All posts tagged: midcenturymodern

Gild Hall

Published by Karen Knox

I wasn’t planning on writing a post about our honeymoon. I mean, it’s not really any of your business now is it? But I couldn’t not go on a little bit about how deliciously handsome our hotel was. Especially seeing as I have more photos of the hotel than anything else. Gild Hall “Amid the iconic gold and brass of Wall Street NYC, you’ll find leather and bone of an Aspen country house, by star designer Jim Walrod.” Not only named after its location on Gold Street within the Financial District of Manhattan, Gild Hall opened just before the financial bubble burst on Wall Street which is only a few blocks away. Gild Hall is located in a tall brick building formerly occupied by a Holiday Inn. Not that you’d ever guess when entering the two-story reception. You’re immediately hit with some gasp-worthy design, including an antler chandelier, animal hide rugs, mid-century leather furniture and dark wooden walls lined with vintage photography and books galore. Checking in. Checking subway updates. A reflection into the lobby. And my husbandado waiting patiently whilst i’m faffing about with …

The Drawing Room

Published by Karen Knox

I have news. News of the exciting variety. It’s about this room: I introduced this Edwardian property earlier this month. You can have a wee catch up here. Since then we have made massive progress with the renovation and re-design of this room. Huge in fact. The first bit of news is the wallpaper has been agreed. The feedback from the last blog post was fantastic. Everyone loved the wallpaper (how couldn’t they?) but there were some of you with reservations about it being on every wall. And I get that, it’s certainly a bold move. After a few days letting it sink in and letting them mull over it, they’ve decided. They’re going all out and have agreed to Ferm Living’s Lines wallpaper around the whole room. I am so excited, it’s going to look amazeballs. Pics courtesy of the homeowners Secondly, the homeowners have been super busy since moving in having already knocked a wall down upstairs (loving their attitude) and ripped the carpets up downstairs to reveal these glorious floorboards in their front …

The Vintage Hunter

Published by Karen Knox

I’ve been at it again. Busy being a magpie. I thought i’d show you some of my vintage scores picked up over the last fortnight. Some have already been re-homed in projects. Others have been cuddled and caressed gently by moi ready to be sold to their new owner. ** this post does contain crap mobile phone quality photos – apologies. ** Let me show you some rather excellent Gumtree finds I picked up a couple of weekends ago. Listed as a “Retro Coffee Table”, I could tell immediately by the shape of the frame (and the carpet) this was an original early 70’s G-Plan number. And I had just the place for it. (Did you also spot the rather kitsch and slightly unnecessary gold serving trolley in the background? Yeah me too.) The G Plan Coffee Table looked stunning after a good clean & polish. The solid teak frame was in fantastic nick and the crystal clear glass top came up a real treat with a bit of Pledge. This beauty was delivered to its new home …

“Here are a few of my favourite Pins…”

Published by Karen Knox

(Did you get my Sound of Music reference?) I’ve not mentioned the Masonic Villas project for a little while, mainly because i’ve been working like a donkey, juggling four other projects dotted around the region. Eeesh. Anyhoo, the last time this project got a mention on le blog, the living room had just had the ceiling lighting updated. Since then, i’ve been busy planning the schedule of work, solving problems, booking trades and placing orders. The paint for the whole redesign is on its way. Exciting indeed. I’ve also been Pinning like a demon, pieces that I think would look fab in this project. Some of them will make it, some won’t, but I thought it would be nice to share with you, some of my finds. To be precise, 10 of my finds. Pieces for the living room, home office and hallway. Come see. Lara Armchair – Fern and Grey Leather Chair – Cox & Cox Hoxton Swing Arm Wall Light – Bluesuntree Indian Cart Coffee Table – House Junkie Beni Ourain Moroccan Berber Rug – …

A Living Room Update

Published by Karen Knox

I’ve been making some updates to our living room. It will be having a little cosmetic surgery this year. Aka. paint & and wallpaper. It’s taken me over a year to convince the OH to let me get on with it. Which has been pretty annoying (did you hear that, my beloved??) So to keep my creative juices from drying up, i’ve been changing all the things that he can’t really get a bee in his little bonnet about. Come see… Head of a Skeleton with a Burning Cigarette by Van Gogh. Some new art anyone? I don’t know how i’ve never seen this before. Painted in 1886, Van Gogh did “hipster” before the word hipster even existed. A purchase from Art.co.uk, my new favourite place to spend an hour ogling new art. And old art apparently. That’s enough skulls for this room now. I do have Montel, the copper skull too, remember!? Over-kill? Over-skull? No, that doesn’t work, Karen. Art that was originally hanging on the wall opposite is now sitting here.  I quite like how it …

“Retro Gentlemen’s Club with a Dash of Taxidermy”

Published by Karen Knox

Do come in. (And please take off your shoes… new rugs.) A reminder of before: As the project breaks for Christmas, I wanted to show you where we’re at since starting work on it in mid-October. This time next month, we should have completed this room. We are so nearly there. I convinced my clients to bring the piano from the hallway into the living room. Originally a bespoke designed study area was planned for this corner, but i’m so pleased the piano made it into the living room instead. It fits perfectly and looks stunning, but more importantly it brings someone’s great love of playing piano into the heart of the home. The morning after the piano was positioned here, I had this message from my client: “Played the piano tonight for the first time in months, probably over a year. It’s totally absorbing, like meditation. Thank you.” Best feeling ever! Good design, I believe, can change the way we live. Enhance our living and working spaces, make us feel better. These are the things I …

The Right Side of the Bed

Published by Karen Knox

Remember my bedroom? The Midtown Magic project? I wanted to show you how it’s coming along. We’re still sleeping on the floor I still have a box for a bedside table We are literally counting down the days until our bedroom furniture arrives. Forget the advent calendar. It’s all about a bed this December. We do however have my Ogilvy bedside light from made.com fitted and my art has finally arrived from Society 6. So happy to finally have something on my side of the bed. Let’s have a nosey. I was planning on a black and brass mini pendant light from Nook London, but unfortunately there was a delay with production, so I had to continue my search and luckily found the Ogilvy Wall Light from made.com which was a) perfect design wise and b) on a 2-3 day delivery timescale. Boom. “Task lamps always look really cool and industrial in living spaces. So we’ve taken that style for the Ogilvy Collection. A sleek, practical addition to our Deco Luxe look.” It’s a great …

Midtown Magic Bedroom

Published by Karen Knox

My bedroom. As it was a few months ago anyway. It was lovely. Light, bright, clean and simple. Good enough for a magazine shoot might I add… but it never really floated my boat. I’ve been itching to get this room more up my street for over a year now, but every time I even mentioned it to the OH, he would wince. a) It’s a big job to sell all that furniture b) and BLOODY expensive to replace it all. Wardrobes were always the sticking point. The ones I liked were always upwards of £600. And we needed two. So there’s £1200 straight away before i’ve even got all creative with my shizzle. During a quick evening session on Gumtree (am always on there hunting down furniture and decor finds for local pick up, don’t forget those 1930’s chest of drawers I picked up for £10), I came across a brand new in box, never built or even opened, LEDGER wardrobe from Made.com. RRP £600. It was on Gumtree for £300. And it was four …

Mid Century Score – Pt 2

Published by Karen Knox

It’s been a good week for scouring and sourcing. The mid-century teak recliner has now travelled 100 miles to its new home. I actually rang to check it had made it safely as it looked a little precarious, a 55 year old chair strapped to a roof-rack. I would have shed actual tears if it had come a cropper. And now to Pt 2 of my mid-century scores. A teak industrial style desk which was quite literally “saved”. Black legs, original screws and bolts. Storage compartments and original drawer with drawer pull. I fell in love instantly. The shape, mid century line and simplicity was right up my street. The entire piece needed tlc and I cherished the thought of bringing this beauty back to life. The wood was not in fantastic shape, so it was all sanded back, danish oiled and then waxed. I find it all so therapeutic, seeing that teak glowing again. It would look fantastic in a vintage lover’s home. Some people may have decided to paint the whole thing, cover …

Mid Century Score

Published by Karen Knox

Today has been a bit of a mixed bag. I found out I didn’t make it to the shortlisted stages in the Amara Interior Blog Awards this morn. 🙁 I wasn’t really surprised as i’ve only been blogging for six months or so, so to be nominated at all was an achievement indeed. But admittedly I was a bit bummed out. So to cheer myself up, I ate some chocolate and decided to have a drive out and hunt down some bedroom furniture for a project i’m working on. Retail therapy in other words. Only three miles from home, I quickly indicated right and parked after spotting a few chest of drawers outside a house clearance business in North Leeds. Let’s have a look-see then. Hmmm… Yeah I like those. Battered step ladder come stool. Perfect for industrial style interiors. Yep. Mid century chest of drawers that would look pretty cute after a good sanding to get rid of all that orange. But they were a little boxy for me and i’m looking for something with legs …