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There’s so much to like about this red-accented space that it almost makes me want to redecorate our entire house from scratch (family – don’t be alarmed, I said ‘almost’).
There’s nothing quite like joyful, juicy red, used in just the right quantity. Here, because the space is so light and easy, the effect is uplifting. I’m a huge fan of the kilim rug combined with a very simple, blocky white table.
The central shelving unit looks like a clever disguise for a load-bearing column. Doused in red, it brings the entire space together.
The Asian elements, such as these meditation chairs, the Buddah, rush mats and Japanese-inspired screens below, bring order to a small space and prevent it from looking cluttered.
Is there any smarter combination than red, white and charcoal? That dark wall works well to ease the transition between living area and kitchen.
A perfect study in red.
Are you over Ikat prints yet? If the big furniture retailers are anything to go by, far from it. Ikat-inspired patterns are still sprouting up everywhere – not least on some pretty stylish sofas.
I’m a fan of this sofa from Wisteria, made from one-of-a-kind bridal rugs.
Good old West Elm, of course, has its own version. The print that it actually calls Ikat is less inspiring, however, than this paisley one for the Essex sofa. It still has that ethnic appeal but is slightly more subtle.
Urban Outfitters has had Ikat chairs for a while, but they are obviously in high demand as it now has a bigger – and brighter – collection. I like this one in Indigo, but you should check out Watermelon, Sundown and Peacock for a mouth-watering selection of colors.
Maybe I should still find a spot for some Ikat somewhere…
Do you still think of some spaces as ‘grown-up’? Maybe it’s just me, but every now and then I come across a room that exudes a certain refinement, elegance, taste and confidence that can only be described as grown-up. These spaces have no gimics, no attention-grabbing features, no whimsy (although they may have wit). They are somehow both effortless and aspirational. And they remind us of who we wanted to be when we were all grown-up.
Now, for the cynics out there, by ‘grown-up’ I don’t just mean ‘expensive’. Of course, these spaces all look expensive (and some probably are given that there are at least two celebrity homes here). It’s more to do with the sophisticated color palettes, rich textures and confident styling. Clearly, somewhere in my subconscience, grown-ups also have metallic fixtures and lots of velvet!
1 & 2 – Lonny Magazine, 3 – Automatism, 4 – Living Etc, 5 & 6 – Elle Decor (Monique L’Huillier and Kelly Hoppen’s homes).
I bought some coral-colored parrot tulips the other day. As I watched them change from bright orange on the first day to faded apricot at the end of their life, I was reminded of how amazing coral can look in an interior scheme. It’s been a sadly neglected hue in the past few years, but recently I’ve spotted a few rooms that combine coral with totally-now gray – to fantastic effect.
This was Coco and Kelley’s room of the week recently.
The splashes of orangey-coral look great against the neutrals and grays. This would work well in both summer and winter.
This coral bench is a good way to punch up the delicate grays of the sofa, wallpaper and flooring. Via Peacock Feathers.
This coral borders on orange but the tones are still soft rather than citrus-y. Via Style at Home.
Remember this outfit-to-room story from Domino? I was reminded it of it looking through an old issue recently. This coral has pinkish tones and, with wool, fur, felt and tweed, makes a cozy space for winter.
Looking through my files I also found this coral and gray montage from Coco and Kelley last year. If you needed proof that these colors are fabulous together, here it is…
(Tulip photo by my husband).
There’s something very satisfying about using natural materials and textures in design.
Take this room, via Kika Reichart, for instance. A simple color scheme and sparse furnishing leap into life with the use of tactile surfaces and fabrics made from linen, wool, plywood, sisal and hessian. I’ve always loved this look and longed to have the discipline to carry off an all-neutral space dressed with with scrubbed wooden tables and white linen upholstery.
No surprise then that the trend toward using burlap in the home has had me intrigued for a while. Of course, designers, and the more adventurous amateurs among you, have used burlap, linen, hessian, rope and similar materials in all sorts of unusual ways for some time. But now it seems that even the major home stores are going wild for the look. And it’s not just plain linen drapes that they’re pushing. I’m talking straight-from-the-flour-mill, shake-out-the-sawdust, sackcloth-turned-decor here. Welcome to the era of Hopsack Chic.
Take these pillows from Restoration Hardware, for example. Now this is a store that is known for polished fixtures and sumptuous leather sofas. But here we have what appear to be converted (wool?) sacks?
Pottery Barn continues its love affair with numbers and text, this time with a distinctly agricultural feel.
And even more so with these pillows, seemingly made from coffee sacks (also Pottery Barn).
Anthropologie keeps it feminine with these pillows which, despite the floral emblem, still look like they were made from something altogether more utilitarian.
So, if you like the look of Hopsack Chic, what else can you do to apply it at home?
Some simple linen tablecloths would be a good start (via Katy Elliott).
Or, if you want to push the boat out – an elegant chair recovered in coffee sacks, anyone? Via Sumner Design.
A stamped burlap headboard might be more your taste. Via Poppytalk.
Personally, I’d opt for a less literal interpretation and fill my place with beautiful linen tufted sofas like this one from Anthropologie.
Then I’d go for some tree stump side tables, like these from West Elm.
And a twine lamp from Anthropologie to complete the look. And there you go – Hopsack Chic!
What do you think? Chic or eek?
I know black walls have been a design trend for at least a year. But it still takes courage and conviction to decorate with black. I still can’t get over the fact I chose two black-framed mirrors for our house – I thought I was being so bold!
But I’ve come to realize that there are some lower-commitment ways to decorate with black. If you love the drama of black but don’t want a moody look, check out some of these ideas.
Glossy black wood door and window frames, with lots of white and a bit of glass, keep the space light.
Just a few pieces of black furniture, like this coffee table and bookshelf, allow you to dabble in black decor, without going the whole way.
Even an entire wall in black wallpaper looks light when it is punctuated with an open doorway.
A black armoire sets a classic tone for a white room decorated with black accents.
Just a single piece of black and white fabric injects drama into this muted bedroom.
Black walls are an easier option when you have lots of windows. I also like the cozy effect for an office. I like to think it would aid concentration!
I love black in kitchens against all that marble and chrome.
In bathrooms, it looks so decadent – even when you only use a tiny bit of black.
Talk about making a statement. Black doors and a simple black table make this otherwise all-white entryway fabulous. I love lilac accents (in this case the flowers) too.
A dramatic black and white canvas breathes life into a space.
This room demonstrates solid commitment to black – but the soft textures (drapes, velvet sofa) make it more inviting.
This really pretty pendant looks great against the more austere black wall and stone fireplace.
Or reverse the look with a modern black pendant against a pretty backdrop of traditional white walls and fixtures.
I love the graphic appeal of a striped rug and lots of black picture frames.
If you don’t like the idea of painting a wall black, who could resist the luxe appeal of black wood?
With paneling it’s even more effective.
Or pick out an architectural feature – in this case the staircase – in black.
Or how about switching things up and painting the wainscoting black and the upper walls white? It has the effect of grounding an almost white space.
Have you tried decorating with black? Do you still love it?
Credits:
1 & 2 – Decorpad, 3 – Apartment Therapy, 4 – source unknown, 5 – Apartment Therapy, 6 – Peacock Feathers, 7 & 8 – Pink Wallpaper, 9 – Simplified Bee, 10 – Peacock Feathers, 11 – This is Glamorous, 12 & 13 – Graham Atkins Hughes via Desire to Inspire, 14 – The City Sage, 15 – Apartment Therapy, 16 – The Rug Company, 17 – Door Sixteen, 18 – A Life More Fabulous.
While researching a recent post, I came across the work of Turkish design duo, Seyhan Ozdemir and Sefer Caglar – known as Autoban. Their work is industrial and edgy, but still manages to look comfortable and inviting. Check out this living room.
They also do commercial interiors. I would love to visit this Istanbul hotel they designed: Hotel Wittistanbul. Is that wallpaper with a metallic pattern or is it backlit screens with cutouts? Who knows but I like it!
If you want to replicate the look at home, they do a line of furniture and lamps too.
Photos by Richard Powers.
Perhaps it’s because of the hot weather, but I’ve been thinking about beach houses (well, the beach in general actually). I’ve been wanting to do some posts about amazing movie interiors, so what better place to start than the most stunning beach house of all: the one in Something’s Gotta Give.
Something’s Gotta Give, with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton, has been one of the most talked-about movies from an interior design perspective ever. Keaton’s city home was pretty special, but her beach house was just amazing. Some argue that it set the bar for Hamptons style. There are literally dozens of blog posts about the house, but one of the most helpful I found was on interior design blog, Surroundings.
To remind you, here’s what the house looked like (via Surroundings).
How to get the look
To me, this look is more about the colors and architectural details than about the individual furnishings. For example, a major defining characteristic is contrast of light and dark, with the all-white walls, moldings and cabinetry against the dark wood floors, tables, chairs and kitchen countertops. This is a look that works in pretty much any home, but is particularly effective here because of all the interesting architectural details.
Although some additional color is introduced in the drapes, rugs and sofas, it’s still all very muted – the designers have layered pale coastal-inspired blues and sandy yellows.
But what makes this house feel so personal is the use of texture. The drapes are all linen, the rug a beachy woven stripe, the furnishings a mix of cotton slipcover, wicker and polished wood. If you look carefully, you see that the book shelves are even backed in bead and board.
Then there’s the use of art, books and careful lighting – all of which make the house seem really cozy. Quite a feat really, considering it’s actually a movie set. Apparently, the set designers even sprayed sunscreen around just before anyone walked on set – to evoke that real-life beachy feel!
More tips here from Surroundings and also the Set Decorators Society of America. For those based in San Francisco, the SF Examiner had a few tips on bringing the Hamptons to the Bay Area.
More inspiration
If you’re looking for more beach house inspiration, try these tempting pics:
Marjie’s coastal cottage, via Apartment Therapy.
From Apartment Therapy’s ‘modern lake houses’ post.
This Portland beach house is from Design*Sponge.
And this house is in Sydney, Australia (via Desire to Inspire).
This photo is by Catherine Gratwicke and is via Desire to Inspire.
These next two are from LivingEtc.
These last two are from Coastal Living.
To some, a home is just four walls and a roof. To others, it’s a showcase for a lifetime’s achievements. To a few, it’s a canvas for artistic expression. To me, it’s a refuge and a source of comfort. It’s also a lab for design experiments, some of which go well, many of which don’t.
That’s the real reason I started this blog: to record the changes in our home, capture the things that inspire those changes; and document the disasters so I never repeat them!
To some people, I suppose our home looks finished. Or maybe it looks like we’ve barely started. But to me, it’s a work in progress. So here are the first photos of our home – finished or otherwise.
We live in a San Francisco Edwardian. There are three stories, including the basement garage. The living room is at the front and is open to the hallway via a double-width arch. We’re lucky to have tons of natural light, with windows on two sides – although that does make it chilly on winter evenings. The sofas are from IKEA (when we moved to the US seven years ago, we had to furnish an entire apartment in a weekend so most of our basic items are from IKEA – and still going strong, I might add). The ottoman is from Pottery Barn and has been absolutely invaluable – there’s nothing better than kicking back in front of a movie with this as a footrest. Good for extra seating too when we entertain. The shades are raw silk from the Shade Store (excellent for reasonably-priced custom shades). The mirror and lamp are from Pier 1 and the apothecary chest is from Gingko, a little store in Soma that makes items to order for a great price – mostly from reclaimed wood. I also have a beautiful Louis chair (out of shot) covered in cream velvet, with silver gilt arms. It’s rather ornate but balances out the two boxy IKEA sofas. The challenge here is keeping the effect modern while indulging my preference for vintage, gilt and shiny things. Seems I’m constantly teetering between the two.
Ok, this shot is taken from the sofa under the bay window, looking through to the hallway and then dining room. Here’s the Louis chair. The painting is by Chris Hankey. We asked for contributions to an art gallery for our wedding gifts, and this was one of the pieces we eventually purchased. If there’s one thing in our home that helps me relax, it’s this.
The dining room wall color was a major change for us – it’s quite a cool blue/green/gray. It’s Iced Marble by Benjamin Moore and seems to change color depending on what you put next to it. But it looks great as a backdrop to the wave painting. The table is (of course) IKEA, but the chairs are from a, now closed, store on Fillmore Street. I loved the leather but couldn’t justify buying six of them so two are in a charcoal fabric instead. The sideboard, just seen, is from Gingko again. I had trouble deciding what to do with the front door, which is glass. I didn’t want to block out the light completely, but also didn’t want passersby peering in while we ate our dinner in the evening. The laser-cut paper screen by Tord Boontje seemed to be a good solution – and, somehow, we’ve managed to prevent our toddler from tearing it to shreds.
Just off the dining room is a tiny sitting area, which we use as a playroom. I’ve already shared my excitement about the West Elm zigzag rug in an earlier post: I’m loving how it contrasts with the more somber dining room.
This is the master bedroom. It’s above the living room so we get the same great light. But we had to invest in extremely well-lined drapes and shades to keep the warmth in in winter. The bed is IKEA again, as are the lamps. I feel like we should replace the lamps with something more visible against the light-colored drapes. But the light they give is so warm it’s perfect for a bedroom so I can’t bear to part with them. The pomegranate painting was another wedding gift and was the inspiration for the colors in this room.
Ok, I’m no stylist. But I like to see this little collection of things on our dresser in the mornings. The photos are of my father as a child, the handheld silver mirror (lying flat) was an 18th birthday present, the mother-of-pearl inlaid mirror is from Wisteria and was a source of much soul-searching (should we really spend the money?) but it was the best price I’d found for this type of mirror and I absolutely love it. The domino box is also from Wisteria and was a present from my sister (with some strong hints…). The large paper flower was made by my two-year-old at his daycare and is, quite frankly, the best thing about this collection (in my humble, doting-parent, opinion!)
Last but not least, the guest room. The photograph isn’t great, but the room itself is really relaxing to be in. The wall color is Morning Dew by Benjamin Moore – a really pale, creamy green. The drapes are white linen and from the Shade Store again. The bedside tables were an absolute find for $140 each in a local antiques store (Past Perfect on Union Street – same place I got the Louis chair). Somehow they work with the IKEA bed and lamps. The rug is from South Africa, a gift from my parents.
In another post, I’ll try to show some pics of the nursery, office and kitchen. The latter is definitely a work in progress – we’re contemplating a renovation.
So, that’s our home. I hope it provides some ideas – even if only what not to do!
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