the foyer of wendy burden (vanderbilt heiress, now lives in portland oregon), within which "four generations of riding boots" hang out.

curtain rods made out of pipe and other good ideas

understated but truly elegant curating on the part of a cobble hill couple... love love love love love the use of plumbing pipe and burlap for curtains in the living room.



images via nytimes.

lest we forget the rectangle

so you wish to ground and balance a feminine, slightly cluttered room? try layering rectangles, especially in dark colors.

the black door alone does so much, no?




kate spade, the maharani of rectangles... her website, her logo, her first bags from the early '90s....

over the desk

what's over your desk? a personal composition?


a blank slate?


monochromatic photos?


2 mirrors?


or "lamper fra ikea"?



image sources will be up this afternoon.

what about: a crisp black and white room ... with accents of emerald ceramics?

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.................................. =
Click to enlarge.

(So much fun to create style trays for fantasy rooms, no??)


* * Black & white kitchen via marie claire maison. gorgeous ceramic tile, "Taste of Water," from Giaretta, via Boulenger.

* * From collage... garden stool from Mecox Gardens; lamp from Marie Christophe; carpet from Madeline Weinrib; "Vega" watch from Nixon; Varenne chair from Casamidy.

indoor pegboard garden

a modern alternative to the windowsill garden.

how cool! how counterintuitive!

i think i might make the hardware a bit more subtle, and consider color alternatives to the white background. how about celadon green with ferns for an early summer look? or if you live in LA, a shock of hot pink with aloe, cacti, and other desert plants? fun to think about the possibilities, and easy to implement....

thanks to misstana's flickr page for the image and the idea!

washed out citron graphics R zo zexy

**

top image, styled by zandra pappas. i love the combination of the monochrome sexy citron print, with the traditional, slightly macho dresser, with its strong contrasts of dark wood and white marble, and the grecian ceramic lamp. anglo-ethnic-pop shouldn't work, and yet it feels so right.

bottom image, from the boston studio of elisabeth (black pearl press). i adore the overscaled "cow parsley"/ queen anne's lace print in citron, again paired with natural wood, this time in rough textures, which counterbalances the sweetness of the floral.

spring fever: stencil project

whew!!!

i've been really industrious at home, organizing and sorting like mad-- my version of spring cleaning. happily, i'm about ready to start one of the projects that i'm really excited about: stenciling a coffee table. I've never done this before, so it should be fun! Here are the components of the project that I've decided upon so far:

* white high gloss oil paint as background, black paint for image/letters.

* stencil will be hand-made by me, and extra large, by way of a projector.

* stenciled image will probably come from an antique book of mine from childhood, but could be something like this...



though i think i'm going to try for something a wee bit more simple. this ceramic jar from speller milner is inspiring me right now so much...:




i will update you-- should be done next weekend!

some of the stencil resources i've been using:
*how to make huge stencils using a projector
*AT's good question on stenciling
*craftster's comprehensive list of stenciling resources & info

(has anyone ever done a stencil project using a handmade stencil? would love to hear about it....)

(ps: sale at garnet hill....)

* a cute lamp in chocolate...for ~$50, down from ~$170.

* a crewel rug in small sizes...

* a cashmere throw in a beautiful forest color for half off.

c. f. a. voysey wallpaper and textile illustrations

am loving the early 20th c. arts & crafts designer c. f. a. voysey.

these are two preparatory illustrations for potential designs (carpet, and wallpaper) that he sketched. I wonder if current wallpaper designers sell sketches of their designs-- I think those images would be lovely pieces of artwork, in between finished wallpaper and actual illustration.


(image via de gournay).

happy friday!

small spaces at home: try a painting or photograph gallery

images, from top: david netto design; southern accents via style court; marie claire maison.



PS: confession-- as much as I love clusters of paintings or ordered groupings of photos, I am a bit of a perfectionist and thus take a verrrry lonnnng time in putting up art in the house. This time around I'm thinking of starting small, doing a gallery of my brother's amazing b& w photographs [H*A*P*P*Y B*I*R*T*H*D*A*Y, JAMIE!] from top to bottom of one wall in our 'thirties b & w tile bathroom. Would welcome thoughts or suggestions! xx p

carole fakiel's drum-shaped storage table

the thing that gets me about these tables is the bit of storage- so useful! (reminiscent of this table) I'd love a pair of the black ones as a set of coffee tables... a little bit masculine, and so timeless. they remind me (in a good way) of film canisters...

see here for more of carole fakiel's beautifully industrial storage designs....


& here for her superb kitchen!

sculptural chairs: white on white

"White on white" has been a look I've always been cuckoo over, and have been exploring since silk felt soil began.... More and more I am loving whites when they are layered in different textures, and given crisp structural dimension. I can't get enough of the first photograph of legless chairs, via Marie Claire Maison. It requires a Diana Vreeland-type "Why Don't You... take the legs off your chairs and turn them into a banquette?" great space saver...

Images 2 and 3 courtesy of Côté Maison and Casamidy.

zara home: high-impact, contrast-rich neutrals with lots of texture

As someone who is totally enthralled by neutrals (chalk whites, camels, slate greys, hits of black and navy), I'm always psyched to see examples of interesting, punchy, modern neutrals in the home. So, question: if these Zara home interiors work for you, would you share with me what you like? What makes them work for you?

I think hit of silver here really works, and the warm wood and caramel tones, and the sculptural objects (the horse bust, the cactus-like forms, that geometric thang). For me what doesn't work is the throw and the print-- I love the texture that each piece brings, but the overall effect is a bit busy for my taste-- something feels slightly off-key.


Another example of a softer neutral look from Zara:

I love the chalky background color of the cubbies, the stone floor, and the hits of these beautiful deep pinks from the embroidery on the wall, and the straw hamper. Substitute a real bed for the crib and it could easily be turned into an adult bedroom.

--> if anyone has tips on where to find shots of neutral interiors, do share! I'm looking for ways to turn our entry into something a little more high-impact....



(& thanks to Imelda for the link to Zara home)

sexy brass hardware

question: am I a bit of a sucker for having been seduced by Domino editors, Thomas O'Brien, and others into believing with all my heart that brass hardware in a kitchen is the chicest thing?






These pieces (from top, 1, 2, 3, 4) from White Chapel ltd (and Restoration Hardware) just might make me MISS Sucker. I especially love the nautical vibe of the flush handled ones....

PS: and why stop at kitchen cabinets? any of these would turn a flea market console, or even a parsons desk from West Elm into a serious hottie.

white florals on soft neutral background

love the way these are both wintry and springlike: perfect for this warm winter we're having.

Top, medalion rug from anthropologie. bottom, lena corwin's pillow sold at the kim family benefit auction, and now sold out already (!) as a scholarship item at the design*sponge shop.

fun Alexander Girard pillow for holiday spirit with a twist...

This Alexander Girard "Madonna" pillow from modern seed is too cute.

three ideas for the bed: headboards, lighting, and something in between!

A headboard for fans of New Orleans-style 19th c architecture: large tin ceiling tiles: Looove it. (From BHG, via Cribcandy).

As a lighting option, this...
= for people who are serious about reading in bed! (I've never understood whether those little decorative sconces can actually provide enough light to read by; somehow it doesn't seem possible; they must be really for decorative purposes, or for mood lighting.) Thanks to those at O at Home for this idea!)

And finally, this is a great DIY project for the holiday season...
"a simple wooden frame that mounts to wall studs rather than to the bed frame. Translucent polycarbonate panels create a soft, filtered effect for the light, which is provided by a set of holiday light strands." (From channel 5 in Phoenix, AZ!)

Could be really beautiful if the frame were rethought a bit. Perhaps a dark frame, and smoky walls....

Reminds me of the wonderful things that the fabulous west village wine bar, Alta, does with lighting in its space.
Alta has whole panels of lights that have been covered with canvas, creating a feeling of illuminated corridors just beyond the fabric... beautiful.

globe mobile....

In addition to being sweet in a child's room, this globe mobile would be elegant in a home office above a desk, or in a library nook of a living room. from restoration hardware, $69.

Touching on...shell and horn

For the second column of Touching On... , I want to write about something that I've been seeing everywhere I look these days: creamy, pearly, warm neutrals, with stripes and variegations directly from or inspired by the textures of shell and horn.

The interesting thing about this look is the unusual combination of "cold" and "hot" in one surface: the glossy, hard, "cold," look of shell warms up from subtle veins of fiery colors-- caramel, walnut, even hints of rose. Not clear yet whether this is an autumnal, winter trend, or whether the spring will continue with its own versions of the materials. But I'm loving it and hope this one sticks around for a while! (For the source of top image, look here)


{Click image to enlarge}
Clockwise, from top right: (1) shell tray, $24, from Jayson Home and Garden; (2) seashell wall tile, $35/sq foot, from Maestro Mosaics via cribcandy; (3) William and Mary Metro chair, $585, from Context Furniture; (4) Silk comforters from Eileen Fisher, $438; (5) thrown ceramic cups from James and Tilla Waters, featured at the Origins crafts fair '06.


Lovely horn servers, $78 from 2kh