Vol. 1, Issue 4
Winter 2021

If we were betting people, we might start a pool: how many more quarterly SYH newsletters before the pandemic is over? Alas, we make homes here, not bets! So we'll just keep wearing our masks and making the world a little more beautiful and sharing these updates with you every few months, pandemic or no. 

Safety first! These days our client communications are mostly handled via phone, videoconference, and email. We drop scaled drawings and sample materials on doorsteps - or in Priority mailboxes when necessary. When we do meet in your home, we wear masks, and ask that you do too—and hope you can see in our eyes how much we love doing the work we do for you! Thanks to Drew Barrymore, who reminded us of Tyra Banks' ever so apropos phase: we've been working on our "smizes."  

What We've Been Digging

Oh, the beautiful spaces we've had the privilege of working on since our last newsletter! And the dear people (and pets) we've gotten to know and collaborate with in the process. It's nice work if you can get it, we say! And we are grateful for it every day. Here are some of the things that have inspired us through the gray winter months. 

  • Arches - How an arch improves a view between rooms! If arching your doorways isn't in your sights, try an arched mirror or furniture piece. A little less square is always a good thing.

Anthropologie Fern Storage Cabinet

  • Terrazzo tiles. An iconic midcentury material! Traditional poured terrazzo is a budget buster mostly reserved for museums and institutions these days, but there are some beautiful terrazzo tiles that are more accessible for residential purposes. Ann Saks and Terrazzio (located right down in Tennessee) make them, though we sourced a European option through Tilebar to speed delivery for our recent interior remodel of Bloomington's own Flansburgh house.

True Terrazzo, color Kashmir, (pre-grout above) with a matching grout, oak stair nose (...and a few pieces of dirt (below) - because construction is messy).

And, if you covet some terrazzo but aren't actually tearing out your floors, don't despair; we may not be the only ones into this material...

CB2 Terrazzo Coffee Table

Anthropologie Terrazzo Clock

Local Vendor Spotlight

The longest month of the year is almost over (January is about 362 days long), which means Valentine's Day is near. We suggest art as a gift! (For all occasions, actually. And also non-occasions.)

  • Sentimental and personal, a watercolor of your home or past home is always the perfect gift. Guess what! There is an artist in Bloomington who can do that for you. 

If you are looking for something bigger (because bigger art is in fact better), you can still go local! We live among so. many. talented. artists. in Bloomington. Check online or in person (masked, of course) at The Venue on Grant or one of the galleries over in Brown County. Pictured here, Ellen Starr Lyon's "Sun-Dappled." Can't you just smell the sunblock? If you want to say "my home is not a hotel," go for figurative art and portraits of people you wish you knew. 

Project on the Horizon?

If you have a new build, renovation, and/or decorating project on the horizon, call us sooner than you think you need us please! We want to work with you! But we've still got a waitlist. 

Initial consultations happen within a few weeks of your call, during which Susan meets with you to see your space, hear all your hopes and hangups, and offer off-the-cuff feedback and advice to help you determine next steps. If the next step for you is comprehensive design services, we pencil you in and launch your project as soon as your name rises to the top.