What's In An Office?

The photographer didn't catch the mood of this room very well nor did they take very many good pictures of this room and the fun details. But I love this love this office chair; the dark chocolate leather and tufted back. The blue and brown striped chairs are surprisingly comfortable too.I love the details of a vintage car in these black and white prints.
Isn't that vintage car painting fun?

Dine In Style

Here is the dining room. The builder also let us paint the wall with the mirror leaning against it. It is a darker shade of tan then the rest of the house. I love the sideboard. You can't see it very well from this picture but it has some great details. I also love the robin egg blue bowls and table runner.

I love large mirrors that just lean against the wall. They really open up the space.

A Place To Sit

Here is the living room to yesterday's master bedroom post. The house has a very open floor plan so we went with a simple color scheme of blues, purples and a little green. Keep in mind that the walls were already painted and these model homes are for senior citizens.

I love the colors in the painting of lavender fields.

I really like those cube leather ottomans too.

I wish we could have found some pillows with a great pattern but we were on a serious time crunch!

Calm Oasis

This bedroom was part of 3 model homes my friend and I did for an Active Senior Citizen Community. The builder already had the houses painted but since this one was going to be in the Parade of Homes he let us paint this room. Keeping in mind the design was meant to attract active senior citizens we want the room to be comfortable and welcoming with a little modern mixed in. The camera captured the room nicely but didn't capture the pink in the flowers on the dresser. I loved the touch of pink in this monochromatic bedroom.

I love this houndstooth print chair.

These glass lamps added height and elegance.

I love the circle metal wall art. It gave the room a little whimsy.

There were a couple of long nights that I really wanted to curl up in these amazing linens.

Not About Money

You gotta love Marilyn!

What I Love About You

I love huge artwork. I also love the glossy finish over it; I like the way the rest of the room reflects in it's image. I love the limey green. And I love the simplicity in the shape and detail of the flowers. Don't you?

Believe!

Jazzing Up Ceilings

There is a company online called interior systems that specializes in decorative acoustical ceiling tiles. Now this may not be ideal for your house (but think of how great acoustical control could be with young kids) but it is great for restaurants, hotels and hospitals. Whenever I am in a hospitality setting I am always looking and critiquing the design (its part of passion of design), I pay particular attention to ceilings too and I'm amazed to see how many places ignore the ceiling. I mean do they just figure its the ceiling no one ever looks up or was it simply forgotten. I have noticed that when attention and thought has been given to the ceiling it really does add to the ambiance of the place.

I love the pattern and color here!

Tin tiles (or at least they imitate tin) are a fun way to add character to a ceiling. They are also a great way to give a vintage or late 1920's earl 1930's look.

While these sunburst are not my favorite I think it gives the room a lighthearted, dreamlike atmosphere.

Keeping the Classics Alive

I love seeing classic pieces of furniture being used in day to day design. Let me tell you a little about the Parsons Table. In the 1920's at Parsons The New School for Design In New York, French designer Jean-Michel Frank “challenged his students to design a table so basic that is would retain its integrity whether sheathed in gold leaf, mica, parchment, split straw or painted burlap, or even left robustly unvarnished.” What grew out of Frank’s sketches and Students participation was the Parsons Table. I love how versatile this table is; its simple design allows it to fit into almost any space. The gray and white and gray marble top is sleek and contemporary and complements the matte black base of the table.

The Spoleto chairs were designed by Marcel Breuer. He was part of the Bauhaus movement in Germany. He was known mostly for his use of tubular steel in his designs. His philosophy was that a chair should be a good chair not designed to 'match' a table or be an expressionist piece. I like the contrast of black leather and the polished metal; and I like the shape.

Both of these famous pieces look stunning together. In this case they create a bold achromatic scheme (using only neutrals). It feels serene.

Wicker Egg Chair

Let's just lounge around in these for the day! I mean who doesn't love this egg shaped wicker chair from Pottery Barn? I think they are fun.

Opportunity

Spring Colors

A new trend is putting color on the back wall of your bookcases. I love the splash of color it gives teh room. Pink, robin egg's blue and bright yellow are really fun colors to put together; it creates a very lively, springy atmosphere.
Here is another example of color in a bookcase. It just creates a focus and adds to the architectural element of a bookcase.

Criminal Minds vs. HGTV

You know with all the blogging I do about design some may think I like watching HGTV. Well the answer to that question is a resounding "NOT AT ALL". Crazy huh, some of you may be disappointed but that is just the way it is. So what do I watch? Well my favorite TV show is Criminal Minds!

I know right, how or why does a creative, design savvy girl such as myself like a psycho killer, forensic, solving crime show? Well I don't know really, I just do. It may have to do with the fact that I think HGTV is a little overdone these days, maybe if my current house hadn't been occupied by a HGTV enthusiast that screwed everything up my heart would have a little room in a small corner for it. But alas my heart belongs to crime solving dramas.

I also love NCIS. The actors just crack me up. Plus isn't DiNozzo pretty hot? And I think Gibbs is really good looking for an older guy.

But here is my most secretive secret indulgence "Gossip Girl". I know, I know, I just can't help it. I could argue that I watch it for all the shots of these "upper Manhattan elites" fabulous abodes but I have to say I think I watch it cause their life is so alluring. But I only enjoy it to the extent of watching their life, I don't think I WANT their life, well maybe just their money.... and their pent houses with fabulous artwork and luxuriously expensive textiles and their staff. Well heck maybe I could be an upper Manhattan elite, ha ha.

House For The Holiday?

This is the house, oh excuse me mansion, in LA that Kate Winslet trades her quaint little cottage in England with Cameron Diaz for the Christmas Holiday in the movie "The Holiday." If I could trade houses for awhile with this one, I totally would. Tall ceilings, huge windows and cream sofas- a single girls dream! I just want to sink into their cozy comfort and breathe a big sigh of pleasure.I love how the walls are all a soft creamy white but it doesn't feel boring or plain. And aren't the gray slate tile floors striking?I mean seriously, I love taking a nice long bath, but I would really LOVE taking a bath in this tub. And maybe checking out the cabana boy while I'm at it (I'm sure this house comes with a hot cabana boy, don't all mansions come with one, ya I think they do)
I'm NOT a gourmet cook but for a week I could be or maybe I could just eat everything the "real" gourmet chief cooks up!
This bedroom is amazing! My favorite part is when Kate wakes up and gets a call from her old flame and feeling hopeless she pushes a button and the black-out drapes automatically begin lowering. Leaving the room in blissful, coveted darkness; she abandons her cares for a few more hours of pleasurable slumber!

50!

WOW! I just reached my 50th post! I never thought I would be so excited about this little venture I began just 3 months ago. To those of you who are new to my blog or don't know me personally you might not realize that I wasn't sure if blogging was for me. But that was only in the beginning!

I have found blogging to be quite therapeutic! And while sometimes it has been stressful it has always been fun and a time for me to escape and unleash my creative side. It has also been a time for me to focus on things I really love and think about what I want to fill my life with; both physically as well as mentally.

I know that for me when I take the time to seek out and enjoy beautiful things I am left with a renewed view of the goodness of my life. I definitely believe that as we surround ourselves and our homes with things we love our focus will be brighter and we will find joy, beauty and an appreciation for life and most importantly we find the good in ourselves.I look forward to more blogging. I love your comments and I especially love seeing people I don't know be inspired by my blog. I'm super curious who visits me so please leave a comment to let me know what you think!

So to being inspired, enjoying a good laugh and finding beauty! Here's to the next 50 + 50 posts!

A Few Things To Love

I love the rich, vibrant coral color. I also love how chunky it is. From William Sonoma Home.

What is it about this stylized rug (from Target!) that makes me love it so? The shape and size of this bookshelf are great; I also love it's clean lines and dark mocha color. From West Elm.
I have coveted this desk for a few years now! It's from Restoration Hardware and just out of my price range.

I want this desk so much I have 2 pictures of it. Isn't this desk just so classic? Whenever I see these luscious shades of blue-green I melt. Is it because they remind me of the beach, an Italian soda shop or glass beads? I especially think they are great against white; it creates such a fresh, lively combination.

This is a little "fishy" but really unique. Ha ha! What a happy little fish.

I love the maize gold and limey green colors in this bedding. It just feels so springy and summery.

Photo Mania!

I can’t help but notice that there is a reviving trend in photo galleries/wall collages. Back in the 80’s it was mostly family photos but this current tread is much more dynamic! It ranges from eclectic tastes in favorite art work, to displaying your favorite hobby. A well implemented wall collage can be inspiring and refreshing but likewise a poorly designed one can be confusing and unsettling.
I like that a bunch of small pieces can take the place of a large piece of artwork. It adds a fun unexpected element to a space and mixes up the traditional idea of one or two pieces of art on a wall. It’s definitely a more eclectic way of designing and initially it takes more thought and planning to put together. I think it is hard to accomplish a well balanced photo gallery, here are some guidelines you should consider:

1. Theme. Why did you choose the specific pieces you did? Are they places you have traveled to, items you love, things you collect, or your children. By choosing a theme you give your viewers something to focus on.
2. Harmony. I think harmony is extremely important in artfully executing a wall collage. Remember Harmony = Variety + Unity. For example, if you have a variety of pictures with some in color, some black and white and some sepia (there is your variety), keep your frames the same color (for unity). The more unity you have the more formal your collage will feel.
3. Placement. Where are you going to display your wall collage and why. Are you just trying to fill a blank wall or do you want to create a conversation piece?
4. Spacing. A large number of pieces placed close together will give your collage a less formal, high energy feel; whereas fewer pieces placed farther apart will create a more formal, calm atmosphere.
5. Remember its art! Take your time, enjoy arranging it and remember you can always change it. Making it something YOU love is the ultimate end result.

I love this one! The curved stairway and open ceiling make it a perfect place for a wall collage.

Black frames and white mats are a great way to keep this collage uniform.

I love the height this collage gives the room. It really makes a statement and its so uniform but fun.

I think this collage is so unique. The mix of other elements besides picture frames really gives it a punch of personality.

I think its great how the picture frames follow you up the stairs. And I like how they fit together so well. It just shows that a little planning can be worth the work.

There isn't a lot of unity in this collage except for maybe the consistency in the frame sizes but I think it works because of the simplicity of the frames and the artwork isn't too busy.

I love that this collage takes up the whole wall. I love the variety of sizes and I think the artwork is very eye-catching.

This is a great way to use a small wall space without over doing it.

I like how this arrangement incorporates other accessories that had visual interest and pops of color. I also like the large picture frame on the floor leaning against the wall (however I wouldn't have put the bench in front of it).

I think the simple frames with the same size picture work because of the symmetry and repetition.
Again I like the symmetry and the big frames.
The color, the silver frames, the safari theme and the candles all together just look fantastic!

This is a very formal collage; from the black and white photos to the back frames to the square frame they build.

I like this arrangement, there is a good variety of sizes and it fills up the odd shaped wall so well.

The vertical pieces just makes everything about this arrangement work, great variety in sizes and lots of fun bright colors!

The theme is very apparent in this collage. I'm not sure if I like how spread out it is but I think it works. They placed the large, medium and small pieces throughout the collage really well.

This one feels un-unified, cluttered and un-planned.

I like the shape this collage makes. Do you see how having the frames really close together makes it feel busier?

Again I feel like this one was not planned. Just imagine the possibilities a little planning could create.This is one of my favorites! It executes modern so well. I love the color and the symmetry.