Apr 30, 2010

window shopping: terrain

did you know that anthropologie has
teamed with styers to create 
a new store, geared towards all things
home + garden?
take a peek at some of the goodies:






recognize this fabric? 
it's one of the fabrics i selected for the
don't tell anyone, but it is
it's available here,
(along with many of the other
of terrains pillow fabrics!)

thanks to kathleen at
bringing this great new shop to my attention!

colosseo

i have dreamed of going to italy 
for a really, really long time.
i am working on making that dream a reality.
allen and i are saving and planning for a trip
to italy to celebrate our 
15 year anniversary in 2011.



on the itinerary: rome (duh),
 positano, pompeii,
florence, and venice.
just dreaming about it makes me giddy.
***
i am a huge fan of ancient architecture,
which could be attributed to my 2 year obsession
with greek and roman mythology as a kid. 

yeah, i know,
i was a weird kid
i was also obsessed with sharks and mummies. 
that's what happens when you
grow up with three brothers and no tv.

one of the structures that i am most
excited to see is the colosseum in rome.
in fact, my love for the colosseum was
one of my very first posts.
while doing research on italy, i came across this lovely 
print of the colosseo 
by designer cameron moll
a close up look reveals that the entire print
is made of type.
i think it is absolutely beautiful.
i may just have to order one for my home.
you can buy yours here


Apr 29, 2010

jonathan adler custom rugs

looking for that perfect rug,
but can't seem to find just the
right color/pattern?
did you know that you can 
create custom rugs at
here are a
few i whipped up:










and not just rugs,
but custom pillows...










and even totes!


give it a try.
it's very addicting and fun.
click here.

Apr 28, 2010

mine...all mine!

i have a slowly growing pile of
thrift store finds in my garage that
i plan to use for my "new" house.
did you see the mirror and chairs that
dayka featured a few weeks ago?
i found this williams sonoma mirror (minus the mirror)
at the downeast outlet store for $20,  and the 
chairs at a thrift store for $30 each)
well, meet the newest addition 
to my pile:
i was smitten with the metal on this
chair, and thought it would made 
the perfect office chair for me! of course it needs to 
be reupholstered, and there are a few rusty spots,
but nothing that a little tlc and some vision can't fix.
an ebay find, it is slowly making it's way
to me from new jersey...
at least it won't be lonely in my garage!
there are plenty of "friends" to keep it company.

Apr 27, 2010

a touch of zebra

so, while pawing through my files, i was
kinda shocked at how many pictures i had of
rooms with a touch of zebra.
i knew i liked zebra, 
but i didn't know i liked
it THAT much.
well, apparently, i do.
take a look, and you will probably be able to tell why!
my jaw is on the floor with this room.
i am totally in love.
the mirror!
those chairs!
that desk!
those roman shades!!
if gorgeousness could cause a stroke,
i would be dead right now.
dead, i tell you...
love the ticking 
+ the zebra 
+ the bamboo blinds 
+ the rug.
 why,hello pop of orange!
you look great with zebra.
love the oversized ottoman in this brown zebra...
zebra pillows really add some drama here.
another room that has me drooling.
as you can see, zebra adds a punch to both
neutrals and bright colors, and 
plays well with nearly any pattern.
i really, really, really think i need 
two little ottomans/stools/benches 
covered with zebra.
this room is beautiful!
check out the velvet on the sofa--
it looks so yummy i want to eat it!
love the banding on the drapes.
another lovely room
made even more lovely with a touch of zebra.
i have had this one in my file f-o-r-e-v-e-r--
probably close to 8 years...
(with the striped lampshades and the zebra rug, 
how could i NOT save it?)


what do you think?
are you a zebra lover, 
or not?

Apr 26, 2010

mood board monday: soothing graphic retreat

i am always daydreaming 
about my "someday house"...
so this week, i decided to play 
along with mood board monday
and create a fictional room
for my "new" house.

the inspiration was a series of framed 
art from the new collection from patch nyc
for west elm. (aren't they gorgeous?)
i loved the grey and camel/mustard colors
of the prints, so i used those colors as my scheme. 
i chose the "rose" and "thistle" prints 
to design my room around:
my room is a den, 
and i infused it with the organic influence from the
botanical prints, and added a dose of metallic sheen
and some graphic elements to create a soothing
and sophisticated space where i would love
to hang out.





1. the warm tones of the gold venetian mirror and 
patch nyc wall art balance the cool tones of
benjamin moore's  coventry grey on the walls.

2. roman shades in celerie kemble'e betwixt in bisquit/ivory
trimmed in greek key trim. i love the mix of these two graphic,
elements together.

3. the ornate feel of the suzette chair from horchow adds contrast to
the clean lines of the other furniture in the space.
i love this chair because it could easily be a chair that
was rescued from a flea market, and reupholstered to give it
a fabulous second life. the costello stool adds a 
fun dose of metallic glam, and functions
as a great place to set a book or a drink. an orchid and gold
toned birds from oly would be great accessories in this space, that
complement the botanical/nature theme of the inspriration art.

4. the hutton sofa from room and board in mustard velvet
 becomes a great backdrop for a collection of fun pillows:
black white koko 26" pillow
grey/ivory stripe pillow
patch NYC pigeon pillow
pillow in padna fabric


5. the fretwork side chair echos the pattern
on the roman shades and is extremely affordable.
another striped pillow, as well as a pillow in surankari fabric
strengthen the color scheme and add more pattern.
the everglades silver tray adds another metallic hit
to the room, and the weathered wood ball adds texture.


 5. the richard nixon rug from jonathan adler,
anchors the space, and picks up on the dark frames of the 
patch nyc art. the dark manhattan side table,also from target, 
holds a distressed wood turned spindle lamp.


Apr 24, 2010

nice and trim: remodelaholic guest post

did you check out my post on trim
in case you missed it,
here it is!
***
Many of my clients feel their spaces lack character and interest. 
 While there a several strategies to create texture, enhance proportions, and build design interest for a space, one of the most effective is to 
add architectural moldings. 
Adding crown molding to a space is a classic 
and yet very simple solution.
This is the first house that my husband and I built 
for ourselves nine years ago. We added crown molding to the ceiling, 
added a smaller piece of trim about four inches down the wall, 
and then painted the wall space in between to match the trim. 
The result is a larger, 
more elaborate looking molding.
Adding molding/trim to doors or openings is an easy way to produce a high impact design feature at a minimal cost.  For instance, the total cost of the materials for this opening was around $30. We added this type of treatment over the two major openings in our first home's foyer.
A more intricate version was installed in this custom home built by my husband.
The trim here helps define the door and creates additional mass, balancing the door's "visual weight"
against the expanse of the two-story wall.

Here are some other examples:
Basic pilasters (half-columns), in another one of our custom homes, define the bathtub.

At the Sanctuary Hotel on Kiawah Island in South Carolina,
large openings are wrapped in trim with inset louvered panels.

Another area of the Sanctuary Hotel features decorative headers which
 define the space and bring down the scale of the high ceilings which creates a more intimate environment.
In this custom home built by my husband, the 14 foot tall ceilings in the foyer would have seemed awkward with the absence of properly scaled moldings. Notice how the seven foot tall wainscoting establishes more appropriate proportions for the space.

Before remodeling, only a small piece of crown and base molding outlined the foyer of our last home. So we installed wainscoting to dress up the entry.  This also helped disguise the air return vent.  Did you notice it? If not, then we accomplished our goal!


Since the stairwell and upstairs hall were also visible from the foyer, we decided to continue the trim into these spaces.  The added trim transforms the long and ordinary hall into an appealing area for showcasing family photos.

Trim is an essential component in spaces that many people, including me, find comfortable and appealing. Whenever we remodel or build a new home, we  experiment with new treatments and applications of moldings. I am always searching for great ways to use trim. I get my ideas from past projects, magazines, as well as public spaces like restaurants, hotels and offices.  

  Installing additional trim/moldings does not have to be a complex or expensive endeavor. In fact, after painting, adding trim is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to customize any space. And, as you can see, the results can be breathtaking!