Saturday, March 31, 2012

Global Chic

Ah this space has got my head reeling people! It is gorgeous. I was looking through Nate Berkus' site after a friend told me that she was watching his show and somebody on there reminded her of me. Of course I had to go find out, didn't see what I was looking for, but I found something much better.



This space ticks so many of my design love boxes: the Moroccan lanterns, rustic pieces, white walls, pops of color (loving the yellow), ethnic textiles, and rugs. The decor is so rich with all the mixtures of strong design elements. The tall ceilings with the beautiful white beams serves as a good anchor for all the design elements to work harmoniously.



The cutouts of the door and that gorgeous green wall with the metal finish tub, is the perfect ending to a long day, I imagine.

(Image: Nate Berkus)

Friday, March 30, 2012

Tablescaping - Anthropologie Style

I am a huge fan of Anthropologie for good reason, they always get it right! I particularly love their jewelry, table and dinnerware, cloths, bags - almost everything right :-). Their new collection of tableware leaves me longing for a basketful of gorgeous bowls and mugs. Here are some beauties to feast your eyes.




To say that I love intricately design dinnerware is an understatement and few do it like Anthro does.




This floral plate will make for a happy al fresco dining experience.




Happy Friday!

(Images: Anthropologie)

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Fun & Easy Displays

Hello everyone! I have been superwoman today if I may say so myself. I woke up got my older daughter ready for school, dropped her off, and headed to the bank before making three stops at three different grocery stores. Came home ate breakfast, spent some time with by sweet baby Z, then unto cleaning bathrooms, and now I'm done prepping my food that is cooking. Whew, tired just talking about it :-)
While cleaning though, I was looking at some of my jewelry and perfume arrangements on the dresser and thinking how easy it was to put together, it all happened organically without much thought to it. I love when things work out that way. I thought I'd share some easy tips that you could use, or they might inspire you to come up with your own.





The tray housing my perfumes is actually a serving tray. I bought it because I liked it, but it is quite small, and I thought about using it in my office to hold bills which would have worked too.




You shouldn't limit yourself to just the things the stores are selling you as jewelry holders, bathroom storage, etc. If you have a plate you like that you may not be able to use in your kitchen use it to hold your precious jewels. I found this plate at an antique shop, and it was so precious I had to have it. It is elaborately decorated, and I couldn't think of a better use for it.




I used a bamboo cutting board that I picked up at TJ Maxx to hold lotions in my bathroom. It goes to show how you are only limited by your imagination.



Using pegs and knobs is a nice way to hang your necklaces, they make for a beautiful display, and for easy access. I used pushpins, they were supposed to be temporary but it's been over a year now. One of these day's I'll change it, but for now it works. The candle holder is actually a soap dish that I thought would be better used as a candle stand. The decorative box it's sitting on also has more jewels in it :-). Its a versatile box I got from West Elm, it is a golden mother of pearl like material and perfect for storage.

What fun things have you used for something other than their intended purposes?

(Images: Fatou Bah)

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Ready for Spring to Sprung

For the last few days, all I seem to do is day dream about hosting a lovely brunch, or dinner with close friends in the backyard, sitting under some flickering lights in lanterns. Keep in mind that it has been cold, rainy and grey around here. That could be the reason, and the fact that I am REALLY ready for spring to really sprung, not just in theory. I miss the warm summer evenings and the long works and hikes we take as a family.

House to Home
West Elm
West Elm
Whether you are in the same predicament as me and don't have the nice weather yet to have the al fresco dining, or are the lucky ones in a sunny part of the world - these outdoor spaces can serve as good inspiration for your gatherings now, or later. I love the idyllic settings. It's the kind of space you can graze over a meal for hours with good company, and not even realize that a minute has passed.

House to Home
Even with it's modern styling this spaces feels real chill and relaxed. Love the hanging lanterns, I feel that lanterns are just a staple of an intimate outdoor seating/eating area. They add an intimacy like nothing else.

Martha Stewart Living
Style at Home
House to Home
Outdoor spaces are the best places to play with color, it's almost impossible to have too much color. I love how color has been brought into these areas, makes them feel very joyful.

(Images: Linked)

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Lemon - Dietlind Wolf

Happy hump day! How is everyone doing? I have some delicious photos to share with you on this lovely midweek day. If anybody is having one of those weeks I hope these bring a bright spot in your day.




This amazing styling is by the super talented visual designer and propstylist,  Dietlind Wolf! How I admire her brilliant talent. I adore this concept, and I am blown away by the thought that must go into coming up with something so beautiful. Or, I wonder if she is one of those people where ideas just flow through her head quite easily. Either way she comes up with some gorgeous concepts.






I like the restrain in choice of colors. I like how she stuck to black, white and yellow.  Absolutely gorgeous, right? You can find see more gorgeous styling on her site.

(Images: concept and styled by Dietlind Wolf, Photography Julia Hoersch)

Monday, March 26, 2012

Julia Hoersch Photography

There are endless talented creatives out there to inspire on a daily basis. I do love it when I come across someone's work that totally stops me in my tracks, and make me want to be better at what I do. Julia Hoersch's photography did that to me the other day.





I was immediately drawn to her work, and couldn't stop scrolling through her web site. Her photography is quite fresh, and beautiful. I know that it's a team effort, and she is working with some amazing stylists, but she has to have a special eye to bring their styling to life as she does.





I really love food photography and her's is capitvating. I don't know about you but I am all of a sudden jonsing for a cupcake or something sweet. :-)



What do you guys think? Gorgeous, no?

(Images: Julia Hoersch)

Friday, March 23, 2012

Eclectic Entryway

I talked about my plans for our entryway a million years ago...at least if feels that way. I finally finished it, and it has been a total transformation. All it took was a gallon of paint, a few accessories, and a bench I found on Craigslist that I painted.






The plan for the area has changed quite a bit from my orignal plan. At first, I was looking to add a console table as my furniture, and a big statement mirror instead of art work. But I like how it evolved and I just went with the process. Plus the bench is more practical for our family AND my Cozamia art print that I fell in love with from my very first sighting,  is the icing on the cake. I think it pulls the whole space together.




I've had my Ghanian mask for a few years now, the heart I picked up at a thrift store for a dollar, it was too cute and cheesy to pass up. I've thought about painting it (of course) but I'm still undecided. For now it is perfect just as is. Seriously how gorgeous is my pool lady! :-) The print is called Poolside by Cozamia. You might have noticed that I've used two different pillows in the pictures it's because I couldn't decide which one to leave there, but I think I've decided on the pink print. What do you think?


Happy Friday and have a great weekend! What will you be doing?

(Images: Fatou Bah)