dwellings and décor

To add to the Thanksgiving table Inspiration here are ten of my favorite table vases that can look great all year round. I tried to choose vases that were more unique then your standard looking vases like number 5 is really cool and very different looking to me with the openness and curvilinear architecture. Number 7 you can hang from the ceiling which would look amazing when the light hits it. I also think number 9 is a really creative design and quite beautiful. I think all of them have their own character and appeal. I am going to say number 3 is my favorite and I can see myself purchasing this one for my home mainly because its neutral and I just love the texture and shape. Which one is your fave?

From top; 1. Cottage and Bungalow 2. Anthropologie 3. Inside Avenue 4. Kohler Interiors 5. Opulent Items 6. Crate and Barrel 7. CB2 8. Debenhams 9. Bodie and Fou 10. Kate Hume Glass

Bloomingville creates a wide variety of products that brings warmth and coziness to homes and gardens. They have fabulous holiday decor but unfortunately it doesn’t look like they have a store in the states. When myself or a client is on a budget often times I look for inspiration from higher end or European furniture and decor stores for inspiration and then I either make my own or find something comparable from inexpensive stores. My mother taught me this and I think its a great idea and it can be a lot of fun and a creative thing to do. I hope all of you have fun decorating for the holidays and hopefully this furniture company can bring on some inspiration. Check out their catalog here.

Images from Bloomingville

As you may have noticed I am kind of on a gray kick lately with design elements so I am keeping it up with gray furniture and decor. Gray really puts me in a winter mood even though it still feels like summer here on Maui. I love gray because it lets other colors shine and you can really dress it up without it feeling overdone. There is usually a lot of negative feelings toward gray because it seems to bring on depression in people. Gray for me brings on a different feeling. Its more of a cozy calm feeling that I really love. I don’t think I could decorate an entire house in gray because that would just be too boring to me. I need my fun colors but I can see myself doing one room in the house in mostly gray. What feeling does gray bring on to you?

From top: 1. Hickory Chair 2. Marc Phillips Rugs 3. Anna Whitford 4. Mi-Sha 5. Hickory Chair 6. Paco Capdell 7. Bliss Studio 8. Aimara Masterpieces 9. French Bedroom Company 10. Kohler Interiors 11. Shop Plastic Land

As most of you may have noticed tree branches are all the rage in home decor whether it be a textile design, motif or a tree branch itself. Below are some of my favorite finds and this is the perfect time of year to show it off. The tree branch trend looks great in modern and natural styled interiors with coordinating colors in white, black and rich wood tones. I recommend checking out the links below for some more great products from these companies and artists.

On another note I wanted to let everyone know about a new feature on the blog. You can now click on the links under “pages” to see thumbnails of all the dwellings and decor posts!

Clockwise from top left: 1. Melissa Borrell 2. Urban Outfitters 3.  N.Sybrandy 4. Myoung Ho Lee

Clockwise from top left: 1. Brondesbury Villas 2. Rockett St George 3. Martin Tessler 4. James Merrill

Clockwise from top left: 1. Fototiller 2. John Lewis 3. Kindling Shop 4. IAFR

Clockwise from top left: 1. Colico Design 2. Brown Design Inc. 3. Bliss Living Home 4. Dodeci

Some of the words that I think of to describe Harbinger would be traditional, fun, chic, unique and quality. I especially love all of their one of a kind looks and fun upholstery. I am not usually a fan of eclectic but I think there is a nice mix of modern colors and textiles with the traditional furniture and decor. If you are in the Los Angeles area I would stop by their store and check it out. To see more images go to their fabulous website at www.harbingerla.com.

The inspiration image below provided so many elements that inspired me to design a room around. First of all the colors are soothing and interesting and the textures are elegant and sophisticated. I started my inspiration board by finding a drapery that is similar to the texture of the backdrop in the inspiration image. I also wanted to incorporate a soft pop of the red color of her gorgeous hat and a diamond shaped mirror and decor that reflected the jewelry of the model in the image. To tie it all together I added a clean lined sofa in the same fabric and color choice of the dress and also a rug in the same texture and color as her jacket. After all clothing fashion and home decor relate to each more than most people think. The fashions usually follow each other and you are still working with the same elements of design.

Rug: West Elm
Table Decor: Beach Dwelling
Mirror: Morris at home
Pillow: West Elm
Drapery: The Shade Store
Sofa: Room and Board
Inspiration Image: Conde Nast Store

Last week I was talking about how something can be turned into something so fashionable and great by adding a small thing to a simple object. The stools below in the bottom right hand image are just stumps with a thin circle painted and then attached to the top of the stump. I love this idea and its great because you can practically make it yourself. I have always loved the idea of stumps as stools or side tables in a modern or natural styled interior. The tall branch divider is so cool to me because its bringing a sense of the outdoors in and there is this really magical feel for me as well. The other two wood pieces are also really fun and stylish and I am especially loving the take on the tête à tête in the top right hand corner.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Bleu Nature 2. Hidden Art Shop 3. Bleu Nature 4. ECC

The owners of Day describe their style as Bohemian Modern or “haute boheme”. After reading that in their “All about Day” page on their website I began thinking about their description and I would say they definitely nailed it. The Day company started with stylish fashion apparel and branched out to home decor. Their focus is on the revival of craftsmanship with the idea that modern glamour could be worn every day. Check out more of their fabulous designs over at www.day.dk.

I have been wanting to do this top ten clock post for awhile now and I finally came across these 10 that I love. Clocks can be that perfect addition to your empty wall space whether it be modern, simple, coo coo, or elaborate. Not only do these wonderful clocks serve an artistic purpose they serve a functional purpose that has been around for centuries. I would have to say my favorite one is number 8. Which one is your favorite?

From top: 1. DWR 2. Benjamin Hubert 3. Unica Home 4. Anthropologie 5. Decoy Lab 6. Conran USA 7. Hidden Art Shop 8. Velocity Art and Design 9. Impressionen 10. EQ3

In the spirit of the upcoming holiday of Halloween I thought I would post some more black images and this time its furniture and decor. Like clothing black goes with everything in the home. It especially looks good if you have at least three black pieces across the space for a better color flow. Black gives furniture like dressers and tables a sense of weight so they look very substantial and heavy which can really ground your space. Black is also a great color for a rug because it will hardly ever look dirty.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Anthropologie 2. John Lewis 3. Hidden Art Shop 4. Hickory Chair

Clockwise from top left: 1. Jo Meesters 2. Downtown 20 3. Tonic Home 4. Property Furniture

Clockwise from top left: 1. Shop Plastic Land 2. ECC 3. Bernabei Freeman 4. Madeline Weinrib

I am so excited about this post! As you can imagine trying to decide on just 10 pillow favorites was close to impossible so I started with over a 100 in my collection and made my way down to 50 and then I stopped at 30 because I just couldn’t take any more out. So Instead of top 10 this week you get a top 30! Aren’t they just fabulous? Which one is your favorite? I can’t decide.

From top: 1. Exclusively Home 2. Design Public 3. Zara Home 4. Vivre 5. 2 Modern 6. Inhabit Living 7. Burke Decor 8. Dransfield and Ross 9. Bliss Studio 10. Dwell Shop 11. Dransfield and Ross 12. Bliss Studio 13. Crate and Barrel 14. Lisa Fontana Rosa 15. Madeline Weinrib 16. Pillows and Throws 17. Louise Body Wall Print 18. Pillows and Throws 19. Pillows and Throws 20. Bed Bath and Beyond 21. Nimli 22. Lisa Fontana Rosa 23. Pier 1 24. Pillows and Throws 25. Lisa Fontana Rosa 26. Kohler Interiors 27. Conran USA 28. Looolo 29. Madeline Weinrib 30. Fortunoff

Many designers are inspired by natural elements and in the autumn season many are inspired by leaves. Here are a few examples of furniture and decor that have a leaf type design for beauty and usability. I love how the designers incorporated the veins of the leaves into the design and made it functional especially in the shelf design.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Adrift Mobiles 2. Finnish Design Shop 3. FCR Design 4. Finnish Design Shop 5. John Lonsdale

Many items found via Crib Candy

Lekker Home Furnishings prides itself on originality, affordability and quality. You can tell in just the few images that I selected below that they are unique and high quality. The wood looks like solid pieces and not MDF or particleboard. I love the design too. Not too simple with elegance that will last you a long time. The owner Natalie van Dijk Carpenter has lived in Paris, Amsterdam and the Netherlands. (No wonder she has impeccable taste.) “Lekker” is a Dutch word for alluring, enticing, great, attractive and tempting. Check out more of their products over at www.lekkerhome.com. They have some great items for Fall.

Since we are already on the subject of the color green I thought I would post some fun green furniture finds. Painting or upholstering furniture in green may give your space the pop that it needs. Green looks great with other wood toned furniture and anything in white or blue. If you are planning or already have a pure green item then I would be careful not to add a pure red in fear that it may look like Christmas all year round. I love reds and greens together but I try to use more toned down reds and greens. For instance sage green and burgundy look amazing together.

Clockwise from top left: 1. CB2 2. Design Public 3.Cottage and Bungalow 4. City Living Home

Clockwise from top left: 1. Jett Modern 2. Vivre 3. Ecc 4. Modern Dose

Clockwise from top left: 1. Tonic Home 2. Tonic Home 3. Burke Decor 4. Cottage and Bungalow

Silhouettes are popping up everywhere in home decor. Commonly seen in picture frames the silhouette motif can be seen on pillows and shelving now. Once known to be a Victorian and traditional art piece for the home is now stylish and modern. Make your own silhouette art by tracing someones shadow and then apply it to the wall or frame it. I love what Trace Face did in the top right hand picture.

Clockwise from top left: 1. 101 Woonideeen 2. Trace Face 3. Modern Dose 4. Keltainen Talo Rannalla

From the fashion runways to your home purple is the color to surround yourself with. I especially love deep purples for Fall and I like to use purple in small pieces like lighting and pillows so you can change it out easily and quickly when you want to incorporate a new color. Thomas Paul has a beautiful line of purple pillows out at the moment and I am dying for the one with the gypsy looking girl in the circle. Another talented and great artist is Yumi Yumi and she designed the floral and bird illustration. You must check out her Etsy shop for more of her work.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Plush Pod 2. Foscarini 3. Thomas Paul 4. Lush Lamp Shades

Clockwise from top left: 1. Thomas Paul 2. Thomas Paul 3. Etoile Home 4. Yumi Yumi

This is a special feature today because we get to look inside the home of owners of Auto and inside the store and their products. The owners of Auto Renata Bokalo and Roman Luba own this very chic and posh “mini department store” in New York City’s Meat Packing District. Their home is located upstairs from the store they own and work. I am sure many New Yorkers envy them because not only do they own a beautiful shop they are a staircase away from where they work. I have always thought that this would be a great way to live and its very environmental or some might say old fashioned. There does seem to be some disadvantages. Renata says that she can hear the music in the store when she’s upstairs and feels like she can’t get away from work. They decided to build an office to try to seperate all the zones. They also commented on the fact that they tried to make their home look different than the store. For instance they used darker colors in the home and they implemented more decor that come from their Ukrainian heritage. The auto store carries many different types of items ranging from pillows to jewerly to purses. It is known to be a one stop shop for anyone. If you are in the neighborhood you should defintly check it out and if your not they have a great website. http://www.thisisauto.com

Images from www.thisisauto.com and The New York Times

Purple is such a great fall color either for clothing or home decor so I wanted to design a board that would have some purple in it. I also love purple with blue and black to make it less girly and make it more sophisticated. This inspiration image has so many great colors and textures. I decided that I wanted to find a fabric for the bedding that would be a similar look as the big purple flower to make it the focal point of the bedroom. I then decided to go with a black backdrop like in the image and decided to go with an upholstered black headboard with ornate detail. I also incorporated wood, glass and white ceramic just like the inspiration image to really pull it all together.

Inspiration Image from Edge Reps

Clockwise from top left: 1. DWR 2. Bellacor 3. The Shade Store 4. Kravet (9098_110) 5. Maisons du Monde 6. Plastic Land

When I was decorating my apartment in college I loved going to Urban Outfitters, especially when they were having a sale. They have such great fabrics and designs and I love that they aren’t too serious. Below are some images that I grabbed from their site. I love the old Hawaiian records in the second image on the bottom right hand corner. There is a coffee store called Hawaiian Village Coffee and all of their stores are decorated with old Hawaiian memorabilia. They always have old Hawaiian records with great cover art on them. Another favorite of mine from Urban Outfitters is the black and white photo of the Eiffel tower with the tree branches. If you check out their website they have other black and white photos of different cities across the globe. Their stores are also really beautiful and the one in Portland, OR used to be an old warehouse building and they even kept one of the facades the same.

All Images from Urban Outfitters

It just so happened that I found this beautiful inspiration image (#4) a little while after I found the pink lantern (#1). I couldn’t believe how similar they were. They even have the little half circles on the side. When I was collecting imagery for this mood board I wanted to create a similar feel of the inspiration image. I was going for fun girly romantic and elegant and I think the colors of pink white and black also helps to bring in that feeling.

From Top: 1. Bernabei Freeman 2. Horchow 3. Harriet Carter 4. Stina Persson 5. Vivre 6. Maisons DuMonde

I thought the coral craze was fading away but it seems that its still holding on strong. Coral pillows, coral light fixtures, coral fabric and coral tiles are just to name a few. I am now seeing coral products in blue and not just red anymore. Coral decor can work in traditional to modern dwellings and works best in transitional style interiors. Coral motifs are commonly found in beachy and coastal locations like California and Florida. I hope you enjoy my coral craze roundup and please comment below if you know of any places that have more coral decor.

From Top Left to right: 1. Hickory Chair 2. Seaside Inspired 3. Popham Design 4. Gumps 5. Pier 1 6. Domestic Modern 7. GV Interiors 8. Beach Dwelling

It was very difficult to choose only ten rugs for this post. I wanted to provide a variety of companies so you can click on their links and see more of their wonderful designs. My favorite is number 6 and I am thinking about purchasing it for my home. It feels very tropical and Hawaii to me so I think it will work well for my Maui loft. Rugs can make or break a space so choose carefully. Consider the colors and patterns of your existing space and if you are designing a room from scratch a rug can be a great piece to start with. Bring out the colors and shapes for inspiration for furniture and decor.

From top: 1. Marc Phillips Rugs 2.Avalisa 3. Urban Outfitters 4. Natural Carpet Co. 5. Mansour Modern 6. Domestic Modern 7. Mansour Modern 8. Marc Phillips Rugs 9. Domestic Modern 10. Domestic Modern

In my last post I suggested adding a screen into her space to fill in that empty area behind the media console so you can bring the TV closer to the sofa. Screens are so functional because they can create separate spaces like dressing rooms, or a bedroom in a living space. I live in a loft and the upstairs bedroom isn’t completely closed off I just have a railing and I think adding a couple of screens would make the space feel more private and I can close them during the day so I can get a better air flow up there. Some of the screens I have shown here are completely closed off or partially closed off so it gives you that feeling of separation without completely closing the area in. Which one is your favorite?

1. Chiasso 2. Horchow 3. Pier 1 4. Kemble Interiors 5. Room Online 6. Kerry Joyce 7. Oly Studio 8. Emmerson Troop 9. Farm Designs 10. Boca do Lobo

Add some tropical flair to your space for the summer with these bright and beautiful decorative pillows. The first pillow on the left hand corner has a retro look but keeps it tropical with the blue and green leaf motifs. I also really love the modern and clean look of the top right image and the image on the bottom left. The pillow on the bottom right hand corner is more detailed and I love the abstract leaf pattern. Pillows are such a great decorative piece because you can change them out so easily and cheaply. If your one to change your space quite often its best to keep the large pieces like a sofa neutral and then you can change out your decorative pieces seasonally for a fresh new look.

Clockwise from top left: 1. 2Modern 2. Horchow 3. Tracy Porter 4. Pottery Barn

A popular trend in interior decorating is to hang dishes on the wall. So bring out your hidden plates that you probably don’t use much or purchase new plates. I have some tips and steps for you to get started along with some ideas and inspiration on how to arrange them.

What you will need: plates, plate hangers, measuring tape, nails, hammer and an eye for balance.

Steps:
1. Figure out where your dishes will look best in your home. I would not choose to hang dishes in a bedroom or bathroom. A good place to hang them is in a kitchen, breakfast nook, dining room or hallway. Make sure to coordinate the dishes with your style and color in your space.

2. Either use dishes that you already have or buy new ones. I would choose only your favorite and most beautiful ones if you have quite a collection. Remember less is more.

3. Decide how you want to arrange them by setting them on the floor or making a sketch. Consider balance in scale and color.

4. Purchase plate hangers from a hardware, department, antique, or craft store. You can also buy them online. Here is one from amazon. Click here for link.

5. Hammer away and hang!

Tips:
1. Just like framed artwork you want the plates to be hung at eye level in most cases. Consider balance; if it doesn’t feel right, move it.

2. Don’t hang plates in areas where people might bump into them, especially if your plates are valuable.

3. It helps to have someone with you to make sure the plates are looking balanced.

4. Have fun with it!