office and have to say, it's very nice to have it so easily accessible with young children.   Yes, we are still keeping Pickwick House, and have been planning some new and exciting things to happen there.
*John-John broke his collarbone the second night we stayed in the new house.  He fell off of our new, {taller than most} beds:(
*Our samsung front loader {which is less than two years old} broke again for the umpteenth time.       {Don't ever buy a samsung.}
*We still have no dish towels.
*Will has managed to painstakingly polish all the silver goblets in our cabinets but we still have no drinking glasses.
*Our old house is basically empty.  I have been mourning it actually.  It's now time to devote some attention to that bittersweet home before flipping it.
*We hosted a party for Syl's 5th birthday less than five days after moving in.
*We co-hosted a private concert with guest performance by Austin based bluegrass acoustic sensation, 'MILKDRIVE' at Pickwick House.  It was one of the funnest nights that I can remember.
*Sylvia, Eleanor and I visited a dear friend in KC over the weekend.  She gave us the best ever VIP junkin' tour.  And we also took in some art at The Nelson .  We lived stress free for over 48 hours, went swimming, painted fingernails, shopped and ate good food.  {More girl trips are in tall order.}
*We've received a new line of hand blocked wallpapers at Pickwick House.
*Went on a rug buying trip and brought back a load of gorgeous antique tribal rugs for home and clients.
*We also snuck a family photo session in with the amazing Heather Cherie Photography.
*Hired a wonderful new assistant, and have two new interns slated to start Mid-May.
*It snowed all day long here on May 3rd!  First time since 1907.
*Cooked my first meal in the new kitchen.  Pork Roast.
*Just now checked our trash out on the curb, and rescued several items.  Lost and Found items are the best. Especially when it's tanning cream after a long, cold winter.  haha.

                                                            photo by Heather Cherie Photography
The kids love the new house.  We now just need to make it a home.

Thanks for checking in.  Oh, and the winner of the GREEN giveaway is JANE TROUP!

Be sure and stay tuned for our next giveaway.

xx
sharon

Pickwick House is a full service design/build company in the heart of the Midwest!  {Springfield, Missouri's Rountree Neighborhood}.  We handle all aspects of residential renovations from small to large projects and are available for full service and consultation design, and/or stylizing from Springfield and beyond.  Call or email us today.  We may be on location, but we'll get back to you in no time.

 417-459-8988 *sharontaylordesigns@yahoo.com

SIGNED BOOK GIVEAWAY!: {GREEN}

Hi All!  Today was supposed to be a guest post day, but I've been snowed under with work, moving, and a happy chaos.  Once we get through this week, we'll be getting some more regular content on here.  

I read a quote today, "Be like a duck.  Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath' -Michael Caine:)

As we head into Earth Day in the coming week, I will be sharing some great give aways on the blog which were donated by a few of my fave interior designer friends from across the country. Be sure to be looking for those. 

Meanwhile, my giveaway today is an autographed book, GREEN Interior Design, by author/designer Lori Dennis.  She's an interior designer extraordinaire, and HGTV personality.  She's beyond talented. 

And, while I was at Design Camp, I found her to be really hilarious, refreshing, truly authentic, as well as a huge inspiration for the green movement in Interior Design. 

Lori was recently invited to do a window at Legends of La Cienega {one of my favorite LA design events} so keep your eye out for some eye candy on that.  BTW, Lori's sister,  was also a design camp host as well.  She was a truly green delight and challenged me personally to become more green conscious too.   I'm not hugely green, but I am making little baby steps now.  We all have to start somewhere to make a difference, right?  

OKAY, NOW...  

To enter yourself in this giveaway, you must leave a comment here on the blog and name your favorite 'Green' product, 'GREEN' home project, or any type of 'walk in the forest' that made you feel 'GREEN' in a good way.  Winner to be announced after Earth Day. PSSST...Don't forget to like our Pickwick House facebook page and then also become a member of the blog! I'll be sharing some of my fave green things coming up on the blog. GO>GREEN>>>

Happy Hump DAy!

xx
sharon

WANT: MANUEL CANOVAS

I wasn't going to post today but just had to pop in to tell you that I want a LOT of stuff.  haha.  Between spring and a call for a  new wardrobe and wanting to fill our new home,  as well as client homes, I've been sourcing so much good stuff.   Especially wallpaper, pattern, and color! Currently working on finishing up a killer little girls room and her french day bed is begging for this duvet below.

It's from the new Manuel Canovas collection.  What a saucy fellow! Unmistakably French in style.  "Associated with the spirit of the 18th century yet re-interpreted with contemporary taste."  I love the unusual color way, the bold accent pink poms, and the soft, antique bed against a muted, mismatched putty-colored wall.  

Do you feel the need to refresh for spring too?  Please feel free to call me for an appointment and to see samples of all my wallpapers and fabrics.  Pricing upon request too.

Hope you're having a wonderful "ROBIN in the RAIN kinda day!"

xx
sharon

Pickwick House is a full service design/build company in the heart of the Midwest!  {Springfield, Missouri's Rountree Neighborhood}.  We handle all aspects of residential renovations from small to large projects and are available for full service and consultation design, and/or stylizing from Springfield and beyond.  Call or email us today.  We may be on location, but we'll get back to you in no time.

 417-459-8988 *sharontaylordesigns@yahoo.com

Guest Post: Holly Hollingsworth Phillips

Hi All!  

I introduce to you a wonderful new friend I made at Design Camp a few months back.  When I first met Holly Hollingsworth Phillips, she used her southern belle accent to complement my daring {Target brand} hello kitty skirt I was wearing to a cocktail, and instantly, I knew she was a girl I liked.  Haha.  

Holly is a most fab designer from Charlotte, North Carolina and recently was named by Merida as one of the ten designers to make a splash in 2013.  You can head over to Merida's open studio blog HERE to read their feature and learn more about what the 'big dogs' are singing about.   

What I love about Holly's expressive style is that she makes beautiful spaces out of art and antiques and can go from ultra modern and funky to a sweet twist on traditional.  

I recently asked her if she'd guest post about something she's currently loving that's 'Green'.  I thought it would be appropriate as we are leading up to Earth Day.  

Okay, so be sure check out her blog, of course, her highly addictive pinterest page, and for sure, follow her IG.  She posts gorge stuff!  I especially love that her creative talent is evident in her kids work.  Recently she posted a wallpapered room, that was created out of her 6 year old daughter, Gigi's, artwork that was incredible!  Talent runs thick and deep in her southern family.

Um, yes, that's Holly sitting in her vibrant and cool office below. Tres Chic, she is, indeed.  I'm pulling infinite inspiration from this young lady and mama of three!

Photo by Chris Edwards

Okay, Holly, take it away!...

It is hard trying to be aesthetically pleasing and green at the same time. There are a few vendors and fabric manufacturers who put an emphasis on this but, they are still few and far between. Well, that is not the case with Rubie Green. This company is based in the US and founded by the talented Michelle Adams of Lonny fame. She started this boutique fabric house to fill a void in the market that combined good environmental practices with aesthetics and what a bang up job she did. With no further adieu I introduce you to Rubie Green.

“It's a barefoot walk in the sand; it's a lazy afternoon nap, and it's your first sight of the Mediterranean coast. It's life at its simplest, and nature in its wordless beauty. 

“Here at Rubie Green, our mission is to dress your surroundings in fabrics that represent vitality, energy, comfort and style, all while maintaining respect to the environment by using only 100% organic cotton. We believe in classic designs that are familiar to every decade, re-vitalized in an eco-friendly manner. We know that natural does not mean boring, and that interiors make a house a home.

Our team performed months of research, attended trade shows and participated in conferences to find what we believe is the most eco-friendly printing method available. Our upholstery fabrics are made of 100% certified organic cotton, which is whitened without bleach and printed here in the US. We print with water-based, non-toxic inks that contain no volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), and utilize a printing process that minimizes water consumption. In fact, the factory uses only one gallon of water per day! This was an exciting discovery for our team as water plays such an integral role in most other methods of printing. We also wanted to avoid fabric waste so we decided to print only on demand, using heat and pressure to finish our fabrics instead of chemicals.”

Here is the wonderful range of fabrics available in the collection. I am quite partial to the Jackie and the Mary. Roar!

You can shop Rubie Green upholstery fabrics, pillow covers and accessories HERE.  Bravo to this fantastic company! Lets hope for the future of out children and the planet more vendors can go green while staying pretty. 

*****************************************

And, it's Sharon here, popping back in to say:  Thanks so much, Holly!  I am SO glad you storied Rubie Green, as I've long been a fan of Lonny mag, and the passionate-visionary creator, Michelle Adams.  BRAVO to her for her 'go-green-go-fresh' style!

For those of you locals, here in the Springfield area, I actually have had many of these beautiful Rubie Green sample fabrics here at the studio for awhile now that I am just dying to use.  Aren't they so pretty?  What are your faves?  I love the Marilyn and the Megan a lot.

If you're just visiting my site for the first time, or maybe stopping in as an occasional visitor, I'm so happy to have you!  I invite you to join my blog and become a member.  And once you become a member, be sure and stay tuned, because soon and very soon, you will be able to enter for the chance to win some special giveaways from some of our guests. Browse yourselves around on all the blog buttons I've posted at the top too.  Facebook, Pinterest, and IG:-)

xx
sharon

Pickwick House is a full service design/build company in the heart of the Midwest!  {Springfield, Missouri's Rountree Neighborhood}.  We handle all aspects of residential renovations from small to large projects and are available for full service and consultation design, and/or stylizing from Springfield and beyond.  Call or email us today.  We may be on location, but we'll get back to you in no time.

 417-459-8988 *sharontaylordesigns@yahoo.com

MOVING HAS BEGUN!

MOVING has begun!  Last week we shuffled a bunch of files from my studio office to the home office, so at the moment, all of my necessities are in three different locations.  {Luckily within a two mile radius and luckily the weather is cooperating charmingly swell-like.}  

I could go on and on about all the things in limbo on the home front at the moment, but will keep it simple and just say...moving can get very ugly.  Currently, AT&T is giving us a run for our money and we still have no wireless connection after calling all of our techie friends and countless hours on the phone with technical support.  I would love to hire someone to specifically make the ever-dreaded and lengthy, elevator-ish-musical calls to AT&T! 

All this to say, I will not be posting as regularly, but will give you something to tide you over with some really awesome guest posts on occasion from designer friends of mine.    The first one will post tomorrow!

Stay tuned and Happy Spring, my friends!  {Picture above is from a photo shoot last year with some of my favorite things:  baby in stripes + teak + chunky crystal rocks + midcentury cubist chairs + zebra print + elephant ears}  I cannot wait to share our new home with you.

Thanks again, for stopping in.   We sure do love and appreciate all your support!!

xxxx

sharon

HOUSE UPDATES: Wainscoting, Stairs, Hallway

Hi All!  I hope you had a wonderful Easter weekend.  We sure did!  Will's mom made an incredible meal as always and we had good times with both sides of the family.  Here's an update on the house.  A before and after.  I'll start with the 'after' first, because it just feels SO good:)

80's style brass fixtures before.  This picture comes nowhere close to letting you see the muck that was on the walls and floors.  Dark, dark, nicotine stained walls and ceilings.

Notice the cut out in the left wall.  That was for the door bell system and gongs.  We took that system out and drywalled over the cut out.  

This is right after Will ripped out the nasty hunter green carpet that ran the length of the hallway and stairs.  I'm sure Will has a nastier 'before' pic somewhere.  I'll have to dig for more of those yucky befores.  Anway, I'm laughing at the tensed hands in this pic, {those are Will's hands}.  I'm sure he was giving a house tour to someone, here, and he's explaining the severity of the grossness of the house.  Haha!  See those dark spots on the floor in the background and also the one in the foreground.  Those are just some of the dog pee stains.  The dogs were mostly holed up in the background hallway.  The owner had the dogs mostly barricaded back there, which is one of the main reasons we chose to go with darker floors. 

Justin getting started on the wainscoting.  

This pic was taken from the back hallway looking toward the front door.  

All the baseboards were ripped off, but we saved them and re-used them.  

First coat of paint on the risers and the wainscoting.  

After the floors were stained and the most of the paint touch ups are done!

Sorry this pic is so blurry.  It was evening time.  Notice the baby waterfall chandeliers.  Will found those.  I think they are perfect!  Also notice we painted the front french door black.  We have a matching baby chandelier in the little foyer just beyond that door that didn't turn on.  That's why it looks so dark.  

Anyway, I hope to have pics up soon on the blog.  I hope you enjoy seeing the progress we're making.  

Have a wonderful springy week!

xx

sharon

Easter Week Updates

Hi there. There's rarely enough time in the day to update you with all that's going on w/Pickwick House.  I have been running on fumes and thought I'd take a quick moment to update you with some eye candy.  

The kitchen faucet at our house was finally installed yesterday.  I love it so very, very much. I know Jesus turned water into wine, but I really think this faucet could too.  haha.  Maybe even chocolate {as one of my friend's mentioned}.  Chocolate's a more suitable option with it being Easter and all.  Haha.  

One of my clients is getting a whole home overhaul.  Today, we are making progress on her little girls bedroom and here's a sweet little daybed we purchased from Talula's {a new antique store right next door to Pickwick House}.  Anthonette, the amazingly talented owner of Talula's, reinvented an old canopy bed.  It will be perfect as a reading nook and also for her and her friends to cozy up on with stuffed animals and sweet bolster pillows.

Anthonette also paints furniture to your specification if you wish.  She does it for a nominal fee and I think this color pink called {pink gypsy} from Benjamin Moore makes it for an even more fantastic reinvention for Anna's room.  

The roman shades came back too short from the work room, but the panel top edging is the creme de la creme, don't you think?  So tailored and crisp.  

I was unable to make it to the second install of these puppies yesterday, but this is the picture sent to me from the client.  Do you notice something different?  Something very, very wrong?  If you guessed the edging, you guessed right. Sigh. Not such a happy install, especially since we waited weeks for these to come back.  But, hopefully third time's a charm.  Sometimes you just have to wait for a good thing.  

Hope you are having a good week.  Can't wait for a spring like return of weather, can you?

xx

sharon

BREAD & BUTTER

Good afternoon everyone!  I put together as close as I could the style board for our kitchen. As you may already know,  we are doing an all white kitchen with white appliances.  We were aiming for the classic style that the old house calls for.  We're doing just a regular white subway tile from Home Depot with the charcoal grout.   All the walls will be tiled midway up the wall, and then the range wall will be tiled from the countertop to ceiling.  We'll have carrara marble countertops, and a farmhouse apron front sink.  With it being all white and a LOT of tile, I know it might sound cold.  So I'm thinking we'll warm it up a bunch with warm woods, brass and aged silver trophies, oriental rugs, and other warming accents.

The kitchen is almost done.  Just waiting on the custom made brass etageres, some finishing paint touch ups, and extra tile work.  Our metal worker's boss recently had two unthinkable tragedies hit...his house was burned to the ground and within a few weeks, his daughter {a mom to four young children}, was killed in a car accident.  SO sad.  Unthinkable really.  Prayers for that family.  It's also been extra hard on our metal worker's work load too, who's wife is newly expecting and their young son has a disability.

I'm extremely grateful for the craftsmen and have come to love each one of them like family.  It's been a real pleasure. They have aimed hard to please and have worked with us on costs as well, in an effort to help us make our home a nice one that we can share with our readers and future clients.

I will tell you that our kitchen is nowhere close to the costs some might expect.  We sourced everything and every craftsman to the best of our researching abilities and hopefully it will pay off.  We didn't choose the local cabinet making company that carries a widely known name and a high dollar price tag.  And surprisingly, the marble we went with, is a marble that is comparable in price to any granite we could have gone with.   Oh, and the brass bucket you see pictured here is one I found at a local flea market for $19.  I found it retailing on OKL today for $450!  All this to say, yes, it might look and sound expensive or lavish, but in reality, we didn't break the budget like one might think.   We took the time to try to give it a thoughtful and reasonable renovation.

I hope to share pics soon.

Thanks so much for stopping in today!

xx
sharon

Pickwick House is a full service design/build company in the heart of the Midwest!  {Springfield, Missouri's Rountree Neighborhood}.  We handle all aspects of residential renovations from small to large projects and are available for full service and consultation design, and/or stylizing from East to West Coast.  Call or email us today.  We may be on location, but we'll get back to you in no time.

 417-459-8988 *sharontaylordesigns@yahoo.com