Milo Baughman Dining Chairs

Hi guys! I'm back from the trenches of a two week long virus that wiped out my kids...slowly...and one by one. Talk about long days spent in my bedroom, (the selected 'quarantine room'), sitting with each sickie at a time! It was after the first week that I decided, out of boredom, to jump on Craigslist and browse the pickins in our vast DC metro area. That's when I spotted the chairs that would bring me back to the land of the living!

It was a set of 8 Milo Baughman cane back chairs with black leather seats. The wood was scuffed up on most of the chairs and one had a tear right in the middle of it's backrest. I strapped in my sickie du jour, puke bucket and all, and drove to pick them up beating the next person interested by 5 hours. What a rush!

But so worth it.

Is it obvious how inspired I was by Cate's formerly available mid-century chairs and currently available settee?! These chairs are like the love child of both of those flips. (Don't think too much into that haha!) Anyways, I decided to pull the best six of my set and reserve two to play around with and sell as a pair later. I revived the wood on the set of 6 with oil, cleaned up the leather, and now they're just so devilishly handsome they're breakin' my heart!

Each chair is stamped and tagged underneath as proof of their manufacturing. They are original Milo Baughman for Dillingham chairs and I've found them over and over online between $1,500 and $2,800. I honestly don't know if my hands have ever touched a piece so valuable! I didn't want to change their look, but rather revive them for glory days yet to come.

Milo Baughman Dining Chairs Set of 6
SOLD
Please contact me at chelsea@stylemutthome.com if interested in custom order like them!

Thank you all so much for coming by!

Reader Design: Lauren's Stylish Studio

There's a prolific theme out there around doing more with less - mainly more with less time, in my experience. But no one does it better in the realm of design as Lauren, a millennial living in Montreal, Quebec. 

She lives in just 500 square feet, and it does double duty as both her work and living space. But that tiny space is used to its absolute maximum to create a home that is thoughtful, bright, airy, and inspiring. 

Decorating her home started as a creative outlet from her corporate e-commerce job and has turned in to a full on passion project. 

“I believe your surroundings can really influence your state of mind so I try to create spaces that are not only visually attractive, but also carry a peaceful energy. I have loved sharing this message through my decorating work. When people tell me they love how it feels to be in my place then I know I have achieved my goal of creating a unique and welcoming space. ”

She draws influence from mid-century modern, eclectic, and classic Parisian design, and it works out so so so well. As Lauren intentionally knows, the mix of all those elements creates a space that is super interesting and intriguing but still cohesive. 

She also learned a lot about herself. Her affinity to minimalism, for one. 

“Throughout this experience I have learned that minimal living is actually quite therapeutic. Not feeling crowded by so much “stuff” lets you appreciate each piece you fill your home with, and what once seemed like a challenge to live in a small studio space has become something I am quite proud of.”

A tenet of that minimalistic approach is investing in really high-quality pieces, which Lauren has done in her lighting and art choices. 

“With limited square footage and wall space, taking advantage of my ceiling height with a bold light was how I added a statement piece which has become a main feature of my home. Art is also something worth investing in because it is so personal to who you are. When I moved to a new city I really wanted to find art by a local artist so it felt like an extension of my experience in a new place. I was lucky enough to find a wonderful artist named Lysa Jordan who did 2 amazing large canvases for me. They complement my space so well, but also tell a story of my journey. ”

Lauren, you have this whole work/life balance, all in one place, totally figured out. Thank you for sharing it with us today! Follow Lauren along on Instagram @livingbylo for more... you will not regret it. And to swoon over that amazing art, check out @lysajordan_.

Have a lovely weekend, mutts, and see you all next week! 

eDesign Project Progress: Dani's Modern Bohemian Living Room & Breakfast Nook

Hi guys! I'm trying something new today and stopping by to share....wait for it....PROGRESS! I've never been great at jumping on to let you how things are going with a particular project, but if project progress is your love language, I'm going to do my best to speak it!

At the beginning of the year multi-talented jewelry designer Dani Barbe reached out to us for help with her and her fiance's rental home. Although they are renting, they feel a deep desire to establish roots and create a home that truly feels 'them'. During our first discussion I just knew Dani was going to be a joy to work with, and I can honestly say several months later that the process has been a delight every step of the way. Maybe it's working with a fellow creative, maybe it's personality, but we're having all kinds of fun with this one, (so much so that we're keeping a good thing going and just added her formal dining room and studio work-space to the list of rooms to complete)!

If you haven't checked out our eDesign process you're going to get a glimpse of it today! After our initial consultation with Dani we took to Pinterest to pin inspirational rooms. Dani had a single leather sofa from Article, as well as a round breakfast table for her kitchen nook. Otherwise, we had some serious space to fill! It can be daunting to start with so much empty space and the impulse to fill it can feel overwhelming. But my strategy for this one was to make this space special with a few choice pieces and minimal filler.

Living Room

This was the 3D rendering I designed of her living room shortly after gauging her style through the rooms that spoke to her on Pinterest. Although we knew we wouldn't be using a lot of things for the space, we also didn't shy away from mixing antiques with modern elements.

After getting a thumbs up from Dani and her fiance on the 3D rendering, the StyleMutt Home team researched precise pieces to use for the space and we tried them on in design boards, (below). The toughest piece to find - a vintage turkish rug! The problem was not that we couldn't find the right rug; the problem was that every rug we mocked up looked SO good in the space! Ultimately, we all agreed that a warm, glowing pastel piece would suit the glowy space best. Can we use glowy to describe a space? It's my favorite adjective for this home!

See?! Glowy!!! This is a recent progress shot Dani sent and it makes my heart skip a beat every time I see it. You may notice a few key pieces still missing, (coffee table, mantle piece, plant), but those items are en route now and we're nearly there, you guys! See that big guy to the far left? 1900s Craigslist find. Isn't he a charmer! (Psst! I actually found it before doing ANY designing for this space; I saved it to my phone and it inspired a lot of other pieces that we selected).

Breakfast Nook

The process for the adjoining breakfast nook was the same, starting with a 3D rendering! We nailed down the basic concept for this space but the specific elements changed pretty dramatically when we really started researching products.

This space started with the wooden table and that was it! We wanted to incorporate some color into this space and at first I liked the idea of using patterned upholstered chairs and a neutral wall hanging in a natural un-dyed fiber. But as soon as I spotted these gorgeous vintage inspired blond cane chairs I was smitten enough to bag my original inclination and do the reverse! We paired the blond wood chairs with the warm wood table, (definitely a 'do'), and are having the incredible Filia over at Fibers by Filia create a custom piece similar to this one below! I refinished the thrifted cabinet in a simple glossy white to match Dani's kitchen cabinets that she just painted, and spared the original aged brass hardware. A timeless brass and glass multi-faceted pendant completes this cozy nook.

And here is a recent progress shot that Dani sent over! I can't wait to see it finished with the cabinet and Filia's fiber art piece on that empty wall, but as far as progress goes...I have no words. I just love this space so much. This work is the best!

We are all so thrilled to see this eDesign coming to life and can't wait to share the final reveal of these two spaces! We are currently working on Dani's formal dining room and studio space now but we thought we'd break things up to spare you from a novel of a post!

So what do you think, is a progress post your kind of thing? Because I've got more to share if you're feeling loved by it! ;) Either way, I so appreciate you coming by. Thank you!