Friday Faves

Cheval from my newest photos. www.aliciabdesigns.com

How about this snow, huh? People have been complaining about all the snow, but it's February! It's prettier than rain! I can't wait to take some pictures of this on my way to work. Anyway, it's Friday so let's have a little fun...

I saw this designer, Kendall Wilkinson, in the latest Decorati newsletter. I loved this bright blue wall with a tree painted behind it sort of like a headboard.

This is such a classic traditional scene with the antique chair and the gallery wall with ornate frames but Jonathan Adler makes it really fun with the oversized floor lamp and bold geometric rug.

I've been going over this whole house from Traditional Home by Ruthie Sommers over and over. It's colorful and light and these fabrics are so gorgeous. I love the rusty red zebra on those twisted back chairs.

I really must say that as I look out my window (into an icky courtyard of fire escapes) this snow is really just gorgeous. You might even go as far as to say MAGICAL. Might this snow thwart my plans of going to the flea market? Possibly. Not to worry though, I may just stay in over the weekend and sew pillows. It's every girls' dream. What are your plans for the weekend? Have a wonderful, magical, and snow embracing weekend!


Alicia B.

Inlaid Wood Love

Italian inlaid wood tea caddy from 1st Dibs. Only $1850? I'll take it!

I think inlaid wood is incredibly beautiful. You might even say exquisite. There are so many intricate patterns you can create on the floor, in a door, in a box, I could go on but it's starting to sound like a Dr Seuss book. One usually finds it it a traditional setting where it is a stunning surprise.

A large honeycomb pattern is here in this foyer using different tones of wood to make the pattern stand out. From Traditional Home.

Think you can only find inlay in a historical home? Not so! Stephanie Stokes (my kitchen idol) took the pattern of her family crest and had it inlaid into the small kitchen floor. Stunning.

If you don't have the resources for hiring a professional to do your marquetry work, this is actually a stained pattern made to look like inlaid wood. Incredibly gorgeous and I love the Greek key pattern on each side. Designed by Brown Davis Interiors.

Here is designer, Juan Montoya modeling for us next to a kicky inlaid wood door. It almost looks like parkay flooring but much prettier as it is framed out so nicely on this door.

I wish I could see the top of this table better but it has an inlaid pattern inset on it. I like the informal look of this as well. Gorgeous foyer by James Michael Howard.

I think I'm most drawn in by the craftsmanship that it must take to create these pieces. The craft of marquetry is quite rare I'm sure so it makes them even more valuable and special. I just recently selected an inlaid wood box for a client to use as a cocktail table (with legs made) and a glass top and it is going to look amazing. Have a fantastic Thursday because guess what! Tomorrow is Friday!


Alicia B.

Clerestory Story Time

Traditional Home. Look to the left to avoid the TV over the mantle (ugh) to the clerestory windows!

A very loyal reader asked me yesterday what clerestory windows were. For those of you who didn't have a proper art history education, clerestory windows, which originate in churches, are a narrow band of windows placed up high, to let light in from above. Here are some great ones that I found in residences, not churches.

This is from the Golf Digest Showhouse by Suzanne Kasler. If you can get past the astro-turf patch, there are gorgeous clerestory windows in the kitchen. The kitchen is a great place for them if you don't have an amazing view from your sink or you want privacy but still want light to come in, then these are perfect!

The light that streams in from these windows is so beautiful/ethereal. By Suzanne Kasler.

These next two are used as decorative elements on the interior of the room. This bathroom was designed by Robert Young for Traditional Home. These windows let you know that there is another room behind those slatted doors.

By Phoebe Howard, these almond shaped clerestory windows are placed above closets and add a great architectural element to the room.

These are more reminiscent of a church setting, as the windows are placed very high, and the ceiling is slightly pitched. By Christopher Coffin.

There are so many different kinds of windows out there so it can be confusing. I love clerestory windows because they remind me of my early days in art history classes, which eventually led me to interior design. Sigh.


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.

Small Space Dilemmas

Jay Jeffers in the San Francisco showhouse in 2005. Woah, pattern.

So, now that I'm moving, I have to downgrade to a smaller space: a studio. I know. Woah. This evening apres work, I went around and saw a few of these studios, and boy do I have a challenge ahead of me. It got me thinking of how to divide the space so that it looked the biggest and also how to carve out each area; living, sleeping, eating, and baking. Fortunately, I like challenges like this. Also, fortunately for me magazines (that I worship) like House Beautiful and Domino have little guides for this sort of thing. Among other things, one of the tips that sounded the most interesting and intense was Amanda Nisbet's advice of covering everything in the same pattern. Wallpaper, fabrics, lampshades etc. Let's see how this plays out...

The shades and wallpaper are the same beautiful chinoiserie pattern. The desk is gold leaf and it floats right into the space. Designed by Philip Gorrivan, who, btw is amazing.

Ah, Katie Ridder, you never cease to amaze me. This canopied day bed blends right into the gorgeous wallpapered back wall. Matching throw pillows and the mirror add depth to the room.

This small study in Atlanta from Traditional Home looks quite a bit larger with the large scale geometric patterned wallpaper and roman shades. I think the overly tall pedestals with the lamps also play with the scale of the small room.

How much do you want to curl up on that blue chair covered in that soft white cable knit throw and read a book? I know this is a relatively large space but the wall paper and corresponding fabrics really do lighten up and open up the space.

Designed by Ashley Whitaker in the Hamptons.

This is also a large open space but I wanted to show it because it literally has the same fabric on everything: chair, ottoman, roman shades, bedskirt, and ....lampshade! It's such a pretty house-- this image was featured on Architectural Digest about a year and a half ago

(designed by Alexa Hampton).

I think the uber patterning has the same sort of effect that painting a room a dark color has. It seems to eliminate the fact that you're in a small space by not letting you define the space on your own. If the shades, the drapery, and the walls are all the same pattern then you lose your sense of depth. And lets face it, wallpaper is fun.


Alicia B.