Saturday, May 30, 2009

Lamp lust



After ogling these milk glass lamps at Pottery Barn (now discontinued) for forever, I finally purchased one on sale over Memorial Day weekend. I'd been debating between the green and orange one, which would add a shot of color to my entry way. But my mom, being the voice of reason that she is, pointed me in the direction of the gray base, which would be a neutral that could work in more than one room.

I'm having a little buyer's remorse because I always go for bright colors, but it's hard to get the full affect because I don't yet have a table to put it on (see my wish list at right for possible options!). I have had a gray crush lately and gray goes great with purple, which is my other accent in the living room. So I'll live with it a while ... it was the last one in the store and I hate to pass up a good deal!





Quote of the Day: "You will never have buyer's remorse with wood. You can change your furniture, window covering or color scheme, but the wood will always be there and, most important, be appropriate."
-- Ellen Paris

Floral & fashion

Fashion and interior design go hand-in-hand. Floral themes are especially hot for summer in shades of baby blue, green and purple -- another one of my favorite color combinations. If you have trouble narrowing in on your design aesthetic for your home, the easiest place to start is your closet. If you have fabulous floral print shoes ... try an accent pillow with a similar breezy style. If you're a fan of circular jewelry ... try a trio of globe lights hanging from the ceiling. Choosing your color palette should make you happy, and you aren't going to walk out the door wearing something dull and dreary ... are you? Choose your home accessories the way you would a flattering outfit for a night on the town.


2. Floral cardigan (I think from Ann Taylor)
3. Floral rug (I think from Anthropologie)

Quote of the Day: "Be careful what you wear to bed at night; you never know who you'll meet in your dreams."

Purple & orange

If I had a second bedroom, my plan would include decorating it in one of my favorite color combinations: purple and orange. And, of course, white! The overlapping squares daybed from West Elm would be perfect for piling the colorful pillows for a lush place for a guest to collapse. Shades of orange are sometimes hard to match, but I think these would work together well. The Astrid chair may be a little too much orange, but I love it so much I had to add it. (I also like this canary print tangerine chair from Target.)



1. BlissLiving purple pillow
2. Lamoon Modern pillow
3. Gemini Flamingo pillow
4. Astrid chair from Anthropologie
5. Pines in a Fall woodcut from Etsy
6. Capri Teardrop lamp from Jonathan Adler
7. Overlapping Squares Daybed from West Elm
8. Kaley Bloom rug from Pottery Barn


Quote of the Day: "I want a love like my bed. Someone to support me, someone comfortable, someone who will listen to everything I say, and will be there to catch all my tears. Essentially, a bed is the greatest model of an idealistic love there is."

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Coral fixation

Beach accents add a calming feel to a room, whether through found objects like shells or an ocean-like liquidy turquoise for wall paint. I used all of the above in my dining room, from a hurricane filled with sand and starfish to a faux coral piece on a shelf to a capiz chandelier over the table.

Because my apartment is small, I also have an extra chair in the room, which has a small accent pillow with coral. Then I added a coral votive. Then I started to think ... when does a room evolve into becoming too "done." Themed rooms are common for kids' spaces, but what about adults?

For the most part I think if you're staying true to yourself and you like the look, it's OK. I chose to have a focal shelving unit which houses all my capiz frames, shells, etc. But they are all white, which cuts down on the clutter. My walls are turqouise, which offers a contrast to the stark objects. Plus I introduced orange into the room through framed art and the orangish coral. My rug brings all the colors together: orange (more of a peachy tone really), turquoise, beige, purple (from my living room).


I love the details and textures with the pearls in this new coral pillow from Pottery Barn (above).

I also love the color and graphic image on this Dermond Peterson Coral Red Linen Pillow, and this Red Coral Needlepoint Pillow from Bellacor.






Here's my coral pillow (below) from Pier 1 (like $7 on clearance!).





Quote of the Day: "Most people don't realize that large pieces of coral, which have been painted brown and attached to the skull by common wood screws, can make a child look like a deer."
-- (Deep Thoughts with) Jack Handy