Friday Crush

Photo by Pieter Estersohn, Design by Nick Olsen, Architectural Digest

I saw this image on Chinoiserie Chic and it blew. me. away. Really, anything by Nick Olsen tends to blow me away but this office nook was just 100% complete genius. With the wallpaper, blue ceiling, lacquered door and perfect desk + lamp combination...I think it's one of those spaces that is going to stick with me for years  (others that have done this - Joe Nye's bedroom, John Loecke and Jason Oliver Nixon's dining room).

I don't hide my disdain for summer so I'll note that I'm thrilled August is here and we can go ahead and get these last summer weekends over with. I'm ready for Labor Day...but then I know the Fall will fly by with activities like it always does so I'm trying to savor a couple of slow weekends coming up. Hope yours is great - see you next week!

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Rifle Paper Co. Office

Are we all Anna Bond fanatics? I live in a design-intense world - both graphic and interior - so I assume Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Co. is a household name? Her floral art - that started as a small Etsy shop - is everywhere. Wedding stationary, iPhone cases, calendars...and I. Love. It. All. AC for sure had Rifle Paper Co. birth announcements.

Like all things good, the Rifle Paper Co. "look" is now being done by others but nothing compares to Anna's original creations. As a fan, I was delighted to see this peek into Anna's life and work on Design*Sponge.

Especially this look at her office which is clearly inspired by her work. Love her dark color palettes!

All photos via Design*Sponge

Love the green velvet chairs with that overdyed rug against the black wall.

And if Anna Bond is new to you because you don't really hang in the graphic world, she is collaborating with Hygge & West to bring the interiors world her art on wallpaper. And I know it's going to be fantastic as per this teaser:

Ummm, yes, please!

Read more about Anna on Design*Sponge here...

And check out the Rifle Paper Co. shop here...

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Friday Crush

Photo by Thomas Loof for House Beautiful

I'm not one for gray walls or gray in general. I see the appeal of the neutral tone...it's just not one of my favorite colors to work with. But this office situation, designed by Ashley Whittaker, is an example of gray I can get on board with. The wall color is really, really pretty contrasted with the beautiful ceiling molding. And the modern art in a vibrant tone of orchid with that gold lamp help to make the space feel lively and anything but drab. Are you a fan of gray?

We have a busy weekend that I'm looking forward to...hope you are excited for yours as well. See you next week!

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French Blue + Crisp White

Will the combination of bright french blue and crisp white ever get old or go out of style? I don't think that's possible. These images made my love for this combination soar to new heights.

 Image via Chinoiserie Chic

Design by Amanda Teal via everything LEB

Gorgeous! And I am so enamored with the look of this color combo against lovely woods as pictured in the home office...and that desk is to die for. Such a pretty space!

If you are a blue + white nut like me, make sure you check out The Pink Pagoda's "Blue and White Monday" posts...every Monday, obvi.

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Friday Crush

Office of Dallas Shaw, via blog.poppin.com

My post on room screens the other day prompted a comment asking how to style these screens in a room. I think the screen in this home office is a perfect example of how to use one - the screen is simply used as the decoration for that slice of wall. Ms. Shaw could have hung prints on that wall, or a long mirror, or really anything - but instead of wall decor, she opted to visually fill the space with a screen to wonderful effect. 

Use screens anywhere you need height. Yes, they work very well to visually divide an open space, but I think of screens like wall decor - anywhere you would hang a piece of art or otherwise need something higher up on a wall (like a headboard) is an opportunity to use a screen instead (like using a screen behind a sofa instead of art). And the bonus is that a screen also offers dimension and texture to a space.

Have a wonderful weekend. See you Monday!

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Five Rooms via One Kings Lane

Did you catch One Kings Lane's "Five Rooms in Five Days" sales last week? If so, you'll recognize these photos of what I think are particularly well-styled and designed room vignettes.

My favorite are from the foyer sale - wow!

Really great inspiration photos. They also designed lovely spaces for the den, office, kitchen and bedroom:

The photos were a nice dose of motivation for me last week - great little nuggets of inspiration in autumnal hues, don't you think? Hope they help kick off your week...

And if you are interested in the sales, they are still going for a couple more hours - foyer, den, kitchen, office, bedroom.

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Modern Desk Chairs

If you dig either of the modern desk chairs in these pictures, keep reading because I'm going to tell you where to get them.

Did you love this library on Shelter yesterday? Check out the chair...

Here is an exact version, available on Overstock.com -

I recently ordered a slew of similar white chairs for a project, and they are pretty slick in person. The perfect modern touch to a work space.

And remember this incredible office from a Charlottesville home that I posted on the blog a while back?

Image by William Waldron via southernliving.com

I fell in love with that green swan chair against the checkerboard floor. I've seen several versions available, including this one on Bellacor.com -

Overstock.com also has an orange version.

These are obviously repros of classic mod chairs (by folks like Herman Miller), but I'm all for having the look at a good price. And I really love a modern chair against a traditional wood desk or an otherwise traditional interior.

 

Inspiring

Sometimes, I come across a space and it's just SO good - I wouldn't change a thing about it. It inspires me to think in new ways and to look at my own spaces from a different perspective.

This is such a space. The office of designer Ernest de la Torre:

Photo by William Waldron via elledecor.com

I adore the art, the wallcovering, the desk, the mouldings. It's such a beautiful juxtaposition of warm and cool, modern and traditional, international and American.

These are the types of spaces that inspire me and remind me why I'm so obsessed with design.

 

Chinoiserie Filing Cabinets

Office furniture is one of my least favorite things to shop for. If it's functional, it's likely ugly. To remedy this, I work in more "home-like" pieces but those sometimes leave you a little flat on the function factor.

Yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised when I found these pieces below.

Form + Function + Chinoiserie = Slam Dunk Filing Cabinet

These could likely work as non-office pieces as well, but they would be the perfect resting place for your uber-important documents. Or your random assortment of snacks, hair ties and lip gloss like my office drawers (I'm a web designer...we don't often work with paper).

Buy them by hovering your mouse over this text and pressing down with your index finger until you hear a "click".
 

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!

Friday Crush

Photo by Patrick Cline via Lonny

My mind is clearly in home office mode. And I can't stop thinking about pink - for my office, but also in general - I'm trying to find spots to add some pink to my house. I'm also wearing a pink shirt today. 

The home office of Frank Muytjens featured in Lonny is incredibly handsome. I'm in love with the desk chair and I actually own a similar one. The jade green elevates the look of this one. And the pop of pink is stellar...just what the whole ensemble needs.

I have GOT to work on my office this weekend. Hope you tackle weekend projects on your new 2011 to-do list. See you Monday!

A Charlottesville Home

Y'all know I love Charlottesville. Home to my alma mater (the University of Virginia), beautiful Blue Ridge landscapes, amazing restaurants, lovely wineries and all things Jefferson. I can't sum it up in a sentence, but it's a great place.

Southern Living recently delighted me with images from the Charlottesville home of Christy Ford, owner of And George. Classic but not too serious with gorgeous details and unique pieces. A beautifully designed home that flows seamlessly from one space to the next. I'm in love with it.

Images by William Waldron via southernliving.com

That green chair made me gasp. I know we see colorful, modern chairs contrasted against a traditional desk often, but something about this space is SO right. The floor probably has something to do with it.

Enjoy the rest of the home tour by clicking here... 

Colorful Office Supplies at Target

I was making some laps through Target last night looking for some office supplies (and other unnecessary loot) and found some darling file folders and notebooks.

Check 'em out:

Aren't they fun? Perfect for work. I tried to convince myself to pick up some additional items (including a hardcover notebook and a set of small pocket-sized notebooks), but I'm a web designer and the truth is that 90% of my work is electronic. The file folders were a bit of a stretch, but I'll figure out something to do with them!

Head to Target and check 'em out if you like them. The file folders were on a separate aisle from the notebooks so you may have to look around a bit to find the whole "collection".

Trashy

I spent some time at my desk this weekend and started dreaming up my design scheme for our home office. The scheme is still TBD, but in my search for inspiration I came across many a desirable desk accessory. I love desk accessories - probably because they are often patterned and lovely like fabric or wallpaper.

And design is in the details - you could have a big ol' plain white desk (like mine from IKEA) but if you have chic desk accessories, you've updated the outfit (you know...like that plain white shirt that's been with you since college and you should probably throw away but add a scarf and some dangly earrings and you look hot).

One detail that I always overlook is the trashcan. And I should. It's a trashcan...for my trash. But, I came across so many adorable trashcans online this weekend that I immediately put a DIY trashcan on my list of to-dos for the office (and for my bedroom as the current "wastebasket" next to my vanity is a hideous black mesh situation).

As noted, my trashcan will be DIY as the ones I found online are really pricey. But they are great for inspiration...

Available via Caspari

 

 

Available via Marye-Kelley

 

 

 

 

Available via decorative instincts on Etsy

Lovely accents. My plan is to find a nice shaped trashcan (Target, IKEA, etc) and a lovely fabric and marry them with some spray adhesive. As soon as I do said project, I will of course share.