10 Things I Can’t Live Without: Brooke Giannetti of Velvet and Linen

In addition to writing the beautiful and inspiring Velvet and Linen blog, Brooke Giannetti also works as an interior designer. Her soft aesthetic and immense talent have produced some incredible interiors. Brooke and her architect husband, Steve are the proprietors of Giannetti Home. Can you imagine having all of that talent in one family? Their style is classic, quintessential California living, beautiful, elegant, and inviting. I think Nancy Meyers should seriously consider giving the Giannettis a call for her next movie! Their interiors would be perfect!

Family: I know this is obvious, but having  children was the best thing I ever did. Having a family has made me a better person and designer. No one understands how to design a family home more than a parent!

 

 Kitchen Gardens: This is the latest addition to my list. A couple of months ago we decided to pull out all of the grass in our front yard and replace it with a kitchen garden. It's a delicious project that our entire family is enjoying. It's amazing to see how much it has grown in just a couple of months.

 Time with Steve: Whether we are in Venice Italy or  we are designing a home together, I cherish my time alone with Steve.

Morning Walks with Steve and the Pups: Frasier and Bebe definitely look too comfortable for a walk in this picture, but as soon as I say "let's go for a walk" they are running toward the door.  I've taken walks every morning for more than 20 years rain or shine. I used to walk alone with my music, but now Steve and the pups join me. It's a wonderful way to connect before the craziness of the day begins. It also makes me feel good that I have done at least one healthy thing for myself during the day!

Home: Some people are nomads and feel no need to have roots. I'm the opposite. My home is definitely my nest. It's also my design laboratory where I can experiment with different design ideas like using wood floors in my bathroom and kitchen (which look great even after 8 years).

and having windows behind my stove...

Most importantly I couldn't imagine living without a place for my family to feel comfortable and to create wonderful memories together. I couldn't live without this, and I am grateful to be blessed with a beautiful home.

Fantastic Colleagues and Clients: When designing, I love collaborating with other creative people. Without amazing clients and the help of our design team: Jessica, Lisa, Ryan and Rosy (pictured above) and Gwendolyn (a fantastic new member to our team!) , my Design Online Design Team, Angela and Jon, and…

…Kelly and Kate helping out at the store, Steve and I wouldn't be able to do what we do!

Steve and I had so much fun designing this home with our clients. I can't imagine living without the opportunity to design and create!

Design Blogger Friendship and Inspiration: Design blogs have changed my life. I know I could live without them, but the inspiration and the friendships that I have developed over the past two years have added so much pleasure to my life.

When I'm in need of some design inspiration I hop on my computer and visit Greet at Belgian Pearls (her library, above, is stunning!)....

or Joni at Cote de Texas (her latest project, above, was just beautiful!)....

or Lauren at Pure Style Home. I love the freshness of her designs!  As you know, there are so many inspiration filled design blogs out there, and I couldn't imagine a life without them!

A Beautiful Place to Work: Although I have a wonderful workspace at Giannetti Home, I also do a great deal of work at home. I used to work at this small desk in my kitchen.  Although it was a pretty space, it was too cramped, and I hated facing the wall.

About six months ago I moved my office to the sunroom. This location still allows me to be in the main part of the house so the kids can find me, but now my office is spacious! My desk is large enough to spread out all of my paperwork, and I have my huge cabinet for storage. I also get to look out at my back yard instead of looking at a wall. Because I spend so much time at my desk, this change has improved the quality of my life tremendously.

Time to Relax: Between the demands of three kids, a design business, a store, and a blog, my life is pretty hectic, but I have found that it's important to carve a little time out each week to be quiet. I've tried to create places in our home to just sit, relax and appreciate the blessings in my life.

 

Gratitude: This one is connected to "Time to Relax". In order to appreciate my life I think it's important to always be grateful.

Speaking of gratitude, I want to thank Paloma for asking me to do this post. It was actually a great experience to take some time to think about what I really couldn't live without!

xo,

Brooke