Clouds

We are under cloudy skies this morning. I'll go ahead and turn that into a positive by showing you these paintings from one of my favorite Etsy artists.

Tracey Nicholas paints these stunning, ethereal cloudy canvases using absolutely gorgeous washes of color. I will definitely be adding one of her pieces to my home - I've had the best time looking at her collection trying to pick one. Each piece is truly beautiful, don't you think?

Hope you had a great weekend.

 

Friday Crush

 

Had I known getting my china pattern placed on the inside of my wedding dress was an option, I most definitely would have done it. This dress is by Dior and I saw it on the (fabulous!) WeddingWire blog. The best execution of "something blue" I've ever seen, especially for a china/pattern nut like me.

We are getting kisses of spring here in DC...let the thaw begin. Hope you have a great weekend. See you Monday!

 

Twice

That painting...

I love it.

Expertly placed by  Eileen Kathryn Boyd.

Taste-Test

I recently taste-tested a fabric with positive results. I've been intrigued by this fabric called "Seagrass" sold on lsfabrics.com (I'm sure it has a proper manufacturer/pattern name and sold elsewhere - it's just where I've seen it). It comes in some great colors:

I ordered a sample of the aqua colorway, and I love it. It's a nice hearty upholstery weight and would be perfect for chairs or a sofa. And the pattern can skew preppy with its basketweave or contemporary with its artistic strokes. And after my little nudge for small-scale patterns, I thought it was a good idea to share yet another winner with you.

Want it? Buy it here....

Anyone know the proper make and model of this fabric?

 

Ikat Folding Chairs

Look at these genius chairs from Anthropologie. I saw them last week and can't get them out of my mind. How awesome would they look 'round a dining table? All mismatched and such.

Love ALL of the colors these would add to a room. I'm currently considering them for a project...I'll let you know if I get one or two in my possession.

Buy them here at Anthro...

 

Your Chinoiserie Bedroom

You need a Chinoiserie bedroom, don't you? Let me help.

Get this bed -

Make curtains out of this fabric -

And make a boxspring cover (or bedskirt) and a nice pillow out of this fabric:

Top it off with ivory sheets and a lilac blanket. Then sit back, relax and enjoy your new bedroom's Chinoiserieness.


p.s. So the bed is currently unavailable. And it's crazy expensive. Details. A hearty thanks to Matters of Style for flagging down this bed for all of us.

 

Friday Crush

image via lonnymag.com

The latest Lonny is out. I've gotten through half and, per the usual, it has not disappointed. This vignette (designed by George Nunno and Jon Maroto in a little "how-to" section) caught my eye this Friday. My beloved orange, the use of black and the modern painting toward the back are all working in divine unison. You know I love a good table vignette.

Hope you have a crazy good weekend...we'll be celebrating Carter's birthday. See you Monday!

Small-Scale Fabric

Small-scale patterned fabrics are our friends. They bring visual calm and order to a room packed with larger prints. Or they can offer a subtle nod of awesome to a couch or chair whose look you would like to maintain "muted". The repeating diminutive pattern can be very sophisticated and not boring.

A small-scaled fabric that recently made its way into my consciousness:

This diamond/medallion-ish pattern by Duralee would look fantastic on a sofa. In a library or a den. That perfect mix of masculine/feminine.

And another one that has a nice kick of color:

This geometric is also by Duralee and perfection for a pair of club chairs, don't you think?

Don't forget to give some love to the small-scale pattern...it won't let you down.
 

Southwestern Rugs

I am ready to jump ALL over the Southwestern trend. I've started to see whisperings of it in home decor. With our love of ikat and other ethnic/tribal prints, it only makes sense that our attention is turning to beautiful patterns found in Native American design.

So, to get the party started, check out these area rugs that I found and am coveting this week:

Find these rugs, and many more, by clicking here...

What are your thoughts on Southwestern pieces?

 

Blanc de Chine Menagerie

One of my favorite elements of Chinoiserie style is the use of Blanc de Chine, or essentially white porcelain or ceramic figures of all shapes, sizes and creeds. It's relatively easy to find beautiful white porcelain at various price points, allowing you to create a grouping that can be set against a dynamic background (color or wallpaper, for example) to create an instant focal point.

And I looove Blanc de Chine animals...a little menagerie of white porcelain to brighten your day. I saw a whole slew online and I'm debating which one to add to my collection:

 

The traditional whimsy monkey

 The chic avians

 The origami safari...I think these are my favorite

 The tough guy

Do you use Blanc de Chine in your own home? Even if you call it white porcelain? I think most of us at least own a touch...

A Living Room via Megan Young

Let's just start this week right, shall we? None of the Monday blues, folks. Look at this image and revel in the fact that beauty exists. A totally "winning" space by Megan Young. Definitely one of my current favorite designers, this MY.

This room is more my speed when it comes to neutrals. It's blanketed in tones of ivory, but color plays a key role in keeping things interesting. Diamond jute (I assume) carpet, brass, cobalt blue lamp, touch of animal print and Chinoiserie reflected in that glorious mirror - all combine to elevate the neutral backdrop to something eclectic and special.

Start your week off with a bang!

 

Friday Crush

Image by Mikkel Vang via House Beautiful

Clearly the wallpaper of this bedroom by Michael Smith caught my eye, but I'm actually crushing on its color scheme. That rich tobacco/caramel shade against blue is quite fetching. And when I've seen it done well it's been a rather masculine room, so I love the feminine way it plays out in this scene.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend...see you Monday!

 

Tamara Thomsen

The vibrant, stunning work of Tamara Thomsen:

All images via tamarathomsen.com, art by Tamara Thomsen

 

I first discovered Tamara's work on 20x200, where you can buy some prints of her work for a great price. I naturally hopped over to her website, especially when I discovered she studied at VCU in my hometown of Richmond, and boy was I impressed. She paints lots of interiors in the brightest, happiest hues with a modern twist.

Love. Love. Love.
 

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".
 

Tufted Velvet Headboards

I'm a strong proponent of the tufted velvet headboard. I think if your headboard has a bit of drama, it can carry the room and you can relax on other elements. And a headboard is often a budget-friendly option, as opposed to a full bed, that allows for a creative bedskirt.

My favorite selection of TVHs is currently at Urban Outfitters. I l-o-v-e the color options!

I think they even have a couple more colors that I did not include. I genuinely think I would be happy with any of these. I think the scale is just right. Aaaand, the price ain't bad - 350 bones. Not cheap, but affordable. And this particular silhouette is difficult to DIY with its curves and tuftedness.

Do you like this type of headboard? Or do you prefer a full bed?