dwellings and décor

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

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

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

Nella Ventrina in Italy designs bathroom vanities that are unique and gorgeous! I don’t often come across such beautiful bathroom furniture. I really like the way they are displayed in these rooms especially the ones with the very large mirrors and top-mount sinks. I also really like the balance of traditional elements with modern style. These vanities really inspire me to add some glam to my plain wood cabinetry. I would think wallpaper might do it but I don’t how well that would hold up to the water. Any body have any suggestions?

Images from Nella Ventrina via Bueller Designs

I am always in awe when I come across wood furniture and decor that has more of a curvilinear nature to it. I am really liking this new trend where designers create these curvilinear wood pieces and create furniture and decor with it. Most wood furniture is very geometric with straight lines mainly because it takes a lot more work and time to make wood curvilinear. The products shown below are just a few examples of what is being done out in the design world. I can really appreciate the craftsmanship and attention to detail and I am hoping to come across more pieces that have a similar look.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Plush Pod 2. Architonic 3. Yomo 4. Godoy Lab

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

There is something so natural and beautiful about real block wood furniture. I love the wood grain that shows through and the smell is amazing. I have mixed feelings about the environmental factors of wood furniture. On one hand I don’t want to see more trees cut down and on another I don’t think we should have furniture made with formaldehyde which is a type of glue found in particleboard and MDF. I have read that some environmental companies are starting to not use formaldehyde in the furniture making process so this is a nice compromise. You will notice that with most furniture companies there is a huge price difference between the furniture you see below and furniture made with particleboard or MDF and veneer. A few things to consider when purchasing wood furniture is how long you intend to keep it and how often you would be using it. Particleboard and MDF will on average not last as long as hardwood furniture therefore you may end up spending more money in the long run if you have to keep buying the same piece every few years. For instance you might want to go with a less expensive piece of furniture in your guest room because drawers and such will not be used as often and therefore it will last longer. Hopefully this information will give you another perspective on furniture buying and I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have on the subject.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Neiman Marcus 2. Style Park 3. Room Online 4. Artful Home

Misha sells beautiful handmade wallpaper that have a Traditional Eastern influence. Interior Designer and owner Chiara Enrico started designing wallpaper after spending an extensive time in Shanghai. She describes her work as “Modern Western creativity meets ancient Eastern traditional figurative decoration.” The silk paper is hand painted to create this timeless and one of a kind look and she also provides custom design to tailor every clients needs. Check out the gallery to see installations of her work.

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

Cork isn’t only for wine stoppers and flooring anymore. I recently went to a restaurant here on Maui and they had cork menus. I loved the way it felt and it had a nice clean sophisticated look to it. The menu had a similar design to the purse in the top left hand corner. Next to the purse are cork lamps and I think they would be perfect on the desk because you could just pin up notes to yourself on it. The ottomans are also great for its elasticity and are wonderful for kids because there are no sharp corners. Here are some cool facts about cork from Wikipedia:

1. Portugal produces 50% of cork worldwide.
2. Cork stoppers represent about 60% of all cork based production.
3. Cork is used in musical instruments, particularly woodwind instruments, where it is used to fasten together segments of the instrument, making the seams airtight.
4. Granules of cork can also be mixed into concrete.
5. The sustainability of production and the easy recycling of cork products and by-products are two of its most distinctive aspects.
6. As late as the mid 1600s, French vintners did not use cork stoppers, using oil-soaked rags stuffed into the necks of bottles instead.
7. Cork has been used in rocket technology due to its fire resistance.
8. Cork can be used as bricks for the outer walls of houses, as in Portugal’s pavilion at Expo 2000.

Clockwise from Top Left: 1. Cork and Cotton 2. Shop Lum 3. West Elm 4. DWR

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

These fun but elegant circle side tables are perfect for your modern home. The first one on the top left is called the Machinist Cocktail table and they are made with Mozambique wood with a natural satin finish with a clear acrylic top. The one next to it on the right can be used as either a side table or a stool or even a play area for your cat. I love the ornate carvings in this sustainable bamboo side table. The image below it is shown in a limed ebony. It is from Bobby Berk Home and they suggest ordering 2-4 to create a great coffee table. The last image on the bottom left hand corner is called the Geisha End Table and it is designed by Jacques Garci. He was inspired by a piece designed by him for his Paris apartment. You will notice that all of these side tables play with very familiar forms; the circle, the line and the cube.

Clockwise from Top Left: 1. Cliff Young Ltd. 2. Kalon Studios (Green Product) 3. Bobby Berk home 4. Kohler Interiors

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

When the sunlight hits these midsummer white interior items it creates beautiful shadows. The photo on the top right shows that the inspiration for these great products is vintage crochet. The first image on the top left is called the Midsummer Light. It is made out of paper and the designer used no glue. The three products at the bottom is actually made out of handmade crochet cotton held together with an epoxy resin. I just love how unique these products are and they blend a nice style of vintage and modern together.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Tord Boontje 2. Irina Graewe 3. Moooi 4. Marcel Wanders 5. Moooi

Here are my top ten favorite stools. I love how functional these are. You can use them indoors and out and you can also use them as side tables. I tried to give a mixture styles ranging from modern to traditional to Asian and also Moorish. Enjoy!

1. Modern Dose 2. Bond and Bowery 3. Pier1 4. Maisons du Monde 5 & 6. Horchow 7. Cottage and Bungalow 8. Boca do Lobo 9. Tracy Porter 10. Cottage and Bungalow

I have collected ten lounge chairs that I believe to be quite unique and more interesting than your standard looking chair. Traditional to modern these chairs can give you that wow factor you may be looking for. Which one is your favorite?

1. Williams Sonoma Home 2. Conran USA 3. Anthropologie 4. Architonic 5. Godoy Lab (Eco-Friendly Product) 6. Tonic Home 7. Jennifer Delonge 8. Fredrik Mattsson 9. Room and Board 10. Design Within Reach

These natural interior products are not only made out of wood but are also curvy and beautiful. The lamp on the top left hand corner is made in a walnut finish and is elegantly twisted with a bell shaped shade. Click here for link. The candlesticks are from a Swedish company called Impressionen and they carry a lot of beautiful natural looking furniture and décor. The top right image is the Medusa Nest of Tables and not only do I love the name but I love the unique design and functionality. They are from The Conran Shop. The Neema side table below is from Anthropologie and it is made out of an acacia wood which was carved out to create this gorgeous spiraling effect. The last image on the bottom left hand corner is called Weston Twisted Stool or Side Table and it is eco-inspired. If you start out using it as a side table and then you decide to rearrange you can always use it later as a stool. People in search for beautiful natural looking furniture and décor will start to see a lot more products with the curvy wood look.

Rachel Mallon
www.roominabook.com