There is a lot to fill you in on.

For starters, Our Space opens back up on Tuesday, September 8 after taking the summer off. If you’re not familiar with Our Space, it is the retail branch of Gray Oak Studio. It started as a sweet, local home decor shop that morphed into a one-stop haven for gifts, home decor and even fashion. We are incredibly proud to highlight products from women owned, local businesses. Head to the website to see a list of just a few.

Next, Gray Oak is about to embark on a two month photography marathon. We are finishing five projects between September and October. Everything from two of coolest home offices we’ve ever decorated to the biggest stair landing in studio history to a media room/whiskey bar. Yes, whiskey bar. Instagram is always the best place to see the latest and greatest. Speaking, did you catch any of our Oxbow reveal?

Finally, we are changing our Style & Answered sessions just a little. Instead of one hour every month, we’re doing four hours in October and another four hours in the spring. Big, meaty sessions for me to dig my design teeth into. So, mark your calendar for Friday, October 2nd from 8 am - 12 pm. I will be at our studio (12 Centre Court in Lynnfield) and excited to tackle all your design questions/problems/ideas. Bring photos, architectural drawings and measurements. It is FREE advice. No catch.

Styling Breakdown

I’m going to depart from the typical source links to decor to share some bigger picture advice on a problem that many (many) of you are dealing with: long, narrow living rooms. And even more complicated are long, narrow living rooms with a door or window on every wall.

Friends, meet our Crestwood Project. This long, narrow, awkward living room is oh so common in New England. Below you will see three different layout options we came up with. All work, all will be beautiful. This is functional preference, not an aesthetic preference. So let’s weigh the pros and cons.

OPTION 1

PROS: If someone loves/needs a chaise with their sofa, lots of diverse seating.

CONS: There isn’t a ton of floor space and you are navigating around furniture at every turn, the relationship between the chaise and the corner chair isn’t may favorite (oversized seating on one side of the room, standard seating on the other…it feels a little heavy on the chaise side).

OPTION 2

PROS: If more than one someone loves/needs a chaise with their sofa, symmetry.

CONS: It’s even more squishy than option 1 with less seating, not a lot of surface for drinks/phones/laptops/feet, sectional corners and chaises are not typically used when there is a crowd (they become dead space).

OPTION 3

PROS: No dead corners of the sofa when there’s a crowd (people avoid sectional corners and chaises in a group setting), diverse seating, the most roomy and the most surfaces of the three options.

CONS: No lounging. This room is designed for large groups, not long movie watching.

What’s your favorite? Which would you choose? Leave a comment if you dare. I’m not sure that’s a thing anymore. Do people still comment on blog posts?

Fashion Finds

These sneakers are the only thing I purchased at this year’s Nordstrom anniversary sale. And I love them. The pink/brown combo is so good.

I’m sort of, kind of feeling the recycling of 1990s fashion. I’ll never go back to low rise jeans. Though, that’s arguably more of a mom, 40-something thing. But, I love a flannel shirt. I really do. Those little butterfly hair clip thingies? Pass. But, the accessory scarf (versus cold weather scarf) is a welcome comeback. Or, as we used to call them, the pashmina. Below are a few a like (images are linked).

Keeping Myself Busy

I’ve been ripping through books this summer. It’s been an absolute delight. My favorite was The God of the Woods. My most recent was This Book Could Save Your Life. My bookclub discussion was Strangers.

I watched Off Campus.

I’m a huge Instagram recipe person. I could watch people make delicious meals in short, well produced 45 second clips all day long. AND, I spent quite a bit of time in France this summer. So, my feed is officially full of French chefs and it’s glorious. Camille Chamignon is a favorite.

I started writing, again. I’ve had a life long dream of writing a book…my whole life long (that’s how life long dreams work, I suppose). Ten minutes a day minimum. Let’s see where this takes me.

Our Space Events

I’ve already jumped ahead and shared an October event, but let’s back up to September. I’ll spoil a bunch of upcoming promotions that we have planned. But first, here are our September store hours:

Sunday and Monday - CLOSED
Tuesday - 10 am - 2 pm
Wednesday - 10 am - 6 pm
Thursday - 10 am - 6 pm
Friday - 10 am - 6 pm
Saturday - 10 am - 6 pm

Lynnfield Toddler Sweatshirts - Right now, you can pre-order the cutest and coolest sweatshirts around! We are ordering them in sizes 2T, 4T and 5/6. Click the link and fill out an order form. Once your order form and payment is received, you’ll receive a confirmation of order email. We anticipate them being ready for pick up the week following Labor Day.

September 8 - 11 - Our annual back to school book sale. ALL book and book related items (think bookends) are 20% off.

September 15-18 - We will feature a new sale every day on product from some of our favorite New England based, women owned businesses.

September 22 - 25 - Lynnfield swag will be on sale: tshirts, blankets, key chains, mugs, hats…all of it.

Looking forward to sharing a lot of exciting design this fall. Thanks for watching, reading, listening, commenting, following and supporting. I’m so appreciative.

- Leah

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