I want it now...my Ebay find

Okay...I'm in love and I don't care what it costs! I found this Mid-Century/Hollywood glam turquoise dresser just now on Ebay and you must check it out! Go here if you are interested (but I may just have to bid on it myself :) Auction ends by tomorrow afternoon....

Child's play

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah....to be a kid again!!!


I'm running on empty today, but it's Friday....so I'm really thankful!!! Times like these I think back to being a kid and remember staying out at the playground until sundown pretending not to hear my parents calling me from a far to come back inside.

(Elle Decor/Oct '06)

My mother always had an great eye for design or so I recall back then...every home we lived in, my room was the first on her list to decorate and the last she would finish :) I wish I had pictures to show, but those are all hidden in our overpriced storage unit during our remodel...so here are some very stylish and creative kid's rooms for you to enjoy instead!

(Elle Decor/Sept. '06)

(House and Garden/Editor's favorites)

(House and Garden/Editor's favorites)

(House and Garden/Editor's favorites)

(House and Garden/Editor's favorites)

**Have a great weekend!!!**

fall into Pieces...

and you will find some of the most delightful furniture and accessories in my two most favorite colors as of late: yellow and white!

You can check out these and more at their 1st dibs site!

when the cat's away...

the mice end up using junk mail as gift wrapping (god know's where it is with this remodel going on)...a lovely random gift as a celebration of yet another day in paradise with...yours truly! A glamour girl would expect nothing less from her man.
Note the detail...the handmade bow and 3 dimensional use of the chicken bucket advert :) So funny, I just had to share...

LA charming

In a place where we super-size everything from our burgers, to our homes...it surprising these days to find anything that can still keep it real and maintain simplicity and charm!!! When LA designer Kristen Panitch was faced with a "big remodel" due to a growing family, she went about it with a small town feel...making sure they didn't succumb to building just another big house on the block...but approached it rather, with a perfect attitude in which it was "not about making a big house", but rather about making "little rooms and little spaces."

Love the use of blues and creams in this room, esp the coral...

and those Tom Clark floral pillows (atop a Panitch designed sofa) are great too !!!

This 1930's mirror really makes this space (above a Panitch-designed desk)!

(Featured in Elle Decor/ June 2005, photography by Grey Crawford)

a "glammed up" affair...

Que es DIFFA? For those that don't know, DIFFA stands for Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS, and is one of the country's largest supporters of direct care for people living with HIV/AIDS, as well as preventative education for those at risk. Every year DIFFA puts on a fundraiser called Dining by Design (presented by Ellle Decor and GE Monogram), which showcases some of the most over the top dining scenes/installations by celebrated designers and corporations we love. Thus creating a night of extravagant dining, in which proceeds from the night go to benefit a really great cause!!!


This event ultimately pushes the creative envelope...each scene so uniquely different from the next (which are all featured in July/August issue of Elle Decor), AND this year they went glam! Well, at least this was the case with Shaver/Melahn Studios and their creation, presented at the New York Design Center...which consisted of white vintage furniture, stunning calligraphy fabric, floating round fluted mirrors...oh and to top it all off a real life glamour girl :)

(Images from Shaver/Melahn Studios website)

White fruit, a decor must have!!!

White fruit...a must have table top accessory, at least that's how it seems these days!!! I'm loving this idea, and have even purchased a few for my home. You can stand them alone, or put them in a bowl, place them atop a few stacked books...honestly the options are endless...


Arteriors offers these white fruits shown here in a set of three (all 5" high)...

or you can buy them individually, in various sizes as well...this pear from Arteriors is 23" tall!

From left to right: White porcelain apple, KleinReid. White apple, Victoria Hagan, Target. (Thank you Toast and Tables for the inspiring post on apple tabletop decor :)

Harry Allen is known for various white ceramics, like this fruit bowl, which I found at Velocity

Banana Bowl by Harry Allen from Velocity

Raising the bar

It's officially summer, which means it's soon time for the Hampton Designer Showhouse!!!Starting on July 22st, a whole new set of talented designers will unveil their latest and greatest designs to the public, with a gala preview party the night before to kick off the show. Advanced tickets are available, so check the Hampton Designer Showhouse website for details if you are interested. Proceeds from tickets will go to benefit the Southhampton Hospital. The show is set to run until September 2 (I hope to make the tail end this year on a much awaited east coast trip :). Below are some highlights from years past, hope you enjoy.

2006 Showhouse

Jay Jeffers (House & Garden/Oct. 2006)

Healing Barsanti (House & Garden/Oct. 2006)

Michael Rosenberg & Associates (House & Garden/Oct. 2006)

Barclay Butera (House & Garden/Oct. 2006)

2005 Showhouse

Jamie Drake (House & Garden/Oct. 2005)

Alessandra Branca (House & Garden/Oct. 2005)

2004 Showhouse

Barbara Ostrom & Associates (image from Hamptons.com)

Red barns...

For whatever reason I've been thinking about my roots....Pennsylvania. Although, I haven't spent much time living in any one particular area, but I have dear memories of my home state. It represents a simpler way of life...farm living, family picnics, catching fireflies...the list goes on. One thing that I so fondly remember are the Red Barns...everywhere! Many broken down and abandoned long ago, some new with fresh bright red paint...oh and the covered bridges too (that we were so scarred to drive through)! Just wanted to share some images...hope you have a great weekend!!!

(Images from Flickr photosharing)

I heart bubblewrap!

I really do...it's just so fun! I love to get samples or product in the mail and unwrap them to find a nice fresh sheet of bubble wrap just waiting for me! The contents of the package get tossed aside and I usually go straight to popping..leaving no bubble untouched! So, today I happened to be researching for a project on the net and popping bubbles at the same time (yes, I multi task)... and somehow I came across this funny photo...of what a "glamour girl" might do with bubble wrap and packing peanuts, and I just had to share :)

(Image from http://www.bigtimeattic.com/blog/)

New goods in Chelsea

Metalware designer Michael Aram, whose work has been sold at various boutiques and high-end department stores for quite some time now...has opened his first retail store in Chelsea! His pieces will be featured in a newly restored 19th Century carriage house...keeping intact many of the architectural details, the architect James Harb and Michael created a black backdrop for his pieces to shine and pop off the displays...


Shop located at 136 West 18th Street, NY, NY. Here are some highlights from his various collections sold available at his new retail store and online store as well:

Enchanted Forest side table

Coral Reef large tray

Coral Reef nut bowl

Enchanted Forest candle holders

Bark vases

White splendor...

For summer of just because...I'm thinking white! So, if you are familiar with Vicente Wolf, then you understand he is the no stranger to a neutral color palette. Thus, this renovated Greenwich Village apartment designed by Wolf and his associate David Rogal featured in Metropolitan Home magazine is perfect for those seeking "fresh, clean, and liveable" design inspiration.


Although the apartment was left intact as much as possible, Wolf and Rogal removed arched openings and several walls that prevented the "loftlike" feeling they were hoping to achieve with the design.


I love the simplicity of the fireplace and the gray-blue color palette displayed with textiles and paints through out...


The owner wanted a home that was comfortable and could stand the test of time. These ebony hardwood floors and white walls create a neutral backdrop to add and subtract color from, no matter the palette.


My favorite room...I love these chairs and the David Weeks pendant!


With the use of wall to wall mirrors at the vanity, stainless steel tiles and white walls...this master bath takes on a much grander feel!


What's not to love in this room...esp. with the French colonial desk converted to a night stand and a Jonathan Adler white lacquer cube. This large area rug helps ground the floating bed...what a great idea!

(Featured in Metropolitan Home/February 2007, photographs by Vicente Wolf, and article written by Raul Barreneche)

Fun with Flokati

Flokati rugs are a must have for any home! They can be used in just about any space...as a rug over hardwood or even carpet...or as a throw over a fun chair or sofa. These sheep skin rugs date back to early Greece where they were used by shepards to keep warm...and now they are style!!! Popping up every where I turn these days, Flokati rugs have such versatility, and I thought I'd show it off here with a few images:

Such a fun space...I love this idea to use them on each chair! (Domino Magazine/ Dec 2005)


A great rug to use under glass or lucite coffee tables to show off the texture. For a more affordable but still stylish look you could use the peekaboo clear coffee table from CB2, and I Flokati rug from Ikea. (House & Garden/ Nov. 2006)


Here it looks as though several were stitched together to create a larger area rug...which is a fab idea, and I love the light and airy feeling it gives to this space! (Elle Decor/May 2006)


Using two rugs like runners is another idea that works well in this bedroom. Even on light floors or sisal carpet these rugs add a lush texture and more dimension to the floor. (Elle Decor/ Jan/Feb 2007)


And to my favorite image...a room perfect for a glamour girl (like me). Love this black sheepskin on one of my favorite chairs: Philippe Starck's Louis Ghost Chair. (Domino Magazine/ Jan/Feb 2007)

Who knew lighting could have sex appeal...

Hudson Furniture...I know you've seen their beautiful work. They are probably most known for their custom furniture pieces made from salvaged or damaged trees, like this solid claro walnut slab top with a walnut slab leg base (shown below). BUT, did you know they make light fixtures as well...

If you're not familiar with this new line yet...take a look, because it just might end up being your new crush! Here are just a few pieces...

The "sexy" Lola Chandelier comes in Stainless Steel or Powder Coated Black, with inlayed Swarovski Crystals...

Reminds me of something you might find in Mark Zeff's Night Hotel in NYC. (Thanks Jennifer/ MadeByGirl for posting pics from this hotel on your blog.)

I love this Flower Power Wall Sconce...it comes in white, orange, red, green and nickel plated as well.

This Floating Candles Hanging Lamp makes me wish I could use these for a project right now...

This is called the Love you love you not Chandelier...LOVE in this case!!

The Hollywood Sconce...now this will go great in my house and I have just the place :)

Not for sweeping (which is good cause house work is not my strong point)...this Broom hanging lamp comes in various sizes, even a floor lamp!!

A bird's nest of tangled iron, this fixture is called the Rhapsody Hanging Lamp...

Covered in shells

Back from Southern California...slightly tan (more like a nice shade of pink), and thought I would feature summer home inspiration with these shell mirrors:

This fun mirror is called Ron Morgan Coral Mirror from Antique & Art Exchange

I was surprised to find this cute Atlantis Mirror from Z Gallery

Another Atlantis Mirror, from one of my favorite places to shop: Oly Studio

I love the color! This Starfish and Shell Mirror is from Downtown

A Vintage Shell Decorated Mirror from Gustavo Olivieri

One of my favorite of the mirrors from Galerie de France

So very fun! this Round Radiating Shell Mirror is from Mecox Gardens

Another great shell mirror from Galerie de France... I love this one!

A Round Scallop Shell Mirror from Downtown

So many shells this mirror is from Pegaso Gallery International

After a few days living the beach life, I'm back. Although I found little time to hunt for antiques while catching up with family and friends, this trip turned out be a chance to lounge and recharge before a hectic summer. The fresh air and sunshine (margaritas too!) helped me find some inspiration..so I hope you enjoy these Shell Mirrors!

**For more shell decor inspiration and information, I noticed yesterday's blog from Style Court featuring a shell encrusted console table from CBell (where you can find additional beach house inspiration, like coral chandeliers!), and a fun DYI book called Shell Chic!

Bon Voyage

Yesterday I was in search of some Moroccan themed inspiration for a project, and landed on 1st dibs website (of course), to find a hand blown glass chandelier that was so strikingly familiar to me...and then I remembered a similar one was a featured on the cover of Elle Decor in Sarah Jessica Parker's weekend home! I thought I would feature these two pieces today... so for those wanting a similar look you know where to find it!

Available at 1st Dibs through Liza Sherman Antiques.

October 2005 cover of Elle Decor

*For more Moroccan inspiration check out KatieDid's blog...featuring Tazi Designs.

** FYI, I am off to Southern California till next week. Hope to come back with some interesting things to post (hopefully fun antiques). Have a good weekend all!**

Not so mellow...

The color yellow is growing on me more and more these days. A bright and fun color can bring life to any room, so I went about searching for everything yellow in home decor. Here is what I found so far:


I really love this side table...probably my favorite find. Available through Inside Avenue.

Wow!! That's all I have to say. This is another find from Inside Avenue.

Cleo Chair from Anthropologie (**Makes me wish I would have changed the scheme of my house, cause I love this!**)

A great pair of lamps from 1st Dibs! These are for sale through Steven Sclaroff.

A couple of bright yellow side tables of Bungalow5 through Eboniste.

Another great piece, I found this chest on Eboniste as well.

If you love the Chinese Chippendale look, these pieces are available through Bungalow5.

The Panton Chair available in almost any color, looks esp. great in yellow (Found on Design Public).

This floral side table is available through Shine Home.

Wall to wall Josef Frank

If you love Josef Frank textiles like I do, check out this boutique in Tokyo for Ballantyne Cashmere designed by Nicola Quadri. Two contrasting botanical patterns from Frank's collection (Brazil and Teheran) were chosen to cover the vertical surfaces in the interior...definitely not a faux pas in this case. The rest of the space is simple with minimal furniture, white walls, natural oak plank flooring...creating the balance needed to pull this bold move off.

Here are some of my favorite Josef Frank textiles below:

Vegetable tree (This is the one I am using in my house...)

Aralia

La Plata

(**If you are looking for more information on this architect/designer and his textiles, check out this post from "The Peak of Chic" blog**)

case of the blues

I've got blue on the brain ever since I went about my morning blogging session and checked in on Anna's blog, Absolutely Beautiful Things...and read about her interest in blue and white everything. I love white walls with a pop of colorful art and so here I wanted to feature fun blue paintings that just really make a room. So enjoy!




A joke painting (look up close to read it :)...but I like that it is simple and bold...fits perfectly in this scene. (* Elle Decor/May 2006/Artist Richard Prince*)




I love all the different shades of blue in this room, and how well the rug and painting work together. (* Elle Decor/May 2006/Artist Jason Martin)




My favorite of the blue paintings!! It adds a needed edge to this grand space. (* Elle Decor/May 2006/Artist Joan Mitchell*)

This room is so elegant and I love the idea of this abstract piece with almost a graffiti feel making such a bold jester and switching things up a bit. (* Elle Decor/Sept 2005/Artist Caio Fonseca*)

Fresh. Clean. Lovely.

It's summer, so these words came to my mind, and I went in search for some inspiration. On the lighter side of the spectrum, I found this Atlanta home designed by owner Suzanne Kasler offers a neutral backdrop to showcase her glamorous style and Parisian flea market finds. Paying close attention to the architecture, her home is light and fresh providing the ability to layer colors and fabrics to create a unique, yet unified, feeling from room to room.



The monochromatic living room features her collection of antique souvenirs...I love the pair 0f stools and pair of acrylic side tables.




A more colorful Family Room uses more bold graphic/prints and exotic wood pieces to make for a more comfortable place to sit down and relax. *Note the unique console made of horn and zebra hide and the 17th century tapestry.




The dining room was designed to fit any hosting needs...from casual to formal...from small to larger gatherings.



A black and white Master Bedroom is fun and classic. I love this room and the Nancy Corzine bench upholstered in a Embroidered Palace silk from Renfroe.

(**Featured in November 2005 issue of Elle Decor**)

Bare walls no more!

Nama Rococo has won my heart and then some, because these wallcoverings are fantastic! I've seen two articles in different magazines...today alone (more like during lunch: which I consider prime time for flipping pages), featuring great bold and colorful prints. Reminds me of Josef Frank textiles with a hint of Japanese and Bohemian influence. These wallcoverings are hand made by Karen Combs and a group of her family and friends! Love, love...love them all!

(**This was featured in this month's House and Garden magazine**)

And then in the notebook section of California Homes an article about using wallcoverings as art, which showcases Couture "French Dot" in a Chippendale frame from Aedicule Fine Framemaking. These two paired together make a great option for walls in need of some fun!

(**Featured as well on Design * Sponge (5.22.07))

Shop Atlanta

With all the buzz going on as of late regarding Atlanta and it's ever growing design community, I thought I would add to it a bit...by featuring an article from this month's House and Garden on Julia-Carr Bayler's shop Belvedere:



Belvedere offers it's own line of lighting, designed by Bayler and others that reflect influences from various styles, most notably 1940's Hollywood Glamour. Amongst the selection of lighting, you can find vintage pieces as well, here are some of my favorites...







The shop also houses a selection of Mid-Century furniture pieces that Bayler hand picks and sometimes restores, here is a glimpse of pieces found on her website....





If you are traveling to Atlanta or surfing the net for home decor, check out Belevedre!

**A blogger like myself can't "talk" Atlanta without the mention of native Jennifer Dwyer and her blog "The Peak of Chic", where she shares her passion for design and features the latest trends in decor. So, if you haven't stopped by her site yet, do try!**

Teak with a twist!

So, I was flipping through the latest O at Home magazine and saw this feature on Sutherland's Louis Soleil collection upholstered in such fun colors...and loved being reminded of this chair again! This article did a great job of showcasing how alive and vibrant teak furniture can be!








And this all got me thinking about samples I received not too long ago from the new Perennial Outdoor fabric line featuring designs by Galbraith & Paul. Here posted, are some really fun additions to their fabric collections, and I hope to see more come out of the pairing of these two companies in the future!

Shine on....

I am in love with the new additions to Shine Home ...and I really found it hard to even narrow down my favorites to post. If you aren't familiar with the site, you probably should be... here is just a little taste of what they have to offer:

A reason to make the bed...

I checked in on Andrew Morgan Collection site the other day, after clearing out my file folder of last years finds from the HD show , and was happy to find new additions including fun whites with great simple patterns...

buy the philosophy...

Minimalism at its finest. I've recently grown found of William Earle and his talents. I think his pieces speak for themselves. Here are a few of my favorites...














Wanna buy one, I found them at blankblank...

Top Notch Finds

Going downtown?...I think I will! For unique finds of any kind, or just simply inspiration...check out this shop, either online or visit a store in Los Angeles or New York.
























These are just a few of my favorite pieces I wanted to share from their website. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Spanish Invasion

To say J'adore Jamie Hayon, designer extraordinaire from Spain, is simply an understatement. He is a visionary, and I am delighted every time I hear about his latest and greatest. Most recently a Bisazza installation shown at Superstudio Piu during the Salone d'il Mobile in Milan Italy.

Among my favorites from his various product lines is Artquitect. Bathroom fixtures that could easily be mistaken for furniture pieces. These are simple yet elegant pieces, that guarantee a fun bathroom setting!

Birds of a feather

I was so excited when I came across my latest home decor obsession in the pages of InStyle Home Spring 2007 issue and just had to share...everything Peacocks!!