Home for the Holiday Showhouse 2014

Is Halloween too early to talk Christmas? I was thinking the answer was yes, and had planned to wait until next week to share my news, but then I saw Target's shelves are stocked with Holiday goods and I'm pretty sure I saw a Christmas Tree lot setting up on Piedmont Road, so I figured if they were getting in the holiday season a tad bit early, so could I.

The truth is, I've had Christmas on the brain for months now, because for the third year in a row the company I work for, Bell Kitchen & Bath Studios is designing the cabinetry for the Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Home for the Holidays Designer Showhouse.

No holiday season in Atlanta would be complete without a beautiful show house, adorned with festive decor and holiday cheer.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with this event, each room in the house will be decorated by a different designer. But the cherry on top of this show house is that in addition to the beautiful decor and creativity, the house will also be decorated for the holidays. The halls will be decked, Christmas music will be played and the rooms will be full of inspiration. What more could you ask for?

This year's show house is located in the heart of Buckhead, off Habersham road. The house is a new construction project built by Sheehan Built Homes, here is a rendering of the house:

Show houses are always fast paced and hectic, but this one has been a fun project to work on and I've enjoyed watching it come together over the last few months. I'm just as excited as everyone else to see the finished space come to life, all decorated and festive! 

Here's some info for anyone interested in checking it out:

The house opens for tours Wednesday, November 19th and goes through Sunday, December 7th. 

Hours:

Wednesday - Saturday: 11:00 - 5:00

Sunday: 1:00 - 5:00

Address:

2865 Habersham Road

Atlanta, GA 

Tickets:

General admission will be $25 at the door.

Tickets purchased before November 19th will be $20. 

Tickets can be purchased online here or from various outlets including Bell Kitchen & Bath Studios Alpharetta showroom. 

To get you in the holiday spirit, check out these images of some of our past Holiday House Kitchens:

This kitchen was from the 2012.....

And this one was from last year's house, 2013.

Now, don't you feel all warm and fuzzy inside? Me too...Christmas (or Bourbon...) will do that to ya. 

If you are anywhere near Atlanta you really should put this show house on your holiday season to-do list. I can assure you, you won't be disappointed! Happy Halloween and a Merry Christmas, folks!

Spotted - Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Magazine July 2014

Well, speak of the devil. Just last week I was filling you in on the behind the scenes details of the herringbone hood from the Luxury Living Show and now that same kitchen is featured in the July issue of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles!

Photo from Atlanta Homes & Lifestyle's website.

It's always a bit of a "pinch me moment" to see a space you've worked so hard on grace the pages of a magazine. This project in particular was so fun and really allowed me to flex my creativity muscles. I beamed a little when I first saw the pictures of the kitchen all glossy and pretty in the spread.

Photo from Atlanta Homes & Lifestyle's website.

This week marks my 6th year as Kitchen & Bath Designer! Six years seems impossible, it feels as if it was only yesterday that I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to complete my final designs for graduation. I guess time flies when you're having fun! The last six years have been a sweet mixture of challenging and rewarding experiences and projects like this one have made the journey that much sweeter.

Be sure to pick up a copy of the magazine, on stands now!

Luxury Living Show 2014

Y'all I had a design baby. It was a very long labor, but my baby was officially introduced to the rest of the world on Sunday, March 2nd. 

 He weighs +/- 10,000lbs and is around 399.5" long.

You may remember I mentioned back in January I was designing the kitchen for the Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Luxury Living Show. For months Mike Bell and I planned and schemed, designed and tweaked this kitchen that would sit in the middle of Phipps Plaza, a luxury shopping mall here in Atlanta for the entire month of March.

This project became my pet and I doted on it often. Carefully considering every finish and selection. I visited our shop floor on the regular to observe the progress of many of the main parts and pieces. Finally, last week our crews packed up the cabinetry and headed to Phipps Plaza to install the kitchen smack dab in the middle of the mall.

I can't say enough good things about the amazingness that is our installation crew, but they really rose to the occasion on this project. Because the kitchen sits in Phipps Plaza, a mall, all installation had to happen while the mall was closed AKA the middle of the night.

So, of course I did what any crazy obsessed designer would do and headed to Phipps to lend a hand where applicable, and watch my design come to life. It was SO cool, rewarding, exciting and entertaining watching this kitchen come together piece by piece. Thankfully, Brent, my favorite partner in crime joined me and snapped photos of the entire process.

Brent put all of the pictures together and created a video so you all can see the transformation. I'm pretty pumped as this is The Cow Spot's first video. Take a look:

Pretty cool, eh? 

On Sunday bloggers from across the country were in town for the Design Bloggers Conference and a lot of them stopped by Phipps to hear Suzanne Kasler speak IN FRONT OF MY KITCHEN! 

Talk about a cool, pinch me moment! All of the bloggers were super sweet and really had great things to say about the kitchen. Music to my ears! :)

The Luxury Living Show officially kicks off this weekend - Saturday March 8th. There will be chef's doing cooking demonstrations in the kitchen starting at noon - 3:00 p.m. The kitchen will be on display the entire month of March.

As you saw from the video there are a lot of details to see in this kitchen and like all projects this one was a giant collaboration. Here are some of the specifics about the kitchen and it's various components: The cabinetry is  Bell Cabinetry by Bell Kitchen & Bath Studios, the appliances are SubZero-Wolf,  the counter tops are Cambria from Construction Resources, tile is from Traditions in Tile, the lighting is from Circa Lighting, the faucet is Grohe, the sink is Elkay, all internal cabinetry components and lighting are from Hafele and last but definitely not least, Huff-Dewberry staged and decorated the kitchen.

I'm still pinching myself that it all came together and the space has been so well received. I'll probably stop smiling in a few weeks days. :) :)

One more photo for the road....

Oh you know, it's just me and Suzanne Kasler hanging out in my kitchen! 

If you all are in or around the Atlanta area, I hope you get a chance to stop by, I'd love to see you! 

All photos and videos are my own. 

Ta Ta Santa, Hello...

We are only 14 hours into the new year and I'm already busting with exciting news to share!

Remember a few years ago, when The Cow Spot was but a wee babe, and was nominated for "Best New Design Blog" for the Design Bloggers Hall of Fame? I didn't end up taking home the prize back in 2012, but I did become aware of the Design Blogger community which is a win in and of itself. Each year the Design Blogger Conference brings bloggers from across the country together for two days full of speakers, workshops and networking. And this year......The Design Blogger Conference will be held right here in Atlanta!

Photo from google search. 

As thrilling as it is to live in the host city for the conference, the super exciting part of this story is that this year's Design Blogger Conference will be kicked off by the Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Luxury Living Show at Phipps. The Luxury Living Show Kitchen I WILL BE DESIGNING!!

You may remember I worked on the Luxury Living Show last year with Mike Bell & Joel Kelly. Same show, different kitchen! In fact this will be the fifth Luxury Living Kitchen for Bell Kitchen & Bath Studios!

This year the Luxury Living show will be held in a new location at Phipps Plaza - the kitchen will sit in the same court yard as Santa!

Mike Bell and I have been brainstorming and designing for weeks, getting our overall vision together. We are super pumped about the direction this design is going and can't wait to start narrowing down the finishes. This year will differ from earlier years in that we will be designing the space as well as picking all elements - countertops, flooring, back splash, lighting and hardware. We are very excited for the challenge and can't wait to debut our design on March 2nd! 

Stay tuned, I will be back with more information regarding dates, times and speakers. In the meantime keep an eye on my Instagram as I'm sure I will be posting progress shots!

Happy New Year Everyone, 2014 is already off to a great start! 

Photo via Pinterest. 

Unless noted all photos are my own. 

2013 Home for the Holidays Designer Showhouse

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here in Atlanta! Santa is already sitting nice and comfy in his big chair at the mall. All of the the department stores are dripping with holiday decor. The gingerbread latte and peppermint mocha are back at Starbucks and The Atlanta Homes & Lifestyle's Home for the Holidays Designer Showhouse opens this Friday!

Photo from Atlanta Holiday Home website. 

For those of you unfamiliar with this showhouse, let me fill you in. This showhouse was formerly known as the Christmas House and is one of Atlanta's "must see" attractions during the holiday season. Like most showhouses, each room in the house has been furnished and decorated by a different designer. Where this showhouse stands apart is the Christmas decor and ambiance added to the mix. 

This year's house was built by Dovetail Homes and is a combination of American Colonial and Southern charm. See the rendering below for a little preview of the outside facade. 

Photo from Dovetail Homes' website. 

As is the case with all showhomes this one was a giant collaboration. For the second year in a row Bell Kitchen & Bath Studios has provided all cabinetry throughout the house. For a lot of rooms, the cabinetry defines the layout and vibe of the space. Mike Bell and I have been working on the cabinetry designs for months, striving to show new ideas and play outside the box while still maintaining the fundamental roots that make for a classic southern home. We have worked with Dovetail as well as Harrison Design Associates to finalize color selections, hardware and specific design details and we are all very excited with how everything has come together.  

If you follow me on Instagram you may of seen some of my sneak peek photos over the last few weeks. 

Like the day we had custom antique brass straps made for the hood.

Or this shot of the vanity for the Master Bath. 

I even have a WAY early shot of this "X" we made for the kitchen.

Now that you're all excited to see all of these elements and more let me fill you in on the details:

The house opens for tours starting this Friday, November 15th and will be open every Thursday through Sunday until December 8th. 

Hours:
Thursday: Saturday 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Closed: Thanksgiving Day

Where: 
The house is located at 58 Blackland Road NW Atlanta, GA

Tickets:
Tickets can be purchased on-line here. $20 in advance, $25 at the door.
Several companies are selling the tickets around Atlanta, including Bell Kitchen and Bath Studios in Alpharetta. For a complete list of the ticket outlets follow this link and scroll to the bottom.

Proceeds from this year's event benefit the Southeastern Horticulture Society whose mission is to "promote the knowledge, art and enjoyment of horticulture throughout the Southeastern United States."

It's been a fun process watching this home come together. I was at the house last week and the space was buzzing with activity. The finishing touches are being applied and things are really coming to life. I can't wait to see the finished product later this week!

So, if you know you will be in or near the Atlanta area this holiday season, make plans to check out this home. Whether you find yourself looking for inspiration and ideas, or if you're just in the mood to be surrounded by beautiful things, this Holiday House will be sure to deliver. Nothing says Happy Holiday's like a beautifully decorated home bursting from the inside out with inspiration and charm. I hope to see you all there! 

Luxury Living Show 2013

Well, it's MY WEDDING WEEK!! In a mere three days I will be a married woman - crazy, crazy!

As most of you know there is no shortage of super exciting things going on in my life right now. Wedding, new house, NKBA's 30 Under 30, tons of fun projects and now this....... Mike Bell and I are featured in the May issue of Atlanta Homes &  Lifestyles magazine along with Joel Kelly for our work with this year's Luxury Living Show Kitchen.

Photo from Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Magazine.

 This is the fourth year Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles has partnered with Phipps Plaza to host the Luxury Living Show here in Atlanta. This is also the fourth year Bell Kitchen & Bath Studios has built and co-designed the full sized kitchen, and this year I was a part of the team! 

 

Photo from Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Magazine.

 

Mike Bell and I worked with Joel Kelly to bring this year's kitchen to life. While the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Luxury Living Show Kitchens were beautiful and special in their own unique way, we are very excited about what has been created this year. This year's kitchen features sleek lines and loads of functionality. The finishes throughout the space are unique and will add depth and interest that we hope will inspire viewers. For the first time, not only will the outside of the kitchen be beautiful but the inside of the cabinets will be a show all on their own - thanks Blum & Sur La Table.

 

Cambria countertops from every one's favorite Construction Resources, Sub-Zero Wolf appliances, Traditions in Tile and of course Bell Cabinetry will all be present at this year's show.

 

Below is a sneak peek of this year's kitchen......

 

 

Photo my own.

 

The cabinetry was put together last week so the countertops could be templated. Above is a fun shot of Mike Bell and install manager, Todd going over details of the space. After the countertops were templated, the kitchen was broken down and is currently being finished, getting ready for install later this week.

 

The show is right around the corner, May 9th - 12th AKA Mother's Day Weekend AKA days before I leave on my honeymoon ( I couldn't miss this show, Italy will have to wait :) ) So, grab the mother in your life and make plans to head down to Phipps Plaza to enjoy this year's beautiful dream kitchen.

**If you won't be in or around Atlanta May 9th - 12th, the kitchen will be on display all month at Monarch Court. **

 

Alright, this is my last official post as Courtney Foster, sniff, sniff...... :) See you all at Phipps in a few weeks!

 

2012 Christmas House

Well, it's officially November, so I think it's about time to start talking about the holidays. And what says holiday fun better than a Christmas House?! To all of those in/near/around the Atlanta area, get out your pen and paper and jot this down!

The 2012 Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Magazine's Christmas House opens it's doors for tours beginning November 16th through December 9th.

Photo from google search.

This years Christmas House is a new construction project through Dovetail Homes. This home is especially exciting to me because my company, Inspirations Kitchen & Bath & Bell Cabinets has been involved since it was just an idea on paper. We provided all of the cabinetry, appliances and most of the closets throughout the home. Mike Bell and I worked closely with Lyndsy Woods of L. Kae Interiors  on the cabinetry layouts, selections and finishes and have thoroughly enjoyed watching everything come together.

The home is nestled in the heart of Buckhead near Chastain park. The exterior showcases varying materials and textures creating charming curbside appeal that shouts southern chic.  The interior has an open floor plan and expansive kitchen perfect for entertaining. Each room of the house will be furnished and decorated by a different designer, so each room is guaranteed to have it's own unique style, with inspiration around every corner.

Finally, for those of you already in the Christmas spirit, the word is this home will showcase over THIRTY Christmas trees! So, if you're in the area please drop by. We would love to see you!

The home is located:

4775 Dudley Lane NW
Atlanta, GA 30327

Hours:

Thursday - Saturday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday: Noon - 5:00 PM
CLOSED - THANKSGIVING DAY

Tickets:

Tickets can be purchased for $15 before November 15th. After November 15th and at the door tickets will be $20. Children 12 and under have free admission.

Proceeds benefit the Alliance Theatre.

For more information regarding directions, hours and tickets check out The Christmas House website here.

Size Matters

Have you ever walked into a room and instantly loved it for so many reasons, none of which you can put your finger on? This has happened to me countless times. Some houses, rooms, spaces, even outfits just work and while the how is unclear, the fact is, design magic has happened.

There are several factors that come together to spark design magic, but one of the most important of those is scale. Scale is as important to design, as cheese is to cheese dip. Dead serious. Scale is one of those silent components that can really make or break a room.

Scale is the size relationship from one object to another.

Scale comes into play a lot in design. From the way you decorate your mantle, to the cabinets you choose to put on the same wall as your oven, to the pieces of art you choose for both large and small walls in your home. Scale is relevant everywhere.

Let's start with scale gone wrong.

This blog has been a long time coming. The final straw/slap in the face inspiration came while I was in Chicago in April, for the KBIS show.

This photo is my own.

THIS is my hotel room, and that tiny spec you see on the wall is not a cockroach, it's art. The only art on the entire wall. I mean, obviously they're trying (dear God, let's hope) to make some kind of understated design statement by choosing this size art for this size room, but I don't get it. All I see is a whole lot of wall and I'm bored.

It's hard for me to be negative about this room, I mean it has a COW RUG for crying out loud. But, alas I must critique. The scale in this room is off, specifically on the back wall. The frame and accessories used  are far too small to carry off this large wall. A collection of three frames that size over the bed would have worked much better. Also, I would group the gold candle stick holders together instead of having them flank anything. Sometimes too much matchy-matchy balance can be just as bad.

The one picture featured on this wall is WAY to small. While the white space around the fireplace is not vast, the picture still gets lost on the wall around it.

This Kitchen has good and bad scale. The cabinetry scale in this kitchen is good. The cabinets have good symmetry and the variation of depth add interest. The window however, kills the whole thing. While I like the window in general it is far too small to be located where it is with nothing on either side of it. The window  should either be bigger or they should have incorporated more wall cabinets on each side.

Scale done Right.

This room has great scale.There is a lot going on in this room but everything balances, and does so without trying too hard. There are some matchy-matchy elements like the fur ottomans (love), but then other items like the lamps balance without being identical. Another big plus is the mirror, notice the width and height are appropriate for the location within the space. Due to the scale and symmetry, this room feels complete.

While some might find this space really cluttered, I find it fun and unique. Notice that the walls to either side of the fireplace are not equal. The right side is much larger than the left. While this fact could seriously derail some, whoever designed this space brilliantly decorated these walls in such a way that your eye probably doesn't even notice the two walls aren't the same until you look closely. I'm also loving the mixture of shapes, sizes and materials. On the fireplace wall alone we have large mirrored circles, a small round frame, and three varying sized rectangular frames. The mixing of these elements gives the room depth. Depth AND Scale... Home run, every time.

CLAPPING!!!!!!!! This is scale done right, right here. This Kitchen was in the Atlanta Homes & Lifestyle's 2010 Christmas House and was designed by Mike Bell of Inspirations Design Studio. While this kitchen looks vast, it is only 200 square feet. Because the space was small, scale was very important. As you can see all cabinetry goes to the ceiling, but glass cabinets were cleverly used at the top to make the space appear taller. This kitchen is very symmetrical and it's clear a lot of attention was paid to scale, which is one of the main reasons this space is so pleasing to the eye.

As you can see, scale is very important and something to really consider when investing in your space. Scale can truly make the difference in a "ho hum" space and a great space. You want your space to feel complete, not like a piece is missing. I'd rather see a completely blank wall than a wall with two dinky frames floating in the middle, giving the impression there was a BOGO (buy one get one) sale at Hobby Lobby. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking Hobby Lobby, you can find all kinds of treasures there. But at the end of the day it's about considering the size of the space you're accessorizing in relation to the size of the accessory you are looking to buy.

Unless otherwise noted all photos are from google search.

Luxury Living Show 2012

Happy Mother's Day WEEK! That's right, our Moms, Grandmothers, Grandmas, Nanas, Dandys, Mimis, Grammys and Grandmamas are special enough to get a WEEK in their honor! If you're in the Atlanta area and are looking for a fun outing for a Mom in your life, I would suggest taking her to the Luxury Living Show at Phipps Plaza this Saturday.

For the third year in a row Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles has partnered with Phipps Plaza to host Atlanta's only Luxury Living Show. The show is Thursday, May 10th through Saturday May 12th and is anchored by a full sized living kitchen, built and co-designed by the company I work for, Inspirations Design Studio and Fernandez and True Interiors. The kitchen incorporates cabinetry from Bell Cabinets, Cambria counter tops, Thermador appliances, Richelieu hardware and Tile from Traditions in Tile.

We met down at Phipps Tuesday morning for our weekly sales meeting where many of us from Inspirations were able to see the kitchen for the first time. It's beautiful and very different from the last two, pictured below.

Luxury Living Show 2010

Luxury Living Show 2011

I don't want to give too much away, but I will say this years kitchen is smaller in scale than years past and shows dark wood cabinetry with a really cool finish. If you get the chance to come by, notice the counter tops. They look a lot like white marble but are actually Cambria, the color is Torquay. The kitchen will be on display at Phipps for the month of May and will be moved to our showroom in Alpharetta in June, where it will be our Thermador vignette.

Saturday will be a fun filled day where you can enjoy presentations by Chef Art Smith (former personal chef to Oprah Winfrey) and Chef Anthony Gray of Atlanta's SOUTHERN ART from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. and celebrated landscaper, floral and interior designer James T. Farmer III from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. followed by book signings.

It's going to be a great day, so come down with the mom in your life, enjoy the sights, presentations and prepare to be inspired!