Sometimes we need a mental health day, right? Or a day where we can look at beautiful things, not necessarily to buy, but to slow down, appreciate beauty, nature, and color, to be inspired or feel renewed. I could use a day like that, but in lieu of an entire day, I can't stop looking at this image displaying a rare selection of natural pearls on loan to London's Victoria & Albert Museum from the Qatar Museums Authority Collection for a joint exhibition.
Can you believe these are natural and not man-made? The colors are so gorgeous and the shapes are perfectly imperfect. In a way, I wish you could see pearls like this more often, but then of course, these wouldn't be as rare. Pearls, an exhibition presented by the V&A and the Qatar Museums Authority, is on exhibit at the V&A through January 19, 2014. If you can't make it to London, as I sadly cannot, there is a great deal of information on the museum's website including some history, and additional pictures of art and jewelry that are part of the exhibit. All of the jewelry pieces are fascinating either for their unique settings or the age of the gems, some as old as the Roman Empire. The V&A does have jewelry, books, and more for sale in their museum shop, as well. H/T to W magazine for making me aware of this exhibit. image via w magazine Xx a
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Yin and yang. Shadow and light. The infamous Seinfeld black-and-white cookie episode. We're always looking to black and white to provide harmony. Black and white are huge right now, though I think truthfully we can always say that. There is a comfort in the consistency, it's always chic, and the less-confident home decorator is safe in knowing the two colors always go together and with everything else, too.
I'm on deadline for a freelance article, so forgive my brevity today (or maybe you welcome it!). Just wanted to share two excellent details from a Naples, FL beach house designed by Carrier and Company, recently featured in House Beautiful. Interior designers Jesse Carrier and Mara Miller are extremely talented, and whenever I've worked with or seen them in the past, it's been an absolute pleasure every time. Look at this insanely cool natural piece by artist Ran Adler that they chose for above the fireplace in the house's living room. I feel like at any moment it may start spinning and suck me into its vortex. I love it. Stringing, wiring, and weaving natural elements like sun-dried horsetail reeds, Adler creates undulating representations of wind and water. The unexpected material and fluidity add a great layer of texture and depth to the room. A Victorian hat rack in a vibrant lacquered red becomes a statement piece and remains totally functional. Such a lovely shape made even more special in an attention-grabbing color. I wonder if the homeowner had this piece already and they modernized it, or if the designers brought it in. Either way, wow.
I guess this was my version of brief... Click below to see the whole wonderful project. all images via house beautiful Xx a Italian designer Paola Navone's highly-anticipated collection for Crate and Barrel debuted in select stores and online today; the line will roll out to all stores by the end of the week. It is the first of three planned collections and includes nearly 150 pieces of tabletop, furniture, textiles, lighting, and decorative accents. Paola Navone is a renowned talent with her hand in architecture, interior design, product design, and set design.
Organic shapes and a mix of materials all evoke the Mediterranean inspiration that threads itself through much of the well-traveled designer's work. Yesterday we spent a lovely afternoon at our friends' wedding. The ceremony and reception were intimate, rustic, and sweet. And the dessert table featured insanely delicious homemade biscotti, brownies, s'mores treats (with from-scratch marshmallows), and caramel corn. Mmmm. In just under a month, my husband and I will be celebrating our 10-year anniversary. We are renewing our vows and having a very small dinner party at the place where our wedding reception was held (the zoo!). So now, even though I have a lot of work due over the next two weeks, I'm also looking for small-and-simple decoration ideas for the dinner. These richly colored bouquets are a beautiful place to start getting inspired. images via saipua, martha stewart weddings, brides, bridal guide, snippet & ink, style unveiled, every last detail, the knot Xx a Better late than never. I've been busy this week on deadline, and then we went out to dinner with my father-in-law, who has been in town for a few days. We haven't seen him in a year and he just finally got to meet the baby, who turned 10 months today. When I bought my desk--the ubiquitous white lacquer Parsons desk from West Elm--it wasn't quite as, well, ubiquitous, as it is today. I still adore it, but sometimes I wish I had something off-beat, a little different from everyone else. The nice thing about the Parsons is that it's a great blank canvas; there are so many ways it can be styled. I am still trying to decide if I want to do brights or neutrals. Above, from The Everygirl, is a lovely neutral approach. I could easily go in this direction, and not simply because I also have the Sapien bookcase that is to the left of the desk. Maybe someday I'll go with a different style. I also love the idea of a big table as a desk. I think I would pair the Thalia with a few modern elements to keep it from feeling too serious. Love the ornate legs and support strut, it definitely catches the eye. The Durham has a more industrial look, with a mix of wood and aged steel. I have a Mac, but if you were someone who had a tower for your computer, it would fit nicely on one of the lower shelves so it could be kept off the floor and out of the way. The cool slim silhouette of the Cant is warmed by the walnut and grey finish. This would be great for someone with a small space, or who works on a laptop so they can utilize the upper shelf for storage and decorative objects. My monitor would obscure the whole thing. Grange's traditional, feminine Ermitage has been a favorite of mine for a few years. The piece is available in 20 paint colors and 3 distress levels. I'm not really into distressing personally, so I would choose the least distressed finish, called classique. All of their colors are great, but I always find myself drawn to the purples, so I'd pick prune for the desk. Although, this fall, Grange is debuting seven new color finishes, so I could change my mind. Super-talented and super down-to-earth designer Celerie Kemble designed a collection for Henredon, which includes this desk, the One Forty Five. This desk is so luxe, made of Philippine mahogany with a creme leather inlay on the main surface and two pull-out shelves. The cabriole legs add to the effect; it's a really beautiful piece. You can see the leather better in the image with Celerie. Also, that black and white mirror behind the desk is amazing! interior image via The Everygirl
desk images via Century Furniture, Ballard Designs, Blu Dot, Grange, Henredon Xx a Post-its are so functional it's generally hard to imagine them any other way. (My husband and his former co-workers would beg to differ: when my husband returned from vacation once, he found every surface of his office covered in sticky notes. This was, of course, after they had filled someone else's office so full of blown-up balloons, the guy could barely get in.) Luckily, others are more creative. In 2011, Brazilian footwear company Melissa and agency Casa Darwin paired up with Post-it maker 3M for a project that took 5 months to complete. Amazing designs made entirely of Post-Its adorned the outdoor exhibit space, Galeria Melissa, at their flagship in São Paulo. 350,000 Post-its were used, and unexpectedly, visitors left love messages on more than 30,000 of the notes. New York-based designer Jon Newman recently completed a year-long challenge to himself to create a new project each week, called Daydreams & Nightschemes. Project #38, above, uses Post-its to illustrate his love of typography as a design element. His challenge was to create a font using the notes only, though he used a portable fan to help create the letters' shapes. It takes a minute to really see the letters, some are easier than others to make out, but it's pretty genius. His other projects are equally impressive. Post-it's website also has an online tool for creating wall art of your own, if you're so inclined to try your virtual hand at it. images via couleurblind, laughing squid, melissa, daydreams & nightschemes
*I'm also a ridiculously big fan of Home Alone... Xx a Now that I work out of my house full-time, and most of the house is chock full of kids' goodies, I have to be very conscious of my workspace and try to stay as organized as possible. My space is part of the living room and there are shelves, but they're not yet dedicated solely to my work. I purchased a couple new magazine files (Nate Berkus for Target, not available online) but, it never seems like I have enough, between the magazines I keep for my portfolio and the ones I read for work/pleasure. Unfortunately, there are never as many of one style as I need at the store when I'm shopping, so my mag file boxes are a bit mismatched. I've liked these from Office Depot for a while now, I've been really feeling the little polka dots lately, especially in black & white, which I know is big right now (when isn't it?). I happen to have a memo mousepad from Galison, not this design though. I started with two and I've somehow made them last for a long time, even though I do rely on their convenience quite often. If you need to jot something down quickly, like a phone number or a time and place, it's right there. When you run out of sheets, a soft foam mousepad remains. If I didn't write on my mousepad, I would upgrade to a beautiful handmade leather mousepad from Susan at Freshly Picked. Poppin's desktop set is great for separating notes, research, and business receipts. The accessory tray could hold the recorder I use for in-person interviews and my washi tape. I just bought a white board calendar with a magnetic surface, but it only came with two magnets. I really like the colors and detailing on these hand-painted butterfly magnets from Ballard Designs. Ballard often has great magnets and pushpins, so even though they're not really an office store, they're always a great place to check for accessories like that. Because it sometimes feels like all the cardboard storage boxes are the same, I like these tromp l'oeil containers carried by ModCloth. They fold flat when they're not in use, and of course, hide papers, product samples, and, sure, even toys when they are in use. interior image via gold and gray
images via office depot, galison, freshly picked/Heather Mildenstein, poppin, ballard designs, modcloth Xx a I love this open porch off the kitchen of one of Traditional Home's Hampton Designer Showhouses. I admit, it's from a few years ago, but it certainly doesn't seem dated in any way. The feel of this outdoor room epitomizes my idea of the perfect place to start a summer day.
Interior designer Nancy Pearson mixed materials, styles, and colors in a way that makes the space feel so breezy and light, but thankfully, not in the traditional beach house color scheme—which is often executed well, but is predictable, and doesn't interest me as much as this. Low-slung seating topped with bright patterned pillows create a comfortable space to catch up on a good book, or just to have morning coffee (juice, in my case) and read the paper. Or, again in my case, scroll through Twitter and news sites online (sorry!). The antiqued zinc finish on the hanging lanterns is a nice departure from the polished nickel usually seen. A natural-edge cocktail table, flowers, and topiary add natural elements, while the shell-and-antique fragment mirror gives a nod to the house’s setting. The yellow garden stool references the lattice windows, and the lovely dark floor is an unexpected detail. I also really appreciate that while there are shells present, we’re not being beaten over the head with a shell/nautical theme. Because of the bright palette, the fish-patterned magenta pillow coordinates well with the silk ikat pillows. The whole space feels so relaxed and refreshing, like its very own getaway. image via Traditional Home Xx a In honor of the great New York State Fair's opening day, I present the New York State table by creative studio 900 Blok. This solid-wood carved accent table is the perfect quirky touch to any home that's Empire State-proud. Available through Urban Outfitters, in four lacquer colors.
The New York State Fair runs today through Labor Day at the fairgrounds, here in Syracuse, NY. I'm looking forward to going there with my family for kid and adult fun, fried goodness, candy apples, and of course, a look at this year's butter sculpture. table image via Urban Outfitters Xx a |
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