Archive for May, 2009
Saturday, May 16th, 2009
The days are longer and the weather is superb here in California. I’ve been sprucing up the yard, pruning, raking and planting summer annuals because outdoor entertaining is on the agenda. If you’ve been browsing the latest catalogs or online shopping sites, then you know how popular outdoor decorating has become.
Rugs made of recycled [...]
Filed under: Outside, Passion for Rugs | 1 Comment »
Thursday, May 14th, 2009
One of my favorite weekend pastimes is browsing antique websites to keep up with available inventory and current prices. I ran across a gorgeous solid wood trestle table (above, $6995) from The Whimsey Shoppe in Dallas. A quick phone call later, I learned the table is a 80″ reproduction. Wondering if I could get [...]
Filed under: Allison Shops | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, May 13th, 2009
Recently we looked at Upcycling and how industry cast-offs are being utilized in making rugs. But what about those small carpet samples that dealers and designers use to show us what the finished product looks like?
In an effort to keep the estimated 700,000 carpet samples out of our landfills, Ample Sample is once again [...]
Filed under: Passion for Rugs | Comments Off
Tuesday, May 12th, 2009
Many times I’ve come back from a trip wishing that my own bedroom was as comfortable and uncluttered as a hotel room. A stay at the Sofitel in Chicago last fall left me longing for a more modern style and window shades that screen-out glare but let in light.
All these photos (via Budget Living) were [...]
Filed under: Décor | 1 Comment »
Monday, May 11th, 2009
Red-tone, slab-front, wood cabinets are one element in common to these mid-century style kitchens. They also share a fondness for French modernist furniture from the same generation, particularly designs by Jean Prouve, whose distinctive sheet metal and wood pieces are discernible classics.
An informal, ‘60s leaning kitchen [above] features Prouve’s Gueridon Table oak and steel [...]
Filed under: Kitchens, Modern, Wood-Tone | 1 Comment »
Sunday, May 10th, 2009
The wonderful thing about auctions is the way certain objects retain their value although the passage of time has drastically reduced their relevance or use. Take tea caddies, which regularly appear at auction and still fetch high prices even though few people have locked up any tea leaves in fancy wooden boxes for going on [...]
Filed under: Antiques, Collecting, Décor | 2 Comments »
Friday, May 8th, 2009
The electrician replaced 1940s wiring (the stuff sheathed with cotton) in my bathroom last week and marked the spot for a new wall sconce. That emboldened me to finally get serious about the wall color.
The new window has a mahogany-brown frame. It wasn’t a leap to consider going dark so I painted a swatch of [...]
Filed under: Cottage Bathrooms | Comments Off
Wednesday, May 6th, 2009
In the world of interiors, eras are often distinguished by color palettes, but could you identify a room based solely on the colors used? This advertisement for Ozite carpet tiles is from 1968 yet if you take a close look at the sofa color, it’s a dead ringer for this year’s hot Pantone color Mimosa. [...]
Filed under: Color, Passion for Rugs | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, May 5th, 2009
When you go for the most rigorous modernist aesthetic, the top of the line leads to Boffi. Clean lines and industrial style elements rule in this New York beach house kitchen which opens into the living and dining areas. These Italian kitchens come as modular units in colors, wood veneer or stainless steel fitted with [...]
Filed under: Kitchens, Modern | Comments Off
Monday, May 4th, 2009
The theme is mid-20th century style with Dorothy Draper-style loop motifs used in variations [mirror and stairwell, above] throughout the first floor. But even 1940s Hollywood interiors weren’t as glamorous as this sleekly renovated house in suburban New Jersey by architect James Paragano and designer Patti Smith.
The simple lines of the entry hall rely [below] [...]
Filed under: Designer Rooms, Décor | Comments Off