Lofty Styles

Decorating is an art but it is also a craft. There are formulas, techniques, proven ways things work, there is a color wheel, there are styles to consider and shapes to juxtapose and scale to balance. While looking through magazines for inspiration is critical, actually walking through rooms in person will help refine your skills and ultimately make all the difference in the world. In person, you'll see the little things, the details, the finishes, the texture, the lighting, the techniques used and the properties of the materials chosen.

So, as we walked through downtown Birmingham's revived Loft District last weekend on the Loft Tour which benefits the Literacy Council, I came back with a heightened appreciation for DETAILS. It's ALL in the details. The details offer refinement that is observed through all of your senses as well as through observation. Attention to detail is what put these spaces at the top of my list and are forever etched in my memory. (Well, photographs help remind me!)

Take look:

The beautiful shape and aged texture of the mirror paired with the clean lines of the sink basin and countertop are a perfect compliment. The sconces highlight the mirror as the best design feature and add warmth to this tiny personal space.

Repeating shapes and textures down this long narrow corridor (which is also the entryway) adds depth, breaks up the monotony of a long, plain wall, but it also draws you in, giving you something to look forward to as you move along. You want to see what's at the other end, don't you?!!!

Okay - this by far my favorite feature! This light fixture is made of zip ties! It is absolutely stunning!! Hanging from 20ft. ceilings, this fixture is about 4 ft tall and hangs over the dining room table. The red accent walls help showcase this glowing cylinder of plastic fur. Don't you just love it!!

Lunch break at Urban Standard - Oh My! Located at 2320 2nd Ave North.
What a treat! Way to go Urban Standard!!! You've got style, atmosphere, incredible cupcakes and a mouth-watering menu! Cheers!

Industrial strength wall unit - very clever. Very adjustable. And look how they're using their wall unit to frame their artwork! Great use of materials and space.

3 snaps for this loft's designers!!! Talk about detail (this is the same loft with the ziptie light)... lime green pops in pillows, plants, and side tables against taupes and whites. The geometric pattern in the rug makes me think of cobblestone - altogether a great space!

Can you say 'scale'? Look at the size of these floor lamps! They have to be 6 ft tall (is that normal for a floor lamp?) The oversized shade works well in this beautifully appointed living space!

Outside living rooms are just as important as the ones inside. Comfortable seating, attention to detail - it doesn't have to be fancy, just practical and thoughtful.

Simple and elegant. I'd love to stay in this guest room, wouldn't you?

If your crib is still rockin' to the 80's with dated fabrics, colors, furniture and appliances - and you want hip, swank, cool, refined style for your nest... inspiration is everywhere! And pay attention to the details!

You can tell the lofts on this tour where designed and appointed by professionals. It is not just an art, but a honed craft, a trained eye and experience.

Want to get some professional help redesigning a room in YOUR home?? Check out www.stagemynest.com

Cloth Napkins (greener AND decadent!)

You may not believe this, but I actually experience JOY (and I do mean utter happiness) when using CLOTH NAPKINS. Unfortunately, I have been treating my cloth napkins like my fine china and would only pull them out when I had company and then ONLY IF the occasion warranted such refinement.

In my efforts to GO GREEN and get my carbon footprint smaller, I've discovered using cloth napkins EVERY DAY...at EVERY meal! I'm a textile person and I LOVE fabric - so of course I have a drawer full of cloth napkins.

Now, I even stack them on the buffet in my kitchen for easy reach. They can even make a style statement (see photo)! Try putting them in a basket on your counter or stack a few on your kitchen island.

Today, I am joyfully feeling, smelling and savoring each of my tiny hemmed textiles! No guilt. It's green. And I'm thrilled.

Look for 100% Cotton napkins (or cotton/linen blend) made with a nice hem and mitered corners.
Here are a few that we have at The Nesting Place.




















Go Green! check out this Carbon Footprint Calculator and find some great tips on living, working and being more GREEN.

* In the the photo above:
Pottery by Donna Steele - a Birmingham pottery artist from whom I purchased these fabulous platters at The Magic City Art Connection (held each spring in Linn Park, downtown Birmingham). Sorry, Donna, I couldn't find your website.

Shepherd print came from Molly & Max a dog boutique in Cahaba Heights, 205-977-5999! My favorite doggie shop...they have prints of all kinds of breeds. Frame from The Nesting Place.

My antique buffet is FULL of table linens...some antique, some just old, some fabulously new!

QUICK TIP: store some great smelling candles in your linen drawer and all of your fabrics will smell glorious when you pull them out! Be sure to wrap your candles in paper towels and then again in plastic to make sure the colored wax doesn't bleed onto your linens.

Summer's HERE!!!!

I've discovered that mornings are best experienced earlier rather than later. And there's nothing more peaceful than getting out into fresh air first thing. I'm blessed to have a great park right across the street from my front door and my German Shepherd, Savannah, and I go there just about every morning to greet the sun.

The park was empty today when we arrived. She knows the word 'PARK' and if she could talk I'm sure she'd say it every time I walk through the front door. It's her favorite place to go and I don't blame her. It's one of my favorites, too! Today we walked...Savannah explored her exaggerated territory, I dreamed and talked to God. And today, I heard God talk to me:"Terri, there are many things I have planned for you to do - I want to show you them all, so I'll start with a few inspirations.

1. Create spaces and events that foster relationships - after all, relationships are the most important thing you have in this world.

2. Play outside and wherever possible bring the outside in - I created it all for you to enjoy, let it feed your soul."




At The Nesting Place, we're teeming with ideas, creativity, events, people and places that will inspire you and draw you out!

Throw a dinner party on your deck! Take a walk in the park! Why not have a picnic? Create spaces in your home that elicit emotion! Be a FUN guest when you're invited to someone's home!



We're leading the procession into summer - and we would like you to join us! Visit our store and let any one of our gift gurus and decorating professionals help!

Look for upcoming posts about picnics, staging your home for living, gardening, southern hospitality, party planning, home decorating, fun places to go, people you need to meet and more!

Let's roll...

A Whimsical Garden

It makes me happy to see sculpture and art tucked in and around a garden. I found this frog prince in a Florida garden blowing water kisses into the air! It's fairytale-ish and dreamy...and I guarantee it speaks to the little girl in every woman.

Garden art adds interest and character to a garden....and it makes a great gift, too. Metal and wrought iron are good choices, and you can find colorful birdhouses, glass globes, bird feeders and more! Just have fun with it and pick stuff that makes you smile.

Closet Conditioning - Be a Diva!

I love the change of the seasons for lots of reasons, but doing the 'closet exchange' isn't one of them! I dread that part. Really dread it. My sweet little 1945 'cottage' just doesn't measure up to the lofty closet expectations of today (what - did people really not have more than 3 changes of clothes per family member?!)

So this year, after living with two big plastic tubs of last year's clothes in the middle of my bedroom floor, I decided to think differently. I decided to PRETEND I DID have a huge closet that ooozed order and aesthetics. I was pumped!

I used to keep 'favorite' clothes right in the middle of the racks...but that's how other things got lost 'oh, I forgot I even had that!'

Okay, Think DIVA!!!
1. PARE DOWN: really don't keep things you haven't worn all season - REALLY, DON'T. It makes looking into your closet depressing when you wake up every morning and have to say to yourself 'All I have is outdated or doesn't fit.' If you throw it out, you won't be depressed looking at it. And it makes everything hanging in your closet a viable choice. = Happy Heart = Good Mood!

2. PARE DOWN AGAIN: as you start to hang things back into your closet from the tubs in your floor...really don't hang anything that A. doesn't fit or B. you don't love. Trust me, just don't. You want EVERYTHING in your closet to be a good choice. If that top is the only one that goes with that skirt, and you really don't like that top - you really should just buy another top or get rid of the skirt - you won't be happy in it anyway. = Avoid Early AM Mood Setback!

3. GROUP BY COLOR...NOT by 'FAVORITE': You'll not only find what you're looking for more quickly, you'll also NOT loose things in the back of the closet anymore....AND you will actually find yourself making choices based on your mood (happy colorful, sleek dark and classy, crisp white). It feels like a treat! = Spring in Your Step!

4. SHOES by function: I used to group shoes by 'favorites', too. But this year I decided to go by function. And this WORKS, too! All my flats are together, cause every girl knows you pick your shoes based on the pants you just put on (longer pants = heels; shorter pants = flats). Now you won't loose shoes in the back of your closet either!

And truly it makes everything feel like you have more! Put on your 'diva' hat, and get busy organizing your closet the way any style-conscious fashionista would! And look at the style in this closet makeover!! And why not?

A Walk In The Park

Wow! Learning to Blog is fun but it certainly is no walk in the park! I prefer actual parks with trees, dogs, birds and clouds. ;) My affection for all things creative, beautiful and powerful draw me out and make me dream big dreams. Hopefully here we can travel some together and learn a thing or two along the way. Observation is the key to understanding and 'Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom...' Psalm 111:10

Welcome to my blog...I can't wait to show you what I see!