awesome gray dining rooms...

Domino





.....'cause I love me somma you guys! Have a great weekend!

a fun and light combo...


love the combination of  'feels' - vintage, rustic, boho - but again, where do I get some great funky pillows like these...?

black and white




Canadian House and Home

quirky art, wonderful chairs (and ottoman), crisp black and white...
I could re-do my whole house now.

what will we do for design...?


Have you done this? Turned your books spine-side in on the bookcase, for that mono-tone look? Have you covered them with white or cream paper? Brown craft paper? I think I've done all of the above at one time or another..... what about you?

coolness for a summer monday...


a fresh gray bedroom with great art and color...

a beautiful old thing....


"It's 18th-Century Chinese. I stumbled across it at an auction, this pile of dilapidated pieces
that nobody else wanted.  I had to have it. I found three large scenes, placed them around the room, and pieced in the gaps and torn bits.  The idea was to create a jewel box effect in the bedroom, with pattern to distract your senses from the tight quarters.  I papered the wall in the spirit of a collage, trying to make the most of a beautiful old thing...."

 David Kaihoi in House Beautiful, August, 2010

small packages...



I have lost my source for these images, but isn't this small kitchen great? So much charm and style. I especially like the wire-front upper cabinets and the old wood shutters. This is a great example of how small spaces are often the most stylish ones. 

silverware collection

Arcobaleno Antiques

When I posted this image last week, my friend Charlotta from Space for Inspiration commented that this arrangement of framed silverware is similar to my collection, which I  posted when I first began blogging.





I have a collection of coin silver pieces that I have either bought or have been given as gifts. I had always wanted to display them somehow and when I got these antique frames from my husband's grandmother, I covered sturdy cardboard with low loft batting and topped it with neutral cotton canvas. I took a heavy needle and secured the pieces with clear fishing line, piercing all the layers and knotting it in the back.



My collection in my kitchen. 

I love to see old silverware displayed in any way. Charlotta, thanks for the reminder... 

peace...


I cannot imagine a more beautiful space.

Thank you all for your thoughtful comments on yesterday's post. It's interesting to see so many common threads interwoven among us. A strong passion binds us all; no wonder we are such a tight group...

 A wonderful and peaceful weekend to you all...

our passion for design...

my favorite project of Lauren's
a blown up print on her dining room wall

Did you hear the Skirted Roundtable's recent interview with Lauren Liess of Pure Style Home? I highly recommend it; she gives awesome home design tips, and she sounds as fun and lovely as she seems on her blog. She mentioned that she graduated from college with a degree in Communications, I believe, and only after spending all her time at work doodling interiors did she realize that her real passion was in interior design.

Does that ring a bell with you? It really did with me. I am not a designer but it certainly is my passion. Yet I ended up with a degree in English and working in the law field. I have a good friend who would make a top notch architect, yet her passion and clarity for that field surfaced long after her college days.


Lauren's entry

What about you? Were you attuned to your passion for design early on? Or, was it 'discovered' or 'uncovered' later, after another career?  If so, why can't we tap into these leanings earlier? Is there a  growth process that leads us to our true passion?

Thanks so much for your input! Since I began this blog, I have been fascinated by the number of folks/bloggers who come to design from another area, especially law...

Photos from Pure Style Home  

a restful combination...



I'm a push-over for art and for gray and this bedroom has both. Designer Charles Spada used BM Stonington Gray (HC-170) on the walls. 
Both images from Traditional Home 

all this. and so much more...

classic. strong. warm. lovely. loved.

Marija.

doors and floors...

source unknown

these lovely and light natural wood tones suit me perfectly today...

some serious beauty here...













thank you,  Elle Oh, for the discovery...

don't forget to list your gray paint colors here


happy, happy weekend, my sweet babies...

I'm cheating on Design Star....


...with Bravo's Work of Art. Meet my new boyfriend. Miles. Love his art pieces, his sleepy eyes, and his quiet, off-centered-ness. He's cute, no?
Have you been watching...?

this gets me excited...!


I love Anna Spiro's style - white interior walls and white upholstery. I have especially admired how she introduces color; her mix of pillows adds just the right amount of color.
But I have had a terrible time at trying to do the same thing. My living room upholstery is also white canvas and I would love a similar look. I've searched forever for just the right mix of pattern and color in pillows, but have really had no luck. I don't have ready access to large fabric stores without driving a few hours and I am trying to keep from spending too much on pillows that I will likely change out all too often. 
But recently, I found a selection of batik print fabrics that I am so excited about! I tried to get a good mix and I want to also have a mix of different sizes of pillows made. I have so many antique and vintage pieces, I hope this will bring in a fresh feel: 

batik fabrics for my living room pillows

Can't wait to get these going!

gimme your grays...

Albert Hadley

Nate Berkus



I often receive e-mail requests for gray paint color recommendations; but, I'm just a gal who's out here searching, too... 
Maybe we can help each other out a little here.
Have you found a gray that you love? 
Leave a comment telling us about your perfect gray.  

You might want to include:
 the paint brand and name (or number if you have it)
where you used the paint (living room walls? kitchen cabinets?)
qualities you like about the color (cool/ warm, light/dark)

Maybe we can put together a piece like Paige at Tracery Interiors did recently on blues. That was awesome!

This is such a subjective area. But you may really help someone to narrow down their search for 'a perfect gray.'
(And that someone could be me....)

mirror addiction




three? heaven...and so awesome with that clean, modern feel 


love this unusual silver-tone frame

 

yeah...



and I saved the best for last....

happy holiday weekend, my babies. 

in my house...






You might remember from earlier posts here and here that I love the human figure as art.  One night recently as I was cooking supper, I glanced in our dining room and saw the setting sun making some nice patterns on the three toddler dress forms I bought at an antique shop years ago. The toddler shapes were so unusual that I couldn't resist them. After some searching, I found just the right welder to make stands for each of them and they now live in our dining room. One snowy day this past winter, I made the lock and key wraps for their necks.  They're an off-beat touch; just the kind of thing I love.