Monthly Archives: September 2016

Living Room Design with Havenly

When I moved down to Florida earlier this year, I was so excited to start from scratch in designing my new space. It was the first time that my entire home would also be a complete reflection of “me” and, with the exception of a few items, I got rid of everything from DC.

havenly blogger living room

That is also why I was so excited when Havenly reached out and asked how they could help me #GetDecorated down here in the Sunshine State.

Havenly allows you to design your own dream space with professional interior designers in just 4 easy steps and it’s all online (more info on pricing plus a special H&T promo code at end of post!).

When you first sign up, you answer a few questions and create a “Style Profile” which allows them to match you with a designer that fits your style. I was lucky enough to get the lovely Julianne!

I wanted a space that was feminine, grown up but still fun, pretty on the eyes and of course, suitable for “hosting” and “toasting”. I have cathedral ceilings in my living room and two large windows that bring in lots of light so a “bright” design was also important to me.

You then share details about your project with your designer – things like your budget, photos, rooms size and measurements, existing items you’d like to incorporate and most importantly (for me!), your vision (you can even share Pinterest boards). It is all so easy to upload to the site for review, make comments and I even provided Julianne with a list of random things I did and did NOT want.

I also had a few items I had picked up but had no idea what I wanted to do with that she was able to incorporate as well as a few items that I wanted to “repurpose” so she helped give me direction there too (paint colors etc).

This step was so important to me and by giving guidelines and sharing my own vision for my new living room, I felt so comfortable trusting Havenly to work their magic and boy, did they! 

In the next step, your designer works to revise your design concepts and you have a chance to comment and provide feedback. Below are my TWO concept boards that Havenly put together for me. It was so fun to take what I liked from both of them to get my final room design.

havenly blogger living room havenly

When I received my concept boards, I was amazed at how Julianne had put together EXACTLY what I wanted but was certainly not talented enough to do on my own – all my random ideas, likes and “needs” into one.

After feedback, my room layout and initial/final designs were then put together (see below for the final product!).

havenly blogger living room havenly blogger living room

Finally, once my space was completely assembled – they put together a shopping list that allowed me to shop directly from the Havenly site. SO easy! No searching 100s of sites for the products, they literally put them all into your account and you pick and choose what you like best. That’s what I really enjoyed – how she gave me choices and narrowed it down.

I also wanted furniture that I could use in other rooms in the future. For example, I wanted a smaller couch (sette, if you will) so it could be used in a bedroom, large closet or office should I move. I also wanted a multi-purpose type of living room (almost like a studio to some degree) that I could entertain somewhat in so we worked on various seating options and layouts.

Alas, my new items arrived at my door and I began to put everything in its place with the help of my designs.

Welcome to my new HOME! Cheers!

(all details are linked at the end of this post)

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Toasting: Charleston Stay at Zero George

I’m going away, perhaps to Charleston…forever? No, but really.

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Charleston has always been one of my favorite cities to travel to and visit – whether it’s for a wedding, a Bachelorette (like my sister’s last year), the Blog Societies Conference or, of course, “just because”. I have always hoped that someday my life finds me there full (or part) time!

Before I even headed to Charleston on my most recent trip, I was spoiled at Spa Evangeline here in Tampa with a spa pedi and amazing HydraFacial MD®.  I also made sure this freckled Florida girl was perfectly sunkissed with a airbrush tan by my favorite Air Brush Tan by Shan.

Once I was beauty-ready, I was lucky enough to head up there for a long weekend full of reunions, blogging and dining (and wine-ing!) so today’s post will recap some more must-do’s if you’re planning a trip to the Holy City soon too (take me with you, K?).

(PRESS PLAY for my weekend in a nutshell with Jenn!)

Where To Stay

Zero George

zero george

{Photo via}

This was my second stay with Zero George and as one would expect, it did not disappoint. Being greeted with a glass of bubbly upon check-in is my type of place and after being apart from my BFF Jenn for 6+ months, a “cheers” was certainly in order as she arrived from DC.

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Additionally, from the moment you step on property, the most accommodating staff is always present and goes above and beyond to make your stay the best possible. We were also surprised with precious gift bags from our friends at Candlefish with travel candles from their library collection and corresponding matches.

candlefish

A European Style Breakfast is provided every morning along with a 24-hour Miele Coffee + Espresso Bar. Every evening from 5pm-6pm, guests enjoy a complimentary “Wine + Cheese Hour” (now you see why I LOVE this place?!). One evening we chose to have our wine and cheese boards brought to our room and enjoyed while we were primping. Another evening, we chose to have it brought our to one of the beautiful verandahs outside.

As it was Super-Summertime-Hot that weekend in Charleston, I opted for white wine (Jenn still enjoyed her red!). We also enjoyed additional bubbles at the bar!

Other amenities at Zero include complimentary mint bicycle rentals (see my attempt in wedges the above video) and gym passes (we skipped the gym this trip!).

zero george bicyle

I think that one of the most charming parts about the individual guest rooms rooms is being surprised with which one you get! They’re all so unique and in different “houses” with original architecture. Charming, honestly, does not even begin to describe it, it feels just like you’re at home with beautiful white marble bathrooms and Malin + Goetz toiletries. Not to mention a perfectly curated mini bar with sparkling sodas, bottled water and a Nespresso machine that certainly came in handy for our early conference mornings.

zero george guest room

{Photos by Jenn}

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