Interior Design 101

Think grammar school.  Pencils, check. Erasers, check. Graph paper, check.  Tracing paper, check.  Architectural scale, check.  Glue stick, check.  You get the picture!  I finally bit the bullet and enrolled in an interior design class at a local college.  I think this is the first time I have taken a class and really (and I mean really) just enjoyed it.  It felt natural although intimidating because I have no experience, but that is why I am there, right? 

The last 30 minutes of class, our instructor handed out her favorite design shelter magazines and told us to browse them and rip out anything that inspires us.  I was like, for real?  I mean this is what I do for ultimate pleasure and now I get to do in class!!  Love it!!

The instructor, an established interior designer, shared a lot of 'sound' advice and many of her sources or as she calls them her "secrets".  It was fun and I'm looking forward to going back next week. 

For homework, we need to pick a room in our house that we want to re-do and the sky is the limit (in terms of budget).  Do you know how foreign that is to me?  I am so use to sourcing items that are budget friendly, I think I am going to get over-whelmed with all the beautiful and amazing furnishings out there. 

All photos from At Home in Fairfield County

But, hey, I'm not complaining.  This is going to be so fun!!  I picked our dining room!!  Woohoo...

What's New?

I got home last night from work and browsed through the new Crate & Barrel catalog and I was impressed.  Here are a couple of times that are striking my fancy....

My girlfriend just purchased the above chair for her beach home.  And, it swivels!!

1) Cleo table lamp, 2) Petrie leather ottoman, 3) Ankara Chair, 4) Magnusso Ginger Pillow, 5) Oasis Swivel Chair 6) Carly Chair with cobalt blue frame, 7) Ginger blue side table

Me likey.....you?  Hope everyone is having a great week!!

Steele Marcoux's Cottage

In the most recent issue of Southern Living, I was delighted to see a feature on Steele Marcoux's, Coastal Living's design editor, quirky but cheerful cottage.  The thirty month remodeling project produced a stunning 1920's 1800 square foot cottage.  Let's take a peek.

So many things I love.  Where to begin?  I love the custom touch of the full-length lumbar pillow on her  Lee Industries sofa.   She seamlessly mixes high and low end furnishings by pairing her Lee Industries sofa with a West Elm jute rug and Target coffee tables. 

I have to say I haven't always been a huge fan of the honeycomb mirror, but it is perfect in this space!  And, yes it is the Pier 1 version.  Behind the sofa is a black painted console table that she upgraded by placing a mirror (instead of glass) on top of it.  Love that custom touch and all the touches of 'green' especially the green mini shades on the chandelier.  

Traditional meets modern with the antique secretary paired with the lucite stool.  Love it!  Steele lined the inside of the secretary with a cream wallpaper to lighten it up. Brilliant!

I love the color she painted on these walls - grayish pink called Calamine by Farrow & Ball.  I love the camelback sofa paired with the painted cane back chairs and all the pops of pink, green and brown (note the Ziggurat curtain fabric by Quadrille?).  

Love the chinoiserie meets Palm Beach feel of her dining room.  She introduces an unexpected pattern by adding wallpaper which is a great touch.   One of the things I found amazing is that Steele and her husband had almost nothing (very little furniture and small budget) when they moved into this cottage and yet their home looks like it has been lived in and effortlessly collected over years.  It's perfection if you ask me!

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly....

So, remember this awesome find for $30?   This is the Good.....

Take note of the red upholstered seat.  See the red fabric?  Well, that is the Bad.  Goals are to paint the chair.  Check.  Done in an awesome new color which I love!  Second, is to reupholster the seat in a new fabric.  I decided to take the red fabric off for fear that it might show through my new fabric.  Well, here comes the Ugly.

Not one layer of fabric, but two?  I thought this only happened when taking down wallpaper?  To top it off the white plaid fabric is textured so I had to take that off as well.

Well, I finally finished and with only one injury when I jammed the screwdriver in the palm of my hand trying to take out those pesty staples.

We're approaching the finish line folks!  I can't wait to show you the reveal!!  Stay tuned.

PSS:  All pictures (except for the first one) are shot with a new camera!  Santa was good to me this Christmas.  I received the Canon EOS Rebel T1i.  Still learning the ropes as you probably can tell.  Can use all the help I can get!!

Catchin' Up

We're in Michigan right now relaxing with family and enjoying the lack of any type of schedule.  Sleeping in, playing ice hockey on the lake, eating home baked cookies and catching up by browsing some of my favorite home decor magazines.  I'm currently loving these pictures - great for some fantastic color inspiration....

SW Meander Blue (#6484)

BM's Wood Grain Brown (#2109-30)

BM's Hawthorne Yellow (#HC-4)

I also was able to catch up on the recent Renovation Style magazine featuring Meg Braff.  Here are two of my favorites pictures of her work...

Lastly, if you ever happen to find yourself in Ann Arbor, MI, you must go to The Treasure Mart.  My sister in law and I went there and it was amazing.  She walked away with a fabulous bamboo dresser for $75.  Not too dissimilar to this......

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I hope you all are having a relaxing holiday week.  I plan to be back in full swing in the New Year!!  Happy New Year's!!  

Annsley Interiors

Every once and a while, I like to profile an interior designer's work as a way to capture my favorite designs and designers.  Annsley McAlleer is no exception.  

The styling of these bookcases are perfection.  Notice the small nesting lucite tables?  How about the fabric on the chairs?  Looks like Albert Hadley's Fireworks for Hinson & Company?  Love it.

Who doesn't love a banquette with a zinc pedestal table and a chippendale chair?  Oh, and of course, french doors!

So relaxed, adorable and functional!  

I love the blue & green color combination! 

So serene!  Blue and yellow - I love it.  I'm curious as to what fabric she used for the curtains?

I love the sconce she chose for this bathroom!

I can't tell if the color palette is blue and green or black and green.  Either way, I love it.  Very dramatic.  All the above pictures are from Domino where they featured Annsley's home in Boston.  

Do you spy a blue ghost chair, David Hicks La Fiorentina pillow and I believe Alan Campbell's zig zag fabric on the chair?  I do!!  Hope you enjoyed her portfolio as much I did!!  To see more, go here.  

See it to believe it...

Can you believe those are Ikea's shelves?  I had to take a second look to believe it.  Looks like expedit has done it again.  To see more, go here.   Absolutely fabulous!

Faux Bamboo Chippendale Chair

This well-known chair has made it rounds in blogosphere and I just knew it would be a matter of time when this little beauty would make its way to my home!

Having already planned to be in NY this past weekend and then receiving a tip from Camila's very resourceful blog last week, I made sure I squeezed in a stop in Poughkeepsie to pick up the $30 chair.  I am surprised another blogger didn't beat me to it!!  Anyway, now for my favorite part, the inspiration!

 decorpad

 Elle Decor

 Michelle Adams

 Palmer Weiss

 Pink Wallpaper

Kelly Green

Fun, Vibrant & Stylish

While I am not a huge fan of the color red, I like it in doses.  To me, the color red means fun.  Some ways to inject fun into your home?  Take a piece of furniture (like a chair),  paint it red and what you'll end up with is a fun, vibrant and stylish piece that speaks volumes. If red scares you, you might want to stick to a simple red and white color palette.  You can't go wrong with such a classic color combo.   Think Hermes 'Balcon du Guadalquivir' plates.  Check out some of my favorite 'red' pieces:

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So, is red for you or no?