Now that the Cashiers 2011 Showhouse is up and running, I thought it would be
 fun to look at some before and after images from last years Showhouse. The
stunning estate was built by Mckee Properties and overlooks Whiteside Mountain
in Wade Hampton Golf Club.

The house was still under construction when we first visited to select our rooms.
. The front door enters into the great room.

This view is looking back at the front door and up top to the 2nd floor {fireplace is to the right}.  

Suzanne Kasler was responsible for the Great Room.  She used lots of pieces from her line at Ballards.
The room was bathed in light from the wall of floor to ceiling windows which seemed to illuminate the 
creamy linens of the furniture and accessories. The soft grays and blues created such a beautiful
complement to all of the wood and stone. 

 

The house was designed with built-ins that flanked the fireplace {you can see them in the 'before' picture},
 but Suzanne had a different vision--she had them removed and installed upholstered panels with
 a small blue ribbon detail and little gold knobs. The same blue was used to mat her collections
 of found framed gems.
 


Right off the great room is the dining area and kitchen. Here it is under construction.

Carole Weaks designed the comfortable, layered dining area. It took 6 strong men a
 long time and a lot of sweat to bring that table top {made of concrete} in the house. 



The screened porch is just off the dining area. It features a large rock dual fireplace with
soaring ceilings. Before:




My friend, Ann Sherrill always creates the most stunning rooms. She has impeccable taste
and owns one of the greatest furniture stores in Cashiers called Rusticks. Ann's attention to 
detail and her comfortable style truly captures Southern Rustic at its finest. She created a 
lovely porch that would be fantastic for entertaining.  

Off of the kitchen is the library.

My friends. Audrey Wood and Cheryl Benitez, owners of Mountain House furnishings, transformed
the small space with lovely trimmed curtains, beautifully styled bookcases, and comfortable seating. 



Upstairs, a small sitting area is not much to look at empty. But, a few {thousand} upholstery tacks later... 

And the area is dreamy. Lynn Monday {another Cashiers stand out}, created one of the most
talked about rooms in the house {I wrote about it here} The creamy whites, muted grays and touch
of blue, just beg you to sit back in that plush sofa and grab a book.

On the opposite wall, she flanked the windows in the most gorgeous gray-blue pussy willow fabric.

Right off of the sitting room, was my room. I decided to design a room for a little girl. Having a wall
 of windows on opposite walls, and doors on the other 2, created a bit of a conundrum with
 furniture placement--mainly the bed.

I decided to place the bed right in front of the window and designed a custom headboard.
 Because the windows are so large, the headboard needed to also be large to balance the space.
 On the walls, I painted horizontal stripes in 2 shades of pink for a really subtle backdrop.
The room was furnished with a mixture of high and low--the vintage bedside tables and dresser
 were found locally and repainted. the x-benches are from K-mart {!} I painted the base and made
little slipcovers out of a Dash and Albert rug. This post shows how I made the monogram lampshades



This is the adjoining wall before.

I used a collection of vintage paperdolls. These are originals! {so many people thought I
 had enlarged them} I used a white mat behind each outfit and simple black frames.
   
Instead of flowers, I created an arrangement made out of christmas ornaments
 and beaded flowers and sheer pink ribbon.





I don't have the befores of the following spaces, but you can certainly appreciate
the afters!

This was the hallway at the top of the stairs. Eddie Alvarez and George Oliver used antique farming tools
as unexpected art up the stairs. Who would think it would work so beautifully with the opposite walls
 that are hung with vintage tapestries. Even though these spaces are small, they are huge on impact
as well as functionality. The views from these chairs overlook the downstairs Great Room and out over
Whiteside Mountain.

The 2011 Showhouse opened last weekend and continues until September 4th. I am 
not participating this year. Unfortunately, my schedule this summer has not allowed it. 
But, I am so excited to visit on Saturday with a few Atlanta Bloggers. Are any of you
lovers of great design also visiting on Saturday? I would love to meet you if you are there--
if you see me, please introduce yourself! 

**fun fact--the home sold for 3.1 million the night of the Opening Patron Party!**

{images 1, 5,7,9,11,13,19,20}

Designer Meg Braff may be based in Manhattan, but she's a southern girl at heart.
Every summer she packs her family of 4 boys and husband up and heads to their 
Mississippi lakehouse. The house has seen 3 generations of Meg's family and is 
tagged 'Bikini Point' by her Uncle.
    



Meg gave the house a recent face-lift with a 4-bedroom addition, but being very careful
 to keep the charm of the existing home. The original brick floors got a glossy recoat
 while the walls and ceilings were covered in Benjamin Moores White Dove.



Because family gatherings can bring 40 people to the lakehouse, a lot of seating
 was necessary. Meg outfitted the deep hearth with custom cushions and she used
woven cubes that can be moved around for additional seating. 
  


In the family room, the walls are covered in a grasscloth wallpaper and then painted
blue. I love how keeping the trim, the walls, and the bookcases the same color
 creates such a lovely calm. .   



It's fun seeing the formal style of the sofa paired with the rustic coffee table and
twig lamp. A great example of how fabrics can unify even the most unlikely of pairings.   



The punchy fabric in the guest room looks so great and unexpected used on the bedskirt.
 Because it is a busy pattern, it could be overwhelming, but is beautifully balanced by using
the simple white bedding.  
 

{all pics via Southern Living} 

To see more of Meg's work, view her website here. 

OK, kiddos, it's time for our third episode of Sarah 101! You can catch the show at
4:30 {est} tomorrow {Saturday} so set your DVR's. Here is what we have to look forward to:




If you don't want to see the pics before seeing the show, then don't scroll down!!!






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I have placed my preorder for Annie Selke's new book that will be released next month!
{I encourage you to order it from your local book store. If you don't have a book store near you, then you can order here}




In case you don't know, she is the gal behind my favorite rug company, Dash and Albert.
And, the goodness continues with the launch of her new blog in which she will be sharing
her great design insights.  

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Have a wonderful weekend!