1970 Dogwood Street, Author at 1970 Dogwood Street

What I’m Reading : The History of Bones by John Lurie

April 20, 2022 by 1970 Dogwood Street

This is a memoir unlike any you have read. It is told by a masterful storyteller, recounting his terrifying, awe-inspiring and gritty coming of age in New York City in the 1980’s. He is a musician, actor and writer fully aware of his abilities but often unable to live up to them. The writing is at once simple and straightforward but takes you for such a ride through not only NYC but all over Europe and leaves you laughing and cringing and outright horrified in equal measure. Even if you have never heard of John Lurie or only think of him with vague awareness – this is an enthralling book that is sure to entertain.

Before/After :: A Conference Room in DC

April 6, 2022 by 1970 Dogwood Street

This was a fun project we just completed in DC. We chose a simple Parsons table from Room and Board, and then added an assortment of chairs. We used a trio of bookcases to set into a nook on one side of the room, and styled it with books, office supplies, and other useful items. The bookcases are also sourced from Room and Board — they are called Foshay. We’ve used them in other projects and find their price point, color and sizing options, and versatility to be helpful in many design scenarios!

Here’s the same room :: a “before” pic before we got started!

Before/After :: Transforming our Study

March 23, 2022 by 1970 Dogwood Street

We are so pleased with the intentional changes we’ve made in our study. It’s a well-used space, combining an office with a music room. The most expensive thing we did was to remove the old wall-to-wall carpeting and extend the luxury vinyl plan (LVP) flooring from the adjoining dining room. We also replaced the old ceiling fan with an updated fixture, and replaced the knobs on the bookcase with square matte black ones. We also installed FLOR in a fun pattern with blues and greys.

Here’s 2 “before” pics :: the space with the awful carpeting (with the old linoleum underneath) and the dated ceiling fan.

Before/After :: Warming up a Bathroom Simply with Wallpaper

March 9, 2022 by 1970 Dogwood Street

When we moved into this house nearly two years ago, this room was the only one where I really didn’t like the paint color. I decided to punch up the color and instead of painting, it made sense to select a wallpaper in a pattern I’ve always loved from Thibaut. It’s called Turini Dots and I chose the orange colorway — it comes in several options. My goal was to “warm” the space, as we have an existing tile floor and vanity base/top that has warmer neutral tones. I also purchased a few new towels?. I’m happy I took the plunge!

Here’s a “before” picture of the pale lilac color that I didn’t care for. It looked a little “institutional” for our home. I’m quite pleased with the change.

What I’m Reading :: Wish You Were Here

February 23, 2022 by 1970 Dogwood Street

This book is a can’t miss! Read it! I am blown away by the meticulous detail, the characters’ development, the subject matter, and the author’s adept use of plot twists. Wow! It opens with a scene set in New York City in March 2020. I haven’t read a book this quickly in quite some time.

Before/After :: Updating a Teen’s Bedroom

February 9, 2022 by 1970 Dogwood Street

This teen knew exactly what she wanted — we didn’t help with much here, but we are happy to show off the space! She found the wallpaper pattern she liked and decided it would just go on one wall. It’s very subtle and fits well with her aesthetic. She found the boho-inspired ceiling light, got a larger bed, and created a cozy corner for reading and studying. The result is her vision, realized.

She wanted more floor space, so she chose to anchor her bed to one wall and corner. She also intentionally used the room’s generous natural light to her benefit, setting up a vanity/desk near the windows and using a sleek “capsule” mirror as an update.

Here’s a few photos of her room, as it looked before.

Before/After :: Updating a Shared Bathroom

January 26, 2022 by 1970 Dogwood Street

This bathroom needed a very slight refreshing :: we added a fresh coat of paint, new mirrors and lights, new faucets at both sinks, and new knobs for the vanity. The homeowner chose Sea Salt by Sherwin Williams and it’s stunning. It’s fun to mix metals too.

Here’s a few “before” pics — you’ll notice that we added two separate mirrors and it really made a difference!

Before/After :: Transforming a Closet into a Relaxation/Zen Hideout!

January 12, 2022 by 1970 Dogwood Street

This is a space I created in one of the closets of our bedrooms :: we have two, and we really only need one! I’ve always wanted to find a little space in my home that is simply for relaxation. It’s a small room :: I think it’s only about 6 or 7 feet square. There is a small sconce inside, but I often leave that off, because I ran this string of LED lights all over the ceiling, and plugs into a wall outlet. Here’s the link to the ones I bought. It’s more than 60 feet of tiny little lights. The “string” is metal, so I wrapped it around small nails every few feet to create this tent-like effect.

I splurged on a new yoga mat (to be honest, I usually don’t actually do yoga in here :: I just look at the lights and chill out!), and decorated the walls with a few “found” items I’ve had forever, including a huge copper tray I bought many years ago.

Here’s where I started. It was fun to pull out the existing shelves and brackets! Then I patched and sanded the walls. I tested two paint colors, and ultimately decided I liked the dark green better. It took me three coats on all four walls, and two coats on the ceiling (definitely paint the ceiling for a small project like this — it makes a huge difference and creates a cocoon effect! It took me a few days of painting and drying between coats, along with lots + lots of music and podcasts, then BAM :: I had a beautiful jewel box. Add lights and enjoy!

The one on the left is Sherwin Williams 7620 Seaworthy and the one on the right is Sherwin Williams 6447 Evergreens. I ultimately ended up with Evergreens.

Showcasing a Dining Room

December 29, 2021 by 1970 Dogwood Street

We did absolutely nothing in this dining room! The homeowner has great style and has created a lovely room for formal dinners and casual family hangouts. The beautiful midnight blue color is offset by the white millwork and trim, plus it has the advantage of natural light streaming in through the windows, the transom window over the cased opening, and the drum shade chandelier suspended over the table. What a beautiful space!