Rando Inspiration Design Friday

Precision Rigging.

Happy Friday! This week has flown by like a rocket ship! What a great week--I'm sorry it has to end with this dreary rain. Yuck. Anyway, I'm offering 20% off my Nature photography today at www.aliciabdesigns.com. This is only today, and ONLY because I'm in a good mood. Who knows how long this will last...Enjoy my pictures in design inspiration from this week!

Point Click Home has a wonderful house tour of a family in DC. This super minimalist fireplace caught my eye. An asymmetrical look is quite often very wonderful.

From Marie Claire Maison, this foyer is so quiet and calm. I wish I could see what's behind that door, and the wispy curtains.

Hamilton Design Assoc. I wonder who designed this, the designers or the kids?! So charming. I was a deprived child and my father never built us a tree house (he was afraid that we would fall out of it and hurt ourselves, BUT WHATEVER).

I have a feeling the good mood might last as I have a great weekend ahead of me. Flea market shopping with my friend on Saturday, and visiting my cousins and the little cutie baby on Sunday in Prospect Park. Plans? Tell me!


Alicia B.

The Modern Pleat

This room in the Kips Bay Showhouse is full of uber traditional pleated details by Mario Buatta.

Usually when you think of pleats you conjure up images of fussy chintz sofas (see above and please don't hurt me Mr. Buatta), doilies, and lots and lots of passmenterie. Lately however, the idea of a pleat is modern, clean, and...trendy. I'm seeing them in upholstery as well as in the fashion world. While I've always been a fan of a cute pleated skirt, pleats are BACK in pants, too.

Massucco Warner Miller uses a pleated pillow in this cheery orange, blue and neutrals room. Modern but not cold--I like it.

Eileen Fisher has a line of dupioni silk home accents including these loosely pleated pillows.

I just know I'd have to run my fingers manically up and down this pillow. By Dransfield and Ross.

A pleated bed skirt is also another way to go! I love the way this looks here. By Marshall Watson.

This is the happiest little pleated pillow and doesn't have a super structured look but isn't fussy. From etsy shop TootieEstelle.

This pleat all the way up the arm ads a fussy/fresh detail to the chair. Henredon via Point Click Home.

Gap is pulling in outside designers (thank God) again and these pants in the window caught my eye on my power walk down to work. I know my friends would tear me down if I bought them so I'll stick to my regular khakis but these are quite fun! Alexander Wang designed for the Gap for $69.50.

I like the detailing, personally, but what do you guys think? I'm into the fresh modern take on something traditional--surprised?


Alicia B.

Rando Design Inspiration Friday: Outdoors Edition

In honor of the fact that this weekend is Trade Secrets Weekend (see post below), our design inspiration is going to focus on outdoor spaces. Today is a gorgeous day in NYC; sunny and warm and finally NO RAIN! Since most of us are stuck inside, here are some lovely pictures to speed you along to the weekend!

From Point Click Home, isn't it just lovely how the green grass grows in between each stone creating a geometric pattern. The obsessive side of me isn't even mad.

Who wants a cocktail here at my new home in the French Riviera? This look like the perfect space for a fun garden party. I wish I knew what was going on in the back though. Marie Claire Maison.

J'adore mini potted plants! Probably because that's about all I can handle. From Living Etc.

This picture from House Beautiful just makes me want to go home even more. I love the manicured yard with hedges, and the doorway of flowers with a backdrop of rolling hills. AHHH.

From Desire to Inspire. I don't much care for the furniture where but the way the ivy is creeping up the wall, it's so charming! Also tres charming is the crystal chandelier outside.

I don't want to brag but...I've sipped white wine in this adorable little outdoor garden/terrace by the incredibly glam Charlotte Moss. It's even more amazing in person. And so is she.

I super hope the weather this weekend is sunny and warm. I don't want to be shivering helping Martha Stewart, ya know? Not cool. Not a good thing.

Alicia B.

I use elephants in all of my decorating...

From Natural Curiosities (awesome store btw) via Point Click Home. Elephants in artwork.

If anybody can get the movie reference in my title I'll give you 5 gold stars. Big honor. Back to elephants. I don't know about you but I've been seeing a lot of elephants, rhinos, and other jungle like creatures nearly everywhere. A new Travers fabric, little leather elephant accessories, and paintings are among some of the design elements included.

This lovely room from Traditional Home has a sweet jade elephant table peaking out from behind the cabinet.

Also from Traditional Home, the designer used this discontinued (unfortunately) fabric she had saved and made a headboard! Look at that cute elephant walking along all subtle and neutral.

A white porcelain elephant is used as a decorative accessory in this amazing setting in Punta Cana. By Bunny Williams.

Found this cutie elephant clothing hamper on Apartment Therapy. You can buy one from Home Decorators Collection. How fun would this be in a child's room/bathroom? I swear I don't want one for myself...promise.

The ever popular Eames Collection have an admittedly pretty cute plywood elephant that comes in many different sizes. They come in red and natural colors. These could be fun toys for kids or be used as a decorative accessory around your home. I'd love to have one of the mini ones marching across my desk.


As I mentioned above, other jungle animals besides elephants have been catching my eye. Irwin Weiner has this wooden carved hippo in his own home.

I've always loved elephants; I just think they're cute for such a massive and rough looking animal. In the design sense though I think they show a look of worldliness. Perhaps you went to Africa on a glamorous safari and picked one up from a local artisan? Or you found a leather rhino at Scully and Scully like my sister. Whatever/where ever you find them, I think they're endearing and quite sophisticated. I even saw a wooden giraffe in an antiques store just this morning. I'll have to swing by and pick it up at lunch. I love dropping a few thousand dollars on wooden animals. PS-did anybody get the movie reference? FIVE GOLD STARS.

Alicia B.

Hit the Ceiling...with paint!

Domino Mag. Soot paint from Benjamin Moore

Picking a paint color for your wall can be challenging, making sure the color is coordinating with the furnishings, and is harmonious with the look of the room. What you don't usually think to do is to paint the ceiling! I've been seeing a lot of that lately and it looks quite fun. It can either make the room look very cozy and warm or it if you do it with enough drama, it can raise the ceiling as well!

This Sills Huniford sitting room has a light lime green painted ceiling. It really draws attention to the beams above and draws your eye up. I really love that ladder off to the left with the newspapers on it--like a library.

Sara Story, who is always quite fun, used a magenta paint in this long kitchen area. I think it works well because there is so much light flooding in from the window and she used little purple and grey accents around the room.

You are, of course, never limited to just paint on a ceiling. Using ceramic tiles reminds me of an old villa or estate somewhere in Europe--perhaps Italy! Robin Bell used this Moroccan tile design in an outdoor space. I think it makes the space look very exotic, yes?

This is a child's room from Domino. Using wall paper on the ceiling is also a fun idea. The walls are a plain light green color, while the ceiling is the element of interest. This is a sweet and whimsical idea for a child; they can lie in bed and look at the stars! This is Osborne and Little Firibata Star pattern.

From House Beautiful: the walls are nearly the color as the ceiling and is only separated by a nice thick moulding. Quite pretty and classic in this small kitchen.

Exposed wood beams such as these add to the "lofty" feeling. These look like they are stained and even have brackets. Interior by Fern Santini of Abode.

This little den by Eric Cohler is one of the most creative ones I've seen. The colors in the room are gorgeous and you can find each one of them on the ceiling in the cross word puzzle! I wonder if it was customized for the client, and what it says. I love how the lines of it flow right into the lines of the windows and the curtains. SO amazing.

This living room has light chocolate colored walls, but is mainly covered with wall to wall bookcases. The top part of the wall then moves right into the ceiling so you're not sure where the wall ends and the ceiling begins. The blue color is agua vert by Philip's Perfect Colors. I love how they kept the mouldings white, even on the fireplace. They're such a beautiful architectural element.

Another ceiling treatment that I've seen is tin ceilings! Apparently they are quite affordable and definitely adds a vintage look to this room. Usually they are used in kitchens, but in a bedroom can be interesting as well. By Kathy Andrews Interiors from Point Click Home.


You can read more about ceiling treatments in Point Click Home HERE. I super wish I could paint the ceilings in my apartment. Usually they are painted the plain white and I'd love to add something fun like a painted ceiling someday. Do any of you have painted or wall papered ceilings? Thoughts? Feelings?


Alicia B.

Shades of Grey

One of the features of my new apartment that I'm most excited about is the tile in the bathroom. I know it sounds small and silly, but I walked into the bathroom and it had this cool grey subway tile in it. Usually, it's mini white, or ugly black and white cop-out tiles, but not this time. As I'm trying to make each room fun, I've decided that perhaps I'll play up the grey so that I can do punches of color in the towels, the shower curtain and the wall decor. Grey may seem dull or too neutral, so here are some grey rooms that still carry lots of drama.

OMG. Talk about dramatic. I love this painting; so moody but beautiful and the stools with the angular animal legs add to that feeling. By Susan Ferrier. Painting is by James McLaughlin Way and the stools are from John Rosselli.
(Thank you Emily Amy Gallery you little art scout!)

How many different greys/silvers/steels are in this minimalist kitchen by Julie Stevenson? Cool and dramatic.

I guess this isn't technically grey; more of a black/grey/brown, I suppose. I love the punch of yellow though in that chair. It just shows you don't need tons of color in a small space like this. From Marie Claire Maison.

I love the greys and the natural wood tones here. From Point Click Home.

This was how I originally wanted to do my living room before I decided on yellow. How beautiful and calming is this grey on the wall with the black and whites contrasting? By Eddie Ross. So beautiful.

I love this bedroom here from Domino mag. It looks so cozy with the grey tufted headboard and the light flowing in reflecting off the blue glass lamp etc. The grey paint is Benjamin Moore Rushing River.

This is Jamie Drake (genius) INSPIRED by the show Californication (better? Thank you to my loyal/rad commenters). The scaly tiling is very dramatic yet organic and I LOVE the built in open shelving on the back wall.

A brown shade of grey here with a separate tub from the faucet. So cute! From Point Click Home.

I think I'm going to do a dark grey on the currently white walls. The grey is cool and calming and I love the way that it absorbs and reflects light. Next stop: the paint store!


Alicia B.