We don’t know about you, but, for us, Memorial Day always feels like the start of summer, official or not! We are more than ready for warm sunshine, long days on the beach and poolside reading. Montecito, CA is a place that knows how to do summertime right, and this gorgeous home designed by the talented Mark Sikes, is a perfect California summer stunner. Peruse every room and then go back a second time and savor. You won’t want to miss a single layer!
What do you think? Do you love this blue-and-white beauty as much as we do?
Thanks so much for making Design Chic a part of your day! We love it when you stop by!
Pool and beach season are officially underway! Start yours on the right note by slipping a copy of my latest novel, the instant USA TODAY bestseller, Feels Like Falling, into your beach bag! Already read it? My Peachtree Bluff Series, featuring a trio of sisters, their mother and a family secret that has the potential to reshape what it means to be a family, is a great choice. And Slightly South of Simple and The Secret to Southern Charm are now available in mass market paperback!
But that doesn’t mean that we can’t still get out the hot dogs and baked beans and celebrate with our families. (Socially distanced and 10 at a time, of course!)
To get you in the celebrating spirit, check out ten of our favorite family rooms that are the perfect place to gather the ones you love most–even if it’s just for family movie night.
And if you can’t make it to the beach, at least you can look at it from the comfort of your family room. For indoor style, we don’t think it gets much better than these chic spaces. Which is your favorite?
“Feels Like Falling” by Kristy Woodson Harvey @kristywharvey was a definite 5⭐!!… This story has a dual POV, alternating between Gray and Diana. Gray just lost her mother to cancer! She is the CEO of her company and recently split from her husband who cheated on her. She goes to spend the summer at the North Carolina shore. Diana who loses her job at the pharmacy has just broke up with her boyfriend, moved out of their shared apartment and planning to just live in her car! Just so happens, Gray has a spare guest house and offers Diana to stay there. These 2 , very different women truly Bond and help each other through the hard times in their life. They learn so much about themselves, and what really matters in life! I loved both characters!! This story was sweet, dealing with love, loss, romance, motherhood, and life!! This truly was a perfect beach read. A very endearing, positive read.
One of our favorite, favorite places in my new book, Feels Like Falling, is Gray, one of the protagonist’s guest house. We imagined a charming blue-and-white, coastal–but never kitschy–space that hit all the high notes of style while still being comfortable.
And, well, let’s just say this stunning guest house by the one and only Mark D. Sikes was the most perfect inspiration!
One of the most important parts of this story is the guilt that Gray feels over causing Diana to lose her job–and offering for her to live in her guest house as a bit of restitution.
For Diana, who has recently broken up with one in a long line of bad boyfriends and is left with no place to go, the offer is a dream come true, an answered prayer.
She describes her new digs as “Pinterest-worthy,” and, as you can see, this stunning space fits the bill. (But don’t all of Mark D. Sikes’ homes?)
You never know how many friends you have until you have a beach house… And this is the kind of guest house we’d like to stay in all summer long!
And an American Book Association Bestseller… And a Publisher’s Weekly Bestseller… And a Bookscan Bestseller… And it’s all because of YOU! So alllll the thank yous, my wonderful readers, for taking what could have been a lemon of a launch week and making it into the sweetest lemonade! I am truly wowed by all of you. Thank you again for all your support!! I am so grateful for each and every one of you! If you haven’t picked up your copy, check it out now!
Good morning, friends! My sixth novel,FEELS LIKE FALLINGis out in the world!
As with all of my books, in FEELS LIKE FALLING, home is a big deal–for more reasons than one. Blogger-turned-media-mogul Gray is going through a nasty divorce and, as a result, contemplating selling her beloved home, while Diana loses her boyfriend and her job in the same day and realizes that she is suddenly without a home.
The book is set in Cape Carolina, a fictional town that resembles a bit of a mash-up of the little strectch of the NC coast where I live, a juxtaposition of Morehead City and Atlantic Beach with a dash of Beaufort thrown in.
Gray’s home is older, right on the water, and, as she says, she picked every last pansy that had ever been planted. She is hard-pressed to leave her home and all her hard work on it behind. But leaving behind the memories is going to be even harder.
Gray and Diana both do a lot of discovery around family (around the dinner table!) in this book, specifically about how we create our families, what they look like and how they should be.
For Gray, opening her home to a stranger (or, maybe, strangers, plural) gives her an entirely new perspective about what that means.
When I was writing, I pictured Gray and her son Wagner surrounded by pretty neutrals and water blues,
Touches of history and a bit of artistic whimsy.
Despite her high-tech job, Gray has very classic tastes.
She savored the experience of taking this beach house and preserving what was good–
While making it the ultimate summer retreat for her entire family.
If you could use an escape today, please, please join me (And Gray! And Diana!) in Cape Carolina. Thanks, so much, dear friends, for supporting my novels since day 1. Truly, I wouldn’t be here without each of you!
Get FEELS LIKE FALLING today from your favorite independent bookstore, online retailer or wherever books are sold. Friends!
Amazon is temporarily sold out of paperbacks, but you can still get the kindle edition. (Thank you, by the way!) They’ll be back soon,
but, in the meantime, here’s a list of availability:
Order Feels Like Falling and send your receipt to [email protected] between now and May 3 and be entered to win a huge 30×40 print, of your choice, on canvas by @marendevineart and a $100 Visa gift card!
If you’ve already sent your receipt, you’re entered!
Thank you for all your amazing support during this time when things are so hard for so many. I hope Feels Like Falling is the perfect escape—and I can’t wait to see a gorgeous Maren Devine piece hanging in someone’s home!!
For cozying up alone or entertaining absolutely everyone, these are outdoor spaces that wow. And the fireplace makes sure they can be used all year long!
Thanks so much for stopping by Design Chic today. We love it when you do!
Heather Chadduck
I am so excited for my first ever Publisher’s Weekly Review! Check it out. And, don’t forget, it’s never too early to preorder!
Feels Like Falling Kristy Woodson Harvey. Gallery, $16 trade paper (400p) ISBN 978-1-9821-1770-2 https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-9821-1770-2Harvey (The Southern Side of Paradise) serves up a tale of disaster-turned serendipity in the fictional Cape Carolina, N.C. Successful businesswoman Gray Howard begrudgingly promotes her husband to CFO of her marketing company, ClickMarket, only for him to leave her for the assistant she hired for him. Reeling from a painful, cash-draining divorce, she inadvertently causes Diana, a photo developer at a pharmacy, to lose her job by complaining about her work. After learning this, Gray hires Diana to work as a housekeeper. Over time, the women vent about their lives and forge a friendship that heals them both. The story alternates between Gray’s voice and Diana’s, delving into Diana’s past heartaches and lost hope for having a child. In pitch-perfect tones, Harvey creates two Southern women doing their best to deal with everything life throws at them, and her able plotting will keep readers turning the pages. Secondary characters—Gray’s witty assistant, Trey; her new, younger boyfriend, Andrew; and Diana’s fiercely loyal friend group—add charm. Harvey’s optimistic tale just might convince readers that bouncing back can actually land a person in a better place than where they started. Agent: Elisabeth Weed, the Book Group. (Apr.)
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Southern California Here I Come!
I’ll be on a Southern California mini-tour soon with lots of great author friends! If you’re in the area, I’d love to see you!
January 30, 2020: “Southern Lunch Event” with Mary Alice Monroe and Kristin Harmel. In Conversation with Kristina McMorris. Hosted by Adventures by the Book. 12 pm, Claim Jumper, San Diego, CA.
January 31, 2020: SuperBook TaleGate Adventure with Cassandra Conroy, Fiona Davis, Kristina McMorris, Mary Alice Monroe, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Jan Moran, Karen White and Beatriz Williams. 6-7:30 pm, Signal Hill Public Library, Signal Hill, CA.
