Bloggers beautiful abodes...Mary Ann of Classic Casual Home

 Sure hope this posts on time as I scheduled this for Monday morning while I am away. I  am being featured over at Amy Vermillion's blog today for her "Whats on my nightstand" posts...such a fun idea! Hope you will come visit me there after reading this post. Click here to visit.

Good morning! Time for another  round of "Bloggers beautiful abodes" and have I got a treat for you! So sit back and savor that cup of coffee or tea and enjoy this post full of beauty and wisdom.  Say hello to super talented........

Mary Ann of Classic Casual Home

                                     
Mary Ann is an uber talented  Newport Beach, California based designer (if she wasn't so sweet it would be easy to hate her for being lucky enough to live that California dream). She is always doing something gorgeous whether in her own beautiful home or adding her touches to  her friends ......and trust me they ALL look right out of the pages of your favorite design magazine! 

She has totally nailed the elegant coastal vibe to perfection and I am a huge fan of her work and her blog. Whether she is redoing a guest room, prepping for the most beautiful taco night I have ever seen or planning a little fete in her home...rest assured its something you want to see and take notes on!  Her blog is one I simply do not miss. Period. I feel like we are friends and know we would be fast friends if we ever meet  If you don't know of her, be sure you head over to say hello and by all means sign up.....her blog is a total keeper. Enough of me, lets hear from wonderful Mary Ann.........

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Thank you, Tina, for inviting me to tell 
you and your "enchanting readers" 
a bit about our home in 
Newport Beach, California. 

It's small, as many homes 

are on Lido Isle

(the island below on the right)

but we can walk or ride bikes 

to the beach.  

See the patch of grass on the sand?  

That is the playground for the grammar school where our son attended.

He always came home with sand in his shoes!

1. How long have you been in your present home?  Is this it for the long haul? Anything you would care to change if you could?

It's a 1950's cottage that we remodeled and moved into two and a half years ago.

I'm not sure we'll stay here forever. 

The people inside the home are what's important to me,

but this would be a comfortable place "for the long haul."  

If I could change anything, I wish we had more of a foyer...but there just isn't room.  

I do love our dutch door.

2. If you could only live in two rooms of your house, which two would be the ones?

My bedroom because I like to be lazy and

our patio has been nice to relax in lately.

3. How would you describe your decorating style?

Casual with a little French 
and classic elegance.

Both the child's corner chair and fireplace screen 

were bought at flea markets in France.

4. Do you have a favorite color scheme? What is it?

I don't really have a favorite color combination.  In my own home, I like a white backdrop so I can play with color.  I do enjoy doing all neutral interiors for others who prefer it though.

Same chairs two ways.

5. Favorite room of your house and why?

Right now, it's our guest room since I just finished it for the One Room Challenge. I stenciled the wall myself...a major feat for a non-do-it-yourselfer (but it only costed about $35).

6. Best two tips you can give to anyone looking to tackle the decorating of their own home?   

• Hire a decorator (through referrals), even to use just as a sounding board.  He/she can help keep you on track with your goals and budget.  If that's not an option enlist a friend who's taste you admire.
• Start files on Pinterest, Houzz and from magazines.  When you start to see common threads in your images, you will begin to understand your style preferences.

Best two things to NOT do?

• Don't get in over your head doing work like electrical or plumbing that is better left for the professionals
• Don't be afraid to try things...move your furniture around, mix it up (I might go a little overboard here :)

7. What do you think are the most important features for a kitchen?

My husband would say it's his stove since he loves to cook.

I like the storage in our pantry and that I can use the appliances in there and keep our counters clear.

 8.How do you like to dress up a cocktail table and console in a living room?

With books, trays, plants...

Or coral.

9.Any advice on the subject of lighting?

Dimmers, especially on overhead lighting.  

Layer with task lighting wherever you might want to read and also for ambiance.

10. Have a favorite paint color? Do tell!

I have this Benjamin Moore White Dove 
on walls throughout my house.  

11. What are a couple of really simple inexpensive things you can do in your home to make it feel "homey" and inviting?

Fruit (the lemons are from our tree), 

flowers and candles!

12. Fill in the blank- If money was no object, the very first thing I would buy for my home would be...

 a beautiful, antique Persian rug in muted tones for the living room.  Ah...someday.

Thanks so much for having me over, Tina!!!

Best wishes,

classic•casual•home

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Is she good or is she good? Mary Ann........I never tire of seeing your beautiful and welcoming  home. It is just so warm, elegant and beautifully put together and that guest room must have been done with me in mind so pencil me in for June :) By the way....that taco night I mentioned, well here it is........don't know about you but in my casa, taco night does not look like this:)

And check out the bridal  shower she threw.....are you available for my birthday in December?

Love these tomato caprese appetizers that she made......

 Thanks to everyone for stopping in and to Mary Ann for opening up her gorgeous abode for us all to marvel over! Be sure to stop over and say hello to the lovely Mary Ann, click here.

If you want to check out  my guest post over at Amy Vermillion's blog (and I do hope you will) click here.

Thanks for stopping in...have a wonderful Monday!

Orchid love....let me count the ways!

Good morning everyone!! Busy busy week this week.....ever feel like there are simply not enough hours in the day? That's how I am feeling this week! But things continue to get done. Still lots of odds and ends being tied up here but we are moving in the right direction. Will hopefully do a mini update post on the house in a few days, and of course very busy with the new online store. Have lots of orders to process and sort, there is a learning curve but I catch on quick:)

One of my absolute most favorite flowers is the beautiful orchid. So elegant and regal, it is one  of the few that as a lone flower, can stand up against the best of them. I have always loved orchids, and try to have one or two in my home at all times. They just make me feel happy and pampered, as most flowers do. I cannot think of a single flower or plant that can transform a coffee table, console, kitchen or any room for that matter like an orchid can.
It just adds instant elegance,refinement, sophistication and beauty and always works in giving that extra height to a vignette where differing heights of objects makes all the difference. So today is a tribute to the beautiful orchid plant, and clearly it works in virtually any room, any setting, any color any style! What do you think? Where and how do you like to use orchids?  Are you as crazy for orchids as I am? I most definitely have orchiditis..........

Love this gorgeous setting, perfection! Mark Sikes

Talk about luxe!! These yellow orchids steal the show, Anthony-Masterson

My old house, I always had an orchid planted in a pretty container on this console

Orchids always work on a vanity in a bathroom and in fact the humidity is good for them, Kevin Allen photography

Love the idea of a large orchid planted alongside hydrangeas in this fabulous centerpiece, Rinfret

Love the effect of having a single orchid plant in a formal powder room/guest bath, Kendall Wilkinson

In a pretty silver pot, the orchid here is an elegant way to give height to the other objects in this tonal setting, Courtney Hill Interiors

A large orchid plant and an object or two works beautifully here, Thomas Pheasant

A beautiful blue and white container holding a large orchid on a center table is a no brainer, Mary McDonald

Orchids in a kitchen or pantry? Absolutely yes! Atlanta Home mag

In pared down, calm spaces, an orchid is a wonderful touch, Jan Showers

My old house again, this was a center foyer table....this was a big orchid planted in a tall ormolu planter, it added height and beauty and gave a great sense of scale to the space

As pretty outdoors as they are in, Southern Living

Talk about making a statement when you walk in, placing an orchid in an urn on a center table is always a great idea!

The orchid here in this eclectic setting by Jenny Wolf is like the great neutralizer

When in doubt how to set up a coffee table, an orchid in a pretty container, and a stack of a few beautiful coffee table books ALWAYS works in ANY setting, I promise! Jan Showers

Love it on a small side table, it gives great drama Rinfret

Even on a small table...look at the impact the orchid gives, Jennifer Ferreira

Orchids are also wonderful on top of a mantle, LBG Interiors

Love seeing an orchid on a coffee table for some height and to make a setting interesting, Andreas Trauttmansdorff

They work in all types of rooms....how gorgeous they are in this more transitional room, Accent on Design

Catlin Wilson shows that they work in all kinds of settings, including more modern ones

Love how it looks on this pretty vanity, Graciela Rutkowski

Amazing how just a single potted orchid can add such elegance to a small setting

A big bowl of orchids and a few books are always a winning recipe for a coffee table, Robert A.M. Stern

Why not add one to an unexpected place like a closet! Taylor Hannah

Also like the idea of placing a large orchid on a sofa table/console behind a sofa, Veranda

Beautiful even on a small side table, so graceful. Plum Interiors

Proof that orchids work in any style home, even in an eclectic room like this, Knight moves

I think they always work on a console table flanked by other smaller objects, HB

They work beautifully as a stand alone tall object on a coffee table, Kips Bay showhouse

This "recipe" has worked for me time and time again. An urn or large container with a nice sized orchid flanked by two lamps on a console or side table. Instant success! Knight Carr

So what do you think? Do you have a case of orchiditis like me? Its an affliction I am afraid there is absolutely no cure for! Love them...and good news is that they have honestly become more affordable than ever. We have a few florists locally that carry really exquisite large ones that seem to outlast all the others but even Home Depot gets them for 19.99 and though they may not last as long, its a beautiful effect for a month or two....just get a little creative with your containers, and voila, you have yourself an instant pop of elegance to add to any room in your home! Wishing you a fabulous Friday.