Passing By

I passed this on the side of a little overpass.  
Privacy and it's very beautiful!  

I love the purple gate door! tres chic!

Knob Kraze!

I'm sure you've all seen or heard of the Esty website but I will toot its horn anyways!  i'm in love with it.  I was looking up unique drawer knobs and hardware.  There are such great finds! 

 how amazing are these clock-faced knobs?!

Art Deco pull handles in dark goldtone metal 

i'm LOVING these elegant blue knobs!

I actually have these exact same handles on my desk now!  pretty :)

I just like these old fashioned hardware keys.  I think they could be made into handles and it could be really fun!

Nostalgia

Nostalgic for summers in Connecticut 

Old Saybrook, CT on my friends boat

Clinton, CT

My sister Victoria and I

COCOCOZY GIVEAWAY #3: BUBBLING WITH DELIGHT OVER BATHROBES FROM WATERWORKS!

Be sure to check this out!!! COCOCOZY Waterworks Giveaway! FAB!


COCOCOZY GIVEAWAY #3: BUBBLING WITH DELIGHT OVER BATHROBES FROM WATERWORKS!

She's got the Knack!

I've been really inspired by Knack Studios lately!  The vintage shabby-chic furniture is drool worthy!  I've been so inspired that I'm FINALLY getting around to painting my desk that I've had for as long as I can remember!  I painted it when I was around 12 and it's been the same since then.  it's a cute french style antique...and now I'm updating it and painting it my favorite color:  TURQUOISE!  So thank you!

Behr Paint: Gem Turquoise

here is my desk now (ignore the mess): 

as soon as I laid eye's on "Trudie" I knew exactly what to do with my desk!

Knack Studios

I will keep you updated on how that goes :)

Girl Crush on Kelly Wearstler

I am in LOVE with Kelly Wearstler!!!  The woman can do no wrong! She works with hotels and resorts, offices, restaurants, retail boutiques and residences for a distinguished clientele is frequently featured in fashion, design, travel, lifestyle and business publications.  I LOVE her use of color...amazing!

Her areas of expertise include: interior design and artistic direction; product, textile and furniture design; graphic design; luxury lifestyle and public relations and marketing....seriously?!?!?!  anyone who can mix fashion and interior design is a hero to me. 

 

I can't WAIT to get her new book


SOOOO excited :)

 Kelly Wearstler

 

 
Kelly Wearstler

 

 

Kelly Wearstler 

 

Vogue 

 

So  bold and striking, yet elegant all at once!  LOVE LOVE LOVEE!!!  the ceiling in the drawing room of the Beverly Hills house is to DIE for (Kelly Wearstler Custom Design paper by Porter Teleo).  A 19th-century chandelier hangs from the ceiling and  Wearstler upholstered the seventies sofas in soft leather. The marble checkerboard coffee table is by Wearstler, and the vintage Moroccan rug is from Mansour Modern. <3

*Get Inspired*

Triangular!

I was listening to the radio the other day and they had a segment where they asked 4 children various questions and adults who called in had to guess their answer.  interestingly enough, when asked what their favorite shape was, 3 out of the 4 said a triangle.  This got me thinking, because the triangle has been used for centuries - think of the Egyptians and the pyramids.  the triangle is still an integral part of design in the modern world.

The triangle is also widely used in fashion especially in the 70s when many geometric shapes were used.  i have a cuff bracelet with a triangle pattern that is very 1970s and i loveee it (as i love all things from the 60s/70s). The triangle was also used in fashion in the 70s with the wider clothes at the bottom of the body(flares etc.) and the narrow clothes at the top then in the 8os it reversed with skinny jeans on the bottom and wide shoulders at the top.  the the present day all these have come back.

 one line i particularly love is Nicole Richie's House of Harlow 1960s jewelry line which uses the triangle all over the place!!!

Triangles are also greatly used in fabrics and prints.  I think a triangle repeated makes such a wonderful odd pattern you can flip them every other and make a line, you can angle them, make them into a wave type pattern - the possibilities are endless

of course we all know the Pythagorean theorem - really the use of triangles is endless!  here are wonderful examples of the triangle incorporated in architecture:

Pittman Dowell Residence in LA

Modern Triangular Shape House Geometrical Design

definitely interesting and something to think about!!

*Get Inspired!*

Renovation

I have SOO many ideas floating in my head.  I am actually really excited about my upcoming plans.  First: some background.  I moved out to San Diego in august of 2009 with my roommate.  In an effort to save money ALL of our furniture was given to us by family members, which of course I am grateful for, however, nothing matches and we have SUCH a hodgepodge of things.  Some are hideous, some are livable.  Overall however, it's just a mess.  I've been scheming for a while now as how to make our apartment super cute and cohesive with little to no budget while tying together our random furniture pieces.  Student Dilemma 101, right?!?!  well, I had an epiphany while at the Laguna Design Center talks.  I'm SO excited now!  I want to do a before and after project!  AHH!  but i will share with you my design inspirations through pictures.  I even made my roommate a powerpoint.  I'm such a dork. 

I want to document the whole process...the cost of each item, the before and afters!  So first I will show you my actual furniture (try not to vomit at their sight) and my inspiration pictures!

This is my living room now.  Ugh....so sad looking.  The coffee table i actually found on the sidewalk!  someone was throwing it out!  it's actually very pretty with a marble top.  The rug is mine as well (hand painted brown zebra stipes) and they are the only 2 things i actually like in this room.  everything else is a mess.  and we can't alter the paint...or carpet.  *sigh....*  so here is my game plan:

                                          here is my powerpoint slide of my inspirations!

The Sofa is in great condition so I am buying a slipcover (since i have ZERO idea on how to reupholster...but one day i WILL learn)  I found it on amazon for about 50 dollars!  (this is the most expensive of the items we would have to purchase).  I also figured since the walls are so white and boring that I could get a little crazy with color everywhere else.  

I then want to put some Orange-Red Coral pillows to really bring out the turquoise!   (in a brighter shade obviously)  There is a beautiful pattern by Schumacher called "Coral," but the image isn't up yet!

These flowers are also a color inspiration that I want to carry through into the kitchen:  

For the Living Room furniture I am just going to buy a stain and get all 3 wooden pieces the same shade of an espresso brown.

This is my Kitchen Inspiration board!

ughh....we got this table set for free.  i HATE it.  it's masculine...hideous...blahh.  here is my plan!

I want to sand off the finish and paint the chair turquoise!  (like the picture on the bottom)

then I want to add a new seat cover and I found this fabulous fabric from Schumacher named "Temple Garden."

I eventually want to take the glass top and make it into a mosaic like so:

Then, as in my re-purposed article, I am taking my Jack Daniels bottle and using it as a flower vase to put in some orange daises  :)

 

ifloor

Look Out Above!

Why do floors and walls get all the attention???  Is the ceiling some sort of ugly-step sister??  Or is the idea of dealing with dripping and looking up getting the best of the us??

As I was sitting in my history of interiors class, it dawned on me that in this day and age the ceiling is ignored and neglected.  think about it: back in the renaissance they had gorgeous murals and paintings. The middle ages, baroque and rococo, and onward also had coffered ceilings, trusses, painted ceilings, etc. The ceiling can really make a room (if done the right way, of course!)

If I wasn't renting an apartment right now then i would be getting rid of this horrid popcorn ceiling righttt abouttt....NOW!

 

1. Painted Ceilings  

I love the two toned effect in this room!  Since the ceiling receives the least amount of light in a room, painting it a lighter shade than the walls seems to almost lift the top off the room!  The lighter shade also brings out the architectural details that might have otherwise been lost had the room been one solid shade of turquoise.   

House Beautiful 

2.  Pressed Tin Ceiling

     I'm OBSESSING over this tin pressed ceiling! *I DIE!*  It can be expensive BUT it is well worth it.  I also read an article about a couple from Idaho who re-purposed tin from an old home and re-installed it in their kitchen and dining room for $200...total!  check it out here: Pressed Tin Ceiling

I could honestly write a whole entry on my love of tin pressed ceilings. I also love their versatility from an art deco look to a charming Victorian appeal, from ceilings to backslashes, from kitchens to just about any room in the house!  One more thing and then i'm shutting up:  You can order samples for free (just pay shipping) to test out the different looks and patterns from places such as Architectural Depot.

Plaster of Paris

3.  Plastered Ceilings

I LOVE my history to interiors class, which I'm sure everyone get's sick of hearing me talk about.  However, It's endlessly amazing to me how not that much has changed in the last few hundred years, seriously.  When I go out now I see Greek "Klismos" chairs, Italian "Dante" chairs.  even one of my favorite pieces ever, the chaise, is from the Greek Kline/ Roman Lectus so they could have their heads up to eat!  Maybe it's because they are timeless and why mess with it???  When I heard Barry Dixon Speak at the Laguna Design Center, I noticed that he used a lot of plastered ceilings. 

The Plaster of Paris ceiling corner I found caught my attention for a number of reasons.  The first being that when I hear "Plaster of Paris" I immediately think of middle school art class and secondly because I had no idea how beautiful it could be!

4.  Glass Ceiling

 

Babol-de-Majo Illuminazione

A glass or other reflective covered ceiling calls for an amazing lighting job.  The light will literally dance off the reflective surfaces and illuminate the whole room!  Although this style is more commonly seen in modern interiors, I think it has the possibility to work in a transitional style home if done properly.

5. Coffered Ceilings

I love coffered ceilings!  They add such a unique element to a home.  I also love when contrasting colors are used, such as white and a dark brown to give a beam-like effect.  Here, the coffered ceiling really calls attention to the octagonal  shape of the room which is echoed in the ceiling, table, walls, plates and just about every element in the room.  beautifully executed!

6.  Wood Ceilings

There is so much that can be done with wood ceilings that I could go on forever!  (fret not - I won't)  The vertical planks in the top picture which mirror the floors really elongates the room and makes it seemingly endless.

Horizontal planks and trusses give it a more traditional, cottage like feel (in my opinion).  I love the natural colored wood but it could also be painted!

 HGTV

7. Beam Ceilings

There are so many different ways to use beams!  The top picture evokes more of a ski lodge feel while the bottom can really be used in almost any home ranging from Victorian to modern; very dramatic!  the possibilites are endless!

8. Wallpapered Ceilings

not much to say except: STUNNING!