ROOM OF THE WEEK 5.27

The boy and I have been talking about moving this summer, and the very idea has me dreaming of new decor for our living room...

This room just found itself in first place for inspiration. I know what some of you are thinking... this is on the verge of boring. But, actually, it's just ripe for the designing. I'm dying for a fresh white couch to work off, and this room has two! Not to mention a few of those little pieces that add something special - the painting above the fireplace (is that bright gilding or just yellow in the frame? either way, i love it!), and a perfectly worn rug for warmth and color. The striped shades are perfection, but the striped pillows a bit too matchy. I'd swap those out for more pattern in soft colors. A few more decorative items and I'm right at home. Oh, and did I mention the patio...?

Indoor/outdoor at its best. Complete with ocean breezes flowing through sheer white curtains... this part of the dream will have to wait for another time (and climate).


*images via micasa revista

ROOM OF THE WEEK 3.11

Apologies for the delayed room today! I thought I had the post all scheduled to go, but it never went. However, I do believe that this one was very worth the wait!
When I initially started collecting inspiration for my bedroom last summer, I was convinced I wanted to do shades of grey and coral... what was lacking was the warm wood tones in the bedroom to help pull it off. This living room is the exact feel I was going for! If only I had seen it back then... perhaps I would have been happier with bright white walls? Of course, I love my bedroom now and wouldn't change a thing, but this room is still incredibly inspiring to me.
I think what I love most is the eclectic but still very soothing collection of pieces in this room. A perfect balance of classic, comfortable and modern, with accent pieces that provide personality... like the oversized chess pieces??? I love! And, of course, a gorgeous wall mirror always helps the situation. Bonus points for those! I can't imagine how open it feels with the plethora of large windows and that mirror reflecting the light. Amazing!
And let's not ignore the fabulous pop of aqua provided by the kitchen behind, shall we? Very cool... although I'm not sure about the random lamp and lack of cabinets. Still... nothing that can't be fixed, right? And what do those pillows remind you of??? Maybe those Heidi Merrick pinks that I highlighted earlier this week? I think so!

So, m'dears... what do you think? A wait-worthy Room of the Week?

*images via deco love via mi casa

Mellow Yellow and Grey

I've been hearing from a lot of readers that they miss hearing about my design projects. I completely understand and will definitely be posting about them again but not until after they are finished. A top design magazine editor just warned me again last week not to post any photos if I hope to get them published. Not sure if that will actually happen but I'd like to at least try so for now, I'm listening to his advice. But from the beginning, my blog has always been an online version of my inspiration board and right now, I'm inspired by grey and yellow. These are just some of the images that are currently the inspiration for a guest room for one of my projects. I especially love the look of yellow draperies. Enjoy!

Canadian House and Home Magazine

Tibi designer Amy Smilovic Living Room by Bruce Shostak

Willem de Kooning

Deborah Needleman's Bedroom

Fawn Galli

Celerie Kembel

Dries van Noten Store in Paris

Steven Gambrel

Will Wick

Elizabeth Peyton

ROOM OF THE WEEK 2.25

This week's room is going to be a little special... not because it's ultra fabulous or extraordinary, but because it's mine... all mine!
Well, let me rephrase that.. it's ours. Me and the boy's. We started with beige walls and a mattress on the floor and made it this! A peaceful little haven (especially compared to the saturated color in our living room) for sweet dreams and lazy mornings.
The room was inspired by these shell illustrations that I picked up years ago from a sweet little shop on Orcas Island that are now perched on the dresser. Soft colors and subtle beachy accents, natural textures and - of course - a little bit of glamour were the elements I used. We also did a lot of DIY, refinishing the vintage nightstands in two-tone, spraying out the knobs on the Ikea dresser in a brassy gold, and slipcovering a thrift store side chair. Our biggest splurge was the West Elm jute headboard ... an early surprise birthday gift from my honey! So... what do you think?? Ready to move in?

*photography by brandon sawaya

Follow up for the ladies who've asked... the paint color is Valspar Lava Stone, the gold piece above the window is a four-leaf clover I bought for my boy (yes, he's Irish), I used a simple spray paint for the knobs in 'brass' (much better than gold), the lamps are pier1, and the 'for like ever' poster in gold (yes, gold!) and cream was a limited edition run that they did years ago... I don't believe it's available anymore.

Bedroom Sneak Peek: Mustard + Grey

Well, it's not quite perfect yet (and of course I won't put my photos up until it is!) But, I thought I'd share a little sneak peek of the bedroom since I've been working on it so much... and talking about it so much!
More soon my lovelies... but until then, why not check out my last apartment? I'm blogging on 'moving in' tips today over at CreateGirl!

*since you asked... the grey is valspar paint in lava stone - available at lowes. the chair, grey pillow, table and framed vintage illustration of seattle are all thrift store finds. the white pillow with coral print is ikea (no longer available, unfortunately!).

Room of the Week 9.24

Last week delight by design featured this gorgeous room, and I just can't get it out of my head!
From the pages of Canadian House & Home, this pale pink and charcoal room is one of those spaces that takes a while to take in... and if I had to guess I'd say the inspiration came from that gorgeous marble table! That's where I would have started. The mix of textiles and furniture pieces is incredibly well done (although I would have chosen a different pattern for those pink pillows), and I looooove the pop of aqua in the wall sconces! I would have loved to see charcoal grey pinstripe drapes too - a touch of menswear in this room would be such a chic way to offset the pink. All in all, though, a truly inspirational space!

I Love...

Can we just stop for a minute and talk about how perfect this soft, sheer grey cardigan is for fall? And transitioning into fall? And probably out of fall... And into spring...

*via the fall collection at quail

Grey + Stripes = Perfection (Part II)

I've got a thing for grey stripes this spring (see previous post here!), which is why these rooms are callin' my name...

They can be soft and sweet like the stripes on the bedding in the all white bedroom nook (via esseegee) or bold (but not too loud!) like this wall featured in Domino.

If the walls are a bit much, why not switch things up and stripe your floors? (photo by erik piasecki). You'll never need a throw rug again. Of course I'm loving the mix of thick and thin stripes on these pillows (via city sage) to add a mild graphic detail to any room. Especially my bedroom, which is where these lovelies would most definitely end up!

Grey + Stripes = Perfection

I've had the soothing yet preppy combo of grey and white stripes on the brain lately...

Considering the grey trend will probably be a strong one for weddings this year, I think this tabletop setting would be a lovely idea for a the seaside - very Hamptons-esque, don't you think? And a sprinkling of white and grey pillows for my bedroom would indeed be perfection.

tabletop via social design, pillows by madeline weinrib

Color Predictions from {this is glamorous}

Last week, we had a fantastic lineup of guest bloggers posting on their color predictions for 2009 as we crown our own Color of the Year.

Today, I'm so happy to introduce the always inspiring {this is glamorous}. This series wouldn't be complete without a little forecast featuring the gorgeous images she is known for putting together so perfectly...

While I adore luminously white rooms with vibrant splashes of color, will always be drawn to softly welcoming neutrals and elegant grays warmed with delicate touches of color . . .

image: photo by ben park; livingetc april 2008

image: domino magazine

image: the last of the summer whites

image: elizabeth anne designs

image: elle decor september 2007

image: she sells...

image: through the looking glass

image: ellie saab via style.com

Would love to see more of the pink-hued lavenders and dusky roses that having been seeping onto the runways and into interiors this season.

Seems like we have another vote for pink in the house! I'm in love with the last bedroom in this set - the subtle inclusion of color in the all-white space is just fantastic. Thank you so much {this is glamorous} for joining in on my little week of predictions! I'll be sad to see it go ~ I think I could keep doing this for the entire month with all the amazing photos and collections we've been seeing! More this afternoon, my dears...

Miss Red

In the Miss America pageant of colors, Miss Red is making quite a case for herself, in my opinion...

Perhaps it's her closeness to Miss Pink (a true finalist!) that's drawing me in. Because what better way to balance the sweetness of pink than with a punch of red? Versace did it in their Pre-Fall collection with the addition of sexy red heels to a perfectly pink dress.

top: hallie burton, harper's photographed by karl lagerfeld, vintage house & garden
bottom: versace, walter chin, mark pillai for russian vogue

Her gem tones are quite enticing as well. Deep and luscious, they demand attention, like the Reem Acra ruby red dress from the Pre-Fall collection. This color creates head-to-toe and floor-to-ceiling glamour.

top: ellen von unwerth, reem acra, raymond meier
bottom: nicolas matheus

Paired with Miss Grey, Miss Red is quite the sophisticate. Inspired by one of my favorite Spring looks from L'Wren, this duo makes a fabulous statement, don't you think? Red adds a richness and depth to the currently popular grey.

top: zac posen, walter chin, sixx design
bottom: lucas allen, vintage house & garden, l'wren

Happy (Last Minute) Weekend!

What a week it's been! Holidays and snow days had me a bit busy, as did some guest appearances on a few fabulous blogs that are all up today...

via once wed

*1... Check out Courtney's interview at Under A Paper Moon, where you can view some 'vintage' holiday photos of me, as well as a peek into my Christmas tree this year! She featured some fabulous bloggers all week answering the same questions, so be sure to catch up on them as well!

*2... Mary Jo at Trust Your Style (newly added to the blogroll here!) graciously asked me to participate in her Eye On Style feature, and I was completely honored to be featured on her fabulous blog. She's got great taste and fabulous finds, so pop over and say hello.

*3... Finally, another little Christmas interview with Amanda at Swish & Swanky where she too has been interviewing bloggers all week on every aspect of their holiday habits from shopping to decor. Her blog is quite adorable and worth a peek!

marcus ohlsson

As for the weekend... I will be working on a few last minute additions to the Gift Guide while lounging around in my (faux) furs...

jay jeffers

Wrapping last minute presents in my favorite room in the house. *sigh*. Seriously Santa. Could you just package it all up and leave it under the tree?

Stay warm and bundle up boys and girls! It's gonna be a cold one...

Going Grey

I think I have found my all time favorite interior to date! The apartment belongs to Calvin Klein designer Francisco Costa and his partner John De Stefano, a horse trainer and manager. It feels very European to me with a perfect mix of minimalism and interesting details. The couple didn't use an interior designer but did have a little help from their friend Mark Cunningham.

"It really was a quest to find things that suggested a permanence to our lives," said Costa. "But I think that's the fun part, making the place feel like it belongs to us. We wanted every single piece to remind us of somebody or something or sometime important in our lives." The artwork above is by Enrico Castellani.

In the den, a mid-century bench sits in front of very perfectly organized book shelves. You don't even notice the small flat screen television at first!

The horse photograph was a gift from Linda Fargo of Bergdorf Goodman and the bed linens are from Calvin Klein Home. I love to mix gold jewelry with grey clothing and the same mix works in the home. I think the gold lamp pops against the grey walls and lends richness.

The minimalist kitchen also hides a bar while the whole apartment is painted in various shades of grey. I wish my kitchen looked that clean!

I love the sculptural quality of the two concrete benches and the juxtaposition of them with the pastoral painting. It also reminds me of a wall in the Metropolitan Museum of Art!

Flush doors with an edge pull blend into the woodwork and add to the European ambiance, as do the chevron patterned wood floors. There is even perfection in the bathroom below. The next time I paint my apartment, I may to go grey!

Photos by Martyn Thompson

Just When You Thought You Were Over It...

The killer color combo grey + yellow strikes again!

Completed by the shimmer of sequins! Ok, I'm completely in love. I might have to purchase... right here.

Fall Rooms From the Runway: Malo & Domino

What could be more perfect for the chilly months ahead than furs and greys? With a touch of creamy neutrals, this room is ready for the season's change...

room via domino mag, ensemble from malo

And some more options for keeping you warm in style...