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

It's all about the BRIGHTS

I'm pretty excited about this upcoming event, I'm actually counting the days (only 5 days!) until Tampa Bay Fashion Week's upcoming underground party: BRIGHT NIGHTS.

Well, you know me, I am always finding a way to get inspired and this time the world of fashion and interior design collide and I am thinking about bright fashion, bright interiors and beyond, I just can't get enough.

Bright colors do not only have to happen inside your home, let the brightness shine as people approach, get creative with a door color, that is a big way to say hello.

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Maybe you're not bold enough to greet people with a bright hue, keeping it indoors is okay too. Give guests their own color at your dining table.

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What would a post about bright colors be, without Jonathan Adler? It would be like pizza with no sauce, well wait, that does exist, but I mean seriously, how good is pizza without the sauce?? Okay, you get my point.

This is one of my all time favorite interiors by JA, I just love how he put this space together, bright, cheery and classic.

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If you are feeling really bold, you will love this next image. Lacquered Apple Green walls? Sign me up!

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Now after all, this post is inspired by a fashion party, so lets get to some fashion inspiration!

Image via: Tres Awesome

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And we can't forget about the boys...

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So are you pumped too? What will I be seeing YOU wearing?

See you Friday!

xo}L

Interior Design, in the medical field!

Recently, I had a friend instagram the following photo to me while she was at her Dermatologist...

Her caption was that she loved the chairs and they made her think of me. These are some pretty gorg chairs, and personally I feel a little unexpected from your typical medical office waiting room. However, this is a great example, of a company who pays attention to the details and took time to make a space beautiful, and their clients notice! (They even share it!)

I can't emphasize enough how important it is to incorporate good interior design into your workspace environment. Whether you have a restaurant, retail space, hair salon, doctors office or even a car dealership, excellent design speaks in volumes and leaves your clients feeling good and excited to spend money with you for their experience. Yes, they are there for a reason, for your service and what you offer, but something has to leave them with the visual memory. 

Here are a few of my favorite images of good design in the medical field...

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Is it just me, or would you feel more at ease in a well designed medical office? It's bad enough we have to sit our bums on crinkly paper, could we at least get some visual eye candy in the process? 

What do you think? Would you enjoy your medical experiences if you had a better visual experience?

xo}L

Let's Get Mad. {Mad Men Madness!}

Oh boy, oh boy, it was the weekend that many around the globe were anticipating for months, no, it wasn't New Years, no it wasn't Christmas, it was the season premiere of Mad Men season 6!

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For months I (along with others) have been craving the amazing fashion, dapper gents and breathtaking dames, drinks and smoking that makes you cough through your tv screen. (Yes, I know that doesn't sound the least bit pleasing, but somehow someway, the actors make it so couture.) 

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So with all the excitement of the much awaiting season 6, myself, the hubs and a handful of friends threw together a fabulous Mad Men Soiree! Here are a few photos from the weekend:

Preparing for our guests, being the good little house wife:

The dames:

The gents:

My dapper husband:

Mad love...

Dressing up, taking silly photos and drinking delish drinks were so much fun. We plan to do more themed parties like this again. We are hoping for a James Bond theme party next! So get your best 007 swag on!

Did you do anything fun for the premiere? Do share!

xo}L

Are You Brave Enough... To Color Your Cabinets?

For the longest time, we've painted our nails, colored our hair, 

sometimes we wear eye color changing contacts. 

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However, I have one question for you... would you ever be brave enough to color your cabinets?

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What a fresh kitchen! Doesn't that minty color just leave you feeling sweet?

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Are you daring enough for plum? They say purple stimulates creativity, imagine the amazing dishes you could create in a plum kitchen!

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Can't commit to coloring all your cabinets? Do a color splash on your island. It's an exciting pop of color that everyone will be pleased to see!

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Using color on your cabinets doesn't mean it has to be bold, it can be subtle color as well. A washed out gray with a tint of blue-green could do the color trick.

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Wowza, what a beautiful dose of color! To me this last kitchen is absolutely stunning. What are your thoughts? Would you dare?

So what do you think? Would you be brave enough to color your cabinets? Next time your painting your nails, think outside of the box, would you put that hue on your cabinets?

xo}L

Let's Talk About... Lighting!

I love so many elements of interior design, so many roles create a beautiful interior, all the different roles have to play nicely together for an interior to come together and sing! Once roll, that I find very important in interior design is lighting. Not only for functionality so you can see, but visually, it's an amazing way to add a little more of your character in your space.

As many of you know, I also love to shop local. One of my favorite lighting spots in the Tampa Bay Area is Biscayne Lighting. This great shop has been around for over 60 years. Every time I have a new project I am excited to hunt through Biscayne for the perfect pieces.

Most recently, I specified some beautiful lighting for a Hollywood Regency residence I have been designing. Take a look at these vintage show stoppers:

^^ In the entry way, I chose this unique piece, a mixture of matte metal, shiny gold and glass it brings an unexpected edginess to this chic entryway. 

^^ HELLO BEAUTIFUL! This piece is absolutely breathtaking. Reminiscent of a Vegas hotel, it really takes this Hollywood Regency family room to the next level. 

As you can see from the photos about, Biscayne Lighting offers a unique array of lighting for whatever space you may need to dress. So I thought I would take you on a little trip with me to one of my favorite local shops!