Fall Foliage

I am really excited for Thanksgiving tomorrow! I am going to be volunteering at Feed The Beach in Venice, so if any of you readers are in the area you should definitely stop by and bring some goodies, but first call The Fruit Gallery (310-452-3034) to see if they need help with anything in particular! I overheard some of those that live down on the beach talking this morning about how excited they were for tomorrow. Just the thought that the underprivileged will have a wonderful meal, a full belly, a most of all that the community is coming together brings a huge smile to my face!

images via skona hem

Story Hotel

This looks like heaven! Oh but it's not...it's Story Hotel...an amazing design hotel in Stockholm. What a wonderful conversion of an existing structure by the Swedish design team Koncept. The restaurant at Story Hotel just won the European Hotel Design Award for Restaurant Interior Design of the Year! I wish I could go visit for the holidays! 'Tis the season that wishes come true, right?!

The doors of the existing building were reused as headboards...awesome! I love this bathroom! I want my bathroom at home to look just like this!

Love this detail!

Story Hotel has collaborated with Wonderwall, a new kind of art dealer, to fill the walls with gorgeous and one-of-a-kind art.

aww...so pretty!

stunning! I would love to sit and sip my coffee here!

Kitchen Designs that Rock!

I just love these gorgeous kitchens by the Australian design team Doherty Lynch. They are committed to finding creative solutions and delivering high quality design and these projects do just that. These examples of the kitchens exemplify creative solutions in details, layout, and materials I am going nuts over their use of wallpaper in the kitchen. I'm not sure how practical this is, but I wonder if you could pull it off on the backsplash by covering it glass?

I think the wallpaper behind open shelves and the work area in the kitchen is a wonderful idea!

I am also a huge fan of the simplicity of using the same countertop material as the backsplash. I love how clean and seamless this looks.
Now this is a gorgeous combination. If you're going for a wall with no upper cabinets I think it's a great idea to use a material that makes a statement. This procelain tile mimics a patina(d) metal and looks so good with those copper lights! I would love to see that island with stools!

A Stroll Down to A+R

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I had a fabulous weekend that started with having last Friday off...YAY! On my day off I decided to take a nice walk around my neighborhood and headed up to Abbot Kinney where my first stop (well after coffee @ the new Equator Cafe) was A+R! I fell in love with so many things in the store! Here are a few things I was dreaming of having on my table during Thanksgiving dinner!

Pewter and Glass Animal Shot Glass
Yes, everybody should have shot glasses on their table during Thanksgiving dinner:-)

Tops Ceramic Salt + Pepper

Double Walled Oil/Vinegar Carafe

Crushed Bowl

A Gorgeous Palette

These shots by Joanna Henderson are absolutely lovely. The soft muted wall colors mixed with the deep bold blues, purples, reds, blacks, and golds works so well.

This wall color is stunning...it looks like a light grayish seafoam which I just love. The mix with the deep blues, purples and gold looks sophisticated with a playful and retro edge.

Again the choice of wall color is amazing. That dusty purplish gray with those deep golds, purple, and reds is so inviting.

Design Milk: The Beat Boxed 7

This is my favorite The Beat Boxed yet! Check out the entire article on Design Milk today!
A Tribe Called Quest is not only one of my favorite hip-hop groups, but one of the best hip hop groups of all times! Their song “I Left My Wallet in El Segundo” is the perfect follow-up to the “Oh my god I lost my wallet” kind of weekend I just had. For this week's The Beat Boxed I didn't think it fair to "box" in the beats of A Tribe Called Quest, so I decided to create a modern pop-up “kick-it” stop perfect for the Tribe as they continue along their instinctive travels. I was so inspired by how gorgeous the bright patterns and bold colors were as they contrasted with the bright sun and dry desert in this video. You must check it out!

I love this low-lying pleat sofa and it looks like it could almost be the backseat of a vintage 1970’s car. Pop that baby out, unroll your patchwork cowhide rug, scatter around your Moroso cubes from the M’Afrique collection, hang your brass ball pendants, and you are ready to kick it just like A Tribe called Quest did on their way to El Segundo. Oh and don’t forget your sombrero, you’ll need it in that hot desert sun!

Now what better place to kick it than at the Hotel Silken Puerto America in Madrid. I think this room by Mariscal y Salas may have just been designed for A Tribe Called Quest!

A Cozy Den

I was up really late last night working and up really early this morning working, so tonight I cannot wait to just go home, curl up under a blanket (preferably a gray wool one) with a glass of wine, and watch a movie. Well maybe after I attend the Poliform opening party catered by Cecconi's;-) This den looks so cozy I can hardly stand it!

image source unknown, please do tell me if you know!

NY INTERIOR

It's a gallery/home kind of day! Here is another house tour where the gallery is situated on the ground floor of the house and the rest of the building is the owners' family house. The art and living are combined in a very unique way and in a completely different style than the previous post. I just love the colors and huge murals in this space!

The soft rosy sofa and the intensity of the mural work fantastic together...at least I think so!

This room feels so sweet.

I would love to have a black office filled to the ceiling with books! And I would love to walk out of it into a room completely filled with sunlight!

Oh that wine storage is AMAZING!

A little bit of children's art always adds a sense of playfulness to any space.

Such a dynamic room! The scale of the artwork makes the furniture look like dollhouse furniture.

How incredible is that mural! A little crazy, but I think it's abosolutely gorgeous!
That's my blue:-)

What an incredible bed! The neighbors have a great view! I also love the detail in the carpet showing the placement of the bed.

photos by Verne via OWI

House DCZ

Look at this home in Switzerland that combines the art gallery and home of owner Monica. The rustic cabin like quarters open up to an amazing loft with exposed beams. I just love the contrast of the rustic wood with the white floors and the modern and colorful artwork! I would love to see a floorplan so I can see how all of these spaces relate. What a gorgeous space!















photos by Bamberghi Filippo

Modish Banner Design

Oh and one more thing for today! I am absolutely loving the new banner design over at Modish! The color combination is just so gorgeous! I think the font looks like a sleigh sliding down the snowy mountain! So fun! Check out Jena's great blog Modish here!

Holy Snow Balls!

I received this photo from my clients in Bozeman, Montana today. Isn't it gorgeous?! It snowed like 30 inches there last week!

I just told my fiance yesterday, we have to get a Christmas Tree this year. So this photo of the gorgeous snow and our conversation about the Christmas tree got me thinking about decorations today...take a look at a few of my favorites I found on Etsy!

3 ft. Modern Tannenbaum by .SilverCocoon. on Etsy

Snowy Owl by tiny warbler

Golden Wings Angel Moon Bun by Moonscreations

Fancy Chandelier in natural birch by uncommon

Garland Strand Christmas Winter Ornament by anastasiajaminhome

My friend said the other day that she feels like she's cheating on Thanksgiving with all these great thoughts she's having about Christmas. I thought that was hilarious:-)

A Perfect Getaway!

I am dreaming of a getaway and Ireland has always been on my list of places to go. The gorgeous Bellinter House located just outside Dublin looks like the perfect place. The architecture is breathtaking and the interiors designed by Pierce Tynan are a great mixture of vintage and new while staying true to the style.

image and sources via Remodelista

Share the Love!

My goal this week was to give my blog + readers more love and post everyday! And goal achieved...yay!!!!

This image is from Fancy! a New Zealand Design Blog that I just discovered and LOVE! These amazing hand cut paper-cuts are Made by Julene and you should check out her entire
collection! They are pretty cool!

This is an image from Mackin Ink. I love this blog and the writing style of Karey. She cracks me up and sometimes makes me go "hmmm....?" Also check out her other site The Sweeterie by T.Ruffles "a creative confectionery where we make candy for your soul. twice daily."
Thank you Anne at The City Sage for the link love. I heart your blog! Oh and thanks for the amazing outfit you posted on Tuesday I'm dying to go shopping now! This heart rug by the Rug Company is just too cute!
Love...World by Soooooound

Thanks Kristin at Inspired Designer for listing me this week in your Blog Favorites! Her blog features great music selections and concert posters, which I am obsessed with, and fabulous interior design inspiration! She is also a practicing interior designer...so yay for that! This is one of my new favorites!

Have an amazing weekend!

Who do you love rug.

Sneak Peek: Guest Bedroom In Progress

A couple weeks ago I posted 3 inspiration boards for the guest bedroom project I've been working on and asked which one you thought we'd go with. Well, we went with option #3 and turned the yellow kids bedroom into this eclectic, modern bohemian retreat! Hilary from Pink Pianos has been working with me on this project...so this is the we I'm referring to! Thanks Hil!
The client had a suzani she purchased a couple years ago, when we were working on phase 1 of the design of her house. We decided to make this suzani into the coverlet for the queen size bed. It turned out even better than I could've imagined. We purchased a high thread count white sheet set and had a seamstress add the border with the mitered edges, so it would fall nicely over the corners or fold perfectly to wrap under the mattress.

We loved the blue in the suzani, so we decided to pull that out in the window treatments. My first love for window treatment fabric was this Blue Chevron fabric or Ditto Blue from Madeline Wenrib. I couldn't justify the costs of the fabric for this room, so I found these fabulous premade ikat panels from Kerry Cassil's Fall 2009 collection of fabrics! We love them! They are the perfect weight and are 4' x 10' long so you can just hem them to the perfect length. We added sheer linen panels from West Elm underneath for the perfect layering.

The adorable blue velvet pouf looks so great with the suzani. The color is just gorgeous. My client picked up that funky hanging rack at Urban Outiftters and I just love the statement that it makes in this room! This lamp is the Ada Lamp from CB2, we are looking for a different one because we didn't love it. I found some great options (1 and 2) at TINI which is where we picked up this great black mid century nightstand.

A new treatment is being ordered for this window!!! I wanted to photoshop it out, but decided to be honest with you guys! This isn't the best photograph and it doesn't do the room justice, but I had to show you the inkblot, because it's just so cool:-)

We found the perfect home for the Sherri Robinson inkblot from Gibson that we purchased two summers ago. This piece is so amazing and substantial. It's framed in a black walnut frame that is 3" deep. We picked it up from the framers the day of install and realized the framing wasn't exactly what we had specified, but it works for now. I had orignially discussed with him having the ink blot recessed about 2" back from the glass so that the paper hung freely. The paper that inkblot was done on was fairly thin and because the paper shrunk it doesn't hang straight, so you can see the ripples as it's pressed against the glass. I still love this piece and I love my framer!

You might be wondering about the bed? We actually got this Ligne Roset bed for
$300...a steal huh?! It has a slipcover that you just velcro onto the frame. We will be having a new slipcover made soon! There's still some work to do, but hope you enjoyed the sneak peek!

Photo credit: Hilary's wonderful boyfriend Ashish who came over and snapped these photos for us the day of the install! Thanks Ashish!

Urban Crafts

I just love these little crafty cafes/shops that are popping up! I have no idea how long Moomah has been around, probably awhile, but I just got word of it from Design Shimmer and am in aww of how cool it is! I wish I was the little kid heading here to do my craft projects. But what a great place for the moms to hang out and be involved in their child's creative process. "Moomah was created to give parents, children and caregivers that opportunity. We wanted the space to be inviting and to nurture creative stimulation not over-stimulation." I think spaces like these are so important in this hustle and bustle society we live in today! I am also fascinated by the branding of Moomah. I love their font on the website, the details in the lettering, the color scheme and just everything about this place! I might dress up like a 12 year old and head in there myself:-)

Those lights from Anthropologie look so adorable!

Chalkboard walls just aren't getting old to me, I think they are great! I also think the simplicity of this table is stunning.

I am doing a project where we are creating a farm themed shadow box. Oh I love this one! What a story it tells!

love it all! Especially the pattern on the curtains, the chairs, the table, and the cabinet:-)

Now if you just want to act like a child or just hang with some really cool adults, my new favorite place in Santa Monica is The Urban Craft Center. I am planning on heading there next Wednesday for the sewing club. Oh and Stitch and Bitch the first Wednesday of every month sounds pretty great as well! They just celebrated their 1st birthday, so Happy Birthday Urban Craft Center, I wish you many many more to come!

Design Milk: The Beat Boxed 6

I LOVE Florence + the Machine! This girl has one of the most powerful and beautiful voices of anyone out there today...at least I think so, but I'm no music expert:-) The Beat Boxed: Florence + the Machine is live on Design Milk today, so check it out! I love it when her song "Cosmic Loves" plays on NPR, the Morning Becomes Eclectic, on my drive to work. No lie I go from being half asleep and caught up in my thoughts to belting this song out at the top of my lungs. It's just so full of energy and passion!

This photo is full of so many details perfect for room inspiration. I love the details and lines in her dress. The simple gold chain layered beneath the dress that fall in the void :-) This duck in the flowers...genius! For me it reminds me that there is still a sense of humor here. I love the alignment and the way the fan wraps her head to make it look like she's wearing a hat. Then of course the pink/salmon walls I just love, mixed with the flowing softness of the white dress.

For links to all sources visit Design Milk.
The Room. A bedroom. I usually want to keep adding pieces to my inspiration board, but this one I actually kept taking things away. Florence's voice is pure and her lyrics are honest. Her music puts gives me a sense of ease and power and allows me to let go of some of the constraints that sometimes confine me. My mind feels clear when I listen to her music, but I feel passionate. The pieces are few but powerful in this room.

These images above are perfect matches to Florence + the Machine's Cosmic Love.

Design Milk: The Beat Boxed 5

I'm a little late on posting my last week's The Beat Boxed: The Stone Roses, but it's well worth the wait. This one is a crazy and I love it! A little eurotrash and a little psychedelic rock. This music blends so well with the new restaurant/club Derriere in Paris. It's just like walking into a dingy dark apartment that might just be the home of The Stone Roses. There's something so endearing about it, it has you wishing your own room looked just like it:-) Ok maybe not everyone...lol!!! Go read the entire article! It's a good one...it might just give you a new perspective! And check out the sources over at Design Milk as well! Loving that rug by Henzel which I just realized the name is called "Studio Morning After"...so perfect for this!

Derriere Paris

Derriere Paris

My room interpretaion!

Matching Mid-Century Side Tables

As part of the design of the boy's bedroom we've been working on (see next post) we had to get rid of these two adorable nightstands that I custom designed a couple years ago on round one of the boys' bedroom designs:-( Each of the boys had one...one bright orange and one bright yellow...well no more! We had the originals for sale at the Designer Tag Sale in OC, but after a lot of love, but no buyer, my friend Hilary at Pink Pianos painted them this beautiful gray color and applied eieio paper to the drawer fronts that she had left over from Jenna's Desk...you guys probably remember that post. I love they way they turned out!

They are for sale, so email if you're interested and I'll get you the info!

Big Day Tomorrow!

We've been waiting for the new custom bunkbeds for a few weeks and they are finally arriving tomorrow! Just in the nick of time! My client has guests coming tomorrow and I'm hoping everything for her boy's room comes together perfectly! The boy's will now be sharing a room, so we really had to maximize on storage. We just custom designed new closets, which turned out amazing. She has so much more room! The new bunks also have a lot of built in storage as well as a huge storage drawer beneath, divided into 6 compartments which will be great for the toys. Can't wait for them to arrive!

Nurseryworks Bunk Beds

Ikea Jorun Duvet
The duvet covers are from Ikea, which by the way look fabulous! They are such a soft color and are perfect for boys or girls. The great thing about them is that they are only $19.99!

David Weeks Boi Wall Sconce
Love this sconce for the lighting on the bottom bunk! We haven't ordered it yet, but still might! We are a little worried about exposed bulbs so we are still looking for different options.

I really love this birdhouse light by inke! I think it would look adorable!

The Aquatic Wallpaper by Pottok is going to be fabulous. It should be arriving in 1.5 weeks and I cannot wait for it to be installed. I think it will be perfect for the boys' room because it tells such a great story.

They are just too cute! You should see the boys sitting in them!
Marrimeko Fatboy

Nordic Kids Table
We did a chalkboard top on the table and I am fighting with the idea of painting all the wood a light gray. Everyone loves the birch, but me. I just think the paint would look so nice with the rest of the colors and would tone down the black. We'll get it installed and then I'll make up my mind. What do you think?!

I'll post pics soon and let you know how the install goes:-)

Getting Cozy in Gray!

I'm fighting off a cold that I also passed onto my fiance, so I'm thinking some good rest will do us good. I sat down to work, but all I can do is think about snuggling up in bed with a down comforter and soft gray wool blankets. Here's a few of my favorite gray rooms and cozy gray blankets:-)





images via Living Etc, Dress Design Decor, Decor Pad, Decor Pad, unknown source

Love the Black and White

Green Olives Design Timbermill Buffalo Check.

Idea Group Deko Vanity

photography by Kurt Iswarienko

via Desire to Inspire

Winter Wonderland

I am getting excited for to head home for the Holidays and am dreaming of a white Christmas. It's getting cooler here, still highs in the upper 60's, but lately we've been having a lot of fog which I love! I imagine it being soft flurries (the perfect snow) and it takes me away to a little winter wonderland for a second. I've got my apple cinnamon and vanilla candles burning, the windows are closed so the apartment is getting a little toasty, and I am imagining being here!


even though I'm here...

The winter images I found over at Modish and are by Michelle Arcila

I love Geometry...

even though it was the first class I ever got a C in:-( But I swear it wasn't my fault! But really...I do love all these geometric patterns right now. Here's a few of my faves!

Carolin Fieber – a fashion designer for Bretz.

Abstract Lunch Napkin by Envelop

Beci Orpin pillow...abstract, black and white, and owls??!!!

Bermuda Triangle No.2 by Henzel

Bleak House Mountain by Jaime Derringer

Nicolem1967 by spinthread


Montmartre Pillow

Design Milk: The Beat Boxed 4

Check out my post today over on Design Milk "The Beat Boxed: Kings of Leon". I totally associate Kings of Leon with New Zealand, which is where I was this time last year:-( They were so popular in New Zealand and with everyone we met from all around the world!
Love them!

The proper rock of Kings of Leon translates beautifully into an interior. This modern farmhouse nestled back in the woods is polished but raw. Like the voice of Caleb, the raw beauty and pure brilliance is sometimes breathtaking....check out the rest of the article here.

Links to all sources are over at the original post on Design Milk.

Not Your Average Loaf!

I think these Loaf of Bread Notebooks are one of the coolest things ever!!!! I am obsessed with notebooks and paper and I seriously do go through them like a loaf of bread! I need to stock up on these and even get a couple of loaves to keep in the freezer!

Pick a Number

These are some inspiration boards for a guest bedroom project we are working. Which one is your favorite? I'd love to hear your thoughts and then I'll let you know which one we went with!

1. Guest Bedroom Option #1 based around a Suzani we have.

2. Guest Bedroom Option #2

3. Guest Bedroom Option #3 a little retro mod spin on the suzani.

I heart these rooms!

I love both of these rooms, so I just thought I'd share them with you! They both just looked so lived in and comfortable.

I could totally see myself lying in this bedroom reading! I can just imagine the soft sound of the sand timer:-) That table is stunning!

This is a great warm palette filled with such organic shapes and textures. Oh that sweater pendant is sooo cute! I'd feel so relaxed working here!

Cocca

I stumbled upon these products from the Japanese company Cocca the other day and still cannot get over how beautiful they are. I feel like Japanese products are all the rage right now, or maybe they always has been, they do create some of the most gorgeous products ever! You have to check out Cocca's selection of printed textiles on the site! Such gorgeous patterns, textures, and the details are insane! Here are some of my favorites!

Mokuhan Pillow, Ore Honeycomb Bag, Iron Chair, Kitchen Hand (because seriously who doesn't need a gorgeous oven mit?)

ys bench (I'm obsessed with this fabric!)

Taisho pin cushion and measuring tape. How excited would you be to pull out this measuring tape?! Look at the detail in the wood!

Design Milk: The Beat Boxed 3

I was so excited for The Beat Boxed: Lili Haydn! She is one of my all time favorite artists and puts on the BEST live shows! I saw her play with Roger Waters at Coachella and it brought tears to my eyes...I didn't even realize what I was hearing and I couldn't even see her, she's just that powerful! I then saw her at The Hotel Cafe and was sure to get there early and sit front row for her this time. There were maybe 20 people there. Anyway she is the most talented artists EVER! She works from a studio high up in the canyon and trees in Los Angeles in a place she calls "Lililand". I have created my version of Lililand below. Check out the entire article on Design Milk...it's a good one! And if you ever get the opportunity to see Lili Haydn play live do not pass it up!


Links to all sources and products are on Design Milk.

Madeline Weinrib Atelier--WOW!

I've spent hours looking through the Madeline Weinrib Atelier site and am going crazy over all of her fabulous prints! Check out this collection of pillows, and this is only 6 of her endless possibilities! Alot of the fabric are handmade in Uzbekistan while some of these pillows are made with vinatage scarves. Sooo beautiful!

What unique and gorgeous chairs! These are reupholstered in her line of fabrics which can be ordered by the yard (through the trade). My favorite is the Blue Mu on the second chair. That fabric just looks so adorable on that chair. Check out the entire furniture line here.
Madeline Weinrib Atelier also has an extensive collections of carpets in some vibrant colors and gorgeous patterns!