On Vacation in St. Lucia!

Sorry for not posting lately...my hubby and I are vacationing in St. Lucia complements of the Newlywed Game! I'll be back at the end of the week!

The beauty in Design

"Design is not making beauty,
beauty emerges from selection,
affinities, integration, love."

~Louis Kahn


Image via Home Interior Design



Image via ArhZine



Image via Metropolitan Home



Image via Out in Home



Image via Delhi Interiors


Hope you have a wonderful Monday!

Advanced Interior Designs...original designs & reproductions!

Today I was looking through Advanced Interior Design's website and found many great furnishings! I especially love their lighting section...just stunning pieces! The site provides high quality original designs and reproductions of modern and classic furniture. Check them out here. I decided to post a few of my favorites!

This modern Ludlow Platform Bed is very luxurious! It has a sleek button-tufted headboard and framed in a rich wenge border. Can you imagine this bed in your bedroom?

This Aristocrat two Piece Sofa Set is so classy and rich looking! They would look amazing against dark dramatic walls!

The Daybed Lounger shown here in white, can work in any room while looking very sleek in design.

The Dub Cafe Table is fun and functional. A great way to add some modern style in a small dinning area.

The Le Corbusier Pony Chaise Lounge is a classic modern reproduction of the Le Corbusier chaise lounge LC4 originally designed in 1928. Very classic!

This Cellula Style Triple Chandelier is just stunning!

Isn't this Black and Crystal "Dripping" Chandelier beautiful?! Very glam and chic! I love the black base with clear crystals!

What do you think about this website? Do you have any modern furniture in your home?

Design Inspiration

I have a folder filled with images of interiors that I have saved simply because I love something about each one. Every other week, I will post a few of these images and describe why I fell in love with them. This digital folder is not organized or labeled (I need to work on that) so I apologize for not labeling each image. If you know where one came from, please let me know.

This interior is very dramatic. The grouped gold wall art pops against that dark blue wall, which also bring out the gold pillows on the sofa. By using the clear coffee table, the focus is on the zebra rug and all the pattern and color on the white sofa!


This vanity is very chic and elegant! I love the diamond pattern on the walls. Its either wallpaper or painted. I would be thrilled to get ready everyday in this space!


This room is very neutral with a lot of texture and pattern. The rug really brings the room together and the orange pillow adds a much needed pop of color.


The soft colors are a beautiful backdrop for that bright yellow chair. It is very unpredictable and bold!

Image via Architectural Digest

I was drawn to this interior because of that gorgeous chandelier! I want one for my dinning room! Also, the piano is stunning in the corner with that beautiful view of the city.


Besides the color scheme using my favorite color (turquoise), I love that silver coffee table! Don't be afraid to add different furniture finishes to a space.

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Images from my (unorganized) design inspiration folder. Please let me know if one of these images is yours or if you know where it came from, as I just save images I love! ******************

Oh how I love Zebra print

I've been noticing how the zebra print is poping up everywhere lately, especially the Zebra print cowhide rugs! I have always loved zebra print...it started back in high school when I decorated my room in blue with ALOT of zebra accents! Here are some beautiful interiors designed with some zebra print that truly make me drool...

Image via Luxury Interiors

Of course I just LOVE pairing a zebra print with a bold color like these chairs! So dramatic!

Images via Tonic home

Image via New York Social Diary

Image via Modern Design


Image via Monique Lhuilier

How do you feel about Zebra print? Do you have it somewhere in your home? I'd love to see pictures!!

Painting Tips

Choosing the right color

First off, when selecting a wall color, you need to take the color of your floors into consideration. Usually, people think only about how a paint hue relates to their furniture and forget that their floors have a color too. You need to experiment with warmer and cooler versions of the shade you think you want.

Remember that samples are cheap but repainting a room is not.

You can paint large test swatches on the walls or paint pieces of poster board, which can be moved around to see how colors look in different light. Don't forget to feather the edges with a brush, when painting the on the wall, to avoid creating ridges that will need to be sanded.

Design Button

katy elliott

Selecting a finish

Figuring out which finish to use depends on taste and your lifestyle. Flat finishes have barely any sheen and usually absorb light and hide imperfections. I love eggshell because it has a subtle sheen and texture and is MORE durable and washable which is always nice, especially if you have children! Semigloss is even more durable and washable and has an obvious sheen, this finish is great for woodwork and doors!

Then there are high-gloss finishes which are best for bathrooms. Try to buy a paint that is moisture resistant when painting your bathroom.

countryliving.com

Don't be afraid of color

People often choose white walls because they do not want to commit to a particular color. I can totally understand that! But keep in mind that in a white space, it is harder to make white furniture look good. With color on the wall, white furniture tends to stand out.

Easy maintenance tips

Keep a small jar of paint and a sponge brush handy for touchups. If stored indoors, latex paint can last a decade.

To clean walls, apply mild dish soap to a wet cloth and gently wipe away stains; never apply soap directly to a wall.

Do you RUE?

Only a few more days until the first issue of Rue Magazine (September 16th to be exact)! I am very excited! I am sure you have all heard about this new online magazine by now but if you have not...

The lovely and talented Crystal Gentilello, Anne Sage, Alain Kaczmarski, and Caitlin Flemming, who met through the blogging world, formed their own design magazine.


Rue Magazine gave us two sneak peaks so far of the first issue! I don't know about you but it definitely has left me wanting more.

Sneak peak #1...

Look at that Chandelier! Love the soft colors with the dark furniture and wall decor. Very Chic!


Sneak Peak #2...

This bookcase is stylized perfectly with old and new!

This interior is just luxurious! I want to move in! That rug is amazing.

Don't forget to spread the word with a "Do You Rue?" button on your blog. I just did! Go here to get a button and post it in your margins and link to their site!

Re-decorating

So after falling in love with the Big Brother house decor, I am now on a mission to add new pillows to my sofa. I need some more pattern in my living room! Here are some pillows that are on my wish list!

Love this fun blue and brown flower throw pillow from Donna Karan Home!

This Trellis pattern is just fabulous! Both pillows are from Burke Decor. The square pillow retails for $75 and the long pillow reatils for $95.

I am really loving this zig zag pattern! It's everywhere right now. You can find this pillow at Linens n Things for $50. I also found the same fabric from fabric.com and am thinking about making it myself.

This beautiful botanical pillow is from Donna Karan Home and retails for $34.99

These pillows are from All Modern for $60




I found this website www.inmod.com offers a Pillow design studio. You can customize pillows for your home! You start by choosing from dozens of designs, and select a premium fabric, size, and the embroidery color for each element of the design.

Love fun extra space

Ever wish you had a place in your home to throw shoes, jackets, etc, after walking in the door? I sure wish I did! But I do not have a large laundry room or extra space in my entry way. Here are a few images that I found of beautiful mud rooms and entry ways with storage.

I love the numbers placed on the bottom of the bench. Such detail! This space is very simple yet you can tell there is a lot of organization to it. I'm sure that cabinet on the left can hold a lot.
via Working Woman's Guide to Domestic Success

This space is very cheerful! There is definetly a lot of individual storage areas.
via Real Simple

This space has a worldly style with the maps on the wall and the antique decor on top of the furniture piece. See, storage can be stylish!

This mudroom is also the laundry room. A great way to combine two important functions into one. By adding a vase with flowers and keeping storage behind closed doors, this room does not feel cluttered at all.
via john and michele blog

Again, by adding some pretty decor items above the storage piece, you take the focus off of the shoes and hung items.
via Decor Pad

This mud room has to be the most functional, just look at that dog bed! How creative!
via Home House Design

This entry way is proof that you do not need a very large space to add some storage and organization to your home. I love how everything is labeled!
via Home Life

Do you have a room or certain area in your home that helps you feel organized?