Design

Collections: Birds

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Birds have been popular in home design throughout history. In our home, most of our birds are mid-century hand-me-downs from Joan and her mother, Elsie. Regardless of a home's style (vintage, rustic, traditional or modern), birds add a touch of whimsy. Here are some easy ways to incorporate birds to your home decor:

1. Pick up some bird books from your local bookstore. 2. Visit Etsy and search for birds. There are thousands of options from jewelry to art to ceramics to crafts. 3. Ceramic birds and linens are easily sourced from flea markets, antique malls and estate sales. If you prefer new, Anthropologie often carries cute options. 4. Attend local art sales to search for artists who use birds in their work. 5. Purchase bird-inspired stationery. You can order our bird stationery here. 6. Visit your local garden center to shop for yard art or a wind chime that features birds. If you prefer the real thing, you might consider a bird feeder, house or bath.

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For more bird inspiration, visit our Going to the Birds Pinterest Board.

Do you use birds in your home decor?

 

Jessica and Nick's Wedding Suite

When I first met with bride-to-be Jessica back at the beginning of the year, I asked her what design motifs she liked best. Her list included preppy, navy and white, chevrons, stripes and a monogram. Above all, she wanted something that felt timeless but would work for a summer beach wedding. The wedding suite that resulted combined all of those requests. The bright white and navy were a perfect combination of timeless and preppy, and the monogram fit the look she wanted perfectly. In order to keep the invitation itself more traditional, she opted to include the chevron pattern on a custom envelope liner. The back of the RSVP card features a large version of the same monogram, which, along with the chevron liner, is the first thing a guest sees when they open the envelope. By matching the envelope color, liner color and invitation color, we were able to create a seamless look. The finishing touch was professional calligraphy that was completed locally.

Personally, I love the way the liners turned out and am excited to try different color and pattern variations for future projects. What motif would you put on a liner?

Need help with wedding or event invitations? Click here to contact us about your next paper project!

Navy and White Monogram and Chevron Wedding Suite

Navy and White Monogram and Chevron Wedding Suite

Navy and White Monogram and Chevron Wedding Suite

Navy and White Monogram and Chevron Wedding Suite

Recent Design Sneak Peek

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What is more classic for a summer wedding than navy and white? For this wedding that is taking place by the beach, the bride envisioned a very traditional and timeless look for her invitation suite. We started by discussing her favorite motifs, and she listed crabs, stripes, chevrons and a monogram among her preferences. After creating some mockup designs of each motif, she selected a circle monogram and chevron print. The final wedding suite will include flat invitations, reception cards, RSVP postcards, navy envelopes and custom navy and white chevron liners.

Below is a mood board of some of the designs that were featured in the suite. We'll share images of the finished suite very soon! classicchevronsmoodboard

Collections: Sheet Music

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My dad recently passed along his collection of vintage sheet music, which seemed perfect for a collections post during a week when we're gearing up to list our home. Many of our collections are temporarily in storage, so they might be absent from the blog for a while. We'll bring them back as soon as possible! Take a peek at the typography, the colors and the illustrations...aren't they amazing? If you look closely, you'll see several pieces have their original owner's name on them in the most perfect penmanship, as well as the date. When I look at them, I imagine a family gathered around a piano, all singing the songs together. So charming!

I have plans to hang these pieces together as a collection. The quality is amazing. It's incredible to think several of them are 100 years old -- they certainly don't look like it.

That thought also makes me wonder -- what will future generations be hanging on their walls 100 years from now? What will inspire them?

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