AN INTERVIEW WITH SIXX DESIGN

Head on over to Coco + Kelley today to catch #2 in her Vignette Series. It's a really nice q&a with Sixx Design, who never fail to inspire me to create a beautiful home and always take risks in decor. The only remaining question is, when will their Bravo series return? A few of my favorites among their designs:

Featured on The Selby: Lyndsay & Fitzhugh at Home in Brooklyn

It's been a while since I visited The Selby but I stumbled back today thanks for the NY Times article and slideshow of recently featured homes, which features this quote from Todd Selby himself on the type of people he will feature, 'There’s two requirements...the person has to be interesting, and the space has to be interesting. I’m not interested in someone who’s just rich and boring or paid some interior designer to make this crazy house."

Well, this home happens to be lived in by not one but two interior designers and it shows. It's just stunning and they have the most adorable little puppy too - follow the link to The Selby for lots more!

I love stripes.

I especially love the use of the striped fabric hung at the Terrain event (top photo) the others are just gorgeous but since I'm currently renting I doubt I'll be painting any striped walls soon. A girl can dream!

Event at Terrain

Via Bloig, Via Abby Goes Design Scouting

Via Domino

Via Domino

Domino Re-purposed

There has been a lot of excitement in the blogosphere the last few days over the announcement that old Domino.com content is being added to the recently remodeled homepage of Brides.com.

While I understand that having a new home for this content online allows Domino to have a more lasting presence online, the publication is still no more and the old content is just that - old and stale. Not that I don’t myself have loads of Domino screenshots and belong to the Flickr group that archives domino shots but I see it as a half-@#! way for Conde Nast to attempt to profit in the form of page hits from a much-beloved magazine that they closed down.

And now let’s continue on to our regularly scheduled programming. I know I’ve ignored this blog for a while but I plan on visiting and sharing a bit more often now.

West Elm Corp. Office - Sneak Peak

Have you flipped through the new issue of Lonny Magazine? I loved that this issue mixed things up a bit with a few new features including a soup recipe from Kate Lee (Joel..) and more importantly a sneak peek into West Elm's corporate offices located in Brooklyn, NY. So inspiring! And can I just say that if West Elm's future products reflect these inspiration boards, consider me sold!

View Lonny Magazine here, the West Elm feature starts on page 60.

Tubtime

This Dr. Seuss shower curtain is awesome and fun.

Future Allison with kids needs to have this.

Your future self can get it at Pottery Barn Kids!

Toast

Have you heard of Toast? They are essentially a British Anthropologie and I've been swooning over their online catalogue for about a year now. Currently wishing my life looked like this...

Perfect Treehouse

I imagine this built in Kauai or Costa Rica. How lovely to sit and read books or listen to vinyl in the treehouse....

romulo fialdini via audrey road

living room as pirate ship

and there you go.

Vintage(?) Hotness

This bed is rocking my world and I want it bad. Spotted on UrbanOutfitters, it was styled to sell the duvet cover that's just eh.... The bed though? Gimme.

This would also be perfect in a little girls room in a twin size - my brain is running wild with inspiration.

Your Daily Moment of Zen

Gorgeous sneak peak over at Design*Sponge this morning that made me gasp. French stylist Sandrine Place strikes a perfect balance of pretty and modern.

BoHo Classic

Deborah Needleman says my style is bohemian classic. So today I start thinking...is she right? I really didn't know. I had never tried to "label" my style before now. I think this could be helpful in making design decisions faster and also be willing to take more risks, by embracing my style sense more. Cruising the interwebs for a while, looking for some inspiration until I realized that I should actually be looking in my own style portfolio. And look what I found.... I'm pretty sure she nailed me!

Am I right? Or totally off here?

Etsy Finds: Home Decor

Lot's of relaxed, vintage-vibe finds today on Etsy.


Vintage Woven Pendant Lamp


Jadite Charm Creamer and Sugar Bowl


Sassari Ikat Cushion - Check out the rest of her shop too - ton's more in fun prints, perfect to spruce up a boring couch (like mine)


Indoor/Outdoor Concrete Planter - And she lives in Alameda, holler East Bay girl!

Someday I will have a daughter...

And when she turns three, I will transform her room into this magical world.



That is all.

Dear HSN, You are wowing me!

I've never bought a thing from the Home Shopping Network in my life, but they have a few home decor pieces right now that are really on the brain. And STEALS too!

I've been eying this Kilim Stripe Rug by the Nate Berkus line for two months now.


This gold serving bowl is metallic and sassy.


Moroccan table is sleek!

Deborah Needleman Says....

Allison, you are a Bohemian Classic

You have a refined sensibility and bring a sense of history and tradition into your decor. You appreciate how symmetrical arrangements and beautiful, well-crafted pieces create a solid foundation to a room. But you like to shake up this restraint with objects and accessories that express your personality and your love of other cultures. When traveling, you seek out unique objects that reflect what you love, and you use them in a sophisticated way. You want people to feel comfortable in your home, and cozy chairs, ethnic fabrics, unique pieces, and even a little touch of quirk or humor give your house a laid-back, Bohemian flair.

You value creativity. You are stylish and fun loving, and can be an inspiration to others. You have a natural sense of drama, and you know you have to be willing to take risks—whether with colors, finishes, furniture choices, or ideas—for your home to stand out. Your home can be happy and lively and the place all of your friends want to be.


Putting Your Style to Work!
With your style and needs in mind, here are a few tips that will help you make your home a little happier.

1. Your Design Challenge: EXPERIMENT The last mile in decorating is the hardest, because that is when you really take the risk in expressing yourself. As with fashion or jewelry, one bold piece can set the tone, and the others complement the look. Don't be afraid to experiment, drag stuff around and make mistakes. Use what you're passionate about to inspire your home, whether it is a love for patterns, travel, gardening, family or the sea. Consider a collection of books, pictures or objects on your passion. Giving yourself parameters helps you choose things in keeping with your true style—which is precisely the point of HomeGoods StyleScope. But also think of colors, a country, a movie or words you love when you're shopping, so that you can check that these pieces match your unique sensibility before you bring them home.

2. Your Happy Place Think of your outdoor space, no matter how small, as rooms, and create distinct areas. A pair of chaises flanking a little side table makes a living room. A lantern hanging from a tree or pergola over a table and chairs makes a dining room. A cluster of potted plants on a patio can create a cozy nook, and a single urn or bench placed at the far end can draw your eye, making a space seem longer. Big lanterns with candles sitting on the ground create a sense of space and give beautiful light. Try out new ideas before you start shopping by taking a photo of your area and laying some tracing paper over the print to draw whatever you're planning first.

3. Be Party-Ready All the Time! Food: Devote space in your pantry or on a shelf for go-to party essentials: crackers, dip, chips, nuts—whatever you like to serve. Keep on hand a collection of attractive bowls and cocktail napkins, and you'll be able to set a spread—instantly!

Drink: The simplest and chicest thing is to have a drinks tray or table always set up. Include a mix of pretty glasses, an ice bucket, a lovely pitcher, and bottles of soda and water. When the bell rings, just add ice and limes.

Mood: Nice, flattering light makes us feel good. So nix the harsh, direct light from overhead fixtures in favor of the softer glow from floor and table lamps. Also, keep some votive candles and a couple of hurricane lanterns for setting around the room.

Scent: The first thing you notice about a home is how it smells. Use naturally fragrant cleaning products. If you find a scented candle or fresh potpourri you love, stock up on it. Any scent you like, whether perfume or linen spray, can be used on upholstery, bedding or just spritzed into the air.

Find out your style here!
http://www.homegoods.com/hghq_quiz.asp

And shout out to Jaime at I Suwanee for posting this.

I am back.

It's been a while, a long while. And I'm feeling ready to get back to this blog thing.

Over the last few months, I stopped reading a lot of blogs and as a result I think I got less and less inspired. But now I'm ready to give my blog and my life a makeover.

This photo struck me today as a place I'd like to take my design aesthetic. Bright, cheerful and sophisticated. It also happens to be from one of my favorite blogs, I Suwannee - written by the fabulous and inspiring Jaime Meres who is starting her own design business.

julia roitfeld at home in new york

The daughter of fashion royalty, Julia Roitfeld let The Selby into her NYC apartment and even though there is a lack of full room shots, the photos of her stuff alone are enough to stir envy in any girl. Who else can get away with laying around on her bed in an all white full feather ensemble without looking the fool? Loving her lipstick too, the red trend is starting to rub off on me.


Check out The Selby for more photos other unique, interesting people: artists, art directors, fashion designers and actors.

Feeling inspired again.

Over the past week, I found myself in mourning again for Domino. Boyfriend and I will walk past a little nook in the lobby of our building where the magazines go and I will say "remember that magazine I used to love, named Domino?" then I make my sad face. So boyfriend went to Chronicle Books the other day and comes home with an Apartment Therapy book for me. A gift wrapped in paper. I love this man. So, I look through it and feel semi-inspired. I like a couple of the spaces. Then take a glace at my Domino book on the shelf and say, it's just not as great. But really, enough about Domino, right? It's gone. WELL, then I go to Design Sponge and what do I see?? A sneak peak of Olga Naiman's apartment, who used to be a stylist for Domino. And I tell ya, last night when I couldn't sleep because of the tiny cup of coffee I had, all I could think about where these photos. For the rest click here: http://www.designspongeonline.com/2009/05/sneak-peek-olga-naiman.html