ELEMENTS OF PARISIAN GLAMOUR

Yesterday I got the most exciting news. All year I have been praying for an international vacation, either Paris or India, those are my top two. To my complete surprise, I got a phone call informing me that this November I am spending a long weekend in Paris, completely paid for. I've never been to Paris and have always wanted to go. As you can imagine, now its all I can think about. So, let's talk about Parisian Glamour...
Everything about Paris is just so lush in my opinion, what is more feminine, romantic and luxurious than that? I adore the lines of French furnishings, the curves are out of control and so good. People just don't make furniture this sexy anymore. This black sleigh bed is just incredible and perfectly Parisian. 
Moments of gold are always incorporated into the mix and not just any gold, but gorgeous, ornate gold. I feel like there is always a fireplace and incredible moldings. What Parisian apartment would be complete without the elements of romance? 
Purples and pinks and delicious textured fabrics are always in full force. Especially in beautiful flowers, they always lend moments of romantic colors to the space. 
Canopys are always essential as are gold sconces with tapered candles. To top off the look you must always add a grand chandelier with crystals and metallics and chains and the like. It really adds the perfect amount of light. So glamorous. I just can hardly wait to check into my hotel. 
Now, I have to work on what am I going to wear...
images via this is glamorous + simply seductive 

PERFECTLY PEACH

 Over the weekend I splurged on a few beauty products, my favorite indulgence aside from bedding, and I found myself drawn to peach flavors. So all weekend long I smelled like a peach and I'm big on smells and seasons so peach is the perfect compliment to the end of summer. Which had me thinking that I should incorporate more pretty peachiness into my home...

 When I found some incredible images of peach spaces, I realized just how beautiful and non feminine the color can really go. It has such a sophisticated feel and complements a more exotic color palate, but you can really work with any style of your choice.
 I love the feel of these richly colored rooms, it makes me instantly want to "I dream of Jeanie" myself to India or Morocco and come back with vintage treasures...

 Since I have a little too much going on and no time for travel, I'll stick to shopping online...




decor images via: elle decor, house beautiful, molly lutkemeyer, cotedetexas, bellevivir, dominomag

10 things that rocked my world this week...August 19

1. I spent a lot of time this week in this adorable apartment. It's so very office space of the day worthy...

2. She has a glamorously gold/brass bar cart that absolutely rocked my world. Layers and layers of gold accessories made this bar cart incredibly special to me. To break up the gaudy gold, she threw a dash of greenery on top. 
3. To top it off, I couldn't help but devour the vintage 70's issues of Cosmopolitan magazine and zebra grasscloth wallpaper. Very vintage vixen, no?
4. I also spent time this week talking about a big upcoming jewelry project. Designing jewelry is every so fun. #LOVE 
5. One of the setbacks about living in New York is having family thats way too far away, but I always forget that I have cousins close by and I am ever so thankful they are here. Lauren chanel, Lauren and I...Lauren is our grandmothers favorite name...Hello! love you girls.
6. Doors in this city, I swear, they just rock my world. I love the geometric pattern on the door, and then the blue lighting behind. Patterns always inspire me to create something new. 
7. When I saw this, I think my heart recognized very quickly the importance of the people who I spend time with. So special. So blessed. 
8. Now, I don't drive a car here, thank goodness. However, if I did, I could drive this beauty....well, maybe. 
9. I ventured out to the special streets of Brooklyn for what is rumored to be the hottest haircut in town. It was. This guy is something seriously good. He'll be opening up a space soon and the design is going to be out of control....amazing. The location now is special too, I was instantly reconnected with my latin roots and had quite possibly the best authentic mexican food I have had in this city. Mmm!
10 After spending a little time in this fun neighborhood. I realized Usher went a little latin too. Hello!
I just love a really good NYC summer. 

bliss in the kitch' : BLACK IS THE NEW BLACK...

The weather in the city is shaping up to be so lovely, I can already sense fall on the horizon. So, I've been braving the streets of Soho and my favorite design showrooms for some fresh inspiration. From what I can tell, black is the new black and it's looking real good. I have always loved black, I just can't get enough of the way it instantly glams up a room. What's even better? When glossy black finishes are paired in a space that doesn't look to modern or gaudy. Like in this glossy black kitchen, the chinoiserie backsplash makes for a perfectly pretty little kitchen...

As most of you know I love black and white as a combo, especially black with white trim or vice versa. It just highlights the look so well and keeps things crisp and clean looking. 
What I would love in my new apartment more than anything is permission to tear down some of the old wood cabinetry, in most pre-war spaces, and throw up some glossy black kitchen cabinetry. My heart skips a beat thinking of what I would do with it. Rose gold pendant lights, pops of blue and white or maybe even kelly green... just endless possibilities! 

one//two//three//four//five

Real Living: daydreaming in Teal

While I thought apartment shopping would be so enjoyable, truthfully, it's much harder than it seems. I am such a picky little decorista. One thing I am enjoying about it is the 'blank canvas' idea and my imagination of what I would do in the space gets to run wild. The last apartment I saw had the most adorable little kitchen breakfast nook. If I moved in, I would recreate this adorable little teal and white situation...

When I first saw this modern and glamorous apartment from Real Living, I knew that it was something I would want to replicate one day. Mint green walls in the bedroom, wild wallpaper in the living room and the deep gorgeous teal in the dining nook. Metallics abound in all colors, silver, gold and bronze (hello olympics) and it's packed with feminine edge. Remember my confession about my love for turquoise chairs? Hello.
How cute is that little gold pineapple hook? Ugh. This space just speaks to my soul. 

 scans via, photographs by chris warnes, styling by sarah ellison for real living au

Black, white pink and CHIC

Incurable Romantic. This just might be the perfect art for me. New Yorkers just have the best art in all the land, I am not even kidding. Just when I think I've seen it all and then something like this gorgeous home takes my breath away. My most favorite colors all together, black, white, gold, and dashes of pink make this home extraordinarily swagger-iffic to me! 

 This bedroom is a perfect example of how to bring french glamour to a NYC apartment.
 Black and white striped sofas? Be still my heart...

 I have just never seen pink + gold look better together. So chic! 
images via ny times, photography by henry bourne

Book Review: The First Apartment Book

I love getting things in mail, especially when they are shelter books. I really fell for this book by Kyle Schuneman. The First Apartment Book is such a fun guide to decorating a small space on a budget. I highly recommend it, in fact, I think I am going to send a few out to friends. Kyle really knows what he is doing. He gives super clever ideas, like how to make pillows without sewing them and how to easily install wallpaper. It's just packed full of goodness. Here are a few samples of the fab style I'm talking about...

 I love this green and white chevron wall paired with a chic black and white striped rug. 

 How adorably cute is this fireplace style. Turn up the volume on yours with his fab tips. Any New Yorker sure could get a thing or two out of this book! 

all images scanned by the decorista

NEEDING. WANTING. LOVING. a pretty pink sofa

As I continue my apartment search my decorating desires are just running wild. One thing I know is that I have always dreamed of having a pink sofa in my living room. As bold of a girl as I am, I've always been a bit hesitant to put too much pink into a room. That is until recently I have been seeing that Kate Spade LIVE COLOR FULLY quote everywhere and I am all about signs. I think it's a total sign that its high time I have a pink sofa...
 In an effort to keep it from being too feminine, I would probably keep the walls neutral and let the pretty pink sofa speak volumes in terms of color. 
Brown wall + pink sofa is such a great combo though, and I love the look in this entryway. 
 Mixing sofa colors is cool too. I love the grey with the pink, totally spices up this living room. 
Out of all of this amazing inspiration, this photo is my favorite. Plain and beautiful white walls with a chic girl coming home from work, black and white accents abounding... I just love it. 

images found here: cocokelley + decor pad + this round up

10 things that rocked my world this week...August 11

1. This week I have been full steam ahead with work. A few new e-decorating clients on the books and it is totally reinvigorating my creative-ness. 

2. As I was wrapping up my time in LA, I stopped by one of my favorite breakfast cafes and forgot how awesome and colorful the decor was. It instantly brightened my world. 
3. I just have to give a shout out to Jet Blue. I have a small obsession with the Step Up movies and the night before my flight, I went to Step Up: the revolution. It totally rocked my world. So, the best part is the lead actor, Ryan Guzman, was sitting near me on my flight back to NYC. So, yeah we had a little conversation. It was awesome! #starstruck
4. Okay, back to reality. I am thrilled to be back in the city. I don't want to travel for the rest of the month, take some time and enjoy summer in NYC. First stop, horatio street, such a lovely little spot.
5. Teal wall + vintage gold peacock...this combination is more than stellar. 
6. An Hermes pillow in kelly green with hints of gold and red will make the perfect piece for my new sofa in my new apartment, am I right?
7. Kinda crushing on the little Cb2 seat. Big, cozy, colorful and in a very cool gingham pattern. 
8. A really well done teal bedroom with a fantastic use of the IKEA bed. The photo does not do this room justice...trust. 
9. Spotted this pretty cool vintage chevron fabric and realized how all things old will always become fresh and new again. Love it. Want. it. Gotta have it. 
10. Some really good wisdom that just rocked my week. 

office space of the day...i HEART YOU

To be completely honest, I'm not a huge fan of decals. They simply go against most of the things I long to see on walls. However, when I laid eyes on this oversized pink heart...my heart skipped a beat. It's absolutely adorable, perfect for an office space or bedroom, affordable, and temporary. Genius!
white walls + white furnishings + adorable mint green chair + pretty pink flowers + huge pink heart =
domestic bliss

LOVING LONNY LIVING...an NYC editor's buduoir

My brain is absolutely excited that the weekend is here, despite the rain I am thoroughly enjoying finally staying in the city for the weekend. No traveling for the entire month, thank goodness! It's time for me to get things organized and clear out the things I don't use anymore (Jen totally inspired me). 
More than that what I will be spending my weekend doing is getting a clear vision of what I want for my new apartment. So, as I was catching up on my favorite online glossies, I stumbled upon Michelle Adam's of Lonny Magazine and her gorgeous new bedroom. I am such a sucker for canopy beds and in this issue she details just how she did it so you can do it too...

 I really am impressed by the way she kept things simple and white. White walls are so my weakness right now. I think it really works in a super modern space with lots of natural light like hers. Black, white and gold elements just are pure perfection in this space without being boring. I'm a fan of panache, you know, living with flamboyance and flair. That means not being afraid to mix leopard, bold florals and some sparkle. Michelle did this while still keepings things sophisticated looking, which I absolutely love. 
 She even got a little Kelly Wearstler-esque by using abstract and geometric accessories. Such glamour without over doing it. This bedroom is a total win win for me! I am seriously chomping at the bits to decorate my new bedroom. 

images via lonny magazine photos by patrick cline

HOW TO HANDLE HALLWAYS

Thank goodness for clients in New York City. I swear, every issue we come across gives me perfect ideas for what to share with you all. Finding out what to do with a bare hallway can be such a daunting task. Especially when we all know how important first impressions are in a space. Here are a few ways to handle your hallways...

 I am a girl who loves mirrors... the more mirrors ,the merrier I am. So, I just love the idea of throwing up some chic mirrors in the hallway. Mirrors always make a space seem bigger than it is so this would be key for a narrow hallway.
Only recently am I loving high contrast trimming on walls. Especially in these hallways, it gives such a dramatic and stylish look without filling the halls with furniture.
I adore this one wall painted in a different color. It makes the nook seem larger doesn't it? Such a great idea. I also am always a fan of small repeat patterned wallpaper. It looks well decorated, gives a burst of color and major style!

image credits: one. two. three. four. five. six. seven. 

office space of the day...HIGH and LOW

Want to see a chic office done two ways? See if you can tell the difference between these two Style at Home office spaces. (I always love it when a bookshelf blends into the wall color. Totally a trick of the trade,  It adds an architectural element to your space...)
modern black chair + exotic orange rug + pink bergere chair + chic bookshelf + dishes on display =
domestic bliss

click the jump to find out if its the high or the low...

(this is the office space on a budget)
see the details here at styleathome

Secret of domestic bliss #66...WOODEN BEDS

As I start planning my move, my eyes are already shopping for new furnishings. What I am really into lately is wood in the bedroom. I think I may have been spending too much time by the beach, and lovely earthy rooms. I'd love to see how a beautiful wooden bed looked in a sea of more modern pieces, I just love a good mix. This four poster dark wood bed looks so regal against this brick wall. Brick is so common in NYC apartments, so this could be something I could work with...

 
The beautiful shapes of a bed like this antique one are just beyond breathtaking to me. I could literally see myself sleeping and waking in bliss in this sleigh bed. I adore that wooden cross, too. 
 Wooden floors + wooden bed = super chic
I have my eyes on a few beds from this great source.
 Oh, and this gorgeous light wood four poster bed is incredibly intoxicating and almost a little dreamy like. I just love it against the white and mirrored room. 
A few beds I like...

GAGA FOR GINGHAM...

Recently, I have had a HUGE crush on gingham. Sure enough, my dear friend Katie Armour of Matchbook Magazine gave us a peek insider her fabulous apartment filled with gingham. I am a huge fan of repeating a pattern all over the home and I think she did the perfect job of pulling off the look without overdoing it. Totally impressed. Oh, seeing this sweet apartment is making me so impatient, I am so ready to move into my new pad NOW! I am addicted to redecorating a new space...who's with me?


MORE WAYS TO ROCK OUT GINGHAM...
 a gingham screen is always a good way to go...
 or this pair of gingham wingback chairs from Ethan Allen...
 a lavender gingham backsplash in the kitchen is too adorable...
 or how about some decorista pink gingham french style chairs...and this gingham valence over the bed works wonders too! 
images. katie armour. casa sugar. martha stewart. home swell home.