in case you didn't know...

i am a HUGE fan of graphic wallpaper. in fact, i think every house i live in should have at least one wallpapered room....

on another note, i have a big/exciting week ahead of me....can't wait to share :)

*images courtesy of the desk of annie, quadrille, elle/ tory burch, real living

common denominator.

it became very clear when searching through my pictures, that i have a thing for zigzag's right now. i think they are fabulous and are a much needed addition to my home....i am thinking that zigzag rug (it was painted over seagrass...a DIY)! or maybe i should keep this....

*images courtesy of apartment therapy, lindsey harper, bellasugar, cottage living, brilliant asylum, windsor smith/ house beautiful, brown button

white room w/ a twist...

obviously, i don't shy away from patterns...in fact, i love them. here are some great examples of how to spruce up a basic white room...whether it's one accent color or several, wallpapering a focal wall, or using fabulous fabric to add a punch- the outcome is delightful!!

*images courtesy of design my way/massucco warner miller, flickr, blueprint bliss/kay douglass, massucco warner miller, blueprint bliss/kay douglass, palmer weiss, massucco warmer miller

wallpapering w/ a recession...

today it is a miracle if you are one of the few who haven't been hit by some form of a recession. wallets are a little tighter and our minds are geared to think "do we really need that".....design is definitely taking a backseat but good design doesn't have to come with a huge price tag. if you find yourself in love with a wallpaper that is a little more than you would like to spend, don't disregard it but rather become creative with the space you use it...think backgrounds of cabinets, armories, closets, and bookshelves or tiny entryways and halls...

*pics courtesy of decorology, tom scheerer, my deco file, ruthie sommers via style court, my deco file

monogrammed wallpaper!

i love this funky custom monogrammed wallpaper by given campbell (what a great name)!! it looks fab in those store fronts and in the hallway. i am sure that it may not come with a cheap price tag but if you limited the use, it sure makes a great custom statement. check out all of the other wonderful custom papers by given at her website or you can find them here in the states at sudio printworks.

studio nommo

crazy, crazy, wallpaper...so fun to look at. how funny is that ritz cracker paper in that kitchen! and the animals remind me of dwell studio designs. the girl w/ the umbrella was just so different...there is something captivating about her...

making small spaces work best for you....

some people see a small space as an obsticle but what you need to know is that you can make the smallest space a perfect opportunity to make a major design statement! one thing that you might keep in mind is going monochromatic with your color palette...too many colors in a small space may make it seem choppy and broken up. I think an all white color palette looks amazing...i love using a crisp white for everything...try Ben Moore navajo white. to create dimension use a flat sheen on the walls, a satin or semi-gloss on the trim and to step it up, try a gloss on the ceilings! this gives added depth and texture to your space. you should also try to capture as much light as possible; keep the window treatments simple like side panels which allow the maximum amount of light to enter the room. Also, reflective surfaces like mirrors, polished solid surfaces, or shiny finishes like chrome give added light. Avoid a lot of visual cutter from bulky furniture. This would be a good time to play with furniture you can see through. Another benefit of a small space, means you might be able to splurge on some lavish materials you otherwise couldn't afford...like marble countertops, or an elaborate backsplash, high end appliances, wallpaper, etc. so take your small space and tackle it with beautiful design elements...then sit back and close your eyes and pretend you are in your upper east side apartment and it makes everything seem so much grander!

happy halloween stripes...

so i don't know about y'all but i have a hoard of magazines that i live by, reference to, stock pile, trip over, drool over, etc. this week my hubbie had a breakdown about my beloved magazines. they are taking over the house (literally). when they do this, i go through them and put them in piles: "keep" for decorating, "keep" for hoping to make me skinny, "keep" to see what fashion is in style, "keep" for current catalog shopping, "keep" b/c its our town's lovely magazine, "keep" so i can cook that one day... than there is the "give to the neighbor" pile (she doesn't get mags, can you imagine life w/out such pleasures??), "give to my mom" pile (she is a closet celebrity gossip fan), and lastly, there is the "throw away" but rip out all of the pages that i might possibly want to see again in the future....which brings me to this picture....

i have a notebook of my ripped out "fav" pages of inspiration from all of the leading design magazines. i love my notebook, i look at it often and wish that i had these spectacular clients that would lead me to design such impressionable rooms (if any of my clients are reading, i do love my great clients). so it was this notebook, where i stumbled over this halloween striped wall. It's from Elle Decor (can you believe i ripped the pages out of that magazine). i think it was a combination of this picture and domino's email newsletter, that gave me the courage to do my own stripes in my daughter's nursery. anyway, that could be a blog in itself....but i thought this would be fun to share this halloween inspired paint palette and confess my obsession w/ magazines. sorry, for my randomness in writing...if you have any solutions to magazine pile-up's, saving me from future argument w/ my hubbie about my beloved magazines, or just want to tell me to not write run-on sentences, feel free to comment....otherwise, i want to wish you a very spooky happy halloween!!

O & L delivered

well i met with the grizzel and mann rep yesterday and as always, osborne and little gave me some good staples for the upcoming season. i will have to say that i saw a ton of black....there was a lot of it in the backgrounds of the fabrics and in the wallpaper collection. and i am not going to lie- i like it!! for a girl who was sold on the robin's egg blue/chocolate brown color combo three years ago, i was relieved to see the new color palettes. there is still a ton of that blue color out there though. i loved the vintage II wallpaper by O & L, the pic above is one selection from it (i love the acid yellow and plum color combo). apparently, vintage I came along while i was on bed rest, so i will have to backtrack and take a look at it. liberty (a division of o&l) had some good cut velvets. i love the art deco one featured above. if you are in the market for some fun fabs and wallpaper, check out O & L with your local interior designer.

i also got to see raoul....i love this company (even more than O & L, which i sometimes get tired of). they offer gorgeous linen prints that are very subtle, organic, and earthy. they had a lot of ikats and of course, unique botanicals. if you have the cash, this is a great company to splurge on! well, that's if for the rep meetings this season. i am excited about my new samples. when they come in, i'll share a few that are my favs! have a great thursday, i'm off to battle the rain and look at some granite. until tomorrow.....

give me more jay jeffers...

he describes his design as "sophisticated fun" and that is exactly what this picture is. i love it when designers don't take themselves too serious. jay does amazing interiors and its easy to see why he was named one of HB's Top 100 Interior Designers. His interiors are fresh, vibrant, and have an element of surprise in them....that is why i heart JDG; not to mention the fantastic wallpaper featured in the room above! Bored, check out his inspiring website!

recreate that dining room on a budget

love the dining room featured below but can't afford the designer look....
here are some budget finds that can help you recreate this designer room: add the look of these asian doors, with the elegance of this table, the starkness of these chairs, the touch of this light (minus the shades), and lastly the essence of an "osborne and little" look-a-like wallpaper and VOILA....a fantastic dining room at a faction of the cost! enjoy :)

if only...

my dining room was this beautiful. i love this room. the wallpaper by osborne and little just totally captivates this space and makes you want to linger over your last sip of wine. while this room is formal- it's hip, hollywood, and totally inviting in its appearance. i love the starkness of the white chairs with the simplistic nail head (literally, they look like tiny nails just tapped into the delicate fabric)...i love the slight arch of the chair's back and legs...they are just gorgeous. and i love the doors leading into the space...very asian meets sleek nyc penthouse.

TGIF

happy friday....i mean come on, how can this not put a smile on your face; this is fantastic wallpaper! i love this! if you are looking for some truly unique wallpaper, go to my new fav site http://www.walnutwallpaper.com/ . they have wonderful wallpaper, which conveniently enough can all be purchased at a great price by yours truly :) go to this site and go to their gallery and you can get a feel for all the crazy papers!! be bold and be proud and put some loud wallpaper in your powder room, or on one wall in your kitchen, or in your restaurant, or in your child's room! this is my fav room for the day! i love the industrial look of those floors with the raw wood as well!! have a great weekend and i'll see you next week!!

***maybe i should limit my intake of tea today...i think i ended all of my sentences with several exclamation points...i was just so excited about this website!!! there i go again with the !!

10 things that make me happy...right now

as a designer i am constantly daydreaming about a client that would let me run free with their home. if that were to happen these are the things that i love at this moment in time....

ps. i have a two month old so it may take a couple of days to actually get all 10 of them out!

1. every house must have an awesome WALLPAPER in it....yes, ladies, wallpaper is back in a big way. and what better place to put it but in the powder room or foyer... its front and center where all of your guests will see it. and i promise you they will be envious. now i am not talking about running to the local Lowes and looking through the bins of palm tree and damask prints. (sorry those of you that live in SC and think that we must display our beloved palm tree everywhere.) i am talking about a "wallpaper" that makes a statement the second you walk into a house for a dinner party or step into the powder room to reapply your lip gloss. generally, these are small spaces so take the time and visit your interior designer (if she is nice like me, it won't break your bank) and get the hippest one...