Kitchen Facelift

Kitchen Stencil Project

For years I thought this kitchen needed more color, but doing a total redo was not in the budget. So I decided to just add a little color to the backsplash. With a few bottles of acrylic paint and a computer, it was very easy and affordable. I scanned a picture of one of my favorite fabrics, then used it to cut a stencil. A coat of varnish to protect the finish was the final step. The color pallet is taken from other objects already in the space.There are a few mistakes but I like that it is very organic. Now that I look at the finished product I wonder why I didn't do this sooner. A new countertop is next.

White kitchen

Inspiration

Hand cut stencil

Stenciled wall

                                               

African American Architects Horace Trumbauer and Julian Able

African Americans Architects Horace Trumbauer and Julian Able, 20^th Century masters, who paved the way. 

 

 Horace Trumbauer was born in Philadelphia in 1868 and educated in the Philadelphia public school system. By age sixteen, he was working in the architectural firm of G. W. and W. D. Hewitt.

In 1890 Trumbauer became an independent architect, working with Wendell & Smith builders, to develop residential homes in the Pelham and Overbrook neighborhoods of Philadelphia and in the surrounding suburbs. His success led to much larger commissions, for his work on large residences for wealthy clients both in Philadelphia and Newport, Rhode Island. He was known for a variety of styles, including Georgian Revival and a number of French styles from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Later Trumbauer and his firm which employed a number of graduates of the School of Architecture at The University of Pennsylvania, including Julian Abele, its first African American graduate. He expanded the range of  works to include institutional buildings such as  the Philadelphia Art Museum, the Free Library at Logan Circle, buildings at Harvard and Duke Universities, hotels, and even a hospital.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art

The Union League of Philadelphia

Overbrook Farms Philadelphia

Shadow Lawn West Long Branch New Jersey

Mainline Philadelphia Suburb 

Chelten House Elkins Park, PA

Mainline Philadelphia  Suburb

Black History Month

I thought I would start off Black History month with one of my favorite poems by Nikki Giovanni. After all, poetry is an artform. 

African Tile Style

African Tile Style on The Houzz

Julie Kouamo at Masion&Objet Paris

NEW LUXURY FURNISHINGS COLLECTION LAUNCHES AT MAISON ET OBJET

British design studio Kouamo introduces ‘Viñales’, a collection of furnishing fabrics, lampshades, cushions and wallpaper rich with the imagery of northern Cuba. Leafy vines, local fauna and the delicate tracery of colonial architecture combine to create a lushly detailed pattern. Cushions come in silk, velvet and linen and are handmade in the UK. The collection is available in a colour palate that ranges from deep, vibrant hues to more muted tones, and is suitable for a variety of interior applications.

Esplanade Sky Blue & Pink

Birds In Stripe Rust   www.juliekouamo.com 

Eva Sonaike showcases The New Eko Collection at Maison&Objet Paris

The New Eko Collection by Eva Sonaike

Eva Sonaike is a London-based lifestyle company using African prints and African inspired textiles to create beautiful fabrics, and individual luxurious accessories for home décor, fashion and interior design.

Our mission, ‘Bringing Colour to Life’ is reflected in signature collections of cushions, bags, notebooks, footstools, fabrics and furnishings, combining the richness of the African aesthetic with the finest velvets and leathers.

Driven by her enormous passion for colour and African print fabrics, she began producing cushions with African wax fabrics as a hobby, and then gave up her journalism career to focus full time on building the Eva Sonaike business.

Eva, who was born and raised in Germany and is of Nigerian origin, has taken the best elements of European and African cultures to inspire her work. Her designs draw from the two distinct influences of colorful African clothing culture and European antique and mid century furniture traditions.

The Eva Sonaike brand is regularly featured in high–end press and media coverage of products with luxury African prints, tribal prints and ethnic prints. www.evasonaike.com

Tray

Aye Pouffe

Maison&Objet Paris Trade Show

 Maison&Objet PARIS, is one of the major trade shows for global design professionals. This event showcases decoration, design, furniture, accessories, textiles, and the best creativity from around the world. This year they are celebrating their 20^th year. Stay tuned for a peek at some of the events and designers from around the world.