I've been working with the Larimer family since early last year. Why? Because I am a great designer. Just kidding. Its because the Larimers have four children too. For those of you who don't have four children there is a secret club that we all join when the last baby is born. If you want to be a part of it you know what to do.
So with four children, two dogs and a new-to-them-but-totally-dated house there was (and is) work to be done. We've tackled the dining room, living room, a fireplace, some carpet and this gorgeous study. It wasn't so pretty when we started. Like those awkward 12 year-old girls with braces and glasses and a shockingly bad haircut that end up being swimsuit models.
Like me.
Only I didn't end up as the swimsuit model - for reasons that shouldn't be discussed or displayed here. Especially if you have a weak stomach. Or decent eyesight.
I scoured Goodwill and found some books - on the cheap - that played off the fact that there are four kids in the house and that Vance is an attorney. Family photos, especially taken prior to the um, awkward stage shown earlier in this blog add some personality. The gin is there for a little sanity.
The jelly beans were a huge hit with my kids and my mother all who were on site with me for part of the gig. It's a family business folks and good labor is tough to come by.
Then while the Larimer's were out of town the people taking care of the family dogs left the study doors open. The glass jar is gone. The jelly beans are gone. And the carpet upstairs is gone. You do the math.
But in a perfect world including something out of context is what makes a space come alive. So add some candy. Or your child's artwork. Or gin. Whatever.
A study that is pretty and smart.