massmusings: interior design

Showing posts with label interior design. Show all posts

9:16 AM // By Kayte

BOSTON BOUTIQUES - THROWBACK POST

Today I thought I would throw it back to a post from last Spring. I have to admit, I do not shop at these stores as much as I used to, especially since I now work outside the city. However, my opinions hold true and I stand behind the reviews and grades.

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As a full year of residency in Boston approaches, I have successfully found a slew of boutiques hidden in Boston’s varied neighborhoods. Don’t get me wrong, specialized stores and high-end retailers are great, but there is something to be said for a small shop tucked in between. I have rated the following three of my favorite boutiques based on inventory, designer selection, and convenience. I have also graded their customer service on a letter scale.

1) Crush Boutique (131 Charles Street, Boston, MA 02114): Crush is one of my newer finds in the city. Located in a basement retail space on Charles St. of Beacon Hill, Crush offers a true boutique feel. From the fitting rooms to the racks of beautiful and unique clothing, the store feels like it’s meant to be there, or that you stumbled into some hidden gem. Boasting brands such as Alice + Olivia, Fornash, Ella Moss, and Parker, Crush truly has something for everyone. Customer Service: A+

2) LIT Boutique (236 Hanover Street, Boston, MA 02113): I’m a little partial to LIT because it is literally right next door to my apartment. Whenever I am bored, or have time to kill, or just feel like looking at pretty clothes, I wander into LIT. They always have an updated collection of the latest trends, seemingly never missing a beat on the fashion scene. If you’re looking to add some BB Dakota, Talulah, Flying Tomato, and Tulle to your closet, LIT is the place to shop. Customer Service: B+

3) North River Outfitter (NRO) (122 Charles Street, Boston, MA 02114): If you’re on the preppy side, like myself, NRO may seem like a Kiel James Patrick catalogue come to life. They have a solid selection of Lilly Pulitzer, Vineyard Vines, and Tory Burch as well as some great coffee table books and accessories to boot. Overall, it’s a one-stop shop for all things prep. If you frequent Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard, make sure you stop in their stores there too. Customer Service: B-

You will especially love NRO if you are a big fan of Tuckernuck

Happy shopping!

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I think it's funny how much I have changed just in a little under a year. I think that my style has evolved and I would no longer consider myself strictly preppy. I definitely appreciate my Jack Rogers sandals and my Lilly Pulitzer during the summer months, but now I mix it up with more bohemian silhouettes and a variety of patterns. Luckily, all of these boutiques carry styles that work perfectly with my closet (which is why I'm still such a fan of them)!

Hopefully this throwback post inspired you to get out there and shop in your local community. It's very important to support the smaller businesses in your area!

9:37 AM // By Kayte

CHRISTMAS RECAP!

Today, instead of doing a new SSS, I am going to give you all a little recap of Christmas at the Demont household in Maine. Every year after mass we spend Christmas Eve at my paternal grandmother's house and enjoy a meal and gift giving. On Christmas Day, we open gifts among the three of us (now four - Hi Drew!) Below are the pictures I took in attempts to capture the essence of my house at Christmas.

This is the main tree in our formal living room. It's the most traditional and probably my favorite. The tree skirt was made by my mom when I was a baby and she also created matching stockings to go along with it.

Seriously, my mother is a decorating superhero. She thinks of every detail!

The second of the trees featured on this post (in total there are 5). This is my mom's bird tree. My aunt also has a bird tree and I'll most likely continue the tradition when I get a house of my own.

Formal dining room table centerpiece.

Family china and silver that will someday be mine! Also, how cute are those wish ornaments that doubled as party favors?

This is arguably my favorite piece in our entire house. My parents purchased this chandelier in Venice, Italy. It's hand-blown Venetian glass and has to be installed piece by piece to ensure the proper weight balance.

The third tree is a bit more contemporary and has brighter colors and more abstract ornaments. It's located in the kitchen and has great light to accentuate the colors.

This ornament is the family favorite. Each year when I was younger, we would always have a contest to see who could unwrap the "jingle girl" first. Looking back on it, I don't think that there was any prize or good luck associated with finding the ornament but it was fun so who really cares?

As I mentioned earlier, my mom made stockings that match the tree skirt. This is my stocking (my family calls me Katie)!

Our beautiful tree angel!

The full fireplace shot.

By this point, dinner was ready and I clearly was already in line for the delicious food... not sorry about it.

Thanks for reading about the Demont family Christmas! I would love to hear any similar or unique traditions that you have with your families for the Holidays! Look out for a special Holiday Edition OOTD coming up soon on the blog!

9:38 AM // By Kayte

195 WEBSTER - KITCHEN

The next room in the 195 Webster series is the kitchen! I'll admit, not as much design and decoration went into the kitchen but it is definitely one of my favorite rooms in the house (I love to eat, duh.). Our apartment has a very open concept in the living space and our kitchen is located in it's own room off of the dining room. Below are pictures of the entire kitchen - I've added little tidbits about where I got certain things from as well, enjoy!

I love these simple dish cloths from Ikea. They cost about $1 each and they are perfect for wiping up messes or napkins at the dinner table. They are also super durable and very easy to wash (just throw them in the washing machine).

One thing that I'm investing in for the new year is more magnets! I love having pictures and clippings posted on the fridge but unfortunately I don't have enough magnates to display them all right now.

The view from the kitchen into the dining room. You may recognize this table from this post.

One thing that has kind of been a running joke for us has been the saying "I mustache you a question, but I'm shaving it for later." It was once featured on a shirt that Drew's frat made and ever since we have joked about mustaches. I insited that Drew buy this clock from Target when he moved into his first studio about a year and a half ago and it has followed us ever since. Now it has a home in our kitchen on Webster St.

I love the glass panes in this cabinet. It makes for the perfect display of our wine glasses and funky ceramic pieces.

This may be my favorite kitchen find to date. I fell in love with similar ceramic jars at Anthropologie months ago and when I found these hacks at TJMaxx I absolutely had to buy them. Right now they are just sitting on my kitchen window sill but I know I will eventually find the perfect use for them.

That's it! I hope you enjoyed the tour of my kitchen and keep coming back for more 195 Webster posts. Until then, Merry Christmas and good luck with last minute shopping!

9:38 AM // By Kayte

GREAT GIFTS QUICK

Blankets make great gifts around the Holidays, especially if you are shopping last minute or simply can not think of an appropriate gift for someone on your list. Not only are blankets great gifts, but they are also a relatively inexpensive way to spruce up the decor of a room. Above I have shown some examples of great blankets and throws that will appeal to different styles. What do they have in common? They are all soft and cuddly - perfect for sitting by a winter fire or admiring your Christmas Tree.

If you are struggling to locate such blankets, I would start with Target or Home Goods. Both of these stores typically have quality products at lower prices. Also, as an added bonus, here is a hysterical video to get you in the spirit:

3:56 PM // By Kayte

195 WEBSTER- READING NOOK

To start off the 195 Webster series, I'd like to start small so that I can give some background as to how we found the apartment, etc.

Drew (my boyfriend) and I initially moved into this spacious, 2 bed, 2 bath apartment with our former roommate Nick. Located in East Boston, our apartment has a stunning view of the harbor as well as the Boston skyline. For the three of us, it could not have been more perfect. Far enough away from the city that we felt relaxed after a long day of work, but close enough that we could easily access the shops, restaurants and attractions that Boston has to offer.

When Nick decided to take an exciting job opportunity in San Francisco, we were a little worried about finding a new roommate that would fit our lifestyle, and someone that would want to be friends with us! Thankfully, Liz reached out to us about the vacant room and we all now live together in this space that has truly become home.

I'm starting the tour with the reading nook because it is one of my favorite places in the house. Although it is just a corner of our living room, it has a view of both the TV and the skyline, making it perfect for reading, working from home, or socializing with others who are sitting a few feet away on the couch.

The chair is from L.L. Bean and the poster and lamp were also acquired from family members. Below is our spectacular view of the city. You really can't beat it and it's even more beautiful in person.

Stay tuned for more of the 195 Webster series and I can't wait to continue to showcase the inside of my apartment! Thanks for reading :)

11:34 AM // By Kayte

195 WEBSTER

Hi everyone, It's finally here... Over the next few weeks, I will be revealing my new apartment! I have decided to do it room by room. Why? Because I'm a perfectionist and it will give me more time to make any changes I feel like making. Also, that way I can give you all more detail about what went into each room and where I found everything. I'm super excited to kick this off and I can't wait to hear what you all think of it!