the frame

you may remember a few weeks back, we started the process of redecorating our living room. the whole space got a fresh coat of paint and i started simple with a fireplace makeover. but one thing i forgot to mention is that we completely removed our old television from above the mantle because we just couldn’t figure out a way to make it work in our tiny living room. don’t get me wrong, i like to watch tv as much as the next person, but i don’t really like the way it takes up so much space and has a tendency to become this dominating presence in the room. add in the fact that we don’t have a ton of wall space– and tastefully decorating a functional living room for the family has become a really tricky endeavor.

enter samsung’s latest collaboration with designer yves bÁ©har– the frame. we received this innovative new tv in collaboration with samsung, and i didn’t even know what i was missing before it arrived! you may remember that previously, this wall served as a sort of makeshift foyer (see here and here). our current patio/mudroom is out of commission due to renovations (which is an entirely different story that i’ll have to save for another day!), so we’ve been sacrificing a big part of our living room as a place to store our shoes and drop off the mail. it was cutting the room in half and was creating a lot of wasted space in an already cramped area of the house. after changing things up, i can honestly say that without the frame, there is literally no other way we could have made a television work in here so gracefully.

true to it’s slogan, it is literally the most beautiful tv you’ve never seen. if i hadn’t taken these photos myself, at first glance, i don’t even think i would have known it was a television. the beauty is in the super sleek design coupled with the no gap wall mount so that it hangs flush with the wall alongside all of your favorite framed photos or artwork. the invisible connection is virtually undetectable and eliminates the usual mess of cables so that it truly looks like framed art on display. when you’re not watching your favorite shows, you can leave it in ‘art mode,’ allowing you to select your favorite art from a gallery of 100 professionally curated pieces of art. or you can upload your favorite family photos, it’s up to you. if the black frame isn’t your thing, you can also customize it with three additional bezel options in light wood, walnut, or white metal.

the design is really what sold me because it’s allowed me to ‘hide’ the television in plain view and put it in a place that helps to keep the living room cohesive and functional at the same time, which has totally opened up the possibilities when it comes to the rest of the decor as we continue working on the space. but if you’re more into the technical specs, then you’ll be impressed to know that it is a 4k hdpro tv with four times more pixels than full hd. and it’s no small thing coming in both 55″ and 65″ sizes. it’s like having an art gallery and a secret home theater all wrapped up into one tiny living room. who knew a tv could do so much?

go check out the frame for yourself!

other details: framebridge frames, vintage rocking chair found on apartment therapy marketplace, cb2 stax shelf, monroe workshop toy elephant, vintage baskets, good thing mini container in forest, manhattan toy skwish, areaware balancing blocks, vintage throw pillows, kosas home indoor/outdoor rug (sold out, but this one is similar)






this post was created in collaboration with samsung.

 

 

 

 

 

talking montessori with noble carriage

noble carriage interview with calivintage

wanted to stop in today to share that i was interviewed for the noble carriage blog and talked about how we do montessori at home. it’s a bit of a departure from my usual outfit posts and home decor posts, which was a little scary for me at first, but i’m really glad with how the photos came out and i hope you enjoy getting a little glimpse into our daily lives. of course toddler tantrums have been edited out, but other than that, it’s a pretty accurate picture of how we live.

my very talented neighbor yvette came over to shoot the photos, so i decided to share some of my favorite images (including a few that didn’t make the cut), but you should definitely head on over to the blog to read the interview and see the full feature!

noble carriage interview with calivintage
noble carriage interview with calivintage
noble carriage interview with calivintage
noble carriage interview with calivintage
noble carriage interview with calivintage
noble carriage interview with calivintage
noble carriage interview with calivintage
noble carriage interview with calivintage
noble carriage interview with calivintage
noble carriage interview with calivintage
noble carriage interview with calivintage
noble carriage interview with calivintage

nanushka spring 2017

calivintage - nanushka spring 2017

i know we’re kind of getting midseason over here, but with summer vacation upon us, i’m just getting started! the spring 2017 collection by nanushka has been popping up in my pinterest feed lately, and i love it so much! the brand had never really been on my radar before, but it was started in 2005 by designer sandra sandor and has grown to over 30 countries worldwide. so it’s about time that they caught my attention! all of the collections are designed in budapest and produced in europe.

the latest collection really caught my eye because it has this very fun, touristy vibe to it. it’s playful, yet still sophisticated with lots of interesting and offbeat elements. it’s the type of wardrobe i wish i could pack for my imaginary summer getaway. probably my favorite piece is the woven dana dress above, and i’m also really enjoying the straw hats and wicker handbags for that fun and carefree vibe.

shop nanushka here

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a fireplace before & after with true value

calivintage - a fireplace before & after with true value

another little space in our house is coming together! i never say a project is “finished” because there are always improvements to be made, but i’m feeling pretty good about this transformation. if you take a quick scroll past the text, you’ll see what i mean. that photo down there is what it looked like the day we moved in. dirty brown carpet, heavy drapes, cheesy sconces, hotel room artwork. the fireplace was boarded up with a really hideous screen leaning up against it. when it was on the market, i’m sure some people took one look at this living room and turned right around, but i knew that it was just a matter of cosmetics. all it really took was a couple of days work. we peeled away that dirty carpet to reveal the original 1920s hardwood floors, we switched out the light fixtures, added our own decor, and slapped on a fresh coat of paint.

and today i’ve teamed up with true value to share my experience choosing the perfect shades of white for your home. but before i go too far on the subject, i do need to preface this by saying that it is nearly impossible to photograph white and get an accurate depiction. i tried to get as close of an approximation as possible with these photos, but the only way for you to truly see what these colors look like is to get some samples and paint your walls! it even took me a few different tries mixing different shades of white to land on something that i really loved. so if you’re on the hunt, i’ve done a little bit of the legwork for you.

the walls are my absolute favorite shade of white. it is the true value easy care ultra premium flat interior in swiss coffee. the color was actually first recommended to me by my house painter and it is a standard shade that it available though many different brands. but it is still a standout choice and my personal favorite for my home. it’s a really great neutral white that isn’t too stark and clinical or too dark and yellow. it gives you that perfect scandinavian vibe– a nice soft white that serves as a clean backdrop for your decor. if you’ve ever had trouble with whites looking too blue or too dingy, then this color will be like a breath of fresh air.

it’s not as noticeable in the photos, but for the trim, i went with a slightly warmer shade of white– true value easy care ultra premium satin interior in sand dollar. i was going for more of a traditional look with this choice because i think it goes well with my 1920s home. i like it because it’s a nice creamy vanilla shade that helps to give just a little bit of dimension and depth without jumping out at you or competing with the decor. it just looks like it belongs. i actually had to go through quite a few different shades to land on this one, so i’ll share what i learned: look at the undertones of the shade you’re using! i was just plucking colors from the samples that i thought looked nice. but when i got home, they were either too pink or too yellow. i finally figured out that you can actually look at the undertones of the color formula as a guide to help you find a complimentary color. i took a look at the neutral undertones of swiss coffee and it helped steer me in the direction of the right shade to warm things up just a tad.

then it was just a matter of painting! this was the first time i’ve tried true value paints and i was really impressed with how viscous the formulas are. the ultra premium line just came out, and it is a paint and primer in one, so you can literally just slap on a coat or two and you’re done.

details: true value easy care ultra premium flat interior in swiss coffee on the walls and satin interior in sand dollar on the trim, visual comfort right angle sconces in hand rubbed antique brass, rock & pebble ele villa, areawear balancing blocks, vintage rocking chair and throw pillows, kosas home cosuma indoor outdoor kilim rug

calivintage - a fireplace before & after with true value
calivintage - a fireplace before & after with true value
calivintage - a fireplace before & after with true value
calivintage - a fireplace before & after with true value
calivintage - a fireplace before & after with true value
calivintage - a fireplace before & after with true value

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of True Value. The opinions and text are all mine.

outfit: summer nostalgia with wrangler

calivintage x wrangler

it’s been a few years now since i’ve been back in southern california where i grew up as a kid. and for the first time since i’ve gotten back, i’m finally starting to head out to explore and rediscover some of the beauty out here. it’s easy to get distracted by day-to-day life and forget that i live pretty close to all sorts of fun adventures: i’m a quick drive from the historic route 66, the iconic dinosaurs at cabazon (and hadley’s date shakes!), and a massive expanse of desert including palm springs, joshua tree, the salton sea… so when i feel the urge to get away, it’s just a quick drive down the highway for a major dose of nostalgia and summer fun.

so i headed out this weekend for a little bit of exploration in my new wrangler denim. i’ve partnered with them on the launch of their limited release collection to celebrate their 70th anniversary with styles inspired by designs from the archives. i picked up this classic pair of women’s 70th anniversary flare jeans with a retro screen print tee and cropped denim jacket and felt like i was in a vintage picture postcard stomping through the desert in my 1970s getup. but this is not a drill: these pieces are only available in very limited quantities, and they will sell out fast!

if you’re someone who loves vintage as much as i do, then you know how hard it can be to find the perfect pair of vintage jeans. i feel like i’m always searching, so i get super excited when an iconic brand like wrangler decides to give us a little peek into their archives. i often fantasize about being able to just walk through the vintage vaults of a brand like wrangler just to pick and choose all of my favorite styles from decades past. so of course, i’m pretty excited about this huge 70th anniversary celebration with more limited releases expected throughout the year.

so don’t miss out. shop the wrangler 70th anniversary release and sign-up for email alerts when more of their upcoming limited releases roll out!

calivintage x wrangler
calivintage x wrangler
calivintage x wrangler
calivintage x wrangler

this post is sponsored by wrangler. all opinions expressed are my own.

outfit: cycle chic with papillionaire

calivintage + papillionaire bikes

since i usually write about fashion and home decor, you may not know that i’m also totally into bikes! i don’t ride around nearly as much as i used to, but i still have a growing collection of bikes! once upon a time, i would go on long bicycle tours, and while i hope to do that again some day when the kids are a little older, these days i’m a lot more focused on city bikes. and by city bikes, i mean casual bikes to get around town. i have a really cute mixte frame with slightly more upright geometry, but i have been itching to get back on a road bike, too! so when papillionaire asked me if i’d like to try out a bike, i went straight for their new remi. i love it because it reminds me of some of the vintage road bikes i used to ride around on back in the day, but it’s shiny and new and not quite as clunky as some of those vintage bikes can be!

the really fun part is that you can completely customize your bike! this particular model comes in this wonderful shade of aloe, or you can choose from coffee, steel blue, or carmine red. you can also choose between whitewall tires for a more vintage look, or a classic gumwall. you can even pick a black or brown leather saddle and grips. it’s all those little details that get me really excited about a new bike!

but of course, if a road bike isn’t quite your style, they have a really nice selection of frames, from a dutch style to a mixte frame to a beach cruiser, a classic hybrid, and a racer. and none of them will come anywhere near breaking the bank, so they’re definitely a brand worth checking out if you’re on the hunt for a bike to ride around in this wonderful spring weather.

wearing:
only child vista linen jumpsuit
papillionaire remi bike
greek sandals
steven alan bryce sunglasses in peach crystal
sylvain le hen xs barrette

calivintage + papillionaire bikes
calivintage + papillionaire bikes
calivintage + papillionaire bikes
calivintage + papillionaire bikes
calivintage + papillionaire bikes
calivintage + papillionaire bikes

lykke wullf spring 2017

calivintage - lykke wullf spring 2017

it’s funny, just last week i was talking about how i try not to pay too much attention to trends, but the flipside is that sometimes i feel like my style can be so very reserved. which is why i’m finding myself so drawn to these fun looks from the lykke wullf spring 2017 collection. i’ve been an admirer of the brand for the past several seasons, but just barely placed my first order. i decided to take a risk and go a little bit out of my comfort zone with these linen ruffle pants! because sometimes you need to have a little fun with things, and that’s exactly what la-based designer jemma swatek serves up.

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outfit: sotela co.

calivintage + sotela co.

at home. for whatever reason, i always forget that i can share photos of me in my natural habitat haha. if i think about it for a minute, i realize that i probably spend a lot more time at home than the average person. i work in the mornings while adam is at school, so you’ll usually find me enjoying my coffee and then getting to work at the computer. after school, it’s the lunchtime routine with adam and edie, then usually a mix of kid time and household stuff. it’s rather unglamorous, but i’d like to think i do it with style. since i spend so much time at home looking at these walls, i spend a good amount of that time planning, arranging, rearranging, trying to make it a pleasant space for me and the kids. there’s always more work to be done (which can be infuriating), but we’ve also come such a long way since we first moved in two years ago.

these photos also give you a better idea of why i dress the way i do. i was talking about comfort in my last outfit post, so here it is! i really like clothes that i can wash and wear a million times, that i can wear on a run to the hardware store and then pop in to the coffee shop for an afternoon date and still feel pulled together. and of course, that i can roll around in while playing with the kids.

and two new additions that are working perfectly in my wardrobe are these lyla crop tanks in sand and royal blue from sotela. they’re simple, but cute. and perfect for the really hot summer days we have ahead of us. they are made in los angeles out of 100% linen, which you know is my favorite thing. the brand was started by designer hanna baror-padilla who had always dreamed of starting a sustainable clothing line using locally produced eco-friendly fabrics. not only that, but she understands how frustrating it can be to find clothes that fit properly, so she’s designed all of her clothing with ease and comfort in mind. clothes that really move and breathe with you so that you can still wear them even as your body changes through weight gain, loss, pregnancy, illness. it’s a really thoughtful ethos that i think most of us can really appreciate. i know i certainly do!

wearing:
sotela co. lyla crop in sand
jesse kamm sailor pants in tobacco

sotela co. lyla crop in royal blue
vintage cotton gauze pants
maryam nassir zadeh palma low heels

the patio set is from ikea and if you’re interested in details on my dining room, i have links to everything in this post.

calivintage + sotela co.
calivintage + sotela co.
calivintage + sotela co.
calivintage + sotela co.

lotfi spring 2017

calivintage - lotfi spring 2017

i’m on the hunt for a new handbag, so i thought i’d share one of my recent new favorites: lotfi. founded in san francisco in 2011, the brand was born from designer sharareh lotfi’s desire for a minimal, unfussy carry-all that was practical without being too boring. which is exactly what i’m looking for in a bag! i just love the casual vibe of the clean cotton canvas and corduroy textiles. and while you can never go wrong with something like the sierra bag in cocoa, you can also have a bit of fun with the bright lime green coro bag if you prefer to make a statement.

you can shop lofti directly. or find them at garmentory where you can get $20 off your first purchase using my referral link!

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