Happy Thanksgiving!

There are so many things to be thankful for this year. My husband and I will be celebrating our first Thanksgiving as a married couple, alone, as my entire family seems to have fled to the midwest or can't leave the midwest. I will be sure to take lots of pictures of our first Thanksgiving.

Eddie Ross. Tasteful Abundance.

Anyway, I'm thankful for a lot of things: My husband, my (expanding--no, not me!!!) family, my health, my friends, stuffing and pie, interior design, the Christmas season, and so many other things that you would get bored. What are you thankful for?


Alicia B.

Glad for Plaid.

One of the many things I love about Autumn and Winter is that there is more plaid to be seen. I mean flannel, tartan, and plaid. Whenever I see it it looks cozy and warm and makes me feel like cashmere is wrapped around my heart. I recently had to shop for a client's Colorado house and saw tons of great tartan plaids. Very inspiring and festive.

I would love a day bed like the one here. This looks like a very relaxed sitting room--I guess my little loveseat will have to do for now with brown windowpane plaid.

What a great office. Betsy Burnham in LA has a fantastic workspace with a ton of books and a green tartan pillow! Pillows are versatile and you can change them out when summer comes and you want something lighter.

This is from Hank Azaria's house in AD and the drapery is Sandra Jordan! She had the best line of plaids but I can't seem to find them online. What a cozy office meeting room...for poker games.

As I used to work in a lighting showroom, I loved to see which fabrics designer's used on lampshades. These are very seasonal and the great thing about lampshades is that you can switch them depending on the season! From Living etc.

Ahhh, my favorite house in Newport RI. John Peixinhos's home is a constant inspiration to me. This is such a simple entry and I love the plaid next to the elegantly worn oriental rug. From HB.

Autumnal tablescape! I love the lavender and maize plaid blanket used as a table cloth here. Great idea.

Speaking of tablescapes, Eddie Ross designed this gorgeous Thanksgiving table. This is making me even more excited for Thanksgiving. The unexpected and non traditional Thanksgiving colors make this table really stand out.

Plaid, plaid, plaid and a little dog. Preppy and British looking, yes?

Are you going to add some plaid to your home this fall/winter? When in doubt, you can just add a pillow or a tablecloth. In the image above, the pillow is a green silk pillow with a huge plaid ribbon tied around it. That would be great decoration for a holiday party. Can't wait to decorate for our first holiday party!

Alicia B.

Octo-Ottomans

I have been completely obsessed with octagonal ottomans lately. I think they might just be the coolest thing since bricklayers coffee tables. I haven't seen a TON of them but I was able to scout out a few.

How incredible are the textiles in this room? They are all Robert Kime and Carolina Irving I believe. The ottoman serves as a coffee table as well and take a look at the detail below.

I'm not usually one for passementerie but I can hardly breathe when I look at the tassels and trim on this. Amazing details. Both images are from HERE.

This large Suzani covered ottoman is for sale on the Christies UK site. It is coming from an estate in Cotswold Manor so I'd better hop on my jet with my bidders paddle.

I think when it comes to an octagonal ottoman you absolutely must go all out with the fabrics. I love this ottoman though, it's large but with slender legs it doesn't appear so bulky. Amazing room by Daniel Sachs. This spread actually goes up there with my top 3 faves.

This ottoman is finished off with a simple nailhead trim in this more stripped down room. I love the simple aesthetic in this sitting room.

This image, taken from World of Interiors, has one of the most unique and stunning ottoman of the bunch. The whole room is full of Robert Kime textiles and is perfectly British/European.


The only company that I could find so far that makes an octagonal ottoman is Robert Kime. Robert Kime Textiles compliment the ottomans perfectly and there are so many to choose from. He has two versions; the paneled version HERE, and the open version HERE. I think I like the open version because it appears more like a table than a pouf. BTW this is not a plug for Robert Kime, I just happen to love everything about RK. What do ya'll think?


Alicia B.

The Nate Show!

Don't forget to call in sick today to watch the Nate Berkus Show!


Nina Garrrrcia will be on today and I'm excited for more tips on living in small spaces. I know I've been living in a shoebox apartment (different ones) for about 6 years now and am the master at maximizing my space. Rumor has it that hes going to be giving things away to the audience! I love when people get free stuff!!

Come back to me tomorrow where I'll tell you MY new favorite thing. It'll be worth it but I won't be giving out free ones.

Alicia B.