If I had a beach house...

In an exotic tropical locale, it would look something like this (you know, if I also had lots of cash, which presumably I do if I own a beach house in an exotic tropical locale):

 

Images via andrewraquet.com

Lots and lots of white, warmed with golden tones and splashes of pink to complement the outside greenery. I can feel the ocean breezes...lounging in my caftan...sipping something good.

I must say that when I peeked at Andrew Raquet's portfolio last week for a post, my jaw hit the floor incredibly hard. His portfolio is AMAZING and has given me new images to obsess over. Go take a look if you haven't seen it yet. This space designed by him is clearly one of my favorites.

Mostly because it helped me escape the chill of winter, if only in my head.

Friday Crush

Image by Emily Anderson via Rue

A shot from the Paris apartment of Anna Klossowki in the latest issue of Rue magazine. Please note the tortoise-like situation of the sofa legs (why I picked this image). You have to read the issue just to catch the other views of this sofa. And I absolutely adore the contrast of such a rich, saturated sofa against a white wall and framed sketch. Juxtaposition at its best.

Now that the holidays are most definitely over, and we've survived our first real bit of snow, I am starting to formulate a VERY long list of things I want to get done on the house. Painting, tiling, sewing, hanging things. It's long and I need to get on it. Hope you have a productive weekend...see you Monday!

Pagoda Statue via Etsy

Want to recreate this amazing glittery, glamorous dining room by Andrew Raquet?

Photo by José Picayo

One accessory that can help is a fabulous pagoda statue, and this vintage number on Etsy fits the bill perfectly. I love how delicately ornate it is...

Granted, it's not 4 feet tall, but at 19 inches, it's not small and could make a lovely impact!

Click here for the listing...

IKEA Console, Styled

So, the response was almost unanimous on yesterday's post. Most of you really loved the color and modern lines of the IKEA console. I myself am on team IC.

Which reminded me of one of the places I first fell in love with the potential of said console. Did you catch the Matters of Style post where MoS Charlotte showed us how the console spiced up her den?

I l-o-v-e these pictures....the styled console and the curtains are fantastic.

Images via Matters of Style

 

A wonderful accent to this room, don't you think? 

You will never go wrong with the straight, Parsons-ish lines of a piece like this table. Especially when mixed with more traditional elements. And this table could be a potential DIY, either to purchase and paint to a color that suits, or to recreate yourself (though, for time and materials, I doubt you'll beat IKEA's price of $80, though a handmade one might be better quality).

Thanks for your comments on Kimber's dining room - glad so many of you enjoyed it! There is one more board coming from her house...stay tuned.

designBoard: Kimber's Dining Room (Two Ways)

Kimber and I are BFF. It started with the designBoard I did for her bedroom. We then moved on to the family room and now, here's the dining room.

Below is the board (two ways) I put together for Kimber & family's dining room, complete with one of those great silk screens I posted about:

Our starting point was fabric that Kimber had - Robert Allen Vintage Plumes in Jade:

Kimber is a Chinoiserie lover, so we kept the elements true to her style while working in some gorgeous color. Don't you love her china pattern (Old Avesbury by Royal Crown Derby)? I think Kimber is well on her way to taking the ideas from this board and making them her own. 

Did you notice the difference in the boards? One has a green painted sideboard from Wisteria, and the other has a more modern IKEA console. Which would you choose?

Dream Chinoiserie Server

My goal is to make you happy this Monday morning.

So look at this picture, and be incredibly happy.

Have you ever seen anything like this Chinoiserie server? I would do all sorts of illegal things to have this in my possession. The perfect piece in a well-appointed Chinoiserie dining room...the details are phenomenal. I just can't stop staring.

I caught it on OKL the other day when they were selling pieces by The Breece Collection.

Go and be happy.

Friday Crush

Photo by Pieter Estersohn

Here we go again. Another home office space. I'm not even choosing these on purpose. They have just been popping out at me every week and this one is perfection brought to you by the darling Nate Berkus. I think he might be one of my "MT" (Midas Touch) designers. That industrial-Chinoiserie chair coupled with the sawhorse desk is killer. And the wall treatment. Killer. Ok, the only teensy change I might make is that papasan-type situation in the corner. I'm sure it's a very chic chair, but anything round-ish like that doesn't do it for me. But, I'll take everything else.

I have indeed made progress on my own office. Carter put together my sleek industrial-ish desk last weekend and I've been very happy working at it. I've also picked up a lavender quilt for the bed (oddly enough from Nate's line for HSN) and decided on some fabrics.

Enjoy your weekend...see you Monday!

Julia Collection

I was putting together a little designBoard last night and came across a great new collection of Chinoiserie-influenced pieces.

HomeDecorators.com has a new line called Julia:

I wouldn't advise buying the matching set, but one or two of these affordable pieces would make a great impact in a space.

You know that chair is just screaming for some great fabric, and maybe a coat of paint.

Click here to view the collection...

Malaga

To piggy back on my post from yesterday, I have a bit of a plum/chartreuse obsession. I can't get enough of the combination of green and lavender. It all started with John Loecke's dining room (mostly green, touches of lilac) and spiraled from there into my own dining room which now sports the color palette.

Recently, I was happily surprised to see SO many fabric choices in this color combo du jour on one of my favorite fabric sites - www.insidefabric.com. But one in particular has run away with my heart:

Malaga in Lilac by Pindler. She is very similar to my beloved Sassari Ikat, but the flecks of chartreuse are perfection. I've never loved the fabric that currently graces my dining seats and this beautiful textile is now a contender.

Chelsea Botanicals

Page 25 of Joe Nye's Flair gave me pause. Granted, the whole book made me stop and contemplate the beauty of life via tabletop decor, but page 25 especially caught my eye because I recognized the china pattern of choice.

Sorry for the teensy picture, but check out the gorgeous salad plate. I picked up a set of the same salad plates last year at Lucketts, which now hang in my dining room:

It didn't occur to me to flip the plates over to find out the manufacturer, but Flair informed me that they are Mottahedeh, and I looked up the pattern which is called Chelsea Botanicals.

I realized my set of $20 salad plates was quite the bargain and I would now like the set of soup bowls, as the pattern is a perfect complement to my wedding china (Derby Panel Green by Royal Crown Derby):

and these, which I got for my birthday (thanks Alison!):

The bowls are now on my wish list...

Like a bigger version

This Monday morning, I am obsessing over this floor lamp that I found at Anthropologie.

It's like a bigger version of this incredible bedside lamp used by Melissa Warner of Massucco Warner Miller:

I think two of those floor lamps on either side of a bed might look pretty swank. What do you think?

Friday Crush

This craft station DIY that I saw on Design*Sponge this week was pure genius. Jessica took a headboard - that's right, a headboard - and an old dresser to create a perfectly organized craft station...which would be perrrrfect for that home office that I didn't work on last weekend. This picture whipped me back in to shape...I need to get on my office! I have a wall where something like this might just work...

Click here to see the "befores"...

Have a lovely weekend. See you Monday!

Tale of Two Chairs

So I may have  omitted some pictures of Madison Hall yesterday, because I thought they deserved their own post for today.

Please fawn over these Chinoiserie chairs.

 

Rich wood tone. Cane. Twisted legs. Killer upholstery. Slight bamboo touches. I was in heaven when we spotted these.

The best part? My mother-in-law is actually considering them for her study! We circled around these chairs a million times while we were at the shop. She is contemplating doing a redo of her study at home, and these chairs inspired her (and me).

Beautiful chairs make me so happy.

Madison Hall

Carter was born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina. We try to make it back a couple of times a year, but we are definitely there every Christmas. And I love it. Columbia is a wonderful city and it has become an adopted second hometown for me.

My favorite shop to visit when we're there is Madison Hall - a gorgeous, family-run, home interiors boutique (that also offers design services). My mother-in-law has worked with the family - mother Sandy, daughter Jane and son Peter - for years and much of the beautiful items in her home (that I have often posted on the blog) are from Madison Hall.

It has become a tradition for me and my mother-in-law to head to Madison Hall right after Christmas - the shop has HANDS DOWN the best selection of Christmas ornaments I've ever seen. And they are delightfully on sale the days after Christmas, so I stock up!

Some shots of the "Christmas room" at Madison Hall (and this is just a small sample):

In addition to the Christmas displays, I also took pictures of the store this year to share with you. The shop is always different, with beautiful heirloom-quality furniture on display, perfectly styled with eye-catching accessories (and you'll note quite the Chinoiserie influence).

Take a tour of my favorite shop:

Above was an incredible Chinoiserie mirror, though hard to tell in the picture. See detail below...

Lovely! And better in person...

For those in the area (or if you'll be passing through), Madison Hall is located at 2710 Gervais Street in Columbia (zip 29204) and you can call them at (803) 254-5144.

Hip Prints via Etsy

Do you need to inject a dash of cool into a room...something to break up the monotony? Especially now that all of your Christmas flair has been put away?

Consider these abstract silk screen prints from Etsy seller Beau Ideal Editions:

I would frame one using a thin brass frame and prop it up against the wall on a console, or hang it from a bookshelf. The perfect little piece to add a dose of interest to any space. And I always love picking up a handmade item on Etsy.

Click here to purchase these prints and see more from this fab Etsy shop.