We've Moved!!!

Our Twine website is finally live!! 

We will no longer be blogging here but check out the new website for all our future posts!!!

Twine New Blog

What exactly is Twine?

Not quite sure what exactly it is that we do over here at Twine?

Well, with our launch date quickly arriving, I decided it was time to show you this little video we put together with the awesome help of Vanessa McKellar . Hopefully it will answer any questions you might have!




How it Works from Twine Interiors on Vimeo.

Popular TV Show Floor Plans

I made a discovery today and I just can't wait to share it with you! Iñaki Aliste Lizarralde is an interior designer from Spain who makes detailed floor plan drawings of popular TV show houses and apartments. You can even buy these fabulous hand-drawn sketches at his Etsy store. 

Here are a few of my favorites:



Monica & Rachel's

Carrie Bradshaw's

The Gilmore Girls

Holly Golightly's

There's a lot more so check out Iñaki's website and Etsy shop! 

~Jessica

Gruene, Texas

Establish in the 1840's by a German Family

I usually visit Gruene, Texas once a year while visiting family in the Hill Country of Texas.  I love this little quaint town with a long history.  I grew up spending my summers at my family's vacation home on the Guadalupe River.  I hiked, explored, shot off firecrackers, tubed and watched tubers all summer!  I watched my uncle and cousins play pool at Gruene Hall.  Gruene hall has never closed even during the depression and when all the other family's businesses went under.  The floors are worn and full of life with metal patches scattered here and there.  More on the history of Gruene

The Stage at Gruene Hall

There is a cute wine tasting porch with barrel tables and misters (it's hot in Texas)

This is an Antique Store now but was the Mercantile Building built in 1904

 I always find some great trinkets every time I go!  I bought these old photos of buildings.  I thought I would start a collection.

This has always been a favorite

The General Store has fudge, candy, t-shirts, Texas sauces and jellies, toys and an old fashioned ice cream counter.  

I usually load up on jalapeno jelly

The Gristmill

 We always stop for lunch or dinner at the The Gristmill or the The Gruene Mansion Inn.  A margarita and a view of the river is a great way to rest from the heat.

Buck Pottery

 We go to Buck Pottery every year and I usually can't resist buying something. My sister-in-law loves it and adds to her collection every year!

This little bowl is my latest purchase!

The bowl is fired with a marble so it melts and then when the glass starts to cool it cracks.  It's pretty and it's the new resting place of my coffee spoon.

This little town is full of life and worth a day visit! ~Brandy

Baby Time!

I am so excited to announce that in November, Eric and I will be parents for the very first time! We are having a little boy! So you know what that means?

It's nursery time! 

I have been dying to do a nursery for a while now so I can't wait to get started. Here's a sneak peek at my style board.

My color palette is Mint, Yellow and Rust. I originally planned this room before I knew if it was a boy or girl so it really could go both ways. 

My favorite element to the space is the wallpaper. It's Hygee & West Daydream. The perfect paper for a nursery!

The crib was my ultimate shopping score. I had fallen in love with the Louis Crib by MacLaren a while back, we're talking years. But it was really $$$ so I never thought I would spend the money for it. Well, the second I found out I was pregnant I began looking at cribs online, not even thinking the Louis Crib would still be available. Well, sure enough, as I was searching amazon I spotted it! The Louis Crib for over 60% off! Needless to say that I snatched it up immediately!

We are working on installing a beadboard wainscott around the room so as soon as we're finished I will share some pictures and "how to's". 

Stay tuned because I will be blogging the whole process of designing a perfect nursery for our sweet baby boy!

~Jessica

Excessive

Sorry, it's been so long since we've blogged. It's been a busy week with it being the last week of school.  This blog post by Jen Hatmaker sums it up nicely.

http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2013/05/30/worst-end-of-school-year-mom-ever

A King's Life (great blog post)

ok now back on topic...
Wealth is relative.  It can mean different things to different people.  You may consider yourself wealthy if you don't have bills to pay but you live modestly.  Or you have alot of bills to pay and you live beyond your means.  Excess is also subjective and can be defined differently.  One person may consider having a collection not excessive but it may be to someone else.  It's truly about balance, self awareness, and not comparing yourself to anyone else.

There are a few books on my summer reading list that deal with the topic of excess.

7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess, 

by

 

Jen Hatmaker

More or Less: Choosing a Lifestyle of Excessive Generosity, 

by

 

Jeff Shinabarger

Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion 

by

 

Elizabeth L Cline

Even though I love design and a well styled home, it doesn't mean it has to cost a fortune nor have an abundance of stuff.  I believe an experiment or study of where I am being wasteful or excessive will be a good way to keep myself in check.  I am a big believer in getting rid of stuff and using my best stuff so I enjoy it.  I don't like having my expensive china or crystal locked away, never to be used.  I like watching "Hoarding" shows because I am completely perplexed at how someone could live that way.  It makes me go throw something away too!  My wealthiest clients, in terms of their bank account, are the ones that live in smaller more modest home, nice and quality but not a mcmansion.  

I would challenge you to do some reading too and see if you are living excessively.  Also, here are some previous blog posts that might help! ~Brandy

Living in a Small Space

Simple Living

How to achieve a timeless design

Living in a Small Space

Something that I have been thinking about lately is living in smaller spaces. My husband and I bought a new home about a year ago. The housing market was awesome for buyers with ridiculously low interest rates and some great deals on houses that we would have usually not been able to afford. We ended up buying a 3,600 sq. ft. house to "grow in".

While I love our new house and all the storage space, I know it's more than we need right now. We do want lots of kids and we have entertained family and even had some live with us for a month. But even still, I sometimes wonder if we should have stuck to something smaller. 

A lot of times, we think that more is better, but that's not always true. Today, I want to show you some really fabulous rooms and give you some tips on how to decorate smaller spaces.

#1 Buy smaller scale furniture

This a very small room and these overstuffed sofas are way too big for the space. 

Consider using a love seat instead of a sofa like this picture. Also, since the side tables are smaller, they mounted swinging arm sconces to the wall to free up space on the tables. This a great example of how to make a smaller space look and feel fabulous. 

You don't even have to use a sofa. I love the way this space looks with just a couple chairs instead of a large bulky sofa. 

#2 Multi-functional 

Since you don't have as much space to have a room for everything you do, make some rooms dual purpose. 

Here, a desk in front of the window allows for some office space in this smaller room. 

A table behind the sofa can be a great eating area or office area in a smaller home. 

An office and eating area in one!

#3 Keep a consistent color palette

This is a smaller living room with a lot going on but because there is a consistent color palette it doesn't feel small or too demanding.

This picture shows what you can do with small space! Smaller scaled furniture, a consistent color palette and multi-purpose. Also, the clear coffee table is great because it adds function without taking up too much visual space. 

#4 Large art or a mirror can make the space feel larger

This is another great example of doing everything right in a small space. The smaller furniture, the large mirror, the color palette and even the vertical striped rug make this space feel a lot bigger than it really is. 

The large art in the space gives a focal point and makes the room appear larger. 

#5 Get Creative!

I love this idea for a small entry. Paint a table silhouette on the wall and add a floating shelf with some fresh flowers!

The bed takes up almost the whole space so there's no room for bedside tables. Instead, they mounted a small shelf on the wall and instead of lamps, hung scones behind the bed. Even though there is a lot of pattern going on here, it works because it's all in the same color palette and the rest of the walls are white. 

Take over a closet and turn it into a library! I love this idea but I don't know if I would be willing to part with the closed storage.

Any other tips you have to add? Do you think you could get away with a smaller home?

~Jessica

Inspired by the Military

It's Memorial Day and it's a day to reflect on the sacrifices of so many.  Thank the veterans you know and help support them.  

Some great charities to give to are....

A friend a mine works for the Boot Campaign.  It's a great charity and you can get some really cool boots too!

http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/#

There are many ways you can incorporate the military style or artifacts into you home.  Here's a few inspirations ....

Military green color palette

This is a great definition of Campaign furniture

Proenza Schouler, PS1 Small LeatherTote Bag, Military $1,995

Add a military blanket

The Gap, Camoutiliy jacket, $69.95

Restoration Hardware, MILITARY CHALKBOARDWORLD MAP, $575

Camo Wallpaper

Cot and Tent 

Stephen Kenn Loveseat $3,400

Restoration Hardware, RICHARDS' CANVASSECRETARY TRUNK, $3,435

This Flag is mine.  My Father gave his life in Vietnam.

 ~Brandy

I'm Back

Well, I am alive and well and back home. It was an exhausting and trying trip. Where have I been you might ask....a tiresome work trip? an exercise boot camp? No..... I survived Disney World!

My parents took the whole family to Disney World for a week, that includes myself and husband Eric, my sister and her family of 4, and my brother and his family of 5. All kids under the age of 6. Having all those youngsters would be enough to make you go crazy but add in a stomach virus that slowly knocked them down one by one and you have mayhem.

Thankfully Eric and I were able to get away on our own some otherwise I probably wouldn't have made it out alive. Despite all the challenges, it was a fun trip. The one thing I couldn't stop thinking about while I was there is the amazing attention to detail at the parks. Everything was intentional and all the design was consistent throughout. Even the stair railing at our resort had little Mickey silhouettes cut out of the posts.

Not only was the design amazing, the place was immaculate. I don't think I saw one piece of trash or spilled ice cream on the pavement the entire week. Which got the business brain in me thinking.... how much does it cost to maintain all the parks and resorts per day? So I googled it and found out it cost almost $3 MILLION dollars a day to run all the resorts and parks. Ok, so if it cost that much to run, how much money are they pulling in? Well, last year in the last quarter their revenue was 10.8 BILLION dollars with a net income of 1.4 BILLION dollars. You can check out their financial reports here, if you're interested in these things like I am.

Now, it's time for me to take a vacation from my vacation!
~Jessica

Simple Living

We live in a time of consumption, brand, status, etc.  We want more and more that we really can't afford.  There are many people who live beyond their means.  You don't have to spend a fortune on your home. It can still be beautiful even if it's not stuffed to the brim.  It can be very freeing and calming to living minimally.  It's not everyone's taste but it maybe worth considering.

Here's some ideas of how to live simply...

soothing bedroom

 Sometimes having the absence of art or things makes a space beautiful.

Few accessories and the large field of color in the art makes this space simple

The neutral color palette and few accessories & furniture makes this space simple

Light walls & small furniture makes this room simple

The lack of art on all the walls helps to bring focus to the Fireplace

Again neutral color palette and a few textural items makes this space simple

 So you can see that not filling every space, wall and shelf, you can still have a warm, comfy home.  Minimal doesn't have to just be modern.

Below is a great example of a beautiful room that can be edited to be more simple.  Just taking things out of your space, things you have had a long time, bored with or cheap can give you a new fresh look.  You can sell those items and re-invest in your home or put in the bank!

BEFORE -Timothy Whealon's Living Room via House Beautiful

AFTER editing

What was changed?

These are the items that were removed...
1 - Lamp
2 - Centerpiece (it gives focus to the art and chandelier)
3 - wall sconce
4 - Art
5 - Move this table in front of banquette
6 - Ottoman
7 - Chair
8 - Flower arrangement (removing this gives focus to the other arrangement)
9 - 2 stools

So let's say you sold these items - you can bank $1,200+  and still have a beautiful room!

What are your thoughts?  Do you like the edited room better? ~Brandy