I was just introduced to Artaissance, and I adore this line – 40 colorful, beautiful prints from Amy Butler. Check them out:
See more and get the goodies here.
They also have a great deal where you can get a sample of the art – about 5.5″x8.5″, for $5.00 – and if you choose to buy then that $5.00 goes to the full-size version!
Do you like these as much as her fabrics?
Segovia and the older cities of Spain are full of gorgeous, ornate wooden doors which I would love to be able to pack up and bring back home with me, but with the price of checking bags these days it’s just not an option. However, one can acquire such goodies in the states from wonderful companies such as Portera Doors, who lovingly restore antique Spanish doors in California. …Oh if I was a rich girl…
A close-up
Does the door above look familiar? Remember the chest from the Castle Alcazar in this post?
The two images below are the chest –
A close-up
A close-up
So – over the next couple of weeks I’m going to try and take pictures of all the gorgeous doors around the city so you can compare for yourself!
images via Portera Doors
I’m literally about to walk out the door to the airport to fly out of Newark tonight and land in Madrid in the morning. I’ll be in Spain with my wonderful boyfriend, who’s teaching English there this year – Segovia to be exact – for about a month. However, the first week in January we will be in Morocco visiting Marrakesh and Fes – which I’m super excited about. Don’t worry I will be updating you with photos as often as I can!
For now, I thought I’d try to gain a little serenity with these lovely homes from Spanish magazine, “Micasa,” in order to mentally prepare for dealing with the airport!
beautiful coffee table
check out the shoe storage!
what do you think of the newspaper finish on the ovens – or cabinets I can’t tell…
images via MiCasa
House Beautiful had an exciting article in the Dec/Jan 2010 issue called “The Next 20 the Next Wave,” which showcased 20 designers their editors picked for keeping an eye on. Danielle Fennoy was one of them and I think you guys will really appreciate her beautiful, practical, fuss-free design sense – and her philosophy that design is not only for the privileged, but “good design should be accessible to everyone.” I agree.
The perfect bedroom – pretty and serene
The above are from a West Village apartment.
“The goal of this project centered on accentuating and filtering the light, restoring the original character of the building, adding modern conveniences, and making the place look and feel like home. In this case, the floors became the most major transformative feature of the project. Instead of staining them, we chose to “whitewash” them with a hint of blue tinting. Although each room has a specific mood and function, the continuous blue floor became a unifying feature throughout the entire apartment.”
I love the bedroom in this one too, modern, yet still warm and pretty.
The above two are from a midtown apartment.
“With an open living/dining space and closed kitchen at one end, the goal of the project was ultimately about “defining” space without putting up physical walls. In order to achieve this, we created more functional and intimate zones that created an open kitchen with peninsula and nearby dining area.”
The amazingly large kitchen above from a Lower East Side apartment.
“In addition to giving the place an overall “vintage chic” aesthetic to go with her collection of vintage furniture and barber’s accessories, we also changed how the space would feel and function. What was once a closed eat-in-kitchen became a large open kitchen with lots of storage, a dining peninsula, and views of the living room, terrace, and the gorgeous city beyond.”
This shot is from a Chelsea apartment.
“This was previously a segmented studio alcove apartment…. a unifying color scheme ties it all together. All these elements really made the space look and feel spacious while still providing the necessary functions of a modern day NYC apartment.”
What do you think of her style? You can see more and read her philosophy on her company site, Revamp.
I hope everyone is loving their holiday! I’m going to be random today and share some not so holiday photos, just because they’re relaxing and we could all use a little bit less pressure this time of year!
So, my weakness when it comes to design is color. I’m a bit afraid of it and always lean towards white or soft neutrals. I know, however, that I have to take baby steps to walk the path to using rich, bold colors – so here’s a baby step.
These palettes were sent to me by Olympic, who introduced a line partnered with the Audubon Society to raise awareness of the natural world, and to emphasize the importance of environmentally-conscious painting.
Here are the palettes. I’ve lettered them and would really like to hear which one is your favorite!
A. Tranquil
B. Splendor
C. Mysterious
D. Majestic
E. Harmony
F. Grandeur
G. Glorious
H. Brilliance
If I had to choose I’d pick E. Harmony. How about you?
I want to wish you all a really wonderful holiday and I hope you get to spend time and laughs with you loved ones! On Monday I’ll be leaving for Spain to see my boyfriend, Chris, where I’ll be staying for a month, a week of which I’ll be in Morocco. I will do my best to update you with photos! Thank you all so much for your ongoing support and again, have a great holiday!
Love all the reds!
via Room Envy
What do you think of the post-it note Christmas tree? You could write sweet messages on them!
via Living Etc.
This mantle is GORGEOUS!
What a great room to curl up with your honey on Christmas Eve!
via BHG
Siobhán! Congrats to you!
Thanks to all for entering. Siobhán, please email me at [email protected] with your shipping address and a telephone number for the shipping company.
A little eye candy for you. Hang in there – the holiday is almost here!
The above image=heaven
via Souvenirs of a Girl
via My Romantic Home
This bed is soooo pretty.
via Homebug
This actually really makes me yearn for summer evenings.
via A Fanciful Twist
I was really flattered when Marcela of Deco and Design asked me for a little house tour. Unfortunately since I am currently “without house,” I had to send her photos from a very cute studio apartment I lived in a couple of years ago. It was on the ground floor of a brownstone in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Park Slope. I was even lucky enough to have my own little backyard. When I signed the lease on this apartment is when I really started to get interested in interior design. I had no idea how to decorate a studio and finally didn’t have any roommates and could decorate how I wanted. Most of my furnishings are hand-me-down or cheap finds, as my entire budget went to rent on the place. So, really, this apartment was my first stab at decorating.
You can read her post on my apartment here.
MOSTRÁ TU CASA – LA CASA DE ASHLEY
The apartment had a lot of charming little built-ins, like the pantry above – and the desk and shelves below
The apartment did have a separate eat-in kitchen, which was really nice.
I was always changing things around as you can tell
This is the cooking area. The counter had been covered in a hideous, old, stained yellow laminate, so I went and bought some cheap textured drawer liner and resurfaced the counter for less than $14. It help up surprisingly well. No air bubbles or leaking into the seams or anything.
A non-working fireplace in my living room/bedroom.
I loved the shutters, hardwood floors, and tin ceiling.
Sorry another blurry shot – this cupboard was also built-in.
So, I know it’s not much, but I love looking back to it!
A casual base with touches of glamor is how I prefer to dress – on the rare occurrence that I leave my house and need to look presentable. On the farm I spend my days in old jeans and sweaters because I don’t worry about them getting muddy or ripped or succumbing to any other sort of farm-induced damage. But, every now and then I need to feel like a girl again and get a little dressed up and go out. I’ve liked Ann Taylor Loft for a long time, and I’ve really been liking their Holiday ’09 collection.
The plum of this scarf is my new favorite color. I thought this tweed jacket was really cute, too.
They have so many soft sweaters in their “lounge” line, I would wear them throughout the day even when I wasn’t lounging
Some cute looks from their lookbook
Unfortunately a lot of the cute stuff I saw in their store is nowhere to be found on their site
What do you think of Ann Taylor Loft?
