Details from the Designer - Vol. 17

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March is here. Phew. Whether you’re from the Boston area or not, I’m sure you’re well aware of the amount of snow this winter has brought. As I edit this post the night before I send it off (3/3) we just got a couple fresh inches. For a family who loves to ski (like mine), it has mostly been a lot of fun. That said, ski family or not, I’m over it. We’ve skied enough. We’ve experienced enough fresh powder and plenty of bluebird days. I’m done. HAHAHA. But seriously, I am.

And not a minute too soon because, circling back, March is here. March brings all the hope and excitement of a chapter turn. We are in the month where it will change. We may have another few inches ahead (hopefully not), but by the end of March spring will be in the air. Knowing the end is truly in sight, visually on the calendar, is the reality I need.

Styling Breakdown

 

Pierce Project guest bedroom

 

The guest bedroom from our Pierce Project is a great template to apply to your own home for a quick, fun DIY upgrade.

Fashion Finds

I am continually impressed by the quality and fit of Quince clothing. I made two purchases last month and love them both. This sweater is excellent. It’s cotton and ivory and will be great year around, but I’m thinking it’ll be a key wardrobe addition as the weather warms up slightly. I’ll just have to be thoughtful not to put it in the dryer! My achilles heel. I tend to throw everything in and walk away.

 
 

This black shirt is a Vuori dupe. I have the Vuori version from years ago and I honestly might like this better. The price certainly helps with that opinion.

 
 

Keeping Myself Busy

I’m an Olympic super fan. I spent a lot of the February watching literally everything. I even found myself emotionally invested in curling and riveted by “boopgate”.

I’ve been working on some vacation planning and found ChatGPT to be an excellent partner in research. From big picture questions like “Please recommend 3 all-inclusive beachside hotels in warm weather locations (75 degrees or more during the day) with a direct flight from Boston and under 30 minutes of travel time from the airport to the hotel” to more granular questions like “Please compare these 3 all-inclusive hotels in terms of customer reviews, restaurant options, pool options, and spa services.” You can start the search by listing the size of your family, age of your family members and any special factors (gluten free, asthma, pet friendly, etc.). Then dig into the research that will be all within the context of your unique family.

I finished reading My Friends and began First Lie Wins.

Our Space Events

I’m incredibly excited to share that Olive & Fig is hosting a charcuterie making event at Our Space on Thursday, March 12 from 7-8:30 pm. It is a ticked event and you can purchase yours HERE. You will learn how to elevate your hosting game with an incredible charcuterie creation tutorial. Or, bring these skills to the party as a guest. Guaranteed you’ll get more invites.

Cheers to sunshine on the way (next week!).

- Leah

Details from the Designer - Vol. 16

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Well, hello there. You may, or may not, have noticed that I took a cool 14 months off from blogging. Basically, 2025 was REALLY busy! The first full year of running Our Space played a part in that, plus all those design projects. We completed 26 full service projects last year and 52 Designer for a Day consultations. That’s a beautiful year.

Styling Breakdown

Rather than show you one space with all the nitty gritty details, I’m going to show you a whole bunch of new spaces with a link to the star moment of each. Side note: you can always head to our LTK page for tons of link to actual and dupe products.

Smith Living Room

SEAVIEW FORMAL ENTRY

Smith Living Room - Semi flush mount light fixture (HERE). It comes in a 5 light version, as seen, and a 3 light version.

Seaview Formal Entry - This foyer table no longer exists. But we found two look-a-likes. One in black (HERE) and one in natural wood (HERE). The wood and stone combo is really special and adds a lot to the whole scene.

Deer Sitting Room

Ember Primary Bedroom (pre BaseBoard Install!)

Deer Sitting Room - This swivel chair is so cute and stylish. The French seam adds a great detail that elevates the entire look. It comes in three colors, we chose the white for this room but it’s more of a creamy ivory beige in real life.

Ember Primary Bedroom - This floor mirror is simple, yet so interesting. It’s the little things that go a long way to making a piece feel special, like this squared base that seamlessly meets the pill shaped frame.

Fashion Finds

As you would expect, most of my recent fashion finds have come from Our Space. We are currently carrying By Together clothing and just added a few gorgeous pieces from MOD REF. The best way to see what’s in store is to head to our Our Space Instagram page. Or, of course, pop into the store. For February, we are open Tuesday - Friday from 10 am - 6 pm and closed the week of February 16-20. We are constantly changing our hours as we figure out the rhythm of retail, so please be sure to check Instagram for changes, which seem to happen monthly.

Beyond Our Space, I bought myself this new band for my apple watch from Quince. And I really love it. I’ve worn it in the shower once accidentally and in a hot tub once accidentally. It’s held up no problem. I chose the 38mm - 42mm and it’s a great fit. I keep it on the tightest hole for workouts (I’m not a person who switches up my band based on the occasion) or second tightest hole for everyday life and it’s very comfortable.

 
 

Keeping Myself Busy

I finished reading The Court of Thorns series was mostly a wonderfully fun page turner. Book 4 got a bit slow, but I powered through and Book 5 was great. I learned that another book coming later this year, which makes sense because so many questions remain unanswered. I’m currently reading My Friends by Fredrick Backman. I love it. The quirky tone reminds me of Lessons in Chemistry, which remains a favorite (although I didn’t like the limited series, couldn’t get past 2 episodes).

I’ve been watching Pluribus and The Pitt.

I’ve been writing. Both hand written notes throughout the day and some creative writing.

I went to the Cliffhouse in Maine for a weekend it was magical. It’s an annual tradition. Supersized hot tub (mentioned earlier…wore my new watchband in there), best dinner ever at Walkers, and the best bathrobes in the world.

Our Space Events

The final Friday of February (2/27) will be Styled & Answered form 9-10 am. This is a hour of free design from yours truly. Come by Our Space with all your photos, architectural drawings, questions and shopping list. I’m excited to chat and help.

With a little time management, and luck, I’ll be back next month.

Cheers, Leah


Details from the Designer - Vol. 15

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Happy December! I have lots of fun stuff to share with you this month.

But first, I want to thank everyone who came to the Our Space grand opening and who cheered us on from afar. The turnout was bananas. Beyond my wildest dreams and then some. I am so grateful to the Gray Oak Studio community for your immeasurable support as I started this new chapter and every new chapter that came before it - through each new adventure (you know I like to change/add/tweak quite often…keep us all on our toes) your support has been loud and unwavering. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

And now, onto December happenings…though I’ll circle back to Our Space in a bit.

Styling Breakdown

Now that our Dartmouth Project is 6 months old, we are happy to share sources.

 
 

Fashion Find

I got myself new pajamas and they are AMAZING (link HERE). They are similar to the modal pajamas from GAP, but much less expensive. The whole set is currently on sale for $28. And, if you want to get fancy you could have them monogrammed by Click and Stitch - which will be at Our Space on December 11th. Details below. Such a nice holiday gift!

Keeping Myself Busy

I have been a little too busy these days. Between the grand opening of Our Space, business as usual for our Full Service and Designer for a Day clients and that other little thing called parenting…my calendar is exploding, and somewhat explosive. I’m so tired at night that I haven’t been reading as often as I want. I did finish The Dutch House. And I’m truly not sure how I felt about it. If you’ve read it and have some thoughts to clarify my…uncertainty, please DM me @grayoakstudio. I feel like I need a book club to digest that one. I’m going to start Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine (Cyber Monday sale is $6.60 for the paperback!) this week. Hoping it pulls me in right away.

I finished watching several second seasons: Shrinking, Sprint and The Diplomat. All fantastic. Highly recommend.

OH, and Wicked. Did you see it? How long do we have to wait for part 2?!? If you have an old or new Wicked fan in your life, I got my daughter the t-shirt below and it was a hit (not always the case for my attempts to win at tween fashion).

 
 


Our Space Events

I’m officially rebranding “Local Fun” as “Our Space Events”. A blog is many things and one of those things is shameless self promotion. So, here we are.

The ultimate of goal of Our Space is not only to share a unique and ever-changing selection of goods, but to also support other local, women entrepreneurs. There are so many incredibly creative and talented ladies right here in New England. We are eager to find them all and work together, whether carrying their products in store or hosting pop-up events. Below are the December pop-ups and each one features a local, woman business owner. The events will be at the store, which is located at 12 Centre Court in Lynnfield. Reach out with questions: hello@ourspacelynnfield.com

Wednesday, December 4th from 11 am - 1 pm

Sweet Cheeks by Renee is popping up for a cookie decorating event. Take a minute to check out Renee’s Instagram page because her cookies are just as beautiful as they are delicious. Art in more ways than one. It’s a half day for the Lynnfield public schools and we hope to host a big crowd of hungry kiddos. Let’s keep the sugar rush going!!!

Thursday, December 5th from 10 am - 1 pm

The Little Things will have a huge selection of handmade hats for babies, kids and adults. They are absolutely beautiful and made a couple miles away in Reading.

Thursday, December 5th from 2 pm - 6 pm

Nabia Designs is BACK! They were such a huge hit last month that we agreed that everyone needed a round two. There will be a charm bar and some unique jewelry.

Wednesday, December 11th from 6 pm - 8 pm

Click and Stitch is back too!!! While we will continue to be a north shore pick up/drop off location for Click and Stitch moving forward, this will be the final opportunity to have pieces custom embroidered for the holidays. We have so many items in store that you can customize (bags, cloth napkins, blankets, sweaters and more), Allyson also brings a fantastic selection (ski bags, makeup bags, clothing, etc.), AND you can bring your own items (jean jackets, backpacks, etc.).

Until next month, which will also be next year!!! Happy holidays!

Cheers, Leah

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