Dress Up Your Bookcase

These house-bound days during the long Ohio winter make me feel a bit antsy and I am frequently looking for something to do inside that will add a bit of spark and light to life.

Lucy Interior Design

I love the feeling of a good bookshelf purge and organizing session and I thought I would share a few ideas for dressing up shelves and bookcases to make them appear more interesting, unique, and vibrant.

Anna Melnikova

I’m a minimalist at my core – I adhere to the “less is more” philosophy so most of what I am drawn to are things that I think are treatments that are fun and designs that will endure over time.

Source - unknown via Pinterest

Paint, wall covering, leather and fabric are all great ways to treat the inside of bookcases.  

I especially like the wall covering idea because it is an easy way to incorporate some texture and pattern.

Marcus Design Inc.

Why would you ever have a boring bookcase when you can kick it up a notch and create something interesting???

Martha O'Hara Interiors

Marika Meyer

Be on the lookout – I'm predicting more painted finishes on furniture, mill-work, and BOOKCASES.

House of Turquoise

Painted bookcases with a contrasting interior – I think it’s coming back into fashion. 

Better Homes and Gardens

What do you think?  Ready to open a can of paint or buy a roll or two of wall covering. I say -  be bold, and just go for it!

La Belle Vie

Have fun with it - happy decorating!

Best Chair for a Tete-A-Tete

Growing up my parents had an unspoken rule.  The minute my father walked through the door we children knew that we were to "disappear" to allow our parents time to chat and catch up on the day. 

Heart Shaped Mua Swing

I don't ever remember being told to stay away for awhile - it was just understood.  Most times I would linger just out of ear shot waiting for the signal that it was alright to join them.


In the spring and summer Mom would wait on the porch swing for Dad to arrive.  In the fall and winter she would be waiting for him in the living room with a cozy fire burning, ready to share our successes and on some days - our antics.   

It was such a wise thing that they did; reconnecting each evening, sharing their stories and being a couple.  We learned from this to make time for our partner and to focus on spending some special time together each day.  What a great example they were!

Today is Valentine's Day and my thoughts turn to romance and sharing love...as my parents did each day...and because I have a fascination with chair designs...I would like to share some fun pieces to consider for that special tete-a-tete.

Love this piece just for Valentine's Day - Christopher Guy

Japanese Dragon Tete-A-Tete Chair at auction

Flamenco Tete-A-Tete Chair

Anthropologie Axel Three Seater

What a great day dream -  to be sitting here with my sweetie this Valentine's Day

North Bali - Villa Akasa Segara

Union Tete-A-Tete

Love, love, love this classic - Warren McArthur's "Tete-a-Tete," 1932

Wrought Iron Tete-A-Tete at auction

A classic Windsor - this would be the prefect style for my Mom and Dad




Happy Valentine's Day!!!!   

XX0X
 

Vertical Gardening

I am feeling the mid winter blues and catching the bug for vertical gardening. 

I love the idea of planting edible plants but wonder if I would be able to keep them alive. 

My girlfriend, Patti, in California has tons of succulents growing in her backyard garden and this year experimented by planting a variety of her succulent plants in a frame with chicken wire - it turned out wonderfully.  Piece of art!

I do not have any sunny winter locations in my home so ... supplemental lighting??  Watering indoors?

Oh, but it's a wonderful dream for a mid winter day.



Exterior wall installation from ECO Walls

Green Over Grey

 

 

Green Over Grey

 

 

 

Make Be-Leaves

 

 

 

Nice way to ease into growing vertically on your wall by Articulture

Mario Batali's Pizzaria Mozza Edible Living Wall

 

The Green Head

 

 

 

 

The form for planting from Gardener's Supply Company.

Another Furry Bench

Muffy Bench - Bradley Huges

My husband claims that things appear in two's or three's - case in point to support his theory - I just discovered this "Muffy" bench by Bradley Hughes just about a week after discovering the Jonathan Adler Mongolian bench (see my last post.)

It's another fun, furry bench that would add a bit of punch to almost any space.

The piece is handcrafted in the US and is made of Icelandic sheepskin on hand forged hammered iron legs.  The gold feels a bit bright to me - I might prefer it in an antiqued gold. 

Fun piece!  What do you think?

Fun Bench from Jonathan Adler

X Bench by Jonathan Adler - Mongolian Leather from Edelman

Love this little 20" square "bench" by Jonathan Adler.

The lucite base makes it feel like it's floating.  The Edelman Mongolian leather adds the kick and the fun factor.

Wouldn't this be great as a set of two at the end of a bed or in the dressing room?

I'll take two!  :)

Pumpkin Love

I love that in the past few years we have been seeing more and more varieties of pumpkins appearing at local markets and garden centers. 

The classic orange pumpkin still has a warm place in my heart but with a possible 85 or so varieties of pumpkins to choose from - hurray that we are see some new types for fall decorating.

Over the last few years I have been enamored with the white variety but after my visit today to the local garden center - these green ones may be my new favorite.

I have tried growing these in my garden over the last few years with...alas...little success.  Sigh.

I have a few pictures from today's visit - what is your favorite color, shape, and size??  With 85 varieties the possibilities are endless.

 

Happy Fall decorating!!

Such a pretty table setting!!

Dish Obsession - mix and match

Dishes...you touch them every day, you use them all the time - why not have interesting, fun tableware????

Mix it up!!  Antique pieces, patterns, solids - have fun!

 

These fun pieces (below) would be super versatile.  Good for mixing and matching, great interesting shape.  I think I need these.  :)

 

Anthropologie has the best dishes!!!!

 

Curious Deciduous Dinnerware - Anthropologie

 

 

One thing that I do not have loads of, and that's on my wish list, is flatware.  I love these pieces from Anthropologie.  They would go well with loads of place settings.



Seaborne - Anthropologie

Crate and Barrel came out with a pre-mixed set of silverware about two years ago.  Love this set too but would probably enjoy doing it myself at flea market - if I only had the time!!




Maxfield - Pottery Barn

Kerala - Terrain


 

Linium West - John Lewis

I think I should start making table linens and selling them...not crazy about what's out there "ready made."  I have a love-hate relationship with table cloths anyway. I've been using runners...they're nice...I feel like there should be the next great idea out there...let me ponder the possibilities a bit more.

Wonderful Fall Table Decorations - be inspired!




Paul Lowe/Photo by Linda Puligese


Fall is in the air and I am thinking about decorating the house and ... of all things ... dishes.  I have a minor dish obsession and I change my dishes almost as much as I change my shoes.  Changing dishes is so easy to do and it keeps me from feeling bored in the kitchen.

I start with two set of basic dishes; white and taupe.  To mix things up I either add a colored dish or funky fun salad plate or bowl. 

I hate matchy, matchy so here's the fun part, I stack/stagger the plates starting with the charger, the dinner plate, next the salad plate, and then sometimes finishing it off with a pretty bowl or an item on top of the salad plate.  I mix the style of water goblet and wine glass to add interest.  Add some great linens, flowers and candlelight and you have a gorgeous table. 

It really doesn't take much effort and it keeps each season or occasion special and interesting.  Luckily I have a great dish storage area in our basement.  On one new construction project I made a dish room in my wonderful client's basement and at the time I wondered how someone could ever fill it...I'm well on my way at this point.  :) 

Enjoy a few fall table setting photos - enjoy!!



Photo from kitchenistry.com

 




Love the rosemary sprigs with ribbon

 

 

Charlotte Moss

 

 

Very earthy feeling

 

 

Simple setting with wicker charger, soft blue for an accent and a trailing of nuts for that fall feeling.

Fun Stand for Your Buffet Table



Sea grass Beverage Jar Stand - Sur La Table

I love to entertain and I am always looking for new (and inexpensive) ideas for table settings.  A buffet table is much more appealing when the serving dishes are at different heights  - voila'- the Sea grass Beverage Jar Stand from Sur La Table.

This earthy woven sea grass adds a texture that works across styles and palettes.  Wouldn't this be a perfect stand for a summer BBQ with a jar of lemonade, or for a Memorial Day Picnic holding a beautiful fruit salad, or for Thanksgiving suspending a yummy pumpkin or apple pie?

Best news - it's on sale now.  I just ordered 3!!  :)

Happy Memorial Day!

What's a Style Maker???

Style.  What is style?  A means of expression?  An idea? Is it natural?  Is it crafted? 

I recently returned from a Style Maker Summit and I am reflecting on all of these style questions as I strip layer upon layer of alligatored paint off of my old Craftsman style Bungalow.  Stripping paint provides me with plenty of time for reflecting.

To me, style is developed over time, whether it be a personal style or a design style.  Style is the compliation of our experiences blended together with our own inner voice.  It's an essence or a feeling that shows in our manner, our physical objects, or our ideas. 

What is your style?  What makes your heart skip a beat and makes your soul humm?

I brought a few of my current favorites to the Style Maker Summit to share with the group.  Here are my current favs.

TORTOISE SHELL 

MOSS

BROWN APPEARING AS BLACK

ABALONE SHELL

A HUGE thank you to CAMBRIA for the opportunity to participate in the Style Maker Summit.  Cambria is clearly a company with a philosophy that celebrates style in all the many ways style can be expressed.  Bravo!

Complied pictures from the web.  Thank you.