Morgan Trade Co

Tucked in the middle of never ending olive trees in Southern Italy, we stayed at the most magical place. Masseria Corto Degli Aromi is a hidden gem with only seven rooms. Messy Italian gardens, limestone for days, delicious food, and every suite has its own pool, sauna and Turkish bath. Literally heaven on earth. 💫

Selecting floors is a daunting task for any new build or remodel. If you can make that decision early, it’s nice to pull the design together from the ground up. These floors will help dictate things like cabinet finishes, wall paint and even metals!
We went with French Oak flooring for our home. Not too light, not too dark, a little “Misty grey” in there. It was love at first site for me with 9.5” wide planks and the description says they were inspired by European castles and chateaus. SOLD🤪 Kosta is pretty cool and rolls with my vision (husbands take note!) I always keep him in mind, of course. Ruby also is pretty cool, and I caught the brown dog that turned grey herself, taking a nap on the floor sample today, which inspired this lengthy post. Anyway, floors were ordered a few weeks ago and they should arrive sometime in July. Check that off the list! ✔️✔️✔️

One of the trickiest decisions when building a home is selecting metal finishes for things like plumbing, hardware, and lighting. In our house we are mixing polished nickel plumbing with forged iron door and cabinet hardware. We want the house to feel timeless and it’s really just what I’m drawn to. I’ll add some hints of brass in the form of lighting fixtures, but the majority of our plumbing is polished nickel from this One Collection. I am a big fan of “living” finishes like Unlacquered Brass, Bronze and Polished Nickel that will Patina and grow character over time.
Head over to and check out their Owl House featuring this plumbing collection and more beauty.

Anyone have a project or home build delayed because of windows? How about people moving in without garage doors?? I’ve got a few coming along, but boy is it not a fun time to build a home! You really have to pay attention snd get ahead of the lead times which means ordering way earlier than usual. It’s a slippery slope!
I’m not sure if we’re brave or stupid for building right now 🤷🏻‍♀️ We’ve got a framing walk through this week and these renderings will help the framers big time. I use soffits to bring the ceiling height down. Sometimes 10’ can feel really cold and I work hard to try to avoid that.
Renderings by

Moving dirt with .. just in time for a fresh new year! 2021 personally showed Kosta and I how strong we can be. It reminded us that things may not always go our way, but the sun will always come up the next day (even if it’s covered by clouds and rain so you can’t enjoy it and have low Vitamin D). Through it all we’ve got each other. As we start this process I am reminded that the fact of the matter is, whether your home is big or small, new or old, it’s what’s on the inside that matters most… (cc Deepak Chopra on abundance). Connecting the dots going forward is nearly impossible, but when you look backward it makes perfect sense. Now let’s build a house.

This one stopped me in my tracks. Really the best of the best in one photograph. melhorn

When a house is this beautiful in framing… just wait for the finishes 💥
Builder:

Incredible design by . Does it get more gorgeous than this?

lighting edition. Future “Laid back European” kitchen/dining in the works for 2022. I’m very into casual dining off of the kitchen versus formal and separate. I still like a designated dining space as opposed to completely open, so to me personally, this is a nice alternative. And who doesn’t love dining in a room of windows?
First photo is Cloud31 and second is

This century-old oak tree sits in our future back yard. It has a sister tree (not pictured) and when Kosta and I first set eyes on them we were in awe. I can’t really describe it, but I think about what they have been through, the birds that have nested in them, the storms and droughts they have weathered.
The Oregon White Oak is a protected tree and can live to be 500 years old (way after we are gone). So far in this process, meeting with the arborists and biologist has brought me the most joy. What a cool job! There are protected wetlands below the ridge, so there has been a little extra due diligence we have had to do to make sure these areas are protected. I know we will have a beautiful life here, under the oak trees.

Good design strikes the perfect balance of form and function. This sun-drenched window seat gives a clever, playful moment to a very polished kitchen. Head over to my friend to see more of this gorgeous Texas home. It is her personal home, so as you can imagine, the devil really is in the details!

This is some truth!

Head on over to one of my favorite accounts Greenside Design Build] for the low down on .. I’ve heard builder chatter here in the PNW about it, and most of that is false (add marble to this list as well!)
This house exterior is too good not to share.
Greenside Design Build]
Design

One year ago we took this hundred year old farmhouse down to make way for our new home. It was prohibitive to salvage this old gal, but we will do the land justice with a beautiful Modern Tudor style home that is perfect for us to start our family in. We are in permitting (getting close!) and it all doesn’t feel real yet. Not sure if we will share this process, or keep it private, but Sheesh, either way I better get to work 😜

This kitchen is going to be a beauty ✨ Client wanted bright and fresh, without being too trendy or dated in a few years. I love the combo of white oak, plaster, and beams from
The hand painted and aged backsplash from will bring some of the homeowners personality to the space.

These windows are something else! We drew big inspiration for our home from Designer lake house. I love when there is a blurred line between indoors and out. I imagine that standing in this room feels like you’re up in the trees with the size and scale of these beauties. Really, the whole house is incredible, thoughtfully detailed and perfectly executed. 👏
You can check out the whole spread in (image by Don Sherman). https://www.housebeautiful.com/design-inspiration/house-tours/g4374/anne-hepfer-lake-house/

This kitchen by Marie Flanigan Interiors] is a true example of “the devils in the details.” My favorite elements are the Bianca Quartzite installed with a chiseled edge, (love how it’s carried onto the window sill too!) the patina on the faucet, and beading detail on the cabinetry. A relaxed roman softens the steel casement windows. It’s all !! Little extra steps in design can really bring it all together.
If you’re building, don’t ignore things like stone profile or faucet placement. Ask your installers if you aren’t given options. Make sure you get cabinet samples made, and if you don’t love it, ask for another. You’re not bothering anyone, this is your investment. In reality, most homeowners and especially guests in your home may not notice these little extra touches, but they’ll remember how the space made them feel. 💫
Marie Flanigan Interiors]
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Architect:

What’s my favorite house style? Modern Tudor, hands down! This charming style gives a nod to English architecture with characteristics like pitched gable roofs, masonry chimneys, and stacked windows. The exterior calls for sturdy materials like brick, timber, stone and stucco.
This home by C Kevin Coffey Dwellings] has the perfect balance of charm with an updated and timeless modern feel. ♥️

Architect: C Kevin Coffey Dwellings]
Builder:

Keeping it neutral.
Malibu sofa ⭐️
cocktail table 💯
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As you can probably imagine with the current build climate, this builder spec sold at framing. Designing spec homes (no buyer attached) can be a challenge in any market. You want the home to feel fresh and current, but you can’t limit your buyer pool with too much “personality”. We kept this house bright and timeless, and treated this blue grey cabinet as a neutral, while still having some fun with lighting.

Builder:
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How gorgeous is this coffee bar? The sight line from here to the Great Room just gets me. This space is flooded with morning light and a French casement window that opens to views of Vancouver Lake. Natural oak shelving and an honed stone backsplash, offset the ‘River God’ cabinets. This space originally started as a ‘planting room’ and morphed to a coffee bar/ bbq prep area, connecting the kitchen to the outdoor dining space.

Day or night, this home by and the talented is my muse. The first step of designing a custom home is establishing a design direction. When I narrowed down some inspiration to land on a house style for our new build, this home started and ended at the top of our ‘favorites’ list. We couldn’t quit it, it’s just too good!
does it for me.. and that settles that.

day #2! hit the streets of High Point. Check the stories for some beauty and a fun run in with the infamous (an honorary ).

Day 1 at was a beautiful thing ♥️

It’s only rock and roll but I like it. 🎸

Happy Birthday hunny. Let the good times roll ♥️

Did you hear??! sherwinwilliams color of the year is Urbane Bronze. I love this moody bronzey brown and obviously am way ahead of the trend. 😉

This kitchen by is my Saturday morning muse.

This is what my heaven looks like. 🍃
Follow for more beautiful moments.

Never met a barreled ceiling I didn’t like..