Inspiration in Stages



Serena and Lily collection

New designs for bathroom shower curtains!

There's nothing prettier than complementing your bathroom with a shower curtain.  It dresses up the room and creates a focal point in the space (next to the tile work, fixtures, paint and accessories).

If you want to make a quick and easy change to your bathroom, what better way than to change your shower curtain.  We have glass shower doors in our master bath but I love to dress up the spare bathrooms with a beautiful shower curtain.  You can do a summer/spring curtain and switch it up in the winter/fall.  I'm loving all the different designs and colors.

Take a look at some of the new designs from my favorite stores:

 


Serena and Lily Georgica Shower Curtain. This would look great in a child's bathroom

Serena and Lily Tassel Shower Curtain (available in Juice (pink), navy and citrine)

Charisma "Marrakesh" (Horchow)

Serena and Lily Highland Knot Shower Curtain (not new but a favorite of mine)

Can you say "pretty".  Love the floral and scallop design.  Pom Pom at Home "Caprice" (Horchow)

Pottery Barn Rayna Paisley Shower Curtain.  Pretty paisley pattern

Pottery Barn Trellis Shower Curtain

Pottery Barn Pom Pom Trimmed Shower Curtain (so fun!) 

What are some of your favorites?

xo

There are so many different styles, designs and fabric choices to choose from.  Retailers have broadened our choices to add these pieces to our home.  I love layering pieces in a room and a throw is a great piece to add to a space; like art.

Here are some of my favorites:

CocoCozy throws



Bamboo Blend Throws (West Elm)




Serena & Lily Chevron throw

Serena & Lily Pom-pom throw

Pistes blanket (Hermes)

Avalon Blanket (Hermes).  This one is calling my name.

Richard Nixon Alpaca Throw (Jonathan Adler).  I have the camel colored one; so soft!

Pottery Barn Grand Chenille Throws

I finally got my butt into gear and started the beginning process of my future home office.  I have been contemplating which direction to go in, when designing my home office.  I have stared at this space for a couple of years now and think I finally have a sense of what I want.  Below is a picture of the space.

Home office room

I met with a designer and we started phase one of the design.  I'm hoping not to spend a ton of money on this project but we will see how things go.  For such a small space, I have a lot of wants but hope to be selective in my design choices. 

We worked on two options and will tweak them here and there as we go along.  I might want to see another option with the chair in front of the center wall.  There is a window along the right hand side of wall as well as baseboard heating (along that wall).  We are leaving that space alone for now; so as not to block the heat.

Option 1:  Open shelves in the center with long cabinets on either end with glass cabinets

Option 2:  Closed cabinets in center with tall open shelves on either end

So, this is what I have in mind so far:  I definitely want gray cabinets and want to combine that with brass hardware and gold accessories.  I have been dying to incorporate this look and my office is the perfect space!  There are two companies that have gray cabinets:  Martha Stewart and KraftMaid.  Since I'm trying to watch my dollars, having cabinet doors spray painted in a grey color is not an option. 

Here are the two choices:

Martha Stewart PureStyle collection in Sharkey Gray (a pale gray)

KraftMaid Geneva cabinet door in Pebble Grey color

I'm not sure yet what the price difference is between the two companies.   I hope to get the numbers this week.  I'm also not sure what countertop to pick.  It will be a light color; maybe white, cream with gold; not sure at the moment.

I created a design board to bring some of my thoughts together (see below).  This is not the finished product, but something along the lines of what I want. The hardware, lighting and chair are important factors and want to make the best selections.   The highlight of the space will be the wallpaper I am planning to put on the left side of the wall!  Even though Mr. D. is opposed to the idea of wallpaper, he threw in the towel and agreed.  I had to point out, it is my space (lol).

I am also considering changing the paint color in the existing room.  The current paint color is Sparrow by Benjamin Moore.  I would like a lighter shade of gray/beige.  My first choice is Revere Pewter but that's all dependent upon the cabinet color I go with. I will only need to paint the half wall.  I'm also thinking about adding an area carpet of some sort if I pick a roller chair.  I don't want to scratch the wood floors.

This project will take a while before everything is said and done but I'm one step closer to where I was.  Stay tuned . . .






xo,

Benji Madden Home Tour featured on Domaine Home

When it comes to home design and decorating, I love to see what design influences are out there and in other people's home.  We all have our own personal sense of style and it reflects in what we wear and how we decorate our homes.

Being a married woman, I have to share the space with Mr. D.; so when it came to decorating, I had to make a few compromises.  He will argue, the whole house is "me" and not "him".  I can state differently but we won't get into that.  I will say, I do enjoy looking at a bachelor space that is simplistic but shows it's masculine side with a few key pieces.  Take Benji Madden (former Good Charlotte guitarist).  When Domaine Home featured his newly renovated house, I was really loving the space!

Benji Madden purchased a two bedroom, three bath bungalow in Nichols Canyon, Los Angels, CA.  He renovated the space, to create more of an open floor plan.  Since the house is set in the hills and there are a lot of windows, having that open space-feel, complimented the look.

He does admit to loving a goth look (like his former home) but outgrew the dark space.  I think being in this new home put a different light on things (no pun intended).  This is what he said:  “I love stuff that’s gothic, but for me to live in it every day, I just think the simpler the better.”  I couldn't agree more. 

Check out his home:



You can see touches of masculine pieces: leather chairs, guitar, artwork and accessories



Nice neutral space accented with masculine pieces



I love the different patterns and colors of the skull heads!

Clean and simple kitchen.  Check out that knife set; very cool!

Love the light fixture over the dining room and all the open windows; light and airy

Simple and clean bathroom with great skylight



Great house Benji Madden!  The simplistic transitional space gets two thumbs up!!


xo

Continuing with the color blue, here are some fashion looks I currently have "The Blues" over (wishing I had them all - lol). 

One of my favorite colors besides black is blue.  It's such a classy color that can be dressed up or worn  casually.  Blue pairs nicely with just about every color: beige/tan, white, green, pink, gray, orange, yellow and purple.

I hope to score some of these pieces for my closet.  Lots of stores are currently have their annual sales (in stores and online).

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Blue hues are showing their colors in stores for the home.  Blue is a classic color that has and will always be around.  The color "blue" for the home doesn't have to be a nautical look (blues and whites).  There are different shades of blue to accent your home from traditional, transitional, contemporary and country looks. 

Here are some looks I captured at Pottery Barn and Anthropologie stores that you might like for your home.

Display of blue baskets and denim wrapped wall art (Anthropologie store at Tice's Corner NJ location)

Shades of blue towels (Anthropologie store at Tice's Corner, NJ location)

Blue and white pottery displayed at Anthropologie store (Tice's Corner, NJ location)

Blue and white tableware display at Pottery Barn (Tice's Corner, NJ location)

Pretty blue pottery at Pottery Barn (Tice's Corner, NJ location)

New bedding and accent pillows on display at Pottery Barn (Tice's Corner, NJ location)

Have you seen this color trending at stores in your area?  What are some of your inspirational looks?

xo

Dr. Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. famous speech, Washington, D.C.  (image)

On Martin Luther King day, it is a day to reflect on Dr. King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech and how it made an impact on America.  

View of the Brooklyn Bridge, April 24, 1933. http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2012/04/historic-photos-from-the-nyc-municipal-archives/100286/

Plan on spending the day with my dear friend and her family in Brooklyn (my old stopping grounds). 

Going to try and work on ideas and plans for my future office and catch up on some things I've been putting off.

Wishing everyone a FAB weekend!


xo

This color doesn't scream masculine (sorry fellas).  But this pastel color and its soft tones, adds such a pretty and sophisticated touch to any neutral space. 

One could argue, you could get away with this color for both a male and female shared space; if the blush was subtle and paired with male inspired fabrics for accent pillows and black & white photography or cityscape artwork.  You can also pair it with darker colors, like navy, black, brown or grey. 

For me, it's the finishing touch that completes the look of the space.  Honestly, I would probably lose this argument (lol).  Mr. D would torture me and demand to put a male item to his liking in the space; like a hockey poster or something horrific!  But, to all you masculine guys out there who are sporting pink and lavender shirts, you understand me, right??

Other pastel colors, like blues, yellows, creams and greens and light greys are also gaining popularity.   Take a look at the inspiration pics.  So pretty!

Basset Furniture.  I'm loving this room.  I'd probably paint the walls a lighter shade of blush.

Sarah Richardson design - LOVE!

This blush headboard really makes a statement in this bedroom . . . CALM and SOPHISTICATED

Restoration Hardware

Crate and Barrel Hue Blush dinnerware

Image via Domain Home