My Own Photos from Shoot

 It's been so fun to hear feedback from my Vivid Hue "Homies" about the article in Hartford Magazine about Vivid Hue.  (If you missed me announcing this from the rooftops, visit here for details). 

I promised I'd share more photos from the day of the photo shoot.  These are photos I snapped before the photographer and writer arrived. 

The shoot was scheduled for a Monday in December.  I had most of the house decked out in Christmas holiday décor.   I knew the focus of the shoot would be around the Valentine's Day "Tea Party" table so I spent most of my energy styling the dining room table.  (In fact, I started slowly setting the table in November around before Thanksgiving!)  The mag mentioned that they wanted kitchen shots as well...

Kitchen Island

I usually like to use "non-traditional" colors for a holiday (e.g., instead of red and green at Christmas, I may use gold and eggplant; and instead of pink and red at Valentine's I use neutral flowers and magenta). 

Kitchen Table

Dining Room Bar Cart

I was dying for a bar cart before the shoot and convinced EG to allow me to get the Libations Cart from Crate and Barrel.  Initially, I considered loading the cart up with booze, but I could never stop downing the bottles long enough to display them.  But truthfully, I'm more of a wine and beer drinker so we didn't have much liquor to display.  That's when I got the idea to style the cart as a "side table."
I found the Target lamp on a dime ($14.99 on clearance) and scored the Miles Redd book at Antro on major sale ($25).  The rest fell into place!

 

 These little cupcakes didn't make the final cut in the magazine.  We had a great time making (and eating) the "props" from the shoot!  Also, only one tea cup was displayed so it wasn't apparent that each place setting had a different colored cup.  (PS- not complaining about the final photos in the magazine!  I'm thrilled with the vast number of spaces they displayed in my house). 

 

This angle of the flowers down the middle of the table looks busy! 

These assorted macaroons made it into the final cut in the header page!  These little guys sat on this plate for about a month (in prep for the shoot).  They went straight to the trash after!

And the shoot motivated me to restyle the inside of my dining room hutch! 

Dining Table

Kitchen

These candy jars moved multiple times before settling in the corner of the kitchen.  (I tried them in the dining hutch and on the kitchen island first).  Yes, it bugs the heck out of me that I erased the words "Vivid Hue" from the marshmallow jar and never rewrote it back...that's why only "Home" is on the label!  I started downing Chardonnay at 11am the morning of the shoot to ease the nerves so this detail went completely unnoticed until it showed up in print! 

This was an entire day process.   The team arrived around 10:30am and the photographer finished around 2:30pm.  Then I had my interview with Krystian until about 4pm.  What a fun filled and exciting day! 

PS--It seems when it rains, it pours...I will have some more good news to share with you in a few months! 

Stop and Observe "the Inch"



A few months ago, my five year old begged me to start tracking her height on a wall in the basement.  I wasn't opposed to the idea.  In fact, I liked the idea of a designated space in our house that could record the stages of the kids' development.    But the request came on a busy morning as we were getting ready for school.  Things were chaotic and crazed and I remember literally running downstairs to make a chicken scratch mark on the wall to satisfy "her." 

 

Then we went on about our daily lives.  School, homework, appointments, ballet, hockey, holidays, bedtime tuck-ins.  The days seemed to blur from one to the next, filled with excitement and lots of hard work.  And recently, it was a random day after the bustle of the holidays, she asked to mark her height on the wall downstairs again.  I thought to myself, "oh silly girl, we just did this a few months ago; there won't be a drastic change yet.  But wanting to  avoid a tantrum of sorts, I obliged and followed her hastily to the basement wall. 



When I got downstairs, I was astonished...The mark on the wall was at least an inch higher than what it had been in November.  I double checked to make sure she wasn't standing on tippy toes.  I smushed her little mop of hair down to her scalp.  Nope.  It was legit.  This little being of a person had really grown an inch on me.  Seemingly, literally, over night. 

That's when it hit me.  My little ones are busy growing.  Not only physically, but emotionally and mentally.  And it is quite literally happening over night. 
 

 

 On days when life's schedule of events seem to be dictating each waking hour, it's difficult to stop and really observe what's going on around me.  But that "inch" on the basement wall really hit home. 

 

I need to stop.  Take a moment.  Observe.  Take it all in.  Enjoy.  And Participate. 

Because it's true what parents for generations before us have been saying:

"They grow up in the blink of an eye."   
"Enjoy this age, they will be grown before you know it."

Most times, I just smile and nod and dismiss this advice. 

But the "inch sitch" reminded me to be more in tune.  To try to actively cherish these moments.   Sure, there may be missteps and days when I can't wait for these little guys to crawl into bed so that I can enjoy some peace and quiet of my own (and some days those seem more frequent than not).  But mostly, I find by morning's next sun, I am eager to start a fresh day again with these little guys.  I try to remind myself about that "inch."  I wish I could freeze this moment in time. 

 

And so I take as many mental notes and build as many happy times as I can collect. 

For soon, that "inch" will become two.  And two will become four.  And my little ones will be out the door and off on their own. 

 

Vivid Hue Print Debut in Detail

 Yesterday I could hardly contain my excitement that the February 2014 article about my venture with Vivid Hue Home was out in pre-release.  I shared that this was my first time in "print" but didn't give many more details other than that!  Today, I'm dishing more about the article, including a link to the online version in its entirety (here). 

In the Farmington dining room of Heather Grahling—author of the Vivid Hue Home blog—a bronze convex sunburst mirror reflects a table set for a Valentine’s Day luncheon. Crate & Barrel Libations bar cart; faux snakeskin lamp from Target; peony arrangement from One Kings Lane. Phillip Jeffries’ green Moroccan grasscloth wallpaper.- Hartford Magazine, Feburary 2014 by Krystian Von Speidel

Hartford Magazine writer and contributor, Krystian Von Speidel contacted me about six months ago about doing a feature on my home and my blog.  (You may recall Krystian as host of The Fanciest Tag Sale in Connecticut).  He'd come across my blog awhile ago and said he'd filed in the back of his head the idea of doing a story about Vivid Hue Home.  He envisioned a potential Valentine's day "tea party" setting where I set the table in preparation for a brunch with my girlfriends.  Of course, I was completely in love with this idea!  The result was this article, "Heather Grahling's Vivid Hues- A Popular Blog on Decorating." 

I never dreamed my fourteen dollar Target snake skin lamp could look so good in print!  Huge thanks to Mark Mirko, the photographer for this shoot, for making my home look so wonderful.  He really has skill in manipulating himself and his camera to identify the best way to portray his art and subjects.   

 

 ".....One of these inspirational bloggers lives just down the road in Farmington. In the (two) short years since launching her blog, Vivid Hue Home, Heather Moore Grahling has evolved from a wary observer of the remodel of her home into a savvy consumer and, by turns, decorator of sophisticated interiors. "

 

 

 

 "....My sister and I always grew up loving decorating and imagined ourselves opening a furniture store,” says Heather, who yearned for a creative outlet. “I thought a blog was the best way to apply my passion and showcase what I was doing in my house.”

So, Vivid Hue Home was born, and blogging became an ideal way to learn more about the marketplace.

“I became more familiar with luxury brands while researching them for my blog posts,” says Heather, who soon gained a national following on her blog, where readers can get Heather’s tips on everything from the right trim for a window treatment to family arts and crafts. Heather credits Erin Moser’s House of Turquoise as catapulting Vivid Hue Home’s readership after Heather’s sunroom was featured on Moser’s blog..."

 

"Of course, she’s always trying something new, updating her home’s décor, which she chronicles in an infectiously enthusiastic voice that has made Vivid Hue Home notorious among dedicated followers. Unafraid of manipulating a room whose decoration is “finished,” Heather encourages her readers to offer opinions on design aspects both completed and contemplated.

“Everything is a blog-able moment,” says Heather, which is something that Eric’s gotten more comfortable with over time."

 

Guestroom: Grahling participated in a One Room Challenge sponsored by the blog Calling It Home that documented the guestroom’s transformation over six weeks. The final result—Bohemian Chic meets Palm Beach Glam—allowed Vivid Hue Home readers an inside look into Grahling’s design philosophy. Turquoise nightstand from Parker Kennedy Living; headboard, Ballard Designs; brass crane from Blaze and Bloom; vintage bedspread from Antiques on Farmington; bed linens are Serena & Lily. The walls are painted in Sherwin Williams’ Loyal Blue and the ceiling features Tempaper turquoise wallpaper Grahling cut into strips.

 There are many more juicy details in the article itself.  Please visit here for the entire feature. 

 

I am over-the-moon thrilled to have had this opportunity.  Check back soon for additional details in the preparation involved for this photo shoot.  I will also share additional photos (of my own) that weren't shared in this article! 

 

If you are a new visitor to my blog and you like Vivid Hue Home, please follow me on one of my social media outlets to receive updates on future posts! 

ALL Photos in this post are courtesy of the Hartford Magazine.  All photography by Mark Mirko. 

 

 

Vivid Hue debuts in Print

I have exciting news to share!  I'm in print!  I'm being featured in the February 2014 Hartford Magazine! 

I have more to share about this, including a link to the actual feature when it becomes available! (and more photos)   I will also dish about the fabulous photo shoot that took place back in December to prepare for this.

In the meantime, you can check out more of my house under house tour and Vivid Hue Home projects here.   

Thank you to Krystian Von Speidel for this wonderfully written article and to Mark Mirko for the amazing photographs.  It was a pleasure to work with both of you (and what a terrific experience!) 

Cheers!
Heather | Vivid Hue Home

House Tour: Guest Bedroom

Back in November, I participated in the One Room Challenge as a linking participant.  For those of you that may have missed this event, this is a 6 week challenge that was created by Linda from Calling It Home .  Designers pick one room to transform within a six week period, each week revealing a bit more progress towards the final reveal. 

I posted my original final reveal photos here but I was never thrilled with the photographs because I ran right down to the final night before the reveal and ended up taking my shots at night. 

Finally, I have had a chance to photograph my guest bedroom in the daylight.

The guest room is Palm Beach Regency meets Bohemian Chic. 

This is also the room where my five year old, Vivi, sleeps so I incorporated elements of her style into the room.  I even included artwork by her and a few bohemian-style photos of her at the soccer field. 

 

 

The paint is HGTV Sherwin William's Loyal Blue and I was inspired by Emily Henderson (she painted her at home office in the same color).  I fell in love with this sailboat painting during our annual summer trip to Kennebunkport. 

The turquoise stripes on the ceiling were an evolution.  I'd originally intended to wallpaper the entire ceiling in a solid turquoise with Temp Paper temporary wallpaper.  However, this particular style was a bit thin and difficult to work with in large sheets (on the ceiling).  So, the idea morphed into stripes on the ceiling. 

The Turquoise Urchin Chandelier is by Stimulight and caused quite a stir during the challenge.  I was obsessed with it the moment I saw it and it was even more impressive hanging!

 

Herons and cranes are a theme in my bedrooms!  I love their elegance. 

The drapes are from Target with a fuchsia pom pom trim added for extra pop. 

I'm a Home Goods fanatic and many of the Vivid Hue accessories are from there.  This fuchsia chair was a major score from Home Goods along with the lips pillow.  The Ascher throw is from one of my favorite décor accessory shops in Kennebunkport called Spaces. 

 

 

This is the bathroom off of the guest bedroom.  I plan to tackle this redesign next (shhhh, don't tell my husband).  But, I want the styles to flow from one room to the next so that the bathroom is a logical extension of the guest bedroom.  Maybe I'll tackle this for the next One Room Challenge in April 2014. 

 

 

 

Before

Just a reminder of where this room started:

 

After:

 

Here is a reference to the original weekly posts.

 

Vivid Hue Home's One Room Challenge Weekly Progress Posts:
Week 1   |  Week 2    |  Week 3     |  Week 4   |  Week 5  |  Week 5 1/2  | Final Reveal

 

Sources:
Turquoise Nightstands: Parker Kennedy Living | Nail head Headboard: Ballard Designs | Brass Lamps: Home Goods |  Vintage Sailboat Painting: Antiques on Nine in Kennebunkport |  Brass Crane: Blaze and Bloom | Bed Linens: Serena & Lily | Ikat Pillow, Navy Pillow, Green & Linen Pillow: Home Goods | Bolster Pillow: Custom from Calico | Fuchsia and Orange Velvet Pillow: Blaze and Bloom, CT | Vintage Green and Turquoise Bedspread: Antiques on Farmington | Large Chevron Painting: Jennifer Moreman, One Kings Lane | Fuchsia Chair: Home Goods | Alpaca Throw: Ascher Market/ Spaces of Kennebunkport | Chinoiserie Melamine Tray on Bed: Kim Seybert | Quote Art (both): One Kings Lane | Miss Porter's Oil Painting by Dawn Lombardi of Farmington, CT |  Drapes: Target Threshold | Pom Pom Fringe on Drapes: Ichimylove on Etsy | Rhino Stool: Home Goods | Zebra Dish: C Wonder |  Turquoise Urchin Chandelier: Stimulight on Etsy |  Pink Tulip on Navy Tray: Furbish Studio | Navy Faux Wood Inlaid Tray: Home Goods | Green & White Stripe Jewelry Box: Home Goods

A tremendous thank you goes to Linda from Calling It Home for allowing over 70 additional design bloggers to participate in this challenge as linking participants.  I would encourage you to head over there to check out links to all of the linking participants that posted their final reveals.  The results are absolutely stunning. 

 

And thanks for revisiting my final reveal through "updated photographs"!