Peach and the Willow

And together they made the most beautiful couple!…AKA Wine and Coffee Bar!

It was love at first sight, I tell ya!  Love at first sight!  When Miss Graphic, with her soft, abstract grey waves and modern, uptown personality met Mr. Rustic with his hefty reclaimed antique wood shelves, countrified barn lights and impressive Texas long horns, a match was made in wine and coffee bar heaven!  I mean…could you imagine a world where these two didn’t exist…together…perfectly…in one splendid mash up of a space? The most unlikely of combinations…and yet they work together so beautifully! 

So here’s the thing.  I’m not gonna do much pontificating about this project but, instead, let the pictures do the talking.  This is my favorite design to date (you know me, my next project will be my new fave…wink, wink) and like all good projects, my collaborators were key to the success!…starting with collaborator numero uno, the homeowner and talented real estate guru, Amber Stormberg!  You will remember Amber from this recent blog entry where she allowed me to transform her real estate office into a chic, farmhouse space?  This time, she “turns me loose” in her kitchen and asks me to give her a wine and coffee bar that is both “glam and rustic.”  Her words exactly.  Cause, ya know…everyone wants longhorns above their bar…but made glamorous.  Haha!  Now we’re having fun!  And Amber…your dreams and visions are spot on and SO GUTSY!!!!  I love it!

Can we talk about this background for a moment?!!!  This wallpaper by Rebel Walls is the absolute perfect anecdote to the rustic reclaimed shelves and horns.  Although the pattern is bold and modern, the abstract play of the soft grey strokes communicate something quite soothing in nature.  Love this paper in every way!!!  And the shelves???  Adore!  I spotted them…just sitting against a wall in an old building.  They are actually wooden concrete molds from the turn of the century and NOWHERE will you be able to replicate this kind of patina.  This sort of coloration and character can only happen over time.  I had our carpenter and collaborator number two, Steve Morgan, cut them to size and he suggested adding the wine bottle holes.  I also instructed him to lightly sand them so as to keep their gritty nature in tact.

The result?  A whimsical yet sophisticated, beautiful and functional bar befitting the finest Sommelier or Barista!  Now who’s ready for a nice glass of Cotes Du Rhone?  Cheers everyone!

Another big thank you to Amber Stormberg and family for allowing me to blog about their home!  Thank you to my fantastic collaborators, Steve Morgan the Carpenter, Jackie the Electrician, and Debbie Hall the Wallpaper Hanger for their huge contribution to the project!  I couldn’t have pulled it off without you!