DECOR

Lockdown Diaries Day 1: Art sets & series

With the extended shelter in place deadline, and some uncertainty still ahead, I’m starting a lockdown series and will share 30 posts over the next 30 days. Design, art and beauty can definitely lift the spirits, so here goes!

Today’s theme - Art Sets & Series. A series of prints, paintings, photographs or objects can be a great visual element in a room, and tell a great story. It can also unify and create connections between spaces. Here’s a few ideas and examples.

A set of (what appears to be) oriental battleship paintings spotted at SF Decorator’s Showcase last year. You’d have to see them up close to really appreciate the detailing. I tried to capture it in the closeup below!

design by Alexis Humiston, photography (above) by Christopher Stark

design by Alexis Humiston, photography (above) by Christopher Stark

 
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A set of vintage car prints by Leslee Mitchell, in a room designed by Erin Gates. This is her son’s big boy room and the little fella loves cars and trucks. This was a cool way to capture that in the room.

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Minimalist botanicals in antique brass frames

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Lee Radziwill’s 5th Ave apartment (maximalism done right!)

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A still life series by artist Susan Hable.

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An abstract art series by the same artist. Love the archival paper & gray matting.

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A set of gentleman prints unifies the space

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An entry that would make you take a pause. Love the ribboned hats!

Beautiful gold medallions in this bedroom designed by Anna Burke Interiors.

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Framed vintage Vogue covers

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Dana Gibson’s iconic leopard motif

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Giclee watercolor portraits by Mary H Case. Love the depth of the faces!

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Cubist faces by Hayley Mitchell. So chic.

 
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A cheerful color block series by Pen & Paper Co.

Marvellous in every way

I recently watched the Emmy-award-winning TV show Marvellous Mrs. Maisel and man, what a great show! Crackling dialogue and a wonderful set of actors. The chemistry between the characters of Susie and Midge is pure comedy gold. The show is a joy ride. As is the set decor. As characters enter and exit, and float and flourish through the rooms, your senses are on high alert. What caught my eye from the get go was Mrs. Maisel’s equally marvellous New York apartment. Plush, optimistic, vibrant! An embodiment of it’s time (the 50s).

I thought it’d be fun to pull together a scheme inspired by her apartment, but updating for today’s times. Here goes!

 
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Comfy mid-century modern furnishings - like this tufted Crate & Barrel sectional & Joybird club chairs.
Chintz (Brunschwig & Fils) & velvet throw pillows for a bit of grandma chic
Porcelain blue duponi silk drapes.
Add on some antique-style accents - a Baroque mirror & these regal candle holders.
Abstract art (love the work of Alexis Walter), paired with a Hollywood regency chest & gold lamp.
Glass top brass cocktail table
A plush velvet ottoman.
A hand-painted screen like this chinoiserie landscape on grasscloth (adds life to the room!)
A couple of sensuous vases? Eva Zeisel shows us how.

Giddy with excitement!! :)

Yesterday, I was down in Soquel sourcing for a project when I got this text from a client

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I was giddy with excitement when she sent me this! (waiting in the wings, to be installed)

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I love how it’s shaped up!  We custom designed it for this wonderful family’s California-casual family room.  Gorgeous lines, a beautiful leather (durable too), and the workmanship is on point.

Here’s a few pictures of the sofa silhouette. Don’t miss the subtle slope arm - a beauty. And the aged wood finish

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I was able to source out a leather that is first of, gorgeous - a beautiful color and grain. And secondly, very durable and meant for high-traffic spaces like this busy family room.  And it was well-priced!  Leathers can get insanely expensive so I’m truly glad to have found this one & add it to my design arsenal.

Better pictures once it's installed, but I had to share a quick glimpse with ya’ll.  So exciting! And an awesome way to go into my birthday weekend :)

Design Crush Tuesday: Paloma Contreras

I came across this beautiful, happy bedroom on Pinterest the other day and instantly wanted to find out who it was designed by.  It's the work of Paloma Contreras,  an award-winning designer based out of Houston and the founder/curator/writer of her wonderful blog, La Dolce Vita. Her work seemed familiar but I couldn't  quite place where I'd seen it before... and then I remembered - it was on postcard I'd picked up at deGournay a few months ago.  It turns out, I've loved her style for a while now! :)

 
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Looking at room after room of her work, I found myself saying, "Holy smokes, this is gorgeous!" at least 20 times!   They're tasteful and textured.  Sometimes formal but never fussy. A play on patterns. Comfy but not homely. Gorgeous vignettes!  And a BOLD use of color. And they seem to have a quality to them that says "these are real, livable homes for real people" , and not just clicked for a magazine spread (although she's been featured in quite a few of them! )

 

A happy, cheery bedroom. Every time I see this Katie Ridder wallpaper I'm more in love with it - it serves as a beautiful backdrop to this bedroom! The suzani pillows are a winner too.

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Want to liven up a basic white pinboard? Add a nailhead trim to it. Love it!

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Normally, I wouldn't be a fan of matching shades and throw pillows, but here, somehow, it just works! I think all that natural light, the large window and the surrounding white, balances of the pattern and colors and makes it all come together really well.

 
 

 

Love the arched entrances to the rooms, the columns and the mounding. Don't miss the fantastic antique side/end tables!

 
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A lovely vignette. 

 
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A small but grand bathroom.  It's moody, it's luxurious. Paris flea market chandelier, anyone?! :) And that console sink is va-va-voom gorgeous.

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If one is ever to pick a taupe-ish brown wall color for a room - let this be it!! 

The striped curtains, the headboard and the pillow choices (a Schumacher fabric on the square pillows) are all fabulous. 

 
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The World Is Your Oyster

I always find myself spending waaaaaay more time than I need to at the World Market that's close to where we live (dangerously close, let's just say! :)). It's one of those places that has the cutest things at super affordable prices.  Off late, I've been there a lot while sourcing for events, and inevitably I find myself in a section of the store I have no business being in!!  Like I'm testing out the comfort quotient of the butterfly chair, when actually I've come in for napkin rings, or I'm perusing through the curtain aisle admiring a pretty damask pattern, when I should be picking up those taper candles and getting out! The sheer variety of beautiful things in this shop, gets me every time.

I thought why not do a World Market cover on the blog?  Especially with the holiday sales they have going on right now.  Lots of GREAT finds in their home decor category. And some super stylish gifts for under $25 too! Think hostess gifts, co-worker gifts & stocking stuffers.

Fair warning - you just might go down the WM rabbit hole yourself after reading this! ;-)

 

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1. lavender love seat / 2. faux fur throw pillow /  3.  A toss pillow in this Quadrille Potalla Black on Tint fabric would go oh-so-perfectly with the lavender and faux fur!   4. chunky woven throw / 5.  plaid vanilla-scented candle (extremely stylish & would make for a great co-worker gift!) / 6.  acrylic side tables  / 7.  zebra rug / 8.  velvet counter stools  

 

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9. bindi block print headboard  / 10 wood cabinet with gold detailing (these would make for cute bedside tables too) / 11 beaded chandelier / 12.  woven rug / 13. slick gold candle holders / 14.  blue & white vases

 

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15. white textured bowl / 16. vintage truck soap bar -  super cute, great stocking stuffer!  / 17. mercury glass LED decor / 18.  taupe marbled jar candle (these look amazing in person & smell delicious)  / 19 dinner napkin - chintz / 20  olive wood cheese board / 21 dinner napkin - oasis green / 22  hammered gold salt & pepper shakers / 23 chopsticks / 24 Meyer's lavendar soap (smells heavenly!) / 25 mirrored pouch  / 26 cake server / 27 acrylic mosaic tray / 28.  buddha candle holder / 29 party tumblers / 30  olive wood cheese knife set

 

Some fun picks from their bed & bath category!

Bright & beautiful bedding  - medallion quilt set

 

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Sprightly towels to liven up the guest bathroom

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Medallion orange & pink  /  Chateruse green

 

Love these textured toss pillows!  These would be perfect in an indoor / outdoor setting, paired with wicker furniture in beige or taupe upholstery.

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floral embroidered  /  ivory lattice

 

I'm loving the copper kettles & might finally pull the trigger on getting one. And the tea tins are perfect gifts for tea lovers! World Market comes out with fresh designs every year. I bought a pair a few years ago ( mine were a pastel green floral print) and even gifted them out.  People loved them & I was glad to see them put to use! :)

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copper kettles / tea tins 

 

My pastel green ones from a couple years ago, whaddya know they're still carrying them online!

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