bachelorette pad

So, I know I am a little behind on this but I have been dying to blog about the feature in Rue Magazine showing their editor-in-chief's, Crystal Gentilello, fabulous apartment in Chicago.  It is to die for! She truly has an amazing gift and she is going to go so far in this world.

First of all, the exterior to this building is so unique...it looks more like a place in a quaint European village, not what I picture in a metropolis like Chicago.  Inside, Crystal has created a soft, feminine space that is dripping with understated elegance and sophistication.  In her own words, Crystal describes her style, "I gravitate towards the classic over the trendy, quality over quantity, and restraint over indulgence."  Very well-said and true once you see what her apartment looks like.

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Crystal recently announced she will be relocating from Chicago to San Francisco in order to be closer to the other Rue founder, Anne Sage.  I can't wait to see what Crystal's new place looks like...I know it is going to be out of this world amazing!

fall in the air

This past weekend, we were very lucky to have gorgeous weather.  The temps were perfect, humidity was low, there was definitely a hint of fall down here in Florida.  All this weather had me inspired to create a fall inspired room.

The thoughts of these...

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Create a room like this...

Need a little help in your home? I am available for online design consultations as well as in home consultations for those located in the Tampa Bay area...Email me today at jntinteriors@gmail.com!

monday musing

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favorite find of the week 10.15

Last week, a fabric rep of mine told me about Sarasota Architectural Salvage.  She promised a warehouse full of great finds and she was right!! I made the hour trip south to Sarasota on Monday with another designer friend of mine who had never been.

The place was tucked in a few side streets and when we pulled up this is what we saw...

At first, I thought the letters were cool and then the wings caught my eye, then the wine rack,  yep this place is dangerous!

Sarasota Architectural Salvage is in a huge warehouse filled with to the brim with stuff.  Not just any kind of stuff, it is filled with the stuff that makes my designer heart sing!  Lighting fixtures, old doors, columns, windows, iron gates, everywhere I turned, I found another treasure just waiting to be found.

Of course, I found a gator hiding out...

My friend and I absolutely LOVED this place and will definitely go back! It is the perfect place to find unique things for your home.  Make sure you keep your eyes wide open because there is so much to take in and so many odds and ends! I know every area has their own architectural salvage yard, I urge you to go find yours!! These kind of places are so much fun!

I hope everyone has a great weekend planned...several of my best girlfriends and I are going to a concert tonight.  I love girls' nights and this one promises to be a blast!

quack, quack

I have to admit it, I am starting to get a little rundown.  I have been going full speed ahead for the past month and I am exhausted!!

I have asked for all of this and I love being busy but I am starting to feel like I am not balancing it all very well.  There are so many obligations...family, work, friends, and personal obligations, the list could keep going!  When I am doing work and blogging, I feel so guilty for not playing with my daughter and enjoying her. But, on the flip side, when I am with her, my mind is racing with all the things I need to get done!! And so the guilt trip begins in my head! It is so hard to find the time to hang out with girlfriends, and when I do, I feel bad that I am not spending time with my husband.  I have gray hairs sprouting up and no time to get them taken care (Can we say Tarjay run for some Nice & Easy?) and I haven't been running as much as I should. Then, I am throwing building a new house and selling the old one into the mix. Yep, it's official! I have lost my mind!

I am always so amazed by women who are able to juggle it all effortlessly. Or, do they feel the same way so many of us do, like someone or something is getting the shaft in your life?

 I always think of a duck when I start to break down juggling everything in life...they look so calm on the surface, gliding along the water with ease,  but under the water, they are paddling like crazy! I hope that I come across as calm and no one can see my feet going ninety miles an hour!!

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So, ladies, how do you find balance???

Also, please check out my guest post at Haven and Home today!! I am talking about the things I love in my home in her "Love the One You're With" series...I adore Marianne and I am super excited to be on her blog!

finally!!!

I am sooo excited!! It's official! The lot that we put an offer in on months ago is ours! Closing was yesterday!  I have BIG plans for the new house and we are going to start meeting with builders next week.  I have an inspiration folder filled with ideas and I can't wait to see my dreams come to life!  Of course, I already have the floor plan drawn out and ready to take to the builder's with a loooong list of wants, needs, and "can we pretty please have" items!!


Here's the exterior rendering of the house we selected {I took the plan of this house and tweaked it until it fit our family's lifestyle}:

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Since the new house will be out in the country on 2 acres, we thought it would be fitting to have a more Southern style home as opposed to the Mediterranean style homes that are everywhere in Florida.  I love the front porch...a swing is a must have out there!


My main area I have been obsessing over is the kitchen.  It's where the most time is spent and it has to be functional as well as beautiful.  The kitchen is going to be open to the living room so there is no interrupted flow.  I have a galley kitchen now and I always feel left out in there, never knowing what's going on in the main part of the house.

I will gladly take any of these...

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Can you tell I want a white kitchen?


I would really enjoy a deck like this, it would be so nice to sit out here in the fall when the weather is perfect.

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I am so glad I get to share this journey with you guys, the building process, finish selections, and all that jazz!!

designer crush :: natalie umbert

The blogosphere has been buzzing about Natalie Umbert lately so I had to take a look for myself.  Um, now I can see why!!

A graduate of Parsons School of Design in NYC, she was surrounded by endless design inspiration and opportunities.  After graduation, she scored a position working with Mariette Himes Gomez...can you imagine?!  Working there gave her valuable experience in high-end, luxury design and she decided to open her own firm, atelier natalie umbert.

Her design style is a mix of modern and traditional with many global influences.  Okay, enough talking about her, here is some examples of her work...

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