City of Light

You've probably all heard of this nickname for Paris... the City of Light.  Well for me, on my last trip there, it was the City of Lights! As in LIGHTING, fabulous, unusual, 21st century lighting.

I had seen this not-very-obvious but still incredible little light fixture in an apartment that my uncle had rented for a couple of weeks. It was subtle, very small in scale, and a wall sconce - so if you weren't paying attention to it (easy to do since it is a clear acrylic mounted against a grey wall in this case), and especially if the fixture wasn't turned on so you could see how the light projected a chandelier's shadow on to the wall - you'd have never been able to appreciate the design. It was pure glam, fun, and eclectic - take a look!

We poked around a few lighting magasins in Paris to see if we could find the same fixture, but realizing the difficulty of getting it properly re-wired for North American electricity made it not a worthwhile souvenir afterall.  Luckily I have just found that a store local for us in the LA/OC area of California is now carrying this fixture - the store is Room Service, which I've blogged about before.   Start dreaming... where could you fit in this bit of fun in your design???
http://www.roomservice-la.com/

Are You An App Addict?

I've never had any affection toward the Blackberry line of devices, but I am definitely in love with my iPhone.  If you are also a "user" (remember when that used to mean something completely different, and not good?) and if you are interested in checking out applications for your iPhone in the realm of decorating and design, I can recommend a couple.

First, if you are a fan of HGTV programs you will like the app by them called HGTV's Staging and Property. It contains a number of links to video clips from their popular line-up of home improvement shows that you can watch at your convenience, and without wrestling for the remote control or sitting through commercial breaks.

Another one is called A Home Decorating Book: What Would You Do With This Room?  The author has published his top 10 "commandments" for great decorating and includes photo examples of the implemented rules.  It's quite in line with my approach to decorating and offers some great tips.

There are probably hundreds of great app's out there in the interior design field and all will offer something great depending on what you, specifically, are looking to get out of them and carry with you as handheld reference.  If you have any app suggestions for me (because obviously, if I checked them all out myself I'd do nothing else all day) I'd love to hear from you in my comments section.

Do You Like Pottery Barn? You'll LOVE This!

This is Flamant, a sort of original European comfortable, casual, lived-in style. Flamant's muted colors, many textures such as linen and heavy woven cottons and glassware with a decidedly vintage feel are what  make it effectively informal.

I had the great pleasure of perusing their Paris store myself (on the fab Rue St. Honore) and knew immediately why the North American Pottery Barn aesthetic has been so successful.  This is where it all began, creating furniture and accessories and textiles that look as though they've got great history but have been well-enough preserved and weathered to make them soft, welcoming and so incredibly interesting today - like a strong, down-filled and slip-covered sofa rescued from a great European manor.  You can create this same feel in your rooms by using pieces that are not too structured or flashy, stick to a soft, graying color palette, mix in a few pieces in imperfect woods with lots of texture, and keep the backs of chairs and sofas low to create that informality.  Layer in different materials including iron, books, glass and a nubby chenille throw and the only thing missing will be you, relaxing.

http://www.flamant.com

My thoughts turn to... springtime in Paris!

I love France!  As the weather finally turns more to our typical springtime temperatures here in California (after three weeks of unseasonably cool winds and temp's) I can't help but think of Paris.  All of the trees will be sprouting new buds, the spring bulbs will be poking their first signs of life through the ground.... and I think of the rolls of those exquisite silk fabrics I saw in that amazing store on the Left Bank last May! The magasin is Nobilis, and I get butterflies just thinking about what fun I could have there, if only it were near me!  Here is one example of their store front display from my last visit:

http://www.nobilis.fr/

What I also love about French style is that it's so timeless.  Today we still covet many of the iconic funiture and decoration styles that were popularized almost 300 years ago! Take the curvaceous, feminine lines that were so distinct during the period of Louis XV.  Take a look at this loveseat I saw recently - it's rich chocolate mohair and white glossy lacquered frame say 2010, but the style is pure Louis XV, and it is spectacular! Viva la France!

The Perfect Photo Wall Collage

Good day everyone! Yes I'm back.  It's been a hectic week or so, dismantling all of the rooms in my home and then reconstructing their decor piece by piece since my house painters have now finished.  I will post some photos for you to see very soon, once all of the final decor is together (because you didn't think I'd get the house painted and then NOT do new drapery panels and other adjustments and additions once I had  the opportunity, did you?).

In the meantime, this project made me realize how important the photo collections are that take up residence on many of my various walls throughout the house.  My husband and I love to travel, and we love to have some framed photos around the house to remind us of some of the particularly special moments in our history together from those travels.   Also, we have a tradition of renewing our wedding vows to one another each and every single year on our anniversary, so the collection of photos from our various "re-weddings" is becoming a rather large collection by itself now that we are moving into our 10th anniversary this fall.

I know many people love to display photos of their travels, their families, or even just artistic images that you've cleverly photographed yourself such as a beautiful Hawaiian orchid in bloom or memorable sunset. This company, The Picture Wall Company, has made the concept of a picture wall collage into a very simple do-it-yourself project.

The Picture Wall Company provides the wall frames and hanging templates that are virtually dummy-proof.  They've assembled the perfect layout for the frames you are purchasing and even have templates available for hanging a collage along an angled staircase wall.

Take a look and imagine which blank wall in your home could use some personalization - or even an artsy still-life collection - and the rest will fall into place.
http://www.thepicturewallcompany.com/?gclid=CLjl_Y-xrqACFRMNDQodBRp_aQ