Natural Attraction

Yesterday, I did some granite shopping for Kelp Sushi Joint. I am always amazed by the beauty of natural products. Plus, I love taking little field trips and getting out and looking at different items. Check out these beauties!

I love the linear direction in the next two...

We ended up picking this one! It will be at the POS counter in the restaurant:

I stumbled across this slab and fell in love with it! I am dying to use it somewhere... I think I have the perfect residential project for it...

Are you a fan of natural counter tops?

xo}L

Living Small

I just ran across these images from The Every Girl blog (if you haven't checked this blog out, you surely should!) and it instantly took me back to my days of small apartment city living. My Chicago apartment was so tiny, organization was a challenge for me. (Hey, I may be a designer, but I never said I was an organizer. It's actually one of my biggest flaws! Working on it though!!) 

The following images make small city living (or just small living in general) pretty, polished and styled perfectly, and best of all, functional! It's all about how you style it!

If shoe boxes are pretty, showcase them!

Make sunglasses easy and accessible. 

Commit a shelf to make up and jewelry so it's not scattered.

Together as a whole, it looks collected, polished and most of all pretty! I love how they have the dresses on the back of the door hooks, someone once told me to save time in the morning, put your outfit you plan to wear on the back of your bedroom door on hooks, it kind of gets you excited to start your day!

Next up: Kitchen

Average things look so much prettier when displayed. Putting them in nice canisters and jars make them easily accessible and actually might make you more creative to use them when cooking! 

Your items may not be as perfectly matched and color coordinated, but that is okay. Sometimes things look most beautiful when mismatched. However, if you aspire for a more coordinated look, it's important to find one common thread color and try to find it in each new piece (it can be as simple as white! As long as there is some kind of color thread on all the pieces, it will make visual sense!)

This photo really makes me smile. It really takes me back to my city living days. I remember feeling frustrated about the lack of kitchen storage and having the microwave and coffeepot in a weird spot. I wish I had seen these images back then, I may have felt differently. 

The coolest part? These are all done with great sturdy little wire shelves, you can get them from hardware stores and even Target has them!

I hope you feel inspired to get to work on your small space! Make it functional and styled, add a touch of whimsy with the practical stuff, layer with a piece of art or a plant. Most importantly make it you!

xo}L

All images via The Every Girl blog

Double Take

This morning  I was doing my routine coffee + pinterest browse, and this photo came up on my feed and I had to do a double take:

image via pinterest

What really caught my attention was the colors, the oh so beautiful colors! And that rug, I can't get enough of that rug. As many of you know, I am not a huge fan of a mirror over a mantel, I truly feel like a mirror is only as good as the reflection it creates... and quite honestly, why do I want to see a reflection of a wall/ceiling? UNLESS it's some jaw dropping amazing ceiling. But I will let this mirror slide since it is a rather beautiful ceiling. ;)

So I clicked on the pic and it took me to this great blog So Haute and I got to see other photos of the room, oh how I love thee! 

Image via: So Haute

Image via: So Haute

This interior just keeps getting better and better. I am going wild over the colors, patterns, textures and that art, can we say wow?! It really takes the room to another level. I love the juxtaposition of modern furniture, with classic clean lined furniture then all the ornate details in the house. It's pretty amazing if you ask me. The perfect marriage of styles and items and they all coexist beautifully. Big kudos to designer Jamie Drake. This room is surely love at first sight. 

What I'm Loving This Wednesday: Todd Hase

I absolutely love everything from Todd Hase, I know I said that about Jonathan Adler too, but it’s true this time too! His collection includes both French inspired reproductions and antiques, all beautifully scaled. The line features upholstery, casegoods, tables, textiles and other accessories, like the beautiful blended porcelain Pas de Deux horse lamp in the picture below. Todd made a name for himself with his signature paring of streamlined French revolution pieces and glossy paint in saturated shades. 

 I really love that his home furnishing are very usable and simplified but still feature incredibly modern, beautiful design.  Because he grew up in a family of antique dealers, all of Todd knows how important quality is in home goods. All of his products are made from high quality materials and are made to last. Another thing that I love about Todd Hase is that his entire collection is made in the US. His collection of hand selected antiques was acquired from Paris and the local area near his chateau in Normandy. Wouldn’t I love to see that home! 

 

I’ve included a picture that features the elegant pieces from Todd Hase’s line, the Tuxedo club chair, the Lucy Lucite table and his Louis Xxi arm chair. These chairs and his entire collection of other chairs and sofas can be custom made with one of over 300 different upholstery options. Todd’s entire line can be viewed online at www.toddhase.com or you can always visit one of his showrooms, which are currently only in New York City, the Hamptons and LA. However, there will soon be a store opening up in Palm Beach so I am getting very excited to be able to visit that one!

Fabric Friday: Manuel Canovas

Well, the truth is out... I love fabric! However, I love fabric even more when it's bursting with color and beautiful patterns and sometimes even stories. So the other day when I was sourcing fabrics and I stumbled across this newer collection from Manuel Canovas I was more than pleased!

All images via Manuel Canovas

Not all of the lines have Asian influence, some are paisley and other great patterns as well as some nice solids. I think it would be so fun to use this fabric in a project. What do you think?

xo}L

Designer crush: Modern Declaration

As a designer, I often find myself buried in magazines, books and sometimes even Pinterest. Admiring the works of my peers. Yesterday, I stumbled across this photo:

Image via Modern Declaration

I was instantly charmed by the work of Daun Curry of Modern Declaration. I felt like we were long lost sisters or something! I love her style. I love when design can be timeless but playful. If given the opportunity, I always try to stick a little whimsy in my design work. I am so happy to look at her spaces and see the same and look forward to seeing much more of her talented work.

What do you think? Are you not giddy for the traditional damask print punched up a notch with the hand guns?! I AM!

xo}L

What I'm Loving This Wednesday: Aimee Wilder Wallpaper Collection

When it comes to wallpaper, I absolutely love Aimee Wilder. Her designs are modern, simple and beautiful. While you can use this line in just about any room or setting, I find that it works especially well in children’s rooms. You can create a playful and youthful look that is still modern and chic. This line of wallpaper features a really great array of different colors and patterns, some of which are actually going to be featured on Vans shoes in the near future. 

According to Aimee, her influences include typography, logo design, illustration, textiles, urban toy design, rock poster art. Once you see her line, you’ll definitely see these elements emerge. You can use her patterns to help create a really awesome vibe in any room. The Aimee Wilder line of wallpaper is available at lots of different retailers and online stores. You can also shop on her website, which allows you to order samples or wallpaper by the sheet or yard as well as art prints, t-shirts and pillows that feature her patterns. 

Whether you’re looking for something bright and playful or more subdued and sleek, you’re sure to find it within Aimee Wilder’s collection. Here, I am showing Birds (the teal and green pattern), CropCircles (blue and white) and Gondolas. There are so many more to choose from, and if you liked these, or have a secret passion for robots, you’ll definitely want to check out the rest of her line: http://www.aimeewilder.com.