Filed under: Interior Design
Another draft I found sitting… Still going to share even if it’s old news
http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/next-wave-designers
And some other great inspiration rooms from www.apartmenttherapy.com:
I totally need this chandelier for my own dining room!!!!!
Filed under: Interior Design
I was so inspired by the Apartment Therapy post yesterday (and so not in the mood to drive to the gym in rush hour), that I created a “skeleton” of my bar area in the dining room. I have been in need of a large art piece for above the buffet for like, ever. AND It’s still missing some key liquors (gin, vodka, tequila) that I’d like to decant (I currently only have one more decanter and it’s grey so it doesn’t coordinate with sparkly glass)… so, essentially it needs work.
BUT I just want to show you what I was able to accomplish by spending an hour-ish digging through what I already own and organizing it:
Shout out to the wonderful bartender at the Ledson in Sonoma square for putting me on to my new favorite scotch, Laphroaig – tastes SO peaty!
Next steps:
- Purchase 750 mL bottles of Jose Cuervo Especial tequila, Tanqueray gin and Svedka vodka: all my house brands
- Purchase 3 new decanters: I feel TJ Maxx calling me
- Find or create a large-scale art piece or mirror for over the buffet
Filed under: Interior Design
So you guys know how much I love Apartment Therapy. And while I didn’t come from a well-pedigreed type of family that partook in cocktail hour, I have become a huge fan of the institution. (Don’t think that means I come from a teetotaling family – they can all put away a 12-pack of Miller Lite within a span of 3 hours.) You are always certain to be offered a cocktail upon arrival to my home and I always partake in a post-work glass of wine.
When I saw this post, I felt so inspired by the gorgeous images of simple, elegant bar carts:
I currently keep my bar under wraps – literally in cabinets next to the stove and above the frig. And I usually buy the half gallons (too big for display) not the 750 ml bottles, so I’ll need to buy one round of liquor bottles for re-filling in the future. BUT I think I am going to do a bar set-up on my dining room buffet (perfect since I always set up any buffet on the kitchen countertop not here.)
Stay tuned for my results… I love being inspired!
Filed under: Interior Design
When I saw the room below on Apartment Therapy, I was flabbergasted by it. Like the “I need it; I want it; I gotta have it” kind of flabbergasted:
I didn’t realize that this room was featured in tribute to Eileen Gray. (The awesome metal and glass side table is Eileen’s design.) I didn’t know who Eileen Gray was before today…
I am sad to say that, especially since her life’s work is what I am all about:
- Art Deco / Art Nouveau
- Zebra hides
- Silver leaf
- Exotic / primative furniture
- Lacquer
- Furniture that Yves Saint Laurent coveted and collected – the Dragon Chair, posted below
So, I am a girl that truly LOVES to shop. Loves shopping almost like I love my husband… I’ll admit it. (Sorry, Babelicious – you know it’s true.) And one of the things that any savvy shopper ought to know is the importance of purging unnecessary items, which I do twice a year — religiously.
This can be tricky to accomplish solo, so I ALWAYS enlist a friend whose opinion I trust and who “gets” my style. (You don’t want some random chica who thinks a girl only needs a neutral wardrobe helping you purge your very colorful closets… It will lead to conflict and inappropriate decision-making.)
A few Saturdays ago, I asked my girl Joveline to help me purge some items from my personal ”coat and jacket” closet in my dressing room – not to be confused with the coat closet downstairs. Now I am a girl who HEARTS blazers, jackets, and coats. And I moved to ATL from Pittsburgh. (Do you hear my teeth chattering?) So, yes I have a LOT of outerwear. And it just seemed like it was time to get rid of some of it b/c coats take up a LOT of room!
After about 30 minutes of deciding, Joveline and I collaboratively decided to purge all of the following items:
Camel leather blazer – from my first trip to H&M back in 2002, gifted to Amy and then to Bob
Black Old Navy trench coat – an unwise purchase of this classic item in a size too small (yes, I bought a small jacket with giant boobs), also gifted to Amy
Houndstooth wool cape – a Goodwill score from my serious cape days, which has never seen the light of day. Turns out, wool is ITCHY!
Brownish wool coat with real fur trim – scored this at a vintage store somewhere in the middle of Pennsylvania for under $7 many years ago
Red cotton cape with brass buttons – a Salvation Army score
White puffy jacket with fur-trimmed hood – got this on Black Friday with my lil sisters and mom, also WAY too small now 
[But it did fit as some point!]
Periwinkle London Fog trench coat – unflattering color on my cool skin, makes me look sallow
Butterfly-shaped black & gold sequin top – badly shaped, surely purchased at a random thrift store somewhere
Next up… time to purge some items from my nearly 200 pairs shoe collection. I actually took some time out to “pre-purge” last night after talking to Amy about the potential of doing this. I divided the almost 40 pair pile into a few categories: “oh hell no, probably heading out the door, maybe worth keeping, I love these but never wear then and need someone to help me validate keeping them” (see below in same order from left to right):
Amy will come over next weekend and help me make the final cuts. “I always come up,” she said as she agreed to assist. (No, the Uggs are not in the pre-purge pile in case you are wondering. Sorry but I love those ugly things!)
I have also come up with a new set of rules for my purchases - if I don’t wear it within 2 weeks, it goes back to the store. Why? Because a LOT of these shoes were never worn. Another guiding principle – stop buying uncomfortable shoes, all the cute in the world doesn’t make up for an evil girl with sore feet. And my tolerance for pain is very low, so I must not spend $$$ on painful shoes I’ll never wear.
Stay tuned for the results of the purge and what I decide to do with the items – Craigslist perhaps?
So, you guys know how much I love Apartment Therapy. I haven’t really done anything exciting in my home in quite a while (I find that I have cyclical interest in interior design vs. shoes/clothing/accessories.) BUT Anu’s great Small & Cool home has inspired me to get moving!!! Feel free to vote for Anu’s home on Apartment Therapy.
I am loving this black & white living room – the wallpaper, the zebra print rug, the metallic garden stools… I am swooning!
I have been looking for the right room(s) in my house for all of those items. I am still learning towards wallpapering the powder room, zebra rug in library, metallic garden stool in the family room… I also want new lamps to sit atop mirrored side tables in our master bedroom but I just haven’t found the right ones. I am open to all ideas.
Filed under: Interior Design
By Atlantis…
Need I say more?
Filed under: Interior Design
OK, I am really behind on reading www.apartmenttherapy.com but decided to get caught up last night. Here are some wonderful back and white (or black and white accented) rooms I spied:
Sexy hotel room
Love the black doors. Would be so hot for my front door and dressing room!
The coffee table is the single sickest thing I’ve seen on Apartment Therapy. I am dying for this! Totally out of control with black sofa and ivory flokati.
Sparkly coffee table, pop art, and zebra print pillows? OMG!!!
Love the empty sprayed frames but I’d rather see high contrast with black!
Love the black pieces (and mirrored side table) surrounded by white walls and dancing on white floors.
OK, might need to bite this look for my guest bedroom headboard. Love it!
Love the black on white and the tufting! Feel like it’s missing some toss pillows though… Yes I am that girl. 
I love the layered textures in this room, esp. the armoire and screens.
OK, it’s not super black and white, but I love the camel + turquoise
Is this the sexiest traditional thing you’ve ever seen? Dying for the drinks tray, the white mirrored armoire, the chandelier, billowy drapes and the fact that the room lays atop black stained floors. Very Delano Hotel…
I am currently “toying” withthe idea of painting the guest bathroom black and applying some white moldings. We currently have grey rug, shower curtain, towels and accessories so I really think it could be hot. What do you think?
You guys know how much I love shopping and clothes and shoes and jewelry and furs and… well, you ge the hint. All of this means that I have a LOT of clothing, shoes and accessories. And since I have a 4 bedroom house, the first room that was mandatory was of course, the dressing room. I’ll admit that it took me a while to get it together and really, it’s still a work in progress. BUT these fab dressing rooms need nothing else, making me D.I.E. for finally “finishing” my own dressing room.
Here are some inspiration dressing rooms:
Love the pink and polka dots
I’ve been wanting an island like this in my dressing room for ages!!!
Love the turquoise, the carpet and the Ghost chairs
Love the nude painting, the cute dog, the velvet ottoman, the leopard print, the hot pink, the chandelier – well I guess I love everything about this one.
OK, I have to admit that I really love a bold graphic room – I mean my rooms are hot pink, smoky grey, electric lime, kelly green, cayenne orange and bright red — to name the more exciting colored ones. I painted our dining room buffet tiffany box blue to coordinate with the steely blue and cherry blossomed china. This is my style of design – go big or go home. I don’t do subtle, subdued or neutral; it’s just not my style.
Thus, I have been dying to put some wallpaper somewhere for quite a while. Jamison and I have already setted on papering the powder room downstairs but these photos from Apartment Therapy at http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/bedroom/bringing-wallpaper-into-the-bedroom-105519 have me considering doing a bedroom (at least an accent wall) too!
Black and white and the black CHANDELIER!!!!! OMG I D.I.E.! That vintage bed frame rocks my world!!!
Love the coral accents on the wall and the bed
Love the black and white and green scheme – totally reinforces my love of zebra but makes me think of adding it to my green library…
I surprisingly love the matching wallpaper, headboard and drapes here. I admittedly am usually a hater of matching!!! It’s my mom’s fault…
