Wallflower

Alabama home by Tracery Interiors

I found these pictures in one of my [numerous] folders and I just had to share. My younger sister makes fun of me for my addiction to chairs, but just look at all the possibilities for how to style even a simple side chair. Now, given, these incarnations illustrate a variety of exceedingly elegant styles. But still. You could use the most inexpensive piece purchased off Craigslist to make a similar statement.

Home of Ryan Korban via The Selby

See?

Foyer by Thomas Hamel

Okay, okay, so this look would be harder to just throw together, but you could still have a neat little moment in your own entryway using an unusual antique chair like this one, paired with a more modern piece like that concave sconce.

Todd Alexander Romano via Lonny

Adding an organized grouping of pictures is a perfect way to enhance a lonely corner of a room.

Home of Jim Aman and John Meeks via NYSD

Blarg. This is so perfect. The leather on the chairs, the sculpture, the pictures and they way they are hung. The bit of irreverence in the design. (See that skull?) Love, love, love.

Foyer by Victoria Hagan

And speaking of perfection... Victoria Hagan is a master. I love this serene, traditional look. Tapestry-covered chairs? Gorgeous!

I hope you all have a happy day!

Captivating

Photo from Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles - Courtesy of Greige blog

Hello, all! I hope everyone is having a nice day so far! Today I just wanted to do a quick post featuring a few pictures/designs that have captured my attention recently. It is so funny to me the way my obsession with these design photos changes from week to week. I guess that is the problem (or the benefit) of looking at so many gorgeous interiors: there are always new spaces to fall in love with!

Bedroom by Dan Marty

I feel like, when it comes to my own sense of design, I have the figurative angel and devil on my shoulders. The angel says, "Keep it calm and well edited, not too many colors".... and then there is the little devil who is always shouting, "More!" Ha! (I have to admit, I listen to that side far more frequently!) It is hard to deny that side of me when designers like Marty (above) are constantly showing how wonderfully luxurious and cozy "more" can be!

Vignette by Todd Alexander Romano

Here Romano illustrates one of my favorite strategies: gathering unexpected items (of myriad ages and styles) together into a single, seamless design! Vintage rattan chairs are paired with a Spanish Rococo chest while classic blue-and-white china lives happily with Mexican folk art. Even the way the pictures are hung has an element of the unexpected. So fabulous!

Seating area by Jackye Lanham

This last picture showcases my love of all things nautical. I love, love, love antique ship paintings, porthole mirrors, old anchors, and heavy rope accents. This style has that transcendent quality, taking me back to another time of pirates and armadas. How rich historical accents make a home!

Well, I hope you all have a happy day and I will be back with more gorgeous pics for you soon!

Nobody's Foo

Pair of wild-eyed foo dogs by Todd Alexander Romano LLC for 1st Dibs

I think by now you all know my penchant for unique and unexpected accessories (and colors... and artwork...). One fun little trendy set of creatures that keeps popping up everywhere are foo dogs. Known in China as "guardian lions" (the animal they actually mean to represent), these figures are thought to possess mythical, protective powers and typically come in design-friendly pairs.

One lonely foo dog on the first cover of online magazine High Gloss

It has become easier and easier to find affordable versions of this festive accessory, and they certainly pack an exotic punch wherever they reside.

My friend and I found this hand-sculpted guy at a local antiques store.

As you can see, they come in all shapes, colors, and sizes and can work in lots of different interior styles! (Although a predisposition to bold color and eclectic furnishings does seem to help!)


Living room shelving by Molly Luetkemeyer of M. Design Interiors


Where's Waldo foo....

Den by Tracey Garnet

Barking foo....

Vignette by Scout Designs

Cool white foo....

A pair of large, ceramic garden foo dogs from Urban Suburban

Chinoiserie Chic recently did a post on these little fellas as well. Check it out here to see even more incarnations of this exotic accessory!

Mod living room by Jonathan Adler

What do you think about this trend?

Orange Crush

Design by Gil Schafer

Orange has become one of my all-time favorite colors. Without conscious intention, this cheerful hue slowly permeated my home in the form of pillows, throws, urns, and mats around favorite pictures. Before I knew it, orange was the color I was turning to to brighten up every corner of my home!

Vignette by Suzanne Kasler

Apparently these designers feel the same way, as they have brought orange to a bevy of their own design projects. Suzanne Kasler seems to especially favor the color, using it as an accent in many of her elegant spaces.

Foyer by Suzanne Kasler

Living room by antiques dealer Angie Warwick - Photo courtesy of Country Living


Whether used as an all-over wallcolor or just in touches throughout a room, I think this color brings a cheerfully modern warmth to any space.


Design by Jay Jeffers



Bedroom by Amelia Handegan

I love the apricot undertones of the happy wallcolor above.


Great room by Kemble Interiors


Here, citrusy pops of color from the accessories brighten up the grays and blues of this cushy seating area.

Foyer by Tom Scheerer

Tom Scheerer chooses a bold red-orange shade for this foyer....

Living room by Todd Alexander Romano

.... while Mr. Romano selects subdued, rusty tones for the upholstered pieces in this arrangement.

Design by Cathy Kincaid

Living room in home of Eric Cohler - Photo courtesy of NYSD

Whether used in spaces that are metro-modern or tastefully traditional, this color is at home anywhere!

Dining room by Timothy Whealon

I always like to end with a photo that, for one reason or another, stands out to me. I absolutely love the room below. You can just tell that a creative force lives here. There is something so bold and yet so comfortable about this space, making it one of my absolute favorite rooms.


Living room in home of hair guru John Barrett


Here's to a great week ahead!

Everywhere I look.... Zebra!

Foyer by Luisa Olazábal - photo courtesy of Nuevo Estilo

I thought I would start a series that features finishes, styles, and items that keep popping up everywhere. I can't really say these things are trends, as design seems to be a big, swirling pool of ideas, where things come and go and come again. These are merely things I see and that I like. I hope you like them too!

Living room by Deborah Lipner

I love the look of layered rugs, and, here, Miss Lipner has done it beautifully: laying the exotic hide (the only pattern in the room) over a neutral Stark rug.


Living room by Keith Johnson of Anthropologie

Ever the fervent collector, it is hard to imagine Keith Johnson not having a zebra hide in his home!


Living area by Eric Cohler

I like how stately, yet warm and serene, this living room seems to be.

Design by Cindy Witmer - photo courtesy of Cote de Texas


I guess the same could be said for the room above. I love how zebra gives such traditional rooms a twist, and keeps them from being too formal or fussy.


Design by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard

 Love the banquette, love the wingback chair, love the wall color... love the zebra!

Design by Ethan Feirstein and Ari Heckman

Totally cool!

Bedroom by Hernán Arriaga

Totally exotic!

Sunroom by Todd Alexander Romano

How many textures and patterns can you fit in one room? A lot! Romano shows us that plaid and florals, wicker and chrome can all live happily together in a sunny room like this one!

Design by Eddie Ross and Jaithan Kochar

From fresh to modern or cozy to grand, zebra can run the gamut of styles!

My English Country House

Entry by Eileen Boyd

You are cordially invited to...... my imaginary English country house! Yes, it is only in my dreams (and pieced together like Frankenstein from many different homes), but, if I did have a little cottage nestled among the crags and fells of Northern England, I think it would have to look something like this!


Foyer by Robert Couturier


Does it get more British than a solemn grandfather clock? I love the tidy simplicity of this beautiful foyer.

Design by Michael S. Smith



Apparently toile (and chintz) play a big part in my make-believe getaway! How precious and cozy is this bedroom by Tom Scheerer, though? I love those bird prints and the exposed beams!



Design by Tom Scheerer



Design by Todd Romano

 Of course I'd have to have a toasty fireplace to cuddle up next to! Aren't the contrasts great in this room? I love all that exposed stone paired with the bright and formal chintz. (And check out that brightly striped shade!)

In the home of Anthropologie's Keith Johnson, panels of antique toile fabric are framed and hung as artwork which, combined with the large-scale gingham on the coverlet and the stripes on the chair, create a cozy and casual feel in the room.

Our final photo of the day is the epitome of English country elegance: a sunny room by Jill Morris. Can't you just imagine the Bennet sisters stopping in this anteroom to whisper their secrets, or Darcy staring, broodingly, at himself in that fabulous mirror? (Anyone else a Pride and Prejudice fan?)

I love the globes, those huge sconces, and that patinaed green on the walls! Understated and worldly elegance at its best!

Happy Halloween! Have a wonderful weekend!