Sharpie Madness!

Check out this fancy wallpaper pattern drawn using a Sharpie! Britt from A Penny Saved jumped on the Sharpie wallpaper bandwagon and the results are magnificent. Look at the precision in the close up:

I simply adore it. This new trend is making me feel left out. Do I need to start planning a post-holiday art project?

For more inspiration, feast your eyes on this bonkers wallpaper made entirely of stickers! Amazing!

Images: A Penny Saved via High-Heeled Foot in the Door

love love love

I love everything about this room. I love the light fixture. I love the wall color. I love the old-school champagne glasses and the abstract artwork. I love the chrome-edged table and the plaid tea canisters. I even love the dinosaurs, which usually terrify me.

Image: Domino Magazine via Happy Mundane

Pinterest

So lately I've been really obsessed with Pinterest. It's such an addictive site because it is basically just loads and loads of pretty things to look at without the distraction of a bunch of words to go along with it. Also it's an actual community so it's also a way to check out what other people are posting which is a whole other addiction. Unfortunately for the three of you who read this blog, it means I've been lazy and have posted things I like over there instead of actually having to form thoughts and feature them here. However in the spirit of the holidays and giving and blah blah blah, here is my gift to you: pretty things I like! With no words! (Except this pitiful intro.)

If you want to see them again, just head over to Pinterest where you can begin to nurse your own obsession.

Photo Courtesy of: the decorista

 NY Mag

 Coralie Bickford-Smith

: Thrillist

 Rue

Sniffles.

I don't take sick days often because I have major guilt complexes and feel like the world might stop spinning if I neglect to go to work but I've been under the weather for the past week and so a proper sick day was in order. Sick days are fun because, as long as you're not on death's door, it feels like a treat. You can stay in bed all day and not feel guilty and you can ignore the pile of laundry because-hello, you're too sick to do laundry.  My most recent sick day gave me a lot of time to think. Actually, that's not true, it gave me a lot of time to lay in bed watching Damages and dozing off to have terrifying nightmares about Glen Close. However when I wasn't doing that, I tried to make the most of my time off by planning ways to use the time wisely and not just laze about until suddenly the day is over and I've forgotten to enjoy it.  It was probably the best day of my life. For serious, you guys.

First of all, I drank tea and read design blogs all morning. Then I made chicken soup and watched everything on my DVR. Then I worked on one of my scripts. Then I drank more tea and read Vogue. After I worked up the energy to take a shower, I settled back into bed and spent the rest of the evening watching TV and catching up on correspondence. Overall, a very productive yet relaxing day. Perhaps I should make this a regular occurrence.

Image: Fifi Lapin

Doodley doo.

Hey, remember THIS GUY? Well it looks like someone took his idea to a whole new (slightly more sophisticated) level. The Joyce Hotel in Paris found an easy alternative to actually furnishing rooms by illustrating the walls with everything from decorative molding to wall sconces. I love how these drawings save the rooms from looking too sparse and yet still seem intentional-not a last resort. For anyone with a new apartment or a large space to furnish on a small budget, this is a creative way to deal with budget constraints! It's more interesting than a painted wall but can be covered up if you grow out of it after some time.

I sense a new trend wafting through the blogosphere because drawn-on furniture is showing up everywhere, causing me to seriously consider investing in some new Sharpies.  Need proof? Check out Percy's Before and After bathroom, featured on Design*Sponge yesterday:

And let's not underestimate the power of the Anthropologie catalog!

Or the influence of the cinema! Specifically, (500) Days of Summer:

If you are really talented and have some time on your hands, why not aim high? (See more of Charlotte Mann's ridiculously beautiful work here.)

Images: Apartment Therapy, Design*Sponge, Poppytalk, CasaSugar, and Charlotte Mann

Pretty.

I am obsessed with these curtains. Also, the puppy.

Image: Design is Mine

More Kitchen Envy

Words cannot express how obsessed I've become with this gorgeous kitchen, which belongs to Anna of Door Sixteen. It is becoming a sickness. I've had the photos up on my computer all morning and in between projects, I keep glancing at them in wonder and amazement as if it could be mine if I just stare at it hard enough.

What I love about this kitchen is how functional it is. You can tell much thought was put into the use of storage vs. open shelving, the accessibility of select utensils and the placement of smaller appliances. Since it lacks the usual line-up of cabinets, both under- and over-head, Anna and her husband had to think carefully about the amount of kitchenware they use and that may be the key to their success in this room. My own kitchen is bogged down with ugly dishes and hand-me-down servingware that I don't really like. (Sorry Mom, but it's true.) Virtually every cabinet, shelf and cubbyhole is packed with pieces that I rarely use. I have 2 sets of plastic measuring cups and three sets of measuring spoons. Who needs that? The lack of storage space and the open shelving forces them not only to pare down their kitchenware but also to pay attention to what each piece actually looks like.

I adore the simple color scheme and how tidy everything looks all lined up on the shelves. Even though much of their dishware doesn't actually match, each piece works well within the over-arching color scheme and as a result, the whole room is more cohesive. I'm also really digging the splashes of pattern in the artwork and dishtowels. This reminds me- I need better dishtowels!

Images: Anna Dorfman of  Door Sixteen