A little bit of fun with wallpaper...

Over the past weekend a friend of my parents needed advice on a wallpaper selection for her powder room. She had an inkling of what she really wanted but she seemed not to be sure. I think she's sure now, though. Having a lot of Asian accents around the house, she was looking for a real statement of that in her powder room and as I told her, that's what is so fun about powder rooms; they're so small and if you want to you can really go crazy with them and go all out. The wallpaper that I think she's going to go with has a black background. Of course you can go for a dark color in a small room--it's better that way!

Michael Smith designed this amazing little room. I think this wall paper would be her favorite. It has a bold looks, it's an Asian style toile, and its very beautiful. It's by Clarence House, Shanghai Deco.

This is obviously quite a narrow little space! The sink fits nice and snugly in the room. I love how it's painted a black gloss below the chair rail and then wallpapered above it. Designed By Lori Graham and the wall paper is by Cole and Son.

living etc. I like the moire wastebasket, and the very bold pink wallpaper but don't you know that someone is coming to photograph your home? Clean up a little bit!! Okay, we get it! You have a pink bra! Don't give it all away in one shot...

Here is another Asian style wallpaper that is red and white this time. If you need to play with depth, I think this is the perfect one. Sometimes it looks like the red is the background and other times it looks like the white! I love all the little Asian accents in here: the lantern, the tables. Designed by Meg Braff.

Isn't this wallpaper by Ralph Lauren fun?! It looks almost decoupaged and the mirror reflects the back wall and the little shelf to add more depth, too!

Talk about bold! Anna Sui designed this funky bathroom in her very funky apartment. I love the bold wallpaper and the floor to match it's boldness. Though the paisley may not have much Asian feel to it right off, the mirrored sconces do, and the wastebasket does as well.

I know I've mentioned this before in previous posts but it is such a great opportunity to go crazy in a small room like a powder room. It can of course relate to the other rooms but you can take the feeling and push it to the next level design-wise. And if you hate it, it's a small room so you can redo it without much headache and expense.


Alicia B.

A grey kind of day.

Church Spire Reflected in a Puddle.

If you live in New York or anywhere else on the East coast right now, you know that today was a rainy dreary grey kind of day. When I was walking to work this morning, it wasn't raining on me as much as it was raining at me. Grey doesn't have to be all bad though, especially when it comes to interior design. Here are some grey rooms that feel more lovely than dreary.

I think we all know that this wall paper is out of this world beautiful. It only enhances the incredible architecture in the room: the fireplace, the dental work moldings. By Thad Hayes.

This bedroom by Alessandra Branca is black, white and grey. It's soft and so subtly beautiful it makes you think that grey is a bright color.

Of course I'm immediately drawn to the two anchors on the wall, which is a nice soft grey, but the more I look at this the more elements I love! How cute is the stack of books on the nightstand? And I love the structure of the bed frame against all the soft elements of the bed. By Susan Ferrier via HB.

Though I despise mirrored furniture, I find this room quite intriguing and warm. I think it's all about the textures: the matelasse quilt, the upholstered wall panels...and the hanging pear. By Celerie Kemble.

Isn't this bath by BNO just so beautiful? The hard marble looks so soft because of the grey and white veining throughout. Looks luxurious.

See how good things can come from a grey day? Especially a grey Monday. Grey is also a wonderful color for other colors to contrast against. You can put a nice turquoise accent in a grey corner and really make it pop. Or you can use grey as a nice enveloping color for a room. Also, no matter how grey it is outside it can always be sunny inside!


Alicia B.

Friday Faves

Hello and Happy Friday everybody! For some of us, this was a full week of work so I'm really looking forward to the weekend. It hasn't been terribly stressful so I'm glad about that but I sure do need some fun design inspiration, don't you?

I was flipping through one of my favorite portfolios, Tom Scheerer's, and fell in love with this little scene. I am enraptured by the dark wall in the background and I can't take my eyes off those little Greek key accessories! I love them--I'll have to keep my eye out for some this weekend.
Ever since my post a few days ago on table cloths, I've been on the lookout. Isn't this round one cute? Now I just need to get a round table...This is from Anthropologie HERE.

I never tire of a great and interesting bookcase display. This one is part of Eddie Ross's window for Elle Decor in the Bloomingdale's Big Window Challenge. Head on over to AT to VOTE NOW. You can obviously guess who gets my vote!

FROM EDDIE: Would also LOVE your support on the ELLE DECOR window I did for the Big Window Challenge this year with Apartment Therapy. Check it out at http://www.bigwindowchallenge.com com. As we all know, AT doesn’t make it easy, but you can vote TWICE a day, once online and the other by texting “1” to 89800. Your support means the world to me!!

FYI there's an amazing sale going on at WS Home. A friend of mine just bought a rug there for $48. YES, you read that correctly. It's a large rug, too.

I'm off to the country this weekend. It's going to be a great weekend of antiquing, catching up with some old friends, and some math homework as well. I'm only looking forward to the first two things. Don't forget to vote for the Bloomingdale's Big Window Challenge! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!


Alicia B.

Bloomingdale's Big Window Challenge 2010

After running into Eddie Ross yesterday, and meeting his partner Jaithan, I learned a little more about Bloomingdale's Big Window Challenge. Three designers are competing against each other where they each design a window in Bloomingdale's for a specific person. WE all get to vote for the room we like the best! Here are the options:

Designed by Eileen Joyce for Bloomingdale's. "the Urbane Traveller." This one I'm finding quite tame.

By Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan for Apartment Therapy. "The Writer's Romantic Supper." I really like the portraits over the sofa and I feel like I could really relax with a book and a cocktail here.

And last but not least, but last because it's my favorite, Eddie Ross for Elle Decor. "The Modern Woman." I'm really drawn to the exciting mix of colors in this: the pop of turquoise in the lamp and throw on the chair, the orange in the artwork over the sofa, and the pink that is mixed into the throw pillows. It looks elegant yet relaxed and full of life.

To read more about these windows and the great inspiration and the intense competition AND to vote for your favorite click HERE. All of them look wonderful and like a lot of work but my vote is in for Eddie's for Elle Decor. GO VOTE because we only have until January 28th--but also tell me which one is your fave too!


Alicia B.

Table linens are a must!

French Country inspired table linen from Williams Sonoma. Right now at the top of my list!

Last weekend when my parents were in town, I had a small brunch at my apartment with some old and now, new friends! I served waffles for the first time among other things and as far as I'M concerned, the brunch was a success. I think the only thing I was missing was a table cloth. I don't have one! I have plenty of place mats but I lack an actual tablecloth. My kitchen table is very small so its not a big deal but after doing some research I've decided that it might look nice and add a little festivity to something small like my brunch. I think I steer away from them in general because I don't like to make it seem like I'm covering something up. I have changed my mind.

From Elle Decor, I love the soft subtle pattern of this tablecloth. It reminds me of the place mats that I already have from Williams Sonoma.

To coordinate with the wispy linen drapery, this tablecloth allows you to see the profile of the table which is incredibly beautiful. It is pretty and doesn't compete with the bold rug underneath it. Also from Elle Decor.

This autumnal flavored setting is by Eddie Ross. I love the yellow and white stripes--so sweet.

I know this s another seasonal setting but I am DYING over this pattern. I just adore the brown and white fabric--from Country Living.

Again, a simple table set with a burlap cloth that somewhat matches the neutral linen drapery. Designed by Abby Rizor, found in HB..

Sorry for the shoddy picture, I took a picture of it instead of scanning. This lovely table is from Domino. The bold black and white check is a nice attention grabbing contrast from the wood furniture and floors.

In a spread about pink fabrics I saw in Veranda Mag, this sweet fabric with roses on it. Perhaps I could make my own tablecloth with all the fabrics I have. PROJECT!!

This table cloth is very resort or island inspired. I'm dying to go somewhere warm as it got cold again in New York so this one is just right for me! From House Beautiful.

There are really so many fabrics out there (and in my apartment) that I could have many tablecloths if I so desired. Williams Sonoma has a gorgeous selection including the image at the top. Isn't it beautiful? You could have quite a collection, one for every season or different meal or event. Now I just need a place to store them...Good luck to me.

Alicia B.

Botanicals with a twist

A few weeks ago I went to this great exhibit at the Yale Center for British Art of the botanical collages by Mary Delany. It was probably one of the most interesting exhibits in which I was completely unfamiliar with the subjects that I'd ever been to. She was a society woman who was married off strategically to a rather older man and developed a love for plants. She made these intricate botanical collages out of little bits of paper. Each color of each work is a different bit of paper that she cut by hand. These must have taken incredibly patience but through learning about her, she had a lot of spare time. I love botanicals of all kinds so take a look at some I found!

Black botanicals are not seen as often as others and I think they're quite beautiful. This is one by Mary Delany.

Here is another one. It was very important to her that all the botanicals be anatomically correct as well.Isn't the contrast of the black background against the beautiful flowers/plants breathtaking? S. R. Gambrel designed this interior and I'm blown away. It's fresh and traditional feeling at the same time.

This might not look too different but I really like this interior because when you think botanicals you usually think country. This room mixes the organic country with the hard lucite glass, the soft upholstery with the cold metal frame of the table etc. Interior by Michael Clattenburg from AD.

Via Velvet & Linen, these pressed botanicals are framed in a window pane--gorgeous and creative idea for framing them!

Robin Bell designed this traditional room. The botanicals really frame out that hutch. I'd love to see those quilts that are so nicely displayed in there.

Barry Dixon used these framed botanicals in one of the most admirable ways I've ever seen--to hide a TV! Nice choice.

Not only are botanicals beautiful but you can see that they really come from something. They are flowers, leaves, plants etc which can be seen as a craft, something horticultural, something simple, or something as intricate as one of Mary Delany's creations. The Yale Center for British Art put out a book about her with her works called Mary Delany and Her Circle. I'm super curious now about this book. I highly suggest reading more about her as she is a very fascinating woman. Actually, Peak of Chic wrote about her a little bit ago so check it out HERE.


Alicia B.