Glad for Plaid.

One of the many things I love about Autumn and Winter is that there is more plaid to be seen. I mean flannel, tartan, and plaid. Whenever I see it it looks cozy and warm and makes me feel like cashmere is wrapped around my heart. I recently had to shop for a client's Colorado house and saw tons of great tartan plaids. Very inspiring and festive.

I would love a day bed like the one here. This looks like a very relaxed sitting room--I guess my little loveseat will have to do for now with brown windowpane plaid.

What a great office. Betsy Burnham in LA has a fantastic workspace with a ton of books and a green tartan pillow! Pillows are versatile and you can change them out when summer comes and you want something lighter.

This is from Hank Azaria's house in AD and the drapery is Sandra Jordan! She had the best line of plaids but I can't seem to find them online. What a cozy office meeting room...for poker games.

As I used to work in a lighting showroom, I loved to see which fabrics designer's used on lampshades. These are very seasonal and the great thing about lampshades is that you can switch them depending on the season! From Living etc.

Ahhh, my favorite house in Newport RI. John Peixinhos's home is a constant inspiration to me. This is such a simple entry and I love the plaid next to the elegantly worn oriental rug. From HB.

Autumnal tablescape! I love the lavender and maize plaid blanket used as a table cloth here. Great idea.

Speaking of tablescapes, Eddie Ross designed this gorgeous Thanksgiving table. This is making me even more excited for Thanksgiving. The unexpected and non traditional Thanksgiving colors make this table really stand out.

Plaid, plaid, plaid and a little dog. Preppy and British looking, yes?

Are you going to add some plaid to your home this fall/winter? When in doubt, you can just add a pillow or a tablecloth. In the image above, the pillow is a green silk pillow with a huge plaid ribbon tied around it. That would be great decoration for a holiday party. Can't wait to decorate for our first holiday party!

Alicia B.

Time to Hang Out Outside!

Trina Turk HERE.

Now that the temperature in New York has dipped below 95, I think it's safe to go outside again. I love summer and I love hot weather but I don't love not being able to breathe because it's so hot. Mid 80's is my favorite temperature and since I live in a mini hi-rise, I'm dreaming of some lovely outdoor spaces.

Why even bother dealing with your outdoor decor when you have a view like this! Still, flowers, and placemats/tablescaping is important. A Columbian home from Veranda Mag.

The furniture is MEH, but the architecture with the loggia and slatted ceiling are pretty good looking. That dog needs to beat it and let the light fixtures get a little attention, too. From HERE.

Gary McBournie has some fun rattan furniture with preppy striped cushions but the eye catching feature (am I a real-estate agent or something?) is the movable shutters. They let in air and some very beautiful light.

Living Etc. This one my first pin on pinterest and it's gotten a LOT of action! I love the swaying fabric panels. Isn't the pink so tropical and gorgeous?

This image, which was on the cover of Elle Decor last summer reminds me of New England. I can't remember exactly where it is though--could be on the Hudson somewhere. Anyway it reminds me of a cool summer night in CT.

Sixx Design designed this wonderful wooden slatted deck. The most impressive part are the beautiful shadows that it casts.

I'm ready for Spring...

Are you? I'm sure you may have noticed, but I've been a wee bit quiet this past week. I started a new job (project coordinator at an amazing design firm!) on Monday and I'm MEGA busy with it and with school, as usual, and haven't had a moment of time to attend to you! Be that as it may, I've been enjoying my new job and am incredibly inspired everyday. I'm surrounded by color, which is how I like to be, and have been loving springy greens and turquoises. Get into it.

This designer, Ellen Hamilton, is literally my idol right now. How fabulous is the green rug in this dining room? SUPER fab.

Not totally on board with what's happening on the walls, but I AM on board with bold teal color for the seats on the dining chairs. This is from the new Lonny, which arrived in my mailbox (on the world wide web/internet superhighway), designed by Filipe Pereira and Augyst Zung.

The soft greens and yellows (which I'm really into) really reflect the light well and i love the bright PUNCH of the striped rug. Designed by Gary McBournie.

IN LOVE with this image. This powder room was designed by Meg Braff. A busy patterned wallpaper such as this one is perfect for a powder room--a chance to really take a risk and have fun. Snagged this image from HB.

They should put something fun on the wall and maybe take away that 40 oz. and bag of chips but...I love the acid green on the day bed. Nice work, now clean up. From Living Etc.

I'm not sure but it looks like green grass cloth on the walls, right? This room feels like there is a warm spring breeze coming through. Amanda Nisbet, genius.

Can you believe it's Friday already? I feel like this week has blown by and all I have to show for it are bags under my eyes and a rad new job. I am truly happy to have moved from drab black and grey and walking the boss's dog to colors, energy, and creativity. Have we had enough rain in NYC and are we ready to move to warmer, and happier colors? I am.

Alicia B.

Friday Faves

I took this last spring in Central Park while lying down on a blanket relaxing in the sun. www.aliciabdesigns.com

I do apologize for being a tad stingy on the postings. I've been really busy of late so thanks for understanding. I do enjoy posting the gorgeous interiors that I post, but I have to remind myself that the blog is for fun. Balance in all things, right? Now, on to the good stuff: it's Friday!

After I complete my country house in CT, I'd like to build a home out in Wyoming with a view like this (with mountains though). I love the openness of the room onto the balcony. From Living Etc.

My bf, an international man of mystery, is going to Paris and Germany this week for work. I haven't been to Paris in YEARS--since I visited my older sister when she lived there. I'd love to go back. This picture is NOT me, but was taking in the charmant Tuilerie Gardens, one of my favorite places in Paris. Via this talented fellow.

Did you hear about the amazing sale going on at the Container Store? One of my D & D friends gave me this brocade metal file bin which I really really needed to house my new Lilly Pulitzer file folders.

I won't be doing anything remotely related to any of the above activities/things. I'm going to CT, and then up to Boston to cheer on my sister in the Boston Marathon. I think she's run about 4 marathons by now and I'm so impressed/proud of her! Is anyone running in the Boston Marathon this weekend? What are your weekend plans? Perhaps some spring cleaning indoors because of all this rain? Or maybe plant a tiny garden because of the rain? Whatever you do, have a great, creative, and happy weekend!

Alicia B.

Blueberries and Raspberries

One of my best friends is getting married this summer and she mentioned that she liked blue and fuchsia as her wedding colors. I thought that sounded like a great idea because it reminded me of blueberries and raspberries. Besides strawberries, those two fruits are nearly the REASON for summer. Anyway, I was thinking about it, and wanted to see how this could be applied to interior design. Everything in my life revolves around interior design anyway, so lets check it out!

I'm not sure I'd be able to read as calmly as these children in this room. That wall color makes me want to play, not work. It's such a fun color with the much more subdued blue coffee table and x-based bench. By Eddie Ross.

Melissa Rufty, whom I discovered thanks to La Dolce Vita, may be one of my new favorite designers. I love her use of color and pattern. Really fabulous.

Masucco Warner Miller is ALL over the place right now; which is great! This is a child's room but I love its playful sophistication. The blue is very blue and the raspberry is well placed.

Kate and Andy Spade's shakey spread in the NY Times was inspiring from an interior design standpoint (only). This blue leather desk chair is a welcome contrast on that bright colored wall. I love that photograph above the desk. Creepy, no?

Diamond Baratta always delivers when in comes to color. I know this room is primarily a blueberry, but the flowers are so beautiful and add a punch of contrast.

A bedspread is a great place to start because you can easily switch it out whenever you feel like it. I love the laptop on the pink pouf and cotton candy blue lamp though. Living etc.

Ooo glamorous and romantic. Plus there's a MacBook so you know this person has great taste. Note the color combo but also all the different textures--very pretty. From Living Etc.

Angie Hranowsky really knows how to get me! A zebra pelt on the floor, a really beautiful pendant over the table, and french doors out to an enticing terrace. Though she didn't use MUCH of the two colors we have in mind here, they certainly make enough of a point.

I really wish I had a window to look out of while I'm at my desk. I have lovely pictures and an inspirational poem which is sometimes just as nice. The blue on the seat cushion sort of reminds me of those blueberries with a little white frost over them right before you touch them, no? Designed by Joe Nye.

I'm not sure what it is but something about this color combo is making me think Summer. Perhaps because is reminds me of seasonal fruits? Possibly. I love this color combo so I know my friend's wedding is going to be gorgeous. Plus, I'm a bridesmaid so she's all set!


Alicia B.

Writing Tables Galore.

I love writing tables. I also love desks, but there is something about writing tables or library tables that I just plain love. They are simple and unassuming. You can have a traditional one, or a modern glass topped one. The one that I have is very shallow and works really well for me because I live in a shoebox of an apartment.

This writing desk from Horchow is not only beautiful, but impeccably designed for a modern lifestyle with storage and easy to use with a computer or laptop.

This glass topped, X-based table fits right in to this glamorous interior by Nate Berkus.

The view from this desk would pretty much guarantee that you might not get much work done. I've always loved this relaxing looking office by Todd Romano.

Need a small one because you live in a small space? This cute rattan one looks like it belongs in a beach house. From Pottery Barn HERE.

This eclectic look is from Living Etc. I love the simplicity of the table itself, the books, and the Mac!

I hate tables with fabric over them but this is by Miles Redd, so I'll let it slide. This time. Anyway, this is a really interesting place for a desk or work area; at the end of the bed.

Joe Nye sucked me in with his glam hot animal prints and the light mocha color of the walls but the writing table by the window is gorgeous too.

I think an upright desk or secretary is wonderful. There is room for a lot of storage, and they are beautiful in their form--if you have a nice looking one. The writing table leaves most things out in the open so I think the simpler the better. I probably have too many objects and notepads on mine, but I don't have much room for storage period so BACK OFF. Anyway, which do you prefer? Desk or writing table?


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.

Tall Headboards Galore

Ever since I laid eyes on the above bedroom, I haven't been able to get that headboard out of my head. This is from a Larry Laslo spread in Metropolitan Home that I came across a few months ago. It's not something that I'd usually be drawn to, but I love the natural green with the gilt surrounding each shape. It looks like a very beautiful piece of jewelry. Most beds have headboards but none as unusual as this one. I think that headboards really make a bed, and even make a bedroom in some cases. If you have one that is especially beautiful or tall like these, it can really become the focal point of the room.

Tom Scheerer designed this brownstone in Brooklyn. This one sort of plays with your eye and makes you see the wall first and the headboard contrasting against it. Those browns and blues are mesmerizing.

I actually did a little DIY project making a headboard out of three panels, much like the above with brown and white fabric. Mine are all going to be flush against each other though. This fabric is fun but the two panels almost separate the bed. From Living etc.

Tamara Mellon had a very beautiful and unique 18th Century tapestry so she used it as the headboard. Sometimes objects are meant to be hung up on the wall and displayed such as this one. She could have put it on the end of the bed or something but now it is functional and the focal point of this delicate bedroom.

Drake Designs. This is a really neat one; the upholstered headboard is part of a custom built in that reaches all the way to the ceiling.

Douglas Larson. In a mostly white room (with great painted floor boards), this exotic headboard sure stands it.

Headboards are everywhere. Some are short, some are wider than the bed itself, but some are super tall and command your attention. As you can see, they are not just your average headboards, these designers got creative. I'm going to be hanging my panels any day now, I'm just nervous about making them perfectly straight.

Stay tuned tomorrow I'm going to reveal my New Year's Resolutions as I've finally decided on one or two!


Alicia B.