Jessie James Hoboken

So, in a "meeting of the minds" last night... Jessie James, an edgy and luxurious women's boutique, decided to begin a COMPLETE TRANSFORMATION at their Hoboken store location.

We're not talking just a face-lift here, folks! The owner, Jessica Caulfield, is looking for something bold, something new, something innovative and fresh for her retail store. Jessica wants to give her shopper's the "experience" she knows they are longing for when they enter her store and she's ready to take chances!

We'll start by removing every rack in the ENTIRE STORE. Floors will be sanded down, aged, and sealed. All of the walls will get a fresh new coat of CHALK BOARD PAINT! That's right, ALL of the walls.... we're obsessed with the look and feel of this muted black and we know it will give the space a more intimate and cozy feel. Plus, when she has sales, wants to promote something, or feels the need to share a story with customers... she can simply write it on the wall with chalk! Not a "BRAND NEW" idea per se, but still a bold (and we think wonderful) choice for a retail store. We are excited to see the transformation! We'll top everything off with new custom industrial pipe racks and reclaimed wood shelving (you better believe Capsule Furniture is excited)! We can't wait to share the "before & after's" with you... but in the meantime, here are some inspirational photos to get your blood pumpin'.

Inspirational photos are from: Alkemie, House and Home, & sfgirlbybay

Flea Market Style Magazine

Just when you think you've seen it all....

FLEA MARKET STYLE MAGAZINE.... WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN MY WHOLE LIFE? Or where have I been your whole life? Ha

Either way, while home in Arkansas at our beloved Wal-Mart... This magazine jumped out and grabbed me! Sure, the cover is a little girly, but as soon as I opened the first page I walked straight to the check-out! If you haven't picked it up, GO GET IT NOW! It's full of inspiration, DIY tips, and wonderful design.

For more inspiration you can also check out Flea Market Style's official blog by Senior Editor Heather Bullard.

Blog Hiatus- Sorry 4 Partyin'

Apologies to EVERYONE for our absence.... a momentous occasion required all of our time, energy, money and life for the past 2 weeks... but dang was it worth it!

So, here is a teaser.... and there will be many more pics to follow that document our GLORIOUS DAY! It was the perfect day all around and although we did much of the work ourselves, we wouldn't have had it any other way! We hope that our DIY wedding was inspiring to all those who attended, and we are anxious to receive feedback from our fellow bloggers, friends, family and fans!

So, let's jump right into it! We've now missed blogging about the past 3 episodes of Design Star, but I'll re-cap quickly and try to focus on the most recent drama! ha

Episode 4- Dan goes home... obviously upset... I felt that I still had a lot more to bring to the theoretical Design Star table... but hey, you only get 1 shot and as I said in my previous blog... there is no 'I' in team, but there is DEFINITELY one in Design Star! At the end of the day I feel like I put my best foot forward... I had A BLAST doing this show... everyone involved.. from camera men & women, to producers, the cast, the sound people... I mean seriously, I cannot tell you how impressed I was with the morale and professionalism.... On the other hand, I was the 2 year old stirring up trouble the whole time and talking too much, so I must say thanks to all of you for entertaining and babysitting me! Bye bye band-aid dan! :(

Moving on..

Episode 5- Firehouse! R u friekin kidding me? So mad I didn't get to partake in this... I have two good buddies (1 in AR and 1 in NC) who are firemen... and these guys DESERVE a refuge more than anyone... the firehouse is basically their home 1/2 of the time, so it's important that they have a nice place to relax. This Season has been ITCHING for some "give back, feel-good flavor"... and they definitely delivered with the firehouse!

At the end of the day I think most of the American public was just glad to see Nina go home... I on the other hand, was happy to see Casey's mural... she had definitely been hiding her AWESOME ARTISTIC TALENT up her sleeve and I think she picked the right time to display it... Alex did a nice job too, but Casey's mural to me was far more inspiring.

NEXT.....

Episode 6- DOUBLE ELIMINATION!! Never saw it coming, but I think it came at a good time in this competition. Tom agreed that he had challenged himself in ways he never thought possible, and felt it might be his time to go... what a great man, full of charisma and excitement and WORDS! I understand what he was trying to do with the whole "spa blue" idea, but in this competition you don't experiment painting walls and ceilings crazy dark colors w/ no natural lighting in the space... it's doomed for dark dungeonville. Stacey also seemed happy to go home as long as she beat out Nina! I don't think this was her best challenge and after seeing her emotional breakdown before her hosting video, quite frankly, I think she was just plum wore out! haha

The Red team's room- a complete disaster! NOTHING in that room said trump, or luxury, or even good design besides the chairs uncomfortably sitting around the breakfast table! Sorry, I know that's rude and unlike me... but I was pretty disappointed in my former teammates.
To the winning team- the Blue squad. I have to say I wasn't OVERLY impressed with their design either.... It was clean, modern and much more livable and elegant than the red team's, but that's not saying much! I was impressed with the RISK they took... Michael taking on that table, Casey doing crown molding (GREAT IDEA... I wish I could've helped... oh wait, that's what got me ELIMINATED! HAHA)... All in all, I LOVED the blue team's furniture selection... their ability to mix styles and make them work, the artwork, and what all of them did with their souvenirs... That's what made this challenge SO STINKIN' HARD... NOTHING about those souvenirs screams Trump... Alex did a good job with his pillow, but I felt it was rather underwhelming for him to come out on top in this challenge... and, it seemed like he spent MOST of his time working on it... but hey, that could just be film editing! Either way, Emily did a good job with her artwork (that's what the red team was missing). Michael's table idea I loved and i think if he had a little more time, that it.. and his souvenir lamp would have really made a statement! Casey's artwork above the bed was also a good interpretation of her souvenir that added some metallic luxury to the space.
Good job Blue team... difficult challenge with the parameters... YOU SUCK for getting to shop at ABC CARPET & HOME.... that's my FAVORITE STORE HANDS DOWN EVER ANYWHERE!... I'm sure the budgets were tough, but you did a nice job with your big purchases... and were able to add your own "personal touches" at the end with accessories and art work!

Welp... that's all I have for now... I'm glad we're caught up on the show and I can't wait to share more about the wedding and my experiences back in AR with you!

"I love you guys"...

Charming Broadhurst House

I apologize for neglecting everyone of inspirational photos for the past few days... It's good to be home in Arkansas... but between wedding planning, interviews, catching up with friends and family and dealing with the "buzz of being eliminated" from HGTV's Design Star... my cup OVERFLOWETH! ha

So, this comfy Broadhurst home should hopefully put your soul at ease... I know it has mine! The design seems so effortless and soothing. This is the kind of place that says, "come, kick off your shoes, relax, and throw all of your cares out the window!" Which is a VERY NICE dose of medicine right now.

I will soon be blogging about "life post elimination".... but for now, I'm going to curl up and read a book because my blog has encouraged me to do so.

The Crazy Bunch!

Down to 9 "YA'LL"!!!

I know... this pic is creepy..... but those TV's that turn off when "your show has been cancelled" as Clive used to put it, have always reminded me of the Brady Bunch or Hollywood Squares or something.... Plus, I have to show-off my photoshop skills every once in a while! haha

I apologize ahead of time for any of you who are Brady Bunch lovers.... I am in no way trying to "de-face" their perfect image!

Anyways... what was the point of this blog? oh yeah, DESIGN STAR!!!

Here we go... ROUND 4! Can "the ladies + Dan" (btw... that has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?) carry our momentum from last challenge into this one?

I had a great time with my girls last week... and although things got a little crazy as it came down to the wire... I think that overall, we worked well as a team! This week may prove to be a little bit more difficult as we move back indoors.... One thing is for sure... the boys have learned a hard lesson about measuring furniture before they buy it, and not to get too bogged down incorporating their "individual" designs without considering how it will work for the overall "team" design.

It's not as easy as it seems, and with STRONG PERSONALITIES, competitive spirits, and a panel of judges who can only evaluate what the finished product looks like... you can bet that YOU'D BETTER FIGHT FOR EVERY INCH OF SPACE you can get!

What'd you say, "there is no 'I' in TEAM? ... " Well, there is DEFINITELY an I in DES'I'GN STAR....

So, if you notice... most of what I've said in the last 3 paragraphs seems to be contradictory... WELCOME TO THE PARTY!

The only true answer to our Reality Design Dilemma .... BALANCE. Which is a loose translation for ...

haha... honest truth... that phrase is the 1 thing that I said on camera during the WHOLE SHOW where I thought to myself "they will DEFINITELY be putting that on TV!"

I can't take credit for "patching" this team back together though... each girl made their own individual contribution to the overall finished space. They learned a lot from the previous challenge... and it was EVIDENT as soon as I stepped onto this team, that they ALL knew what was at stake, and were willing to do what it took to win...... Well, they did it, and I was a proud piece of the puzzle. A good southern gentleman always stands by his lady (or ladies in this case)... haha

Anyway, this week is just as much fun as last... and it "takes me back to my childhood"... which is always a fun trip! You can bet your bottom dollar the boys are ready to redeem themselves, though... so it'll be a FIGHT TO THE FINISH!

Enjoy Episode 4 of Design Star Season 5. I'll be right there on the couch with ya, waiting to see what happens!

A Tuscan Farmhouse

These three pictures are CONFIRMATION that I must move to Tuscany, now!... I mean, who doesn't want to live in Tuscany anyways... and with a farmhouse like this, we're sold!

The kitchen.... ABSOLUTELY CHARMING! I can't say enough about it: it seems effortlessly lived in, and overflowing with stories of grandma baking cookies in her BLUE oven! The brick paver floors are probably tough to clean, but ground this space and give it even more rustic charm.

The dining room is the perfect balance of comfort, style, and charm... the whole space wreaks of history w/ the aged plaster walls, exposed white beam ceilings and wide plank hardwood floors... and we also love the crystal chandeliers ... they bring a sense of formality to the space.

The pictures are from the Australian magazine Inside Out.

Roche Bobois

This French Designer does it all.... I just spent HOURS going back through all of his designs and amazing furniture collections... This is just a SMALL sampling of the inspiration we derived from Roche Bobois.

So diverse, yet so talented... Roche appeals to everyone with any style or taste-level! haha The creme de la creme of designers..... we've interpreted his collections as follows: LES CONTEMPORAINS (vibrant, avant garde pieces), LES PROVINCIALES (furniture influenced by exotic destinations), and LES VOYAGES (french inspired furniture adapted to today's lifestyle)...

A gorgeous renovation... never judge a book by it's cover!

HAPPY THURSDAY & HAPPY JULY EVERYONE!!!

This renovation was done by interior designer Christian Speck of Formzone and is a PERFECT EXAMPLE of how a timeless treasure can be preserved for many years to come, without having to sacrifice modern-day conveniences!

Although the decor is a little modern for our taste, we can't help but appreciate how the pristine white walls perfectly complement the rustic wood and stone elements. To top it all off, the location is incredible and the character of the facade is endearing!

For some reason (chiefly cost) .... and it pains me to say this, but Americans tend to destroy and re-build rather than preserve.... something I think we'll regret in the not so distant future! In the meantime...I'll continue to make furniture! :)