I see a room like this and I'm instantly drawn to it. I love its simplicity, the ambiance created, the black and white palette. Christian Liaigre's home in Paris' Left Bank is beautiful. Of course, the high ceilings, the spectacular moldings and the fact that the home was built by a Marquis in the 18th-century also helps. I'm attracted to the mix of the apartment's rococo bones with the minimalism and sparseness of the furniture. (photos are from here). I would move in here in two seconds.
So, I love this space, but you know what my living room looks like? There is a lot of color involved, including hot pink curtains. Ready for a complete contrast?
So, I love this space, but you know what my living room looks like? There is a lot of color involved, including hot pink curtains. Ready for a complete contrast?
Personally, I like many kinds of distinct types of decor and could even easily live happily in them. Multiple personality? Perhaps. Or an adaptable aesthetic? I think so. What kind of interiors do you like?
To see more photos of my living room you can click over to the Little Green Notebook where Jenny featured my living room toward the end of last year (before we had our blog going).
Happy Monday!
Two Hundred and twenty pounds of steel, vinyl and gummy bears!
Thanks to Alexander McQueen.
TWELV
Magazine featured this candy dress created from 50,000 gummy bears in
this cool chevron pattern. It took three weeks to hand glue each bear
into place.
Well, hmmmm.
I am seriously in love with this shot. To me its perfection. This home office was designed by Raji Radhakrishnan at this year's Kips Bay Decorator Show House in New York. I think I have unconsciously pinned it at least four times. I love the clean lines of the mantel (its from Chesney's), the simple, crisp lines of the rug, but oh that photograph! I had it in mind all the time while traveling this summer while I was visiting cathedrals and palaces in Spain. So granted mine are not this wonderful but I would love to achieve a similar look with one of my photos. I don't think I can blow up the ones I took this large (without them becoming pixelated) but I can do some smaller versions. Although I have an inkling that part of the allure of this piece is the scale. In the meantime before my next trip I will investigate how to take photographs so they can be blown up poster sized like the one above.
Anyhoot....here are the photos in the running for me to print and add to my home. Please, please help me. Which do you like? Which would you print? Just one? or maybe print several and do some sort of gallery?
or should I wait to learn to adjust my settings to take higher resolution photos so I can blow it up to a similar scale of my inspiration photo...which means I could practice more and get an even better shot at a later time? or can these stand the test of time? Pretty please...what do you think?
(first image, the rest are mine, 1 and 2./ Palacio Real Madrid, 3, 4 and 5./ Catedral de Segovia, 6./Catedral de Almudena vista del Palacio Real)
I came accross this online ship Muzungu Sisters when reading a magazine in Spain. Its the labor of love of two friends, Dana Alikhani and Tatiana Santo Domingo. The online shop is relatively new and stocked with beautiful and exclusive pieces hand crafted from around the globe. I'm in love with the black velvet jacket, the work one one of the most tanlented tailors in Morocco. And how about the adorable Hungarian top?! It screams summer- this is a traditional blouse hand-embroidered by a third-generation embroiderer in the countryside just
outside of Budapest. What about the straw tote?! and the cute winter hat? All chic and unique for sure.
what do you think? Do you like the ethnic-chic and ethical items here?
I have been in love with this shot for a while. I love the Zoffany wallpaper so bold and busy with that pop of red from the Panton Chair. This look would look fantastic in any little color in your home. Here are a few ideas to get you started. All wallpapers in this post are from Lewis and Wood. They are classical yet very different and definitely make a statement. These were my favorites.
Do you like the bold wallpaper with a burst of color?
This post begins with my good friend asking my opinion on dining chairs. She tells me she saw some amazing ones at Overstock.com. I begin searching in their chair section and my jaw drops when I see the nicely priced beauties they have (and for many the price includes TWO chairs!) So here you go......if you have been wanting some mid-century seating but could not afford the price tag you need to hop on over to Overstock and check out their well....uhm...stock.
So above you have the Victoria Ghost Chair with the Overtock similar option and below the Eames Molded Plastic Chair with its almost twin.
The Wishbone chair, of course here:
And last but not least the Panton Chair below.
Which one are you drooling over? The sculptural Panton? the Danish WIshbone beauty? The Sleek Victoria Ghost chair? or the ever practical Eames molded chair?
Seems like such an easy thing to do, yet I have to remind myself constantly. Life is all about the small, simple pleasures. These are the ones that don't cost anything and yet feed your soul. Happy weekend! xx
In my ideal house my dining room would be surrounded by wonderful bookcases filled with art and books. By adding bookshelves in the dining room you would be creating a very cozy feel and rebranding it as a multi-purpose room. Nowadays formal dining rooms are quietly disappearing, which just makes me so sad, but by adding bookshelves you can revive and repurpose a formal dining room. I can just envision my family and friends gathered around the table with after dinner drinks trying to solve the world's problems. True, we would need a lot of books but aren't these images so provocative? (the last image is my all-time favorite!).
Go forth and revive your dining rooms!
What do you think? is it for you?
I have quite an affinity for all things Scandinavian. My husband is Swedish, I was married in Sweden and there is lots of Swedish spoken in our home. As we have visited over the years I have grown very fond of the whimsical and often times ingenious design. For a country of only 9 million people, they certainly contribute greatly to the world of technology as well as great design.
Last week I found this great website offering thousands of innovative things for the home. Its called
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Hejdå
6) Coasters
8) Salad Bowl
Have you ever lusted after something you saw a celeb wearing on the red carpet?
Wondered how many thousands of dollars it cost to put them together?
Wished you had the resources and an endless budget?
Look no further girls.
There is a little sight called Celeb Boutique that is here to answer all your worries.
They take the hottest trends that our favorite stars are wearing and make very affordable ahem "replications" ...
Lady Gaga is wearing this
Jennifer Lopez is wearing this
Beyonce is wearing this
I'm in love with this painting by Sabrina Cabada. It is mesmerizing. I love the complementary colors- red and green. They make a powerful statement in a non-christmassy kind of way. Aside from the outfit, I'm insisting on reading a lot of classics this summer (maybe its because I'm feeling guilty for having read Fifty Shades of Grey?) and with those cute designs who wouldn't want to have those cute books adorning your bookcases when you are done?
So back to the outfit- Adorable espadrilles, check, cute necklace, check, cool shorts and top, check, reading treasures, check, blanket, check, refreshing watermelon, of course!
I hope you have a great one!
Its getting hot out there. What could be better to get through these dog days than a little cool splash of neon on a peplum dress matched with some fantastic accessories.
Dying for this clutch!
B. Clutch
C. Dress
D. Bracelet
E. Shoes
My husband is big into books. They are his most prized possessions. What do you want for your birthday? a book, what do you want for Christmas? a book, for father's day? a book. You get the gist. He has his own Amazon wish list filled with pages and pages of the books he wants. Books are very important around here. He spends a lot of time organizing and reorganizing them. He divides them by category, then by author. So whenever I see this rainbow trend of bookcase styling- I go crazy.
I don't get it. How would you go about finding what you want? I don't think anyone would remember the color of the spine.....So... impractical styling, yes? pretty? I don't even think so.
Don't buy books just to decorate! Buy books with a purpose- read them!! agree?
I don't get it. How would you go about finding what you want? I don't think anyone would remember the color of the spine.....So... impractical styling, yes? pretty? I don't even think so.
Don't buy books just to decorate! Buy books with a purpose- read them!! agree?
With Wimbledon behind us and The Olympics just around the corner, I am missing London more than ever. Since I can't be there I have designed a Brit inspired den to enjoy it all. All that's missing is the flat screen and a
tiny Pimms Cup.
All of these wonderful things are from the most wonderful of catalogues;
WISTERIA
Today I am over The Aestate guest blogging for Jessica. She and her family just moved back to her home town so I'm helping out. Jessica's blog is one of my favorites as she has great DIYs and fantastic taste in interiors. She is also very funny (see her 50 shades of Grey review here). I hope you enjoy her blog as much as I do.
For the post I designed a room around a beautiful and colorful painting. You can see the post here. I hope you enjoy it.
And thank you Jessica for having me today! xx
Great modern art looks so chic with traditional furniture. Subtle colors and understated fabrics help to highlight beautiful paintings.
Let interesting shapes add interest to the room.
Let interesting shapes add interest to the room.
My friend mentioned she is planning a little getaway to Amsterdam this summer with her husband. So as we were looking for cute, chic hotels for them this one came up, Hotel The Exchange. The hotel turned to eight students and recent graduates of the Amsterdam Fashion Insitute (AMFI) to outfit the rooms as models. The result- some crazy and very avant-garde rooms.
The room with all the sleeves on the wall was based on the story 'The Emperor's New Clothes'. Interesting....but how do you know what room you are going to get? Will it have confortable seating? good lighting? dark drapes? It is a little too adventurous for me, but that doesn't stop me from admiring its bold and unique design.
Would you stay at a hotel like this?
Happy Fourth of July! I hope its a happy, safe and patriotic one for all of you.
Happy Fourth of July! I hope its a happy, safe and patriotic one for all of you.
Images via Tredland