January Obsessions

This month I am all about the preppy elegance of navy blue. I love it in large doses like slathered all over the walls of a kitchen or in small accents like linens and pillows and artwork.I especially love it paired with bright pops of yellow, green and turquoise. Here are a few recent faves:

via Caitlin Wilson Design

Via Pinterest

via Rue Magazine

via Apartment Therapy

via Quadrille

via Recreated

Inspiration for Hanna's Studio

Maggie of Maggie Rose Interiors is hosting a little link party featuring moodboards that incorporate  items from Lamps Plus and you know how I like a good project...

Lamps Plus is a great resource for beautiful lamps like this one but did you know they also carry fabulous home accents like ikat pillows and pyramid-studded mirrors? Yeah, I didn't think so.

Old Roommate Hanna, who used to occasionally grace us with her presence, has asked me for some help redesigning her swanky Park Slope Studio so I've been busy coming up with creative ideas to pimp out her small space with sophisticated basics and some geometric flair. The challenge to Hanna's studio is the shape-  one square room that needs to serve as her living room, dining room, bedroom and workspace. I'll share my ideas for the new layout soon but in the meantime, above is a sneak peak at a few of my ideas for the living room portion of her space. Clean lines and neutral colors reign but the red accessories and geometric accents will give the room some personality and sass. I'm not completely sold that this screams 'Hanna' yet but it's a good start, no?

Images: (from top): Swan Silkscreen Print, George Kovacs Polished Chrome Arc Floor Lamp, Karlstad Loveseat, Prism Pillow Cover, Jazz Pillow Cover, Paris Print, Brickell Accent Tables, Lights Up! Lamp, Zig Zag Printed Rug, Danish Modern Coffee Table, Format Tray, Benjamin Moore Paint-Galvaston Grey, Free Trade Pouf, Dowel Grey Armchair   

Cozy Corner

This little corner is so simple and lovely. I like how the color scheme was kept at a mellow neutral and how the variation is only in shades of butter yellow. Looks like I need to get my hands on some ceiling medallions! It's such an ingenious way to add architectural detail to a boring wall.

Image: Better Homes and Gardens via Hello Giggles

October Obsessions

This month I am all about Black, White, Green and Gold. Perhaps it's time to watch Atonement again...

via Focus Features

via Apartment 34

via JCrew

via Apartment Therapy

Elie Saab Fall 2012 via This is Glamorous

via What Wilson Wants

via Etsy (upintheairsomewhere)

via The Decorista

via Quadrille Fabrics

Gimme

I guess I'm in a rainbow mood lately. It must have something to do with the gloomy weather and all the super mean people I've encountered lately. I need color and lots of it. Color makes everything magical, don't you think? Like that horse in the Wizard of Oz. I would like that horse too. And I would like one of these pillows. In fact, I would like all of these pillows. I wouldn't turn away the artwork, couch or rug either. Can this just be my new living room?

Order yours (and one for me) from thatfunkyboutique on Etsy 

One Stop Shop

As you all know, I absolutely do not approve of furnishing your home-or even one room-all from one store. But if you are given a million dollar gift card or an employee discount or are forced at gunpoint to decorate from one source, just try to do a decent job, ok? Here's what you do:

1) Choose a variety of styles- if everything looks alike it will be painfully obvious that you bought it all from the same place
2) Find pieces that look old or weathered-anything that can pass for an antique automatically makes you look like a fancy designer/antique hunter extraordinaire.
3) Mix patterns and textures-visual intrigue is important!
4) Don't go crazy with trendy items-if everything is covered with guns or mustaches, you might as well slap on a sign that says 'this room courtesy of Urban Outfitters'. Are you a frat boy? If you are, you have no business reading this blog.
5) Simplify your look with a base layer of neutral colors- neutrals can look more sophisticated and therefore more expensive than a lot of brightly-colored items.

Whatever you do, don't buy a bedroom set! Bedroom sets (or any 'set' for that matter) are made for housewives in the Midwest who furnish their living rooms from Sears catalogs left over from the early '90s. Bedroom sets are for people who are lazy and what do we do with lazy people? We kill them. We kill them a lot.*

All items shown above are from Urban Outfitters

*This is a lie. We do not kill them. We judge them. Harshly. Not so different.**
**Yes! Different! Oh hell.

Shut Up, Monday

I guess this gorgeous space makes my day a little better. It is essentially the most beautiful goddamn room you've ever seen right???

Image: The Inside Stoop via Acoustic Garden

UPDATE: More Peach Obsession

The Kitchn

Yes, I realize I'm going a little overboard here but, um, PEACH THYME BELLINIS y'all!

Oh and also this:

Lonny

August Obsession: Peachy Keen

Martha Stewart Weddings

Peach is traditionally a spring color but I like it this time of year because it seems like an appropriate precursor to the darker, rusty tones of Autumn. I also love how delicate and ladylike it is- is there anything more beautiful than a bouquet of peach-toned flowers? I think not.

Southern Living

Joy of Kosher

Style Me Pretty

We Heart It

A girl can dream.

All I really want in life is some large-scale art work, a comfortable yet stylish couch and a soft blanket.

Image: Residence Magazine via The Beautiful Soup

Other things we can hang on our walls

As we begin to sort through our massive collection of wall art, I am finding myself more and more attracted to non-traditional art that isn't necessarily something framed. Sconces? Metallic Sculptures? Mirrors? So many options! Here's some inspiration culled from the archives of Lonny and Rue:

From Lonny:

I'm a sucker for symmetry! Red flowers omg.

Love how light these sconces look. Also can someone please buy me that desk?

I know, I know: Sunburst Mirrors: So 8 years ago. But still classic!

From Rue:

Love how ornate this sconce is.

Another sunburst mirror. Blorg. But this one is feathery and fun!

*Drama* J'dore.

Tempting

Oh how I wish I could get away with painting the walls of our living room black! Alas, my roommates would hate it and I think it would be wrong for the space. A girl can dream though!

Image: Desire to Inspire via The Glamourai

I could so live here

Image: Bijou and Boheme via The Decorista

Living Room Inspiration

Our new living room is quite small and so the major challenge will be to find a way to incorporate all our styles into one tiny space without sacrificing comfort.  I still have to work out the details of our little dining room area, which is essentially one corner of the living room, but in the meantime I thought I would share some basic ideas for the living room section.

Three things I want to keep in mind when designing this space:
1) There is now a boy living with us
2) We can't afford to replace our orange couch so the color scheme will have to work with it
3) We will need to incorporate a rug (finally!) as stipulated in our new lease.

My roommates claim they are going to give me free reign, which is very brave of them as they are well acquainted with my enduring passion for sequins and the color pink. Overall, I want the room to feel casual but tailored with clean lines and a few mid-century accents. My roommates have a lot of Brooklyn pride and so I want to figure out a way to incorporate that without relying on maps or other paraphernalia that feels tired or overused. Also we have a giant old TV that will need a sturdy media console, at least until we can trade it in for something sleek and flat-screened.

Here's what I've come up with so far:

Living Room

• Saarinen Side Table from Design Within Reach, $826
• Alphaville Design Felicia Floor Lamp Black from funkysofa.com, $219
• Fangio Lighting Curves Table Lamp in Silver from Walmart, $111.51
• PS Cabinet from IKEA, $99 
• PS Jonsberg Vase from IKEA $39.99
• Soho Jute Rug from Target $383.99
• Bel-Air Coffee Table from Crate & Barrel $599
• Geometric Pillow from Etsy $19.95
• Positano Asterisk Pillow from Jonathan Adler $34.00
• Futura Urn from Jonathan Adler $198
• Brooklyn Subway Roll Prints from Etsy $49

Make your own mood board over at mydeco.com!

Spring

I'm sick of cold weather and so until Spring decides to grace us with its presence I'm just gonna go live here, ok?

Image: Marks & Spencer/Sally Cullen via Bright Bazaar

Living Room Love

I realize I am a week behind but I've been thinking of Emily Henderson's cheerful living room design for Joy Deangdeerlert Cho of Oh Joy! almost every day and I couldn't let another day go by without posting it. I must, must, must have Joy's classy wallpaper for my bedroom and the art arrangement ---> bonkers. Even though it has a bright California vibe, I'm totally digging the retro Hollywood glam meets laid back, modern style.(Does that even make sense?) (I don't care.)

I'll have to keep it in mind for my next apartment, which might be on the horizon...

For more of Emily's fun designs, check out her blog and watch Secrets from a Stylist on HGTV, Saturdays at 9pm/8c.

Image: Emily Henderson

And for my next trick...

...I will make my living room look like THIS!!

Seriously though, how amazingly fun and awesome is this room? Plaid and floral and stripes! Oh my!

I'm lovin it.

Image: Bright Bazaar

My Favourite Things

If I am ever fortunate enough to own a cottage in the English countryside, this is pretty much exactly how it will look. The home of Fiona Douglas of Bluebellgray is so deliciously feminine I just want to hold decadent tea parties and surround myself with my best girlfriends and a pile of fashion magazines. Sounds like heaven, no?

Images: Design*Sponge

Winter Blues (Also ROYGV)

The gloomy days of winter have me seeking out ways to brighten up our dimly lit living room. What I wouldn't give for a living room as bright and airy as this one! The color block pillows add just the right amount of color to an otherwise neutral room. I don't even mind the blank wall above the couch! (Though I would probably hang the biggest black & white photograph imaginable.) Check out the rest of this charming home over at sfgirlbybay. I hope you're as gaga over the pink kitchen as I am!

Images: Bright Bazaar via sfgirlbybay

Pet Peeves

I realize I am only an amateur designer and the only portfolio I have is in my head but when it comes to design, I have a lot of opinions. In fact, I have so many opinions and pet peeves that I've decided to compile a list. In the interest of time and also your attention span, I'll spare you the full list and stick to the highlights.

1) Art work that isn't the right size for the wall

What's the tiny thing next to the door? This simply will not do.

 All too often I see framed art that doesn't quite take up enough space and this annoys me.  When I see a small painting all by itself on a large, long wall I start to feel nervous and my eyes dart around the room looking for companions to hang next to or around it. People. If you have a large expanse of space, fill it up! Take a chance and blow up a photograph until it is so large it practically looks pixelated. Create a gallery of matching prints or hang a bunch of unrelated items a la Kate Spade's showroom. In the long run, your walls will have more visual impact and your space will feel homier and more sophisticated.

Much better, no?

2) Rooms that are too 'matchy', AKA 'theme rooms'

Something is not right! Something is quite wrong!

This really drives me crazy. I grew up watching HGTV and other design shows and while their tastes and range have improved over the years, I am concerned by the lingering attitude that a room has 'style' and is 'decorated' simply because everything in the room is coordinated. This does not show any personality nor does it show you have any taste. This only shows that you can make things match. That's just lazy decorating if you ask me! Your space will be a thousand times more interesting if there is a variety of color. Your rooms have your stuff in it and this stuff hopefully took years to accumulate! I certainly hope you have not spent the last 10 years buying things that are only Tiffany blue and chocolate brown. Decorating should be an organic process and it can take years. It should not be completed in an afternoon at HomeGoods.(Though I love me some HomeGoods.)

I know. There's a lot going on here. But isn't it exciting?!? There's so much to look at!

3) Lack of pattern and texture

Good bones but too white! And too sparse! And PLEASE buy an accent rug!

One of my former employers decided that my style is decidedly "English" because I like a lot of texture and layers and for everything to be crowded together. While she was referring to flowers, I think this also applies to my style in interior design. I adore pattern and texture. They are stimulating and sophisticated and oh so versatile. The bolder the better. Rooms that lack both pattern and texture just look flat and boring. They feel cold, like a waiting room. Even the smallest hint of pattern can make all the difference in a room so if you can't quite commit to bright colors or a big floral rug or toile wallpaper, start small and introduce patterned pillows for your couch or textured placements or tablecloths, which can be changed when you get bored. Even the smallest little touches can make all the difference.

Rooms don't require bright colors to add depth. These neutral colors emphasize the subtle patterns.

4) The 'Build a Room' Technique

This room is lovely but seriously lacks personality.

Everyone has at least one friend who is guilty of going to one store and buying the bulk of their furniture and decorative items all at once. In the age of Ikea and CB2, this isn't the worst you can do. But please for the love of god, spend the rest of your days adding in some variety so I don't walk into your house and think I have stepped into a catalog. At some point I will drink too much and start referring to your furniture by their store-given names. Do you mind if I perch on the edge of your Karlstad? Wow, I didn't know the Triumph Lounge Chair came in this color! It will happen. I promise you.

I love the variety of style and substance in this dining room.

Last but not least...

5) Design Trends

Just a few recent trends...

Hey, I love faux bois, coral and cardboard antlers as much as the next girl but if you have too many trendy items all at once, it begins to feel like you decorated with a list.  Danish Modern console? Check.  Eames Chair? Check. Birch Tree Wallpaper? In every room. I'm not saying I'm against any of these things or that I haven't fallen for at least three trends every single year but there is a line that must be drawn somewhere. Your home should be a reflection of you and your style and tastes.Who else has your taste? No one, that's who.

Let's also be honest here: sometimes we buy stuff because it is fashionable, not because it necessarily fits us. (Ahem, Skinny Jeans) God knows I love me some rainbow-colored bookshelves but they are not for everyone or for every room.  While they might look amazing against your white walls, surrounded by your neutral couch and love seat, they would look completely out of place in my living room, where they would compete with the other colors and patterns in the room. Also? Don't waste your money on something that you might get sick of in a year or two once it goes out of fashion. Books can be rearranged and that lucite chair from Ikea can be sold on Craiglist but that coat rack with a giant mustache on it that was on virtually every blog ever? In another six months no one is going to want that shit. Your tastes will change from time to time but unless you can afford to redecorate as often as you replace your toothbrush, I'd stick to stuff you know you will want to have around for forever. And by 'forever' I mean 'until you have to move and decide to overhaul your entire style from scratch'.

Images: Elle Decor, The Home Show, Domino, Real Simple, Living, Etc,  CB2, Apartment Theray, My Deco