Friday Faves

Friday again? YAY! It's been another week and we here in New York went from about 5o degrees to about 20 in two days. It's been quite a strain for us New Yorkers; we're oh so sensitive. Anyway, I've been discovering so many incredible new (to me) designers this week and you must take a look, too.

I love McGill Design's work; it's polished and elegant. This little nook in a sitting room is especially peaceful looking with a little bit of ikat flair in the pillows. How special is that window?

Gianetti Home is a designer I learned about from La Dolce Vita blog. I find this room extremely calming with all the different whites and ivories. That's quite a unique headboard though and the obvious but subtle focal point.

There are so many reasons why this one caught my eye. The stacked books, the Greek key throw pillow, the mercury glass lamps, etc but I love the blue and white color scheme. By Sally Steponkus Interior Design.

I have a lot on my plate for this weekend. I'm doing my usual math homework, going to the NYIGF (SO EXCITED!) for the first time, and also entering this awesome give-away contest on Style Beat. It's a chance to win five, yes five, different interior design books, all of which I want. I might own at least one of them already but I still want it again, is that wrong? Is anyone else going to the NYIGF? Well, bundle up, it's going to be a cold one this weekend.


Alicia B.

The Bachelor at The Madonna Inn

Confession time: I love The Bachelor.

Please don't stop reading my blog! I love The Bachelor because of the drama, the absurdity, and the pure entertainment. It's a guilty pleasure and I have no excuse for it. I'm sure you have a show like that, right? Anyway, I know a lot of you are feeling disillusioned about this fact so let's get going on the pure entertainment for you! In the last episode, the crazy girls and the bachelor, Jake, stayed in this hotel, The Madonna Inn. I was blown away at the unique and surprising rooms. They are not your typical boutique hotel rooms, like the bachelor, they are so much more.

There is lots of talk about how crazy the bathrooms are in this hotel but very few pictures because of the fact that, well, they are bathrooms! Everything seems to be made of rock here. Showers look like rock waterfalls, too.

The lounge restaurant is full of these cushy horseshoe shaped booths in red which seems to be a color used a lot around the hotel.

This is one of my favorite rooms. I love the sleek circular staircase and the intricate strange ceiling. This room is called "Just Heaven."

Do you like fur? Well this room is for you (I'm looking at you D.). This room is called "the Caveman Room." Everything seems to be furnished in leopard fur and rocks. I wonder what it's like to actually be in this room!

Remember when I said there were lots of rocks everywhere? Yeah. Large wing chairs in the lobby seem to be dwarfed by the massive boulders. The Madonna Inn, which was founded over 45 years ago, is actually named for the owners, Alex and Phyllis Madonna.

These rooms do seem a little (a lot) kitch, but at least they stand out. Seems like the perfect spot for some drama on the Bachelor, right?

This looks like one of the quirkiest hotels I've ever seen. It's right up there with the hotel made out of ice that I blogged on last year. Each room is some sort of fantastical world sort of like a movie set, which is perfect for California. Next time I'm in California I really must take a look at this motel. Has anybody been to it? Just so we're clear, I promise I won't talk about The Bachelor again unless it concerns interior design--unless someone wants to gossip about the latest episode!! No? Yes? ANY TAKERS??

Alicia B.

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.