From Inspiration to Design

I came across this fantastic Better Homes & Gardens cover not too long ago (it's from the archives, a couple years old!) But this room is still so fresh and relevant,  I thought I'd use this as an inspiration image and show how to take inspiration from a room - maybe you like the overall scheme or certain elements  - and bring it into your own space.

For instance, with this room -

design by Erin Gates / Elements of Style

I love the clean lines of the bedding and found a similar bordered sheet set in porcelain blue. To capture the navy / orangey-coral scheme, I added on these bright orange throw pillows. The brown faux fur blanket is reminiscent of the the warmer tones in the room, as is the jute rug. These fantastic white night stands seen on Ebay have curved legs similar to their inspiration. I took the fun leopard print from the bench and extended that out to accent frames. Punching in some color with a statement hot pink pillow (that also has a fabulous hand-painted leopard - two birds one stone! ).  

It's fun to look at a room, analyze why you like it and then go pick out your inspirations!

headboard / sheets / pillows / night stand / jute rug /  faux fur throw blanket / ivory throw / table lamp / accent chair / Dana Gibson leopard pillow - pink / mirror / leopard frames / palm leaf candle holders / flowers - current crush - hydrangeas!

What do you think? :)

Christmas in July!

Last weekend I did a "Christmas in July" event at the fabulous Ascent Apartments in San Jose. It was such a fantastic evening with a great crowd and some really nice staff!  The property was gorgeous with this very relaxed, airy vibe to it. We did the event in the lounge that had these big, beautiful floor-to-ceiling windows that we threw open, to let the outside, inside. It was amazzzing.

I wanted to put together something special for the event and decided to go with a bold summer table setting.  When you think BOLD, you think Eddie Ross :)  You think color and mixing elements.  I decided to go with blue & white (of course!), with pops of magenta. And I had some print on print action in there too - stepping outta my comfort zone, but why not?!

Something else I wanted to do was mix traditional and modern elements. Gold-rimmed hurricanes & scalloped salad plates (which I'm thoroughly obsessed with by the way), mixed with dotted dinner plates and ikat print napkins.

Here's the reveal!

Scalloped salad plates -  from Crate & Barrel, and I saw yesterday  Target's brought em back too,
Pacific dotted dinner plates - I used these Royal Doulton ones (I got 'em at a discount!), a similar style available at Target 
Gold flatware - love this set from CB2 and this one at West Elm (well-priced).  I went with these.

Next, the napkins. I was thinking of keeping them solid since the tablecloth's printed (Ralph Lauren blue & white). But these ikat napkins at World Market instantly caught my eye and they turned out to be the right choice!  I alternated solids & prints to balance it out.

Here's a super easy trick to jazz up your napkins!  If they're looking a bit flat lying on the plate, have a little fun with 'em & fan 'em out - here's a video !  It really adds to the overall effect of the setting and it's a treat for guests.

Hands down my favorite find of the week were the hurricanes!   I love them so much. They bring a traditional-meets-modern feel to the setting and some height to the table!

Finally, I added on these pineapple salt & pepper shakers as accents. A lot of people asked me about them!!  They're adorable. One lucky lady got to take 'em home! :P

I had a blast talking to the residents!  Folks telling me about their own spaces, and I was asked questions around decorating rentals / apartments that I'll share in future posts. Things like what's a good alternative to a coffee table? where do I find nice curtains? what should we save on and what should we invest in when decorating our place? I loved all of them & I'll sharing answers in future posts - stay tuned!  They were a very engaged community & I was glad for it!

And finally,

There was a nook next to my area where I put a simple scheme together. Black-n-white with dusty pink. Great for a teenage girl's bedroom or maybe even a funky feminine living room. You can mix stripes with texture. Everything's from Target - zebra print ottoman ,  faux fur pillow ,  monogrammed mug

By the end of the night I was totally ready to kick up my feet and hang out in one of those fabulous poolside pods they had on the property! :) :)

Overall it was an absolute BLAST. Thanks so much for having me Ascent! And I can't wait for the one we're doing in November!

Provence: Where the Pleasures of Life Abound

Since summer travel is on everyone's mind right now, I thought it'd be great to share a write up by my dear friend, author and travel blogger Caroline from Shutters & Sunflowers. Caroline is an expert on my favorite place of all time - Provence! 

Provence is SUCH a special place and no one knows it better than Caroline. She has a way with words and sweeps you into a world of beauty and pleasure, making you experience the beauty & bounty that the South of France has to offer. A perfect read as we go into the weekend! 

Her blog Shutters and Sunflowers is a travel resource where she shares stories about things which touch her heart. In her own words, "it's about living the journey not waiting to get to the destination!" Amen to that. Caroline has very generously shared her Provence travel guides with us for free at the end of the post.  Enjoy :P

What is it that consistently draws people to Provence and to the Luberon in particular? What precisely is Provence’s appeal, that special ‘je ne sais quoi’ which makes the region so captivating? Aside from its natural beauty, its enduring appeal is that it remains one of the few places whose charm has not diminished with the passing of time. Simple pleasures of life can still be found here, and in abundance.

Immersing Yourself In Simple Pleasures

Provence is a place where lingering in the shade over a long lazy lunch, watching the world pass by, is part of life and in our over scheduled lives, is perhaps the very essence of Provence’s appeal!

Aix-en-Provence

It’s where shopping means ambling through a brightly colored market, filling your basket with freshly baked pastries, ripe local produce, the soil still clinging to it, a medley of olives, honey and flowers.

Colorful baskets at the market in Uzes

Life seems kinder here, that in itself is so integral to Provence’ appeal, where instead of rushing, one simply meanders....exploring the narrow streets, stopping every so often to admire a tall shuttered window or a worn brass door handle, which you just know has a story to tell.

Shutters on the streets of Uzes

It’s a place where one wanders down tree lined avenues, where bustling street cafés beckon, their only requirement being that you take your time over a coffee or glass of wine. Simple pleasures so integral to Provence’s appeal, just as alluring today as they were when Van Gough, Gauguin, Cézanne captured it on their canvases!

A Symphony for the Senses

There is so much to admire in Provence. To look at, to taste, to smell, to hear - simple but delightful sensory experiences which define it's appeal.

Sights of Provence

Provence and especially the Luberon, is visually stunning. The sense of the past is inescapable in its enchanting perched villages, its tumbled down castles, abbeys and medieval chateaux.

Chateau in Lourmarin

Set against a backdrop of breathtaking scenery and a magical light, Provence has enticed artists for centuries. This unique transcendent light has a sharply defining clarity which has the becomes almost translucent, a painter’s dream!

Church in Lourmarin

It is an ever-changing kaleidoscope, where streaming sun rays intensify and illuminate the natural colours of the spectacular landscape. 

Bounneiaux across the vineyards

Vibrant summer carpets of dancing yellow sunflowers and shades of lavender.

Sunflower fields in Provence

L'Abbaye Notre Dame de Sénanque Gordes

Endless rolling fields of bright green vineyards, olive groves and fruit orchards, which evolve into a deep, rich, ocher glow before shedding their gowns to rest during winter.

Vineyards in Provence

Fragrances of Provence

As the seasons change so do the natural fragrances, which in this part of the world have an intensity which perfumes the air like no where else. Lavender, verbena and olives, so defining of summer in Provence pervade. And later, the heady aroma of the vines, when lush crops of grapes drip like fat jewels, from ancient gnarly fists. Fragrances which giddily illustrate Provence’s appeal!

Lavendar at the market in Uzes

Grapes in Provence

Tastes of Provence

Good food and eating in Provence, really matters. It is a place of mouth watering tastes; the flaky, buttery texture of croissants which melt on your tongue; of ripe tomatoes whose exploding flavor instantly reminds you of the summers of your childhood, of freshly cut grass, of not having to do anything.

Produce at the market in Uzes

Olives at the market in Uzes

Crusty, floury baguettes spread with soft, creamy cheese which oozes between your finger tips; small sweet strawberries, figs, nectarines and slices of chilled melon, a scrumptious regional bounty which is so much a part of Provence’s appeal. And as you feast on all this deliciousness, your ears full of the lyrical melody of the French language and the chirping of crickets, you’ll probably wonder if anything has ever tasted as good.

Crusty baguettes in Lourmarin

Perhaps the very heart of Provence’s appeal is that it is a place to find respite from the frenzied, interconnected world so many of us find ourselves consumed by, a place to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, as beguiling today, as it was many lifetimes ago.

Experience some of the beautiful regions of Provence for yourself:

What to See  Uzès, Avignon, Lourmarin
Where to Stay  Uzès, Avignon, Lourmarin
Where to Eat  Uzès, Avignon, Lourmarin

Lourmarin Travel Guide - for Lourmarin & it's surrounding area
Uzès Travel Guide - for Uzes & and the surrounding regions of Languedoc, Roussillon and Provence.

What I'm loving: An end table with flair

I recently saw this metal looped end table in the Joss & Main catalog and flipped out ...I love it so much! Not surprising at all that it's sold out. If I was in need of an end table for my home right now,  I'd be signing up on that wait list on the double. That base is just gorgeous.

A cozy nook in the living room ....

Or a bold one!

cozy: striped chairs / blossom pillows
bold: coral chairs / ikat pillows

Pillow Talk

I had a beautiful Saturday last weekend, exploring The Getty Center with some friends. The temperature was off the charts (in the 100s!) & we were quite literally baking in the heat, but it was totally worth it!  We went on one of the art tours and the docent gave us a super interesting perspective on their Italian art collection & my personal favorite was the French decorative arts section (it's the south wing, if you plan on going).  Also, the museum grounds are stunnnnning. I'll do a separate post next week on my Getty visit and some things I loved design-wise once I've sorted through all the pictures, so stay tuned for that :P

This week I wanted to share some fun & fantastic pillow finds for the summer!  Throw pillows can really bring some pizazz into a space. And they're an easy, easy way to dramatically change the look of a room. 

When selecting pillows, the key is to have fun with it, but I've definitely discovered a trick or two to help with the process.

Sizing...  for larger sized seating like a big sofa,  don't use small pillows. I made this mistake once and my 18-inch pillows looked very out of place on this gigantic sofa. 22 to 24 inches are a nice pouf size.  For chairs or single seats, 18-20 inch squares or a lumbar pillow work well.

Mixing patterns... think in terms of threes. 1 solid. 1 floral/paisley/large print. 1 small scale pattern/geometric/stripes. You can ALWAYS bend the rules. But this is a nice starting point to help narrow down your selections and get a good set going.

I though it'd be fun to a do a roundup of some of my favorite prints and styles this summer and what to pair them with. Check em out!

Choose 1 color palette and change up your pillow styles. This brings cohesiveness to the look and creates an impact.  Following the rule of 3 here, you can experiment with everything from animal prints to fringe details! All the pillows below are on Wayfair (most from the Elements of Style collection).

An Eclectic Mix in Monochrome

Ikat prints are right on trend and so FUN!  Because they're busy, pairing them with solids offers a nice balance & keeps the scheme looking fresh. MyPillowStudio on Etsy has a bold selection of prints.

Ikat

Pairing Ikat with solids

Monogrammed pillows bring that personal touch and look GREAT, especially in the bedroom. They give it a nice finish. And it's so easy to personalize these days. Pottery Barn offers it on everything from throw pillows like the ones below, to shams.  And then there's Zazzle & Etsy. Pair  it with a chevron or trellis pattern, or they can fly solo too with some bordered euro shams.

Monogrammed

Block prints are a total classic. A great indoor/outdoor pillow.  They're fun because you can mix them without overwhelming a space, so long as you stay within the same color palette. Pottery Barn has some great indoor/outdoor block prints for under $15!! (they're on sale right now!!)  And Serena & Lily has some dreamy blue & whites (always blue & white, always :P)

Block Prints

Embroidered Suzani pillows are especially tasteful. I saw a few pictures of Tory Burch's Manhattan office recently and I loved the blue & white suzanis she has on her couch!  If you're looking to add some suzani style to your space, I found this seller on Etsy, DecorIkatPillows, who has a pretty cool collection.

Suzani

And lastly, my absolute favorite - the GREEK KEY border pillow! (found an Etsy seller who makes them nicely).  You know how much I love greek key elements in design, and these pillows look effortlessly stylish!

Greek Key

And that's a wrap!   Hope you enjoyed that roundup and let me know if you try out any of these styles & pairings or have nay questions. And share it with a friend if you think they'll  enjoy knowing a thing or two about greek key borders & suzanis  (I mean, who doesn't want to expand their pillow selection horizons? ;-)  ;-) )

 Any favorites of yours that I haven't included ?

Image Credits: The Neo Trad (Mark D Sikes design),   How To Decorate (Ballard Designs),   Makkas Drapery (Erin Gates Design)