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Wednesday, July 28, 2010

summer living rooms...

Hello there to my four followers! ;) I haven't quite figured out my posting schedule (and if there will be one!)... but here is post #2!

I am more of a fall/winter person, but I do love summer styling... At the beginning of the year I was able to go to the Maison de Objet show in Paris... ahhhh... One trend that I saw everywhere was neutral linen upholstery accented with industrial furniture. The wood tones in a lighter blond or pine finish with either antique bronze or polished nickel metal. Perfect for a sophisticated rustic look that feels like summer and can even feel a little beachy. My favorite stop was a Dutch company called Riviera Maison. They accomplished this look so well. I love how simple the style is, yet it looks interesting and sophisticated. Below are some of their images depicting this style.








This style has worked its way across the ocean. About a year ago Restoration Hardware began revising the brand's style. They began with the rustic farmhouse dining tables made with reclaimed wood. Their already neutral upholstery changed from twills and brushed canvases to textural Belgian linen. The wood finishes are in the dry lighter rustic finish, and the rooms are accented with metals and leather. Fitting for the sophisticated rustic look.

I LOVE the Dutch Industrial Coffee Table from Restoration Hardware... oh my goodness I think if it wasn't so ridiculously expensive I would buy it in a heartbeat. I love the scale of it, the finish, and the combination of the reclaimed wood and metal.

The image below shows my favorite coffee table in a room setting. Interesting the louvered cabinets in the back look similar to the glass cabinet above from Riviera Maison... hmmm...


I love simplicity which is why this whole look appeals to me, but I also like adding a little color too. I decided to create a "summer palette" for my living room. I changed out my chocolate, blue, and cream palette for white slipcovers, linen toss pillows (from Resto), but kept my chocolate throw blankets, and added in some coral dec pillows from Pottery Barn (boo) for a little pop of color.


Now if I only had that coffee table my living room would be perfect...

Sunday, July 25, 2010

i never thought i'd write a blog...

True... I never thought I'd write a blog. But, as I was looking through interior design blogs this week, I became inspired. I'm a designer by trade, and although my work allows me to be creative, this is another great creative outlet.

In my past life I was an interior designer. Therefore, I was creating "beautiful homes"--unfortunately, they were for other people! So, now that I have moved to a new home and a new state, I get to create my own "beautiful home." For my job, now a furniture designer, I get to travel and shop for inspiration. I am also constantly reading design books and magazines. I look at this blog as a visual diary of my findings, whether for work or for myself.

I love kitchens... funny thing that I don't know how to cook a lot! But, because I love kitchens so much, and hope to have a beautiful one someday, I thought it would be fitting to start with one of my favorite ones. It also reflects my overall style... simple, but stylish. And, yes, its from a movie... But I still think its fabulous!


The clean lines and simple color palette are the perfect canvas for accents and pops of color. Even though its not the most practical, I love the honed black granite--perfection. And because of the simple cabinetry construction, the bracket details on the upper cabinets and the toe cutout and turned foot detailing on the lower cabinets are far from overwhelming. Simply lovely...

Have a good week, and until next time!