Friday Crush

My Chinoiserie tangerine dream!!! I've seen this mirror before, but it's absolutely captivating in this juicy shade of orange. It was on One Kings Lane yesterday, but is now sold out (not that I could really afford it anyway). It would look so beautiful in my house...but alas, a girl can only dream.

Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the beautiful weather. See you Monday!

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Colorful Den via Southern Living

I have a vague recollection of seeing this den design in the December 2010 issue of Southern Living, but seeing as how I can't stop obsessing over anything in that minty-jade colorway, it bubbled up to my attention because I adore the paint color and how it is mixed with greens, pinks and tans.

Photo by Laurey W. Glenn, design by Anne Turner Carroll via Southern Living

This space is what I consider the perfect cozy den with lots of color but very comfortable and easy on the eyes. I especially love the design board - all the bits look so pretty together. FYI, the wall paint is Dix Blue (82) by Farrow and Ball - it's a little more aqua than mint, but I still love it. Especially since it's such a nice contrast to the rest of the room (the color is only picked up in 2 pillows and slight flecks in the curtains, but it all works so well).

Does anyone know the fabric that is on the pillow in the very bottom right-hand corner of the first picture (the brown/cream fabric)? It's also at the very top of the design board. I love it.

Also note the use of a large circular rug...I don't see that very often, but it's perfect in this space.

What do you like about the room?

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Dream Mint Kitchen

I most definitely found my ultimate dream kitchen yesterday while reading La Dolce Vita - the post was profiling the imaginary dream home of Sam from The Peak of Tres Chic and the kitchen she chose is to-die-for gorgeous.

Kitchen design by Garrison Hullinger, based in Portland, Oregon (thanks Erin!)

I am having a love affair with the color mint these days (who isn't), so this combination of mint+white+wood+brass is just out of this world. And the carpet for the space is the perfect touch. I also love how they continued the mint color on the crown moulding of what appears to be a very high ceiling. I have to admit that I don't love the cabinetry hardware, but it's literally the only thing I would switch up in the space to make it more me. I love it!!!!!!!

**UPDATED**Does anyone know the source of these images? I couldn't track down the photographer or designer (or publication, if there is one) so if you've seen these before, please let me know the info in the comments so I can update the post.

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Mottahedeh Butterfly Dessert Plates

This might be my favorite blog post in a while. With the arrival of Spring, I've started to revisit my favorite feminine china patterns...I just like to look at them online and drool over their prettiness.

And I found a new (to me) one that is SOOOOO beautiful...I'm in LOVE! LOVE!

These dessert plates are from Mottahedeh and are called "Lace Butterfly" and are just precious. I seriously need to buy a set because I'm going mad over how beautiful they are. I'm usually not a plate-hanger (though I enjoy a formal plate rack) but I would not hesitate to hang these beauties in a set on a wall. And they would of course look amazing used for a tea party with your girlfriends.

Buy the aqua (top) here, the blue (middle) here, and the green (bottom) here.

Beautiful things make me so happy :)

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Sasha Seymour's Art

I know I'm a little late to the party vis-à-vis stylist Sasha Seymour's Toronto townhouse. I drooled right along with you when we all saw this amazing kitchen make the rounds:

Photo by Michael Graydon for House & Home

The brass is what did it. 

As I looked through some photos of the rest of Sasha's house, I really loved the art in two of her spaces and how she used it to make the room special. Check out her dining room:

Photo by Michael Graydon for House & Home

Very simple and very effective. And truly, the art makes this space. I see those chairs on Craigslist all the time, though finding a large set like this (in good condition) would be a challenge. Alone, they have a retro vibe that is lovely, but paired with the beautiful artwork and light fixture, they sing. The colors of the art piece work so well with the paint of the room and the otherwise neutral tones and its singular impact is all the space needs in terms of decoration. Really, really lovely. 

And look at this nook in her bedroom:

 Photo by Michael Graydon for House & Home

Sasha does a brilliant job of using the artwork to guide the pieces that surround it. She is a stylist after all. The peacock of the curtains, off-white of the fur chair, and mustard of the roman shade all work back to the quirky little painting.  A piece of art is a great way to tie together pieces that don't necessarily "match."

Her townhouse tour is worth a click - check it out here.

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Friday Crush

Image by Grant K. Gibson

If you follow Grant K. Gibson on Twitter, you likely saw this sneak peek he posted yesterday of a recent project. I can only hope this is an incredible dining room where he's paired Quadrille's Paradise Garden on chairs atop a gorgeous geometric Stark carpet. I absolutely love the color combo of pink, aqua and taupe. GORGEOUS!

Hope you have a beautiful weekend! See you Monday!

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Magic Carpet Rug

I recently ordered Urban Outfitters' Magic Carpet Rug for my office, and it just came in the mail.

I should probably save my thoughts for when I actually take it out of the packaging and use it, but just from a glimpse at the rug folded within plastic, I love it! I got the pink version on the right and for $64, I think it's great. The colors are spectacular - pink, navy, jade, teal, orange...I'm a little worried that it won't quite mix with my office fabric, but it has many of the same colors so I hope it makes the floral in my curtain fabric feel younger.

I'm planning to use it under my desk area...I think it will be a great grounding piece under my idea of a modern IKEA desk and a vintage desk chair that I have.

I'll give a full report once I actually use it...if I could just get started on my office!

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Chinese Chippendale Chair

I found a new resource for the beloved Chinese Chippendale chair and this chair looks very much like a chair that I spotted at the beach a couple of summers ago that was about $650. This chair from Design Toscano is half that price. Still not inexpensive, but within the realm of normal.

I can't tell if it's just the image or the actual chair, but it appears to have an almost tortoise-like finish to it. I think the whole chair is splendid and would look so, so, so very good as a set in a dining room. I also prefer this type of Chippendale chair to the more ubiquitous (yet equally attractive) bamboo styles because it's a little different, but still classic Chinoiserie.

If you're in the market for these chairs, I hope this is a helpful resource!

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Painting the House

I have wanted to paint our house since the day we bought it. In fact, I think it was one of my terms of approval - I made Carter promise we would paint it soon after moving in.

Well, three years later, it's still not painted. But I swear, with the vehemence of Scarlett O'Hara, that this will be the summer! We almost pulled the trigger last summer, but someone (Carter) dragged his feet and then we lost momentum. The plan is to have the trim and siding of the house painted professionally while Carter tackles the brick.

Our house is a small cape-code style brick and siding combo....and unpainted, it's nothing special from the outside. But painted? Our house could be straight-up adorable and that's my goal.

I think we have decided to go with a shade of green with white trim and a red door. I've been searching for inspiration images and Pinterest has happily obliged with some adorable painted homes in shades of green:

Image Source

I love this little guy...such a quaint place to call home and I hope our painted house will have similar charm. I like the whisper of green in the paint color and LOVE the Chippendale railings. Our front steps currently have a metal railing and replacing it with this type of white railing would make me incredibly happy.

 Image source is twoellie.com, but it was not linked to the actual post via Pinterest

I love a small home with various nooks and crannies to it. I'm not sure this is the green color I'm going for, but I like how the white trim popped against this shade. And I desperately want that back patio.

Image Source

Sooo fetching, right? I guess this paint color leans more toward taupe, but I thought it could work with more green in it. And I love the pop of white trim and that cedar shingle detail! I don't think our house has a spot that would work with shingles, but if it did, I would totally do this. It adds a lovely dimension to a smaller home.

Have you guys seen any cute homes that have been painted green? I have a small collection on Pinterest, but if you have a good lead, let me know!

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Vallauris by Clarence House

We all enjoy a good Chinoiserie vase/urn fabric/wallpaper, yes? My eyes have just feasted upon this new fabric from Clarence House called Vallauris and it's outstanding.

Vallauris by Clarence House

Usually, vase/urn fabric is typically a two-color situation. Like silhouettes...or I'm thinking of one of Thibaut's that is two colors with white (if I'm remembering correctly). But Vallauris has SO many colors...and they are awesome colors like peach, coral, aqua, lavender, black... many, many to choose from. Makes the fabric a bit chaotic with so much color and pattern, but that is naturally why I am drawn to it. Definitely a new favorite.

Happy Monday!

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Friday Crush

That mint console is bananas...spotted on Gorgeous Shiny Things (Danika is WAY talented if you're not reading this blog), from Christopher Farr cloth. I seriously can't stop looking at how amazing that mint is contrasted with navy, with a peek of lilac in the room beyond - what a gorgeous color combination.

Have a fantastic weekend...see you Monday!

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Beginnings of a Dining Room

I came across these Japanese panels and thought they would be perfect as the focal point of a dining room, over a sideboard or buffet.

Sorry for the dinky picture...the panels are on Overstock for $160, which is a great price for something that will cover so much wall.

Let's paint the walls a whisper pink...something more peachy than red. And then make billowy curtains out of this buffalo check in a beautiful sea green:

Fabric Link

If pink is a little much for you, we can also paint a golden tan...something light and pastel. Then we'd place this console under the panels:

Console Link

And we'd style it with lots of Blanc de Chine, like this urn:

 Urn Link

Oh, and we'd need two lamps like these, but I'd switch out the shade for black drum shades.

Lamp Link

Or do we think the black drum shades won't contrast enough against the wall panels? Hmmm...

What would you do for a dining table and chairs?

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Chinoiserie Toile Bedroom

I immediately pinned this image of a crisp emerald headboard against a divine toile wallpaper when I saw it on The Pink Pagoda:

via Real Simple magazine

And though green is the color of choice for most of my house, if I were to do this in a bedroom, I would opt for the same concept done in lavender or pink. The result would be breathtaking! Are you interested? If so, this is what I recommend...

This fabric is a fantastic Chinoiserie toile that would look gorgeous used as wallpaper - it's Robert Allen's Full Sails in Violet:

And this tufted lavender headboard would be quite fetching placed against it as our example picture shows. It's from Home Decorators' custom upholstery collection, which I must say, has some nice variety of choices:

Our example photo has the headboard done in a bolder hue, but I think having the "wallpaper" in our scenario have a bit more punch will look stunning, don't you?

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Wood-Paneled Ceiling

Yes, this a page from the latest Ballard Designs catalog. But take a moment and strip away everything in the room, leaving only the bed, the wall color, and that ceiling:

It is a brilliant combination...I adore the vintage hues of the floral fabric and the wall color is a wonderful complement - but then to think of paneling the ceiling with honey-hued wood planks? Good move by Ballard's design team. I had to stop and recollect if I've ever seen this treatment before...it's not such an out-of-the-box idea, but I don't recall seeing it executed. I've seen many a white beadboard ceiling before. In this case, I love the combination of the golden wood on the ceiling and the rich brown on the floor.

That spot, in the upper corner, where the ceiling meets the crown meets the wall color...divine!

And if you like the fabric, Ballard sells it by the yard here.

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Catalog Pick: West Elm Baskets

I got the latest West Elm catalog this weekend and I LOVE their basket choices that are sporting an on-trend ethnic vibe:

 I am OBSESSED with these colorful lidded baskets that I've seen on the market (at places like Serena & Lily, Furbish) and I'm really digging West Elm's take because of their colors and two sizes. I definitely have these on my wish list.

Really like the idea of using one of these baskets as a planter...would look gorgeous in a traditional space.

I would use this basket on a fireplace hearth and fill it with books and magazines.

We all know that I love to amass a collection of throw blankets, and my favorite way to display them if not draped across a piece of furniture is neatly folded in a basket like this one. I also like the look of crisp white towels neatly folded and kept in a basket like this in a guest bathroom.

Have you pulled the trigger on any of these baskets??

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