The Long Table

CREATING AN EASY CHEESE BOARD FOR THE HOLIDAYS

November 26, 2019 by the long table

Who doesn’t love a good cheese board for the holidays? Below are simple steps to a super easy cheese board that’s perfect for any day of the year.

The finished product

I found most of the ingredients at Trader Joe’s

What you need for this simple cheese board

Any shape wooden cutting board
3 white cheeses, like Brie, Camembert & Manchego
Blackberries or figs
A honeycomb (World Market has some beautiful ones, as well as Whole Foods)
Nuts (My favorite — Trader Joe’s Marcona almonds)
Crackers (I like to use a simple cracker like Carr’s water crackers)

*Anything will work in place of my recommendations, these are just easy to find items.

First things first, pour yourself a glass of wine

A simple way to assemble — honeycomb in the middle, cheeses around the honeycomb and berries and/or figs to fill in the gaps.

I served this board with a Rosé but you can serve it with a Chardonnay or whatever you fancy.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Posted in Food, Holiday, Home | Tagged Carr's, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, World Market | 1 Comment »

FALL GARDEN PARTY

November 20, 2019 by the long table

Last week my good friend and fellow designer, Lisa Woolley, and I hosted a garden party in the courtyard of her San Antonio home. We had just completed the exterior of her home and thought there’s no better way to celebrate than to host an intimate get-together in her newly designed garden.

With the holidays around the corner, the next couple of weeks I’ll be sharing super easy tips for decorating and entertaining during the season.

Posted in Entertaining, Food, Garden Design, Projects | Tagged Fall Garden Party, Garden Party, Gardens | 1 Comment »

AUSTIN EXTERIOR PROJECT

October 8, 2019 by the long table

It’s been about two years since we started this exterior project, and the design is maturing beautifully. Many thanks to my wonderful clients who have done an incredible job keeping up the integrity and look of the initial design. We still have a phase two happening to the front, which I’m really excited about, but for now I’m very happy to share the latest. See before and after photos below.

After

Before

After

Before

A sneak peek of the backyard, which we are still working on. Hopefully, we’ll be done by Fall 2020.

Posted in Exterior Design, Garden Design, Gardening, Projects | 2 Comments »

A VACATION HOME IN GREECE

October 4, 2019 by the long table

Happy Friday! Today, I’m sending us off for the weekend with this wonderful little gem from the island of Rhodes. The home belongs to Jasper Conran, son of Sir Terrence Conran, and like father, like son, it’s just as low key and lovely as Terrence’s home in Provence.

All photos by Magnus Marding. Click here to read more.

Have a great weekend!

Posted in Exterior Design, Garden Design, Interior Design | Leave a Comment »

5 DREAMY BEDROOMS

October 2, 2019 by the long table

The bedroom–the place we go to rest, recover and dream.

A well thought-out bedroom, whether large or small, should give us a sense of peace and comfort. It should be our refuge from the daily rigors life throws at us.

When designing a bedroom, the first thing to consider is the overall color palette. Depending on your personal taste, it should be a palette that calms and soothes you, and allows you to decompress at the day’s end. Next, bring in texture with a headboard, a beautiful rug, linens and window treatments. Make it personal. Reflect your style with a gallery wall that includes your favorite photos or paintings. Add objects that reflect found travels and books that make you happy. Lastly, de-clutter. Clutter only stresses us out and makes us think of everything we’re not doing at the moment. Organize yourself with good storage, or at least, move all your clutter to another room (hahaha).

Amber Interiors

Joshua Smith

Also, if you don’t have carpet in your bedroom, don’t forget a rug. Rugs ground a room and make them feel cozy in a snap.

Happy Wednesday!

Posted in Bedrooms, Decor, Interior Design | Tagged Amber Lewis, Bedroom Decor, Bedroom Design, Interior Design, Joshua Smith | Leave a Comment »

FROM ATRIUM TO DINING ROOM

September 5, 2019 by the long table

By removing a dated atrium in this Texas project, I gave my clients a much larger dining room, as well as more storage space in the kitchen. See the before and after photos below.

AFTERBEFORE

AFTER

Next time, I’m sharing my 5 favorite bedrooms.

Happy Thursday!

Photos: Madeline Harper

Posted in Decor, Home, Interior Design, Projects, Renovation Project | Tagged Decor, design, Hinkley Lighting, Home Decor, Interior Design | 1 Comment »

THE NEW HOUSE PLANTS

August 21, 2019 by the long table

House plants are bigger, bolder and better than ever. From agaves and olive trees to palms and euphorbias, plants that normally belong outdoors are now coming indoors.

Happy Wednesday!

Posted in Decor, Interior Design | Tagged Cactus, euphorbia, house plants, olive trees | 1 Comment »

BEFORE + AFTER: AUSTIN KITCHEN

July 23, 2019 by the long table

“Free rein” were the instructions given to me when I took on this project, something a designer relishes in. Therefore, when it came time to design the kitchen I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to design it around an island, a very large island. A place that would bring family and friends together, where kids could hang out as meals were prepared and guests could pop over for a cup of coffee or glass of wine. I knew it would become the heart of the home and place where many memories would be made.

Before

PHOTOS: MADELINE HARPER

Posted in Decor, Interior Design, Kitchens, Projects, Renovation Project | Tagged Circa Lighting, Interior Design, Kitchen Design, Pottery Barn, Remodel, Renovation Project, Succulents | 2 Comments »

AUSTIN INTERIOR

July 17, 2019 by the long table

I’ve posted the interior of this Austin project before, but I recently had it photographed, so today I’m excited to share the first batch of photos with you.