Polka Dot Trend: Don't ever change.

I know that polka dots have been HOT all season and looks like they still will be this fall (according to J. Crew).  I love to see how fashion and design influence each other and so I went on a quest to find some polka dotted interiors!

Great idea for an accent wall in a kid's room.  A preppy design like a polka dot could last them through their teens!

This is from Lonny.  You could take a panel of polka dot fabric or a print and have it framed for a fun piece over a bed like this one.  this room is full of pattern so it fits right in. 

This person must love pink.  The polka dotted runner up the stairs is fun and playful.  

Feeling on the fence about it?  Just go for a polka dotted shower curtain like this one.  Again, more pink...

This is another way of adding polka dots if you're too scared to commit to something bigger.  Throw pillows!  If you get bored you can switch them out but I wouldn't recommend it because these are awesome.

Polka dots on the wall and on the floor might just be a good idea for a party.  They look like giant confetti falling, right?  I think it looks festive though. Love.

I LOVE these upholstered barstools with a tan and white polka dotted fabric. Great if you're a neutral person.

This would be a really cute and fun idea for a guest room to have polka dot lumbar pillows and a matching chair.  HATE the chandelier though.

Brown and white polka dots on this breakfast table settee looks great with a white capiz chandelier. 

How are you feeling about polka dots?  I love the preppiness of them.  They are playful and fun and add a lot of interest to an otherwise plain room.  Also I NEED those pants from J. Crew they are pure perfection for the Fall season. They can be fun or subtle and sophisticated depending on the scale and the color.  All these pics are pinned on my Pinterest profile.  Hit it.

Alicia B.

Pantone Color of 2012

I love when Pantone announces the "Color of the Year", it's so much fun! The Color of 2012 is Tangerine Tango and I really love it. It's a really fun color and is a little bit pink, a little bit orange, and a little bit red.

The tangerine is super intense and vibrant.

This orange linen fabric on this chair is...a tangerine dream. Yup, I said it. It's a traditional setting with a fun pop of color. Sara Bengur.

I should have included this in my last blog about vertical striped walls. The orange stripe mixed in with white, blue and taupe really makes it pop. I love the way it looks with blue, too. Sheila Bridges.

Muriel Brandolini designed this adorable fabric with a faded carrot background with bright orange flowers. Fabric.

Amanda Nisbet mixes a lot of bright colors together in this playful sitting room but grounds it with some dark blue and beige.

Yeah, I have some orange pants. These are very cute too from J. Crew.

I think I must really love the navy blue and tangie combination. The nautical blue stripes paired with the bright orange is very appealing to me. Massucco Warner Miller.

Do you like the tangerine color? Turns out I like all the new colors of the year. I guess I just really love color...surprised? According to these jokers, orange means enthusiasm, happiness, creativity, success, and stimulation. True that. When you use these in a room they are fun, dynamic, and creates action in the room.

Alicia B.

I need a little Springtime.

It's 31 degrees here in NYC and I've had it up to here (picture my hand held shrilly above my head) with this cold weather. I'm ready for spring, warm weather, and being outside more. Let's enjoy some spring images to counteract these pathetic cold weather shenanigans.

Savannah Style by Paula Deen is a tremendous book (given to me by my gorgeous younger sister) and has amazing images delivered by Paula and her super cute son. I'd love to have a yum meal at this cute table out on the lawn.

CANNOT WAIT for spring clothing to arrive in my closet. I love this straw bag from J. Crew.

Yellow and blue is one of my favorite color combos. It's like feeling, yet classic. Same with a sweet breakfast room like this one by Palmer Weiss.

Nothing says warm weather like a house on the water. Love the relaxed look of this living room and the exposed beams. Nate Berkus.

Who took this picture of a beautiful Park Avenue Daffodil? OH, I did.

Do you think that if we keep posting images of spring, that it will come sooner? I think so. Maybe if i start shopping for spring clothing it will warm up, too. SHOPPING.


Alicia B.

Kate and Will Change The World...

...of interior design. Ever since Prince William and Kate Middleton got engaged (and stole our thunder.), there has been SUCH a buzz about sapphires. I suppose when the most influential people in the world get engaged with a 1000 carat sapphire, it will come into fashion in a very big way. I love Kate's style as well as her ring--she always has cute dresses and hats. I read an article that said that sapphire blue interiors would be everywhere for the next few years. I'm on board.

We could all do with a few more hats like these, right?

A wonderfully organized office. I love that pillow on the chair and I can't wait until the day that I have rolls of in a woven basket in my office. Homes and Gardens UK.

J. Crew. SUCH a pretty and simple dress. This is a great shade of blue and this dress looks so comfortable, too!

Eddie Ross designed this room with toile panels and this lovely fabric on the bed--love it.

Silk embroidered linen fabric by my favorite company, Vaughan!

SUCH elegant interiors by Mary McDonald. Blue and white interiors are incredibly timeless.

Here is a more mod-squad interior from Elle Decor with a deep blue striped floor--quite fun! I wish I could see more of that bed, it looks bright.

Okay so let's face it, blue is timeless no matter what shade it is. Will Kate and Will change a lot? Yes. I hope so. I do love that deep sapphire blue color--I hope that there are tons of shades of it everywhere in fashion, fabric, and design (you know, more than usual!).

Alicia B.

Dear Spring, Please don't leave.

Don't leave--until you bring Summer into the picture, is what I mean really. As long as Winter is on its way out though, I'll take spring for now. In fashion and interior design I'm seeing a TON of flowers. They're fun, classic, springy and I'm MORE THAN ready for them.


Tobi Fairley's living room is FULL of spring. Green and ivory and gold tones are everywhere. This room feel fresh and comfortable. You might think that with a rug like this it would feel stuffy but it can't with wing chairs, Greek key, and and a lively sunburst mirror on the wall.

Eddie Ross styled this when he was at Martha Stewart. First of all, the yellow in here pleases me greatly. Yellow = happy. Second of all, I love the idea of a screen as a headboard. It adds so much depth to the room and the fabric is so pretty.

Markham Roberts. I believe I've posted this picture before but clearly it deserves a second (or third or fortieth look). The patterns are so dynamic. The drapery is super dramatic and the wallpaper is so unexpected. Looks like vines climbing the walls.

Speaking of flowery, Liberty of London is designing a line for Target and it debuts in THREE DAYS!! I adore their flowery busy prints. They're just so happy.

Cute/girly skirt from J. Crew. Sunshine Peony skirt for $98. Does anyone want to buy this for me--I'm cut off from shopping for a while.

WOW there are a LOT of flowers in this adorable room. I love this four poster bed and the lively fabrics throughout. Even the sconces are nature inspired! Hamilton Design Assoc.

Besides the pretty chocolate pillows, I love this soft pretty flowery sofa. A lot of times if you choose a floral for a sofa fabric, it's bold, but this one is light and blends in without disappearing. Mollie Johnson Interiors.

Spring is all about flowers. In fashion, and in real life! Everything is finally coming alive again and in New York, where the only tree you see on a daily basis is a tiny one surrounded an icky fence, this is always welcome. I'm a huge fan of Liberty of London so I can't WAIT until the line at Target comes out. It's going to be super fun but I have a bad feeling its going to be a bad over used trend. I hope it doesn't, but...it could. Anyway, Spring is here (I promise), so flower it up!!


Alicia B.

Black and white and awesome all over.

To continue my interest/love in black and white interiors, here is a nice collection of more gorgeous b&w rooms. My apartment is full of browns blues, yellows and greens so this is a nice little fantasy for me.

LOVING this black and white splatter wallpaper made by Hinson. Black and white looks great with that wooden cricket table too. By Tom Scheerer.

EH to the bedspreads; just not my style. BUT I do enjoy a flashy pop of color like that turquoise chair. This dark grey paint is gorgeous and even makes the radiator look pretty! By RJ Thornberg from Point Click Home.

From the late and great Metropolitan Home, I love this dining room by Kelly Hoppen. Zebra rug, yup. Black painted floor, mmhmm. Black and white photographs? SCORE.

I love the drama of this staircase and the pop of bright yellow in the wing chair.

I saw this on Cup of Jo (via Lonny mag) a few days ago. This is the bathroom for the uber glam J Crew on Madison Ave on the Upper East side (where I love to shop). The vertical stripes are very bold, but if you look closer there are many beautiful details: the mouldings, the little ledge with frames on it, and the scalloped mirror. What a simple way yet creative way to make a small bathroom more exciting.

This mostly white kitchen from House Beautiful has wonderful pops of black. The black tiles help to frame out the cabinetry and counters.

Carleton Varney, in true Dorothy Draper style, uses the black and white vertically striped wallpaper in this sweet dramatic front hall. Also, check out the zebra on the stairway.

I know this isn't TECHNICALLY black and white, it's chocolate and white but at first glance, it could be right? This Rob Southern (adore) interior from Clover Mag is traditional but so fun and youthful. The wall covering is actually chocolate and white crewelwork--isn't it AMAZING? I'm just in love with this whole house.

Isn't this fun? I think I may start to incorporate a little graphic black and white-ness into my apartment. I came to New York with NOT ONE piece of black clothing, and look at me now ( I own lots of black now)! Sort of kidding but really, color looks really bright and fun against a more monochromatic background, yes? Black and white can be super dramatic and glam too!

Alicia B.

Friday Faves

This first week back from "The Holidays" has been quite a whirlwind. Trying to adjust to work again, working on New Year's Resolutions, my Washington Post shout out, and selling seven of my photographs from my website has been keeping me quite busy. Busy is a good thing though; I'm certainly not complaining! It is Friday though and that means it's time to breathe and prepare for a relaxing weekend.

S. R. Gambrel designed this incredible townhouse down in the West Village and I think this narrow entry way is stunning. The high gloss walls and flooring really make a statement.

Along with just about everyone else in the world my OTHER New Year's Resolution is to get and stay more organized. I love the Container Store to death so this shouldn't be that hard... I have quote a large project to take on though--my under bed storage. I'll let you know how it goes.

J. Crew sends me daily reminders of how cute they are and how I can't shop right now (after Christmas). It doesn't mean I can't look though, right? The Blakely dress is adorably feminine and I love it in Caspian Blue.

I'm probably going to be organizing like mad this weekend. Then on Sunday I'm having brunch with a friend from my semester abroad in Florence! I haven't seen her since last New Years so I'm molto excited. Have great weekends everyone and stay warm!

Alicia B.

Feeling Thankful

This is the season to be thankful. We all have had quite a year with many ups and downs but we made it! Now is the time to just relax and enjoy the moment if you're with family or friends. Think about what you are most thankful for in the world. For me, it's my loving family, my amazing supportive friends, and my health. On the design side, I'm thankful for my blog, my great readers and commenters (you guys COMPLETE ME), my school, just plain good design, and my job! Here are some other silly things that I'm thankful for--because there are so many!

Yes, I'm thankful for the color yellow. I believe I've mentioned my love for yellow before but nothing puts a smile on my face and warms my heart like the color yellow. This living room by Mary McDonald.

I'm also thankful for throw pillows. I love to make them, look at them, lean up against them, and buy them too! Isn't this one fun? It's from Anthropologie: The Waterloo Pillow.

I'm thankful for girly sophisticated dresses like this one! I just bought it in black for a holiday party in December. Silk Taffeta bow dress!

Painted furniture and gorgeous bedrooms. This one is by James Michael Howard.

I'm thankful for Country music. Isn't Taylor Swift adorable? Don't judge me but ALL of her songs are great!

Stuffing is my favorite thing for Thanksgiving. Nothing compares to the way my mother makes it and I've been known to by accident (on purpose) eat an entire pan of this delicious stuff! HERE is Martha's Chestnut and Apple stuffing. I bet it's DELISH.

What are you guys thankful for? I'm so excited to go home for Thanksgiving--it's actually one of my favorite holidays! I've been put in charge of the mashed potatoes this year and I'm going to make Herb and Rosemary Mashed potatoes (recipe from Martha Stewart), so they better be good! Have an amazing Thanksgiving everybody and please find SOMETHING to be thankful for!

ALSO: If you're looking for something to do over the weekend and you're in CT, please visit the Millrace Bookshop in Farmington and see my photography show! They will be open over the weekend! For more photos see www.aliciabdesigns.com


Alicia B.