Ahem. Is this thing on?!?! {throat clearing} Testing 1-2-3, testing 1-2-3.
Y’all, I really miss blogging. I know it doesn’t look that way, given my lack of posts, but truly there’s no other creative outlet quite like this one. J’adore Instagram — follow me over there, s’il vous plaît? — but it’s not the same as being able to explore a topic in greater detail here. My 2017 goal is to post more often. I’m thinking at least once a month, but I’d love to make it once a week. Fingers and toes crossed.
To fill you in on my personal life, thankfully things have stabilized with my mom. My sister and I still bear significant responsibility for her care, but we have moved her into a community where she is safe and more of her needs are met. I am very grateful for the progress we made in a short period of time. It wasn’t easy, but it’s done.
My kiddos are still growing up way too fast, and we enjoyed another (last?) magical Christmas. Our elves Bubbles and Jingles were quite entertaining!
Our November trip to Dubai and Abu Dhabi was *ah-may-zing.* I hope you heard that in my “I’m talking to friends from home” deepest Southern accent. I was blown away by so much of what I saw, but hands down, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen in my whole life. The mosque has the level of craftsmanship you see in the oldest European buildings but with added benefit of modern knowledge. Look at those marble inlaid floors!
Should I start a #tracitravels blog series? There’s so much more I’d love to share about the United Arab Emirates, so I suppose I could start with a throwback post or two! In the meantime, I highly recommend you follow @laura_of_arabia on Instagram. She’s an interior designer and native Canadian who makes her home in Dubai — and getting the inside scoop from her was HUGE. Hello, she’s a former Middle East Young Designer of the Year, so you know her eye is impeccable. Merci mille fois, Laura!
In January, I’ve already been in southern California for a bit of business and a bit of fun. Hello, vegan lunches and cannabis cocktails. Seriously. For the record, I stuck with sparkling water. #goodytwoshoesalert #andproudofit
I took the train from Union Station, which happened to be (a) super convenient and (b) right up my alley, considering that it is on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in the 1930s, Union Station has been called the “Last of the Great Railway Stations.” Gosh, and it is a great railway station. The building combines elements of the Art Deco, Mission Revival and Streamline Moderne architectural styles — which meant I was in heaven. Just look at the feet on this schedule board, not to mention the tile behind it! Hmmmm, perhaps I should put an architectural spin on those #tracitravels posts?
Of course, the real reason you are reading this post is our shared passion for interior design … and I think you’ll love my latest projects! Here’s a sneak peek of what I’ve dubbed #BallantyneInspired. Our delightful client plans to invest in an original Anne Nielson angel painting, which inspired the somewhat ethereal feel of this room.
I’m also knee-deep in new construction, which is fun, fun and more fun. I’m super pumped about what’s in store for this gorgeous Skyecroft home we have underway! It’s such a privilege to be able to shape a home from the ground up. When the architect, interior designer and homeowners work as a team, the results are phenomenal! I feel strongly about the connection between the architecture and the interiors. I love collaborating with talented architects, and I view my job as helping them realize the full vision for the homes they’ve created.
In my book, it’s the same for historic buildings. The architect’s original vision is still there, and now my job is to help new homeowners interpret that vision in a way that works for modern lives. I worked with a young family on a gorgeous 1920s Neel Reid estate, and let me just say — I see this staircase In. My. Dreams. If they ever sell that house, you’ll have to hold me back!
Whew. Should I keep going? There’s so much more to talk about! After seven (!!) years of blogging, I guess I still have a lot to say. À bientôt!
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