Falmouth Dental Arts have moved into a new space and I am helping them with their design. We want to have a coastal, relaxed, professional vibe without being too coastal. So we are using greys, whites, soft blues and charcoal, and lots of textures. We are mixing textured wallpaper, woods, concrete, velvet, wool and glass.
We are putting together a plan to transform the new space into a hip office. I have to say I love the employees of this office, they are fantastic. The Dentists Brian and Adonis are so approachable, I can only imagine how amazing they are at their jobs.
Although we had a bit of a rough start having to move into the space before it had been renovated, things are really coming together now! We have painted, wallpapered, added tile and shiplap to the fireplace, and much more!
Here are some of the products & furnishings we have selected.
Wallquest grasscloth in grey has been installed and looks great!
I adore this rug it is perfect, it is interesting, durable, and beautiful.These Four Hands Chairs are so hip and cool, the perfect vibe for these doctors.Side tables that will stay in place are very important in commercial spaces, these cement tables will be great.Natural elements, like this wood coffee table, add depth to the design.Magazine racks that double as side tables, yes please.This is the Celia Sofa, my design for Pasha Home Furnishings. We are making one in a light blue-grey in this project.
All right that is your sneak peek when the project is done I will photograph it and show you the end results.
Thank you for stopping by, if you like this post please let me know by liking it or commenting. Have a wonderful day!
Hello All,I have been fanatically practicing the skills I gained at the London Flower School! As I think I have mentioned, there is a big movement in Europe to go foam free in floral design. They choose to use chicken wire for the mechanics of their arrangements, rather than foam. I am hoping to go foam free when possible for my weddings. I am a big believer in the concept that if you put in the time you can master any skill. This summer I am going to master floral design using chicken wire!I am hoping to get one of our guest instructors from London to come do a floral retreat in Maine in 2019! I think a weekend of flowers, good healthy food, yoga and bonding would do a lot for ones soul!Here is today’s practice!Step one: Make chicken wire mechanics.Step two: Forage for greens and strip them of any leaves that would fall below your water line a promote bacteria and cloudy water.Step three: Go for it! In this case, I am making something for my kitchen island, so it will be viewed from all sides. I did not want to buy anything for this arrangement as it is just for me, so I only added a few blooms to it. As always, if you like this post let me know by liking it or commenting on it! Thanks for stopping by have a beautiful weekend!Best,Celia
This weekend, I had the pleasure of putting together a fantastic Maine wedding. It was at The Dockside Grill at Handy Boat Marina, in Falmouth. We built the tent on the dock of the boat yard…it was so cool!
I had the arbor below, built for the ceremony. I used vintage Indian security gates, and then stained and aged the spruce frame to finish the look. Then, I added plants, vines and roses to complete my vision!
Thank you, to my BFF Anne Sowles, who took these fabulous pictures of the set-up. When the professional pictures are done, I will post them too!
The tent was spectacular no poles, clear sides and glorious views! We filled it with fragrant flowers, candles and rustic touches.
The head table, made up of two wood harvest tables, had a table runner of greens and flowers and floating candles.
My assistant Lindsey seen below helped pull the entire concept together for me!
The photos below show the process, cylinder vases, greens, then flowers, bear grass, water and floating candles.
The other tables had white linens, burlap runners and European vases filled with huge pale yellow, white and blush roses, green hydrangeas, and white peony’s.
I am so proud of the way this wedding turned out. The flowers were so stunning, they practically arranged themselves. I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peak at my weekend!
Thank you for stopping by. Let me know your thoughts on my wedding flowers and decor.
I have just completed a really fun project. We transformed a 1980’s average condo into an incredible chic retreat.
Photos by Liz Donnelly.
Before:Prior to the renovation there were too many columns, several types of flooring and a busy tray ceiling.
After: we removed the columns where possible and opened up the space. We added ship-lap to the fireplace and a new window to the living room.
Before: The kitchen was the largest transformation. Before the renovation the kitchen was closed off from the rest of the unit, now it is one fluid space.
After: The space is so airy and fresh now. I adore the ice blue marble tile it brings the ocean feel into the kitchen. The hood was custom made for the space, I love the glossy white enamel finish.
Before Dining Room & Railing: In the former dining room you felt closed in by the columns and railing. Now the space is open and welcoming.
Hall before and After: we created a cased opening with a proper entry, which allowed us to gain living space. The new entry was defined by a ship-lap wainscoting and grass-cloth wallpaper. Just beyond the entry we added a console table to catch keys, and mail etc. The result is very elegant. I love the Brockie Stevenson print above the console table.
The master bedroom was dark and dreary. We stripped the wallpaper, added a ship-lap wall/fireplace and some simple touches.
I am so proud of this beautiful home renovation, the results are stunning.
Thanks for stopping by. Let me know what you think of this post by commenting or liking it.
We just finished the face lift at the Dockside Grill, in Falmouth, Maine. I thought I would share the before and after photos. I am really proud of the outcome. The owner and her daughter worked very closely with me choosing every detail!
Photos of the newly renovated restaurant by Liz Donnelly
We used reclaimed wood to make the tables locally, and all of the furniture was made in the USA! This space is so cozy and welcoming now.
If your ever in the area please stop by The Dockside Grill in Falmouth, Maine for the best lobster roll in town.
Thanks for checking in! What projects are you doing? I am so excited to paint my home this summer!
I hope you enjoyed seeing my vision come to life! I am back to interior design for a while! Thank you for stopping by let me know your thoughts by commenting and liking the post!!!
I love this season, I get to check in with my old clients and decorate the houses I have designed with/for them. We have some wonderful projects that we are breaking ground on in January so we are enjoying this peace!
Here are some of the decorations we have done for clients this year. All the photos below were taken by my right & sometimes left hand gal Anne Sowles.
Dining tables
Buffets & Sideboards
I hope you are all enjoying this festive season. I am so looking forward to celebrating this year with my family. Two of my siblings and their families are coming to Maine from California! I cannot wait to see them.
Happy Christmas and Best to you and your family in 2015.
Oh boy where has the time gone? It is already time to decorate for Christmas. I decided to start with the outside with the doors and work my way inside to the mudroom and windows.
1. I made this wreath with Boxwood, Ribbon, Starfish and Sand Dollars. This was taken during the day but I put lights on it too, and I just love it! It cost about $23 total.
Photos: Liz Donnelly
2. Just inside this door is our mudroom, this is a very busy space! The dogs hang out here and so do all shoes, and backpacks. Here I have used a 36″ magnolia wreath, sugared pears, and burlap ribbon. It kicks off my holiday décor in a big way. Olive our little dog loves the new addition to the space…our Lab is not sure it suits her, so she is still hanging out on the benches.
3. The next step was to decorate the windows. I love these silver glittery reindeer, I added mini silver Christmas balls all are hung with fishing line. On the windowsill I have used pine branches, extra silver balls and a small arrangement of Peonies. It is simple but very pretty.
I have gotten a lot done over the last few days. The next post will be on holiday table-scapes. I hope you like my doors, windows and mudroom!
If you follow my blog, you know that I think art is a must in every home! Art finishes a room, acts as the focal point, or even sets the entire palette for a space. Maine artist Phoebe Porteous’s art is just the right addition to any home.
I have been captivated by the work of Phoebe Porteous for several years. Her work has been come very popular, and as a result her original painting are not inexpensive. The Elizabeth Moss Gallery who represents Porteous, has found a way to make her work more affordable. They are offering prints of her work, this will allow me to use her work in many more of the homes I design.
To learn more about Phoebe read her biography below:
Phoebe Porteous has spent her life exploring the landscape – the lakes, mountains, and coastline – of Maine. In the eight years since she began painting, she has turned those explorations into vivid and colorful paintings that portray the essence of the state. Her work looks at the relationships between colors in nature as well as the changing quality of light.
Artist’sStatement
In my paintings I try to capture the sense of timelessness in Maine, to capture what I love about Maine and what I loved about my childhood. Many of the places I choose to paint are places I have visited throughout my life, and I try to distill the essence of what I have always found there.
I often begin paintings on site and then move into my studio. It is there that I look for the rhythm in the painting and pay attention to the texture of the paint. This is the time when I edit details, shift a building, move a tree, and simplify the scene. When enough layers of color have been laid on to satisfy me, there is a glimpse of the moment that captured my interest initially.
I need the feeling that I know a place before I can put it on canvas. Maine is in my genes, in my bones, and in my senses. I paint when and where I can, always looking for that scene or that light that catches you up and holds you and makes you almost cry for its simplicity, purity, color, and clarity.
I hope you have enjoyed this post, and that you will not only look at her work on http://www.phoebeporteousprints.com but you will add one of her prints or paintings to your art collection!
I planned and executed the most amazing wedding this weekend! Here is the story of the weekend in photos. The theme of this wedding was neutral, industrial, rustic chic! The only pop of color came from the flowers. I hope you enjoy the wedding as much as I did.
Here is the walkway that leads to the event.
Here are the two tents under construction. They built a deck that served as the foundation for the tents. We had a clear tent for the ceremony that we turned into a lounge…so cool!
The rentals arrived…
The Lighting is next.
1. Lindsay put together all these spheres and added the lights.
The lights are so sweet.
This is how we added them to the tent on a grid with a very tall ladder…thankfully my husband did this for me!
Here is what the lighting over the dance floor looked like in the end. I had babies breath balls to hang with the lights.
Now we bring the whole vision together with…
Wine barrel bar tables and chairs
Wooden cross-back chairs
Harvest tables
Industrial coffee tables
Linen chairs and sofas
Sunbrella fabric ottomans
Hanging candle lanterns
Metal lattice lanterns
Flowers and more flowers!!!!
Votive candles
We made burlap overlays for the tables.
We had a boat next to the bar for drinks.
We took tree roots and added succulents…they were fabulous…
Here is the ceremony tent set up!
Lindsay added the hanging vases and flowers.
I constructed the arrangements that made up the alter area.
Snell Family Farm provided the flowers and my grapevine arbor hung from the roof od the tent.
We added grasses & mint in copper buckets to finish the aisle.
The final result was fantastic!
This wedding was so much fun to do….but it was a ton of work! I know the bride and groom were very happy with the décor and so was I. It was worth the hours of planning, lugging, and flower arranging.
Let me know what you think by commenting or liking the post.
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Houzz Contributor. I cover topics ranging from decorating ideas, product picks, Houzz tours, and interviews with designers and architects, to the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write tend to center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life’s simple pleasures. Learn more, and follow my adventures in creating a warm and cozy home at http://www.lolalina.com/.
Summertime calls for a distinctly unfussy approach to entertaining, and thankfully so — because who wants to sweat over planning a summer soiree? Make things easier on yourself by hosting outdoors instead of in, getting guests to pitch in and embracing low-key, budget-friendly decor. From DIY flowers and quick extra tables to a beachy outdoor bar, these 20 ideas will make your party planning easier.
1. Whip up an extra table with sawhorses. Short on outdoor dining space? Hunt down a few sawhorses and top them with a length of board as big as you want your table to be. You can paint the board, cover it with a cloth or butcher paper, or leave it as is.
2. Fashion a wooden crate into a drinks container. If you line it with plastic, any old crate can be a rustic-chic open-top cooler for keeping soda and beer on ice. It won’t keep it cold as long as a real cooler, but it should do the trick at a party.
3. No crate? Use whatever you’ve got. An old wheelbarrow, a garden cart, an enamel bucket or even a toy dump truck can be lined with trash bags and filled with ice to make an impromptu drinks cooler.
4. Give your outdoor bar a tiki makeover with a palapa roof. Search for “palm leaf thatch panels” to find a source and tack a few lengths of the grassy stuff to the roof of your outdoor bar or shed to give it some tiki bar style.
5. Dress up candles with woodsy details. Curl a wide green leaf and drop it into a glass jar — then fill the jar with water and float a tea light on top. Or use lengths of birch bark (available at craft stores) to wrap the outside of a jar or candleholder, and fasten them with twine. 6. Make beachy candles with mason jars and sand. Filled partway with sand, a mason jar of any size can easily become a chic candleholder. To make hanging lanterns, wrap the mouth of the jar with flexible wire and hang the jar from the branches of a tree. For safety, use battery-operated candles for hanging.
7. Use soda bottles as vases. A row of tall, slender soda bottles lined up in the middle of a table makes a pretty (and supereasy) centerpiece. Just plunk one bloom in each vase, and you’re done! Try gerbera daisies, cosmos or sunflowers.
8. Involve your guests. Have them help squeeze lemons for fresh lemonade, let them take a turn cranking an old-fashioned ice cream maker or send them into your garden with clippers to pick a bouquet for the table.
9. Seat everyone at one big table. Who wouldn’t love coming into a backyard set up like this? Put two or three tables together if you have to — the dramatic effect will be worth the effort.
10. Use old crates as trays and servers. Vintage wooden soda crates make the perfect receptacle for toting glasses, vases, napkins and other essentials out to the garden. Or use one to dole out flatware, standing utensils upright in simple mason jars.
11. Boost ambience with lanterns and signs. Flank the entrance to your party area with a pair of big lanterns and lean a sign nearby — it can announce the menu or simply say, “Welcome!”
12. Greet visitors with a pretty porch for the Fourth. A great big galvanized tub of red geraniums and a waving flag make a cheerful entrance to this home. Keep the patriotic spirit going with Americana-style cushions on a classic porch swing.
13. Give guests a healthy option with fresh flavored waters. Fill a big drink dispenser with ice water, flavored with fresh ingredients for a healthy thirst quencher on hot days. Try lemon, lime or orange slices; fresh mint leaves; cucumber rounds; or berries.
14. Place your table in the shade. There’s nothing worse than trying to enjoy a lovely meal al fresco when the sun is beating down on you! Keep your guests comfortable by pulling the tables under the shade of a tree or awning, or invest in some umbrellas.
15. Make a plan to keep bugs at bay. If you have a water feature, make sure you regularly treat it or skim it to keep mosquitoes from breeding there. If the bugs are bad in your area, plan your event for a less buggy time of day or hold it on a screened-in porch, where your guests can enjoy a fresh breeze withoutgetting bitten.
16. Create activity zones to keep large parties moving. Setting up several distinct areas can help a large gathering feel more manageable, as your guests will naturally be drawn into smaller groups. For instance, you could set up a dining table, a fire pit circle, a porch lounge and an outdoor bar.
17. Collect thrifty party supplies. Avoid last-minute stress by keeping an entertaining cupboard well stocked with mason jars, florist’s buckets, table linens, candles and serving containers. Many times you don’t even need to buy these things — save pretty old jars to use as glasses, washed-out tin cans to use as flower containers and even old bedsheets to use as outdoor tablecloths.
18. Go wild with your arrangements. Plucking flowers and foliage from your own backyard is cheaper than buying them, and it can be more fun, too! Push yourself to look at your garden anew and clip a little something unexpected to tuck into your bouquet. Dandelions look charming in mason jars, flowering chives are utterly romantic, and an artichoke would make a dramatic centerpiece in a mixed floral bouquet.
19. Hang flowers from a tree. Use a drill to punch two holes in a washed-out tin can and thread wire through the holes to make a hanger. Fill your cans with cut flowers and hang them from a tree around your outdoor dining table. Leave the cans plain or dress them up by tying on strips of pretty fabric.
