I recently saw this metal looped end table in the Joss & Main catalog and flipped out ...I love it so much! Not surprising at all that it's sold out. If I was in need of an end table for my home right now, I'd be signing up on that wait list on the double. That base is just gorgeous.
A cozy nook in the living room ....
Or a bold one!
cozy: striped chairs / blossom pillows
bold: coral chairs / ikat pillows
I had a beautiful Saturday last weekend, exploring The Getty Center with some friends. The temperature was off the charts (in the 100s!) & we were quite literally baking in the heat, but it was totally worth it! We went on one of the art tours and the docent gave us a super interesting perspective on their Italian art collection & my personal favorite was the French decorative arts section (it's the south wing, if you plan on going). Also, the museum grounds are stunnnnning. I'll do a separate post next week on my Getty visit and some things I loved design-wise once I've sorted through all the pictures, so stay tuned for that :P
This week I wanted to share some fun & fantastic pillow finds for the summer! Throw pillows can really bring some pizazz into a space. And they're an easy, easy way to dramatically change the look of a room.
When selecting pillows, the key is to have fun with it, but I've definitely discovered a trick or two to help with the process.
Sizing... for larger sized seating like a big sofa, don't use small pillows. I made this mistake once and my 18-inch pillows looked very out of place on this gigantic sofa. 22 to 24 inches are a nice pouf size. For chairs or single seats, 18-20 inch squares or a lumbar pillow work well.
Mixing patterns... think in terms of threes. 1 solid. 1 floral/paisley/large print. 1 small scale pattern/geometric/stripes. You can ALWAYS bend the rules. But this is a nice starting point to help narrow down your selections and get a good set going.
I though it'd be fun to a do a roundup of some of my favorite prints and styles this summer and what to pair them with. Check em out!
Choose 1 color palette and change up your pillow styles. This brings cohesiveness to the look and creates an impact. Following the rule of 3 here, you can experiment with everything from animal prints to fringe details! All the pillows below are on Wayfair (most from the Elements of Style collection).
Ikat prints are right on trend and so FUN! Because they're busy, pairing them with solids offers a nice balance & keeps the scheme looking fresh. MyPillowStudio on Etsy has a bold selection of prints.
Pairing Ikat with solids
Monogrammed pillows bring that personal touch and look GREAT, especially in the bedroom. They give it a nice finish. And it's so easy to personalize these days. Pottery Barn offers it on everything from throw pillows like the ones below, to shams. And then there's Zazzle & Etsy. Pair it with a chevron or trellis pattern, or they can fly solo too with some bordered euro shams.
Block prints are a total classic. A great indoor/outdoor pillow. They're fun because you can mix them without overwhelming a space, so long as you stay within the same color palette. Pottery Barn has some great indoor/outdoor block prints for under $15!! (they're on sale right now!!) And Serena & Lily has some dreamy blue & whites (always blue & white, always :P)
Embroidered Suzani pillows are especially tasteful. I saw a few pictures of Tory Burch's Manhattan office recently and I loved the blue & white suzanis she has on her couch! If you're looking to add some suzani style to your space, I found this seller on Etsy, DecorIkatPillows, who has a pretty cool collection.
And lastly, my absolute favorite - the GREEK KEY border pillow! (found an Etsy seller who makes them nicely). You know how much I love greek key elements in design, and these pillows look effortlessly stylish!
And that's a wrap! Hope you enjoyed that roundup and let me know if you try out any of these styles & pairings or have nay questions. And share it with a friend if you think they'll enjoy knowing a thing or two about greek key borders & suzanis (I mean, who doesn't want to expand their pillow selection horizons? ;-) ;-) )
Any favorites of yours that I haven't included ?
Image Credits: The Neo Trad (Mark D Sikes design), How To Decorate (Ballard Designs), Makkas Drapery (Erin Gates Design)
Happy 4th of July friends! I hope you're enjoying this gorgeous, summery, patriotic weekend.
There's a small chance some of you are checking your emails & reading this today. And I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share some inspiration with you inspired by the colors of the day. Leaving you with some reds, whites and blues as you continue your celebrations! A mix of interiors & fashion.
Martha Stewart
Mark D Sikes
Bunny Williams
Caitlin Wilson
Love this vintage shot!
And finally, some living room inspiration I pulled together with today's palette (inspired by these fabulous chairs I saw over the weekend)
chairs (love these chairs so much! just discovered this place Design Plus) / rug / coffee table / lamp / tray / candle holder / seagrass prints
Image Credits: House Beautiful, Martha Stewart, Ideal Home, Pier 1 Imports, Jackquie Vintage, Vogue, Caitlin Wilson
When I walk into a room, one of the first things I notice is the art. Good art can really make a room come alive!
Lately, I've found myself being drawn to great, original abstracts. I know a lot of people look at abstract art and think "Oh I could've made that!" (I've definitely been guilty of this!) & ok, maybe there's some abstracts out there that aren't great and don't justify the hefty price tag. But I've found that making a good abstract is freaking difficult. The composition, color choices, brush strokes, all give a painting that certain "feel". Easy to look at, very hard to accomplish.
I've been seeing a lot of rooms lately where a more traditional room is accessorized with a contemporary abstract, and I have to say, it's a winning combination!! I love this mix of styles. It's what makes the room interesting.
Here's some images of rooms where the art is really bringing that extra something to the space. And I've rounded up some of my favorite art sources for you below! Art does not need to be expensive to be good. There's some great, affordable art out there. Check 'em out below and feel free to browse through the sites and pick your own favorites!
Love, love, love this abstract on canvas in a little boy's nursery, discovered on Elements of Style. It's got a fantastic blend of colors & goes perfectly with the gray walls.
A gallery wall of birds in the Southern Living Showhouse 2016 , designed by Mark D Sikes. Love how the gallery extends down the entire wall , givingit height (also loving the chandelier but we can talk about that later! :) )
These framed chinoiserie panels are beauuuuutiful. The clean, powder blue upholstery and the panels are a perfect complement to each other.
A great example of mixing styles...this room designed by Mark D Sikes, has mostly traditional elements (chinoiserie vases, the floor lamp, the hurricanes), and then there's that one perfectly-sized, eye-catching squiggly abstract! Genius.
Stunning horse photography...
And here's some of my favorite picks right now! :)
Love, love, love these minimalist watercolors by Lauren Adams Art on Etsy. Their so interesting to look at & the framing is spot on.
I'm in love with this abstract on canvas by Kelly Witmer. Original oils on canvas tend to be higher priced but you could always get a high quality giclee print and frame it!
These abstracts on canvas by Renee Bouchnon are a thing of great beauty. They’d bring instant character into a room.
Going in a completely different direction - these GORGEOUS ginger jars found on Furbish.
As well as these black & white botanicals. Perfectly framed in a light wood!
There's a wonderful new art source on the block - Artfully Walls. They have a great selection of varied art & they have some fantastic, ready-to-go, curated collections by designers as well.
Here's a few pieces from Mark D Sike's curation...blues, blacks, whites.
Large scale photography can give a room dimension & depth. Here's a great example by Erin Gates Design .. what a view in the dining room! (Fun fact: centuries ago, monasteries would mount huge paintings/tapestries in the area where the monks ate their meals. This was so they could ponder on it in silence while they ate. I like the thought of that A LOT!)
Beautiful seascape photogrpahy by Mina Photography
And lastly, Pure Photo. Their nature photography is PHENOMENAL.
I hope you enjoyed that round up! I have lots more where that came from. Let me know if you enjoyed that and I’ll share a round 2.
Also, share this post with an art-loving friend...someone who likes to discover new art or someone who's in the middle of a redecorate. You never know who's in need of some inspiration :)
Any artists you're crushing on right now?
This week's post is all about taking it outside!
Going back in time a little... picnics were a HUGE part of my childhood. Every couple months, we'd go on one big, glorious, family picnic (we were about 30 of us!). We lived in Dubai, a city that is insanely hot in summer (too hot to be outside) but super beautiful in fall / winter / early spring. It was sort of a reverse picnicking season!
My favorite park to go to was the Dubai Creek Park with it's sprawling lawns and huge shady trees. And my favorite food was barbecued chicken and this delicious French Toast (we'd call it "slices" for some reason) that one of my uncles made for us kids.
You'd see many families sitting around enjoying the breeze, playing board games or just chatting up. But inevitably, we'd be the loudest, most boisterous of the lot.
You could hear us laughing, arguing, pontificating and backslapping from a mile away! Food was being passed around, an angsty toddler or two was on the lose, some kid somewhere just got struck by a ball and another one was climbing the jungle gym like there was no tomorrow! It was mayhem. A wonderful kind of mayhem :) The parents had a hard time keeping track of who was where, but the sun would set and somehow, magically, we'd all end up as a whole again, trotting tiredly back to our cars. It was a glooooorious time.
Tis being the season for outdoor entertaining, picnicking and the likes, I was very inspired to pull together a couple of formal and informal tablescapes for anyone taking it outside & making some equally glorious memories with your family & friends this summer! I've discovered some really good looking and budget-friendly disposables for the season and there's lotsa fun (and not to mention, kid-friendly) melamine out there as well. Creating an inviting outdoor setting has never been easier! :)
I liked this seaside, beachy tablescape I saw at the mall the other day... I liked that the simple white dinnerware was combined with a whole lot of texture (rattan, wood, mesh etc.)
You could create a beachy casual setting of your own, but maybe with a little more color?
I started with this beautiful coral dinner plate (it's melamine) and added some texture with a mesh table cover, rattan chargers and wood flatware.
Hints of gold & these neat table lanterns "pick up" the setting. I especially LOVE the small gold tea light holders - spread 'em across a table and they'll create a perfect ambiance for an outdoor setting. Bringing in a a hint of blue with these cracked teal glasses.
coral dinner plate / natural rattan charger / nautical net table throw / beachwood flatware / starfish place card holders (too cute! from Etsy) / linen striped napkins / gorgeous table lanterns (love these to bring some height into the setting) / cracked teal stem glasses teal / gold tea light holders / tropical stargazer lillies in a vase as centerpieces
These rose plates by Caspari instantly caught my eye. They're elegant & fun, and they're disposable people!
Quite perfect for a semi-formal setting..
Throw on a white tablecloth and line with this fancy-looking (but totally disposable!) place settings - lime green and white dinner plates, paired with the rose dessert plates, and some fancy gold flatware.
Scatter chartreuse tea light holders across the table, and add on a beautiful peony centerpiece to play up the plates. I LOVE this "First Come First Served" acrylic pitcher by Kate Spade! It's such a classic & so fun. Perfect for keeping you guests glasses topped with lemonade.
white tablecloth / burlap pleated table runner / green dinner plates (disposable), rose dessert plates (disposable), gold flatware (disposable), paper cups, paper napkins, Kate Spade acrylic pitcher, chateruse tealight holder
I came across this beautiful indoor blue-and-white setting and fell instantly in love with it. This table is so stunning, as is the place setting, and the yellow flowers. This could easily be something you take outside!
I was very inspired to do some blue & white for a picnic :) Yet still keeping it classic...
blue & white dessert plates, dinner plates, stem glasses, napkins, S'well bottle, flatware, soft blue cotton throw, picnic basket
Here's a couple tips I've picked up from the first lady of Southern design and decor (the wonderful Bunny Williams), on how to take even the most casual setting up a notch and make your guests feel a little extra special...
The Napkin Fold. Make a quick fold towards the inside at the top of the napkin, then flip the ends to the outside. It's super easy to do and makes for a great finishing touch even for some casual dining.
Floral Centerpieces x Hurricanes. I love this idea for adding some pzzaz to your outdoor table. Arrange a floral centerpiece with seasonal flowers/plants. Flank by hurricanes. The hurricanes should be tall enough that people can still see each other across the table. Etsy has a bunch of nice vintage hurricane choices!
