Inspiring Design

I had to post the article I came across in the May issue of Met Home. Designed by Boston Design, Frank Roop and Photographed by Eric Roth...this South End Condo is exactly as the article describes it...a Plush Palette...Enjoy!


The soft palette of the living room is balanced with pops of hue in the art & pillows, and a mix of vintage finds (notice the plush mohair chairs studded in chrome nailheads! great details)


The stripes on the back wall of the breakfast room add a sofa graphic to the eye - they were created by cutting stripes of wallpaper and applied horizontal...and easier approach would be a good tape job and some paint!






I love the simplicity of the master bath....molded aluminum subway tiles that run vertically and the shower bench piercing through the glass shower enclosure to double as a bench near the vanity

Long Over Due....

So sorry for the very long lag time in Blog posts! I was in New York City this weekend for the International Contemporary Furniture Fair and it has taken me ALL WEEK to sort through the information on all of my AMAZING finds! Below is just a sampling of the latest & greatest products being offered! Enjoy!



Great felt rugs by ZigZign



Little bit whimsical...but I loved these stress balls by Plus-D. Johnny Swing also had a booth with all there items made from recycled products...a lounge chair from quarters, a table top made from bottle caps and teddy bears made from dollar bills!

Beautiful resin dining table by Martha Sturdy and amazing metal sculpture by Amuneal

Glass pendants from j Good Designs and eco friendly furniture that incorporates cork by Iannone



More felt products from Graf & Lantz and a fun & funky fork spoon and knife pendant by Fabbian

Great new colors from Chilewhich...and my favorite booth...Bernhardt (and i fit in so well!)

Couldn't pass up the great architectural detailing of NY

Happy Hues!

Textiles & Rugs by Judith Ross...Great designs and color combinations!

Contemporary Comfort

Photographed by Eric Roth and designed by Camille Garro this Back Bay condo was featured in the 2009 March/April issue of New England Home Magazine. They layers in this living room are really what make this space relaxing & inviting. I love the use of the ocean blue grass cloth wrapping the walls setting a backdrop for layering to begin!

Happy Monday

In my stacks & stacks of inspiration images I came across these images in a the 2007 April/May issue of New England Home. Designer Susan Sargent transforms a typical Beacon Hill Condo into an amazing palette of bright & bold colors! Enjoy!

Make Space!

I went to a great event last night hosted by The Merrimack Valley Partners in Service which featured guest speaker Mary Lou Andre of Dressing Well. She did a great jobs introducing ways to edit your closet & really make the most out of what you have! I thought it would be helpful to share a few tips on how to make the most of that "always too small" closet after we make our edits.

• Use every inch of space! Closets are so much more than a simple hanging rod with a shelf above. Maximize the space with a combination of shelves, double rods and hooks.



• Color Code! An organized closet is a happy closet! Next time you wake up on a rainy Monday morning - go straight to that section with the bright colored clothes to start your day off right!



• Think of you closet as a "room" not simply a nook behind a door! Personalize it & make it interesting! If a bedroom renovation is under way DON'T leave out that closet...paint it out as you would your room, add a great light fixture, and pick up some hooks with pizazz! Feeling froggy? Remove the door and display your goods as a small boutique would (I only recommend this for the anally neat and organized) or add a drapery rod above the door with some decorative finials and a luxe velour curtain to make you feel as though you are walking in a dressing room of some swanky boutique in SOHO each and every morning!
  

Evaluate your long hanging vs. short hanging - for long hanging you typically need about 68" from your rod to the floor and about 42" for short hanging) Use double rods, shelves and baskets to maximum storage.

Visit The Container Store for some shoe storage helpers! I love the fun colored flip flop holder and the wall mounted shoe bin for narrow spaces that would other wise go unused! (Ikea also has a great version of this!)




I know I have blogged about them before but I LOVE the hooks at Anthropologie!

Sophistication Meets Whimsical

Interior Designer Elizabeth Martin transformed Ali Wentworth & George Stephanopoulos' Georgetown home from plain Colonial Revival to a warm & inviting home filled with flea market finds, nautical collectibles and a splash of color, featured in the May issue of Elle Decor Magazine

Inspired by Wentworth's daughter - the palette for the living room was based off of soft hues of fuchsia and purple.

The common thread throughout the home: Oceanside finds that Wentworth has collected throughout the years.

Layers of texture and color fill the dining space - love the pop of coral, zebra hide, and tufted chair backs

The coral color is repeated in the family room - mixed with rich chocolate tones to warm the space

Afternoon Inspiration

Splash of Color pick me up!


Perfect piece of art to add some POP - featured in the April 2009 Issue on Metropolitan Home

Maximizing Space....and the planet...

I came across a great article in April 2009 issue of Metropolitan home entitle "Green Arce" that was too good not to share! Architect Heather Johnston uses one of her prefab 2,800 sqaure foot PLACE home designs for a family of five in Kirkland. What a great example of going green & stylish!


Johnston uses durable standing -seam metal and green toned fiber cement siding ( I love the look of the green siding completely makes the exterior pop while relating it to its surround landscape) She the softens the harsh metal with natural cedar on the eye level portion of the home. What looks like "garage doors from the outside" actually open up in a garage door fashion to expose an at home office to the outdoors.



The hub of the house is the communal kitchen/dining/living space mixing contemporary furniture such as Roche Bobois Togo sofa with old world Japanese pieces (such as the chest & hutch in the dining room). The shot of the dining room is my favorite - the homeowner couldn't decide which fabric to use on the Emco Navy chair so she used them all - creating a bright and cheery palette of color. The The top of dining table comes from an old fur tree which they cut down for the table top (as well as the window sills throughout the house) The table sits upon a metal base with wheels allowing it to be rolled out onto the patio as the "garage style doors" retract onto the the ceiling - allowing the interior to connect with the exterior.

Read the full article here! (and see all the pics!)