oh that view, my my that view…..

Such a tranquil room of natural materials and textures, to perfectly offset the best artwork ever, nature. Simplistic and laid back, yet refined and not too rustic, this space is perfection.

outdoor entertainment …. here we come!

It is that time, finally, to gear up your outdoor space and prepare for entertaining. No matter what size space you may have outside, there are so many ways to make it work for your gatherings of eating and cock-tailing. This space is calling my name, outdoor fireplace- a must have, comfy lounge area – absolutely, serving cart- for sure. Remember to be creative with your furnishings…. you can easily make lounges and settees with found boxes / crates and outdoor cushions to make more interesting seating arrangements – nothing like a sunken living room outdoors! Mix modern with vintage – sleek dining chairs and wicker side tables for starters.

Brooklyn Sidewalk Sighting

I have been away from OUTPOST for months, since closing the store in November. I needed a time to recharge and regroup. I think I temporarily exhausted myself in the creative realm, but now I am back – and revved up again.  Currently waiting on my new design website to become live… and sitting in my new apartment in Brooklyn brainstorming the space plan and decor. Stay tuned!

 Oh how we love Unison and so proud to have been a part of their new catalog! 

From their product to the Unison family, we love everything about them. I was thrilled to help out with lending them my home and my styling assistance.  Their new product line is sizzling  with metallics  and stripes. Their home accessories are just getting better and better, ahem, this tray is beyond hot…. All of us here at Post 27 are patiently awaiting the new bedding to hit the shops (shown in top photo) available in Spring 2013.  Make sure to check out their new collection and stop by their retail store located at 2000 West Fulton Street, here in Chicago, open Wednesday – Friday 11-6, Saturday 11-4. XO Unison!!!

I do strongly love color, but I am also weak in the knees for a space that plays with contrast and texture.  My love for the living room “pit” is still strong – modular sofas are a must. Here the shape and size of the sofa is very elegant, clean and welcoming, due to the textures that surround it. The rug, the paneled walls, the artwork and stacks of books and fresh flowers. Yes please – this room is classic hot – and I want to be listening to Donna Summer, sipping some rose, and hanging out there right now.

We have started to document all of our  past projects, and will begin to share our scouting shots with everyone.  (Soon to come professional – shots) We are also building our design website – super exciting.  We are officially a full service design studio and have settled into our new design studio, happily in our new neighborhood –  Chicago Ave and Noble Ave.

This is Marsha’s home in West Town. A house full of character and art collections. We have transformed her whole home where she lives with her adorable son Max.  Her kitchen used to be a very dark and crowded space, we gutted the entire space and created a “gallery” kitchen, complete with art track to easily switch out the artwork on the marble walls. An overall neutral background leaves room for bold smatterings of color. More images to come – we designed a playroom with a bar for the adults and an indoor sandbox for the kids and a porch solely designed for yoga. We are going to tackle her third floor in the new year, creating a master suite / lounge complete with a tub in the middle of the room!

Stay tuned!

Recently Post 27 was asked to create a custom holiday mantle for Chicago Home and Garden’s winter 2012 Edition.  We wanted to invent a modernized cabin feel for this room, using a traditional holiday mantle, but creating something not so typical.

Layered textiles and patterns give the room warmth  and invites curling up and getting cozy.  We collaborated with some of our favorite designers such as  Caitlin from Foxglove Studio who created a gorgeous uncommon garland that drapes across the mantle and frames our candle cluster.  Carson Maddox Studios  built the metal fire screen co-designed by Post 27 in a rich evergreen fire resistant paint.  We thrifted vintage fire tools and switched out the handles with simple wooden dowels. Combining old with new is a long-time love of Post 27 design!

Caitlin from Foxglove Studio working her magic.

Adding taxidermy definitely  helped complete the cabin vibe, Post 27 used “Buford” the deer (sold) above our mantle and atop our custom grid wall to accentuate the lodge-like feel.  Buford is ready for the holidays with vintage style bulbs draped from his antlers.  Yes, they still make chunky holiday lights.  The new ones are much safer than the vintage style bulbs that could literally light up your room in flames.

We collected candles and created a cluster on a sheet of plywood with caulk. This is before the greenery was added...

So can Angela Finney-Hoffman’s design studio bring some winter love to your home?  We would love to.  Our interior design and styling team is ready to create the perfect comfy winter backdrop for your space.  Email us or give us a ring to set up a consultation.

bright color and massive texture!

Oh my, red abounds with  a stone wall ad a  traditional rug = I’m in love.  Color blocking is back for sure – large areas of the same  hue create a very sculptural setting, especially when mixed with contrasting colors. The white and the red are perfection here.

I would like to thank everyone for all the support that you have given to Post 27’s retail store in our 5 amazing years in business. Post 27’s brick and mortar shop will be closing it’s doors on November 21st and will continue as an online, e-commerce web shop for the home. We are expanding our design studio under the  name  “Angela Finney-Hoffman”, which will offer custom furniture design, commercial and residential interior design, and event design. We are very excited to continue our creative force in directions that have given us such rewarding success.

I am of course sad to close our shop,  a place that I used as my “blank canvas”, but I look forward to the many new avenues and paths of the future.  I will continue to co-host the Design Harvest Festival, throwing events, and working on collaborative installations.

My main reason for opening Post 27 was to inspire others, to share my love for design and bring together like minded people.  I will continue doing just that with more in depth blog posts on Outpost, creating commercial spaces for others to experience, designing spaces for people to call home, and by searching and collecting amazing items for our e-commerce website.

We will be starting our closing sale on Saturday, November 3rd, and we welcome you to come and have a toast with us on November 15th from 6 to 9pm, in celebration of Post 27’s past and future.

Thanks again,
Angela Finney-Hoffman

*Please continue to follow us on our website and our blog. We will be marking down items tomorrow in the shop and on the website!