{inspiration} green sofa

Oh my, I have fallen in love. Is it the amazing green, gorgeously tufted sofa or the sudden burst of poppy orange flowers? Just look at the detailing of the windows (to die). What I love most about this space is it is a perfect example of passion and restraint. I love the pureness of the white walls against these deep saturations of color. I love how the vibrancy of color is wonderfully edited and kept grounded by the repeated use of rich, tricorn black. The space is daring and fresh and I am passionately loving it! And let's go back to that sofa... Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

{style favorites} feminine details

There are some things that I will always love in decorating... timeless treasures that I never outgrow or get tired of seeing... elements that bring a touch of feminine detail into a space without being too loud or forced... touches that radiate elegance, grace and quiet beauty.
* Scroll legs in white or black finishes
* Chaise lounges
* Creamy whites, soft whites, cocoa browns and warm greys
* Aging patinas
* Small flourishes of gold
* Gorgeous, statement pillows
* Tufting
* Warm velvets in luxurious colors (peacock blue, anyone?)
* Linen(s) with pin-tucks, ruffles or pleating
* Simple, yet beautiful, crystal chandeliers (yes, yes, yes)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

{inspiration} a modern day pink

Oh my... I am so super late at getting this out today, I apologize profusely. But, isn't hot pink and vivid, bright white just worth a bit of a wait?! Loving this color palette right now. It's hip and chic and of the moment. It is also a whole lot of fun (and a lot less staid) when you sprinkle in dashes of robin's egg blue. To avoid feeling overly feminine accent the space with masculine forms and fabrics... and add some great sculptural elements for weight. Love it!

{inspiration} as easy as summer mornings

An 1880's seaside cottage... a rambling beauty with weeping trees, wisteria vines and nostalgic grace. I love it's easy romance, it's unfussy furnishings, it's sense of calm. The home is grand but comfortable, filled with cheerful marigold, purple, stone blue, brown, whites and wood. I love the rag rugs and geometric ceiling pattern all a perfect embodiment of a season of warm celebration where the winds blow gently in the thick, cloudless sky. Ah, here is to summer.... to summer.... to summer with love. Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

Quilts, food and beach sessions

Hey everybody! Hope everyone had a nice weekend. 

When I picked up my mail this morning, I was happy to find that the package that I have been waiting for had arrived! I ordered two adorable quilts on Etsy from Crooked Barn Vintage's store. One for Leeluu (pink) and one for the new baby (blue). They are made wonderfully and look absolutely beautiful in their room! 

I feel totally different with this pregnancy; I'm uncomfortable most of the time and I'm not as big as I have been in the past. Maybe it is the vegan diet, or maybe it has something to do with the gender of the baby! I read a bunch of old wive's tales about gender prediction hoping I may might find some clarification as to why I feel differently then when I was pregnant with my two girls... Although wive's tales aren't very credible, I do like trying to pretend I know what I am going to have!

Last week I made mostly simple dinners; breakfast burritos, roasted vegetable focaccia pizza, carrot soup with quinoa salad, seitan casserole and Mexican-style rice and beans. 

Do you plan our your meals for the week, or just make whatever you can find in the fridge?

Mexican style rice and beans

This is my belly shot at thirty one weeks. I have been going to the beach almost everyday! When Leeluu wakes up in the morning, she peeks out the window and gives me the weather report and then asks " can we go to the beach?" I think I have a little beach bum on my hands!

workin' on the castle

{inspiration} a bedroom retreat

I spent the weekend concepting a modern retreat bedroom for a client. The idea is to combine modern, crisp color with warm, enveloping hues. Whites against creams, aquas with dovetail grays. I love mixing new elements with organic pieces; a beautiful bone, beaded chandelier, a pair of vintage bedside lamps, metallic pops, nailhead trim & graphic, ironwork duvet. Balance, beauty and calm...

Have a wonderful week everyone

{idea notebook} Not So Garden Variety

Who wouldn't want to walk out their back door and into a tiny oasis? Whether for work or for play these little sheds are more cottage hideaway than garden variety... and I'm loving them! (especially that gorgeous, ornate molding...to die!) How perfect for a small studio or guest retreat. May I have one please?! Happy wonderful weekend everyone!

{idea notebook} whites with everything

I am absolutely loving white right now... in moldings and casings and trim on walls, in upholstery (always) and rugs and draperies. I am loving the brilliant white of the Greek isles... especially mixed with blues, pinks and vibrant orange and the softer white of sandy shores. White looks fantastic with texture and pattern and pitch perfect with crisp, green fauna and tons of organic pottery. In my mind, nothing compares to how pure white can invigorate a space with simplicity, relaxed elegance and freshness. It is always just right, and I am so loving it!

{idea notebook} How to Paint a Plywood Chair

It has been awhile since I have posted a d-i-y project. So when I was looking for a way to upcycle some plain, plywood chairs I picked up at a local garage sale I found this great how-to from Fresh Home and had to share it. I am envisioning six of them lining my farm-house, kitchen table. I am loving the idea of their modern forms perfectly accenting something old and wooden. Also loving the idea of grassy-green legs, a cheerful, pink or cherry red seat and shiny white dots... so super cute!

Step 1: Clean the Veneer Seat

Do this using a cloth and TSP detergent solution. Sand with 80-grit sandpaper to roughen the surface so that the primer will adhere; then, wipe clean.

Step 2: Clean the Legs

Do this using mineral spirits, scouring any rust spots using a wire brush. Wash with a mild detergent then smooth with 150-grit sandpaper and leave to dry completely.

Step 3: Paint the Legs

Use a two-in-one rust converter product that primes and topcoats new or lightly rusted ferrous metals, leaving it to dry for at least 16 hours between coats.

Step 4: Paint the Seat

Prime the seat and apply a coat of white gloss acrylic, leaving it to dry them lightly smoothing with 180-grit sandpaper and applying a second coat.

Step 5: Create the Design

Measuring the chair back and seat to divide it vertically into five sections; then, mark spot centers every 3-in. along the lines, staggering them slightly. Apply masking tape over the marks to make circles on the tape by marking around a coin. Cut around the circles using a utility knife, peeling away the tape circle to paint. Apply colored gloss acrylics or artist paint over the circle with a small brush and leave to dry. (I would like to recommend that you seal the chair with 1-2 coats of polyurethane once paint has dred and prior to using for extra protection!)

{inspiration} Rainbow Colors

Forever happy, brilliant and bright, Rainbow colors and crisp white never seem to fail each other. I love how they perfectly echo the cheerful feeling of summer- joyfully invigorating a space with freshness and delight. I am particularly loving them in bold, graphic patterns (see the fantastic rug above & the darling pinwheel pillow at top!) So much fabulous fun! "Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection, the lovers and dreamers and me." (Paul Williams) Have a happy mid-week everyone!

{loving} decor that brings on nostalgia

Hello friends... another weekend has come and gone and a new week is upon us, and for some reason I am feeling a touch of nostalgia. Maybe it is the lingering end of summer and the thought of the sunsets fading away or maybe it is just a longing for decor that envelops me with a sense of history. Whatever it may be, I thought I would share some things I find truly beautiful... and what is old is always new and of course, I am always loving it. Have a wonderful week everyone!

{inspiration} color choices

Selecting the perfect color always starts as a bit of a mystery. Where does color inspiration come from? The answer is oddly and most wonderfully, almost anywhere... and often, it is the interpretation of your inspiration that becomes truly unique and if your lucky...magical!

{colour inspiration} yellow accents

I had a client say to me recently that she hated yellow. Two actually. So I had to stop and wonder why a color could be so polarizing? For instance I do not love yellow as a color on it's own. I don't ever wear it. I do like it in sunflowers and daisies or in vibrant prairie grasses, but it doesn't move me like a beautiful pink, green, blue or gray can. The amazing thing is, and I should repeat this very exuberantly, I love yellow in a room! Within a space yellow can be quite the perfect color accent taking on any number of moods. It pairs well with so many other colors (navy, orange, white, gray, black, green, brown and creams) and transforms from baby sweet to graphically cool without a second thought.