Quote Of The Day...
Mon, Jan 11 2010 07:02
| Designer Quotes
"I'm all about exuberance. We only have one short life to live, and we shouldn't waste it being tasteful."
-- Isaac Mizrahi, fashion designer
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Happy Birthday To Me!
Thu, Dec 17 2009 09:21
Well, my birthday was actually yesterday but I think I am allowed to celebrate all week, right?
So, I wanted to share the awesome gift my husband gave me... The Modern Glamour, The Art of Unexpected Style by Kelly Wearstler.
If you don't know already, Kelly Wearstler is my absolute favorite designer right now. I truly admire her vision and talent. It is out there and bold and that is the way I like it! :)
I have been glued to this book with my mouth open and drooling. I am also giddy with delight that I have several items in this book in my own house as well as in some of my clients' homes and I never knew it!
Color Personality
Wed, Dec 9 2009 11:57
I've got color on my mind. So, here's a little color psychology with tips for where to use these colors in your house or work space. I've added some additional commentary and ideas to the references below, but I want to thank Michele Bernhardt for her 'Color Personality' article in House Beautiful which I used as the base analysis for the color references listed below.
What color defines you?
What color defines you?
Pink= LOVE: Opens The Heart
Pink is gentle and soothing (hence why it is the universal color for a baby girl). It promotes tenderness and is a comfort in times of emotional transition. Use pink in a room when you are trying to increase receptivity and understanding.
Bright Red= ENERGY: Will Fortify You
Red is a stimulant. It promotes courage and fearlessness. Use this color when you want to increase self-confidence. However, too much red can make you feel overly excited or agitated. You would generally want to avoid the use of red in a child's bedroom, classroom, or fitness center.
Paired with yellow, red also helps to stimulate hunger. Which is why it is used in dining areas or fast food restaurants that have some sort of yellow or red in their signs and logos.
Dark/Deep Red (Blood Red/Maroon)= SENSUALITY: Inspires Passion
Deep red helps awaken the libido. Use this color to move you through inhibitions and emotional blocks that prevent you from expressing your self. This color will remind you to live life fully and to love your body.
Orange= CREATIVITY: Expands Your Thinking
Orange reduces self-consciousness and allows you to express yourself with confidence. Use orange in your home when you want to feel younger. It is the color of laughter and celebration and is a great choice for creative office spaces or play areas.
Yellow= CONCENTRATION: Increases Your Focus
Yellow is known for enhancing intelligence and mental agility. It can help stimulate conversation and clarify thoughts.
Light Green (Sage/Lime Green)=PROSPERITY: Increases Wealth
Green is the primary color in nature, it corresponds with life's riches. It is the color of fresh starts and growth. Lighter shades of green will encourage you to honor your unique talents and manifest them in the material world.
Dark Green (Hunter Green/Kelly Green)= HEALTH: Color Of Healing
Green also represents nourishment and helps steady the body, balancing your equilibrium and encouraging stability. Use a darker shade of green to rejuvenate yourself, to promote physical and emotional well-being. A great use of this color would be in a small reading nook or sitting area that you use for reflection and rejuvenation.
Aqua= REST: Inspires Trust
Aqua is the color to use when you need to relax. Wear or surround yourself with it if you have difficulty sleeping, dreaming, or meditating. This is why there has been an increase of the "aqua and brown" color palette in spas and master bedrooms.
Light Blue= CALM: Sense Of Peace
Light blue dissolves tension and promotes tranquility. It especially brings ease into the home and harmony into relationships. Wearing or surrounding yourself with light blue, helps calm aggressive tendencies and eliminates discord.
Dark/Deep Blue (Navy/Midnight Blue)= ORDER: Encourages Efficiency
Deep Blue will purify your thinking, so you can cut through the clutter and discover what is most important in your life. It helps you integrate the big picture with the little picture. Wear dark blue when you need to make a decision. Areas surrounding a desk or workspace that you often use for task-oriented work are a good choice for using this color.
Light Purple (Violet)= SPIRITUALITY
Light purple will help you connect to a higher plane. Purple encourages a fresh perspective on emotional issues. By reminding you that we are all connected, it will deepen your sense of humanity. Use light purple in your home to enhance compassion and to experience friends and family.
Dark/Deep Purple (Amethyst/Plum)= BALANCE
Deep purple is often associated with luxury, wealth and sophistication. However, it also helps balance the body and mind as well as suppresses hunger. This color brings peace and combats fears. Use purple in rooms to increase creativity and imagination and to provide a touch of glamour and elegance.
Fit For A King
Wed, Nov 25 2009 02:02
I would love to have these Crystallized Henry VIII chairs in my dining room for our Thanksgiving feast! These spectacular "Tudors" chairs were designed by Martin Albert Interiors for Metropolitan Home's Showtime House. Each chair is hand painted on linen and then Swarovski crystals are precisely applied as they drip down Henry VIII's portrait and then added to his wives' jewelry and head pieces.
Eat like a king tomorrow! Happy Thanksgiving!!
Tip Tuesday: Easy Holiday Decor Change
Tue, Nov 24 2009 08:55
Want an inexpensive instant decor change before the holidays? You can have a completely different look by just changing and adding a few minor items in your room. Just pick a color(s) and go for it! For example, all you need to do to successfully change your look in your living room is change the following...
1- Accent Pillows
2- Lamp or Lamp Shades
3- Throw/Blanket
4- Accessories
5- Accent Rug
I guarantee it will give you a completely different look and everyone will think you redecorated your whole room!
Here's an example of this strategy using the color green.
Add a fun tray on a side table or your ottoman:
If you can't find the perfect color for a lamp, you can always add a different shade or decorative trim to the shade.
Also, you can change the look of your lamps by putting them on top of a charger (round or square) or a square placemat. It adds instant color and focus to your lamps. Chargers and placemats aren't just for your table settings!!!
Or add a fun table runner across your media console, coffee table, or sofa table:
Your pillows don't have to be a solid color they just need a little bit of your chosen color in them like these:
Put a bunch of these in a glass bowl or apothecary glass container. There are also lots of fun colored decorative balls out there that would look great in glass containers or jars.
Just add a few small decorative items around the room keeping with the same color tones.
If you need extra seating for the holidays, these are great to use as side chairs from Target and they also stack for storage. Put some small rectangular back pillows in them for a dresser look.
Put a fabric or leather basket/box in your room and fill with books, magazines or wood logs:
Candles are an easy way to throw in a new color:
Festive starters! Trees are coming out in lots of colors and materials this year!
Magazine of the Month
Mon, Nov 23 2009 10:24
My magazine choice of the month would have to be Metropolitan Home.
You must grab this December issue because it will sadly be the last issue they publish. Nonetheless, they are definitely leaving with a bang! It is a wonderfully beautiful issue with some delicious eye candy that will make you say, oohhh!
So sad to see you go, Met Home. Hopefully some day you will return! Bon Voyage, you will be much missed!
White Coco Twigs
Mon, Nov 23 2009 10:03
I am in love with anything white! Found these beautiful whitewashed coco twigs that would look fantastic as a holiday centerpiece, across a mantle, or grouped in a vase in the corner of a room.
Etsy Find Fridays: Gobble, Gobble!
Fri, Nov 20 2009 03:27
Here are some "unusual" Etsy Thanksgiving finds that truly make me laugh out loud!!! These are quite hilarious to me, and for anyone wondering, you won't be finding these gems in my house for the holidays!
Bless these artists' hearts!!!
Enjoy!
Tom Turkey 3D Pillow: Oh my!
Rollie Turkey: Never knew turkeys smiled!
Peanut Gobblers: Too funny!
Oven Roasted Turkey: HILARIOUS!!
Real Simple Gift Guide Favorites
Wed, Nov 18 2009 07:07
Of course you probably know my love for magazines and the December Real Simple gift guide (50 Gifts For Under $50) is truly my favorite issue of the year. I get so giddy when I receive it in the mail and can't wait to see what they have selected. So, here are my faves that I just adore this year...
How awesome would these Berkley Illustration Prints be in a children's room or a series of them down your hallway!
Fun!!! Framed Alphabet Prints
Of course I am crazy about these white Ceramic Nuts! I have previously purchased them for accessories in one of my homes!
How beautiful are these Penguin Hardcover Classic Books ! Books that you can finally display proudly!
Love, Love, Love these Crumpled Porcelain Shakers by Xie Dong! Hope I am getting these from Santa this year :)!
Tip Tuesday: Pronounce the word "CHAISE LONGUE"
Mon, Nov 16 2009 08:44
(If some of you don't know what I am talking about when I say "chaise", the following definition will help give you some insight. (Chaise Longue/Lounge): is a long chair, with or without arms, for reclining, having a seat lengthened to form a complete leg rest and sometimes an adjustable back.)
This wonderful piece of furniture has made a huge comeback into the design world as well as many of my homes recently so I thought it's proper origin and pronunciation deserved some blog time. I know I am not a linguistics specialist nor do I try to be one, however, when possible, I try to pronounce design words as best I can when their origin is known. Funny enough I still giggle a bit when I hear designers and trade professional mispronounce it!
From my studies in design school and history I know the word 'chaise longue' originates from the French, meaning, long chair. For fun I did some more research on this topic and read that the mispronunciation of this as a 'chase lounge' or 'lounge chair' began in America as early as the early-1800s. Referring to the 'chaise longue' as a 'lounge' or a 'chase' is more a false/folk etymology or eggcorn and is the result of 'americanizing' the word more than anything else.
The general thought is that since early writers didn't know how to spell or pronounce the French word, the term "chase lounge" makes some sense given that you do in fact, lounge on this long chair. Thus, instead of keeping to the true origin and correct pronunciation, the American interpretation of the chair's 'usefulness' hung around.
So, if you want to impress your design friends, or correct a sales person at a retailer, or just sound super smart at your next dinner party, listen to this clip of chaise and start practicing!
The general thought is that since early writers didn't know how to spell or pronounce the French word, the term "chase lounge" makes some sense given that you do in fact, lounge on this long chair. Thus, instead of keeping to the true origin and correct pronunciation, the American interpretation of the chair's 'usefulness' hung around.
So, if you want to impress your design friends, or correct a sales person at a retailer, or just sound super smart at your next dinner party, listen to this clip of chaise and start practicing!
chaise longue
[sheyz lawng, cheyz; Fr. shez lawng]–noun, plural chaise longues, French. chaises longues [shezlawng]
| a chair, with or without arms, for reclining, having a seat lengthened to form a complete leg rest and sometimes an adjustable back. |
Also, chaise lounge [sheyz lounj, cheyz]
Origin: 1790–1800; <>chaise lounge by folk etym.
chaise (shāz) n.
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Examples of chaise longues:
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Examples of chaise longues:
