CHIC COLLECTIONS

Yesterday I took a seminar by Marie Forleo + Gabbrielle Bernstein. Such amazing + inspiring powerhouse women who shared the importance of getting your house in order. This phrase can have so many meanings but what I took from it was exactly one of my life's driving forces... "domestic bliss". It's all about loving where you live and loving what you have at home. So, I wanted to share with you collectors out there a way to keep your favorite things at home while still keeping your house in order...
COOL CALENDAR pullouts make an excellent guest bathroom wallpaper.
MANY MAGAZINES stacked with the white on the outside make black really work. 
ABUNDANCE OF ARTWORKS look fabulous on floating shelves, mixed, matched and layered.
GORGEOUS GLASS bottles collected over time are the perfect way to add botanics and florals to the home and looks best when displayed all together in different shapes and sizes. 
CHERSHED CHINA can be displayed with glass door cabinetry and be a wow factor in your home.
GINGER JARS look fab gathered together as a tablescape centerpiece.

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WALLCOLOR WEDNESDAY...the baby blues

This weekend I spent some time with my grandmother who I absolutely adore. We had a conversation about decorating and she shared with me that her most favorite color on the walls in pretty baby blue. I immediately agreed and gushed over my recent affections for the sweet pastel hue. I happen to think it works marvelously in the bedroom, because it's so serene and relaxing...

I find that most rooms have a bit of French style in the mix somehow and my most favorite of all is when its mixed with gold and bits of red. So incredibly gorgeous and eclectic.

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currently coveting...lovely camera straps

After spending lovely time in the country, I found myself taking more photos than usual. It makes me want to get better at taking pictures with my fancy camera. I must admit I am a little intimidated by the thing and by the amazing pictures that I want to take. 
Sometimes I feel like my camera is so big and bulky and not so feminine, and I think one of these beautiful camera straps might help me to enjoy carrying that thing around...
How about this lovely mint one? It would be adorable with a sweet summer dress, no?
And of course, I couldn't resist a little bit of glamour + sparkle...

office space of the day...greek key dressers

pretty pink chair + glass desk + framed silhouette gold accents + greek key DIY dresser=
domestic bliss
I happen to love dressers with greek key molding on them, (a trend that still going strong) and I always find that they steal the show in many, many really well done rooms I see. I think turquoise and gold work so well together on this IKEA dresser hack.
I'm thinking that something like this black and white one below is exactly what I want to be working with in my new clients living room. 


Or you can even add the look in the details like these adorable greek key drawer pulls.

images via 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8

BEAUTIFUL BANQUETTES

Over the weekend I decided to finally take a much needed vacation and spend some time with my family. It was everything I needed and more considering the city has been so busy and hectic lately. I had a wonderful time sleeping in and taking my eyes away from emails and the computer screen and actually look at green! However, my favorite part about the home is the dining banquette (not pictured for privacy purposes of course) but I just had to collect a few images of one I adore, to keep the memory of my fabulous weekend alive...
This boho pad is so fun...I love the rugs...
I just LIVE for this pink geometric dining table...so fab! 
This one seems more like something I could implement into my next apartment in the city.


ivyandpiper, amber interior design, bhg, apartmenttherapy, houseandhome.

office space of the day... fit for a hip chick

There is so much goodness still to share from the last issue of Lonny.
gorgeous desk lamp + fun inspiration board + perfectly pink and glass desk + sexy shape seating = 
domestic bliss
More things in Lonny that I LOVED...

Loving the moments of turquoise in the magazine, I am thinking there is a resurgence of blue moments happening...
  That brass lamp. If you have been reading me for a while, you know I used one in my FL project and I have been in love with them every since. So good! That blue statue too is the perfect dash of eccentric kelly wearstler style glamour. 
 I love the styling in this little fireplace vignette...
 Hello Parisian citrus magic.
 Lately I am loving some blue and white pieces mixed in, this look never goes out of style.
images via lonny mag by patrick cline.

HOME TOUR: Pretty Styling Magic

I am just smitten with this fabulous apartment. The busy fabrics, bold dashes of hot pink, mix of vintage and modern pieces. Completely gives you an idea of how white walls can really work! The black chesterfield sofa is incredibly stylish and works some masculinity into the feminine panache...

The home belongs Kimberly Steward + was designed by Marcus Hay....
uber stylish New York City people.
Pink walls + gold chandelier...a winning combination.
images via + photos by Jonny Viliant

NEEDING. WANTING. LOVING. shapely sofas

My latest project is a beautiful penthouse with an oversized living room area and my creative brain is going wild with imagination. So, I have been dying to use something different and my heart is upon these incredibly attractive sofas that are anything but standard...

This sofa below is what first started off my love affair...I love the shape and it just felt so right to have in this particular living room and now I just want to put one everywhere.
I do also like the geometric shape of this sofa too. Very chic.


Things I'm afraid to tell you...Wave #2

To fill you all in on what's going on here, a while back a super cute blogger Jess wrote a post called "things i'm afraid to tell you" in an effort to open up and share with her readers. So, then EZ did the same thing and started an entire blogging movement of vulnerability and transparency. Such a cool idea. I was invited to be included in on wave #2 by Meg and I jumped at the chance so I could connect with you guys more! Mostly because the times I do open up, I love hearing what you have to say and I reminds me how amazing the blogging community is.

So here are a few of mine:
1) I'M AFRAID OF BEING AFRAID. 
As much as I would like to sit and go on and on about the insecurities that I DO have (i'm not good enough, i'm not smart enough, i'm not talented enough, i'm not pretty enough, etc) I am most afraid of being afraid. I never want to be one of those people that lets fear or insecurity stand in the way of going after what I want in my life. So much so that I am constantly making an effort to be around people who push, motivate, encourage and inspire me so that I never get stuck in that "worry, anxiety, fear" mindtrap. Because it's there, right there every day for me when I wake up. It's tough, but I have to make that deliberate effort every single day to talk myself into thinking POSITIVELY about the day and what my future holds. And YA, it's hard but I do it anyway, even when I don't really feel like it.
2) I'M A PEOPLE PLEASER. 
I don't know where it comes from but I am literally terrified of upsetting someone or hurting their feelings to the point that I will keep my feelings about something to myself and it sometimes ends up backfiring on me. This happens to me so often with clients, when they want to decorate their home with horrid fabrics, looks or pieces and I just keep my mouth shut. It's the worst part of my personality and I am actively learning to be more assertive in this aspect of my life, in work and in my personal life. Sometimes I make decisions based on what someone else wants me to do or thinks I should do and that is just NOT they way to go about things.  I really want + NEED to be better about this.
3) I'M TIRED. 
Blogging. Designing + Decorating. Living in New York City. Attending social events. Taking phone calls and meetings. Church. Gym. Networking. Running my own businesses. Dating.  It's so much and a little overwhelming and sometimes I just want to stay in bed all day and just shut my brain completely off. New York is a lot and it has worked me to the core. Coming to this city has been the most humbling experience of my life. Yes, its magical and incredible and the city where dreams are made, even my own. IT'S NOT REALLY AS GLAMOROUS AS IT SEEMS. I really hope I don't kill your dreams and fantasies about what life is like living here, I really don't. But it's true + boy has it been a struggle. When I moved here I had the best of expectations...but I've had the worst of experiences. I've lived out of my suitcases, have been held at gunpoint, i fell madly in love and had my heart completely broken, i got robbed of everything on me including keys, ID, credit cards and stuck on the streets till midnight, worked a job at 70 hours a week and got paid like I was part time just so I could get an employer to sign a paper so I could get an apartment, watched a friend attempt suicide, and traveled from brooklyn to the upper west side carrying several pieces of furniture because a client needed me to. Sometimes, it's so exhausting it just doesn't even seem real. BY NO MEANS AM I COMPLAINING, MY LIFE IS PRETTY FABULOUS...Its just not perfect. I don't want to be ungrateful even for a second, because I am doing what I used to dream of doing, but if I were to act like it was perfect I would be completely inauthentic and thats the whole point of this post! 
So...now you know a little about the things that I really want to share but never do.  And I encourage you to read the other bloggers in this wave (below) too so we all can bond and know each other a little bit better.
Thanks for listening! 
Xoxo

Cassie: Coco + Kelley / Christine: Court & Hudson / Caitlin: Sacramento Street / Roxy: My Cup of Te / Crystal: Blog / Meg MIMI+MEG / Ashlina: The Decorista / Katie: Modern Eve / Erin: Apartment 34 / Erica: Design Blahg / Victoria: Vmac & Cheese / Christine: Miles to Style / Franki: Life in a Venti Cup  / Sue: The Zhush / Erika: Radiant Republic / Gabrielle: Savvy Home / Monika: The Doctor's Closet / Naomi:Design Manifest /Tobe: Because It's Awesome / Becca: {extra}ordinary wonders / Lynzy: Sparkling Footsteps / Hitha: Hitha On The Go / Sarah: Note To Self / Liz: So Much To Smile About / Sarah: Blogstar / Alissa: The Goods Design / Jessie: Style & Pepper / Erika: Small Shop Studio  / AV: Long Distance Loving / Maggie: Maggie Rose Blog / Nicole: The City Girl In Me / Priscilla: The Best Laid Plans / Jen:Concrete Jungle DC / Janelle: Food Fashion Fitness / Natalie: East Coast Chic

image via

Mother/Daughter Decorating...

In a effort to show my love for my mom and to thank her for being the kind of mom who always made a stylish and pretty home, I want to celebrate some super stylish mother/daughter duos who are creative and making the world a more beautiful place...

When I spotted this office space and the pretty art I had to know more and then found that this is the NYC apartment of Alex, and the artwork is by her mom Kerri (one of my new fave artists)...
Let us not forget the swanky pad of Jane + Judy in Dallas.

And of course the new authors of 'Good Bones Great Pieces', the total traditional duo. This little apartment was a perfect blend of their styles, So fab!
happy mothers day...

10 things that rocked my world this week...May 12

1. It's mothers day week and all week I have been loving sending my mom sweet notes. I have just been in such a grateful state all week for everything that moms are. This art print totally remind me of my mom and I...we both love us some animal print.

2. Saw this shirt at American Apparel on my walk home one day. I just love it and hello, New York is SO for lovers...
3. I fell super hard for this handsome guy. Would make for the most fab outdoor side table if only I had a very large terrace. 
4. I see crystals all the time used in the home. When I saw this black crystal, my heart just melted. 
5. I feel like the summer has already begun. Attended a fabulous fashion party at the Empire Hotel. 
I love this place. It so reminds me of my affections for good ol' Chuck Bass.
6. I received this amazing tea as a special gift from Paris and oh my goodness...I am in love. It's oh so yummy! 
7. I am so in love with my new pillow from IvyandPiper home has brought such a brightness to my apartment. I am loving the splash of color! 
8. As we all know I love to daydream...this flooring in this cute little workspace absolutely blew me away. How chic is that? Thinking I need that wallpaper, stat.
9. Speaking of daydreaming...I am seriously wishing that I lived here. Hello Windsor Smith prettiness.
10. Last but not least...my favorite picture of my mom and her bestie in the 70's. Such a cool shot. 
HAPPY  MOTHERS DAY MOMMY + to all the amazing, wonderful moms around the world! 

LONNY LOVES COLOR...

 This new issue of Lonny is oh so good! There is way too much goodness inside, I think I have skimmed the pages more than once. My most favorite feature was this incredibly colorful and whimsical home decorated by my lady friend, Jaime Mears. Move over Jonathan Adler, this girl has got some new fun color and whimsical talent thats taking over...

 I cannot get over the patterns and different art used throughout the home, the homeowners must be such fun people to hang out with. 
 This living room is such fun. Pretty traditional with unexpected elements of funk and drama...like a leopard ottoman. 

 Anything Jackie O wins in my book...am I right?


 Such sensational styling...

 Oh, and lets not forget my favorite...black and white stripes.

photos via lonnymag, photography by Patrick Cline

A perfect apartment...

Just when I am starting to get in touch with bold colored rooms, I find something the complete opposite that just speaks to my decorating soul. This black and white apartment with just a teeny splash of pink has literally sent me into a whole new obsession...

In the dining room, the doors with round molding is just absolutely so chic. It perfectly warms up the modern elements of the room and stark black and white color scheme.  I am also LOVING the mixmatched mirrors, so sweet.
I love this black and white wallpaper, its absolutely perfect for spring! It fits so well with a cowhide rug and saarinen coffee table and cute, modern + PINK club chairs. 
I love the symmetry and balance in each of the rooms too, its very harmonizing...
This entryway wallpaper is so hip, I love any brave person who works with that look...I think just the right amount of wallpaper was used here, not too much but just enough to give the space some swagger. Don't you agree?
interior by Janet Rice Interiors

Wallcolor Wedensday: Pretty Purple in Beirut

“Above all, design is not about theory—it doesn’t matter whether pink and green go together. What matters are objects. They’re what give soul to a house. My home is a sanctuary where I’m surrounded by things I like.” -- interior designer May Daouk...

I love this beautiful home in Beirut decorated by Bunny Williams' former employee, May Daouk. She moved to Beirut from NYC about 10 years ago and has made this rare + gorgeous home, one of her very own. I am smitten by the way she mixes colors and have really come to be fond of the idea that all colors go together. 
Blues, purples, pinks, greens, red and gold to boot! Everything exotic works in this space.
In fact, Beirut barely even has many homes, as this is one of the few in the downtown area. 
It's so fascinating to me to see homes from around the world. Go Margaret Russell! 
Simon Watson for Architectural Digest 

office space of the day...pretty pastel art

white walls + white parsons desk + acrylic chair + retro lamp + pretty pastel art=
domestic bliss
Right now pinks, purples and gold are just rocking my world in art...

I want something like this decorista PINK number for my apartment...it would steal the show! 

If you don't already know I LOVE flamingos and I must get this print from Cozamia.

images 1) kerri rosenthal arthere,  the glitter guide,  here + here

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS: the french effect

Every once and a while I stumble upon a gorgeous home filled with the look of Parisian Glamour and I am instantly drawn into daydream mode. I would say that I typically like more modern glamour in my own decor, but I can't help but notice the elements of the oh so sophisticated french look...
The main stays for capturing the look of France are gold mirrors +  chandeliers + curvy chairs + sometimes a dash of velvet.
In my designs I like to incorporate these elements mixed with different looks for my personal favorite style...ECLECTIC GLAMOUR. However, this home is quite the gem. 
images via House Beautiful photos by Bjorn Wallander

WISHING I LIVED HERE...

We all know my affections for black, white and kelly green all mixed together. In fact, I've been looking to add a dash of kelly green to my apartment and the moment I spotted this New York apartment it was complete confirmation. It's so very modern and glam and I absolutely love it...

I love all of he patterns and eclectic mix of furniture.
When can I move in?
images via 534 w42, midtown west.