My Brother's Backyard Wedding

This past summer both of my brother's got married a month apart from each other and both married girls who they met through my sister and I, which meant that we pretty much got the best sisters-in-law on the planet. It was such a fun summer as every weekend Kyle and I would drive down to Orange County from our LA apartment and stay with the rest of our family in the house my older sister rented out for the summer in Corona Del Mar. There was a lot of swimming, hot tubbing, eating, card playing, laughing, and of course wedding planning going on - all top on my list of favorite things to do. I love helping with weddings of friends and family, but it's especially fun when they have as much style as my new sisters-in-law.

Here are some beautiful shots by Eliza J. Photography of my older brother's backyard wedding. All of the designing and planning was done by the bride, Ali Brinkerhoff (now Stiles), and I took care of the floral design and overall placement and styling of the wedding on the day of (with the help of a whole bunch of other awesome people). Ali is one of the most giving and caring people I know and it was such an honor to help her out on her big day.

Ali & Garrett hand wrote personal notes to each of their 200 guests. Yep, they're pretty awesome.

My Dad is the handiest person I know. He made boxes similar to the ones used at my wedding. Ali wanted them left raw and branded with an "S." 

My sister Melissa is known for her mini lemon bundts. I believe they also made an appearance at her own wedding as favors. 

I loved these table numbers that Ali found at Bhldn. Cakes by Susie Cakes.

All photos taken by Eliza J. Photography and found here.

Coffee Shop Inspiration

As part of a proposal for a Newport Beach coffee shop, I included a quick digital concept board and concept space plan to help ensure that the owner and I are on the same page. This is by no means the final design, but it's helpful to provide potential clients with a taste of what they can expect from the design process so that they get a feel for my aesthetic and ideas particular to their space. It can also give them a little more confidence in handing over the reigns of the project.

I really love designing small retail/commercial spaces; it's sort of where my world of residential interior design and visual merchandising collide. The goal for this space is to turn it into a beach friendly, modern coffee shop where old and young, surf bum and surf sophisticate, male and female can all enjoy a local cup of jo on their way to work or surf.

The Find Consignments, Newport Beach

The Find Consignments is a fairly new little consignment shop that I've been frequenting as of late down on PCH in Newport. One yelp review of the shops states, "Wallet beware", and it's so true. Everywhere I turn in this little treasure trove is something that I want to buy for myself or am dying to use on a current or upcoming project.

Here are some photos from my most recent trip and they get new, fabulous inventory daily.

I'm obsessed with this French antique patio set. The worn finish on it is absolutely beautiful. I'm picturing it reupholstered in a bold stripe or even a granny-chic floral.

For help with furniture shoppping or interior design in the Newport Beach area visit, www.BrittanyStiles.com

Vintage Spools

I love shopping at consignment shops for accessories for clients (and myself). When I see something interesting and at a great price, I generally can't say no. Even if I have no immediate need for the item, I keep it in my inventory until I find it a perfect home.

Such was the case with this group of vintage spools. They are pretty rustic in their appearance and don't really fit any of the projects that I'm working on at the moment, but they have so much character and I loved the variation of size and muted colors. To me, these will look so much more interesting on a mantle than a grouping of vases from Z. Gallerie.

Cannery Exchange, Newport Beach.

www.BrittanyStiles.com

Beach House Face Lift

This is what my desk looks like when I'm in the middle of helping a client update her beach house. I think I'm a little pattern obsessed. Now I'm just trying to figure out if that's a good thing or not.

Newport Beach Kitchen Remodel

The last kitchen that I posted about was also in Newport and this one is in the same neighborhood, actually just around the corner (super convenient). The rest of this client's home has a coastal country feel and we wanted a kitchen that would blend well with her already adorable and comfortable aesthetic, so we completely gutted the old kitchen and started anew.

Kitchen designs are becoming my favorite type of projects. I really love the challenge of designing something completely custom to suite the clients' functional requirements of a kitchen, but also something that's beautiful. Below are some photos of the work in progress along with some of my design drawings. The design process began in August, construction started in late September, and despite a little hiccup with the back splash tile, it looks like we'll be all wrapped up just in time to enjoy a home cooked Thanksgiving feast.



Beautiful marble countertop with what will be the backsplash material; handmade taupey grey brick.


Design Drawings.






Before Photos.


Things left on the to do list:

*install wine racks and TV
*install a couple more cabinet doors
*back splash installation
*range and hood installation
*install hanging fixture over the sink and the rest of the recessed lighting
*finish the bar peninsula with counter top and turned legs

I decided to wait to photograph the other Newport kitchen until this one is done and just do them in the same day. Hopefully some time in December. I can't wait to see the finished product! It's the most fulfilling part of my job.

If you would like to meet or email to discuss your kitchen face-lift or complete remodel, visit my interior design website or give me a call, I'd love to help!

www.BrittanyStiles.com

Tortoise

I'm stressed. Not the, complaining and whining kind of stressed, but more the "I'm really grateful to be so busy with work", kind of stressed. Naturally I have decided to blog instead of checking things off my giant to do list. Blogging really is an amazing stress reliever.

About my freshman year in high school I had to start wearing reading glasses. My eyesight is decreasing with my age, and now I can't really do anything in front of me (read, eat, design, type, shop...) without wearing glasses. For the longest time I have HATED wearing glasses. I tried contacts in several different prescriptions, but for some reason my vision is a little fuzzy. Also, I'm far sided, so as far as I know I am not a candidate for Lasik. This leads me to my recent change in attitude and me embracing my glasses. Every time I get new glasses, they get bigger and I always go with thick dark frames (I'm currently sporting the black Oakley Muffler). I figure if I have to wear glasses I may as well make a statement. But now that I'm embracing wearing glasses all the time, I decided I need a little variety, a second pair to change things up.

I'm on the hunt for the perfect tortoise frames, even bigger in size than my Oakley's. I really wanted the ones from J. Crew pictured at the top of this post, but they are no longer available, so here is what I've come up with from a little bit of online shopping.

From Eye Bob:




On ebay for just $12:


From Prism London (via Blusey Mood):



Thoughts?

And since everything I do somehow cycles back to interiors, below are some really pretty tortoise furnishings that will go perfectly with my new glasses. All via 1st Dibs.

Gorgeous tortoise framed mirror, I would love to own this. From Mary Ann Jones.


Killer commode. From Thomas Jeffrey.


Tortoise bamboo coffee table. From Era Vintage Modern.


Modern tortoise coffee table. From Gracie.


Toirtoise glaze lamps. From Irwinfeld Design.


Beautiful leather tortoise club chairs. From Red.